The Tournament of Champions, Part 10
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"It's time for another somewhat solemn Pokéjam, ladies and gents." Ty began, in a reserved tone. Both he and his co-host were seated at their usual cluttered table with tastefully placed sponsor merch in the foreground of their show.
Gabby nodded, beside him. "The assassins who targeted Champions Isabella Fondacaro and Sikandar Jiyoshi in an attempt on their lives took ten other lives in their brutal attack, despite the Champion's efforts. The citizens whose names and faces we are now displaying were caught in the initial blast, before the Champions could even react."
"Chairman Leon has promised to hold off on the Semi Finals and the Finals of the tournament, until the funerals are arranged, and the Pokémon League has paid for the expenses of all ten victims." Ty continued. "Despite this loss, the Champions have vowed to continue their circuit. We'll hear a statement on that in a bit. Leader Gordie is expected to address the crowd before he and Kanto Gym Leader Brock face team Sikabelle for their final, albeit unnecessary Badge."
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Gabby's tone slowly shifted to a more upbeat one, as she said, "This match promises to be a twelve-on-twelve slugfest, featuring the usual Battle rules of the upcoming World Tournament. Both Leaders will be using their most powerful teams, but Sikandar and Isabella will be limited to their new teammates, not that they have anything to worry about, right Ty?"
"That's right, Gabby. Both teams have been finalized, or so we believe. Champion Isabella has a few wildcards on her belt that we have not seen, but Champion Sikandar only has one unknown team member, as his Galarian Slowbro was confirmed to be officially on his roster in the conflict we witnessed yesterday." Ty looked at his papers, then. "Once more, that's Kuranku, his Rillaboom, Jalahastee, a Hippowdon obtained on the Isle of Armor, Raphael the Gallade, Ajagar the Dragapult, Seiryu the Gyarados, Bhaloo the Urshifu, Bhoomakshak, the Garchomp, and Niryanai, the Galarian Slowbro. Bhaloo, Bhoomakshak, and Niryanai are also from the Isle of Armor. And finally, there is…Sooraj. The Volcarona who saw his debut against Milo and Gardenia, there's a link to that heated Battle in the description."
Gabby patted Ty's arm. "Well done, Ty. I'm pretty sure you only butchered three of those names."
Ty chuckled awkwardly. "I do love Indius naming conventions. So very much."
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With that pause, Gabby moved on. "Time for an update on the situation in Unova, and folks…things are Not going well. League Victor Jessica Gladstone, and Champions Hilda and Rosa have been thoroughly stumped by the Arcean forces holding out in the PNN building in Castelia. Their Pokémon seem unnaturally strong and vicious, and the lengths they will go to to avoid losing have caused the Champions and their new ally to falter in all three of their rescue attempts."
Ty continued, as Gabby needed a break from expositing. "Apparently reluctant to hurt their Pokémon and the Arceans in a serious manner, the three Champion tier Trainers are reportedly regrouping, and trying to bring in aid from Nate, Hilbert, N, and especially the current Champion, Alexander Redwood. Hilbert and Redwood are still missing, and Champion Nate is reportedly dealing with a situation up in Northern Unova, involving some remnants of Team Plasma. We will keep you all updated, as the story continues to develop, right here, on Radio PokéJaaam!"
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Battle Tower, Wyndon City - Galar Region
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Leader Bede's fabulous pink shoes clacked along the black stone floor of the top of the Battle Tower, in the ludicrously large space that had been Chairman Rose's office and meeting area and had since become Leon's. An Aegislash, a Dragapult, and Leon's Charizard were by his side, as the aging League Chairman stood, arms behind his back, his handsome features lacking his usual smile and positive attitude.
"Leader Bede."
At the intonation of Bede's name, the hidden beast at the very top of the dome rippled into visibility piece by blurple piece until Eternatus floated above Leon's team as well and seemed to be staring at the intruders. The air became heavy, and while Bede was allowed to approach Leon, the woman he'd arrived with, Zabrina, fell to her knees, and her Pokéballs fell from her belt under the pressure from the presence of Galar's strongest Legendary Guardian. She reached for them, but golden chains surrounded them, as a feminine robot voice said something she couldn't properly hear under the Pressure from the poisonous dragon Legendary. Its power was affecting all of her senses as well.
With a wave of his hand, Leon's royal purple psychic aura lifted the Pokéballs into the air before him, and Bede put his hands on his hips, a scowl on his face. "Why have you brought this violent criminal here, of all places?" Leon demanded of the psychic fairy specialist.
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"So, you saw my Gym's recordings, then…" Bede said, awkwardly. "Well, uhh, Chairman, there's really no need for…all of this." He gestured to the infamously strong members of Leon's team, and the massive presence of Eternatus. "Champion Zabrina was, as it turns out, being threatened into working for the Imperium's assassins, but I could tell her heart wasn't in it. Champions Sikandar and Isabella helped me mentally subdue her, and we learned the truth of things. I for one believe she's worthy of another chance."
"Eternatus." Leon commanded, and with a single word, the Legendary dragon's presence receded. Leon walked towards Zabrina then, and eyed her, her team still floating and captive in their balls by his head. "Is it true that you were coerced by Malcador the Sigillite, into attacking Galar and its guests?" He asked, fully aware of who ran the Imperium's assassination enclaves. It was hard to be subtle about that sort of thing when one was also the right hand of a being that claimed to be a God who also ruled half of the planet.
