The first two rounds of the Silver Conference passed without incident. James' first round battle saw a monstrous debut for his Ursaring, who tore through his opponents with frightening ease. Even his opponent's Scizor, a red-armoured Scyther evolution, couldn't handle Ursaring's sheer brute force. The second round was a little more difficult, involving a stubborn Shuckle and a nasty bout between James' Elekid and the opponent's Sudowoodo, but the Electric Pokémon toughed it out to put James in the third round.
Jen had a rougher go of things than James did. Her first opponent had an unfortunate combination of Ground- and Electric-types that made team selection difficult. Magmar eventually came through for her, roasting the opposing Electrode for the victory. The second battle was a little easier, with the only real test being an very tough Venomoth, and Jen was through to the third round as well.
No-one could stand up to Matt Enfield's skill in the first two rounds, however. His Tyranitar took down all comers, and James was astounded that his father didn't need to use any other team members. Even dealing with all Fighting-type opponents in his second battle, Tyranitar threw them all aside, dealing a particularly devastating finish to a heavily-muscled Machamp. It may have been a long time since he'd entered the Silver Conference, but Matt was a past champion for a reason.
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Spirits were high among the Enfield and Richards families the night before the third round. Hunter had finally tracked them down, but his news wasn't as good; he'd been beaten in the second round thanks to a Confuse Ray-happy Ninetales. He mentioned that he'd doubled back into the Ice Path to catch a Sneasel for his last gym challenge.
“Sneasel?” James asked, remembering the trouble Pryce's ice weasel had caused him. “That's unusual for you, isn't it? They're not known for their defensive qualities.”
“Yeah, well, Clair wasn't expecting her either.” Hunter grinned. “I also went crawling through the wild areas near the mountain, and caught a Donphan out there. I have no idea what it was doing on its own; they usually travel in herds.”
“Perhaps it had been ousted,” John Richards supplied. “If it lost its place in the herd, maybe that's why it was by itself.”
“Could be,” Hunter said with a nod. “Anyway, looks like I rounded out a full team for nothing.”
“It wasn't for nothing,” Jen said, pushing him lightly on the shoulder. “You made it to the Silver Conference, same as we did. For a bunch of beginners, we've done all right. Are you going to stick around?” Hunter considered, then nodded.
“I might as well. It's going to be a long trip back to Fuchsia City, and I'm in no real hurry to go home at the moment. Plus, I can watch you guys in the next round and see if I can pick up some hints.”
“Don't get too excited. I don't plan on giving away too much.” James grinned, and Jen and Hunter laughed as they headed back to their dorms and sleep.
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James' battle was scheduled for Battlefield Seven around ten o'clock; Jen would fight on Battlefield Twelve around the same time. Matt's battle, meanwhile, wouldn't happen until the late afternoon on Battlefield Two. Predictably enough, the two families' plan ended up being for the Enfields to watch James' match, while John and Emma Richards would see Jen, and the whole group would meet for Matt's challenge.
As they approached Battlefield Seven, James ran through his plans one more time, while his family went into the small spectator stand. Typhlosion growled, trying to calm his master.
“I'm okay, Typhlosion. Remember, if we win this, we go to the Victory Tournament.” As he looked up, his opponent appeared, a heavyset man wearing a leather jacket and blue jeans. His wispy blonde hair fell into his deep violet eyes. An official in a turquoise shirt and black shorts stepped up to the centre of the field, a pair of flags in his hand.
“Attention! This is the third round of the Johto League Silver Conference! Each competitor may use three Pokémon each, with free substitutions and no time limit. The battle will end when all three Pokémon on either side are unable to continue.” The official turned to the blonde-haired trainer. “Caleb will have first move. Begin when ready!” Caleb's uneven teeth showed as he grinned, and he tossed out his first Pokéball.
“Houndoom, you're up first!” The ball revealed a lithe, black-furred canine with strange grey horns. Its tail was thin and ended in a triangular point, and above its feet sat a pair of white bands. James considered, then tosssed out his first Pokéball.
“Golem, let's go!” The rock-turtle landed with a thud, and sat calmly, waiting for instructions.
“Houndoom, Flamethrower!” Houndoom unleashed a stream of fire, and Golem took the hit without any real effect. “Okay, now power up with Howl!” The resultant vocalization made James and Typhlosion cover their ears, but Golem remained impassive.
