Chapter 10
Lake of Rage, North of Mahogany Town.
I bite into a hot dog as I watch a pair of trainers duke it out on screen. Beedrill vs. Qwilfish. The food area's equipped with several television feeds set up to watch the matches from a distance while spectators take time to shop or grab some lunch. Plus, since these preliminary bouts are being fought without the protective barriers like the ones you would expect from major arenas, it's probably just safer all around not to get too close anyway.
It helps the trainers focus too. Just you, your opponent, the referee, and maybe some family or close friends if they wanna spectate. No complete strangers making a raucous until Top 8 and the real action begins.
My eyes look up to the screen again. Both trainers have given up on using Poison moves to eke out an advantage and seem to be experimenting live on new strategies to try and close out the fight. I don't think either party has what it takes to go all the way but it's entertaining to watch nonetheless. 'I'd probably be able to predict the winner if I was there in person, but unfortunately my 'cheat' doesn't work through a camera feed. I have to see the Pokémon in person.'
I let my gaze flicker to the left where a different television displays Clarissa and her Jynx with things well in hand against a Golbat. She even seems a bit apologetic to her opponent about the blatant type advantages. Moving to the right I glimpse Ron who's in a rough situation. His Dewgong's looking like it's on its last legs -metaphorically- against a Meganium, which definitely signifies a trainer I'll need to watch out for. 'Seems both of them are about to be 1-1 records wise.'
I bite into the fairgrounds food again and turn my gaze up in thought. You know, despite the fact that Ma Ma swept him, Lyle was actually one of the better opponents that we've fought in a while. First impressions aside and all that. With Pokémon at or near the 40's I wouldn't be surprised if he does end up at the Conference in six months like he originally boasted. With both our teams a little stronger, it could make for a fun rematch.
An excited grin manages to sneak up on me. 'Signing up for this was definitely the right move.' I was doing my best not to appear overeager but now I'm getting a little bit of the jitters. Just sittin' around waiting for them to call my name again.
I hope my second round is as good as the first.
"Look…Sally right?" I try to keep my voice sympathetic. "Are you sure you want to keep doing this? It's alright if you want to…"
The young girl stomps her foot. "No! Wait, I mean- Yes! The rules say at least two Badges and I have two! I deserve to be here! Same as everyone else!"
"Wooo! Sally! Take him down!" A very supportive mother and father cheer from the sidelines. They've got custom pennants with their daughter's name emblazoned on it and are wearing shirts with a big photo of her and her team posing in victory. Oddish, Snubbull, Phanpy, and Chinchou. "You got this Sally!" Dad shouts between cupped hands. "Yeah! Kick his butt!" adds in Mom.
I feel Vlad's eyes glancing back at me from the field, awaiting instructions on how I want to play this. We already one-shotted the Oddish without really meaning to. I communicated silently with Vlad to make it a light hit…but apparently not light enough.
"Ginger, get in close and use Headbutt! We're gonna flinch him!"
"Snubbull! Snub!"
I put on my best face. Acting the part. "Vlad, use Metal Claw and deflect it! Protect yourself!" 'Gently please. Gently...' I do my best to silently urge through the bond. We can't share words or whole sentences. Just impressions. Emotions. Concepts of moves, things like that. That's usually enough to get the point across though.
The pink bullpup leaps up as it gets within range and Vlad gently slaps it away with a silver glowing limb. "Snubbull!" The dog Pokémon cries out as it goes sliding painfully through the dirt, clearly having been hit harder than we intended.
Even the unflappable Vlad seems confused.
'What in the- but why…Aw crap!' I wince, feeling the urge to slap myself upside the forehead. 'I forgot! Snubbull was one of the one's they revised into a Fairy-type. That was accidentally Super-effective!'
"Ginger, return!" Sally shouts, thrusting a Premier Ball forward. With an impressive bit of dexterity she pockets her second 'mon and switches out for a Lure Ball all in the same motion. "Current, it's all up to you!"
Chinchou: Lv. 23
Nature: Quirky
Potential: D
'Ohhhhh. 'Current'. Because it's both Water and Electric type. That's cute. I like that.' Vlad glances my way again, confused as to why little bits of affection leaked into the bond but I do my best to wave him off, indicating I'll explain later.
Sally's team composition here really isn't all that bad. She's even pretty talented for someone of her age.