"Yes…" Zabrina hissed. "Some months ago…they came to Romani…they gave us the same demand as Germania and Polska before us. Bend our knees to their Imperator, or have our heads severed by their chainswords. In front of our children. We had no choice. No one to call upon. They overpowered us completely, as well as the unmarked foreign military that was plundering our land at the time. I know not which Region controlled them, they've gotten very good at hiding that information, but I know that none of them remain alive. The Imperium wiped them out before us, in a demonstration of their might." She hung her head as she looked at the floor, and hadn't bothered trying to rise, which was good, because Leon wasn't sure Charizard or Dragapult would let her. "We may not have a chance…Europa will likely abandon us or stab us in the back before actually helping my people…but it is preferable to being turned into a killer for an empire full of butchers. And, you all have remained free of them so far. I…beg for Galar's aid. Please, help my people!"
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Leon glanced at Bede, who gave him a nod at the nonverbal question, then, Leon turned his eyes to Zabrina, and a smile cracked his serious visage. "The Imperium is the exception to all norms…in ages past, all of Europa has done as Eous has. Banded together to stop incursions, yes, even in Romani. Rotto, pull up the relevant text and pictures, please." His Phone Rotom encased in a royal purple case with a golden crown on it zipped to life, and projected an old image, probably from a history book, in the air before them. On the left side, a force of metal armored knights and their Pokémon with species from Galar, Kalos, Paldea, Italia, and Romani, as well as their regional flags, all grouped together as assumed allies.
On the right side, which had considerably more fire and metal stylization around it, were the iconic and infamous blood red dyed hair crests of the Thunder Warriors. They looked the same, grim, uniform, merciless, spattered with blood, and the only artistic difference between the comparatively giant men was that their left shoulders, the visible shoulders, each sported a different symbol. One blue warrior had what looked like a U, another dark green one had a sword in between a pair of wings, Zabrina recognized the third her eyes landed on, a pair of Tyranitar jaws encircling what looked like the globe of the Earth itself, upon the blood red and gray armor of the War Hounds. Their Warchief, Ghreer, was the man currently occupying her home. The final crest was a clenched black fist on a bright yellow Thunder Warrior.
Leon continued. "Europa's ties fractured when Germania bent the knee to the Phoenician. The smallest Legion the Imperator ever raised, and they eagerly joined as soon as the Emperor's Children breached their borders, jumping at the chance to give their young men to the Astartes program." He turned and regarded Zabrina again. "I wish to reform the old alliances. I desire closer ties to Eous, as well. The world is becoming more connected than ever. Trainers are trading Pokémon from all kinds of regions, freely, using our Global Trade Network. Eventually, the Imperator will tire of the stalemate with the Varangians and the northern borders of Eous. He will send not two, but twenty Legions to claim their Kingdoms, and they will fall, this time, before a Hero ever has a chance to be found. Champion Sikandar knows this and has agreed to push my cause with the other Kingdoms, now that he's considered the Strongest in the East."
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Zabrina's eyes narrowed. "My people have no songs of this…alliance." She said, gesturing to the picture. "Just tales of treachery and barbarity from those who have always hated us."
Leon's face fell back into an impassive expression. "The Roma are not quick to forgive betrayals. Such things linger in your minds longer and more prominently than the good times that Europa has shared. You also rely on outdated oral histories that change radically with every new speaker. In the course of three generations, your tales are inaccurate at best, and completely fabricated at worst, with only vague allusions to events that actually happened. Galar, on the other hand, has too many records of our history. So many that some conflict with each other, but, on this ancient alliance the records are sound and can be cross referenced with Kalosian and Paldean history."
Zabrina glared at him. "But your armies and corporations have-"
Leon cut her off, his commanding baritone easily smashing through her tired voice. "Our regions are not monoliths. Private interests can, have, and likely will continue to make moves that Galar as a whole disagrees with. The same is true of Paldea, Kalos, and especially Italia. Europa has long been filled with greedy, wealthy people with their own agendas. We stop what we can, though I grant you, our efforts to do so could have been more…focused. You are correct in your assumptions of prejudice, even in this modern era, but you cannot paint an entire Region with the same brush, Zabrina. Romani has been insular for centuries, isolated and hostile to foreign relations. How are we supposed to reign in private interests when we don't know who they are or where they're based? And the only people who could tell us refuse to even speak with us. This is why we need to cooperate and communicate. We must move beyond the past, and into our future, together, if we want it to be a future free of slavery to the Imperium."
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Zabrina nodded slowly, as Leon's phone continued to show more and more pictures and records of ancient Imperium incursions, usually against Germania, Polska, and Romani. "I can convince my people. But hear me Galar Chairman, if Europa once again betrays us, we will turn in kind to the Imperium's mercy, such as it is. They may wipe us out for standing up to them, but death and genetic modification is preferable to relying on backstabbing Bigots."
Leon sighed, heavily. "If such a thing occurs, promise me Romani Champion, that you, or whoever succeeds you, will talk to us, before departing the alliance." Such a thing had happened last time, where rich actors, who'd likely been Imperium spies, had tricked the Roma into believing Europa as a whole had betrayed them. This was not long after Germania turned its coat, and Romani's departure properly fractured any unity Europa had left.
Zabrina slowly managed to stand, and though Charizard snarled, neither he nor his teammates attacked. She offered a hand to Leon. "I agree…to these terms."
Leon smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes, given that it was fake. "Good. Now report to the Pokémon Center. The Nurses need to examine your team and make sure they can Battle without going berserk." Zabrina sighed, but took her balls back from Leon's aura hold on them, before doing as she was told.
