“Snowflake, use Aura Sphere! Grovyle, protect yourself!” I barked out.
My Togekiss released a ball of surging blue energy that tracked Grovyle's every movement. The agile gecko gathered momentum and tore into the attack with Leaf Blade. The resulting explosion kicked up dust, but Grovyle landed unharmed, acknowledging Snowflake's effort.
The Pokemon tournament was starting in a few days, and I was making sure that my Pokemon were getting ample practice in beforehand. It had been a long time since they had taken part in anything truly competitive, but I knew they all still had their fighting spirits.
“Good block, Grovyle! Snowflake, well done! Try and overpower him next time!”
My Pokemon smiled at each other happily.
“It's really coming along.” Nelly said, watching whilst she was training her own Pokemon. We were training by the hills in Fuchsia City, on the pristine green fields below.
“Thanks.” I smiled. “How are you getting along?”
“Trixie and Pachirisu are getting better all the time, but I really need to take some of my Pokemon out of storage soon. That or I need to catch some more...”
“Oh, do you only have your Vulpix and Pachirisu at the moment?” I asked.
“Yeah... I haven't really done any competitive battling before. But it's ok, I'll just bring four Pokemon in from the Pokemon Centre later.” She replied.
I looked around at the Pokemon present. Grovyle and Snowflake were sparring wholeheartedly, whilst Trixie and Patch were letting loose their long-range attacks, their purple bows fluttering with each attack. My Quilava, Cyndi, was using her speed to try and outwit my Empoleon. Larvitar was testing his strength and agility by jumping high and climbing trees.
“Nelly, if you want, you can use one of my Pokemon for the tournament...” I suggested.
“Toby, I couldn't do that!” She shook her head. “I can't take one from you just like that.”
“It's ok, I have plenty in storage! Here, take this one.”
I walked up to my partner and placed a PokeBall in her hand.
“Toby...!”
I gave her the golden PokeBall and smiled. “Jirachi likes you, so he'd probably love fighting for you.”
“But... He's one of your best... I can't...” Nelly swallowed. Just then, the ball popped open and the Wish Pokemon materialised in a flash.
“I'll fight!” Jirachi grinned.
“Jirachi! Is it ok if you join Nelly's team for a while?” I asked.
“Lady Nelly? Of course! I'd be happy to!” He replied cheerfully.
“But Jirachi, isn't it your duty to fight alongside Toby?” Nelly said, embarrassed.
“That's true, but Toby wants me to fight alongside you now, Lady Nelly! Unless... You don't want me?”
“N-no! All right... Toby, are you really sure?”
“Of course, Nelly.” I nodded. “Think of Jirachi as a present that says 'I love you'.”
“Thank you... Ok, Jirachi! Thanks for coming to help!” Nelly blushed.
“Let's get started!” Jirachi flew off to greet Trixie and Patch.
“Thank you, Toby... I love you too.”
I smiled and turned back to our Pokemon training.
A couple of hours later, my Pokemon and I were resting against the low banks, taking a break from battling. Nelly had gone off to the Pokemon Centre to add more Pokemon to her team. I was thinking about the Pokemon I had with me. They had all been with me for two years now. Was it time to switch my team around? Most of my current team had already faced the Pokemon League at their peaks. But who did I really have the heart to take out?
“Rrrrraaaaaaa!” A cry blasted out in the silence. I looked over my shoulder and saw a beam of light blue pierce the sky, followed by three columns of fire. I got to my feet and went to call my Pokemon, but most of them were asleep. Then I saw Larvitar, on his toes, watching the colours in the sky.
“Larvitar! With me!” I called, running towards where the fire had come from. He ran beside me, eager to find out what was happening.
We made it to the clearing where the noises had come from to find a small blue Pokemon slowly backing away from three smaller fire types. The blue Pokemon was almost twice their size, but it was outnumbered. The fire types were all Darumaka, the Zen Charm Pokemon. As for the Pokemon under threat, I wasn't too sure what it was.
“Hey, you lot! Leave it alone!” I yelled. The three Pokemon looked at me in disgust, before going back to tormenting the poor Pokemon, who seemed to be an ice type, putting it at yet another disadvantage. Larvitar was just about their size, and definitely had the type advantage too.
“Larvitar, use Rock Slide!” I commanded.
Larvitar jumped back towards a large stone and shattered it with his foot, sending pieces into the air. He then directed them towards the Darumaka with great force. Two of them leapt away to the sides, but the first was caught in the middle and sent flying. One of the remaining duo charged up a Fire Punch and ran straight at the ice type. Larvitar reacted swiftly and pounced in front of the Darumaka as it struck, catching its fist.
“Dark Pulse!”
As the Pokemon tried to struggle out of his grip, Larvitar opened his mouth and a barrage of dark power thundered into his opponent. It went rolling across the grass in a heap.
The final Darumaka stormed forward and used Incinerate.
“Watch out!” I cried to the Pokemon behind Larvitar, as the sailing flames tore past him. The four-legged, long-necked creature cried out, releasing a light show of dazzling colours from its mouth. The two flaps on its head began to glow beautiful colours, like the Aurora Beam that battled the fire. Both moves were cancelled out, leaving pretty ice shards sparkling under the late evening Sun.
“Whoa...”
The Darumaka wasn't as impressed, however, and launched forward, its body glowing pink with the essence of Superpower. The ice type cowered in fear, as the rash little Pokemon swung with all it had.
“Larvitar!” I yelled.
My Rock Skin Pokemon leapt up alongside the Darumaka and fired a Shadow Ball right into its stomach from close range. It yelped and was sent sprawling along the ground, out cold like the other two.
“Well done buddy.” I said.
“Lar.” Larvitar nodded.
“Are you all right?” I asked the Pokemon we had saved, kneeling down to look at it.
“Ura...” It smiled.
“I'm glad you're not hurt, uh... Sorry, what Pokemon are you...?” I asked, looking at its blue crystals on either side of its body. Despite having a fairly long neck, it had a stubby tail. It also had a white belly and big blue eyes. Larvitar and I watched as it smiled and nodded.
“Amaura!” It said.