But she's just not ready for events like this yet.
I hope her losses today won't discourage her too much. I'd really like to face her again in a few years.
'Uhhhh…what am I looking at here?'
I think my Round three opponent might be cosplaying.
Spiky anime hair? Check. Large cape at his back? Check. Tall leather boots? Check. The rest of his outfit a dark color aesthetic? Check check checkity check.
'Maybe it's a bit rude but I've got to ask…' "Kid, why are you dressed up like Lance?"
The fifteen year old stiffens before bristling up angrily. "I am not!"
My expression goes soft. "You…you really kind of are. I mean there's nothing wrong with it. Like, I admire the Champ too…"
Blood rushes to his face. "This is traditional Blackthorn Clan wear!" he asserts indignantly. "I'm Vince Blackthorn! Future Dragon master! Champion Lance is my cousin!"
My head tilts. "So you're Claire's younger brother?"
He growls. "No! She's my other cousin! The Blackthorn Clan isn't just a couple people you know! There's lots of us!"
"Okay okay," I show my hands in surrender. "Sheesh, my bad."
Our ref clears his throat. "Trainers, on my mark!" His hand goes up high…and then down ! "Fight!"
"Dratini!/K.Rool!"
Dratini: Lv. 28
Nature: Brave
Potential: B+
Krokorok: Lv. 32
Nature: Impish
Potential: A-
Relief washes over my system as I see the white & blue danger noodle manifest on the field. I was worried about starting with K.Rool and then running into someone else of Lyle's level, potentially forcing me into an immediate switch out. But a Dratini? He can handle a Dratini.
It's only if this 'Dragon master' in-training's next Pokémon is the evolved form that we might run into trouble.
"Start with Twister!"
"Sandstorm! Use their wind against them!"
A weak vortex of Dragon energy swirls around K.Rool, nicking his body in thin superficial cuts but my boy weathers them with only a slight tightening of the eyes. Meanwhile, having an opponent's move kick up dirt, dust, gravel and sand has allowed Krokorok to set up a roiling storm in record time.
An extra thick one too.
"Tch," Vince clicks his tongue. "Dratini, don't rely on sight! Target with Swift!"
'Looks like I'm not the only one who's loaded up on TM's.' "Move in and punish it with Payback!"
Confession time. I don't actually have a lot of experience dealing with Swift yet. It just hasn't come up. I don't know if it can still connect through Dig like it could in Generation I where it hit 100% absolutely always. 'Something to check on the Poké net later.' In the meantime, it shouldn't be too bad to accept a light hit in exchange for a heavy one.
"Wait for a chance and then use Chilling Water Dratini! Point blank!"
'Chilling Wa-? The hell? I don't think I know that one.'
Two cries come from within the storm. One distressed high pitched squeal of a baby Dragon and the grumbling pissed off curses of a crocodile.
Through our connection I feel a change in K.Rool. Between Moxie and Hone Claws we boost his Attack so often that I'm able to feel when the stat successfully goes up. Which means I can also feel when it goes down.
Now it's my turn to click the tongue. 'Oh. So it's like a Water version of Snarl? And it lowers Physical rather than Special? That's annoying. I'll need to add that one to the memory banks.'
But let it not be said that we don't have an answer to this. "Foul Play, K.Rool! Finish it off!" 'If our own Attack is lowered, we'll just use the opponents!'
"Slam! Don't go down without a fight!"
Spoiler alert. It went down without a fight.
Constant bits of chip damage from the weather and a double powered Payback was just too much for the little noodle. I'm sure as a Dragonair it'll be able to handle more punishment.
The Sandstorm starts to subside and Vince begrudgingly withdraws his 'mon once he can get eyes on it. A Great Ball is lobbed out with his second and I frown as it hits the field.
Charmeleon: Lv. 24
Nature: Hasty
Potential: C+
No, it's not the fact that this Pokémon is a bit lower level that upsets me. Nor the fact that it's not a Dragon. Nearly every Poké fan in existence is in agreement that the Charizard family gets a free pass on that one. What has my mouth turned down is that this Charmeleon is not at fighting full. He looks to be at a similar level of injury as Krokorok and my boy just took a previously unknown Water-move straight to his face. Actually, the Charmeleon might look a little bit worse.