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The Crown Tundra - Galar Region
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Isabella Fondacaro's crimson mane blew wildly in the harsh frozen winds of the Crown Tundra, and then settled down as she finally stepped out of the frigid cold. Her childhood rival had found a cave full of what he thought were worthy enemies near the southernmost tip of the massive island that was Galar. There were only so many places one could be, in this place, and once she'd found Mikolaj, he hadn't responded to her words, he'd simply pulled out a newer Pokéball and started a battle. She knew what this was, of course. He'd decided he was done with women, again, and had entered one of his more serious bouts of training. She'd agreed wordlessly to the battle, as she knew this was about the only time the Polska Champion battled seriously. "Dragomoc." He said, as a brand new Archaludon, freshly evolved by the look of him, appeared from his Ultra Ball.
There was only one logical counter, Duraludon's only rival in Galar's mountains. Marabecca appeared on the field, and a low rumbling snarl echoed through her body as she took in the evolved form of one of the few species that could call itself Tyranitar's rival. Sand overpowered the snowstorm, though it would do nothing but hinder the large dragon bridge's eyesight. Isabella didn't wait for Mikolaj. "Dig." The glaring green mountain monster sank rapidly into the ground.
Mikolaj countered coldly. "Reflect Screen. Iron Defense." Two barriers of psychic power formed easily around Archaludon, and then an iron shield appeared before it, and the buff further raised its defense.
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Isabella smirked. "Marabecca! Earth Spout!" She raised her fist, and energy flowed into her Tyranitar through the hole left by Dig. The ground rumbled, as Mega Tyranitar formed beneath it, and then in an explosion of truly terrifying amounts of earth, she appeared, surging upwards and hammered Dragomoc with the power of a custom move fueled by Mega Evolution. Despite his boosts to defense, and Reflect, the slightly lower-level dragon took serious damage, but stayed standing.
Mikolaj countered hard. "Flash Bombard!" Spheres of multiple Flash Cannons appeared around the length of the Archaludon as it shifted to all fours and resembled a proper bridge. He was using its naturally metallic body to generate more light for the move to use. They fired at the Mega Tyranitar, and though each was super effective, the dark beast simply grinned as they hammered her armor and broke into silvery puffs of energy. Very few attacks could get through her natural defenses in this form, and the closer Mikolaj looked, the more he noticed. Marabecca had, somehow, created a cloak of dark typed energy around her body, not an aura shield, but the dark equivalent of one, perhaps. It had dampened the damage of the Flash Cannons, somehow.
Marabecca roared loud enough for the noise to echo through the entire cave, and probably most of the Crown Tundra. Darkness infused the Sandstorm, completely obscuring her, as Isabella tested their newest custom move, one that wasn't one hundred percent mastered, but likely could be, in the heat of battle. "Terra Impact!"
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Miko countered quickly, rightly guessing that his rival had created a ground typed Giga Impact. Even with their defenses raised, that would hurt. "Iron Defense Dragomoc!" Again, the steel shield buff appeared, raising his physical defenses even further. This was just in time for the Terra Impact to land, as Marabecca burst from the cave floor with an explosion of rock and stone that shook the cavern as much as her roar had. In terms of stamina, Dragomoc was in the red, but he was conscious. "Hammer her with two Massive Aura Spheres!"
Aura was a new concept to the bridge dragon, but he grunted a metallic affirmative, dividing his power for the move into two, and hammering Marabecca with both. After her elemental Giga Impact failed, Isabella knew she'd be countered, and sure enough, the first Aura Sphere was powerful enough to stun her with her quadruple weakness, long enough to charge the next. She fell on her back, fainted, with a soft growl. Isabella mirrored her growl. "I didn't come here for a Battle, Miko."
"Then leave." He retorted, flatly, without emotion. "I don't want you here. I don't think I'm even going to participate in the Tournament anymore…Zabrina is…"
"Yea, we already know. Thanks for the warning. Coward." His blue eyes narrowed dangerously at her words, but Isabella had been planning her words the entire trip down here, and they may have turned a bit harsh after she had to traverse most of the freezing Crown Tundra just to find him and end his temper tantrum. "Her little stunt got people killed, Mikolaj. Fans. My fans. And Sikandar's. A whole squad of Imperium Assassins attacked us just outside Ballonlea. Now the Tournament is on pause, or at least the Semi Finals and Finals are, and will resume after the funerals are finished."
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Any anger Mikolaj might've had evaporated in the harsh reality of her sharp tone, and he looked down as he, to his credit, immediately understood what his inaction had wrought. Even Dragomoc was side eyeing his new Trainer, seemingly possessing the intelligence to understand, more or less with his lack of context, what his Trainer was responsible for. Miko could feel the dragon's opinion of him sinking. Isabella wasn't done, though. "You had a responsibility as a Champion to warn people, Miko. You could've at least called Leon. But no. You caught a few new partners, probably traded for some on the GTN, and went to have a solo pity party out in the frozen rear end of Galar without so much as a heads up." Her eyes grew a bit shinier then, "You didn't even warn me, Miko. I thought we were friends."
"I'm just…I'm done with women, Isa-" Isabella cut him off. Miko had expected that though, he knew how she got when she was on the moral high ground.
