Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Rain Dance ❯ Finale ( Chapter 15 )

[ A - All Readers ]

There were people everywhere; standing in line for concessions, talking on the portable video phones, milling about hoping to find a friend or acquaintance they’d planned on meeting, but whatever their reasons, the threat of getting trampled was very real. But Jet didn’t care as he raced at high speeds through the crowd. Most people got out of his way, but others he had to dodge. He’d growl at random, whenever a thought caused his temper to flare again. It was all just too much. He weaved in and out, looking for a quieter spot to sit and stew.

That spot appeared when the next battle began, and people made their way to their seats. The number of humans walking about dropped almost to zero, and Jet suddenly felt very alone. His run slowed into a trot, and finally to a halt as he sat on his haunches and began to sniffle. He couldn’t make sense of himself. Was he sad or angry? Upset? At what? Whom? Why did he feel the way he did? He imagined their faces; Max, Manual, Ollie, Batoy. His fires ignited, but then extinguished. Tears began to run down his cheeks.

Ollie and Batoy hated him. That’s all there was to it. Batoy probably wasn’t even looking for him, and why would he? Jet folded his small ears back. After all, what use was he? Max was just so much stronger, and Manual… there was just no way he could compete against that. And Ollie… the Jolteon had so much power, but hated using it, and because of him, Ollie got hurt. Jet shook his head and wiped away his tears, but they kept coming. Why did he do what he did? Why did he refuse to fight?

~Rai… chu?~

Jet turned, startled, to see Max standing not far from him. ~Quil~ he snipped, turning his back to hide his tears and his own embarrassment. Did the Raichu come to gloat about his victories or to remind him of Ollie’s injuries? Did he come to brag about how much better he was?

Max’s ears folded back and his tail drooped. His paws held his side tentatively; he was still very sore, but Jet’s attitude hurt more. ~Chu… chu, Raichu…~ he asked, taking a step forward, but an angry look from Jet made him flinch. ~Rai… chu…~ He tried to advance again, but his paw had barely touched Jet’s back when the Quilava recoiled violently, crouching into a battle stance. The fires on his back raged violently. Max whimpered a bit and took a step back. What had he done wrong? ~C-chu?~

But before Jet could leap forward, a pair of delicate hands wrapped around him and hoisted him up into the air. In surprise, Jet’s fire vanished and he turned his head to see Mia looking at him with a curious look. “Jet, I’m surprised at you,” she said in a voice that caused Jet’s body to tremble. “I never thought you were the type to attack your teammate just because you’re upset.”

~Q-Quil?~ Jet stammered. There was something about this girl that held him that penetrated his anger. Mia looked at Max and then at Jet, and then she closed her eyes. Jet felt something soothing wash over him. “You think… that… this Raichu is stronger than you… and that Batoy will favor him over you. You’re… jealous of him and… the other Pokemon… because you want to be the best one…” Mia opened her eyes. “Am I getting it right?”

Jet averted his eyes. To hear someone else say it made it sound so… unimportant. ~Q…Quilava…~ he admitted, nodding. Mia sighed and set the Quilava on the ground. “It was just you and Batoy at the beginning, wasn’t it?” Jet nodded. “Do you really think Batoy’s the kind of person that would just discard someone he was close to for someone stronger? I’m not even saying that this Raichu’s your better, but you can’t get upset just because you lost a fight.”

Jet pawed at the ground. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Mia had been correct so far. ~Lava…~

“I’m sure you’re a proud Pokemon, Jet, but you’re a part of a team. I was watching that battle, and they were really struggling without you. It was kinda painful to watch. Not fun at all. It looked like everyone was off their game.” Mia glanced at Max, and the Raichu looked down, his tail in his paws. “I’m pretty sure the only reason why this Raichu fought so well the first time was because you were giving your all. That third fight was a load of bull.”

Jet looked at Max, who nervously teethed on his tail. ~Quilava?~ he asked. The Raichu nodded, a blush of embarrassment smattered on his muzzle.

“I’m pretty sure that he just wanted to be your friend, Jet,” Mia said, her eyes closed again. “He really meant you no harm. You shouldn’t see your teammates as rivals of affection… because they should be your friends. You’ll have a lot of hard fights in the future… you’ll have to work together to get past them, and some might just be too strong. Those you just have to survive, live and grow.”

