Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoy. If you REALLY like it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 5 chapters ahead.
--------------------------------------------------------------
"WELCOME, TRAINERS AND AUDIENCE, TO OUR SECOND TOURNAMENT ON OUR WAY TO CERULEAN! YEASTERDAY WAS A FIERCE DISPLAY OF-"
My jaw flexed as I yawned with my mouth closed, rubbing my eyes to try and remove the slight ache. Beside me, Ash was thoroughly entranced by the announcer's words, despite having spent the previous day watching the first tournament. Meanwhile, Gary bumped his shoulder into mine.
"You didn't come back to the room last night. I always knew that the Waterflowers sisters were sluts, but dinner went that well, huh?"
"Well, I swung by your mom's place afterwards. You know she can't sleep unless I give it to her." I whispered back. Of course, I didn't go back to the room. No fucking way I was going to sleep until we made it back to land. Even blinking was taking my eyes off the ball a little too long for my tastes.
"Publicly admitting to necrophilia is wild."
"I'm very wild, just like your mom is when I'm giving it to her."
"Riveting. So the date didn't go well? What happened, your Orre ass tried to eat the cutlery? Couldn't figure out which fork was which?"
"The date went fine," I whispered back, internally crying at the state of my bank account. Between the dinner, some random stuff from the store that looked neat, and the TMs – especially the TMs – I was damn near back to where I was before meeting Bill, which was extremely upsetting.
At least, the date truly had gone well, if uneventful. We'd mostly just made small talk and stayed away from anything too heavy.
"SHHHHHH! I can't hear!" I contemplated informing Ash of the irony that he was way fucking louder than we were and drawing multiple eyes to us. Still, I decided to simply leave it to Gary as they began whispering insults at each other.
"-THE ORDER HAS ALREADY BEEN DECIDED! IF EVERYONE BUT OUR FIRST TWO TRAINERS WOULD PLEASE MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE WAITING AREA!"
"YES! FINALLY!" Ash cheered, getting laughs from the audience as he took his place on one side of the field, a chuckling older guy standing across from him.
The rest of the 120-something group of Trainers began making our way down from the centre platform under thunderous applause as over 500 people cheered and clapped for the beginning of the 2-3 Badge tournament.
Also, what did the announcer say at the start?
"Did he say Cerulean!?" I hissed at Gary, while forcing him to step behind an absolute unit of a woman, like the human version of a Spheal.
"Yeah, of course he said Cerulean. Did you not check where we're going? I even told you yesterday!" Gary looked at me like I was stupid.
"No, you said Cinnabar!"
"And we're passing that now! Will you stop whining!? I'll give you a ride to Celadon if you don't piss me off too much." That didn't stop me from grumbling as we walked through the sign-up desk and through a door that led to a set of stairs that took us upwards. I liked Cerulean, but I just spent two weeks there. I definitely wouldn't mind if it took a little longer before I made my return.
The waiting area was beneath the ship's control room. Couches and armchairs were arranged along the entire glass wall that overlooked the small stadium. Food and other refreshments were stacked high on the buffet table on the other side, and the other contestants didn't take long to make themselves comfortable.
Securing a couple of plushy chairs for the two of us, I smacked Gary's feet away as he plopped them up on the table between us, while he flipped me off in response.
"You know, the placement is incredibly convenient," I remarked, watching as the referee raised a flag in Ash's direction – apparently, he'd lost the coin toss that decided who went first while we were climbing the stairs – not that he seemed to mind, turning his hat around and throwing out his PokéBall happily. I raised an eyebrow in surprise at the appearance of a small orange reptile with stubby arms and a flame flickering at the end of its tail.
I completely forgot that Ash got Charmander so early. Wait, thinking about it, the Fire-Type had been up for grabs for essentially anyone with basic empathy. It didn't have to be Ash.
FUCK! God damn Cerulean, taking up all my time!