"Spare me your B.S!" Her loud tone echoed through the cave, and a few wild Pokémon were watching them now, purely for the drama, while they munched on some ores. "So Zabrina used you! Convinced you to help the Imperium, because you were drawn in by her big pillowy breasts! What did you Mukking expect, Miko!? You always value physical experiences over emotional ones, and this is the price. Get over it. You had a responsibility to warn the innocents of Galar of the attack, but you were too busy having a pity party to make so much as a peep! You have blood on your hands, Polska Champion."
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"What was I supposed to do!?" He shouted back, small tears forming at the corner of his eyes. "Even with a warning, people would've been caught in whatever attack they launched at you. It might have even made them rethink their strategy of attacking you within a city! They could've hit a trainload of people with a Thunderhawk! Or strapped a bomb to a Corviknight Taxi! There are thousands of ways they could've gotten you two instead, and as you said, it's the Imperium. Innocents were always going to get caught in the crossfire, that's kind of their M.O! Nothing I did or said would've changed that. I knew you'd be fine. Sikandar is a psychic, and they know your powers are blooming too. That's probably why they wanted you two dead."
"They had weapons designed to KILL psychics, Miko!" Isabella countered, just openly shouting now. "Sikandar sensed them, but then they hit us with some weird Darkness weapons using Dark Typed Energy. We were nullified and shield less almost immediately, and the only reason we're alive is because our Pokémon are so strong!" She crossed her arms as she glared at him. "You've Mukked up hard this time, Miko. You owe me. And Sikandar. But lucky for you, Sikandar and I want to cash in your debts immediately. You can try to make this right."
Miko just stared at her for a long time, before Dragomoc rumbled at him. Finally, he said, "How?"
Isabella stepped closer to him now, tired of shouting. "You want to make this right?" She affirmed, and Mikolaj nodded solemnly. "The world doesn't know what you and Zabrina did, yet. You already said you don't care about the Tournament. Drop out. Zabrina is doing the same. As we speak, Romani is being conquered by the Imperium. You need to rally Polska and surprise their Thunder Warriors with a blitz invasion from Polska. Chairman Leon is sending a company of Galar's finest to help the Roma resist and rebel, and as they sweep north, your people will move south, catching the World Eaters between you. Their Warchief Ghreer will not retreat, so you'll have to be prepared to kill them all, to the last man."
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Mikolaj shifted uncomfortably. "So, what, I'm just supposed to start a war with the Imperium? They're infesting my Region too, Isabella. Every day there's more deluded fools screeching about making Polska great, or something. I barely read the emails they send, but they're getting more numerous."
Isabella just glared at him. "Your government has been looking for an excuse to drive out the Imperium. Conquering Romani is that excuse. Go in unmarked with people you trust that are strong enough to handle the Thunder Warriors. Then you can go home and promote Europan unity. This is the price you must pay if you want Chairman Leon and Leader Bede to not bring up the question of what you knew, and when you knew it. Bow out, go home, and make this right, Miko."
The red and white clad Polska Champion was silent for a time, and almost brought up the fact that he'd won the battle, so he could just ignore her, but he knew how that sounded, even in his head. Eventually, he said, "Fine." And Dragomoc rumbled in approval. "I'll summon the Elite Four, and our Polska League victors. We'll drive the Imperium out of Romani. Can I count on Italia's aid if Polska is attacked by Germania in response?"
A small smile finally cracked Isabella's angered expression, as she heard the tired resignation in her old friend's tone. Her tone softened slightly. "Of course, Miko. I'll go myself, if my Region won't. And Sikandar will probably help too."
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
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Mikolaj chuckled at how light her voice got when she said his name, but it also hurt, deep down in his very essence. "Wow, you really fell hard for him, huh?" He shoved the hurt down with the pain Zabrina caused, since he was, still, very much done with women. He and Dragomoc laughed as her face started turning crimson, like her hair. "He's a good man, Isabella. I believe you. I think he really would spring into action, although maybe not directly. Indius has its own precarious position with the Imperium to consider. Alright. Tell Chairman Leon I'm dropping out, will you?"
Isabella nodded. "I will." She tilted her head, and there was a slight glow in her eyes, as she heard from Sikandar, mentally. "It seems like the running line of B.S. is that you two are dropping out to deal with 'troubles at home' in the wake of this unprecedented assault by the Imperium. Subtle. But still classic Leon."
"Give our respects to the…families of your fans. I know they would've preferred having you two attend, instead of us." Mikolaj said in a somber tone. He called out his Garchomp then, a massive beast that mainly served as his momentum breaker in battle, and his ride. Without another word, Mikolaj soared into the night, heading southeast, and Isabella hailed a taxi to take her to her next, and final, gym battle.
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Circhester Stadium - Galar Region
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The air was heavy with sorrow and sad vibes. Gym Leaders Gordie and Brock were center field in Circhester Stadium, with Sikandar and Isabella beside them. Gordie spoke first, continuing his speech after an appropriately lengthy moment of silence. "We will never forget the bright, young lives that were lost in Ballonlea. We will not forget who took them, either. There will be a response. Not even the Imperium of Man can sow wanton destruction in other regions without consequences."
There was a low angry murmur from the crowd, but it quieted as Leader Brock, of Pewter City, stepped up. "Let's dedicate this Battle to our fallen friends and fans! And of course, to my Lady, Olivia!" He gestured grandly to the front row of the stadium seats where Alola's Kahuna Olivia was sitting. A spotlight shifted to her, and she waved, then held up a large and evidently handmade sign that said 'Rock them, Brock!' In colorful stones. The crowd was a mix of chuckles, sharp whistles, and cheers.