“Golem, Rollout!” Golem curled up and rolled into Houndoom, bouncing off and spinning back toward it.
“Sidestep, then use Sunny Day!” Houndoom avoided Golem's next impact, then opened its mouth and generated a pulsing yellow-orange orb, which launched into the sky. The air became hot, and harsh rays beamed from the orb.
“Oh, boy. This could be trouble. Golem, go for your newest move! Stone Edge!” Pointed rocks formed around Golem, and he directed them right at Houndoom. Caleb grinned again.
“Those stones can't hold up to my next attack. SolarBeam!” Houndoom's red eyes flashed white, and it fired a blue-white beam of energy from its mouth. The Stone Edge was vapourized instantly, and Golem took the full blast of the attack, skidding along the ground with its eyes glazed over.
“Golem is unable to battle! Houndoom wins!”
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Meanwhile, Jen was having trouble with her own opponent, a tall, skinny female with short green hair named Diana. Jen's Magmar was currently involved in a wrestling match with the young woman's Sandslash, and Jen was trying everything to try and free her.
“Point blank Flamethrower!” Magmar struggled to aim as Sandslash swiped at her face, and finally managed to blast the Ground-type with a concentrated fire stream. Sandslash landed feet away and swung its claws in challenge.
“Dig!” Sandslash burrowed underground with astonishing speed, and Magmar looked concerned.
“Easy, Magmar! Just gotta keep an eye on the ground...” Jen watched the area around Magmar's feet, and eventually spotted a small crack. “Quick, jump and use Smog!” Magmar leaped off the ground as Sandslash emerged, and exhaled a thick cloud of grey smoke. Violet sparks emitted from Sandslash's body as it looked wildly around for Magmar.
“It's still in the air! Jump and use Slash!”
“Fire Punch!” Sandslash swiped at Magmar again, and was met with a flaming fist directly on its nose. The impact sent Sandslash crashing to the floor, while Magmar landed with unexpected grace. Sandslash looked dazed, and the official raised his flag.
“Sandslash is unable to battle! Magmar wins!” Jen smiled as Magmar blew a few flames in triumph.
“Good work, Magmar! Keep it going, we've got two more to take out!” Diana didn't say anything, but just took out another Pokéball and threw it.
“Dugtrio, you're up next!” A creature resembling three brown sausages with small, narrowed black eyes and pink noses emerged next. They seemed to be permanently sunk into the ground.
“Another Ground-type? We'd better be careful...”
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“Ursaring, Slash again!” Ursaring took another swipe at Houndoom, who shied away from the attack. Since James had put him on the field, Ursaring had been unrelenting in its attack, his claws tearing at the Dark Pokémon. Houndoom had tried to retaliate, but even its juiced-up Fire-type attacks didn't slow the bear down. As the Sunny Day faded, Caleb's voice took on a desperate tone.
“Crunch, Houndoom! Make it count!” Houndoom bit down hard on Ursaring's arm just below the elbow. Ursaring roared and tried to shake it off, but Houndoom held on for dear life. “Now, turn it into a Fire Fang!” Flames sprang up in Houndoom's mouth, and Ursaring bellowed in pain again. He shook his arm and finally knocked Houndoom loose, then his arm glowed and he swung down at the fire dog. The attack slammed Houndoom to the ground, where it lay whimpering. Ursaring simply aimed another attack at it, knocking it out.
“What was that?” James watched for a moment as Caleb recalled Houndoom, then keyed his Pokédex.
“One of Ursaring's moves is called Hammer Arm,” the device recited. “This Fighting-type attack deals tremendous damage, but lower its user's speed.” As James maade to stow the device, Caleb tossed out his next Pokémon.
“Go, Heracross!” A beetle with a blue carapace and a long horn extending between his eyes. His limbs ended in small white claws, and his horn split into two sharp, wedge-like points at the end. James opened the Pokédex again to scan it.
“Heracross, the Single Horn Pokémon. It uses its horn to throw opponents with immense force, and it spends the bulk of its time searching forests for tree sap.”
