Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Rain Dance ❯ Hidden Power ( Chapter 14 )

[ A - All Readers ]

~Eevee!~

“Alright, Manual! Quick Attack!~

The sound of bodies colliding in a satisfying thwomp floated through the arena as Manual slammed into a Sunflora, sending the grass-type sprawling to the ground. Cheering quickly overcame that sound as the audience exploded into yells and roars. Manual grinned and chased his tail as the Sunflora was recalled and the battle ended. It felt wonderful. Three Pokemon he fought, and three Pokemon he beat. His fur was roughed up from the attacks he’d endured, and he panted as he caught his breath, but the feeling of elation from winning was rejuvenating. He ran to Batoy, who scooped him up, and together, both waved to the crowd, grins plastered across their faces.

But Jet couldn’t help but scowl silently to himself as he looked up at Manual. Neither the Eevee nor Batoy noticed him, nor did anyone in the audience. Why would they? He didn’t even get to fight. He hadn’t been needed at all. ~Lava…~ Jet muttered to himself, but his complaint was swallowed instantly by the cheering. He trudged after Batoy as the boy made his way off the arena. In the back of his mind, something argued with him. They’d won the second battle. This should be a time for celebration, and he should be congratulating Manual for his performance, but for some reason, he couldn’t feel anything but detestation for the Eevee. Why wouldn’t it just go to sleep already?

~Chu?~

Max trotted next to Jet, curious to the sudden surge of negative energy radiating from the Quilava, but Jet ignored him. The Raichu’s ears folded back and he moved away from Jet. Ever since the first battle, Jet had acted strangely, completely ignoring him most of the time and at other times, Max could feel an almost searing heat on his back. Most troubling, though, was that it all started when he defeated that Snorlax. Before that, Jet had become a close friend. It was all very disturbing.

“Well guys,” Batoy was saying. “I think we’re doing really, really well.” He flushed a bit before stopping and looking around at all four Pokemon. “I admit… I really underestimated you guys. I didn’t think we’d be able to get this far. But as long as you guys keep doing your best, I think we could make it really far.”

~Vee!~ Manual chirped and wagged his tail. Batoy chuckled and hugged the Eevee close to him. “And you did a really good job, Manny. I’m so proud of you. You’ve gotten so strong since we first found you.” Manual licked Batoy’s cheek; the praise made his heart swell. The Eevee suddenly yawned and folded his ears back. Batoy smiled. “I guess it’s that time for you, huh? Alright. You just rest up.”

As Batoy recalled Manual, Peter rushed up to him. Batoy opened his mouth to speak, but Peter, in a pant, interrupted. “Geez… it’s really hard to find you… I’ve been looking… for you since your first fight.”

Batoy blinked. “Uh… what’s up?”

“I just… you know who you’re fighting next, right?”

“Um… I haven’t really been looking. Something I should know?”

Peter paled for a second. “Well… you know after we found Korin… apparently some stuff had happened and… long story short, Boss fired Beth.”

“He… he did?” Batoy asked, slightly stunned. “Why?”

“I don’t know… all I remember is him saying that she didn’t respect the Pokemon she raised enough. But… she’s been on a warpath and she’s really hurting her opponents.”

“She’s in the show, too?”

“Yeah, I told you that, remember? She’s your next opponent. I just wanted you to be careful, okay? I don’t want your Pokemon to get hurt.”

Batoy nodded. “Yeah… thanks for the warning.”

“Well, I gotta go now. Boss wanted me for somethin’.” Peter turned to walk off but suddenly paused. “Oh, yeah! Almost forgot. Boss wanted me to give this to ya.” He held out a small brown satchel drawn closed by a leather string. “He said that you should probably open that after the tournament ends.”

“Oh okay.” Batoy looked at the satchel and pocketed it. “Thanks a lot.”

“Alright, going now! C’ya! Good luck, bro.” Peter rushed off.

---

Batoy’s head ached. Within just a few horrible seconds, everything that could have gone wrong did. His mind swirled, wondering if he had some how fallen into some terrible hallucination. He’d known the coming battle would be tough ever since Peter had revealed his opponent, but he never even fathomed the event that would precede the start of the battle. “This isn’t happening….”

