Tournament Finale! (Part 1)

“AMBER! AMBER!” the crowd chants your name. But not all of them, “ASHLEY! ASHLEY!” chants mingle with the others. You wave to the stadium around you. The moment catches you off guard. How far you’ve come since Blue fucked you outside the Professor’s lab. You have 4 badges, halfway to the League. And now among all the rookies this year, you’re among the best.

Ashley is cheating, so no matter the outcome you could claim the moral victory. But more than that, you want to win the actual Tournament. You want to be among other great trainers who’ve done the same. Sabrina, Whitney, Clair, Lorelei, Karen, even Erika, although learning about her Team Rocket allegiance makes her less of a role model in your eyes. You want to be among the best of the best. And all it will take is beating Ashley here and now, in spite of her cheating.

You throw out Slaking, “Ah, Amber’s insubordinate pokemon to start. Is she attempting to throw off her competitor or perhaps front loading the chaos in hopes of a strong finish? How will that work against Ashley’s Sudowoodo?” The rocky tree stands across from you and Slaking. It’s as if Lance could read your mind, or it’s just his astute battle sense. He is the Champion after all. “Let the final battle commence!”

“Sudowoodo use foul play!” the tree skitters forward, moving in odd paths, keeping its body mostly straight. It slaps at Slaking’s arm, causing it to follow an arc that Sudowoodo guides into Slaking, using his own immense strength against him.

“Sucker punch,” you almost plead. Whether by chance or perhaps he actually listened, but Slaking swings his arm in a surprise uppercut. The blow knocks the Sudowoodo back, but it shimmers, the illusion dropping to reveal Ashley’s Zoroark. There it is.

Ashley smirks. With a command, the newly revealed Zoroark moves in close to land a night slash. Slaking takes the hit, slowly moving about. After another night slash hits, you give the command of counter. Instead he charges a hyper beam, the laser firing from his mouth and it engulfs the dark fox. The barrage of night slashes are doing their job, whittling down Slaking.

You try to guide your partner, but his refusal to listen prevents any strategy on your behalf. He yawns, laying back in his relaxed pose. The Zoroark comes close for another strike, allowing the defiant pokemon to land a sucker punch. They both look rough, but Slaking is slower at getting another move in so you expect Zoroark to finish the battle.

But as it moves in for the final blow, it trips mid step. The black and red pokemon falls asleep, Slaking’s constant yawning finally having an effect. Slaking rises to his feet, and charges the snoozing opponent. He recklessly slams into it, damaging himself in the process.

Leaving Lance to announce, “It looks as if both pokemon are decommissioned at the moment. One down for each trainer leaves it at an even playing field. Who will be the first to take the lead?”

It’s okay. You would’ve liked Slaking to secure an early advantage. But a swap of numbers is the second best outcome. And miles above giving Ashley the edge this early. You take a deep breath, thinking over your choices. And with a pokeball in hand, you both throw out your next partner.

“The real Sudowoodo from the indomitable Ashley, and with a type advantage Bellossom from the spectacular Amber. But will typing be enough?”

No, if anything that was an easy take away from Blue’s match. He didn’t have experience against Ashley. You know better than to underestimate her. And Blue’s blowout shows that Ashley’s pokemon have plenty of coverage moves.

The real false tree pokemon charges forward with the same odd pathing that Zoroark had mimicked. “Quick jump back,” you shout. And as Sudowoodo reaches Bellossom, its clubbed hand ignites in fire. It would’ve probably been over right there. “Stun spore.” Bellossom distributes a cloud of yellow spores that soak into the rocky skin of the enemy.

You gamble on being able to set up a little with Sudowoodo’s paralysis. Dodging another fire punch, Bellossom transforms the battlegrounds with an ethereal grass. Sudowoodo freezes mid charge, his body stiffening before he can even ignite his club.

You feel as if you’ve risked the advantage enough, so you command, “Petal blilzzard.” With the boost from the terrain and type advantage, the pink petals rip through the enemy.

“And the Pallet Town trainer takes the lead as Sudowoodo falls!” You want to jump and cheer, but you try to keep your emotions in check. You know Ashley is dangerous and can easily come back.

Her Persian slinks out of the pokeball. You watch with caution. He prowls, before lurching through the ethereal grass. “Stun spore,” you try.

But the cat sidesteps the cloud, and jumps into the air diving at your Bellossom. The slashing is so quick and whistles through the air, as Ashley gives the command for an aerial ace.

Bellossom is knocked aside from the blow. She twirls managing to stay upright. At your command, she drains health from the cat. Persian launches into the air again, another devastating aerial ace hitting its mark. As it lands, Bellossom follows your lead and coats the attacker with a cloud of purple spores.

“Ah, poison will be an effective tool to whittle down the opponent.”

You know Bellossom won’t last much longer against Persian. The aerial aces are doing more than any of draining techniques Bellossom knows. And just as you expected, Ashley pushes for a final aerial ace that knocks out your partner. The numbers may be even, but you still have the advantage with the poisoning on Persian.

Another deep breath, you can do this. You grab your next pokeball, “Trapinch, it’s your turn!”