“Amaura...?” I blinked. “You're from the Kalos region, then, right?”
Amaura nodded happily. “Cool! Are you a boy?”
It nodded again. “Well, I'm glad we could help you out, little guy. You be careful now, ok?”
“Aura!” He smiled.
We waved goodbye and began to walk back to the rest of my Pokemon.
“You did well, Larvitar.” I said as he walked by my side. “You're definitely staying with me if I end up switching things around.”
After a while, he looked over his shoulder, stopped and tugged at my leg. “Hm?” I looked down.
“Lar. Larvitar!” He pointed behind us. I turned to see the Amaura, standing awkwardly.
“Hey! What's up?” I asked. He wandered up to Larvitar and they two of them began to talk. Larvitar nodded then turned to me. He pointed to my pocket, then to the Amaura. “Huh? Oh...” I pulled out one of the PokeBalls. “Do you want to come with us?” I asked. The Tundra Pokemon nodded frantically, the flaps on its head lighting up in the wonderful colours again, before returning to the regular pink and yellow shade.
“Do you mind if I call you Rainbow...?”
Amaura's eyes twinkled and it jumped up and down. “Haha, ok then! I'm glad to have you, Rainbow.”
I pressed a PokeBall gently against his head, where it opened, and Rainbow was taken inside. The ball closed, shook three times, then clicked.
“Well, there's Jirachi's placed filled in for.” I smiled.
We got back to the rest of my Pokemon, most of whom were still asleep. Snowflake and Cyndi were curled up on the ground, whilst Empoleon was on the banks. Grovyle was laid out on his back, chewing on a twig as he watched us return. I let Rainbow come out, and he plodded over to Grovyle to say hello. Grovyle opened one eye and patted the newcomer's head.
Taking another look around, I realised that I couldn't part with any of the Pokemon around me. They weren't just Pokemon – they were friends first and foremost. I loved each one of them dearly, because they all held a place in my heart. Grovyle had been with me the longest, all the way before Bonnie, Holly and I came back to Kanto. I had befriended Empoleon as a Piplup in Viridian forest, and I had rescued Cyndi from Team Rocket when she was a Cyndaquil. Larvitar had joined me just before I entered the Pokemon League, and Rainbow was the newest member. Jirachi was also important to me. Then of course, there was Snowflake. I looked over at my Togekiss and smiled. She had hatched as a Togepi in my arms, and she saw me as her father. She also saw Nelly as her mother. Even though Snowflake was fully evolved, she was still my baby.
“Toby.”
“Nelly?” I turned around to see her walking towards me.
“You got a new Pokemon already?” She asked.
“Yeah... He's an Amaura. I've called him Rainbow.”
“Aw, he's cute.”
“So, how did it go?”
“I got some Pokemon, so I'm all set.”
“That's good. I think I need to get to know Rainbow a bit more before the competition starts, though.” I watched as my Pokemon started waking up and greeting the new arrival.
“You know... You really paint a picture, standing there...” Nelly said, looking at me.
“Huh?”
“The way you're standing, looking over everything. And the sunlight on your shoulders... You look... Wonderful...”
“I...” I looked at her and blushed. “W-we'll at least you don't need the sunlight to look good...”
“Toby...?”
“You're beautiful.” I smiled. “I'm just saying that you don't need any lighting or backdrop to look wonderful, because you're always beautiful.”
“Oh, you...” She blushed.
“Hehe.” I shrugged as she kissed my cheek.
“Are you ready to go home?”
“Yeah, I think so.” I looked around at the Pokemon. “Come on guys, it's time to go!”
*
A few hours later, we were back at home with the family, cuddling up to each other on the sofa. We had eaten and changed, so it was just a night to be spent in company really. Alexis was asking us about our day, whilst Bonnie was stroking Trixie on the floor. Maruki was already asleep, and Darragh was in the garden.
“That's very nice of you, Toby, giving Snowflake your Jirachi like that.”
“It's no problem. I wouldn't rather anybody else take care of him for now.” I replied.
From the window, we heard Darragh shout. “Nelly, come out here! There's someone you need to see!”
“Hm?” She sat up.
“We'd better go and see.” I said, sitting up too.
“Yeah.”
Alexis followed us to the garden door, where we opened it and stepped out onto the grass. Darragh was standing in the middle of the garden with a smile on his face and a PokeBall in his hand.
“Dad?”
“Just watch.” Darragh smiled, throwing the PokeBall into the air. “Come out!”
The ball spun several times before bursting open, and a dazzling white light flashed out, getting bigger and bigger. Eventually a large, orange Pokemon with black zigzag stripes, a fluffy mane and tail appeared.
“An Arcanine...?” I blinked. The majestic Pokemon licked Darragh's face and looked over to us.
“No... Is that... Is that you, Leo...?” Nelly said, slowly walking forward. The Arcanine caught her eye and howled. “Leo!”
She ran up to the Pokemon and wrapped her arms around it, burying her head in its fur.
“Leo...?” I watched as the two of them bonded.
“Leo was the puppy that we had before Darragh disappeared all those years ago.” Alexis explained. “He was a Growlithe back then, when Nelly was fairly little. The two of them were almost inseparable. But when Darragh disappeared, so did Leo, and it was just Nelly and I... That's why she got Trixie, the Vulpix. To fill the void that Leo left in her heart. She was so young at the time, so it was traumatic for her to lose her father and her only pet.”
“I... Had no idea...” I swallowed, feeling terrible for not knowing.
“Where was he?” Nelly sniffed.
“Well, the day I decided to make Genesis, because I thought the two of you had died...” Darragh sighed deeply. “I didn't want Leo to see what I'd become. If I hadn't taken him out with me that day, he would have stayed with you and watched you grow up... But instead, neither of us got to watch that happen... But I left him in safe hands. I never wanted him to be scarred by Genesis, so I left him with your cousin Lydia. I'm so sorry, Snowflake...”
“It's ok. You're both back now.” Nelly smiled.
From where I stood, it seemed like even Leo was crying.
“Is... Is Leo going to stay with us now?” I asked.
“Well, he is a bit big now. He's not a puppy any more.” Alexis pointed out.