Jet had refused to fight. The Quilava had taken a perch at the entrance to the arena and refused to budge. Batoy glanced towards the fire-type, a helpless expression on his face, but Jet merely turned away. Batoy bit his lip and looked down beside him. Both Max and Ollie gazed at him with confused and worried expressions. Manual was still asleep within his Pokeball and would remain in an unshakeable slumber for another hour.

“Max…” Batoy said softly. “I know this is completely unfair… especially to you… but… I don’t know what’s wrong with Jet, and Manny… if you don’t want to battle, that’s okay. We’ll just forfeit, I guess….”

~Chu…~ Max shook his head. No matter what, he had to do his best for his new friends and teammates. He cast a disapproving look towards Jet then looked at Bethany. His paws started to quiver, stilled only by the glare of loathing that the breeder cast towards him. Max swallowed hard before stepping on to the field; the cheers of the crowd quiet and distant to his ears. ~Rai…chu…~ he whimpered, his tail sagging, and he turned to give a pleading look towards Jet. Like Batoy, he was shrugged off.

~Choke!~ The blue skinned, muscle-bound fighting Pokemon appeared on the field, flexing its powerful muscles as its red eyes focused on the small Raichu. Max trembled as the Machoke stepped forward. Weakness crept up his shins to his thighs, and when the Machoke suddenly charged with a roar, Max could barely leap aside.

But the dodge wasn’t enough. The Machoke’s large shoulder checked Max, sending the Raichu tumbling away. Max shook his head of the daze and stood, his paws sinking slightly in the side as he posed to spring towards the Machoke. “Max, Thunderpunch!” he heard, but the call was faint. He felt incredibly sluggish for some reason, and it didn’t seem to be getting better.

But he sprang forward anyways, his paw crackling with lightning. And though he felt like he traveled so slowly, his paw sank into the upper chest of the Machoke. The fighting Pokemon roared as Max leapt back. His paw throbbed from the stone-hard muscle he’d slammed it against. He glanced towards Batoy and Jet. The boy watched on nervously, while Jet looked on with a bored expression. Max felt a strange surge run through him, one he hadn’t felt before. It was almost like his own body was shocking him. His gut rumbled. ~Chu…~ he muttered as his cheeks flushed.

“Max, please move!” Batoy shouted, but the Raichu stood there flatfooted. He looked at the ground, not even paying attention to the rumbling Machoke as it lumbered forward. Max’s eyes were glazed over. It didn’t even look like he was conscious; his mind far away. The Machoke charge suddenly, and Batoy shouted again. “Max! You’re gonna get hurt! Get out of the way!”

“Vital Throw,” Bethany hissed loudly, and the Machoke checked Max again. But the Raichu hadn’t flown a foot before the Machoke grabbed hold of his long tail, yanking Max back and swinging him around. The Raichu squealed with pain as the Machoke swirled around before letting go. Max soared through the air and barely managed to raise his paws before he crashed into the rocks. As the dust settled down, Max twitched lightly. His body groaned in protest as he stumbled back onto his paws.

There was a smirk on Bethany’s face, a vile grin filled with contempt. “Dynamic Punch!” she commanded, thrusting her finger towards Max. The Machoke roared again and broke into a charge. Rocks shattered as it burst, unhindered, through them. It raised its right fist, vibrant fire swirling around it.

“Max!” Batoy called out, before looking down at Jet. The Quilava was watching the fight, his paws crossed, but an interested look on his face. Batoy’s face grew hot. Did Jet really want Max to get hurt? “Max, protect yourself!” ~C…chu…~ Max whimpered as the Machoke descended upon him. The green bubble had barely surrounded him before the Machoke’s fist slammed into it. There was a sudden explosion as the force of the Dynamic Punch released, clearing the entire area around them from rocks. The Machoke recoiled, its fist throbbing.

“There’s your chance, Max! Go!” The Raichu looked at the Machoke and then Bethany. The girl was steamed and hollering commands. ~Chu… ~ Max whimpered as he stumbled forward until he was within touching distance of the fighting Pokemon. His lightning-bolt tail dug into the ground as his cheeks and paws sparked with electricity. The Machoke’s eyes went wide as Max suddenly unleashed a flurry of Thunderpunches into its gut at unnatural speeds. As the electricity coursed through its body, the Machoke groaned as its muscles spasmed. It couldn’t launch any kind of counterattack without flinching.

