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Chapter 65: What Goes Around Comes Around
December 1st. The Johto Pokemon League. People filled spectator seats that circled around a large auxiliary stadium, seats that rose several stories high. Julia sat all by herself, with Hikaru in her hands, ear plugs in her ears, watching as a short, elderly man with a large beard walked out onto the stadium, microphone in hand. Behind him, about a hundred or so trainers of all ages stood in silence, confidence gleaming in their eyes. She could see Perrine, Caiseal, Ethan, and even Yue, Alex, and Zack in one small group in the far right. There was one person who stood next to the bearded man, wearing an all pink ensemble. The elderly man adjusted his microphone to turn it on, clearing his throat before speaking.
"Greetings, ladies, gentleman, and trainers of all ages!" The man announced with enthusiasm, free arm akimbo, his magnified voice ringing loud and clear. "I am your host, Frederick Goodshow, president of the Pokemon League Corporation, and I welcome all of you to the official 116th Annual Johto Pokemon League!"
Pandemonium broke out, as the stadium exploded into cheers. Even with her ear plugs in, Julia winced from the loud screaming around her. Thankfully, it wasn't as bad with her ear plugs muffling the noise just a bit, to the point where she didn't feel like her ear drums were being torn apart.
"We have a big crop of new trainers this year, so here's how the League is going to go," Mr. Goodshow continued on, once the crowd's cheering died down. "The first round will have trainers limited to only using one Pokemon, no substitutions. Winners who go on to the second round and the semifinals will be able to use three Pokemon. The finalists and any who battle the Elite Four and the champion will be allowed to use a full team of six Pokemon!" Mr. Goodshow pointed behind himself. "With that out of the way, let's meet our competitors and who they'll be facing!"
Everyone turned their attention to a big screen that stood on the opposite of where Julia was sitting. Images of each person appeared on the screen in twos, with their names right underneath. Julia sat far from the screen, but she could still see the images of her friends clearly. Caiseal was paired with a trainer she didn't recognize, as was the case with Perrine and Alex as well. Oddly enough, she saw Ethan's image right next to Zack. A battle between them ought to be interesting, especially a one-on-one battle. But next to Yue's image, one person and their name immediately popped out at her, one she never thought she'd ever see in the Pokemon League of all places.
Gervasius Hughes.
'No way! Dark Nightwingz Gervasius Hughes?! Here?! I didn't know he wanted to get into the League!' Julia thought. He didn't seem like the type. She figured maybe Aldric or Benoit would want to participate. She battled Aldric herself and lost. But Gervasius? As odd as this was, a part of her was happy to know he was here. Were the others with him as well? She made a mental note to find him after the opening ceremony ended.
Once the slides had been displayed, Mr. Goodshow took up the microphone once more. "Of course, this year's League is a special one! Not only do we have many new trainers in our midst, as of this past February, we have a brand new addition to our beloved Elite Four! Having journeyed far from Kalos, this charming beauty rose through the ranks and cemented her place as one of our own! Please give a warm welcome to Gladys Tatham!"
The woman in pink-Gladys-stepped forward, taking Mr. Goodshow's microphone. A close-up of her face appeared on the big screen, highlighting her features: Her tan skin, a tiny spray of freckles across her nose, short, brown hair cut in a boyish style, and a round, pink hat with a sea green bow on the left side decked with artificial flowers. Julia also noticed a large brooch on Gladys' tunic, consisting of a pink jewel with blue butterfly wings attached. Julia's cheeks heated up. Whoever this Gladys lady was, Julia couldn't help but find her quite pretty. She looked to be in her early to mid twenties at the oldest, but Julia couldn't quite tell, because her seat was so high and far away from the stadium. For all she knew, she might have been a teenager not even out of high school.
"Good morning, everyone," Gladys' voice was soft and soothing, like a tiny bell. The microphone magnified it, so everyone could hear her clearly, especially as the hush of silence fell over the spectators. "I am absolutely overjoyed to stand here with all of you today, and I certainly hope to become the kind of trainer that everyone can be proud of. I have also been appointed as one of the commentators for this year's Pokemon League, so for all of you watching or listening from home, you can hear me report on the proceedings."
Perrine stole a glance over at Caiseal, and her jaw dropped at what she saw. Caiseal had his eyes completely glued to Gladys, his jaw open in an ungraceful manner, and his cheeks were as red as Ethan's shirt. He was absolutely dumbstruck.
"...I wish I was older so I could marry her…" Caiseal murmured.
Correction: Lovestruck.
Perrine could only facepalm. How in the world could Caiseal of all people go from worldly, calm, level-headed and sensible to melting at the sight of a pretty lady, staring at her and close to drooling? He had never done that for as long as she had known him. Or maybe it was just with Gladys.
"I certainly hope to be able to battle the lucky trainer who manages to win the Pokemon League," Gladys continued on, her sweet voice unchanging. "But more than that, I wish for all of you to have fun and do your best, and to remember that there's no shame in losing. In my point of view, every trainer is a champion."
With a graceful smile, she handed her microphone back to Mr. Goodshow, not minding the crowd exploding into another fit of cheering and raving. Julia winced, holding Hikaru close. The noise didn't rip into her ear drums, but her head was throbbing from all sides.
"A lovely speech, dear Gladys!" Mr. Goodshow complimented with a laugh before speaking again. "Alright, trainers! Be sure to check with the nearest Nurse Joy at our many Pokemon Centers for any information regarding when your first matches are scheduled. There'll also be a big banquet held at the Central Pokemon Center at noon, and you can't have a battle on an empty stomach now! With that, let the Johto Pokemon League begin!"
Once again, pandemonium broke out. The trainers down below began filing out of the stadium. Spectators began exiting the facility as well, Julia included. She waded through the thick crowds of people that threatened to swallow her whole. Just having all these foreign bodies around her, squishing her from all sides, and not being able to easily get out, was terribly suffocating. Thankfully, she and Hikaru managed to make their way outside not long afterward.
"Jule! There you are!" Ethan was the first to call out to her as he, Perrine, and Caiseal approached. "I'm up against Zack! Can you believe it?"
"That's cool! By the way," Julia leaned closer to Perrine and Caiseal. "Remember that band we saw in Blackthorn City? The Dark Nightwingz? One of the guys is in the League!"
Perrine and Caiseal's jaws dropped. "Get out! Seriously?!" Perrine yelped. "I wonder where he's at? Maybe we can say hi!"
The trio set about looking for him, but it didn't take much to track him down. Julia noticed a blonde haired man leaning against a tree, holding a PokeBall in his hand. He wore a formal tuxedo consisting of a black jacket, a white dress shirt, a black bow tie, and matching pants and shoes. Julia recognized him right away, making a beeline towards him.
"Gervasius!"
Gervasius looked to his right, seeing the girl run up to him with a smile on her face. "I thought I recognized you!" Julia exclaimed. "Umm...I'm Julia. Do you...remember me? From Blackthorn City."
Would he remember her? She wasn't sure. Bands typically didn't pay much attention to every individual fan unless they specifically wanted to. Gervasius stared at her for a brief moment, as if searching for her in his mind. Not long after, he flashed a warm smile and nodded.
"You do remember me! I had no idea you'd be here of all places," Julia said. "I never pegged you as being the type to want to get into the League."
"You'd be surprised."
"Whoa!" The new voice made Julia jolt. She looked to her left to find another man approaching, just as Perrine and Caiseal joined her.
"Hey there! You're...Benoit, right?" Caiseal asked.
"In the flesh!" Benoit pointed his hand outward, sticking his index finger out, making it resemble a pistol. "Oh, hey! You're those kids we saw in Blackthorn City! How've you been?" He asked with a grin.
"We're doing great! Are the other Dark Nightwingz guys here, too?" Perrine replied.
"Yep. Aldric and Enzo went to get some grub," Benoit explained. "I was gonna help Little G train before his first battle tomorrow."
Gervasius nodded in acknowledgement.
"Are you or Aldric or Enzo battling in the League as well, or just Gervasius?" Julia asked.
Benoit shook his head. "Nope. Just this guy here," He playfully wrapped his shoulder around his younger bandmate, pulling him close. "He's always wanted to get into the League. Our gig back in Blackthorn actually helped him quite a bit, as not long before we ran into you guys, he battled Clair and got the last badge he needed, so the whole thing turned out perfect!"
Gervasius' cheeks turned red as he averted Benoit's gaze, and he began fiddling with his thumbs.
"That's cool!" Perrine exclaimed. "Maybe we'll get to battle you in the League!"
Benoit raised his eyebrows, and Caiseal notcied a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "If you ever do get to battle him, you better watch out. His battling style isn't like other trainers, I can tell you that much. But that's all the info you're gonna get outta me!" He flicked his hand at them and gave a playful wink before releasing Gervasius from his grasp. "I gotta get going. I gotta meet with my girlfriend."
"You have a girlfriend?" Julia asked as Benoit slumped a bag over his back.
"Sure do! See ya, guys! Good luck!" With a joyful wave, Benoit made his way further into the park, leaving Gervasius alone with the kids.
The kids themselves exchanged confused glances. Since when did Benoit have a girlfriend? He never mentioned having one back in Blackthorn City. Or maybe he always had a girlfriend and they didn't know it. They never did ask, and the band's love lives weren't exactly any of their business. The kids shrugged before Caiseal spoke again. "Good luck in the League, Gervasius. If any of us do get to battle you, there won't be any hard feelings if any one of us loses. Okay?"
Gervasius' lips turned upward, and he gave an acknowledging nod.
Perrine crossed her arms. "But that doesn't mean we'll go easy on you!"
The blonde gentleman held a hand to his mouth, as if trying to stifle laughter, though he didn't actually laugh.
***
Time passed rather quickly for the kids, and after dinner, they ran into Ethan, who invited them to his room in the Pokemon Center so they could chat by themselves. Ethan sat at the computer, looking up information on various trainers, mainly Zack in particular. Julia sat on his bed, watching Hikaru and Porygon2 have a merry conversation, while Perrine and Caiseal looked over his shoulder.
"I wonder which Pokemon Zack is going to use?" Perrine asked, even though the monitor showed Zack's information on the screen.
The information Ethan found on the computer was as follows: Zackery Fleming, aged 14, born and raised in Cianwood City, with six Pokemon registered in his name. A photo of Zack showed his olive green mohawk standing straight as a board, and his brown eyes had a serious, determined gleam. Ethan could see a silver piercing on the side of his nose, which wasn't a ring, but a round jewel. Pictures of six Pokemon were displayed under his information, the Pokemon in question being Feraligatr, Crobat, Forretress, Sunflora, Raticate, and Arcanine.