Jet looked back towards Mia and nodded. He felt terrible. There was so much he had to undo now.

~Vee! Eevee!~

Jet looked to see Manual bouncing further down the hall. After a few moments, Batoy came running, and the two made their way over. “M-Mia? You found Jet and Max?”

Mia grinned. “Well, you know. I had to give ‘em a bit of a pep-talk. I wouldn’t want our fight to be as boring as your last one. I want you at your best.”

“R-Right,” Batoy said with a flush, and he looked at both Max and Jet. “You guys are okay, now? Jet, I was so worried about you. I’m so glad you didn’t do anything rash.” Batoy looked back at Mia and smiled. “I don’t know what you said, but… they both look a lot more relaxed now. Thanks, Mia.”

Mia recoiled mockingly. “What? Don’t tell me you’re going to get all sympathetic on me now? I hate fighting pansies.” She grinned again and held up a peace sign. “One hundred and ten percent, guys! See you on the battlefield.” She gave a mock salute and walked off.

Batoy watched her leave before kneeling down in front of Jet, his arms open. The Quilava leapt, and Batoy scooped him up. “Jet… you know I think the world of you. You were my very first Pokemon, and for the longest time, you were the only friend I had. But… we have other friends now, and we owe it to them to always give our best… I know I’ve messed up in the past before, but I guess we just have to look forward. Can you forgive the things I said and join with me again? I’m gonna need you, buddy.”

Tears threatened to well up in Jet’s eyes as he vigorously nodded and nuzzled against Batoy. ~Quil, Quilava!~ he chirped as he licked Batoy’s cheek. The boy hugged him tightly before standing again, letting Jet balance on his shoulders. “Well, guys,” he said looking at Max and Manual. “We have a really tough fight ahead of us, and if we’re gonna pull through, it’s going to take a lot of work. I need you guys to be focused, okay?”

Manual wagged his tail, but Max only nodded, looking in the direction that Mia had gone. There was something very strange yet oddly familiar and comfortable about that girl. ~Chu…~ he said softly. There was a mystery about her that he wanted to solve. “Max, you okay?” Batoy asked, and Max’s ears piqued and he turned with a sheepish grin, nodding. ~Chu, Raichu~

---

~Chu….~ Max growled as he slowly pushed himself back to his paws, staggering a bit before regaining his balance, brushing the sand from his paws. Bruises littered his body from battle. Before him stood a lavender and grey Pokemon with a pink snout and coiled tail, and shiny black pearls on its forehead and stomach. The Grumpig was unlike anything Max had ever faced, and the Raichu tried his best to push the dawning realization from his head. He started another charge before leaping into the air. He pulled his right hindpaw back in preparation of his Mega Kick.

But like so many more times before, Mia only smiled and said a single word. “Reflect!” And like so many times before, his attack met not flesh and bone but an invisible telekinetic barrier. The only solace was that, unlike before, the Grumpig grunted as half the force of Max’s kick transferred through the barrier. But Max recoiled as he landed roughly from the attack. It was hard to recover from deflected attacks. He looked at Mia and then back at the Grumpig. The psychic-type responded so quickly to the girl’s commands; it seemed impossible to take advantage of the latency. Conversely, they seemed to know what he was going to do before he even did it, and everything they couldn’t avoid, they had a move to block.

“Max, your physical attacks aren’t working against it! Do you have a Thunder Wave?” Batoy called out. The boy’s heart was racing. Hours ago, he couldn’t have fathomed how any Pokemon could overcome Max, but Mia’s Jericho seemed to be doing just that. ~Chu!~ Max nodded as his orange cheeks sparked with faint arcs of lightning. They jumped towards the Grumpig.

“Heh, finally, a status move,” Mia said with a grin. “I was wondering if you had any other strategies than a head-on assault. Jericho, Magic Coat!” ~Pig!~ the Grumpig chanted as a different barrier sprang up. The Thunder Wave bounced off the barrier and struck Max, sending surges of electricity through the Raichu’s body. Max grunted as he felt his muscles contract and spasm uncontrollably. Paralysis was the last thing he needed right now.