“Are you ok with staying in the PokeBall, Leo?” Darragh asked. Leo nodded happily.
“Goodnight, Leo.” Nelly smiled.
“Arr!” He replied.
Hours later, Nelly and I were curled up in bed, where I was still feeling bad. “Are you ok?” Nelly asked, placing her hand on my chest. “You don't seem like your normal self.”
I squeezed her tightly briefly then sighed. “I just... I never knew that you had a pet before... I didn't know you were feeling so sad...”
“Toby, I'm fine now. Everything's falling back into place now.” She said, shuffling closer.
“But... Why didn't you tell me...?” I said sadly.
“Oh... I didn't tell you because it didn't bother me.”
“Huh? How could it not have bothered you? You were so excited to see him earlier...”
“Well... You know how my mum said that when Dad and Leo left, it left a void in my heart...?”
“Yeah... It sounded so rough...” I stroked her hair.
“It was, but... The hole wasn't filled when I saw Leo earlier It wasn't even filled when Dad came home.” Nelly said, nestling her head into the crook of my neck. “I've felt whole for more than two years now... You're the one who gave me what I needed, Toby. Ever since I met you, I never really worried about Dad or Leo, because I knew you would never leave me...”
“I'll never leave you.” I held her close.
“I know... And I'll never leave you either... I love you, Toby.”
“I love you too, Nelly...”
*
Days later, and the second half of the tournament was beginning under a bright sky with clouds nowhere to be seen...
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the Pokemon League, for our first ever double-ended tournament!” Harvey announced to the crowds all around the large stadium. “We're moving on to perhaps the main event! The quick and action-packed Pokemon Tournament!”
“WOOO!”
“YEAAAH!”
The sixteen people who were just the week before players of Destiny Angel were all standing right in the middle of the iconic stadium at the Pokemon League. About two years ago, I had come to this very stadium to challenge the Elite Four, with Holly's help of course. It was when I first met Skyra, and we narrowly bested him in battle. This time, however, nobody would know who they were facing until the battle began. Among us all were some truly gifted Pokemon Trainers – Skyra and Ethan were champions of Kanto and Hoenn respectively, Sam was a Gym Leader and Holly had already beaten the league. Then there were my friends, the likes of Jamie and Jake, whom I knew were talented trainers. But there were also a fair amount of new battlers out for this – the likes of Torch and Gazelle – even Xene, for example.
“We now ask all sixteen of you to enter the tunnel to the waiting room. When you get there, you'll each be put into separate rooms, all of which have a staircase back onto the field! If it's your turn to battle, the light by the door will turn green! But don't worry, you won't miss a minute of the action with the televisions in your lounges! Good luck to all of you!”
Everyone turned back towards the tunnel and began to walk back. Gazelle's leg still hadn't fully healed, and he had to be helped along by Torch and Harry. It reminded me of how Harry himself had fought in the Pokemon League on crutches two years ago.
“Thanks again for letting me use Jirachi.” Nelly said as she walked beside me.
“No problem.” I smiled. “I hope he serves you well.”
Back in the tunnel, we were greeted by the members of the Elite Four, who were waiting to direct us to our individual rooms. Ayshe, Sheldon, Kyle and Adam greeted us happily, and began to point to doors.
“Good luck.” Nelly smiled.
“You too.” I winked. I was led to the room where I had to wait, which was fully air-conditioned, with a sofa and a large television. The light by the door was gently shining a red tone. I sat down as Harvey began to speak again.
“The first battle of the tournament will be done separately, like a curtain-raiser for the whole event!” Harvey told everyone. “The first stage for the round of sixteen will be... The rocky stage!”
As he said it, all of the battle grounds in the stadium went below ground, then came back up at once. Now, each pitch had a sandy floor, with several large rock structures poking up out of the earth.
“Now then, the two trainers that will begin the tournament will appear in a matter of seconds! The lights in their rooms have turned green now!”
I glanced away from the television and at the light. It stayed red, much to my relief. I didn't really want to go first anyway. Instead, I watched as two people appeared on the stage.
“The first battle will be between... Skyra and Xene!”
The Champion and our red-haired companion going to face off. The floor doors to the stairs fastened electronically, and the stage was set for the two of them to battle across a mountainous terrain. Skyra was a proven battler, and he mentioned to me that he had gone away to get stronger in his absence. Xene, on the other hand, didn't seem to have ever used Pokemon before. But I could have been wrong.
“You ready?” Skyra asked.
“Yeah, you?” Xene nodded.
The referee raised his hand. “Begin!”
“Good luck!”
“You too!”
“Go, Mechonis!” Skyra yelled as he lobbed his first PokeBall forward.
“Rex, let's go!” Xene shouted, bowling out his PokeBall.
Skyra's 'Mechonis' was an Aggron, the large Iron Armour Pokemon. Xene's 'Rex' was a Tyrantrum, the Despot Pokemon, from the Kalos region. The rocky terrain seemed like the perfect setting for the two massive powerhouses.
“Mechonis, use Metal Claw!” Skyra ordered. The large Pokemon leapt through the air with his claws glowing menacingly.
“Match it with Dragon Tail!” Xene called. His Pokemon transferred its body weight into its tail, which was glowing in a fearsome purple hue. The two attacks hit head on, but despite Mechonis having the type advantage, Rex managed to push him back as an equal.
“Earthquake, Rex!” Xene cried. Rex lifted his leg and pounded it hard into the ground, the little rocks around his powerful claws crumbling into little fragments. The ground rumbled fiercely, causing the pillar-like structures to crack. It was so powerful, I could feel it from where I was.
Mechonis fell to one knee, groaning with the double weakness he had to the move.
“Hang in there, Mechonis!” Skyra yelled, already planning his next move. “Push off the ground and use Iron Head!”
The Aggron bent his legs and dove forward, off the shaking surface, as his head began to shine metallic colours. His hard skull slammed into Rex's stomach, sending the dinosaur-like Pokemon flying. Mechonis landed on his front and watched as Rex smashed through a large boulder and hit the dirt.
“Dragon Claw!” Xene ordered.