"Yeah, you and I won't meet until the finals. Bet you a grand that idiot loses first round, though," Gary snarked, sitting sideways with his legs over the armrest while throwing some kind of nuts into the air and trying to catch them in his mouth.
"I'll take that bet." I felt vindicated when Ash's opponent released a Whismur. An Alpha Whismur, sure, but a Whismur was a Whismur.
It didn't last long, and the money felt sweet. The early rounds – as in, until the quarter finals – were only one-on-one as we had quite a few Trainers to get through. Later on, it would become a three-on-three.
Until then, it didn't seem like anything interesting was going to happen.
Oh well. At least the snacks were good.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"GARY'S SQUIRTLE'S ALREADY EVOLVED!?" Grabbing him by the back of his shirt, I yanked Ash back into his chair, an imprint of his face left on the grass. Down below, Squirty the Wartortle swaggered up to a Chikarita confidently. The girl opposing Gary must have thought she lucked out when he sent out a Water-Type, hoping the type advantage would save her.
It didn't.
"Not all of us refuse to evolve our starters," I commented, taking in Squirty. It was my first time seeing him since before evolution, and the change suited him well. His height wasn't horrifically above average, but he was broad and sturdy, Razor Leaf barely leaving scratches on his shell. The fluffy white ears and curly tail seemed well maintained, though I wasn't the best judge on the Squirtle line.
"You're one to talk! You're the only one who hasn't evolved any Pokémon!" He pointed and laughed, only for the sound to turn into a yelp as I kicked his chair hard enough that it wobbled.
It wasn't my fault that my team was filled with slow growers and alternate evolutions. We'd get there.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"MOVING ON TO THE THIRD-TO-LAST MATCH OF ROUND ONE! ON THE LEFT SIDE, ANOTHER TRAINER FROM PALLET, WHO HAS ONLY JUST STARTED HIS TRAINER JOURNEY! WILL HE IMPRESS AS MUCH AS THE OTHERS!? IT'S PERIWINKLE!"
The crowd cheered, though there was a fair amount of booing as well from people who got tired of Ash and Gary taking down their opponents so quickly. I did my best not to pay them any mind, throwing Misty a smirk when I spotted her in the front of the stands. Despite not wanting to be on the ship in the first place – and still flinching like a bitch every time a wave hit the bow – I was a little excited. I hadn't spent a lot of time battling random strangers, despite that being a pretty integral part of being a Trainer. The last time I'd done so was in Viridian Forest, and Bug Catcher didn't count. Neither did the Cerulean Gym Trainers.
It would be good to see how I stacked up.
"AND ON THE RIGHT SIDE, AN EQUALLY YOUNG TRAINER FROM HOENN, TRYING HIS LUCK IN KANTO, BRAVING THE SEA TO TEST HIS METTLE AGAINST THE WHOLE WORLD! IT'S STUART!"
I wasn't super impressed by the glare of the acne-struck, black haired teenager with his floral bathing shorts and bare upper body.
"Left Trainer, release your Pokémon!" The referee – yet another suit guy, though his dark brown hair was up in a man-bun and he had a shitty goatee that more resembled a dirt smudge than a beard – said.
Eevee walked forwards, ears flicking uneasily at the loud noises, eyes darting around nervously and back to me periodically. I nodded to her as reassuringly as possible. While I would've liked to test her out under calmer circumstances, I'd figured the first round would probably be fine.
Seeing the Wingull that Stuart sent out circle around as the Psychic barriers sprang up, I felt confident that I wouldn't be paying for my arrogance quite yet.
"This will be a one-on-one battle! First to surrender, fall unconscious, or be judged unable to continue will lose the battle! Are both Trainers ready!?" We both nodded. "Then begin!"
"Sky Terror, rapid Water Gun!"
I was so distracted by the nickname that I almost forgot to respond. I could've gotten away with it if it were one of the others, but Eevee was a little too new, and yet, too well-trained to act on her own.
"Dodge, Hyper Voice."
During my time… ruminating upon my problems in the training field of Vermillion, I'd taken the time to run Eevee through her move set. In that session, I'd learned two things about the pint-sized fox.