“Now, Jericho! It can’t avoid you now! Psywave!”

The Grumpig raised its paws to its head as its eyes began to glow with a light blue shine. Though the attack was invisible, the sand of the arena betrayed the path of the psychic attack, kicked up with its passing. “Max, protect yourself! Don’t risk getting hit by that!” Batoy shouted. He didn’t know much about the attack, except for the fact that its power was very unstable. Sometimes it was very weak, and at others, unnaturally strong. Now wasn’t the time to gamble on a weak hit. Max raised his paws and his own barrier sprung up. He allowed himself a moment to breath as the psychic waves rushed passed him. They needed a plan.

But Mia didn’t give them the luxury. The moment the barrier arose, she grinned. “Alright, Jericho! Power Gem!” The Grumpig’s black pearls began to sparkle as it formed a glowing ball of energy between its paws. The sphere sparkled in a multitude of colors and tints, as if it were a ball of gemstones. “Now, fire!”

The sphere rushed forward, fired on command, and when Max’s barrier fell, the Raichu was surprised as the energy slammed into him, exploding in a vibrant display of colors. ~Chaaa!~ Max cried as he was tossed onto his stomach. He gritted his teeth as he struggled to lift his head. The Grumpig looked blurry.

“Now, Jericho! Psywave!”

Batoy bit his lip. Max was too hurt, but if he didn’t find some way to disable that Grumpig, there wouldn’t be anything he could do. “Max, try your Thunder Wave one more time!” Max didn’t even attempt to stand. His cheeks began to spark wildly as arcs of electricity sprang out, aimed only at the Grumpig’s general direction. Seconds later, waves of psychic energy bowled him over, and Max fainted.

~Pig…~ the Grumpig grunted, flinching suddenly. One of Max’s stray bolts had caught him in the paw and quickly traveled through its body. Mia smiled. “Don’t worry, Jericho! You’re doing great!”

Batoy pulled out a new pokeball and recalled Max into it. “Don’t worry, Max, you did a great job. I’m so glad you came with us.” He slipped the ball into his pocket and then looked at the Grumpig. “This is gonna be tough… Manual, you’re up!” From beside him, the Eevee’s ears perked and he leapt onto the battlefield with an aggressive smirk on his face. The Grumpig didn’t look so tough. He didn’t know what Max’s problem was. Staying back, Jet gave a stomp of impatience. He wanted to fight, too. Batoy grinned. “Hey Jet, don’t worry. I know what you really want to do, but don’t you think you should be at your best when you fight Elyia? If you’re tired, you know she’ll eat you alive.” Jet nodded, but the fires still sprung out on his back. ~Quilava!~ he chirped to Manual. He wanted his turn.

“Okay, Jericho! Let’s stick with our plan! Power Gem!” The Grumpig nodded, but it was rather slow to bring up its paws to form the attack. It gritted its teeth; the paralysis made concentrating at lot more difficult. The shimmering sphere formed and he pushed it forward.

But the sphere exploded harmlessly against the ground as Manual deftly avoided it, his small paws almost floating across the ground as he sped in with a Quick Attack. The Grumpig’s eyes widen as it suddenly found itself left open, and it raised its paws to hastily defend itself. But there was a cry of frustration from Manual as he smashed not into Jericho, but into the invisible barrier that surrounded the Grumpig. Jericho sighed with sheepish relief. It’d forgotten its own Reflect.

“Now, Jericho, Psywave at point-blank!” Mia commanded, not missing a beat, and the Grumpig immediately began to focus.

“Manny, Sand Attack!” Batoy shouted, his heart racing. A Psywave at that range would certain cause a lot of damage and it couldn’t be risked. Manual turned his back to the Grumpig and shoved his paws backwards, kicking up sand into the psychic-types eyes. Jericho snorted with irritation as it reached up to paw at its eyes. Batoy grinned. “Now, pull back and use your Swift attack!” Manual leapt back and spun around, unleashing a flurry of small star-shaped bolts from his tail that slammed into Jericho. The Grumpig staggered back a bit, rubbing its eye with one paw and keeping its balance with the other.

