Everyone stood around as the tension grew. Locals stood around chatting while the kids all huddled together, ready to cheer for their friends. Partner Pokemon were by their sides, noticeable by the lack of presence on the other side of the field. Pokemon were kept in their Balls to not give information to their opponents. They stared at them menacingly, ready for a fight.
Lilith turned her head back and forth, inspecting both sides.
One group stood out considerably due to their clothes because of how lavishly each and every one of them dressed. Suits and dresses donned their bodies which probably cost more than most people could afford. It truly was the rich vs the poor.
One kid stood out among them however. He wore a familiar blue garb as his arrogance practically oozed out into the surrounding area. Lilith watched him intently. He was the one who barged in on her bathing and ruined her mood.
“Gather round, Yall!” someone shouted.
Everyone’s attention turned to the voice.
“Name’s Lenora. I’m the organizer of this get together, so what I say goes. Any funny stuff and you’ll be sorry.” She said.
The crowd mumbled as they talked about her strange accent. A large bandana kept the hair on top of her head in place. Her white button up lay loose around her waist as large teal pants covered her legs. Some clearly recognized her while others did not.
“This is how it’s gonna go! We have 9 young folk ready to battle. Each team's member is gonna draw a number from this hat.” She proceeded to wave a black fedora around.
The headgear was obviously not hers, begging the question of its origin.
“One team is gonna go first and then the other straight after. Matching numbers are paired up and then we’re gonna go from one to nine in order.” She finished.
“Then we’ll go first.” A young woman stepped up from Virbank’s side.
She wore a sundress with a large sun hat atop her head. The two pieces matched, even having similar ribbon colors.
“It doesn’t matter who goes first, girlie” Lenora smirked.
Loreen’s smile faltered for a second before reaching into the hat and drawing out a card with a big number 1 written in black and white..
“See how easy that is? You battle first.” She exclaimed, patting the shocked young woman on the back.
The participants from Virbank lined up and picked their numbers one by one. The blue suited boy in particular stood out as he reached his hand into the sorting hat. Lilith paid special attention to him, wanting to see him lose.
“3! Next!” Lenora kept the line moving.
The rest of the positions couldn’t draw her interest, waiting until it was Aspertia’s turn to pick. Lenora collected all the cards and threw them back into her hat. She shook them around for a second before giving access to the young trainers. Duncan stood at the front of the line, drawing a 5. His reaction was unreadable, nothing like the one right after him.
“Wohoo! Number nine!” Sam cheered.
“Alright kid, move it along!” Lenora shouted at him.
He would be going last. Like usual, the duo were stuck to each other's heels. Levy pushed her friend out of the way, accessing the hat. Her hand pulled out before a large smile covered her face. She shot a look towards Loreen before making way for the next in line.
‘One and nine are gone, still leaving that kid at three…’ She analyzed.
The line shuffled along, the prized number still not seen. It took a short while before it was Wendell’s turn. She couldn't help but lean forward as the suspense was infectious. His hands covered the number as the crowd tried figuring out his number. He glanced at the rectangle before handing it to the announcer.
“Number three!” Lenora shouted at the crowd.
Lilith smiled slightly. Wendell and his rival would be facing off.
“Alright, that's the draw! Let's get this party started. Number ones! Positions!”
A thin gentleman shuffled out onto the field as everyone cheered. Both teams cleared to the sidelines right when Lenora pulled him into a passionate kiss. The spectators sent out catcalls and the former Gym leader placed her husband's hat back onto his head. Hawes blushed as he darted back to safety.
People made way for the thin house husband as some caught him in a whisper.
“Strong and gentle…”
The silence was broken, leaving none the chance to comment.
“Girls n Boys welcome to the annual Aspertia versus Virbank school competition!” She hyped up the crowd “We have the scorecard!” She said in an announcer's voice.
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Lenora pointed to the large wooden contraption behind her. Large colored circles were stacked around the base while a large plank was held up like a stand. Holsters were made for each chip to signify the score.
“Virbank is blue, while Aspertia is red! 5 Wins means victory! Let's get this party started!”
Lilith surveyed the crowd. Kids and adults alike stood on the sidelines. Some were so young they had to be held up by their parents to see, while elderly had chairs they sat in. It was truly a diverse gathering of all the residents of Floccesy.
“I have the match order! So let's begin!” Lenora started the first match.
Levy and Loreen both touched the center of their Pokeballs as both Pokemon appeared in a flash of light. Axew stood across from Herdier on their respective sides of the field.
Axew started his matches predictably, but what surprised Lilith the most was his strength. He clearly unleashed an aura of the second star. The more she thought about it, the more reasonable it was. It had only been about a week and considering their knowledge and drive, it shouldn’t have been that shocking.