“Metal Claw!” Skyra countered.
Rex jumped up from the dust with a fierce look, and slashed out wildly. Mechonis ducked and thrust his hands upwards. Rex's claws shot through the gaps in his own, and the two were now effectively holding hands. “Now, Heavy Slam!” Skyra yelled.
Mechonis tightened his grip and his arms flashed a sickly midnight black. He used Rex's momentum against him to swivel and force him down into the ground, where even more dust was kicked up. When it settled, Mechonis was panting on his haunches. But Rex was out cold.
Cheers erupted again from the stands, and Xene returned his Pokemon.
“Well done, Rex. Nice, Skyra.” He said.
“Go, Walrein!” Xene sent out his next Pokemon. The Ice Break Pokemon shuffled about and acknowledged its opponent. “Use Blizzard!”
From the depths of its mouth, chilling air flowed forth, carrying sharp ice shards along the wind. The attack battered Mechonis, who had a resistance due to his type advantage, but was feeling worn down already. The Blizzard kept smacking into him, hurting him little by little.
“Mud-Slap!” Skyra called out. Mechonis scooped his claws into the dirt and flicked them forward. Through the cold mist, clods of mud hit Walrein, causing it to stumble back and stop attacking.
“Water Gun, then follow up with Ice Ball!” Xene commanded.
The Pokemon shook of the mud and pain, and fired jets of water into its opponent. Mechonis recoiled, but before he could defend himself, a compacted ball of solid ice slammed into his jaw, sending him sprawling.
“It's ok, quick, use Metal Claw!” Skyra roared. Mechonis bounced back to his feet and lunged forward, claws gleaming. Walrein flinched in fear, as the large Aggron towered over.
“Ice Fang!” Xene cried out hastily.
Mechonis powered his hand into Walrein's stomach, thrusting it into a protruding pillar structure. As it happened, Walrein sunk its freezing fangs into Mechonis' steel-plated shoulder, causing it to lose control, making both of them fly through the rock. The two Pokemon crashed to the ground in a heap, both unconscious. It brought rapturous applause from everyone around.
“Return!” The two trainers called out.
“Nene, go!” Xene threw his third PokeBall
“Leaf, you're up!” Skyra threw his second.
Nene was the Antenna Pokemon, Dedenne, yet another from Kalos. As for Leaf, she was a Leafeon.
I sat back on the sofa and examined the Pokemon carefully. It was shiny. It seemed as if Skyra had swapped out Verdant, his male Leafeon, for this one, Leaf, a shiny female.
“Leaf, use Razor Leaf!” Skyra ordered.
“Dodge it, Nene!” Xene warned. Leaf swung her head round and several sharp leaves swirled forward, slicing through the air. Using her little feet, Nene scurried up a large rock and hopped from pillar to pillar, avoiding every leaf.
“Charge Beam!”
Nene leapt up and fired a crackling beam of electricity at Leaf, who took it straight up. The shock reverberated around Leaf, causing her to become paralysed.
“Now, Tackle!”
Nene landed and ran forward, gaining momentum.
“Come on, Leaf! You can do it!” Skyra cried.
Leaf tried to jerk out of the way, but fell down under the paralysis. Nene slammed into her, sending her limp frame rolling along the dirt.
“Use Play Rough!” Xene ordered. His Dedenne clambered back to Leaf and began laying into her with powered-up fists. Nene was glowing a pink colour as she relayed powerful blows over and over.
“Leaf! You have to move!” Skyra yelped, watching his Pokemon move a few inches before collapsing down again. Leaf cried out in pain. “Leaf Blade!”
Nene went to punch again, but Leaf whipped her head powerfully, slashing at the mouse with the greenery on her head. Nene was sent flying back, with the critical hit landing hard. “Giga Drain!”
Leaf used her time to absorb all she could from Nene before her next paralysis attack. When it came, she stood frozen, as Nene herself fell down in defeat.
“Well done, return!” Xene smiled.
“Ok, Theo, go!”
Theo was a male Meowstic, the Constraint Pokemon, another from the Kalos region. Being male meant that Theo was a deep blue colour with patches of white. His two tails flapped about happily. Leaf's lime green, yet borderline blue colours were shimmering with flashes of electricity still.
“Leaf, use Razor Leaf!” Skyra yelled.
She fought the static and let loose another barrage of sailing leaves.
“Psychic!”
Theo used his mind powers to halt the leaves in their tracks and sent them right back at Leaf.
“Psybeam!” Xene followed in. Theo fired a beam of dazzling colours, but Leaf was already ahead. Sunlight was pouring down on the stage, and she used it to conjure up a quick Solar Beam. The two beams clashed, sending pretty sparks into the sky. The more powerful of the two, however, was Leaf. Solar Beam swallowed up the psychic move and blazed on into Theo, sending him along the ground.
“Psyshock!”
Several spheres of energy blasted through the air and towards Leaf.
“Dodge it!” Skyra said. But she couldn't. The waves of electricity took hold again, and she crumpled. The Psyshock crackled into her and sent her sprawling. That was it – she'd done all she could have. “Ah... Well done! Return!” The boy sighed.
“Cloud, go!” Skyra barked.
A Manectric appeared, growling enthusiastically.
“The first battle is reaching its climax, as Xene is down to his final three Pokemon, facing up against a powerful mix from Skyra!” Harvey announced, as thousands of people craned to get a better look or examined one of the many giant televisions.
“Use Psybeam!” Xene commanded, not ready to succumb to defeat just yet. Theo took up a position atop of a rock and fired several energy-charged spheres at Skyra's Pokemon.
“Cloud, use Spark!”
Skyra's Discharge Pokemon ran forward with blinding speed, electricity wrapping around his frame. He avoided each attack with ease, weaving left and right without breaking pace, before finally lunging into Theo and releasing his power. Before the Meowstic even had time to hit the ground, Cloud roared forcefully and released a single, violent blast of electricity.
“Thunder!” Skyra called.
“Dodge!”
Theo tried to change his path, but was too late, as the Thunder struck his hip and forced him into the dirt.
“Now finish this with Discharge!”
“Theo, use Future Sight, quick!”