“Don’t let up, Manny,” Batoy said, grinning. “Hit it with your Take Down!” ~Vee!~ Manual crouched and pushed forward again, building up all the speed he could and bracing himself to hit the Reflect. So his surprise and immense satisfaction, and to Jericho’s chagrin, there was a sudden shatter as the invisible barrier broke under the force of his hit. The blow hit the Grumpig with an astounding amount of force and Jericho fell to his side. Manual winced a bit, and Batoy bit his lip. He never liked moves like Take Down. “Manny, are you okay?” The Eevee turned and gave Batoy a reassuring grin before charging the Grumpig again.

“Jericho, you need to setup another Reflect!” Mia shouted, but the Grumpig couldn’t respond quickly enough before Manual slammed into it with another Take Down. Jericho shuddered a bit before collapsing, and Mia recalled it. “Now that’s the stuff I’m talking about,” she said with a pleased expression. “I knew from the start you could give me a good fight! Now, Elyia, go!” Seemingly out from nowhere, the small Natu leapt from Mia’s windbreaker and landed lightly on the grass, bouncing in rhythm.

“Hey, Manny, can you fall back for a sec,” Batoy asked. “Jet really wants this fight.” ~Eevee~ Manual chirped as he turned and ran back. Batoy bent down to pet the Eevee’s head. “You’re doing a great job, Manny.” He looked at Jet. “Okay, Jet. We’re gonna have to be careful here. Let’s try to stay calm and focused, okay? You ready?”

Batoy had scarcely said the words before Jet had leapt forward. ~Quilava!~ he chirped as the fires on his back flared up intensely. He wouldn’t make the same mistakes as before. He’d been cocky before, underestimating Elyia, but this time would be different. “Alright, Jet, let’s make the first hit! Quick Attack!” Batoy called, and Jet nodded. He launched forward, building speed behind his paws. His vision darkened as the only thing he focused on was the Natu in front of him. He wouldn’t let her dodge this hit!

“Elyia, Teleport!” Mia said with her arms crossed. She wasn’t smiling; rather, she seemed to be staring intently on Jet. The Natu began to glow and just seconds before Jet reached her, Elyia vanished from sight.

~Q-Quil?!~ Jet yelped as he skidded to a halt and looked around frantically. “Jet, she’s behind you!” Batoy shouted. This wasn’t good. Flame Wheel was far too slow to hit Elyia, and if she could avoid Quick Attack as well, this didn’t leave them many options. He had to think of a plan. But until then, he just had to pray Jet could land a hit. “Jet, Quick Attack it again! Don’t give it time to counter-attack!”

Jet nodded, but he frowned. The bird simply bounced, an aura of cheerfulness about it, even though its expression remained stale. It didn’t just enjoy fighting, it enjoyed humiliating him! Well, he wasn’t going to let that happen! He kicked forward again, building speed quickly as he dashed towards Elyia. The bird didn’t move, but continued to bounce, as if daring him to come closer. Jet’s eyes narrowed. It was going to teleport to, but where?

“Do it now, Elyia! Night Shade!” Mia commanded, and for the first time, Jet noticed the Natu’s eyes aglow with a deep purple. He immediately bolted to the left, nearly toppling over from his inertia as two dark bolts of energy lanced from Elyia’s eyes. He skidded, panting in shock as Elyia gave a chirp of disappointment. Mia snapped her fingers playfully. “Darn, it missed! Stay on your talons, Elyia! That’s not gonna work again! Rush in with a Quick Attack!”

With just one more bounce, Elyia kicked forward, darting in at incredible speeds. Jet yelped as the tiny two pound missile slammed into him, knocking the wind out of his lungs. He staggered around to regain his balance. Batoy frowned. Surely there had to be something they could use so they could land a damaging hit. “Jet, keep attacking! Keep it from counterattacking!”

Jet sprang towards Elyia, but she teleported again. But Jet didn’t skid to a halt this time. He rebounded off a stone, just in time to avoid Elyia’s sneak attack. A pair of violet bolts struck the stone only seconds later, and Jet veered away, circling away from the Natu as she tried to pick at him. “Elyia,” Mia shouted. “Get in close! Zen Headbutt!”