Herdier opened with a Work-Up, but was nullified by a sweeping black light. Axew leveled the playing field with taunt as Herdier began his attack. The two foes had no choice but to clash, even if on different playing fields. The dog-like Pokemon was a star level lower than his adversary.
Axew proved to be faster, his tiny claws growing out with a purple quality. Both hardened to points as he took a step forward.
‘Dragon claw…’ Lilith identified.
Her guess was verified as the primal points raked across Herdier’s body
Axew’s stab coupled with the destructive move was devastating. Despite the pain, Herdier’s Return did its best to counter attack. The white scarf around his neck helped amplify his energy, being the first time Lilith had witnessed a Pokemon hold and activate an item.
‘Items could be a real game changer…’ She thought.
It was rather obvious once she inspected closely. The Silk Scarf had slipped the notice of many others. Lilith pulled out her Holo castor and tried to jot down the best Items she could remember from the game while also trying to watch the match.
After a split second to consider her options, she chose to take in all of the information before her. There would be time later to create the list.
Both Pokemon bounced backward, the victor of the clash becoming obvious. Axew had taken little damage while Herdier swayed back and forth, trying to stabilize himself. The little dragon got more pumped up and moved in to finish his first opponent.
Herdier tried dodging, but it was no use. A second claw descended and ripped his defensive membrane apart.
“Hold!” Lenora called out.
A Pokemon seemingly materialized on the battlefield. The meter tall Pokemon stood between the two combatants, shielding each other from harm. Lilith glanced around, inspecting the others' reaction. None seemed phased by it, considering how often the competition took place.
Watchog stood his ground until Herdier was recalled, scurrying back to Lenora’s side. His initial appearance must have been a trick of the light, not moving as fast as previously.
Lenora waited until Loreen’s next Pokemon was sent out before restarting the match.
Blitzle took to the field, but was still only a one star Pokemon. The way the match was going, Loreen would be in trouble without a Pokemon of considerable strength. Axew’s damage output was just too strong.
The equine-like Pokemon sent pulses of electricity emanating out from its body. There was no way to dodge Shock Wave, so Axew took the offensive once more. He powered through the first attack taking the attack head on, momentum broken but still moving forward. Taunt kept his opponent honest, appearing once more.
With the free opening, Blitzle took the chance to attack, gathering flames around his electric body.
The move proved to be fruitless considering that all dragons resisted fire. Axew took the damage and stayed strong. He was just too strong to stop as his claws then proceeded to rip through Bitlzle’s defenses.
Lenora stopped the fight, calling out the victor.
The damage was starting to accrue from the previous battles since his lack of endurance was starting to show. Axew returned to Levy’s side as the third and final Pokemon was unleashed. The emanation took the field, giving off the sensation of a two star Pokemon.
Levy was in trouble.
The crowd watched on as the tiny human-like Pokemon spun in circles. His blue and gray paws shone as power started to build. She couldn’t recognize the move, but noticed the black band around his waist signifying another Item.
“Is that Swords Dance?” A nearby spectator whispered.
“Wow those Virbank kids sure are lucky using a T.M. like that.”
“Taunt!” Levy caught on fast as she called out her counter.
Axew didn’t even need the audio clue, already using his most practiced move. With Axew as her only Pokemon, stat drops were her biggest weakness when it came to prolonged battles.
“Finish it!” Loreen called out.
Riolu took his stance as both Pokemon were ready to clash despite not increasing his attack power. The Swords Dance would have been overkill considering Close Combat started to form on his hands. Axew and Riolu stepped towards one another, ready for the fight to be decided.
Axew’s endurance proved to be wanting, yet he still got the first attack. He raked across his unguarded arms, getting one good hit in before his opponent could do the same. Riolu powered through the monstrous damage, but was already much healthier considering the two that came before him. The all out attack landed on the tiny dinosaur, pushing him backwards.
“That's it!” Lenora called out.
Axew and Levy had lost.
She picked up her partner and walked off while everyone clapped politely. Axew rested in her arms disappointed because she just didn’t have the numbers to compete with the others. Dragon type specialists like her always had trouble gathering Pokemon for their team. Axew had been given to her, but the rest would have to be gathered with her own strength. It didn’t help that none were in the area.
Lilith felt kinship, having been through similar circumstances. Sam tried to cheer Levy up as the next round started. It didn’t help that it was Levy’s first real defeat.
Lilith didn’t pay much attention to the following battle. A Kid with a Pidove and Servine battled against the creepiest boy she had ever seen. He wore dark grays with black hair but felt nothing from him. His eyes also seemed permanently droopy.
Everyone understood his fashion choices when the first Pokemon hit the field. Shuppet, a small floating glove, started out strong but was ultimately knocked out. Driffloon the balloon Pokemon came out afterwards, also a ghost type. His two star partner, Litwick easily cleaned up his opponents remaining Pokemon.
The score was 2 to 0 in Virbank's favor.