After every round you get to make a trip to an aid station run by Nurse Joys in addition to having a few hours of recovery time. It just takes that long to cycle everyone through their matches, even with six of them going at a time. My second round fight against young Sally was just after lunch and this one here against Vince is actually one of the very last bouts of the day. It's nearly sundown.
'If this lizard's still lookin' like this even after the Nurse Joys were through with him then he must have had a rough fucking round two.'
More than that, it tells me Vince possibly doesn't have more than three Pokémon to use in this tournament. Yes, the matches are 3v3 but you're not limited to the same three round after round. I'd be perfectly allowed to send Simon out here despite employing both Ma Ma and Vlad earlier in the day.
"Respectfully," I look at my opponent. "Do you really want to send out a Pokémon in this condition?"
"Shut up!" the teenager snaps. "Charmeleon, Dragon Rage!"
Well geez. That's some real maturity right there. I'd sigh in exasperation if there was time for it. "Dig, K.Rool."
Blue and yellow flames eject from the red dinosaur's mouth and miss Krokorok by a mile. We've had some narrow dodges when using Dig in the past. Times where K.Rool barely makes it underground in time.
This wasn't one of those.
Typically when I have K.Rool go into Dig, we usually follow it up with Hone Claws or on the rare occasion Focus Energy. That's an Egg Move he happens to have that we don't often get to make use of. Right now though…I think I just want to go through with the attack.
"Charmeleon! Hide yourself in a Smokescreen!"
The Fire-type opens wide and begins belching acrid pitch black smoke over the battlefield. Something which gets me to raise an eyebrow.
'That…won't help you evade from Dig. Ground-types underground find you via vibration, not sight. Yeah, it obscures Charmeleon from me, but that's hardly good for much.'
This trainer was doing better with his Dratini. I think I may have overestimated him from that.
K.Rool bursts from the ground to Super-effectively nail Charmeleon in the stomach. "Chaaar!" the 'mon cries out, being forcibly ejected from his Smokescreen with a painful thump, landing belly down several yards away.
"Charmeleon!" Vince calls with gritted teeth. "I know it hurts but you can do this! You can! Get up and use Heat Wave!"
"Char… Char…" The lizard replies as it weakly tries to push its arms up.
I make eye contact with the ref, silently asking if he's really going to allow this.
Apparently he agrees with me. "I deem this Charmeleon unfit to continue battling!" he announces with a raised flag. "The score is 2-0 for Trainer Bradley. Mr. Blackthorn, please release your next Pokémon!"
'Oh ho? I'm just 'Trainer Bradley' but the kid gets 'Mr. Blackthorn'? Guess that Clan prestige really does count for something.'
Vince complies with the order and begrudgingly calls his 'mon back. "I'm sorry Charmeleon." he whispers to the ball. "It was wrong of me to push you." He takes a moment to calm himself. Breathing in deep and then following it with a long exhale.
When he finishes, his eyes snap open in a sharp gaze. Like those of a focused predator. 'I've seen Lance look the same way on TV. Is this a Blackthorn thing? Showing when you get serious?'
I ain't scared of you Dragon boy. Let's see what you got.
"Your Pokémon is strong." he compliments. "But my starter is stronger." he winds his arm back for a wide throw. "Let's go…Skarmory!"
A condor made of pure steel enters the arena with a high pitched screech. Its wings spread wide, revealing a series of aerodynamic red vanes sharper than any sword and a body where every part is a weapon. Tooth, talon, beak, and tail.
Skarmory: Lv. 47
Nature: Lonely
Potential: C-
'Woah, Nelly! That's certainly a level jump!' Inwardly I'm already running through options a mile a minute but on the outside I force a smirk out, playing it as though this newcomer isn't an issue. "Okay…I was willing to give you a pass on the future Charizard. But a Skarmory? Are you sure you're a Dragon trainer?"
Vince's face loses that sharp edge as that wasn't the reaction he was going for.
"Because it's alright if you aren't." I continue. "People say Lance is secretly a Flying-type trainer too. What with the Gyarados and Aerodactyl and all."
Knuckles pop as the teenager angrily balls his fist. "I! Am! Not! Lance!"
"K.Rool, return!" I snap up the Level Ball, having got the kid to successfully waste his first few seconds.
"Tch," he realized he's losing the initiative. "Skarmory! Take to the sky!"