Batoy suddenly smiled as an idea occurred. “Jet, throw up your Smokescreen!” The Quilava nodded as thick fumes poured from the flames on his back and head, spreading around his body quickly. The smoke spread rapidly away from him. Elyia chirped in disdain and looked at Mia, who nodded. A shimmering blue aura spread around her body as she rushed forward. The aura carved through the smoke, dissipating it as she passed through. ~Quil?!~ Jet yelped as the psychic bird suddenly appeared before him, the force of the Zen Headbutt forcing him out of his own smokescreen.

“Night Screen, before he can recover, Elyia!” Mia commanded, and Jet could only watch helplessly as the violet bolts of energy struck him. He cried as he forced his body up, even as the energy washed over him. Mia looked at the Quilava with a bemused expression. “You’re certainly a determined little guy, aren’t ya,” she said with a smirk. “Elyia, Zen Headbutt!”

“Jet, use your Lava Plume!” Batoy commanded. The Natu approached quickly, but her advance was met with an incredibly hot blast of air, fire and smoke. She gave a shrill chirp as she quickly back-peddled, avoiding the brunt of the attack but not without sustaining some damage. Jet shook his body, regaining his composure and growling at Elyia. Batoy pressed his lips together. Jet was taking too much damage and Elyia wasn’t taking enough. Flame Wheel was too slow, and Elyia could avoid the Lava Plume by staying away. “Jet,” he called, and the Quilava cast a glance back towards him. “You really want to win, don’tcha?” Jet responded by setting his fires ablaze. “Then… I have a plan!”

Mia raised an eyebrow. A plan could be interesting. It’d be fun to see what they could come up with. “Uh-oh, Elyia, we have thinking opponents now!” she said jokingly. The Natu twittered and bounced.

“Okay Jet, just follow what I say! Smokescreen! Don’t get out of it, no matter what!” Jet responded duly, smoke flooding out around him.

“Well, that’s not a plan. That’s an old trick. Elyia, Night Shade! Sweep the whole cloud!” ~Tuuu~ chirped the Natu as the dark bolts lanced into the smoke. But even as she fired, the smoke cloud only got larger. Elyia tilted her head. Did she land any hits? There was no motion in the smoke, but the cloud just kept billowing out. The Quilava had to be in there somewhere, still active. “Alright, Elyia! Guess it’s time for take two! Zen Headbutt!”

Batoy smiled despite himself as the Natu charged. He had to time it just right. Elyia began carving into the smoke. “Okay, Jet! Lava Plume!” Suddenly, the darkness of the cloud was illuminating by a deep red glow and Elyia was suddenly thrown backwards. Severe burns covered her body, and she no longer chirped or bounced with the same joy. Instead, there was surprise and pain. Batoy felt an odd tug in his heart. For once, he was glad he never had to endure what Pokemon went through. But a battle was a battle. If only he could get Elyia not to move, the final attack could commence.

“Elyia, stay focused! Keep your distance and draw it out with Night Shade!”

There! It was the opportunity Batoy’d been waiting for. “Alright, Jet! Now, use that Flare Blitz attack!” As Elyia’s eyes began to glow, the smoke cloud dispersed with exceptional force as Jet raced out of it. A fiery aura surrounded him, exploding into a trail of flames. The Night Shade lanced from Elyia, striking Jet head on, but the Quilava forced himself to move even faster. His body was wracked with so much pain that each step felt like his leg would fall off, but he only concentrated on pushing through the Night Shade. He’d come so far; he wasn’t going to let victory slip away just because he gave up in the last minute.

Closer and closer he came, and Mia suddenly found herself nervous. “Elyia, you need to teleport!” she cried, but only nanoseconds too late. Just as Elyia began to glow, Jet slammed into her, engulfing the Natu in waves of fire. The two continued as one large fireball until Jet slammed into a rock. The fires vanished, leaving only two extremely fried and frazzled Pokemon standing. Jet winced as the recoil of his attack suddenly lanced through his body, and before he could even come back to his senses, he’d collapsed on the ground. He growled lightly as he struggled, but failed, to pick himself up. Was he really going to lose after all that? Did he really just need one more attack?

Elyia shuddered. The burns were too much to handle now, and she sank to the ground. Jet tried to lift his head, but he couldn’t spare the energy. He sighed. A tie would have to settle for now. He could accept that for now.