Once the four battlers took their places, the referee began the match. Only Brock shouted his choice, throwing at the same time as Gordie. "Let's go! Swampert!" Joining the experienced, burly mudfish was Gordie's Day Form Lycanroc. Their opponents shared a look, nodded, and then chose their own partners. Isabella had been going to use Carey anyway, and Sikandar went with Seiryu, his Gyarados.
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The challengers wasted no time, and Isabella shouted, "Earthquake!" Seiryu floated above the violent churning earth as it rolled towards Gordie's stone hound, but Brock was quick to counter.
"Swampert! Fight Earthquake with Earthquake! Then use Muddy Water!"
Gordie wasn't idle either. "Lycanroc! Thunder Fang!"
Sikandar's eyes narrowed. "Go high, Seiryu." The Gyarados acquiesced with a piercing noise between a roar and a shriek and was soon swirling above the battlefield, waiting patiently for his Trainer's orders. A localized Rain Dance formed around the slowly rotating sky dragon, yet the water wasn't falling to the field. For whatever reason, the Gyarados was keeping it around him.
The Gym Leaders weren't going for Seiryu though. Carey's eyes widened as water erupted from the quaked earth, soaking Carey with dirty brown water. Then came the Thunder Fang, or it would have, if Seiryu and Sikandar hadn't been waiting to strike.
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"Focused Hurricane!" Sikandar shouted, and a brief but intense burst of wind hammered the Lycanroc at the perfect angle to send him soaring into Swampert. Instead of bashing the flying stone wolf away, Swampert caught him, and used the momentum to throw him towards Carey in a surprising display of teamwork.
Luckily, the grass ape was ready to counter, as was his Trainer. "Fill the air! Razor Leaf!" A swarm of sharp leaves swirled through the air and hammered their opponents. The Lycanroc's momentum died to the swarm of leaves coming from Carey's mane being directed by one of his drum sticks, and the Swampert was particularly overwhelmed, and targeted, but Gordie was quick to jump in with more teamwork.
"Rock Tomb!" His Lycanroc encased his ally in a shield of sturdy stone, and then Gordie pointed at Seiryu, who was in the air, not-so-subtly creating a swirling vortex of rain and wind that was probably part of their strategy. "Now Drill Run into the sky and use Thunder Fang!"
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Isabella was quick with her own counter. "Don't let him! Drum Beating!" Massive vines surged up and around the spinning ground energy, catching the Lycanroc, and then brutally slamming him back down to the field, which caused him to faint.
Unfortunately, Carey's focus on Lycanroc left him open to a brutal counter from Brock and his Swampert. "Ice Punch!" The Pewter Gym Leader called out.
"Get out of there, Carey!" Isabella ordered, and despite taking one of the punches, the wounded grass ape dodged the other frosty fist, leaping away with his powerful legs, and setting up his drum again under Seiryu's storm. With a quick nod to Sikandar, Isabella recalled Carey, and then his Pokéball grew comically large in her grip. She threw him back into the fray, and as he appeared, he grew, and grew, and grew some more. With four massive arms now, Carey excitedly boomed on his drums, as Ty loudly and unnecessarily exclaimed to the crowd about the Gigantamaxing they'd witnessed.
Gordie started to sweat, as his next pick was Barbaracle, and that seemed to have prompted the Gigantamax while the slow seven eyed sea dweller made his way up to the Swampert. He and Brock shouted their moves at the same time. "Protect!"
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Sikandar was smirking now. "Seiryu! Unleash the storm!" Suddenly, the vortex of localized rain and wind he'd been building was unleashed with the iconic fury Gyarados was known for. Gale force winds capable of demolishing villages hit the pair of protected Pokémon huddling under their Protect barriers, and while they managed to weather the storm, doing so tired both of them.
Then, amidst the howling wind and rain, came the ominous beat of a massive drum. Brock and Gordie looked down, as they knew what came next, and they'd been baited into using their Protects. To his credit, Brock's Swampert spread his burly arms wide, and attempted another Protect, but the Max energy infused vines of the Rillaboom knocked both of them out with the power of a quadruple weakness.
Down three Pokémon and facing two more presumably super effective G Max Drum Beatings, Gordie felt things were going about as well as could be expected, against a pair this in sync. Brock, however, was not giving up so easily. "Forretress! ZAP CANNON!" He shouted the move immediately as he threw the Pokéball he'd chosen with a masterful spin, and his longtime partner acquiesced just as quickly, keeping the spinning momentum going as he shot from his ball and began sparking in the air. He was flipping a figurative coin on being able to land the move, but to everyone's surprise, especially Sikandar's, Brock's gamble paid off significantly. The spinning metal bagworm spewed his massive ball of electric pain and Seiryu was struck hard by his own quadruple weakness, and fell from the sky, fainted. Sikandar recalled him, sighing quietly to himself, before he hit the ground.
"Niryanai! Defend Carey." Sikandar said, summoning the poisonous psychic in what was her debut battle. The Galarian Slowbro nodded slowly, and then raised the Shellder gun on her arm, taking aim at her opponents. Gordie's next choice was Crustle, which worked well for what Sikandar wanted. "Flamethrower!"
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Still spent from his Zap Cannon, all Forretress could do was hide in his shell, but Gordie responded quicker than Brock did. "Dig, Crustle! Then use Rock Polish!" All but the topmost layer of the stoney hermit crab sank into the earth, giving away the fact that it had mastered Dig. It dodged the Flamethrower billowing from the business end of the Shellder as Niryanai focused her power, and made it shoot flames instead of water. She didn't seem especially derpy and dim like most Slowbro, which was what had convinced Sikandar to catch her. That, and her desire to follow him when they'd first arrived on the Isle of Armor.