"Vlad, the enemy's in the air!" I throw his Pokéball and like the true veteran he is, he tracks onto the threat immediately.
Gligar: Lv. 53
Nature: Adamant
Potential: A
The Steel-type hits his desired altitude and Vince sweeps his arm out. "Agility, Skarmory!"
I smile at the tactic. "Vlad. Same."
Vince glances at me, and then back to his ace. "Boost again!"
"Vlad." Gligar doesn't need me to complete the order. A second outline of Psychic power covers him, increasing the potency of the first.
"Tailwind!"
'Ooph. Can't do anything about that one.' "Swords Dance." That's enough of Speed. Let's boost other areas.
Vince growls. "Iron Defense!"
I almost burst out laughing. Is this really the game we're playing right now? Sure kid. I can do this all day. "Swords Dance again!" I reiterate, my hands spread wide in a 'what're you gonna do' fashion.
The young Blackthorn's apparently had enough. "Brave Bird!"
'Oh, that ain't good!' "Intercept it with Rock Tomb!"
Large rounded stones smash into the silver blur and they do manage to slow it.
Slightly.
But between the Tailwind and two uses of Agility, a single Speed drop just doesn't count for much.
Vlad hits the dirt hard as Skarmory pins him to the earth like a comet sent from space. A great dust cloud is kicked up and I have to raise an arm to shield my eyes.
'Damn. First time Vlad's been hit in a while outside of team training and it's a doozy. We're lucky that Defense is his best stat.'
Under other circumstances I might've tried to have him dodge with a Double Team like he did against Whitney. Against a Skarmory though that's a risky play. There's about a 50/50 shot that its Ability is Keen Eye and that doesn't just protect against Accuracy drops here like in the games. It also lets the user see through evasion tactics.
Still though, we can work with this. "Thunder Fang."
Vlad chomps down on the bird trying to keep him subdued, getting yellow sparks to angrily jump around his opponent's lower half. "Ground the electricity Skarmory! Then hammer him with Fury Attack!"
'Oh, so he knows that trick does he? I suppose it is getting more well known these days.' I think as I watch Skarmory dip its tail into the earth. 'No biggie. We can adapt.' "Switch to Fire Fang!"
The transition is almost seamless. Such is Vlad's expert level in type-energy manipulation that he doesn't even need to unlatch from Skarmory's foot. His fangs switch from shining yellow to blazing red in just a few blinks of the eye.
Skarmory screeches angrily as it strikes its beak repeatedly into Gligar's bony head, trying to get him to release the clamp on his leg. And although I can feel Vlad's health lowering, it just makes him latch on all the harder.
Vince gets nervous as his starter's leg begins to change color. The metal changing from a cool silver to angry and orange due to the prolonged contact with the heat. "Get him off Skarmory! Jump up and then use Drill Peck!"
"Swoop around it with Acrobatics!"
Following their orders to perfection, both Pokémon execute in record time. Skarmory getting off the ground and then bring his break down hard…and Vlad letting go to dodge around it with some fancy twists and turns.
"Metal Sound!" An ungodly piercing noise comes from the bird's throat, disorienting not just Vlad, but me and the ref as well. Thankfully, a silent message from me has Gligar smack the bird with a second -albeit hasty and half assed- Rock Tomb, effectively interrupting it.
"It's vulnerable!" Vince shouts. "Flash Cannon!"
White silvery energy builds in Skarmory's mouth as it rears back. With yet another screech the maelstrom of power unleashes itself upon the world….and does very little as Vlad gets up the Protect with time to spare.
My eyes dart between the two Pokémon. They're both moderately injured. And yet also both still have plenty of gas in the tank. I think Vlad will come out on top if we keep pushing this, but it might really mess him up for tomorrow.
'I need to do more than just win. I need to think about Day Two.'
With that in mind I should probably retire him for the night. Let someone else finish the Skarmory. Of course this Skarmory's still got a Defense and multiple Speed boosts up, which we're only countering due to our own use of two Agility and double Swords Dance.
Luckily, as I briefly alluded to during the scuffle with Dratini, when it comes to TM use I positively be fiendin'.
"Baton Pass."
"Shit! Pursuit!"
Vince tries to get one last bit of damage in but unfortunately it does really quite little. Pursuit's bonus damage may be triggered by moves like Volt Switch or U-Turn but Baton Pass gets around it. Vlad disappears in an orb of light and his replacement slams into the field in all her ferocious glory.