“Looks like a Bug-type. Ursaring, return!” James put Ursaring's Pokéball away and looked down at Typhlosion. “All yours, buddy.” Typhlosion grinned and ran out towards Heracross, his fiery ruff blazing up. “Give it your all! Flamethrower!” Typhlosion exhaled the stream of fire, and battle continued.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
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“Dugtrio, Earth Power!” The ground beneath Magmar's feet seemed to split open, and golden light poured from the cracks in the earth. Magmar shuddered as she dropped to one knee, winded by the super-effective move.
“Magmar, hang in there!” Jen looked at her first Pokémon with concern. She hadn't expected a creature that was rooted to the ground to be so fast; Dugtrio was running circles around Magmar with little effort, hitting Magmar at just the right moments. “All right, we're gonna use a new move now! Lava Plume!” The recently split earth around Magmar exploded, sending fire, dust and debris across the entire field.
“Dugtrio, use Dig!” The Mole Pokémon dropped under the ground, and Magmar looked around wildly.
“Try to feel its movement, Magmar!” Magmar tried to concentrate, but the next thing Jen knew, Dugtrio had dug the ground out beneath her and extended its heads, knocking Magmar over. The Spitfire Pokémon struggled to get up.
“Finish it, Dugtrio! Use Slash!” All three sets of Dugtrio's eyes glowed, and an invisible blade seemed to swipe at Magmar, knocking her down and out. Jen's eyes were wide as she pulled Magmar.
“Good work, girl. The rest of the team can take it from here.” She considered carefully, then tossed out her second Pokéball. “Togetic, go!” The white-bodied Normal- and Flying-type emerged and squealed happily, flitting into the air high above Dugtrio. Diana simply smirked, and prepared for her next move.
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Typhlosion continued blasting away at Heracross, who was more nimble than he looked. James' one-dimensional strategy with his best buddy wasn't serving him very well at the moment, but he didn't want to risk getting in too close and taking a heavy hit.
“Heracross, use Aerial Ace!” Heracross' body was surrounded by white streaks of light as he raced toward Typhlosion.
“Meet that with Flame Wheel!” Typhlosion surrounded himself in fire, then ran headlong into the approaching Bug-type. The resultant collision knocked both Pokémon back, with Typhlosion looking to have gotten the worse of the hit. “Okay, now use Dig!” Typhlosion burrowed underground, then quickly shot up at Heracross.
“Counter!” Heracross' body glowed with an orange aura as Typhlosion made contact, then the aura exploded outward, sending the Fire-type flying. Typhlosion growled in discomfort as he got back to his feet. “Now, Megahorn!” Heracross' horn glowed as he flew back for another attack.
“Counter attack with Flame Wheel!” The two Pokémon met with tremendous force once again, and this time, Heracross looked winded, but Typhlosion didn't get up.
“Typhlosion is unable to battle! Heracross wins!” Typhlosion got back to his feet, wobbling a little as he slunk back to James' technical area. James scratched his friend's ears as he slumped down, looking upset.
“Relax, buddy. You put up a good fight. We'll win this.” He tossed Ursaring's Pokéball back out, and the Hibernator Pokémon roared in fury. “Easy, big guy! This bug is tougher than it looks!” He watched Heracross, who was breathing hard, and nodded to himself. “Gotta take it out fast. Use Hammer Arm!” Ursaring's forearm glowed as he charged Heracross.
“Counter!” Once again, Heracross' body glowed, and the explosion of energy knocked Ursaring back. “Now, Reversal!” A brighter orange aura covered Heracross as he dived under Ursaring's claws, then he drove his body upward, slamming into the bear's midsection. Ursaring flew ten feet in the air and landed with a ground-shaking thud. Ursaring fought his way back to his feet, snarling at the bug. Caleb grinned.
“Heracross is quite useful against Normal-types like your Ursaring. As a combination Bug- and Fighting-type, he can match up against different threats with ease. Pure aggression won't take us down.”
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Togetic had adopted a strategy of flitting out of Dugtrio's reach, using her Magical Leaf to strike when she got close enough. Diana didn't look frustrated by the tactic, merely amused.
“You'll have to get closer to really hurt us,” she said with a smirk. “Dugtrio may be weak to Grass-types, but at that range, they aren't doing as much as they could.” Jen stared, then looked up at Togetic.
“Then take this! Togetic, get in behind and use Magical Leaf, maximum power!” Togetic flew close to the ground, buzzing the top of Dugtrio's heads, then spun around and blasted the Ground-type with a flurry of glowing leaves. Dugtrio winced from the force of the attack, but its trainer simply smiled more widely.