Forretress popped open, emitting steam, with poli-patterned eyes. Against its weakness, hiding actually made the heat worse, especially after generating and launching so much electric plasma. Brock was quick to replace him though. "Sudowoodo! Get in there!" "You too, Crustle!" Gordie ordered. Unfortunately for them both, while they'd tried to focus on the Slowbro with the diverse move pool, Carey was still very much above them, looming and ready to bring the grass typed pain.
As they approached Niryanai, the ominous drumming resumed, and after surrounding the poisoned water hippo with protective vines, the Gigantamaxed Drum Beating hammered Crustle out of the ground, wreathed though it was with the ground energy associated with Dig. Sudowoodo was also hammered, but sturdy enough to take the hit and survive. The next would end it, but Brock intended to force them to waste a Max Move on it. "Dodge, Sudowoodo! Forget attacking, don't get hit!" Spurred on by his sturdiness, the tired but still conscious rock tree used its surprising speed to start zooming around the field, and the crowd went from cheering, to laughing, to cheering once more as Crustle used Dig again on its own initiative to aim for Niryanai.
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Sensing their renewed momentum, Sikandar moved to kill it. "The Crustle! Zen Surf!" Niryanai nodded and aimed at the recklessly attacking and much faster moving hermit crab. Her first shot missed, as she figured out how Crustle dodged. The next, using all of the psychic infused water she'd gathered with ease, hammered the Crustle with the accuracy and power worthy of a Champion ranked Pokémon. The Crustle was stopped in its tracks, and knocked out of the ground, into a mound of raised dirt that the sheer force of the pressurized water created. The damaged Pokémon weakly acknowledged her strength, before fainting under the weight of his shell, and Niryanai mumbled something in return.
Gordie's Stonjourner suffered a similar fate, though it wielded its unique gravitational control to Muk with Niryanai's focused blasts of Surf, eventually, the psychic hippo used her abilities to curve the stream, and hammer both Sudowoodo and Stonjourner at once. They collapsed in a fainted heap, and all through this, Carey held the Gigantamax longer than most Pokémon could. He was starting to sweat from the effort, but his arms remained raised, ready to resume the attack on fresh opponents. Brock summoned his Golem, and Gordie went with Tyranitar who filled the field with a sudden and intense sandstorm with his mere appearance, then, Isabella nodded at Carey. Once more, the field erupted in vines as the thunderous drums boomed through the sandstorm. Golem, despite his speed and sturdiness, failed to shine in this match, as multiple vines smashed through his sturdy ability.
Gordie however, had a different strategy for Tyranitar. "Hyper Beam anything that moves!" He shouted, and his partner was all too eager to oblige, as it assumed its Mega Form with a roar. Brock's Steelix was up next, who also mega evolved, and together, the two Mega Pokémon intended to rack up some KOs thanks to the combination of Sand Force and Infinity Energy. Against Mega Tyranitar's Hyper Beams, even a Max Move couldn't last, and somehow, Gordie's Tyranitar was unleashing the beam in portions, which was enough to blow away even the massive regenerating vines. Had Carey been in a fresher Gigantamax, he might've been able to overpower it, but the Max Energy burned out of his system, and the vines went with it, leaving the two Mega Pokémon free to rampage.
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Before they could though, Isabella switched Carey out to take a breather. "You did great, Carey. Go, Ursarti!" The crowd erupted in cheers as a Single Strike Urshifu, like Victor's, took the field, not moving a single millimeter as he took his stance amidst the swirling sands. The attacks came all at once. "Flamethrower!" "Brick Break" "Hyper Beam!" "Steelix, Earthquake!"
Niryanai's flames shot across the field with surprising speed from a Slowbro, cooking the Mega Steelix as his head slammed into the field, and sent a wave of earth towards her simultaneously. Both Pokémon weathered the hit, and their Trainers ordered the same move again. Mega Tyranitar meanwhile, braced itself as it fired another Hyper Beam. Ursarti cut through it with his glowing orange Brick Break however, leaping forward above the Earthquake with the speed and power of his Legendary species, he cut through the potent but still normal typed beam of energy.
Streaks of said energy hit the field near Niryanai, interrupting her Flamethrower with raised earth that Mega Steelix took control of to swiftly and mercilessly block her flames, and then crush her with. Given that he was Brock's starter, Niryanai's debut ended buried by his mastery of the earth, and Sikandar recalled her. Ursarti, meanwhile, was going blow for blow with the Mega Tyranitar, though neither of their Trainers were shouting moves at this point, not wanting to distract them. Sikandar was slightly salty that Ursarti had gotten his partner fainted, so he brought out Bhaloo. He'd been growing gruffer and edgier ever since he evolved, and Bhaloo was the only one that he seemed to give a Muk about.
"Alright Bhaloo! It's time!" She turned back to Sikandar and nodded. She was recalled, and the crowd lost its composure as the cheers became deafening. Sikandar held the massive glowing Pokéball with one hand, his face suddenly becoming solemn. He gave a two-fingered salute to the crowd. "This one…is for my fans! GIGANTAMAX!"