Cloud conjured up his charges and fired a massive ball of electricity that almost swallowed the whole stage. Just before Theo was struck with the attack, he lifted his head from the ground and his eyes flashed an eerie pink.
“Gah... Return, Theo!” The red-haired boy said.
“All right, Monferno, let's go!”
The fire and fighting type Pokemon appeared and bounced around on his feet, taking the shape of a fighter. “Mach Punch!”
“Quick Attack!”
The two Pokemon were matched for speed, and blazed a trail where they met at the centre, tensions high. Cloud went in with his head, trying to drive his weight into the monkey-like Pokemon. Monferno's Mach Punch was powerful and extremely fast, but didn't make full contact. Even so, both fighters went sprawling across the dirt.
“Flame Wheel!” Xene commanded. His Monferno leapt forward and began to roll, flames gathering around.
“Thunder Fang!” Skyra countered. Cloud bounded towards Monferno, teeth flashing yellow. The fire around the Pokemon was at full power now, engulfing its user completely.
“Now, divert!” Xene barked.
As Cloud chomped down, Monferno changed his course, causing him to roll up a rock and spin into the air. “Turn it into a Fire Punch!”
As Monferno came back down, it spun even faster. The flames broke away and the Pokemon appeared, his fist moving fast and surrounded in new fire. The punch smashed into Cloud's head, making him screech along the rocks. Monferno had used the fire from Flame Wheel and combined it with Mach Punch. Impressive. Cloud was panting, lifting himself back to his feet.
“Hm... All right, Cloud, use Wild Charge!”
The Manectric's eyes flashed in anger, and a violent storm of lightning surrounded his body. Electricity coursed through every limb, and he tore across the ground to take down his opponent.
“Counter it with Flare Blitz!”
Monferno attacked with the same effect, except his limbs coursed with fire. The two Pokemon roared fiercely and collided with a bang. Cloud ultimately proved to be the stronger of the two, through, forcing Monferno to rip through the air into a pillar. Cloud settled himself, shocks fizzling around his mane. Just as the dust settled, an ear-splitting screech came from the pillar, which exploded in a brilliant white light. Debris crashed down, and a new figure emerged from the dust. Panting and covered in wounds, Monferno appeared – as an Infernape. It evolved!
“Nice one, Mon- uh, Infernape!” Xene laughed in disbelief. “Ok, put your all into Flare Blitz!”
Infernape surged forward with his new-found form and power, blazing up the dirt as he rushed forward.
“Wild Charge!” Skyra yelled. Once again, the two Pokemon crashed head-on, causing a massive explosion. Infernape bounced across the ground, skidding to a halt soon afterwards, knocked out. Cloud simply fell in a heap, dazed and exhausted. He struggled, trying to force himself up. As he did, though, a pink wave of mystical shocks zapped him all over, sending him into the air and back down. Theo's Future Sight had taken effect. Both Pokemon were now out.
“Return!” The two trainers said simultaneously.
“Shiftry!”
“Yuki, finish it!”
Skyra's Glaceon touched down delicately and faced off against Xene's final Pokemon, the Wicked Pokemon, Shiftry.
“This has been great, Skyra.” Xene smiled.
“Yeah. But it isn't over yet!” Skyra agreed.
“Right! Shiftry, Leaf Storm!”
A large whirling wind of leaves and greenery sliced through the air, threatening to slice the boulders in two.
“Yuki, use Blizzard, then Ice Beam!”
Yuki whipped up a cold breeze with her mouth and unleashed it onto the Leaf Storm. Everything was frozen at once, turning the attack into one solid ice sculpture of a tornado. Then Yuki blasted her Ice Beam into it, which propelled the massive structure right into Shiftry. The Wicked Pokemon was knocked flying, where the ice shattered and clattered into him from all angles. Xene's final Pokemon crashed down and hit the dirt, straining to look up as Yuki stood over him.
“Razor Lea-”
“Icy Wind.” Skyra whispered. Yuki bent down and was face-to-face with her opponent. She gently blew out cool air, and the little flakes of ice slowly hit Shiftry's head. He took the attack without restraint, closed his eyes and his head hit the ground.
“Shiftry is down!” The referee shouted. “The winner is Skyra!”
The roars erupted from all around as Skyra's fan base showed their appreciation.
“There you have it folks! The returning Champion has given us a splendid battle to start the tournament! Commiserations to Xene, who showed a fantastic fighting spirit right to the end!” Harvey announced. Rounds of applause rained down upon the two trainers, who walked out into the middle of the stage to shake hands.
“Congratulations.” Xene smiled.
“Well fought, Xene.” Skyra smiled back.
“You'd better win this for me now.”
“Heh... I'll do my best.” The Champion smirked.
“Your Pokemon will be healed back down below! And from now on, the losing contestants will join the stands to watch the battles!” Harvey told everyone.
From where I was sat, on the sofa in the room, I could see Darragh, Alexis, Bonnie, Maruki, Jaymes and Aquilina sitting together. I supposed the losers would make their way round to join them.
“Now, the rest of the trainers waiting, it's your time to shine! All seven other round of sixteen battles will be happening in five minutes!”
I stood up from the sofa and checked that my Pokemon were all there. I wonder who I'm against...” I thought.
The seven other round of 16 battles were fought like this:
Harry vs Jamie.
Gray vs Nelly.
Torch vs Etienne.
Jake vs Gazelle.
Sam vs Max.
Ethan vs Holly.
And myself vs Nick.
Some of the battles were fairly one-sided, as the class between trainers became apparent. The like of Torch and Gazelle crumbled against Etienne and Jake respectively. Max tried to hold his own against Sam, but the Gym Leader's skill was too great to match. Harry and Jamie's battle was fairly contested, with heated combat resulting in a narrow victory for Harry, as his Articuno became the last Pokemon standing as Jamie gave everything he had. I was happy to see that Nelly comfortably beat Gray, even without having to use Jirachi.