"Who knows?" Ethan said. "We'll only be able to use one Pokemon in our match, so he could use any one of these Pokemon," He turned around and flashed a confident smile in their direction. "But I always come prepared, so I'm not worried a bit. I've battled all these Pokemon before."
Julia wondered about that. Just because someone battled a certain Pokemon before, that didn't necessarily mean the strategy they used the first time would work against it every time. Past experiences taught her that much, and she was sure Perrine and Caiseal knew it, too. But she decided to have faith in Ethan. He didn't win all eight badges and make it to the Pokemon League for nothing.
After Ethan did a bit more studying, the kids spent some time together for a while longer before retiring to their rooms for the night. Ethan's match took place early in the morning, at nine o'clock, so his was one of the first matches of the League. They needed to hit the hay early if they wanted to watch the match, or in Ethan's case, participate.
Glorious blue skies welcomed the new morning as spectators filled the stands in one of the stadiums. Ethan was on one side of the trainer box, and Zack on the other. Julia, Perrine, Caiseal, Alex, and Yue sat in some spectator seats, close to the entrance since Yue was still in her wheelchair on account of her broken leg. Which was a good thing for Julia, just in case things got too loud and she needed to get away for a bit. She had her ear plugs in her ears, so the noise wasn't too bad at the moment. A judge standing just outside the trainer box, underneath the large screen from before, held a microphone to his mouth.
"Welcome one and all to the first round of the Johto Pokemon League! This is a match between Ethan Goldsworthy from Cherrygrove City, and Zack Fleming from Cianwood City!" The judge announced, his booming voice reverberating in the air.
Pictures of Ethan and Zack appeared on the screen, along with one empty slot underneath each of them. Zack's picture had a red background, with Ethan's having a green one, and in between them was a circle with red and green slots.
"What's with the circle?" Julia asked Alex, who sat next to her.
"It's a roulette wheel," Alex told her. "See how Zack's picture is red and Ethan's is green? The roulette is to decide who will send out their Pokemon first in battle. If it's green, Ethan will go first, or Zack will be first if a red slot lights up. Whoever goes second will be able to choose their Pokemon based on what their opponent sends out. So if Ethan was to go first, he'd be at a disadvantage if Zack picks a Pokemon that has a type advantage."
Julia nodded, processing the information. That seemed understandable enough.
"Okay, each trainer will now choose their Pokemon!" The judge declared, pointing towards the screen. "We will now cast a roulette to decide who will go first!"
The circle on the screen glowed before the colored slots began lighting up, spinning around with every flash. Gradually, the flashing slowed down. After a few seconds, it settled onto a red colored slot. "Zack Fleming, choose your first Pokemon!"
Zack pulled a PokeBall out. "Alright! Let's do this!" He cried out in his low, brusque voice, throwing his PokeBall out onto the field. "Crobat, go!"
Out from the PokeBall came a purple, bat-like Pokemon whose body was the size of Zack's head. It's large upper wings were each seven feet long in length, consisting of teal membranes, with its rear wings just being two feet long and completely purple. It's yellow and red eyes gleamed with determination. Julia shivered, looking away.
Ethan smirked. "Big mistake, Zack! I choose you, Porygon2!" He threw his PokeBall out onto the field, and Porygon2 materialized from the white light that appeared.
"Whoa! A Porygon2!" Alex exclaimed, brown eyes wide just from the sight of the virtual Pokemon. "How'd he get one of those?! They're super rare!"
Julia shrugged. "It's a long story."
"Are both trainers ready?" The judge raised his flags. "Let the battle begin!"
"May the best trainer win!" Zack proclaimed. "Crobat, use Air Slash!"
"Cro!" The purple bat's wings glowed in a white light. Crobat flapped them once, generating four, sickle shaped pockets of air, sending them flying towards Porygon2.
"Porygon2! Dodge and use Tri-Attack!" Ethan called out.
Porygon2 floated into the air, swiftly evading the air slices by moving in a zig-zag motion. As soon as they made contact with the ground, small explosions of dust burst forth. Porygon2 then stopped and made three orbs of light appear. Red, yellow, and blue in that order. Using its rounded beak, Porygon2 fired them into the air, aiming them straight for Crobat.
"Block it with Cross Poison!"
Crobat stretched its wings outward. This time they glowed in a violet hue. Crobat then turned them downward, using them as blades to slice the three elemental orbs into nothingness.
"Now that's a way to start a battle!" Mr. Goodshow commented from the sidelines. "Using Cross Poison as a defensive maneuver takes a lot of cunning on the trainer's part. Ethan and Porygon2 have their work cut out for them."
"Good save!" Ethan complimented. "But you ain't seen nothin' yet!" He pumped a fist into the air. "Porygon2! Use Discharge!"
With a shrill cry, Porygon2's body exploded with electricity that scattered all over the battlefield. Many of the electricity shot into the air. Crobat flew all over, trying to dodge the lightning onslaught, but three shots of thunder struck it, electrocuting it, its body convulsing from the assault. It didn't take long for the burst of electricity to dissipate, and Crobat reoriented itself soon after.
"Despite that Discharge just now, Crobat seems ready for anything," Gladys noted.
Zack crossed his arms. "Type advantage alone doesn't guarantee victory! Crobat, Swift!"
"Fire it back with Psychic!"
With a single beat of its wings, Crobat fired off an army of spinning stars. In retaliation, Porygon2's eyes glowed in an eerie purple light. The cluster of stars suddenly stopped mid-air, charging towards Crobat instead. Crobat attempted to fly away in a circular motion, but the effort was futile. A rain of stars pelted the bat Pokemon on all sides.
"What a spectacle!" Mr. Goodshow exclaimed into his microphone. "I've never heard of a trainer's Pokemon using Psychic to manipulate a Swift attack like that, and since Swift doesn't miss, Ethan really turned the tides in this battle!"
Julia scratched her head. "I wouldn't mind trying that with Lucretia sometime," She mused to no one in particular.
But Crobat wasn't done yet. The bat Pokemon recovered quickly, setting its fierce gaze onto Porygon2.
"Take this! Crobat, use Screech!"
The noise that came out from Crobat's mouth bordered on inhuman. Rings of clear white light materialized from Crobat's mouth, bombarding Porygon2 from above. The virtual Pokemon had no chance of escaping the aural assault.
"Now use Cross Poison!"
Crobat swooped down in front of a rattled Porygon2, its wings glowing in the same violet hue as before. Porygon2 had no time to react, as Crobat smacked it with both wings, sending it skidding across the ground. Porygon2 only stopped about five feet from Ethan, who gritted his teeth when he saw the virtual Pokemon lying on its side.
"A direct hit! That Cross Poison dealt heavy damage there, folks!" Mr. Goodshow exclaimed. "Zack turned the tables around! Ethan better think of something fast, or else the battle might not go in his favor!"
'He's right,' Ethan thought. Porygon2 can't fly, and Crobat are known for being extremely fast. The gears in his brain turned as he found himself remembering his recent adventures in Victory Road. Maybe there was a way to turn the tables on Crobat.
Porygon2 reoriented itself, standing back up and levitating about a foot in the air, shaking off the dirt that accummulated on its body. It had no intention of giving up, and neither did Ethan.
Zack extended his arm outward. "Crobat, use Bite!"
Crobat bared its teeth and dove towards Porygon2.
Julia, Perrine, Caiseal, Alex, and Yue all held their collective breath. Porygon2 wasn't moving, and Ethan wasn't giving Porygon2 any commands. What was he planning?
Then, Ethan shouted, "Flash!"
As soon as Crobat got close enough, Porygon2 let out a warble, and its whole body glowed in a blinding white light. The sudden illumination blinded Crobat, and it used its wings to try cover its eyes.
"Crobat, no!" Zack cried out. This wasn't good.
"It seems poor Crobat is in trouble," Gladys stated, though the worry in her voice wasn't lost on the audience. "Flash blinded it, so Porygon2 has the upper hand."
"Alright!" Ethan's hands balled into fists. "Let's go on the offensive, Porygon2! Discharge!"
Once again, Porygon2 fired off electricity, letting it loose in all directions. Crobat was unable to dodge, as its eyesight still hadn't quite recovered, and found itself at the mercy of an electric assault. Crobat's body convulsed as electricity surged through its veins. Green spotted its vision, and once the lightning dissipated, Crobat fell to the ground, unable to move.
"Oh jeez!" Zack recoiled. "Crobat! Get up, buddy!"
"No you don't!" Ethan knew that if Crobat was back in the air, it'd be that much harder for Porygon2's attacks to land on it. They had to attack it while it was still down. But he did have one thing he wanted to do before that. "Thunder Wave!"
Instead of a wild explosion of electricity, Porygon2 only fired off a small sliver of it that only hit Crobat in the stomach. Sparks crackled around its body, but eventually, Crobat's vision returned, and used its wings to propel itself back into the air.
"Nnngh!" Zack gritted his teeth. "It's not over! Air Slash again, Crobat!"
"Use Tri-Attack!"
Air sickles and multicolored orbs of light collided one by one, generating large dust clouds that almost covered the entire battlefield.
"Blow the smoke away!"
Crobat flapped its wings swiftly, clearing out the battlefield.
"Porygon2, use Lock-On," Ethan told it.
Again, Porygon2's eyes glowed as it had Crobat in its sights.
"You're open!" Zack shouted. "Crobat, use Bite!"
Attempting yet another bite attack, Crobat dove towards Porygon2. This time, its teeth managed to land onto the virtual Pokemon, though the bat had to admit, Porygon2's hard body didn't taste very good. The feeling of a hard substance against teeth made its whole body rattle, and Crobat let go not long after.
Caiseal had his arms crossed. "Porygon2's next attack won't miss. He used Lock-On. But what attack does he plan to use?" He asked no one in particular. Whatever it was, he knew Ethan needed to have Porygon2 use whatever strong attack it had.
Ethan smirked. "I hate to break it to you, Zack," He adjusted the rim of his hat. "But you're goin' down! Porygon2, finish it with Zap Cannon!"
Porygon2 remained in place as a blue light crackling with yellow sparks materialized from its round beak.
"Crobat, Cross Poison again!" Zack commanded.