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Bhaloo grew, quadrupling in size in stages, as Brock, Gordie, and Steelix watched in awe. Tyranitar and Ursarti were too busy beating the snot out of each other, a contest that it seemed Ursarti was going to win, thanks to multiple quadruple effective fighting moves hitting so hard, even Tyranitar's armor was having trouble taking them directly. Now standing above them all like a towering god balanced upon one massive leg, Bhaloo waited on Sikandar. "Ursarti!" Isabella shouted, "Get out of there!" Looking back at her in disgust, and then realizing what Bhaloo was about to do, the dark typed bear crouched and leapt into the air, masterfully backflipping back to his side of the field, leaving a wounded Mega Tyranitar in his wake.
Sikandar didn't wait for him to land. "Rapid Flow!" Bhaloo moved, and water moved with her, surging around her fists as the first critical strike hammered Mega Tyranitar, and knocked him out, his mega Form fading as he rolled across the field and then stopped in a heap of stone and upturned earth. Brock wasn't idle, however.
"Steelix! Use Protect!" Gordie facepalmed at Brock, and shouted something unintelligible at him, which made the Pewter City Gym Leader grimace. He then saw just how useful Protect was against this move, as it hammered Mega Steelix, and also sent him hurtling back across the field. As the sandstorm began to fade, and a third flowing strike was coming, Brock changed tactics. "Steelix! Gyro Ball!"
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The defense heavy iron snake spun through the critically surging water, and weathered the physical attack, though the damage was building quickly. "Now Magnet Rise, and Thunder Fang!" Electromagnetic energy surged around the Mega Steelix, and it flew into the air, jaws limned in electricity as it aimed for Bhaloo's raised leg.
Unfortunately for Brock, that was what Isabella and Ursarti had been waiting for. "Brick Break!" Suddenly, Ursarti was there in the air with them, having evidently Bulked Up during Bhaloo's first attack. Steelix changed targets, and electricity surged through Ursarti, leaving him paralyzed, even as his merciless fist hammered the Steelix into the ground with a boom that shook the stadium. The crowd roared as Ursarti landed and took damage from it as his muscles refused to listen, but the Mega Form broke, and the ref called the faint for Brock's Steelix. "You did excellent, Ursarti." Isabella called out. "Rest now. The others can finish this." Ursarti glared at her, glanced up at Bhaloo, and then nodded.
Isabella brought out her own Tyranitar, as Gordie brought out his Coalossal, and Brock brought out his final Pokémon, a newer addition to his team, Gigalith. The two rock typed Trainers shared a nod, and then recalled their partners, as their Dynamax Bands reacted simultaneously. A Gigantamaxed Coalossal and a Dynamaxed Gigalith took the field then, even as Marabecca assumed her Mega Form.
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Naturally, Ty was losing his mind, along with the crowd. "THREE DYNAMAXES ALL AT ONCE, AND ANOTHER MEGA TYRANITAR! Folks it doesn't get more exciting than this!"
Sikandar and Isabella shared another look, and he gestured to the battle marked field, letting her go first. "Marabecca! EARTHQUAKE!" More of a show boater than Gordie's partner, she let out that iconic roar and shook the stadium with her power. Her attack power surged, as the crowd responded to the rumbling with screams, and the attack hit both of the supersized Pokémon with critical effectiveness. She had enough control to not hit Bhaloo. The Gigantamaxed Coalossal winced hard, falling to one knee, but the Gigalith kept him propped up long enough to attack, despite his own pain.
"Coalossal! Volcalith, now!" Gordie shouted. With its one free hand, while the other helped it stand again, using Gigalith's crystals as a crutch to stand up with, the field erupted in a volcanic explosion of rock and dirt that hurt Bhaloo, and didn't seem to really phase Marabecca. As usual, Isabella capitalized on her research and had chosen the most effective counter to Gordie's ace.
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Brock struck next. "Gigalith! Max Overgrowth!" His living crystal monolith roared in response, its crystals shining in the sun of the open stadium, as it unleashed an enhanced version of its Solar Beam, one of the few rock types that was able to learn a grass move.
"Bhaloo! Use the flow to dodge, and then hit Coalossal! Bring it down!" Not used to wielding Max Overgrowth, Gigalith aimed it far back on Bhaloo's side of the field, as the massive water typed surged forward, and brutally struck Coalossal. The first strike knocked it onto its back, and the Max Form exploded in a violent release of power as Coalossal fainted. That was the price of having not one, but two quadruple weaknesses, and tanking a hit from a Mega Tyranitar had pushed its limits. Bhaloo whirled on Gigalith then, who was also damaged, and both remaining critically effective flowing strikes knocked it out as well, with a similar explosion of suddenly released energy. Bhaloo looked at her defeated opponents and roared at the open sky, claiming her victory, and then she let the Max Energy flow out of her, returning to her normal size, as the crowd whooped, and the battle ended.
Sikandar and Isabella walked towards Brock and Gordie as they recalled their partners and met the victorious pair. They each shook hands, and then turned to the crowd with big grins. "It's been a while since I had a Battle that exciting." Brock remarked, and this close to him, Sikandar was genuinely amazed at how hard his muscles seemed. The seemingly closed eyes in a perfect line turned towards them, as he said, "It's going to be interesting to see how you two Battle against each other. Good luck against Leon." Gordie repeated the sentiment, and the two Gym Leaders departed, leaving Sikandar and Isabella to awkwardly stare at each other as the moment they'd been dreading since becoming a couple had finally arrived.