Mia and Batoy both approached the field to scoop up their fallen Pokemon. “You’ve gotten really impressive, Batoy,” she said. “I remember our first fight. I’d say you’ve grown a little these past few days.” She winked at him. “But… that doesn’t mean I’m going to lose to you today!”

Batoy smiled bashfully but only nodded. He looked at Jet as he walked back to his post. “I know you wanted to win, Jet,” he said softly. “But you did an awesome job. I could’ve never gotten this far without you.” Jet nodded then winced. A good rest sounded pretty good about now. Batoy pulled out another pokeball and recalled Jet then looked down at Manual. “Well, Manny, looks like you’re up! I want you to do your best, okay!” The Eevee nodded then leapt onto the field.

Manual pawed at the sand as his opponent appeared before him, but he tilted his head as the light faded. The gold and brown Pokemon looked so frail, as if its own body could barely support its oversized head. Manual scratched his ear with his hindpaw nonchalantly. ~Alakazam!~ the Pokemon grunted in a surprisingly deep voice, and Manual cocked an eye towards it. The Alakazam pointed a spoon toward the Eevee, casting the little fox a disapproving look.

“Hey, Old Man!” Mia called out, cupping her hands over her mouth. The Alakazam faltered and spun around, aiming his spoon at her. ~Kazam!~ he grunted again. Mia crossed her arms and pouted. “I don’t see why you’re in such a huffy, Old Man. Didn’t you get your nap today?” ~Kazam, Alakazam!~ the Alakazam retorted, clenching his spoons in irritation.

Batoy stared at the two with confusion, Manual with bemusement, and the referee with annoyance. That impatience reflected through the crowd as calls to fight began to sound. Batoy cast the referee a glance, but the man just shrugged and raised a flag. The moment the flag swished, Batoy bit his lip. He didn’t want to attack an unaware opponent, but at the same time, he didn’t want to wait. A sneak attack could be the only chance he had, and there was only one move that could do that. “Go Manual! Take Down!”

~Eevee!~ Manual squealed as he charged forward. The Alakazam seemed more intent on arguing with that girl than paying attention to him. He smiled as he pushed himself faster. If he could score an attack right in the center of his back, this match would be over. Closer and closer he came. Manual splayed his ears back and leapt, hurling his body forward with all his might. He closed his eyes. This was going to hurt a little.

A second later, he opened his eyes, filled with confusion and then panic. He hit the ground painfully, rolling a bit before hopping back up to his paws, looking around. Did the Alakazam teleport like Elyia had done in Jet’s fight? He looked behind him. The Alakazam had only turned to the side, his eyes closed, his arms folded. ~Kazam!~ the psychic-type said gruffly, and Manual flicked his ears in annoyance. The two were still arguing and ignoring him!

“Reckless? How am I reckless?!” Mia shouted. ~Alakazam!~ “Okay, so I took a little detour, so what? I wanted to have a little fun for once, Old Man! I mean, you don’t find tournaments everywhere, ya know?” ~Zam!~ “So what? They’re paying for it, anyways! I can take as long as I want, Old Man!” ~Kazam!~

~Vee, Eevee!~ Manual stamped his paw in annoyance. He didn’t know what was more annoying; the fact that he missed an attack against an unaware opponent, the fact that the opponent was still unaware, or the fact that after all this, neither the girl nor the Alakazam even acknowledged that he was here! He bolted forward again, moving at lightning speeds. He wouldn’t miss this time! He targeted the leg closest to him and splayed his ears again.

And then the Alakazam turned again, and his legs spread apart. Manual grunted silently as he passed underneath the Alakazam. Not a hair of fur on his body even brushed the psychic-kitsune. He skidded along the sand before stumbling on to the grass. He glanced back towards the ‘Old Man’. That name echoed in his mind, and he growled. Still no response from either of them. He crouched and then leapt upwards into the air, spinning and unleashing a flurry of fast traveling small stars. Let them ignore that!

“You know, you’ve gotten a lot more fussy these past few years, ya know, Old Man? Perhaps you should start taking more naps? That activity can really wear you down in your elder years.” The Alakazam stamped the ground and raised his arms, flailing them as he barked at Mia. ~Kazam, Ala, Alakazam!~ Manual’s ears flattened as he watched as every one of his swift stars impacted harmlessly against the psychic Pokemon’s frantically waving spoon.