Crobat's wings glowed purple as it flew into the air and dove towards Porygon2, ready to put it in its place. But before it could get close enough, both of its wings suddenly tightened up. Crobat winced and lost its bearings.
"What?! No!" Noticing the sudden change, Zack could only see this battle going one way. "Crobat!"
"Thunder Wave has finally taken effect," Gladys announced. "Porygon2 better hurry, or else Crobat might reorient itself."
"Fire!"
On cue, Porygon2 fired off the electric sphere, sending it flying towards Crobat. As soon as it made contact, it exploded into a cloud of lightning and smoke. Everyone in the audience held their breath, wondering whether that Crobat was going to be okay. Then, the purple bat fell out from the cloud, hitting the ground with a resounding thud. Its eyes were closed, and electricity crackled around its body. The judge waited for the dust cloud to dissipate before checking on Crobat. It remained dormant.
"Crobat is unable to battle!" The judge exclaimed, pointing a green flag in Ethan's direction. "The winner is Porygon2, and the victory goes to Ethan Goldsworthy!"
The crowd exploded into a cacophony of cheers. Ethan let out a jubilant shout, jumping up and down as he did so, with Porygon2 floating over to him and spinning the ovals on its body. When Porygon2 got close enough, Ethan stopped jumping and threw his arms around the virtual Pokemon, trapping it in a tight hug.
"You rock, and you rule!" Ethan cheered.
"Porygooon!" Porygon2 warbled with just as much enthusiasm.
"Now that's what I call a great battle!" Mr. Goodshow proclaimed. "Porygon2 completely thrashed Crobat and attained a swift victory! Ethan Goldsworthy won his first match, and Zack Fleming has been eliminated!"
In contrast, Zack lowered his brow, frowning as he cradled the weak, exhausted Crobat in his large arms. "You did great, buddy. You're the best."
"Hey, Zack?" He looked up to find Ethan and Porygon2 approaching them with sympathetic expressions. "Is Crobat gonna be okay?"
Zack shrugged, forcing a smile. "He'll be alright."
"Sorry about this. I'm sure you really wanted to get further into the League, maybe fight the Elite Four," Ethan apologized, scratching the back of his head with one hand. "I guess I destroyed your dream, huh?" He admitted sheepishly.
Zack looked down at his Crobat, avoiding Ethan's gaze. "I mean, yeah, I am sad I lost so quickly. But…" After a brief moment, his eyes met Ethan's, and his frown turned into a more relaxed smile. "I kinda had a feeling I wouldn't get too far anyway. I'm just happy I made it here with my friends. Besides, it's not like it's the end of the world. You and Porygon2 were awesome, by the way."
Ethan extended a hand out. "Back at you."
Zack took Ethan's hand into his own, giving it a firm shake. Porygon2 floated up to Crobat, also giving it some encouraging words. Crobat gave a low, pleasant growl, and the ovals on Porygon2's sides whirled in a circular motion.
Up in the stands, Alex and Yue let out groans. "Oh man. Poor Zack," Alex said, his eyebrows furrowing in disappointment. "He got his butt beat."
"Nobody ever said the League was gonna be easy," Yue noted, turning towards the other trio. "Don't feel bad about Ethan beating him. No hard feelings."
"For what it's worth," Julia piped in. "I thought their battle was great!"
As much as she appreciated that Yue wasn't angry at Ethan for having defeated her friend, Julia was sure she might have just been putting on a good front. She had to be at least frustrated or sad. One of Julia's friends defeated her friend in a battle. Who wouldn't be angry about that? After a short while, Ethan and Zack left the stadium, allowing the next set of trainers to prepare for their battle. The kids left the stands and met up with Zack and Ethan outside.
"We're sorry you lost, Zack," Julia apologized. "And you worked so hard to get into the League, too."
Much to Julia's relief, Zack dismissed her concerns with a wave of his hand. "It's all good. I can always participate next year. It's not the end of the world."
The kids smiled. Zack took defeat like a champ.
"I think your match is up next, Yue," Alex chimed in. "Aren't you facing some guy named...Gervais or something?"
"Gervasius," Julia clarified.
Yue pulled out her PokeGear to check the time. "Yeah, but that's not until noon."
Caiseal smiled and wrapped both his arms around Ethan and Zack. "Who's up for some grub? I know I could go for a meatball sub!"
The kids had time to kill before their next matches, so they took Caiseal up on his offer.
***
All seven kids ate lunch at a small diner in the residential area, treating themselves to whatever they wanted. They made it back to the stadium exactly twenty minutes before Yue and Gervasius' match was to begin. But when they got to one of the halls that led into the stadium, they found Gervasius himself kneeling on the floor, closing his violin case. Julia raised her eyebrows. Why was he bringing a violin to a Pokemon battle?
"Hi, Gervasius!" Perrine greeted him, raising one hand. "Good luck in your battle!"
Gervasius responded with a nod. Yue wheeled up to him and extended her hand out. "Here's to a fun battle. If either of us loses, no hard feelings. Okay?"
With a serene smile, the blonde man took Yue's hand into his own, giving it a firm shake.
"Good luck," He whispered, releasing Yue's hand as he picked up his violin case and made his way into the tunnel.
"Wow," Ethan's eyes shrunk just a smidge. "That's the first time I've heard him talk. Is he always so quiet?"
Julia shrugged. "Yeah. He's not much of a talker."
Ethan accepted Julia's answer, figuring there wasn't much point in thinking too much about it. Yue wheeled her way towards her side of the stadium, and the rest of the kids, Zack included, found empty seats. Gervasius and Yue stood in their assigned trainer boxes, with Mr. Goodshow and Gladys in the announcer's booth just next to the big screen. The judge for the current battle stood outside the battlefield, with two flags in both hands.
"It's time for a battle between Gervasius Hughes from Goldenrod City, and Yueqing Lu from Cianwood City!" The judge declared. "Now, it's time for the roulette! Who will go first?!" He pointed a red flag up to the screen, and the slots on the circle began flashing.
Wait a minute. Zack and Yue were both from Cianwood City? Julia scooted over to Alex. "Did you guys all come from Cianwood City?" She asked.
Alex nodded. "Yep. We practically grew up together. Been friends since we were babies. We went on our journeys together," He explained.
"Wow…" Julia found herself in awe. She went on her journey all by herself, barring her Pokemon. She eventually joined up with Perrine and Caiseal later on, but the fact that the three kids they ran into in Victory Road journeyed all across Johto together, going through all sorts of experiences, hardships, and joys was quite amazing to her. A part of her wished she had made friends like that, but she reminded herself of the experiences she shared with Perrine and Caiseal. No, she wouldn't change her journey for anything.
Gradually, the roulette wheel stopped at a green light. "Alright, Yue Lu! Choose your Pokemon!"
Yue pulled a PokeBall out from her bag. "I choose you, Corsola!" Out from the capsule appeared a pink, coral-shaped Pokemon, who hopped up and down cheerfully.
Gervasius also pulled out a PokeBall, but he simply let it open in his hands. A purple moth Pokemon materialized onto the battlefield. "Venomoth!" The moth Pokemon let out a shrill warble, flapping its wings once.
Julia's breath caught in her throat. A Venomoth?
Then, Gervasius opened his violin case, pulled out his violin and its bow, and held both in his hands, ready to play. People in the stands began exchanging confused glances, talking amongst themselves.
"Is this guy serious?"
"He's actually gonna play a violin during a battle?"
"This ain't an orchestra or music class!"
"Man, I bet he's gonna lose for sure."
"Tell him to go back to music school!"
"Now this is a rare sight. I wonder what Mr. Hughes plans on doing with that violin?" Mr. Goodshow asked out loud, scratching his bushy beard. "I've never seen a trainer do that before in all the years I've done this."
Gladys smiled, clasping her hands together. "Whatever it is, I admit I'm quite excited to see."
"Are both challengers ready?" The judge asked, waiting a brief minute before raising both flags into the air. "Battle, begin!"
"Ladies first!" Yue shouted. "Corsola, use Spike Cannon!"
The pink branches on Corsola's head glowed white before shooting a barrage of thin spikes in Venomoth's direction.
Slowly, Gervasius pulled the bow across one of the violin strings, producing a sharp but mellow sound. Hearing the sound, Venomoth flew down to the ground, evading the spiky onslaught. Corsola's jaw dropped. Neither it nor Yue expected that. Then, Gervasius played his violin again, producing a rough, lower pitched sound. Venomoth ascended, flapping its wings as fast as it could, generating a strong, shimmering gust of wind that blasted Corsola from the front. The coral Pokemon stood its ground, enduring the attack with gusto. Everyone in the crowd gasped.
"Whoa! That was Silver Wind, right?" Alex asked. "How did it know to do that? Gervasius didn't even give it a command!"
It didn't take long for the attack to die down, and Corsola opened its eyes. "Corsola! Use Bubblebeam!"
Corsola leaped into the air and opened its mouth, firing off a barrage of bubbles. Gervasius pulled his violin bow once more, making the higher pitched noise from before. Venomoth dodged the attack by flying to the side. Corsola continued to fire bubbles at it wherever it flew, but the moth Pokemon kept soaring just a few feet away, nimbly evading the bubble attack at every turn. Yue gripped the handle on her wheelchair, scrambling for a strategy.
One popped in her head. "Spin around and shoot Bubblebeam everywhere!"
As ordered, Corsola leaped into the air, spinning like a top, firing bubbles in every direction. This time, a few of them struck Venomoth on the back. Not enough to completely knock it out, but dealing some degree of damage all the same. Venomoth nearly fell to the ground but flapped its wings twice just before it could land. Reorienting itself, Venomoth flew back into the air.
Gervasius pulled his bow across his violin. This time, a drawn out, metallic sound echoed across the battlefield.
Venomoth's eyes glowed green, and a green and red sphere of light materialized in front of its mouth. With a shrill warble, Venomoth lunged forward, the sphere turning into a beam of light that cut across the entire battlefield. Corsola landed on the ground to stop spinning, but the beam came at it so quickly, it had no time to react. The attack struck Corsola, sending it skidding across the dirt, with a cloud of dust and debris following behind it.
"Corsola!" Yue cried out. All eyes were on the battle now, and nobody could believe what they were seeing.
"I've never seen a battle like this before!" Mr. Goodshow exclaimed. "Gervasius isn't even giving his Pokemon verbal commands, yet Venomoth managed to land substantial hits on Yue's Corsola!"
Caiseal scratched his head in confusion. "I don't get it. How in the world does Venomoth know what to do without its trainer telling it?" He asked.