1. She was very mobile.
I hummed appreciatively as jets of water fell from the sky with only a couple of seconds intervals. Having used Water Gun myself for quite a long time, I knew that it must've taken a lot of practice to be that quick.
It was still too slow, however.
A light jump to the side let the first beam wash over the stone arena, a twirl bringing Eevee around the second. She hesitated briefly as some of the watchers waved a large banner furiously, only for her ears to twitch at the last moment before she crouched to let another Water Gun pass over her head, the fur between the large ears being drenched in water before she leapt forwards again to clear the fourth jet easily, gaze firmly locked on her target.
I didn't know whether it was her egg move, Detect, or whether the Waterflower Clan simply bred them differently. Still, she made it look almost effortless as she danced across the stage between the liquid missiles, a white energy coating her as she blurred to the other side of the battlefield. Her Quick Attack was amateurish, even compared to Hercules who was far from a master himself, but it was sufficient for shirt bursts.
Using the brief pause as Stuart yelled Eevee's location up at 'Sky Terror', the Normal-Type inhaled deeply, her minuscule lungs filling and then overfilling as her puffy chest expanded beyond logic.
2. She hit like a tiny truck.
"EEEIIIIIIIIII!"
Despite the barriers dulling the vast majority of the noise, the audience still winced at the piercingly loud screech that erupted from Eevee's mouth, the air itself distorted as it vibrated furiously, a sonic cone rippling out from the Normal-Type.
"SKY TERROR, NOOOO!"
The warning would've come too late for a regular Pokémon. Against a Flying-Type, with a much sharper-than-average sense of hearing?
It wasn't worth the breath.
Sky Terror the Wingull cried out as the sound wave struck it, eyes rolling back into its skull as its brain rattled around inside its cranium. It being my first battle with a Wingull since the one at the oasis where I'd found Siren's egg, I'd admit to taking some pleasure in watching the bird plummet from the sky, unable to stay aloft with the dizziness, and hit the deck with a soft thud!
Seeing Eevee relax and begin sitting down, I called out to her. "Don't back down yet! Be ready with a Swift if it gets back up!" The words had her back on edge, which was good. The battle wasn't over until the referee said so, and better Trainers than me had been caught with their pants down after thinking they won.
That didn't turn out to be the case as Stuart recalled his edgy-named bird with tears of humiliation in his eyes as he glared at me, but it was still worth it to start integrating the habits into Eevee.
"AND PALLET TOWN GOES THREE FOR THREE AS PERIWINKLE'S EEVEE BRINGS DOWN WINGULL WITH A DEVASTATING HYPER VOICE! CAN ANYTHING STOP THESE YOUNG PRODIGIES!?"
I nodded, satisfied. Walter had been right, Eevee wasn't that far behind the rest of the team, if at all. A bigger move pool, faster charge time, and some ways to keep foes at a distance and she would be a little menace. A touch more confidence wouldn't hurt either, but that would come with time.
The tournament, on the other hand, was off to a somewhat slow start. I may have bought into the S.S. Anne hype too much, but that was pathetic for someone with two Badges.
Oh well, it was only the first round. I'd reserve full judgment for later.
—---------------------
"Who the fuck has that loser been sucking off for these Pokémon!?"
"Didn't I hear that you've caught an Alpha Pidgey?" I scoffed at Gary's disbelief while down in the arena, Ash's Bulbasaur pulled itself out of the way with a creative Vine Whip, letting the small, light brown canine – with a darker brown muzzle and paws – and sky-blue eyes sail past with the top of its head glowing with Psychic-Type energy. The Zen Headbutt faded as the Rockruff looked around for its target, only to whine in pain as another Vine Whip lashed it across the back.
Looking around cautiously, I snuck my PokéDex out of my pocket and directed it down at the canine. Might as well get some work done for the Professor. My actions got an approving nod from Gary as he copied me, despite flipping out, scooting a little closer to hide our recording.