“That's close enough for us! Dugtrio, Rock Slide!” Dugtrio's eyes glowed, and a grey boulder materialized over Togetic's head. The boulder broke apart, dropping heavy stones onto the Happiness Pokémon. Togetic fell to the floor and squealed in pain.
“Togetic! Try to get back in the air!” Togetic struggled to her feet, but couldn't muster the effort to get airborne again. “Alright, try Metronome! That should buy us some time!” Togetic's head began swinging back and forth, a faint ticking noise sounded, and then she stood stock-still. Moments later, a massive blast of electricity flew from her body, but only hit the ground right in front of Dugtrio. “We're in trouble!”
“Yes, you are. Dugtrio, Slash!” Dugtrio's eyes glowed again, and Togetic felt the sharp slice of the attack cut at her. She fell forward, and Jen cried out as Togetic stayed down.
“Togetic is unable to battle! Dugtrio wins!” Jen recalled Togetic and thought through her options quickly.
“Which one? Golbat or Tentacruel?” She stared at Dugtrio, looked down at her left sneaker, then snapped her fingers. “I know who to use. Golbat, you're up!” The blue bat flitted this way and that, its mouth open wide and his tongue wagging in a taunt.
“Another Flying-type? Interesting. Dugtrio, Rock Slide!”
“Golbat, Air Cutter!” Golbat aimed the bladed air current at the falling rocks, breaking them apart and making them fall harmlessly to earth. “Okay, now fire another one at Dugtrio!”
“Slash attack!” Dugtrio's attack just failed to reach Golbat, and it narrowed its eyes even further. “Another Rock Slide!” This time, the attack hit home, and Golbat fell towards the ground.
“Recover and use Confuse Ray!” Golbat's eyes glowed red, and Dugtrio's did the same. The Mole Pokémon looked wildly about, its eyes widening and its body twitching fiercely. Jen smiled as Golbat got into position. She wasn't out of the fight yet.
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“Finish it with Megahorn!” Heracross flew at Ursaring again, his horn glowing.
“Ursaring, step to the right, then use Slash!” Ursaring sidestepped the onrushing bug, then swung a claw at him, knocking him to the floor. Heracross' body slid past James and Typhlosion, then lay still.
“Heracross is unable to battle! Ursaring wins!” Caleb looked stunned, then recalled Heracross.
“Well, I didn't expect that. Heracross, well played. Have a rest.” He took out his final Pokéball. “Your Ursaring has tremendous stamina, even with a type disadvantage. He stood up some of Heracross' strongest attacks admirably. But I'm still going to the Victory Tournament.” Caleb tossed his final choice onto the field. “Stantler, go!” A creature resembling a large deer emerged from the ball. Its yellowish antlers had small black orbs attached to them, making them look like eyes. Ursaring seemed to recoil a little at its appearance. James took his Pokédex out again to scan it.
“Stantler, the Big Horn Pokémon. Its antlers manipulate the flow of the air around them, causing a strange area where reality itself is distorted.”
“Weird,” James muttered. “Alright, Ursaring, get it started with Hammer Arm!” Ursaring rushed at Stantler with his forearm glowing.
“Stantler, Calm Mind!” Stantler's real eyes glowed a soft pink, and its body seemed to relax. Ursaring brought his attack down on it, but didn't seem to do much damage.
“That should have done more...” James said, watching Stantler. “Use Slash!”
“Reflect!” Stantler's eyes glowed again, and a hot pink box of light surrounded it. “Now, stop Ursaring with Psychic!” Ursaring's body was surrounded by a blue glow, and Stantler threw him back.
“No! Ursaring, Faint Attack!” The bear ran at Stantler, faked a hit to its right side, then punched it in the face. Stantler looked a little dizzy after the hit.
“Stomp attack!” Stantler recovered, then reared up and aimed a kick down at Ursaring. The bear took the opportunity to push Stantler over, sending it crashing down. “No! Use Zen Headbutt!” The deer's antlers glowed as it dropped its head and charged headfirst at Ursaring.
“Finish it off! Hammer Arm!” Ursaring took Stantler's attack, then slammed its arm down onto the deer's back. Stantler collapsed to the ground, struggled for a moment, then fell back down, its eyes glazing over. The official checked on Stantler, then raised his flag.