Gervasius stroked his violin with the bow again, this time producing two sounds. The mellower one from before, and the lower, rougher noise.
Venomoth's teeth glowed purple as it dove towards the dazed Corsola. Yue's eyes widened, recognizing the attack right away. 'It's Poison Fang!' She had to act fast. "Corsola! Dodge it, then use Power Gem!" She yelled.
Corsola jumped upward, evading the attack. The branches on its head glowed white, generating a circle of round rocks that fired off in Venomoth's direction. Thankfully, like with Bubblebeam from earlier, the rain of rocks pelted Venomoth, sending it falling to the ground.
Perrine gasped, and color drained from her face. Wait a minute…the bells were clanging in her mind louder than a Houndoom's roar. "The violin!" She stood up from her seat in alarm, raising her voice to a point where Julia had to cover one ear with her hand.
"Wait, what?" Zack recoiled from how sudden Perrine stood up. "What are you-"
"It's the violin!" Perrine pointed towards Gervasius, her orange curls flying into her face when she whirled around to face her friends. "He's using his violin to command Venomoth!"
Commanding a Pokemon with a violin? How was that possible? But there was no doubt about it. Venomoth only attacked whenever Gervasius made sounds with his violin. He must have trained Venomoth, and possibly his other Pokemon, to attack when they heard the noises he made with the violin. It explained how Venomoth would know what attacks to use depending on which sound it heard, and why Gervasius wasn't giving it any verbal commands.
"That makes sense. Gervasius doesn't like to talk, so maybe this is his way of getting around having to shout commands at his Pokemon," Julia noted. The pieces came together in her head seamlessly, and everything made much more sense.
Yue gritted her teeth. "Corsola! Can you keep going?" She asked.
The coral Pokemon turned around, giving its trainer a determined nod. Yue smiled when she saw the confident gleam in her friend's eyes. She liked battles that kept her on her toes, and defeating Gervasius would make the outcome all the more satisfying. "That's what I like to hear!" She pointed to Venomoth with her index finger. "Now, use Iron Defense!"
Corsola stood in place and closed its eyes, allowing its body to glow in a faint white light, giving it a stronger sheen. The coral Pokemon felt its body harden, as if it were turning to iron.
Gervasius played a sound on his violin again, this time producing a swelling, high pitched noise that almost sounded like a screech. Venomoth's eyes glowed purple, and a burst of telekinetic energy shot out from its mouth, charging right toward Corsola. Instead of dodging, Corsola instead took the full brunt of the attack, its feet planted firmly in the ground, even as the force of the beam forced it back several feet.
"You're doing great, Corsola!" Yue cried out, gripping the handles on her wheelchair tightly. Being a defense oriented Pokemon, Corsola were well known for their endurance. They could take strong hits without difficulty, unless the attacks had type advantages over them. "Now, use Spike Cannon again!"
Venomoth was still firing off Psychic when Corsola readied its branches, shooting a barrage of spikes in the moth's direction. Since Venomoth was occupied with attacking Corsola, it was unable to stop before getting pelted with spikes from in front of it. Venomoth flew backwards, recoiling from the spiky assault. But like before, it was quick to reorient itself, flapping its wings once as the Spike Cannon dissipated.
Two violin sounds. The high pitched screech from before, and the mellower sound. Taking the hint, Venomoth glowed, and copies began circling all around Corsola. The coral Pokemon's jaw was ajar as it looked around to see which copy was the real one. But they all looked the same, and were moving faster than its eyes could keep up. An army of buggy eyes leered at the coral Pokemon, as if mocking it for not knowing which one was the real Venomoth. Yue counted at least ten or so Venomoth images circling her frantic Corsola.
Perrine had a hand on her chin. "Double Team. This is bad."
Zack stood up, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Come on, Yue! You can win this! Don't give up!"
But his shout was drowned out by the crowd's cheering, and Yue barely heard a thing. "Corsola! Don't freak out! It'll be okay!" She attempted to reassure Corsola, but her voice shook at the end of her last sentence. "Use Spike Cannon on all of them! Make it rain spikes!"
Corsola aimed its branches into the air, shooting spikes high into the sky before letting them fall onto the Venomoths. All of them disappeared upon getting hit, but Gervasius took the time to play the rough, low pitched sound on his violin again. Venomoth found an opening and fired off Signal Beam. Like before, it struck Corsola on its side, making it collapse to the ground. Finding the real Venomoth didn't change the battle very much.
Alex covered his mouth. "Oh man. Corsola's gonna be done for at this rate!" He cried out, voice shaky with worry.
Yue gritted her teeth. 'I knew I should have used Hypno! How could I be so dumb?!' As soon as that thought entered her mind, she shook her head, paying no attention to her braids smacking her face. 'No. Don't think like that. There's still a chance! You just need to know which sound means which attacks!' Yue wasn't much of a music expert, but she was beginning to notice the pattern. Certain sounds indicated to Venomoth which attacks to use, and two sounds played together could also refer to an attack. She had to admit, Gervasius trained Venomoth really well.
"Well, I don't believe my eyes!" Mr. Goodshow exclaimed. "Gervasius Hughes has completely turned the battle around! Training his Venomoth to attack based on different violin sounds is something that's never been attempted before! Never before have I seen such a musical spin on how to command a Pokemon!"
"I'm not giving up! No way!" Yue shouted. "Corsola! Hit it with Brine!"
Corsola fired off a powerful, pressurized stream of water at Venomoth. Gervasius played two notes on his violin, the mellow sound and the high pitched squeal from earlier. Venomoth flew upward to dodge the watery blast, and its mouth trembled, generating large, green, ring-like circles that struck Corsola from above, causing the ground to vibrate. Corsola couldn't keep steady, swaying from side to side as the shrill noise and the violent vibrations in the ground completely threw its mind into disarray.
"That was Bug Buzz!" Julia cried out. Bug Buzz was well known for being one of the strongest bug type attacks to ever exist. Just looking at Corsola, she could tell the battle was going to end badly for Yue.
"Corsola! Recover! Hurry!" Yue's voice bordered on frantic as she slammed her fist onto the wheelchair handle.
The coral Pokemon closed its eyes, but Gervasius played his violin once more. The sharp, mellow sound from the beginning of the battle echoed. Venomoth expanded its wings before flapping them at a high rate of speed. A fierce gale of wind that sparkled under the sunlight blasted across the battlefield, and as soon as it hit Corsola, the coral Pokemon was blown into the air. Corsola had no control, and could only cry out as wind cut into its hardened skin in all directions. Yue squeezed her eyes shut, and the spectators watched in awe as Venomoth's Silver Wind swirled around Corsola like a tornado.
Gradually, the sparkling wind died down, and Corsola descended back onto the field with a resounding thud. The judge leaned closer into the field to get a better look. Corsola's mouth was wide open, and its eyes were closed.
"Corsola is unable to battle!" The judge declared, pointing a red flag in Gervasius' direction. "Venomoth is the winner, and the victory goes to Gervasius Hughes!"
Pandemonium broke out. Julia covered both ears, lowering her upper body down to her legs as the noise overwhelmed her, even with her ear plugs in.
"And Gervasius Hughes has seized victory!" Gladys proclaimed, her voice high and cheerful. "What an amazing battle this was! Unorthodox, yes, but wonderful all the same!"
Unfortunately, her cheer didn't rub off on Yue's friends. Alex and Zack both let out collective sighs. "Poor Yue. She really got her butt handed to her," Zack lamented, shoulders sagging.
Yue returned Corsola to its PokeBall, looking down at it with blurry eyes close to breaking out into tears. But she steeled herself as she wheeled away from the battlefield. She went through the tunnel and found an empty space by a janitor's door. She held Corsola's PokeBall to her chest, and the tears flowed. She didn't dare make any sound, but subtle, choking sobs escaped her as she let herself cry quietly, away from curious eyes. It helped that the explosion of cheering and shouting drowned out any noise she made when crying, so even when her sobs turned into full on wailing, nobody heard, nor did she want them to.
"I didn't even...make it past the first round...I worked so hard..." Yue wiped her eyes with her sleeves, but the tears didn't stop.
She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but gradually, her sobs died down to nothing. Good timing as well, since she heard her friends' voices not long after. "Yue!" Alex and Zack approached her, with Julia, Perrine, Caiseal, and Ethan following from behind. "Sucks that you lost. For what it's worth, you and Corsola were great," Alex told her reassuringly.
Yue forced a smile. "Thanks. I sure didn't expect that trainer to be so tough."
Julia could see Yue's face was red, and her eyes were puffy, so she had definitely been crying. She wanted to tell Yue that it wasn't the end of the world if she lost. The League was held every year, so she could always participate again, even if it'd be a while before she could do so. But would doing that seem rude? Did she even want to be cheered up? Or was reassuring her not appropriate right now? Julia was at an impasse. She hated not being able to help someone when they needed it, especially attempting to do so but winding up making things worse. The latter had often happened a lot. What could she say to her?
Thankfully, someone else took the initiative. Footsteps scraping against the titanium floor prompted the kids to see Gervasius approaching Yue from behind. She wheeled around to face him. "Hey there," Yue said. "Thanks for the great battle."
Gervasius had a frown on his face, and his eyebrows were furrowed. His expression looked...guilty, like he had done something he truly regretted. "I'm sorry," He pushed the words out, as if his vocal chords threatened to shut down.
What was he apologizing for? The kids exchanged confused glances. Did he feel bad about defeating Yue? Was that it? Whatever the case, everyone could tell he was sincere. Yue smiled again, a more relaxed smile, rather than the forced one from earlier. "Don't feel bad. I mean, sure, I'd be lying if I said I'm not bummed about losing, but I know it's not the end of the world. I had a great time, and you were really strong, so it's no big deal."
Gervasius' only response was a smile, though the kids could still see the remorse in his eyes. He gave a bow and waved before walking away, violin case in hand.
"I wonder if any one of us will face him in the later rounds?" Ethan asked out loud.
Perrine shrugged. "I certainly hope we do. A battle with him ought to be interesting."
"Well, one of us still hasn't had his battle yet, so there's still hope!" Zack playfully patted Alex on the back. "We're countin' on you, Alex!"
"Me?!" Alex yelped, pointing to himself. "Come on! I'm not even that strong compared to you two!"
Everyone broke into merry laughter, which helped ease the tension in the air. The first round wasn't over yet, and there were many more battles to come. The League was just getting started.