"Yeah, but I'm awesome, and he's not! Have you been catching Pokémon for him, with your bullshit luck!?" It was funny watching Gary lose his mind over Ash having revealed that he'd caught all three Kanto starters, something that had a lot of tongues wagging around the stands. The S.S. Anne loved their rare Pokémon, and very few Trainers could boast about having all three regional 'starter' species. Starter was a strong word, as it required a sponsorship from the local Pokémon Professor, but they had become synonymous with their regions as their species were very rare in the wild, yet excellent for newbie Trainers.
"You got me. I found a Charmander, Squirtle, AND Bulbasaur in the wild but decided 'eh, don't need 'em' and gave them to Ash. You're so smart, Gary." I mocked, starting another exchange of insults as Ash cleaned up his third battle.
It would've been even funnier if I weren't quite envious myself, but I liked my team.
"Fuck you. Why'd you recall Siren so quickly anyway, during your last match?"
I refused to meet his eyes. "Long tournament, gotta keep them fresh. Besides, you recalled Squirty pretty fast yourself."
"Well, your anxious ass is robbing off on me, I guess."
I hummed lightly, not letting on that it actually made me breathe a little easier. The more combat capable Pokémon we had, the better. I still wasn't convinced that shit wasn't going to go down.
—--------------
"-OH, AND ANOTHER ONE GOES DOWN! IT WOULD SEEM THAT ANDREW SIMPLY CANNOT STAND AGAINST THIS MONSTEROUS GROWLITHE! EVEN BY S.S. ANNE STANDARDS, THIS IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME SIGHT! WHERE ARE THESE PALLET TRAINERS GETTING THEIR POKÉMON!?"
Sol panted happily as the opposing Lombre faded into crimson energy, basking in the attention as the crowd gossiped and snapped pictures of the Shiny Alpha. He'd caused quite the stir when I released him, overshadowing Ash's starter trio with ease. I could practically feel Gary seething as no one gave a fuck about his Wartortle.
I'd been hesitant to actually use Sol, as it was the first time we battled so publicly, but after Eevee got a little too close to losing to a shiny Nosepass, it felt like time to pull out the big guns. Combined with Sol being the only one who didn't get to fight Walter, it only felt fair.
Given the way he took out the Treeko with a single Ember and then waded straight through the Lombre's Bubblebeam, it was the right choice.
"Fucking nepo-babies, coasting off your sponsorship! You know nothing about hard work!"
Digging around in my ear, I flicked away a little bit of earwax while giving the full-grown man across from me my best half-lidded gaze.
"Uh-huh. Can you send out your next Pokémon so we can get this over with? I was kinda in the middle of a sandwich."
I did genuinely feel a little bad as the scruffy, bearded man sent out his last Pokémon, a frilly mushroom materialising as Andrew from Hoenn put his final hopes on his large Shroomish. The one-on-one fights hadn't been anything worth mentioning, and my first three-on-three – the quarter final – wasn't much better. The Grass-Type shook itself, small dots of yellow pollen drifting from under its skirt-esque lower body. A cloud hung around the Shroomish, preventing Sol from getting close as it started drifting over the battlefield-
"Ember."
-only to be struck by a barrage of fire pellets that violently ignited the Stun Spore into a fiery conflagration, the shockwave sending Shroomish flying backwards and giving Sol plenty of time to rush over and pound it into the ground.
Andrew did have a point. So far, Sol had brute-forced his way through a whole team, and I didn't think the others would do much worse.
While a skilled Trainer could take ordinary, weak Pokémon extremely far, it couldn't be denied that it was a lot easier with rarer Pokémon.
On the other hand, we were on the S.S. Anne, the luxury cruise filled with rich pricks. What the fuck did he expect?
—-------------
"UUHHHH, AND BUTTERFREE MANAGES TO LAND A STUN SPORE! IS IT ENOUGH TO TURN THE TIDES!?"