~Rai… chu….~ Max said softly as he thrust both of his paws forward. A small Focus Blast impacted point blank into the Machoke, sending the fighting Pokemon sprawling on its back where it lay twitching from the paralysis. ~C…Chu?~ Max looked back towards Jet, who glared at him before looking away. The Raichu’s ears lowered and his tail slipped out of the ground to lie limply. Max looked at Bethany. The girl’s face was livid, her face red as she recalled her fallen Machoke. In a flash of light, a new Pokemon appeared in its place. Its slick blue skin shimmered in the light, contrasting with its brown and cream shell, and accented by unusually two unusually furry ears and a bushy tail. The Wartortle stretched as it looked at its opponent, and then smirked.

“Aqua Jet!” Bethany called out, and her Wartortle lifted its arms. Water surrounded its body, pushing the water-Pokemon forward. The Wartortle tucked its limbs into its shell and began to spin as it accelerated towards Max. The Raichu looked away and closed his eyes. He ignored Batoy’s frantic calls to dodge. It didn’t matter anyways. Everyone hated him. There wasn’t any reason to fight anymore. He could only wince as he imagined how hard the impact was going to be.

~Chhhaaa!~ Max screamed in pain as the rushing shell smashed into his chest, sending him flying several meters back. He bounced and skidded across the ground until he came to a rest at Batoy’s feet. His tail lay limp on the ground. ~C…chu…~ Max whimpered as he struggled to lift his head. He could feel warm hands scoop him up into trembling arms. He could hear gentle words assure him that everything was going to be okay, that he’d be just fine after a little rest. He felt his heart sag as the voice congratulated him on doing his best; he hadn’t.

Batoy sighed helplessly as he set Max down beside him. Jet was looking at the dazed Raichu with a satisfied expression, but he’d made no motion towards getting into the fight. Manual still slept peacefully inside his ball, and even if Batoy were to call him out, the Eevee wouldn’t wake up to fight. “I guess… this is as far as we’re gonna go…” he said softly, trying to keep his voice from breaking.

Ollie shuffled his paws uncomfortably, but he felt a strange charge run through his body as he watched Jet. The one Pokemon he cared most for let his trainer and his teammates down, and now something had to be done. The Jolteon splayed his ears as his heart began to race. He took a deep breath before darting on to the battlefield. “O-Ollie?” Batoy called out in surprise, and Jet looked away from Max, his smug expression quickly disappearing. ~Jolteon!~ Ollie called back, crouching as he stared down the Wartortle. If no one else was going to fight, then it was up to him.

“Be careful, Ollie!” Batoy said as he tried to regain his composure. “Thundershock!” Ollie’s soft fur immediately stood on end as faint traces of electricity jumped from strand to strand before finally surging off of the Jolteon’s body. The electric energy jumped haphazardly about before striking the Wartortle head on. The water-type gritted its teeth until the charge faded away. It shook its head and then smiled again. ~Jol…~ Ollie whimpered. This was going to be a lot tougher than he would’ve liked.

Bethany shook her head. “Your Jolteon is severely underpowered,” she said with just a hint of satisfaction. “Rapid Spin.” ~Wartortle!~ cried the blue Pokemon as it withdrew into its shell and began spinning. Ollie growled lightly as electricity coursed around him again, but like before, the Thundershock passed over the shell without causing any noticeable damage. The shell picked up in speed, and Ollie yelped when it slammed into him. The Wartortle rebounded, landing on the edge of the water portion of the arena.

~Quil…lava…~ Jet whimpered softly. He hadn’t expected this to happen. Max was supposed to lose, and Batoy would realize that he was the only Pokemon that he could depend on. But now that Ollie was fighting, Jet felt a suddenly pang in his chest. Anything that happened to Ollie would be his fault.

“Ollie, are you okay?” Batoy called as the Jolteon picked itself back up. Ollie nodded and glared at the Wartortle. He just couldn’t cause enough damage to it. Batoy’s eyes lit up suddenly. “Hey, I have an idea! Ollie, Pin Missile!” ~Jolt!~ Ollie bent his head down as his spines began to glow. Suddenly, a flurry of pins launched from the mane of spikes around his neck, racing towards the Wartortle. But at Bethany’s order, the Wartortle withdrew into its shell, and the pins bounced harmlessly away.