“Stantler is unable to battle, and Ursaring is the winner. James wins the match, and will advance to the Victory Tournament!”
“Yes!” James ran onto the field and congratulated Ursaring. The bear did something James had never seen him do before—smile—and James recalled him to his Pokéball. He looked over at Caleb, who looked stunned.
“I...I lost? I trained so hard for this moment, and I fell short...”
“You really had me on the edge there, Caleb,” James supplied, trying to reassure his opponent. “If Ursaring wasn't so strong, I would have lost.”
“Maybe,” Caleb conceded. “Well, I'll just have to try harder next year. Good luck in the Victory Tournament.” Caleb shook James' hand, gave Typhlosion a pat on the head, and left the field. James turned towards the stands, where his family were waiting. If his dad could win later, it would be a very good day for the Enfields.
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Golbat continued to harry Dugtrio, whose confusion was helping keep the fight even. Golbat had hit Dugtrio with a few more Air Cutters, while Dugtrio had only managed to pull off a Slash that only nicked Golbat.
“Golbat, use Bite!” Golbat dove and bit down onto one of Dugtrio's heads, and a strange violet glow infused his fangs. A small cloud of purple smoke burst into the air as Golbat released Dugtrio. “Was...that was a new move! It must have been Poison Fang!” Diana nodded, still smiling.
“It won't do much against Dugtrio. But it did get you into range again. Rock Slide!” More rocks fell on Golbat, who was visibly winded after the super-effective move had struck.
“I can't keep out of its attack range forever,” Jen said as Golbat chittered in pain. “Gonna have to hit hard and escape. Golbat, Wing Attack!”
“Use Slash!” As Golbat dove towards Dugtrio, the Mole Pokémon's eyes glowed once more, and this time, the attack knocked Golbat off course and sent him careening into the far wall. Golbat chittered a little, tried to get back into the air, then fell forward as his strength failed him. Jen's eyes widened.
“No! Golbat, no!” The official raised his flag.
“Golbat is unable to battle! Dugtrio wins! Diana wins the battle, and will enter the Victory Tournament!” Jen's face crumpled as she recalled Golbat. She'd given the match everything she had, but hadn't even taken down two of her opponent's Pokémon. The next thing she knew, Diana was standing next to her.
“You battled well, Jennifer,” she said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Jen nodded, trying hard not to let any tears spill out.
“I've still got a lot of work to do, huh? My team isn't as strong as some of the others out here.”
“You did well to get this far,” Diana reassured her. “When I first entered a Conference tournament, I didn't get out of the first round. You just have to work hard and believe in yourself, and you'll do better next time.” Jen smiled, her eyes still a little heavy.
“I appreciate that. Thanks, Diana.” Diana gave her a quick, one-armed hug, then walked towards a tall young man who appeared to have accompanied her to the field. Jen turned away, and saw her parents waving to her, big smiles on their faces. No matter what, John and Emma Richards would proud of their daughter's efforts.
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“Tyranitar, Hyper Beam!”
A yellow-orange beam of light crashed into Tyranitar's prone opponent, a Jumpluff, and the official counted the blue Cottonweed Pokémon out; Matt Enfield had ploughed through his latest opponent with ease. He shook his opponent's hand, then rejoined the group outside the arena.
“Way to go, Dad,” Shane said, grinning.
“You were incredible,” James added.
“Thanks, boys. I don't expect the Victory Tournament will be easy. The format switches to full battles now. Six Pokémon each will require a lot more strategy.”
“You could beat anybody right now, Dad.” James said, looking intently at his father. Matt smiled.
“I suppose we'll find out.” They entered the Pokémon Centre, and Matt gave his Pokémon to one of the Joys on duty. As they headed for the waiting room, a chime sounded, and a woman's voice sounded through the building.
“Attention, please. The matchups for the Victory Tournament have now been finalized. Please consult the screens around the complex to view the schedule and matchups.” The group looked at the large screen inside the waiting room, and the eight battle matchups flashed up. The final matchup was Enfield, J. and Enfield, M. Everyone looked from Matt to James, and the surprise was palpable. Eventually, Matt broke the silence.
“Looks like James and I will be going head to head.” James simply stared at the floor, Typhlosion by his side, already thinking through how he was going to battle against his father.