It wasn't. Butterfree flapped its wings furiously, wind whipping around as it desperately tried to protect itself with a Whirlwind. Yet, the Ice Beam was too strong and punched straight through the turbulence to strike the Bug/Flying-Type centre mass, frost crawling over its body and the base of its wings as it finally gave up and dropped from the sky.
"BUTTERFREE!"
"HA! That's the best you've got, loser!? This is sad even for you!"
"SHUT UP, GARY! GO, PIKACHU, LET'S SHOW THEM WHAT WE'VE GOT!"
It was a little early for Gary to be so cocky, though that was par for the course with the younger Oak, I mused as the Electric-Type jumped off Ash's shoulder and took his place across from the smirking Squirty. Ash choosing Butterfree as his opener was simply bad luck. Gary wasn't supposed to have an Electric-Type despite his plethora of catches.
Though I noted that Gary had apparently bought Squirty an Ice Beam TM at some point. Valuable info, since it was looking more and more likely that I'd be facing off against him in the final.
Well, I had to get through my own semi-final first, yet from everything I'd seen, the stuck-up, wealthy lady was heavily reliant on her shiny Beautifly and shiny Skitty – and Sol was going to eat them for lunch. Both Siren and Herc made more sense, seeing as they had the type advantage, and would be my back-ups, yet I couldn't resist the urge to show off after the snob with the heavy makeup had been so very eager to shove her shinies in people's faces.
"AND A VICIOUS THUNDERSHOCK TAKES OUT WARTORTLE, THOUGH NOT BEFORE DELIVERING A HEAVY BLOW IN RETURN! THE SCORE IS NOW ONE-ONE! CAN THE LEFT TRAINER RECOVER FROM HIS EARLY LOSS!?"
It honestly made sense that Team Rocket was so interested in Pikachu in the anime. Every time, I was surprised by how much sheer power he could produce when he got serious. The Thundershock that brought Squirty low hadn't been on the level of Surge's Thunderbolt, yet I knew that if Herc saw it, he would've been feeling inadequate again.
Gary growled as he threw his next PokéBall, a round, rocky Pokémon with a wide grin appearing. Stony scraping sounds rang out as the Graveler cracked all four sets of knuckles menacingly at the panting Pikachu, who nursed his ribs, winching with every movement.
Ash really needed to teach him Iron Tail or something. The only moves the Electric-Type had that could even hurt the Rock/Ground-Type were Quick Attack and Tackle, and as funny as watching the small mouse throw itself face-first into a rock would be, it wasn't exactly a winning strategy. The Ground-Type immunity to electricity wasn't a hard rule, as far as I knew after asking Brock, but the minerals in Graveler's rocky hide would conduct the current and insulate its biological insides.
To Pikachu's credit, it lasted longer than I would've expected and even landed a couple of hits. The rodent had a clear speed advantage and used Quick Attack to circle faster than Graveler could turn before slamming into it at full speed, managing to stagger it slightly. Yet, as I'd thought, it was questionable who it hurt more: the target or the attacker.
"COME ON, KID, YOU CAN DO IT!"
"GIVE UP ALREADY!"
The audience had split reactions, some rooting for the underdog and others wanting to fast-forward to the inevitable outcome. Neither of the two boys battling were faced with the hooting and hollering from the stands. Hell, Gary seemed to relish it, the vain bitch.
Pikachu once more put on an impressive light show; however, between the injury from Squirty and damn near fucking concussing himself on Graveler's stony carapace, it was only a matter of time before he got caught, and the ref called it.
And that was honestly the end of it. Ash screamed himself hoarse as his Squirtle took on the Rock-Type and took it down with only minimal struggle. Graveler's lack of speed allowed the turtle to stay out of reach and hose it down with Water Guns. A couple of Rock Throws clipped the blue amphibian, and a Magnitude sent it to the floor in pain, but it got there in the end, Gary recalling it before it could get too hurt.