But Batoy wasn’t fazed. Instead he smiled. “Alright, Ollie! Let’s try a Charge Beam!” Ollie nodded enthusiastically, catching his trainer’s plan. Electricity jumped between his ears as a bolt of energy formed in his muzzle. ~Eon!~ The Wartortle peaked out of its shell in time to see a small trail of electricity arcing towards it. It winced as the bolt struck, stinging a bit more than the Thundershocks had. The electricity recoiled, flying back towards Ollie. The Jolteon absorbed the lightning into his fur, a faint aura appearing around it.

“Good, fire another one, and we’ll all set, okay, Ollie? Charge Beam!”

“No, I don’t think so. Hydro Pump!” Bethany shouted. The Wartortle withdrew into its shell again, but instead of spinning, a huge geyser of water pulsed out. The two attacks passed, the bolt of energy traveling through the water, but when the Hydro Pump impacted, Ollie was knocked off his paws. He landed on his belly, energy coursing wildly around him. The shock of the Charge Beam forced the Wartortle to cut the attack early, but after a bit of vigorous shaking, it regained its balance before Ollie managed to even stand. “Again!”

“Okay… Ollie, you gotta throw up your Light Screen!” Batoy bit his lip. If Ollie took a direct hit, he doubted the Jolteon would be able to stay up. A barrier would at least buy him some time. Ollie finished pushing himself up and closed his eyes. Around his body, yellow-orange panels of light began to materialize, quickly sealing together to form a glowing barrier. The rush of water from the Wartortle’s Hydro Pump slammed into it, and though Ollie’s legs shook as he absorbed the brunt of the attack, he didn’t collapse.

The Wartortle popped out of its shell, panting slightly. Its Hydro Pumps were tiresome to use over and over. “Again! Hydro Pump!” Bethany commanded, and the Wartortle glanced back at her. “Don’t look at me, look at the opponent!” ~Tortle…~ the water-type grumbled as it withdrew into its shell again, but the geyser of water it fired was smaller and slightly lower than the others.

“Ollie, try to move out of the way! Don’t take a direct hit!” Ollie heaved his body to the side, the Hydro Pump barely gazing the side of his Light Screen. “Ollie, use your Thundershock! Keep on that Wartortle! You can do it!” ~Jolt…~ Through the Light Screen, several arcs of lightning lashed out, striking the Wartortle’s shell. Batoy could hear a faint sizzle, as if the energy were cooking the shell. The Wartortle was forced out and winced painfully as the electricity locked it into place.

The Thundershock faded, and at Batoy’s command, a flurry of spines took its place. The Wartortle covered its head as it tried to fend off the assault, and even though Bethany through commands at it, the Wartortle could not focus enough to mount a counterattack. “What are you doing?!” Bethany said lividly, her face turning red at the turning tide. “Use your Aqua Jet and put that Pokemon down!” ~T-Tor?!~ hollered back the Wartortle, but it was too late. Another cascade of lightning showered upon it, and when the energy faded, the Wartortle laid on its back, overwhelmed and unconscious.

Ollie shook his fur, and though Batoy congratulated him, the Jolteon couldn’t feel proud of himself. Instead, he felt worry; a discomfort about disabling a fellow creature. Furthermore, Ollie folded his ears back to block the venomous words Bethany spat towards the Wartortle as she recalled it. His body began to quiver as horrible thoughts began to trickle back into his mind. ~Jol….Jolteon…~ he whimpered as he began to back away, his tiny tail tucked between his legs.

His fear heightened when a terrible screech washed over him. Flapping on two undersized wings was a giant open maw with four sharp teeth. On top of the massive mouth were two of the most sinister eyes Ollie’d ever seen. ~Bat, Golbat!~ the poison-type spat as it flapped its way haphazardly around him. “We won’t let it get away from us,” Bethany said. “Mean Look!”

The Golbat’s eyes began to glow brightly, and suddenly a pair of the most horrific eyes flashed before Ollie. They resembled the mimicry on an Arbok’s hood, but even more fearsome. Ollie turned towards Batoy, but the same eyes darted between him. His heart began to race as he looked around frantically. Those eyes were everywhere, staring him down. ~J-Jolteon…~ he whimpered.

“Ollie! Try to stay calm!” Batoy shouted as Ollie came closer to panicking, but it was no use. None of his commands would reach the Jolteon.

“Perfect,” Bethany said with a smirk. “Now, Screech.” The Golbat flapped its way over Ollie and then emitted an ear piercing screech that even made Batoy’s stomach turn. The onslaught of sound waves rushed over Ollie who immediately cried in agony as he squeezed his eyes closed and presses his ears closed with his paws. But even in the depths of his mind, the eyes still lingered, and Ollie thrashed his head, trying to rid himself of the image.