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They interfaced with their fans, putting off dealing with thinking about their next match in favor of making sure their fanbase was happy, for once. Both felt more than a little guilty at how hard they'd been to reach during this tournament, and the fans who had died had done so without getting to actually meet them, which only compounded the guilt. It took three hours to move through what remained of the crowd, but eventually, everyone left with a satisfied smile. They returned to the Pokémon Center then, healed their teams, and took the taxi to Wyndon. Leon had gotten them a suite in the Rose of the Rondelands hotel, large and sturdy enough to accommodate their Pokémon.
They decided to have a final night together, before they'd sleep separately and plan their strategies with their teams. The usual frolicking and fornicating punctuated the meal their Trainers had in the room's spacious dining area, and it was a pleasant end to a long and somewhat somber day that would precede another similarly somber day. The funerals would be in the afternoon the next day, and then after that, the Semi Finals match would be held in Wyndon Stadium at some point soon after. The victor of that match would then face Victor or Gloria, and upon the conclusion of that battle, the victor would ascend the Battle Tower to face Leon, with their team healed in intervals, and right before reaching Leon, of course. Then it would be up to them to claim victory in a six on six that would include Leon's new partners, and his Charizard. If the winner of the Finals failed to surpass Leon, the loser of the Semi Final match would face the remaining Galar League victor, and then that winner would go on to challenge Leon. If they also lost, Leon had hinted there would be chances for the remaining two to have their own crack at the Battle Tower, but the exact details were not yet ironed out.
As he watched her sleep, Sikandar wished he could just let Isabella win. He was already considered the strongest in Eous, and had nothing to prove against Leon, but he knew his team was eager to test the Chairman. Kuranku in particular wanted to beat his Charizard, as it was he who had famously blown away her mom with his G Max Wildfire, and cemented Gloria's loss. They'd been working on her rock moves specifically for that, and he hadn't used her in Circhester to keep her fresh for Wyndon.
He turned on his back and exhaled slowly. He also knew Isabella would kill him, perhaps literally, if he didn't take their battle as seriously as he had all the others. It was, he knew, going to be the sort of epic couple clash that the media loved, and Isabella despised. Gabby and Ty would, undoubtedly, and perhaps even were at that very moment, playing up the 'will this battle end their relationship' nonsense. He knew it wouldn't, and he assumed Isabella was smart enough, and knew him well enough by now, to know he didn't really care about things like winning or losing battles. He went his hardest when survival was on the line, and the Imperium was at his door. It was their Thunder Warriors who had, many times in his tenure as Champion, tested his team and put them under the kind of life-or-death pressure that spurred Pokémon to what humans called 'level one hundred'.
His newest team had already plateaued in terms of gaining 'levels', as had Isabella's, and this was only confirmed after their battle in Circhester. They would clash in the low to mid-nineties, in terms of level. Had he say, a younger Pokémon ranked at around level five in the party for the upcoming bout, the experience gained would undoubtedly get them to, by his estimation, thirty. At least. After which point their body would rapidly adjust, with a bit of practice, to the sudden burst of power. But to his team, that amount of experience was a single drop in a very, very large ocean.
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As Bandar and the rest of his new team members finished their mental image training while they slept, Sikandar addressed them in the plateau surrounded by tropical green flora, a mindscape that greatly resembled the Vijaya Pathar, home of the Indius League. "This is it, my friends. The Semi Finals, the Finals, and then Leon himself, and the Battle Tower. But before we can face Victor or Gloria, we have to get through Isabella. With Mikolaj and Zabrina gone, there's only one round in the Semi Finals. One chance. If we lose, we'll have to wait for Isabella and her team to lose to Leon before we can make the same attempt." He didn't even entertain the idea that she'd be beaten by Gloria or Victor. He knew better.
Bhaloo and Kuranku murmured mentally to each other, and then Kuranku said, as eloquently as one could with only their mind, "What if we don't want to fight her team? Many of her Pokémon are our friends, or mates."
Sikandar walked over to her and gave her mental scritches. "It's alright to feel apprehension about facing one you love in Battle, but I'm doing the same thing, Kuranku. And that's all it is, in the end. A Battle. An important one, one we will likely remember for quite some time, but ultimately, a contest for sport, in the end. It won't change how I feel about Isabella. It won't change how her partners feel about you. But I'll try to keep you guys from having to face your friends…although I think some of you are actually quite eager for that." His Hippowdon, Garchomp, and Magnezone all roared an affirmative, ready to battle with no holds barred against those they considered worthy rivals.
Bhoomakshak spoke then, a rumbling sound he didn't usually make, which only made the words he did utter more impactful, as they were somewhat accurately translated to Common, in this mindspace. "We have faced the majority of Galar…and I find it lacking compared to your mate's team, Tamer."
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He let out a happy snarl, as it was his turn for scritches. "It has been a bit…easy, hasn't it? But that's because we hit the Isle of Armor early on. Do not mistake our past Battles for what we'll face now. From here on…it will become much more intense. Leon, Victor, and Gloria are, I have no doubt, on or above our level. We'll have to go beyond our limits, to win against them. Are you with me?"
His team let out a unified noise of affirmation that was simply unintelligible chaos not even his mind could translate. There was still some apprehension, but the majority were very much burning to claim victory, their eyes as on fire as Bandar's were. The proud fire ape looked over his new teammates with pride and nodded. They were as ready as they were likely to be.
Finally letting himself drift off to sleep, as Bandar and his new team finally fell asleep, Sikandar quelled his nerves about battling Isabella. Win or lose, he would, as usual, give her everything he had.