My opponent was Nick, and although he was a talented Pokemon Ranger, his skills as a trainer were lacking. His only real threat was his Charizard, but even then, Rainbow gave him a run for his money. Unfortunately, my new friend couldn't handle the fire, and it took a heroic performance from Grovyle to take Charizard down, which ended up in he himself fainting. After that, Nick's other Pokemon were fairly bog-standard, and Snowflake alone was able to take out the other five.
After shaking Nick's hand, I was now praising Snowflake for her performance. But the most interesting battle was Holly vs Ethan. Ethan was the Champion of the Hoenn region, but I knew Holly was a powerful force herself. Whilst I was stroking Snowflake, I heard the shouts from their prolonged battle.
“Amber, no!”
Holly's Dragonite slammed into the earth, rolling to a halt. Her earring flashed in the Sun as she dropped down, unconscious.
“That's it! It's over!” Harvey announced. “What an incredible battle! Holly took down five of Ethan's Pokemon with just two of her own, but Darkrai tore through the rest of her team without breaking a sweat! Fabulous from the two trainers!”
“Good fight.” Ethan said, stretching out a hand.
“Haha, yeah. Your Darkrai really is something else.” Holly shook it.
“Wow.” I said to myself as I returned Snowflake and walked back down the stairs. “I didn't think Holly would go out this early... Then again, Ethan's no pushover, but...”
I went into the room again and placed my PokeBalls in the healing machine. Blue light washed over them and the glass case popped back open. The quarter-finals were starting in five minutes.
The eight of us all walked up the steps at the same time to see who we were facing next. This time, my battle would prove to be a lot more challenging. The four battles came about like this:
Skyra vs Harry.
Nelly vs Ethan.
Jake vs Etienne.
And myself vs Sam.
My heart sank when I saw that Nelly had been matched up against Ethan, who had out-manoeuvred Holly so easily. But I didn't for a minute believe she would go down easily. “Good luck.” I thought.
“So I get to battle you again after all this time.” Sam grinned.
“Yeah. Let's get started.” I nodded.
“Trainers, please step back as the stages are changed!” Harvey warned.
Everyone stepped back, and the stages disappeared underground again. Seconds later, they reappeared with a new look.
“The Water Stage!” Harvey proclaimed. The battles will be played over the water, with several pads spread out for Pokemon to stand on! Good luck, everyone!”
“Ok, go, Blakizen!” Sam roared.
“Empoleon, it's your turn!” I yelled. My Pokemon landed in the water and swam around freely, whereas Sam's Blaziken stood on one of the the floating plates, looking a bit nervous. “Use Aqua Jet!” I ordered.
“Blaze Kick!” Sam countered. My Empoleon shot out of the water, encased in the blue liquid as she lunged for the opponent. Blaziken swivelled underneath Empoleon as she flew past, and forced his fiery leg into her stomach. Because Empoleon was a steel type as well as a water type, the damage she received was normal, and she spun out of her move into the water again.
“Go underwater and use Hydro Pump!” I called.
Empoleon dove below the ripples, and Blaziken looked around frantically. Sam realised my plan, but just a bit too late. “Move!” He cried. The plate that he was standing on was blasted aside, and the Hydro Pump tore up from below, pushing the helpless Pokemon high into the air.
“Meet it with Aqua Jet and then use Whirlpool!” I commanded. Empoleon erupted from the water, shooting up high to catch up with Blaziken.
“Double Kick!” Sam retaliated. His Pokemon tried to swing round and lay into Empoleon, but she smacked into him and sent him spinning. Then, after pulling out of Aqua Jet, Empoleon summoned a giant Whirlpool, which crashed into Blaziken with such force that it took him all the way back down to the stage – and underwater. He splashed down forcefully, and Empoleon touched down onto a floating disc. After about ten seconds, Blaziken still hadn't re-surfaced.
“Empoleon!” I cried. She nodded and cut into the water hastily, diving down as fast as she could. Moment later, she propelled herself back up, with Blaziken in her arms. The Blaze Pokemon spluttered and fainted on the spot.
“Ugh... Thanks, Empoleon... Return, Blaziken!” Sam recalled his Pokemon.
“Garchomp, go!”
The big Pokemon was menacing, but I knew a tactic that would utilise its biggest weakness.
“Empoleon, use Ice Pool!” I commanded. In quick succession, Empoleon fired Whirlpool and Ice Beam. The latter encased the first in solid ice, making the whirl of water a gigantic block of ice.
“Break through with Dragon Claw!”
Garchomp ran up to the move and lashed out with a raging claw. The move pierced the ice, but didn't crack it fast enough. Ice Pool kept going and blasted Garchomp off the foothold and onto another plate a few feet away.
“Bubble Beam!”
“Brick Break!”
Empoleon fired a stream of bubbles at her opponent, but Garchomp was quickly on his feet, avoiding the attacks with speed. He leapt onto the same plate as Empoleon, weaved to avoid the bubbles and leathered his large claws into her stomach. The steely lining on her front clanked as Garchomp bore into her again and again.
“Flash Cannon!” I cried out, concerned. Empoleon took another hit then opened her beak wide, and bright light gathered around it. Garchomp's eyes widened before the light smacked into his face and sent him flying again.
“Dragon Rush!” Sam countered. In mid-air, Garchomp flipped and powered himself back down towards Empoleon, his arms flailing dangerously.
“Hydro Pump!” I called. Garchomp soared in and landed two hits before Empoleon cried out and blasted him with gallons of powerful water. She stumbled back in pain, but it was Garchomp who fell with the most damage.
“Return!”
“Blastoise, your turn!”
The Shellfish Pokemon asserted his dominance early on, by roaring away at Empoleon. “Hm... All right, show him what you've got! Drill Jet!” I said. Empoleon spun forward with water propelling her, and her beak flashed brightly. Sam gave no orders. Blastoise's eyes narrowed, and he took a step to the side. As Empoleon flew past, Blastoise thrust his bare fist into her neck. The water around her splashed away, and Empoleon was sent flying all the way off the stage, where she skidded to a halt beside me. “Empoleon!” I knelt down. She was out cold. “A single punch...” I marvelled. “Well done. Return!”
I put her PokeBall back in my pocket and fished around. “Who can match that...?” I wondered. Then I knew. “Ok...! Grovyle, let's do this!”