December 1st. The Johto Pokemon League. People filled spectator seats that circled around a large auxiliary stadium, seats that rose several stories high. Julia sat all by herself, with Hikaru in her hands, ear plugs in her ears, watching as a short, elderly man with a large beard walked out onto the stadium, microphone in hand. Behind him, about a hundred or so trainers of all ages stood in silence, confidence gleaming in their eyes. She could see Perrine, Caiseal, Ethan, and even Yue, Alex, and Zack in one small group in the far right. There was one person who stood next to the bearded man, wearing an all pink ensemble. The elderly man adjusted his microphone to turn it on, clearing his throat before speaking.
"Greetings, ladies, gentleman, and trainers of all ages!" The man announced with enthusiasm, free arm akimbo, his magnified voice ringing loud and clear. "I am your host, Frederick Goodshow, president of the Pokemon League Corporation, and I welcome all of you to the official 116th Annual Johto Pokemon League!"
Pandemonium broke out, as the stadium exploded into cheers. Even with her ear plugs in, Julia winced from the loud screaming around her. Thankfully, it wasn't as bad with her ear plugs muffling the noise just a bit, to the point where she didn't feel like her ear drums were being torn apart.
"We have a big crop of new trainers this year, so here's how the League is going to go," Mr. Goodshow continued on, once the crowd's cheering died down. "The first round will have trainers limited to only using one Pokemon, no substitutions. Winners who go on to the second round and the semifinals will be able to use three Pokemon. The finalists and any who battle the Elite Four and the champion will be allowed to use a full team of six Pokemon!" Mr. Goodshow pointed behind himself. "With that out of the way, let's meet our competitors and who they'll be facing!"
Everyone turned their attention to a big screen that stood on the opposite of where Julia was sitting. Images of each person appeared on the screen in twos, with their names right underneath. Julia sat far from the screen, but she could still see the images of her friends clearly. Caiseal was paired with a trainer she didn't recognize, as was the case with Perrine and Alex as well. Oddly enough, she saw Ethan's image right next to Zack. A battle between them ought to be interesting, especially a one-on-one battle. But next to Yue's image, one person and their name immediately popped out at her, one she never thought she'd ever see in the Pokemon League of all places.
Gervasius Hughes.
'No way! Dark Nightwingz Gervasius Hughes?! Here?! I didn't know he wanted to get into the League!' Julia thought. He didn't seem like the type. She figured maybe Aldric or Benoit would want to participate. She battled Aldric herself and lost. But Gervasius? As odd as this was, a part of her was happy to know he was here. Were the others with him as well? She made a mental note to find him after the opening ceremony ended.
Once the slides had been displayed, Mr. Goodshow took up the microphone once more. "Of course, this year's League is a special one! Not only do we have many new trainers in our midst, as of this past February, we have a brand new addition to our beloved Elite Four! Having journeyed far from Kalos, this charming beauty rose through the ranks and cemented her place as one of our own! Please give a warm welcome to Gladys Tatham!"
The woman in pink-Gladys-stepped forward, taking Mr. Goodshow's microphone. A close-up of her face appeared on the big screen, highlighting her features: Her tan skin, a tiny spray of freckles across her nose, short, brown hair cut in a boyish style, and a round, pink hat with a sea green bow on the left side decked with artificial flowers. Julia also noticed a large brooch on Gladys' tunic, consisting of a pink jewel with blue butterfly wings attached. Julia's cheeks heated up. Whoever this Gladys lady was, Julia couldn't help but find her quite pretty. She looked to be in her early to mid twenties at the oldest, but Julia couldn't quite tell, because her seat was so high and far away from the stadium. For all she knew, she might have been a teenager not even out of high school.
"Good morning, everyone," Gladys' voice was soft and soothing, like a tiny bell. The microphone magnified it, so everyone could hear her clearly, especially as the hush of silence fell over the spectators. "I am absolutely overjoyed to stand here with all of you today, and I certainly hope to become the kind of trainer that everyone can be proud of. I have also been appointed as one of the commentators for this year's Pokemon League, so for all of you watching or listening from home, you can hear me report on the proceedings."
Perrine stole a glance over at Caiseal, and her jaw dropped at what she saw. Caiseal had his eyes completely glued to Gladys, his jaw open in an ungraceful manner, and his cheeks were as red as Ethan's shirt. He was absolutely dumbstruck.
"...I wish I was older so I could marry her…" Caiseal murmured.
Correction: Lovestruck.
Perrine could only facepalm. How in the world could Caiseal of all people go from worldly, calm, level-headed and sensible to melting at the sight of a pretty lady, staring at her and close to drooling? He had never done that for as long as she had known him. Or maybe it was just with Gladys.
"I certainly hope to be able to battle the lucky trainer who manages to win the Pokemon League," Gladys continued on, her sweet voice unchanging. "But more than that, I wish for all of you to have fun and do your best, and to remember that there's no shame in losing. In my point of view, every trainer is a champion."
With a graceful smile, she handed her microphone back to Mr. Goodshow, not minding the crowd exploding into another fit of cheering and raving. Julia winced, holding Hikaru close. The noise didn't rip into her ear drums, but her head was throbbing from all sides.
"A lovely speech, dear Gladys!" Mr. Goodshow complimented with a laugh before speaking again. "Alright, trainers! Be sure to check with the nearest Nurse Joy at our many Pokemon Centers for any information regarding when your first matches are scheduled. There'll also be a big banquet held at the Central Pokemon Center at noon, and you can't have a battle on an empty stomach now! With that, let the Johto Pokemon League begin!"
Once again, pandemonium broke out. The trainers down below began filing out of the stadium. Spectators began exiting the facility as well, Julia included. She waded through the thick crowds of people that threatened to swallow her whole. Just having all these foreign bodies around her, squishing her from all sides, and not being able to easily get out, was terribly suffocating. Thankfully, she and Hikaru managed to make their way outside not long afterward.
"Jule! There you are!" Ethan was the first to call out to her as he, Perrine, and Caiseal approached. "I'm up against Zack! Can you believe it?"
"That's cool! By the way," Julia leaned closer to Perrine and Caiseal. "Remember that band we saw in Blackthorn City? The Dark Nightwingz? One of the guys is in the League!"
Perrine and Caiseal's jaws dropped. "Get out! Seriously?!" Perrine yelped. "I wonder where he's at? Maybe we can say hi!"
The trio set about looking for him, but it didn't take much to track him down. Julia noticed a blonde haired man leaning against a tree, holding a PokeBall in his hand. He wore a formal tuxedo consisting of a black jacket, a white dress shirt, a black bow tie, and matching pants and shoes. Julia recognized him right away, making a beeline towards him.
"Gervasius!"
Gervasius looked to his right, seeing the girl run up to him with a smile on her face. "I thought I recognized you!" Julia exclaimed. "Umm...I'm Julia. Do you...remember me? From Blackthorn City."
Would he remember her? She wasn't sure. Bands typically didn't pay much attention to every individual fan unless they specifically wanted to. Gervasius stared at her for a brief moment, as if searching for her in his mind. Not long after, he flashed a warm smile and nodded.
"You do remember me! I had no idea you'd be here of all places," Julia said. "I never pegged you as being the type to want to get into the League."
"You'd be surprised."
"Whoa!" The new voice made Julia jolt. She looked to her left to find another man approaching, just as Perrine and Caiseal joined her.
"Hey there! You're...Benoit, right?" Caiseal asked.
"In the flesh!" Benoit pointed his hand outward, sticking his index finger out, making it resemble a pistol. "Oh, hey! You're those kids we saw in Blackthorn City! How've you been?" He asked with a grin.
"We're doing great! Are the other Dark Nightwingz guys here, too?" Perrine replied.
"Yep. Aldric and Enzo went to get some grub," Benoit explained. "I was gonna help Little G train before his first battle tomorrow."
Gervasius nodded in acknowledgement.
"Are you or Aldric or Enzo battling in the League as well, or just Gervasius?" Julia asked.
Benoit shook his head. "Nope. Just this guy here," He playfully wrapped his shoulder around his younger bandmate, pulling him close. "He's always wanted to get into the League. Our gig back in Blackthorn actually helped him quite a bit, as not long before we ran into you guys, he battled Clair and got the last badge he needed, so the whole thing turned out perfect!"
Gervasius' cheeks turned red as he averted Benoit's gaze, and he began fiddling with his thumbs.
"That's cool!" Perrine exclaimed. "Maybe we'll get to battle you in the League!"
Benoit raised his eyebrows, and Caiseal notcied a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "If you ever do get to battle him, you better watch out. His battling style isn't like other trainers, I can tell you that much. But that's all the info you're gonna get outta me!" He flicked his hand at them and gave a playful wink before releasing Gervasius from his grasp. "I gotta get going. I gotta meet with my girlfriend."
"You have a girlfriend?" Julia asked as Benoit slumped a bag over his back.
"Sure do! See ya, guys! Good luck!" With a joyful wave, Benoit made his way further into the park, leaving Gervasius alone with the kids.
The kids themselves exchanged confused glances. Since when did Benoit have a girlfriend? He never mentioned having one back in Blackthorn City. Or maybe he always had a girlfriend and they didn't know it. They never did ask, and the band's love lives weren't exactly any of their business. The kids shrugged before Caiseal spoke again. "Good luck in the League, Gervasius. If any of us do get to battle you, there won't be any hard feelings if any one of us loses. Okay?"
Gervasius' lips turned upward, and he gave an acknowledging nod.
Perrine crossed her arms. "But that doesn't mean we'll go easy on you!"
The blonde gentleman held a hand to his mouth, as if trying to stifle laughter, though he didn't actually laugh.
***
Time passed rather quickly for the kids, and after dinner, they ran into Ethan, who invited them to his room in the Pokemon Center so they could chat by themselves. Ethan sat at the computer, looking up information on various trainers, mainly Zack in particular. Julia sat on his bed, watching Hikaru and Porygon2 have a merry conversation, while Perrine and Caiseal looked over his shoulder.
"I wonder which Pokemon Zack is going to use?" Perrine asked, even though the monitor showed Zack's information on the screen.
The information Ethan found on the computer was as follows: Zackery Fleming, aged 14, born and raised in Cianwood City, with six Pokemon registered in his name. A photo of Zack showed his olive green mohawk standing straight as a board, and his brown eyes had a serious, determined gleam. Ethan could see a silver piercing on the side of his nose, which wasn't a ring, but a round jewel. Pictures of six Pokemon were displayed under his information, the Pokemon in question being Feraligatr, Crobat, Forretress, Sunflora, Raticate, and Arcanine.