But when Gary released his last Pokémon with a smirk, and a Clefairy bounced around cheerfully to the crowd's and announcer's delight, it was over in moments. The Fairy Pokémon lit up with an impressive amount of electricity and unleashed a blinding Thunderbolt that sent Squirtle to the ground. A second one made sure it stayed there.
So, the reason Gary couldn't afford the TMs was that he'd been on a spending spree and already loaded up. Good to know.
I'd have to see how Ash was doing later. First, I had to clap some rich bitch's cheeks and show her who had the better shiny Pokémon.
And then, I was apparently getting a chance for some payback.
Hopefully, Gary wouldn't be too salty when I fucking decimated him. We just became friends again.
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"AND HERE WE ARE, FOLKS! THE FINAL MATCH OF OUR SECOND TOURNAMENT AND WHAT A TOURNAMENT IT'S BEEN!"
The sun had dipped beneath the stands, casting the arena in shadow. Orange bled through the gaps, and I imagined that if I were to walk around, the ocean would be a magnificent sight worthy of poetry.
I had absolutely no intention of doing that.
"ON THE LEFT, THE YOUNG BOY FROM PALLET TOWN WHO'S SWEPT ALL BEFORE HIM! THE GRANDSON OF THE FAMOUS PROFESSOR OAK! IT'S GARY OAK!"
Gary waved casually, a giant smirk on his face, though I caught the slight twitch of his eye at the mention of his grandfather.
"AND ON THE RIGHT, ALSO FROM PALLET TOWN, THE BOY WITH THE SHINY ALPHA GROWLITHE! IT'S PERWINKLE!" It was my turn to twitch. Okay, Sol was awesome, but so was I! And the rest of my team, of course.
"THE STAGE IS SET FOR A SHOWDOWN OF CHILDHOOD FRIENDS! NOW, THE COIN TOSS!" The guy was laying it on thick, but I guess that was his job.
"Heads!" Gary called out before I had a chance to. I glared at him lightly, but didn't really care that much. I was confident.
"Tails!"
Especially when he still lost.
"He'll go first," it was my turn to grin as Gary gritted his teeth, fingers dancing across the six PokéBalls on his belt. There was no changing your team between rounds, and so far, he had used Squirty, Graveler, his Clefairy, and a chunky Raticate. It was entirely possible that he would use something else, as neither were a good option against my team.
However, Gary was a vain fuck who hated when others got the spotlight. Ash had drawn attention with his complete set of Kanto starters, and Sol had been the main attraction of the tournament so far.
There was no way Gary wouldn't try to show off, even if it was a stupid decision.
"AND WHAT'S THIS!?" The announcer screamed from his place higher in the control tower as Gary's PokéBall arched through the air and opened upon contact with the ground. The light grew and grew, beyond what I'd expected, standing as tall as Gary himself. The ruby energy dispersed as the prominent figure spread its six-foot wings wide and cawed loudly. "IS THAT ANOTHER ALPHA!? WHERE ARE THESE KIDS GETTING THEM FROM!?"
Brown feathers clad the human-sized avian, except for the cream-colored face, underside, and the inside of its wings. A pinkish-red crest glowed from its head, matching the colour of the tail feathers, which alternated with the same cream hue. Sharp, predatory eyes surveyed the field before locking onto me with a hungry look as the giant bird took flight, circling around as best it could in the limited space of the Psychic barriers.
It appeared I was wrong. Gary didn't have an Alpha Pidgey.
He had an Alpha Pidgeotto.
Very impressive, yet as I thought, a very dumb move. Trying to outmuscle my team simply wasn't going to work.
Siren materialised on my side of the field to loud laughter and ridicule, making me flip off the stands in response. They could go fuck themselves, and were about to eat their fucking words anyway.
"AND THE RIGHT TRAINER ANSWERS WITH AN… UNUSUAL CHOICE, A FEEBAS! WILL THE ODDBALL PICK PAY OFF!?"
"Are both Trainers ready?" WE both nodded at the referee's words. Despite everyone else's reactions, Gary looked a little pale at seeing my fish. He'd grown up with her training in the pond. Made sense that he knew he was fucked. "Then begin on three. One. Two. Three!"