Manual’s frustration peaked, and he felt a strange heat form in his gut. It was unpleasant, like an acid had somehow crept into his stomach. He felt a tear run down the side of his cheek, but he quickly brushed it away. He didn’t want anyone to see him crying. But why would they? They were too busy watching that girl and that Pokemon instead of him. He felt lonely. “Manny, don’t get discouraged! Keep trying!” Manual looked towards Batoy. The boy’s eyes were fixated on him. Manual nodded, the feeling in his gut fading slightly.

Mia stretched and took a seat where she stood, lowering her head. “Wow, standing gets tiring after a while, doesn’t it, Old Man?” ~Kazam~ She gave the Alakazam a smirk. “Why don’t you take a sit, too?”

Manual rushed forward, aiming for the Alakazam’s leg again, but it pulled up, and Manual passed underneath. Undaunted, he spun, speed stars flying from his tail towards the other leg, but that one, too, pulled up. ~Vee?!~ Manual chirped and he looked up. The Alakazam was floating in the air, legs crossed, his eyes closed again. That was the last straw. The Eevee bolted until he stood halfway between Mia and the ‘Old Man’. ~Vee, Eevee! Eevee!~ he growled, looking back and forth between the two of them. Mia looked up, a look of surprise on her face, as if she’d just now noticed the little fox. ~Eevee, ee!~ Manual continue to bark.

Mia gave a sheepish grin and looked at the Alakazam. “Well, Old Man, it looks like our opponent’s finally gotten fed up.” She looked back at Manual. “So, little Eevee. You sure you want us to give our all? Our 100%?” Manual nodded, a smile on his muzzle now that he’d finally gotten them to notice him. Mia stood, and the Alakazam likewise. “Alright. Feel free to take the first shot.”

Manual turned to face the ‘Old Man’, and Batoy suddenly had a sinking feeling. Something suddenly seemed very strange about the prior antics that Mia and her Pokemon displayed. “Manual, be careful! I think they’ve been up to something!” Manual nodded. He’d been feeling unnerved as well. Mia’s confidence frightened him a bit, but he shook his head of the worry and charged the Alakazam. “Quick Attack!” Manual sped up, but his flying leap missed spectacularly as the Alakazam pulled back and to the right slightly, as if he’d known Batoy’s command before he even said it.

“Manny, quick, use your Swift!” The Eevee had scarcely landed before he pivoted on a paw, twirling around, a plethora of stars swirling around his tail before sailing back towards the Alakazam. The ‘Old Man’ raised his spoons and in a slow, precise motion blocked every star that would’ve scored a hit on his person, letting the rest sail harmlessly by. Manual growled again as his fur bristled, and then he charged forward. Something about that Alakazam was upsetting.

Batoy reached a hand out. “Manny, no wait! Don’t get impatient!” He watched as Manual ran forward, his ears pressed back. There was no use. Manual and Jet were the same, incessantly stubborn when they were upset. He wouldn’t stop until the Alakazam was defeated, or…

~Eevee!~ Manual cried as he pounced at the Alakazam, but suddenly his rage vanished, replaced completely by surprise and then fear. His attack had been stopped effortlessly by the ‘Old Man’s spoon, placed gently on his muzzle, and here he hovered, his paws kicking at the air. He flailed around frantically for a few seconds, before facing the Alakazam’s serious face. His ears splayed, and he couldn’t muster a growl against the psychic-type. ~Ee…vee…~ he whimpered. The ‘Old Man’s eyes began to glow and the spoon bent, and suddenly Manual felt himself flying backwards. There was only one thing floating through his head, and he grinned despite of it.

This was going to hurt.

Batoy winced as the sound of shattering rocks reached his ears. He dashed to where the dust and debris slowly settled. Manual rested neatly on a bed of rubble, an almost goofy grin still on his muzzle. Batoy picked up the Eevee gingerly and listened to the crowd cheer. “Hey, Manual,” he whispered, and the Eevee cracked an eye. “Just listen… they’re cheering for us… for you. All of you. You guys did so well. Even though it wasn’t enough… I couldn’t be happier. Thank you.”