“Follow up with Air Cutter. I want it to feel pain before it goes down!” Bethany commanded, her smirk becoming even more malicious. ~Golbat!~ Repositioning again, the Golbat began to flap its wings, kicking up dust and water as waves of air flew towards Ollie. Wavers in the air betray the path of invisible blades swirling towards their target.

~Eon!~ cried Ollie as his body was suddenly wracked with slicing winds. His Light Screen wisped away, torn to bits by the Air Cutter. The wind rushed through his fur, leaving small cuts along his skin. The pain was excruciating, so much that Ollie’s fur began to discharge electricity at random. ~J-Jolteon!~ Ollie squeezed his eyes tighter, his electricity jumping further. It was only when a few of his bursts caused some of the wind to die down that he began to focus. The bursts became Thundershocks.

The Golbat swerved in the air, dodging the blindly fired Thundershocks, but Bethany wasn’t satisfied. “Use Supersonic! Keep it disoriented!” The Golbat narrowly dodged another shock before it screeched in an even higher tone.

Ollie yowled as the painful sound waves passed over him. His eyes sprang open, and he whimpered in fright. He saw not one Golbat but hundreds! They were everywhere, mixed with the evil eyes, swarming everywhere. He saw no escape from them. Electricity fired wildly from his fur, leaping into the air, flying through the Golbat. But that failed, and Ollie shook his head. No, something was wrong with all this. His fur sprayed pins into the air, but even those failed to cause an effect.

“Now Air Cutter!” Bethany commanded, louder than ever before, only to be drowned out by more cries of pain from Ollie. The poor Jolteon frantically scrambled about, trying to escape the slicing winds, but his efforts were completely in vain.

“Ollie…” Batoy said softly. There was nothing he could do to help the Jolteon. With the Golbat’s Mean Look torturing Ollie, he couldn’t even forfeit to end the battle. His mind sought ways to let the Jolteon focus, but there was nothing. Ollie was completely cut off, and yet Batoy had to watch the Jolteon scramble around right in front of him. “Ollie! You can pull through! Just calm down and you’ll get through this!”

The Jolteon sudden stopped its frantic scrambling and for a moment, Batoy looked hopeful. Did Ollie hear his call? But almost immediately, Batoy felt a shiver run through his body, as if something horribly wrong was about to happen. Ollie’s eyes began to glow a vibrant yellow. His muzzle opened to reveal a golden light forming. It took Batoy only a second to realize what was happening, and instead of joy, he was filled with horror.

There was a sudden change in atmosphere as a giant beam of energy lanced from the small fox. The Golbat, content with its domination in battle, didn’t even notice the Hyper Beam until it struck a direct hit, burning small holes into its wings. The Golbat was unconscious before it even hit the ground. The beam continued, scorching a streak through the battlefield, until Ollie gave out and collapsed on to his haunches, breathing heavily and whimpering.

The audience watched, flabbergasted, as the battle was called to a close, and Batoy rushed to the field as soon as the flag was waved. He wrapped his arms around the Jolteon, and felt droplets of tears on his back. “There, there, Ollie,” he said as the fox sobbed gently.

~Q-Quil…?~ Jet said tentatively, and Batoy looked at him. “What, now you’re worried?” Batoy said, his gut tightening at the sight of the Quilava. Ollie quivered as Batoy picked him up. “You’re not going to get jealous of Ollie now, are you?” he said spitefully. Max, rubbing his head, trotted up, his ears splayed back apologetically. Jet glared at the Raichu, but Batoy spoke first. “No, don’t blame Max. He didn’t turn his back on his teammates!”

Jet’s eyes began to tear up and he turned and broke into a dash. Batoy took a step, and then sighed. He hadn’t meant to be so caustic, but the surge of anger he felt caught him offguard. He looked at Max. “I… I don’t know what’s going on between you , two, but… could you please follow him? I don’t want him to get lost or do something stupid. You’re feeling okay?”

Max nodded and turned to follow after Jet, leaving Batoy alone with Ollie. The Jolteon had quieted his whimpers. “Ollie…” Batoy said softly. “I know you’re hurt… but… thank you. Thank you so much.”

For the first time that day, Ollie purred.