"Who knows?" Ethan said. "We'll only be able to use one Pokemon in our match, so he could use any one of these Pokemon," He turned around and flashed a confident smile in their direction. "But I always come prepared, so I'm not worried a bit. I've battled all these Pokemon before."
Julia wondered about that. Just because someone battled a certain Pokemon before, that didn't necessarily mean the strategy they used the first time would work against it every time. Past experiences taught her that much, and she was sure Perrine and Caiseal knew it, too. But she decided to have faith in Ethan. He didn't win all eight badges and make it to the Pokemon League for nothing.
After Ethan did a bit more studying, the kids spent some time together for a while longer before retiring to their rooms for the night. Ethan's match took place early in the morning, at nine o'clock, so his was one of the first matches of the League. They needed to hit the hay early if they wanted to watch the match, or in Ethan's case, participate.
Glorious blue skies welcomed the new morning as spectators filled the stands in one of the stadiums. Ethan was on one side of the trainer box, and Zack on the other. Julia, Perrine, Caiseal, Alex, and Yue sat in some spectator seats, close to the entrance since Yue was still in her wheelchair on account of her broken leg. Which was a good thing for Julia, just in case things got too loud and she needed to get away for a bit. She had her ear plugs in her ears, so the noise wasn't too bad at the moment. A judge standing just outside the trainer box, underneath the large screen from before, held a microphone to his mouth.
"Welcome one and all to the first round of the Johto Pokemon League! This is a match between Ethan Goldsworthy from Cherrygrove City, and Zack Fleming from Cianwood City!" The judge announced, his booming voice reverberating in the air.
Pictures of Ethan and Zack appeared on the screen, along with one empty slot underneath each of them. Zack's picture had a red background, with Ethan's having a green one, and in between them was a circle with red and green slots.
"What's with the circle?" Julia asked Alex, who sat next to her.
"It's a roulette wheel," Alex told her. "See how Zack's picture is red and Ethan's is green? The roulette is to decide who will send out their Pokemon first in battle. If it's green, Ethan will go first, or Zack will be first if a red slot lights up. Whoever goes second will be able to choose their Pokemon based on what their opponent sends out. So if Ethan was to go first, he'd be at a disadvantage if Zack picks a Pokemon that has a type advantage."
Julia nodded, processing the information. That seemed understandable enough.
"Okay, each trainer will now choose their Pokemon!" The judge declared, pointing towards the screen. "We will now cast a roulette to decide who will go first!"
The circle on the screen glowed before the colored slots began lighting up, spinning around with every flash. Gradually, the flashing slowed down. After a few seconds, it settled onto a red colored slot. "Zack Fleming, choose your first Pokemon!"
Zack pulled a PokeBall out. "Alright! Let's do this!" He cried out in his low, brusque voice, throwing his PokeBall out onto the field. "Crobat, go!"
Out from the PokeBall came a purple, bat-like Pokemon whose body was the size of Zack's head. It's large upper wings were each seven feet long in length, consisting of teal membranes, with its rear wings just being two feet long and completely purple. It's yellow and red eyes gleamed with determination. Julia shivered, looking away.
Ethan smirked. "Big mistake, Zack! I choose you, Porygon2!" He threw his PokeBall out onto the field, and Porygon2 materialized from the white light that appeared.
"Whoa! A Porygon2!" Alex exclaimed, brown eyes wide just from the sight of the virtual Pokemon. "How'd he get one of those?! They're super rare!"
Julia shrugged. "It's a long story."
"Are both trainers ready?" The judge raised his flags. "Let the battle begin!"
"May the best trainer win!" Zack proclaimed. "Crobat, use Air Slash!"
"Cro!" The purple bat's wings glowed in a white light. Crobat flapped them once, generating four, sickle shaped pockets of air, sending them flying towards Porygon2.
"Porygon2! Dodge and use Tri-Attack!" Ethan called out.
Porygon2 floated into the air, swiftly evading the air slices by moving in a zig-zag motion. As soon as they made contact with the ground, small explosions of dust burst forth. Porygon2 then stopped and made three orbs of light appear. Red, yellow, and blue in that order. Using its rounded beak, Porygon2 fired them into the air, aiming them straight for Crobat.
"Block it with Cross Poison!"
Crobat stretched its wings outward. This time they glowed in a violet hue. Crobat then turned them downward, using them as blades to slice the three elemental orbs into nothingness.
"Now that's a way to start a battle!" Mr. Goodshow commented from the sidelines. "Using Cross Poison as a defensive maneuver takes a lot of cunning on the trainer's part. Ethan and Porygon2 have their work cut out for them."
"Good save!" Ethan complimented. "But you ain't seen nothin' yet!" He pumped a fist into the air. "Porygon2! Use Discharge!"
With a shrill cry, Porygon2's body exploded with electricity that scattered all over the battlefield. Many of the electricity shot into the air. Crobat flew all over, trying to dodge the lightning onslaught, but three shots of thunder struck it, electrocuting it, its body convulsing from the assault. It didn't take long for the burst of electricity to dissipate, and Crobat reoriented itself soon after.
"Despite that Discharge just now, Crobat seems ready for anything," Gladys noted.
Zack crossed his arms. "Type advantage alone doesn't guarantee victory! Crobat, Swift!"
"Fire it back with Psychic!"
With a single beat of its wings, Crobat fired off an army of spinning stars. In retaliation, Porygon2's eyes glowed in an eerie purple light. The cluster of stars suddenly stopped mid-air, charging towards Crobat instead. Crobat attempted to fly away in a circular motion, but the effort was futile. A rain of stars pelted the bat Pokemon on all sides.
"What a spectacle!" Mr. Goodshow exclaimed into his microphone. "I've never heard of a trainer's Pokemon using Psychic to manipulate a Swift attack like that, and since Swift doesn't miss, Ethan really turned the tides in this battle!"
Julia scratched her head. "I wouldn't mind trying that with Lucretia sometime," She mused to no one in particular.
But Crobat wasn't done yet. The bat Pokemon recovered quickly, setting its fierce gaze onto Porygon2.
"Take this! Crobat, use Screech!"
The noise that came out from Crobat's mouth bordered on inhuman. Rings of clear white light materialized from Crobat's mouth, bombarding Porygon2 from above. The virtual Pokemon had no chance of escaping the aural assault.
"Now use Cross Poison!"
Crobat swooped down in front of a rattled Porygon2, its wings glowing in the same violet hue as before. Porygon2 had no time to react, as Crobat smacked it with both wings, sending it skidding across the ground. Porygon2 only stopped about five feet from Ethan, who gritted his teeth when he saw the virtual Pokemon lying on its side.
"A direct hit! That Cross Poison dealt heavy damage there, folks!" Mr. Goodshow exclaimed. "Zack turned the tables around! Ethan better think of something fast, or else the battle might not go in his favor!"
'He's right,' Ethan thought. Porygon2 can't fly, and Crobat are known for being extremely fast. The gears in his brain turned as he found himself remembering his recent adventures in Victory Road. Maybe there was a way to turn the tables on Crobat.
Porygon2 reoriented itself, standing back up and levitating about a foot in the air, shaking off the dirt that accummulated on its body. It had no intention of giving up, and neither did Ethan.
Zack extended his arm outward. "Crobat, use Bite!"
Crobat bared its teeth and dove towards Porygon2.
Julia, Perrine, Caiseal, Alex, and Yue all held their collective breath. Porygon2 wasn't moving, and Ethan wasn't giving Porygon2 any commands. What was he planning?
Then, Ethan shouted, "Flash!"
As soon as Crobat got close enough, Porygon2 let out a warble, and its whole body glowed in a blinding white light. The sudden illumination blinded Crobat, and it used its wings to try cover its eyes.
"Crobat, no!" Zack cried out. This wasn't good.
"It seems poor Crobat is in trouble," Gladys stated, though the worry in her voice wasn't lost on the audience. "Flash blinded it, so Porygon2 has the upper hand."
"Alright!" Ethan's hands balled into fists. "Let's go on the offensive, Porygon2! Discharge!"
Once again, Porygon2 fired off electricity, letting it loose in all directions. Crobat was unable to dodge, as its eyesight still hadn't quite recovered, and found itself at the mercy of an electric assault. Crobat's body convulsed as electricity surged through its veins. Green spotted its vision, and once the lightning dissipated, Crobat fell to the ground, unable to move.
"Oh jeez!" Zack recoiled. "Crobat! Get up, buddy!"
"No you don't!" Ethan knew that if Crobat was back in the air, it'd be that much harder for Porygon2's attacks to land on it. They had to attack it while it was still down. But he did have one thing he wanted to do before that. "Thunder Wave!"
Instead of a wild explosion of electricity, Porygon2 only fired off a small sliver of it that only hit Crobat in the stomach. Sparks crackled around its body, but eventually, Crobat's vision returned, and used its wings to propel itself back into the air.
"Nnngh!" Zack gritted his teeth. "It's not over! Air Slash again, Crobat!"
"Use Tri-Attack!"
Air sickles and multicolored orbs of light collided one by one, generating large dust clouds that almost covered the entire battlefield.
"Blow the smoke away!"
Crobat flapped its wings swiftly, clearing out the battlefield.
"Porygon2, use Lock-On," Ethan told it.
Again, Porygon2's eyes glowed as it had Crobat in its sights.
"You're open!" Zack shouted. "Crobat, use Bite!"
Attempting yet another bite attack, Crobat dove towards Porygon2. This time, its teeth managed to land onto the virtual Pokemon, though the bat had to admit, Porygon2's hard body didn't taste very good. The feeling of a hard substance against teeth made its whole body rattle, and Crobat let go not long after.
Caiseal had his arms crossed. "Porygon2's next attack won't miss. He used Lock-On. But what attack does he plan to use?" He asked no one in particular. Whatever it was, he knew Ethan needed to have Porygon2 use whatever strong attack it had.
Ethan smirked. "I hate to break it to you, Zack," He adjusted the rim of his hat. "But you're goin' down! Porygon2, finish it with Zap Cannon!"
Porygon2 remained in place as a blue light crackling with yellow sparks materialized from its round beak.
"Crobat, Cross Poison again!" Zack commanded.