'As much as I would love to see what K.Rool or Simon could do with some Speed Boosts at their back, there's really only one smart choice here.'
"Ma Ma! Stone Edge!"
"Skarmory! Avoid!"
Great massive chunks of rock are lobbed in the air! Huge hulking things that Ma Ma would never be able to normally launch without a pair of Swords Dances in her system. The injured Steel/Flying type swerves around the first one, ducks beneath the second, veers to the left of the third, but the fourth nails it dead center!
The Pokémon begins to plummet and Vince lurches forward in a panic. "Roost!"
'Ohhh, you shouldn't have done that.'
Roost was a little bit better here than it was in the games. Which probably isn't balanced because it was already fairly competitive beforehand. It doesn't take away the protection of being Flying-type the turn it's used, nor does it make them land. It does however force the flier to be niiice and still though.
Perfect targets for a move that will pull them out of the sky."Smack Down!"
With all of Gligar's gifts empowering her, Ma Ma lands that bird. Returning it to the earth where all things should be.
Ground energy unconsciously suffuses through my system as I see the sight of a Flying-type -the natural antithesis of my aura- being brought low. Flying is representative of freedom. Of unburdenness. Of liberation even. Ground, however, is reality.
"Ma Ma. Bulldoze."
And that, as they say, is that.
Route 43, Between Lake of Rage and Mahogany
"So how'd you guys end up doing today?"
Clarissa sighs. "2-1. It's not bad but I'm thinking I might just drop. I wanted to put in a good showing for the Gym but some of these trainers are tough. My team and I are pooped. I don't know if we could handle a second day of this."
I hum thoughtfully. "It'll only be two fights instead of three though," I attempt to persuade her. "And if you win both, mathematically, you should still qualify for the quarter-finals."
"Yeah, I guess." she mutters. "But the matches in Day Two are always tougher. Everyone who ended today at 0-3 or 1-2 are usually gone, which just leaves trainers who've proven they aren't pushovers. The only way I think I can win is if I'm paired against teams as exhausted as I am."
"Hmm." I turn to Ron. "And you?"
He laughs. "Oh, I dropped out after lunch dude. That Meganium swept me my man. There was no coming back from that one. You'd think it had the ability Thick Fat or something by the way it brushed off my Ice."
"Ronald, Meganium can't have Thick Fat." Clarissa looks at him annoyed. "It's Ability is Overgrow or sometimes -very rarely- Leaf Guard."
Ron nods along, hands behind his head. "I know what the books say. I'm just talking."
A vibrating from my pocket gets my focus. It's not my cell phone, it's my other phone.
You know what I mean.
"You guys go on ahead," I stop walking and let the two of them get past me. "I've got to take a leak."
"Ugh, Bradley really?" Clarissa scrunches her face. "In the grass? There's a restroom at the Ranger station in just another mile or so. Can't you hold it?"
"Heyyy," Ron seems offended on my behalf. "When nature calls, nature calls. Ain't nothing a man can do about it." He gives me a nod. "Try to catch up when you're done my dude. We won't be far."
Moving off to the treeline, I give it a minute, maybe minute and a half, and then flip the phone open. A single button push dials the last number and I waste no time with greetings. "Yeah?"
"Ooo testy today aren't ya." Admin Petrel teases from the other side. "Well first, let me congratulate you on making Day Two. Watching you take down the young Blackthorn's Skarmory, well even I was inspired. Remind me never to try and fight you with Honchkrow."
I keep my tone light. "Hoh? So you're up here in Mahogany then? I noticed the souvenir shop seems to finally be up and running."
"Oh Bradley…Bradley Bradley Bradley." He says my name with a certain fondness. Ominous fondness but fondness all the same. "Do you not remember the day we met? I'm Rocket's Master of Disguise. I'm not just in the area, I was the referee in your last match. Now come to the souvenir shop. We've got some expansions we'd like your assistance on. In exchange for some of those foreign soil samples you requested of course.'
With a click the number goes dead and I slide the phone away with a sigh. "Yeah…because the last batch you guys got me from Sinnoh turned out to be such winners." I mutter a bit annoyed.
Well, sounds like I may not be getting a ton of sleep tonight.
At least tomorrow's matches don't start until 10.