"Pidgeotto, Gust!" Gary screamed before the last syllable left the referee's mouth, the scamming fuck. Pidgeotto spread its double-digit wingspan, slowing its hovering to hang in the air.
And then it dove, screeching loudly as its three-toed feet spread wide, ready to grasp Siren in its massive talons.
"WHAT!? NO YOU MORON, DON'T GET CLOSE!" I had to hold back my laughter, the Sensational Sisters' words coming back to me. It seemed Gary still hadn't gotten his Alpha to listen. Oh, Gary, you unbelievable idiot.
The difference between catching it and raising it, I guessed.
"Ice Beam, let's wrap this up!"
"MOVE, DUMBASS!"
Pidgeotto didn't move. The chilly Ice attack left mist in its wake as it pierced through the air and smacked straight into the Flying-Type's chest. Ice spread on impact, yet Pidgeotto was so large that it failed to cover its entire breast. The super-effective move was enough to stun it; the enormous bird jerked and dropped in the air as its sensitive nervous system was shocked. However, it managed to recover and flexed hard enough that the frosty shell shattered into shards.
It wasn't an Alpha for nothing. I was starkly reminded of Sol's tendency to trust his size to carry him through. Seems there were some similarities between Pokémon with the rare genome.
Finally listening to its Trainer, Pidgeotto tried to dodge the following Ice Beam, but its size worked against it. It was too big and slow, especially after already being hit once. The left wing froze over, and then the right. The pinions glowed with a sky-blue energy beneath the cold covering, a Wing Attack freeing it for a moment before a fourth Ice Beam hit it again.
"FUCK! FINE, DIVEBOMB THEIR ASS!"
My eyes widened as the vast wings snapped close to its body and it dropped like a missile straight towards Siren, the weight of the oversized avian making it blur through the air.
"JET!"
Too late. Siren's general slowness reared its head meaningfully for the first time in a while, the propulsion from the Water Gun barely managing to move her half a foot before almost six feet of bird slammed into the arena floor right on top of her.
BOOOOM!
"SIREN!" I cried out as my Feebas tumbled out of the dust cloud, spinning head over tail uncontrollably multiple times as she skidded over the floor. Eventually, she slowed, her levitation enough to counter the remaining momentum. Looking her over, I breathed a sigh of relief. She was dirty, missing a couple of scales, and I was sure she'd have a bruise to show off later, but she was mostly fine.
Which was more than I could say about Pidgeotto when the impact zone became visible. At the bottom of a pretty impressive crater, the Normal/Flying-Type struggled feebly to get up. I didn't even have to say anything before another Ice Beam was shooting towards it, the red light of a PokéBall sucking it away right before it could be knocked out.
"AND IN AN UNEXPECTED UPSET, THE MAGNIFICENT PIDGEOTTO GOES DOWN TO THE FEEBAS! WHO COULD'VE SEEN IT COMING!? HOW WILL THE LEFT TRAINER RECOVER FROM THE DEVASTATING LOSS OF HIS HIDDEN ACE!?"
The announcer was bothering me. I understood that it was a cruise for wealthy people, and that they were trying to sell rare Pokémon, but Pidgeotto – while impressive – wasn't Gary's strongest. Maybe if he could command it effectively, but until then, the title of cornerstone went to someone else.
Namely, the Wartortle that was released on the other side of the field, stomping its foot and crossing its arms confidently in the face of Siren's glare.
"AND WARTORTLE COMES OUT! DOES THE YOUNG OAK HOPE THAT IT WILL CARRY HIM AS IT HAS THROUGHOUT THE TOURNAMENT!?"
Not if I had anything to say about it.
—------------------------------------------------------------
Turns out, fighting regular battles is a lot easier than real fights. Let's see if Gary is gonna be any different.
Kinda speedrunning the tournament, but there's gonna be plenty of battling in the coming chapters.
Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 5 chapters ahead.