Crobat's wings glowed purple as it flew into the air and dove towards Porygon2, ready to put it in its place. But before it could get close enough, both of its wings suddenly tightened up. Crobat winced and lost its bearings.
"What?! No!" Noticing the sudden change, Zack could only see this battle going one way. "Crobat!"
"Thunder Wave has finally taken effect," Gladys announced. "Porygon2 better hurry, or else Crobat might reorient itself."
"Fire!"
On cue, Porygon2 fired off the electric sphere, sending it flying towards Crobat. As soon as it made contact, it exploded into a cloud of lightning and smoke. Everyone in the audience held their breath, wondering whether that Crobat was going to be okay. Then, the purple bat fell out from the cloud, hitting the ground with a resounding thud. Its eyes were closed, and electricity crackled around its body. The judge waited for the dust cloud to dissipate before checking on Crobat. It remained dormant.
"Crobat is unable to battle!" The judge exclaimed, pointing a green flag in Ethan's direction. "The winner is Porygon2, and the victory goes to Ethan Goldsworthy!"
The crowd exploded into a cacophony of cheers. Ethan let out a jubilant shout, jumping up and down as he did so, with Porygon2 floating over to him and spinning the ovals on its body. When Porygon2 got close enough, Ethan stopped jumping and threw his arms around the virtual Pokemon, trapping it in a tight hug.
"You rock, and you rule!" Ethan cheered.
"Porygooon!" Porygon2 warbled with just as much enthusiasm.
"Now that's what I call a great battle!" Mr. Goodshow proclaimed. "Porygon2 completely thrashed Crobat and attained a swift victory! Ethan Goldsworthy won his first match, and Zack Fleming has been eliminated!"
In contrast, Zack lowered his brow, frowning as he cradled the weak, exhausted Crobat in his large arms. "You did great, buddy. You're the best."
"Hey, Zack?" He looked up to find Ethan and Porygon2 approaching them with sympathetic expressions. "Is Crobat gonna be okay?"
Zack shrugged, forcing a smile. "He'll be alright."
"Sorry about this. I'm sure you really wanted to get further into the League, maybe fight the Elite Four," Ethan apologized, scratching the back of his head with one hand. "I guess I destroyed your dream, huh?" He admitted sheepishly.
Zack looked down at his Crobat, avoiding Ethan's gaze. "I mean, yeah, I am sad I lost so quickly. But…" After a brief moment, his eyes met Ethan's, and his frown turned into a more relaxed smile. "I kinda had a feeling I wouldn't get too far anyway. I'm just happy I made it here with my friends. Besides, it's not like it's the end of the world. You and Porygon2 were awesome, by the way."
Ethan extended a hand out. "Back at you."
Zack took Ethan's hand into his own, giving it a firm shake. Porygon2 floated up to Crobat, also giving it some encouraging words. Crobat gave a low, pleasant growl, and the ovals on Porygon2's sides whirled in a circular motion.
Up in the stands, Alex and Yue let out groans. "Oh man. Poor Zack," Alex said, his eyebrows furrowing in disappointment. "He got his butt beat."
"Nobody ever said the League was gonna be easy," Yue noted, turning towards the other trio. "Don't feel bad about Ethan beating him. No hard feelings."
"For what it's worth," Julia piped in. "I thought their battle was great!"
As much as she appreciated that Yue wasn't angry at Ethan for having defeated her friend, Julia was sure she might have just been putting on a good front. She had to be at least frustrated or sad. One of Julia's friends defeated her friend in a battle. Who wouldn't be angry about that? After a short while, Ethan and Zack left the stadium, allowing the next set of trainers to prepare for their battle. The kids left the stands and met up with Zack and Ethan outside.
"We're sorry you lost, Zack," Julia apologized. "And you worked so hard to get into the League, too."
Much to Julia's relief, Zack dismissed her concerns with a wave of his hand. "It's all good. I can always participate next year. It's not the end of the world."
The kids smiled. Zack took defeat like a champ.
"I think your match is up next, Yue," Alex chimed in. "Aren't you facing some guy named...Gervais or something?"
"Gervasius," Julia clarified.
Yue pulled out her PokeGear to check the time. "Yeah, but that's not until noon."
Caiseal smiled and wrapped both his arms around Ethan and Zack. "Who's up for some grub? I know I could go for a meatball sub!"
The kids had time to kill before their next matches, so they took Caiseal up on his offer.
***
All seven kids ate lunch at a small diner in the residential area, treating themselves to whatever they wanted. They made it back to the stadium exactly twenty minutes before Yue and Gervasius' match was to begin. But when they got to one of the halls that led into the stadium, they found Gervasius himself kneeling on the floor, closing his violin case. Julia raised her eyebrows. Why was he bringing a violin to a Pokemon battle?
"Hi, Gervasius!" Perrine greeted him, raising one hand. "Good luck in your battle!"
Gervasius responded with a nod. Yue wheeled up to him and extended her hand out. "Here's to a fun battle. If either of us loses, no hard feelings. Okay?"
With a serene smile, the blonde man took Yue's hand into his own, giving it a firm shake.
"Good luck," He whispered, releasing Yue's hand as he picked up his violin case and made his way into the tunnel.
"Wow," Ethan's eyes shrunk just a smidge. "That's the first time I've heard him talk. Is he always so quiet?"
Julia shrugged. "Yeah. He's not much of a talker."
Ethan accepted Julia's answer, figuring there wasn't much point in thinking too much about it. Yue wheeled her way towards her side of the stadium, and the rest of the kids, Zack included, found empty seats. Gervasius and Yue stood in their assigned trainer boxes, with Mr. Goodshow and Gladys in the announcer's booth just next to the big screen. The judge for the current battle stood outside the battlefield, with two flags in both hands.
"It's time for a battle between Gervasius Hughes from Goldenrod City, and Yueqing Lu from Cianwood City!" The judge declared. "Now, it's time for the roulette! Who will go first?!" He pointed a red flag up to the screen, and the slots on the circle began flashing.
Wait a minute. Zack and Yue were both from Cianwood City? Julia scooted over to Alex. "Did you guys all come from Cianwood City?" She asked.
Alex nodded. "Yep. We practically grew up together. Been friends since we were babies. We went on our journeys together," He explained.
"Wow…" Julia found herself in awe. She went on her journey all by herself, barring her Pokemon. She eventually joined up with Perrine and Caiseal later on, but the fact that the three kids they ran into in Victory Road journeyed all across Johto together, going through all sorts of experiences, hardships, and joys was quite amazing to her. A part of her wished she had made friends like that, but she reminded herself of the experiences she shared with Perrine and Caiseal. No, she wouldn't change her journey for anything.
Gradually, the roulette wheel stopped at a green light. "Alright, Yue Lu! Choose your Pokemon!"
Yue pulled a PokeBall out from her bag. "I choose you, Corsola!" Out from the capsule appeared a pink, coral-shaped Pokemon, who hopped up and down cheerfully.
Gervasius also pulled out a PokeBall, but he simply let it open in his hands. A purple moth Pokemon materialized onto the battlefield. "Venomoth!" The moth Pokemon let out a shrill warble, flapping its wings once.
Julia's breath caught in her throat. A Venomoth?
Then, Gervasius opened his violin case, pulled out his violin and its bow, and held both in his hands, ready to play. People in the stands began exchanging confused glances, talking amongst themselves.
"Is this guy serious?"
"He's actually gonna play a violin during a battle?"
"This ain't an orchestra or music class!"
"Man, I bet he's gonna lose for sure."
"Tell him to go back to music school!"
"Now this is a rare sight. I wonder what Mr. Hughes plans on doing with that violin?" Mr. Goodshow asked out loud, scratching his bushy beard. "I've never seen a trainer do that before in all the years I've done this."
Gladys smiled, clasping her hands together. "Whatever it is, I admit I'm quite excited to see."
"Are both challengers ready?" The judge asked, waiting a brief minute before raising both flags into the air. "Battle, begin!"
"Ladies first!" Yue shouted. "Corsola, use Spike Cannon!"
The pink branches on Corsola's head glowed white before shooting a barrage of thin spikes in Venomoth's direction.
Slowly, Gervasius pulled the bow across one of the violin strings, producing a sharp but mellow sound. Hearing the sound, Venomoth flew down to the ground, evading the spiky onslaught. Corsola's jaw dropped. Neither it nor Yue expected that. Then, Gervasius played his violin again, producing a rough, lower pitched sound. Venomoth ascended, flapping its wings as fast as it could, generating a strong, shimmering gust of wind that blasted Corsola from the front. The coral Pokemon stood its ground, enduring the attack with gusto. Everyone in the crowd gasped.
"Whoa! That was Silver Wind, right?" Alex asked. "How did it know to do that? Gervasius didn't even give it a command!"
It didn't take long for the attack to die down, and Corsola opened its eyes. "Corsola! Use Bubblebeam!"
Corsola leaped into the air and opened its mouth, firing off a barrage of bubbles. Gervasius pulled his violin bow once more, making the higher pitched noise from before. Venomoth dodged the attack by flying to the side. Corsola continued to fire bubbles at it wherever it flew, but the moth Pokemon kept soaring just a few feet away, nimbly evading the bubble attack at every turn. Yue gripped the handle on her wheelchair, scrambling for a strategy.
One popped in her head. "Spin around and shoot Bubblebeam everywhere!"
As ordered, Corsola leaped into the air, spinning like a top, firing bubbles in every direction. This time, a few of them struck Venomoth on the back. Not enough to completely knock it out, but dealing some degree of damage all the same. Venomoth nearly fell to the ground but flapped its wings twice just before it could land. Reorienting itself, Venomoth flew back into the air.
Gervasius pulled his bow across his violin. This time, a drawn out, metallic sound echoed across the battlefield.
Venomoth's eyes glowed green, and a green and red sphere of light materialized in front of its mouth. With a shrill warble, Venomoth lunged forward, the sphere turning into a beam of light that cut across the entire battlefield. Corsola landed on the ground to stop spinning, but the beam came at it so quickly, it had no time to react. The attack struck Corsola, sending it skidding across the dirt, with a cloud of dust and debris following behind it.
"Corsola!" Yue cried out. All eyes were on the battle now, and nobody could believe what they were seeing.
"I've never seen a battle like this before!" Mr. Goodshow exclaimed. "Gervasius isn't even giving his Pokemon verbal commands, yet Venomoth managed to land substantial hits on Yue's Corsola!"
Caiseal scratched his head in confusion. "I don't get it. How in the world does Venomoth know what to do without its trainer telling it?" He asked.