My old friend graced the stage with as much sassiness as always.
“Use Rapid Spin!” Sam ordered his Pokemon. Blastoise retracted into his shell and span at a dangerous speed, before launching himself at Grovyle.
“Solar Beam!” I told Grovyle. He nodded and began to absorb sunlight. When Blastoise tore forward, Grovyle leapt up and cleared the oncoming opponent as if he were merely a pole in the High Jump. Before he landed, Grovyle turned and fired his Solar Beam. The attack entered one of the holes in Blastoise's shell, causing the Pokemon to pop out and cry in pain. He landed in the water, and Grovyle stood in a smug pose.
“Water Pulse!” Sam cried.
“Energy Ball!”
Blastoise emerged from the deep blue and fired two blasts of water from his cannons. Grovyle ducked under one and hit the other with his Energy Ball. Smoke was kicked up, and the opponent used it to his advantage.
“Skull Bash!”
Grovyle tried to reposition himself, but Blastoise flew through the smoke at a great force and slammed his skull against my Pokemon's chest. Grovyle was blasted into the water, where bubbles rose to the surface.
“Grovyle! Leaf Blade! Don't give up!” I yelled. Underwater, Grovyle rotated and planted his feet on the floor. The leaves on his arms grew and became sharp as they glowed green. Up above, Blastoise was hopping from platform to platform, trying to create ripples that would prevent Grovyle from rising. For a good ten seconds, Grovyle examined the pattern the Blastoise was moving in, and as soon as it landed on the next one, he propelled himself upwards. As Blastoise leapt over the gap between two platforms, Grovyle shot out of the water right ahead of him. My Pokemon spun and lashed into the opponent with two critical Leaf Blades. Grovyle landed on a platform and shook himself dry. Blastoise, on the other hand, landed on a platform and collapsed.
“Return!” Sam said. Even he seemed impressed with Grovyle.
“Ferrothorn, go!”
The Thorn Pod Pokemon seemed menacing enough, but Grovyle wasn't moved at all. “Leaf Blade!” I roared. Grovyle leapt in and thundered continuous slashes at the hardened shell of the enemy, but Ferrothorn was part steel, and the clanks suggested that not much damage was being dealt.
“Flash Cannon!”
Ferrothorn latched onto Grovyle and fired the attack right at his stomach. Grovyle bounced along the platform, got to his feet angrily and smacked back into Ferrothorn with Pursuit.
“Power Whip!” Sam smiled. Grovyle brought his arms up as a shield, and the strong vine attack crashed into his forearms. He buckled under the pressure and went sprawling once more. “Grab him and attack!”
Ferrothorn whizzed over and, using two of its three large claws, grappled Grovyle against the ground. It then continuously hammered into Grovyle with Power Whip, which made my Pokemon hiss and cry out.
“Grovyle!” I yelled. “Fight it! You can do it, buddy!”
He took two strong blows to the head, but Grovyle held on. Eventually, Ferrothorn lifted its whip high to generate maximum power. It came down.
“Grovyle!!”
Just before the Power Whip connected, Grovyle was enveloped in a great silver and white light. “Grovyle... Are you... Evolving...?”
Groans came from my Pokemon as I saw his glowing arm reach up, and his hand grab onto Ferrothorn. “Grovyle...!”
Just then, there was an almighty explosion, and Ferrothorn was sent rocketing into the sky. The light disappeared and dust hung over the scene. Sam's Pokemon crashed down, out cold.
“Are you... ok?” I asked my own friend. The dust went away, and standing there, was... Grovyle.
“H-huh?” I looked at him. He turned his head back to me, winked and gave me a thumbs up. Then he closed his eyes and pitched forward. “Grovyle...! What happened...?”
“I think...” Sam stared. “I think he turned his evolution into an attack instead...”
“He... Instead of evolving, he attacked...” I looked at my unconscious Pokemon. “You're something, buddy... Return!”
*
Meanwhile, Nelly's battle with Ethan was coming down to the wire. She had managed to take out Ethan's first five Pokemon with Trixie, Patch and her transferred Pokemon, but when it came down to Darkrai, it was a whole different story. She had two Pokemon left now.
“Trixie, use Fire Blast!” Nelly ordered. Her Vulpix leapt up from the plate on the water and fired an almighty blast of fire at Ethan's Legendary Pokemon. Darkrai held out one hand, and the cross of flame scorched against his palm. After some force, Darkrai crushed the move into little embers. Yet he didn't seem to have done it easily.
“That Pokemon's got a lot of power for something so small...” Ethan scratched his chin. “Darkrai, Dark Pulse!”
In a flash, the Pitch-Black Pokemon let loose rings of dark power at an alarming rate. “Trixie!” Nelly cried. Trixie turned back, and her purple bow flapped gently as the move hit. She was sent spinning through the air, right at her trainer. Nelly caught her Pokemon and smiled. “You did really well... Rest now...”
She returned her friend and brought out her final PokeBall. The golden one that housed Jirachi.
“Isn't that Jirachi...?” Ethan said, curious. “I thought he belonged to Toby...”
“He... Let me borrow Jirachi.” She replied, rolling the ball nervously in indecision.
“Go for it!” I yelled from my battle, as Grovyle was sucked back into his PokeBall.
“All right... Jirachi, please help!” Nelly threw the PokeBall.
The Sunlight shone off the gold coating, and the ball opened to a fantastic burst of light. It landed back in her palm as Jirachi floated over the field.
“I'll do my best, Lady Nelly!” He smiled.
“This is quite a scene!” Harvey said, surprised. “For the first time in this tournament, two Legendary Pokemon are battling each other! It's Jirachi versus Darkrai! This will decide who progresses to the semi-final!”
“Take him out as fast as you can! Use Dark Void!”
Darkrai closed his eyes and raised both arms. Jirachi flew around, trying to make himself a harder target to hit. But the move took the shape of a massive black disc, which Darkrai threw right at him. Jirachi was swallowed into the Dark Void, and came out the other side fast asleep, where he dropped down onto a platform. He writhed around, with a look of pain on his face as he slept.