Gervasius stroked his violin with the bow again, this time producing two sounds. The mellower one from before, and the lower, rougher noise.
Venomoth's teeth glowed purple as it dove towards the dazed Corsola. Yue's eyes widened, recognizing the attack right away. 'It's Poison Fang!' She had to act fast. "Corsola! Dodge it, then use Power Gem!" She yelled.
Corsola jumped upward, evading the attack. The branches on its head glowed white, generating a circle of round rocks that fired off in Venomoth's direction. Thankfully, like with Bubblebeam from earlier, the rain of rocks pelted Venomoth, sending it falling to the ground.
Perrine gasped, and color drained from her face. Wait a minute…the bells were clanging in her mind louder than a Houndoom's roar. "The violin!" She stood up from her seat in alarm, raising her voice to a point where Julia had to cover one ear with her hand.
"Wait, what?" Zack recoiled from how sudden Perrine stood up. "What are you-"
"It's the violin!" Perrine pointed towards Gervasius, her orange curls flying into her face when she whirled around to face her friends. "He's using his violin to command Venomoth!"
Commanding a Pokemon with a violin? How was that possible? But there was no doubt about it. Venomoth only attacked whenever Gervasius made sounds with his violin. He must have trained Venomoth, and possibly his other Pokemon, to attack when they heard the noises he made with the violin. It explained how Venomoth would know what attacks to use depending on which sound it heard, and why Gervasius wasn't giving it any verbal commands.
"That makes sense. Gervasius doesn't like to talk, so maybe this is his way of getting around having to shout commands at his Pokemon," Julia noted. The pieces came together in her head seamlessly, and everything made much more sense.
Yue gritted her teeth. "Corsola! Can you keep going?" She asked.
The coral Pokemon turned around, giving its trainer a determined nod. Yue smiled when she saw the confident gleam in her friend's eyes. She liked battles that kept her on her toes, and defeating Gervasius would make the outcome all the more satisfying. "That's what I like to hear!" She pointed to Venomoth with her index finger. "Now, use Iron Defense!"
Corsola stood in place and closed its eyes, allowing its body to glow in a faint white light, giving it a stronger sheen. The coral Pokemon felt its body harden, as if it were turning to iron.
Gervasius played a sound on his violin again, this time producing a swelling, high pitched noise that almost sounded like a screech. Venomoth's eyes glowed purple, and a burst of telekinetic energy shot out from its mouth, charging right toward Corsola. Instead of dodging, Corsola instead took the full brunt of the attack, its feet planted firmly in the ground, even as the force of the beam forced it back several feet.
"You're doing great, Corsola!" Yue cried out, gripping the handles on her wheelchair tightly. Being a defense oriented Pokemon, Corsola were well known for their endurance. They could take strong hits without difficulty, unless the attacks had type advantages over them. "Now, use Spike Cannon again!"
Venomoth was still firing off Psychic when Corsola readied its branches, shooting a barrage of spikes in the moth's direction. Since Venomoth was occupied with attacking Corsola, it was unable to stop before getting pelted with spikes from in front of it. Venomoth flew backwards, recoiling from the spiky assault. But like before, it was quick to reorient itself, flapping its wings once as the Spike Cannon dissipated.
Two violin sounds. The high pitched screech from before, and the mellower sound. Taking the hint, Venomoth glowed, and copies began circling all around Corsola. The coral Pokemon's jaw was ajar as it looked around to see which copy was the real one. But they all looked the same, and were moving faster than its eyes could keep up. An army of buggy eyes leered at the coral Pokemon, as if mocking it for not knowing which one was the real Venomoth. Yue counted at least ten or so Venomoth images circling her frantic Corsola.
Perrine had a hand on her chin. "Double Team. This is bad."
Zack stood up, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Come on, Yue! You can win this! Don't give up!"
But his shout was drowned out by the crowd's cheering, and Yue barely heard a thing. "Corsola! Don't freak out! It'll be okay!" She attempted to reassure Corsola, but her voice shook at the end of her last sentence. "Use Spike Cannon on all of them! Make it rain spikes!"
Corsola aimed its branches into the air, shooting spikes high into the sky before letting them fall onto the Venomoths. All of them disappeared upon getting hit, but Gervasius took the time to play the rough, low pitched sound on his violin again. Venomoth found an opening and fired off Signal Beam. Like before, it struck Corsola on its side, making it collapse to the ground. Finding the real Venomoth didn't change the battle very much.
Alex covered his mouth. "Oh man. Corsola's gonna be done for at this rate!" He cried out, voice shaky with worry.
Yue gritted her teeth. 'I knew I should have used Hypno! How could I be so dumb?!' As soon as that thought entered her mind, she shook her head, paying no attention to her braids smacking her face. 'No. Don't think like that. There's still a chance! You just need to know which sound means which attacks!' Yue wasn't much of a music expert, but she was beginning to notice the pattern. Certain sounds indicated to Venomoth which attacks to use, and two sounds played together could also refer to an attack. She had to admit, Gervasius trained Venomoth really well.
"Well, I don't believe my eyes!" Mr. Goodshow exclaimed. "Gervasius Hughes has completely turned the battle around! Training his Venomoth to attack based on different violin sounds is something that's never been attempted before! Never before have I seen such a musical spin on how to command a Pokemon!"
"I'm not giving up! No way!" Yue shouted. "Corsola! Hit it with Brine!"
Corsola fired off a powerful, pressurized stream of water at Venomoth. Gervasius played two notes on his violin, the mellow sound and the high pitched squeal from earlier. Venomoth flew upward to dodge the watery blast, and its mouth trembled, generating large, green, ring-like circles that struck Corsola from above, causing the ground to vibrate. Corsola couldn't keep steady, swaying from side to side as the shrill noise and the violent vibrations in the ground completely threw its mind into disarray.
"That was Bug Buzz!" Julia cried out. Bug Buzz was well known for being one of the strongest bug type attacks to ever exist. Just looking at Corsola, she could tell the battle was going to end badly for Yue.
"Corsola! Recover! Hurry!" Yue's voice bordered on frantic as she slammed her fist onto the wheelchair handle.
The coral Pokemon closed its eyes, but Gervasius played his violin once more. The sharp, mellow sound from the beginning of the battle echoed. Venomoth expanded its wings before flapping them at a high rate of speed. A fierce gale of wind that sparkled under the sunlight blasted across the battlefield, and as soon as it hit Corsola, the coral Pokemon was blown into the air. Corsola had no control, and could only cry out as wind cut into its hardened skin in all directions. Yue squeezed her eyes shut, and the spectators watched in awe as Venomoth's Silver Wind swirled around Corsola like a tornado.
Gradually, the sparkling wind died down, and Corsola descended back onto the field with a resounding thud. The judge leaned closer into the field to get a better look. Corsola's mouth was wide open, and its eyes were closed.
"Corsola is unable to battle!" The judge declared, pointing a red flag in Gervasius' direction. "Venomoth is the winner, and the victory goes to Gervasius Hughes!"
Pandemonium broke out. Julia covered both ears, lowering her upper body down to her legs as the noise overwhelmed her, even with her ear plugs in.
"And Gervasius Hughes has seized victory!" Gladys proclaimed, her voice high and cheerful. "What an amazing battle this was! Unorthodox, yes, but wonderful all the same!"
Unfortunately, her cheer didn't rub off on Yue's friends. Alex and Zack both let out collective sighs. "Poor Yue. She really got her butt handed to her," Zack lamented, shoulders sagging.
Yue returned Corsola to its PokeBall, looking down at it with blurry eyes close to breaking out into tears. But she steeled herself as she wheeled away from the battlefield. She went through the tunnel and found an empty space by a janitor's door. She held Corsola's PokeBall to her chest, and the tears flowed. She didn't dare make any sound, but subtle, choking sobs escaped her as she let herself cry quietly, away from curious eyes. It helped that the explosion of cheering and shouting drowned out any noise she made when crying, so even when her sobs turned into full on wailing, nobody heard, nor did she want them to.
"I didn't even...make it past the first round...I worked so hard..." Yue wiped her eyes with her sleeves, but the tears didn't stop.
She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but gradually, her sobs died down to nothing. Good timing as well, since she heard her friends' voices not long after. "Yue!" Alex and Zack approached her, with Julia, Perrine, Caiseal, and Ethan following from behind. "Sucks that you lost. For what it's worth, you and Corsola were great," Alex told her reassuringly.
Yue forced a smile. "Thanks. I sure didn't expect that trainer to be so tough."
Julia could see Yue's face was red, and her eyes were puffy, so she had definitely been crying. She wanted to tell Yue that it wasn't the end of the world if she lost. The League was held every year, so she could always participate again, even if it'd be a while before she could do so. But would doing that seem rude? Did she even want to be cheered up? Or was reassuring her not appropriate right now? Julia was at an impasse. She hated not being able to help someone when they needed it, especially attempting to do so but winding up making things worse. The latter had often happened a lot. What could she say to her?
Thankfully, someone else took the initiative. Footsteps scraping against the titanium floor prompted the kids to see Gervasius approaching Yue from behind. She wheeled around to face him. "Hey there," Yue said. "Thanks for the great battle."
Gervasius had a frown on his face, and his eyebrows were furrowed. His expression looked...guilty, like he had done something he truly regretted. "I'm sorry," He pushed the words out, as if his vocal chords threatened to shut down.
What was he apologizing for? The kids exchanged confused glances. Did he feel bad about defeating Yue? Was that it? Whatever the case, everyone could tell he was sincere. Yue smiled again, a more relaxed smile, rather than the forced one from earlier. "Don't feel bad. I mean, sure, I'd be lying if I said I'm not bummed about losing, but I know it's not the end of the world. I had a great time, and you were really strong, so it's no big deal."
Gervasius' only response was a smile, though the kids could still see the remorse in his eyes. He gave a bow and waved before walking away, violin case in hand.
"I wonder if any one of us will face him in the later rounds?" Ethan asked out loud.
Perrine shrugged. "I certainly hope we do. A battle with him ought to be interesting."
"Well, one of us still hasn't had his battle yet, so there's still hope!" Zack playfully patted Alex on the back. "We're countin' on you, Alex!"
"Me?!" Alex yelped, pointing to himself. "Come on! I'm not even that strong compared to you two!"
Everyone broke into merry laughter, which helped ease the tension in the air. The first round wasn't over yet, and there were many more battles to come. The League was just getting started.