“Oh no, it's Darkrai's ability...!” Nelly gasped. “Jirachi, please! You have to wake up!”
“Nightmare!” Ethan showed no remorse. Darkrai forced pain into Jirachi's dreams, and the Wish Pokemon screamed out.
“Jirachi!” Nelly yelled. “Please! I need you!”
Suddenly, his eyes opened. “I-I... Oof...” Jirachi groaned, looking up.
“Dark Pulse!”
Darkrai fired his barrage of darkness at Jirachi, who pushed himself up and cried out in shock. Just before the move hit, Jirachi flashed up a golden shield, and the attack exploded against it. Jirachi was sent flying back, but took little damage. Lucky too, because he looked like one more hit would finish him.
“I... I'm not finished... Not yet...!” Jirachi spluttered.
“You remind me of someone...” Nelly smiled in disbelief. “Jirachi! Put everything you've got into Doom Desire, maximum power!”
“You can count on me!” He roared, tensing all of his muscles. Jirachi screamed out to the Heavens, the eye on his stomach opening and sending a brilliant light into the clouds.
“Now stay safe! Avoid everything!” Nelly commanded. Doom Desire was a destructive move, but it took quite a while to charge – even longer than Solar Beam would under normal conditions.
“Darkrai, swat him down! Take him out, quick!” Ethan roared. Darkrai released several Dark Pulses at once from both hands. Jirachi flew around each one, cutting it closer each time, as the blue tags on his head swished about with the force each attack blew. The little Pokemon showed no sign of slowing though, as he managed to avoid Dark Void with a feint. He had a purple bow on his neck, which made him a part of Nelly's team. By the looks of it, he had fit right in, and the bow seemed to give him strength.
“Double Team and Dark Pulse!” Ethan cried, getting impatient. Darkrai split into twenty different versions of himself, and they all formed a circle around Jirachi. Each one fired Dark Pulse at once.
“Swift!” Nelly took charge.
“Ok!” Jirachi replied. He spun around and yelled out, as the open eye on his stomach provided him with more power. Twenty massive, golden stars soared from the Wish Pokemon, each one slicing through the oncoming Dark Pulses. Swift kept going and eliminated all of the fake Pokemon, leaving the real Darkrai to take a hit to the face and become dazed.
“Now, Jirachi!” Nelly cried.
“I've got it!” He nodded, raising his hands to the sky. “I desire doom! Heavens, please grant me my Doom Desire!!”
The very air seemed to split as a massive silver blast erupted from far above the atmosphere, and it rumbled down with extreme force. The comet-looking blast was surrounded in blazing red flames, and glowed menacingly. The eye on Jirachi's stomach closed, and Doom Desire tore into Darkrai, almost obliterating the Pokemon. A gigantic wave of white light washed over the entire stadium with the explosion, and the winds of change settled down as the water splashed back down into the pool. Jirachi stood on a platform and took a deep breath. Darkrai was out cold on the ground beside Ethan.
“N-no way...” He marvelled.
“They've done it! Nelly and Jirachi have finally taken down Darkrai!” Harvey announced. Jirachi flew into Nelly's arms to applause from all around.
“I knew you'd do it.” I smiled.
*
Back in my battle, Cyndi had just taken down Sam's Aegislash. Which meant that his last Pokemon was now on show – A Crobat. “Cyndi, use Flamethrower!” I commanded. She did as I ordered, firing a column of flame at the Bat Pokemon.
“Air Cutter, then Cross Poison!” Sam called. His Pokemon slashed at the air, creating a wave of it that sliced right through Cyndi's Flamethrower. It hit her square on, and she went up into the air. Then the opponent followed up with both wings covered with poison. Cyndi hit the floating foothold and fainted.
“Return!” I called her back. “Who next... Rainbow could use some more battle time... But I haven't even used Larvitar yet...” I thought. “Ok, go, Larvitar!”
My Pokemon hopped out onto the platform and looked ready to go. “Use Rock slide!”
“Air Cutter!”
Larvitar leapt up into the enemy's attack, which simply hit and broke away, due to his resistance to flying type moves. He then conjured forth an abundance of rocks, and threw them at Crobat, causing him to splash into the water.
“Use Poison Fang!” Sam yelled. His Crobat flew out of the wet and latched onto Larvitar with his teeth. He tried to inject poison, but once again, Larvitar's type advantage paid off.
“Dark Pulse!” I called. Larvitar hit his opponent from close range, sending him back. “Now finish this with Dark Rift!”
Larvitar fired a Shadow Ball into the sky, then blasted his own right foot with Dark Pulse, until it became engulfed in dark energy. As Shadow Ball came back down, Larvitar leapt up to meet it and performed a bicycle kick, slamming his powered-up foot into the move. The attack shot off with maximised power, crashing into Crobat and sending him tumbling into the side of the stage. We had won!
“The winner is Toby!” The referee announced.
“Nice job.” Sam said after we walked round the side to shake hands.
“Thanks. You did well too.” I nodded.
“The quarter-finals are over!” Harvey informed everyone. “Trainers, please make your way back to your rooms to heal your Pokemon! The semi-finals will begin in five minutes!”
The winners of the quarter-finals were:
Nelly
Skyra
Jake
And myself.
Once back in the room again, I placed my PokeBalls into the healing machine and watched the light wash over them. Then, one by one I placed them back into my pockets. “We could really go all the way with this.” I said out loud. “I'm really proud of you all for what you've done so far.”
The light by the door buzzed and clicked to green. “Ok, let's go, then.”
I walk up the stairs at a normal pace, listening to the clang of the metal under my feet as I kept pushing up. The sunlight was still streaming down, and I could feel it even in the tunnel. There were cheers coming from the crowd already, meaning the first two semi-finalists must have already appeared. I took a deep breath and climbed out into the light. The shouts started to die out slowly. I stepped out onto the edge of the stage and froze. “No...”
Standing on the other side of the stage was none other than... Nelly. She too was standing in shock, staring right at me. “Wh-what...? No...” I swallowed.
Harvey tried to rally the crowds up again.
“The semi-final battles will now commence! It's Toby Grazier versus Nelly Ora-Yuki!!”