Round 1, Match 3: Ririka vs. Shirley
Ririka waved goodbye to Kayla as she followed the blond, silent servant back towards her room. The other girl waved back and Ririka smiled as she turned her attention to the hallway and the long trek through the building, glad to have a friend already in the tournament.
As a child, she never had much of an opportunity to make friends, and after leaving her home and beginning a journey with her beloved Milotic, she found that the isolation of her childhood had left her ill-prepared for a world filled with so many people. In the two years since she left home, she had made acquaintances throughout her journey yet few real friends.
Yet, her easy friendship with Kayla had happened almost without thinking about it. Wandering about the ship before they disembarked from the coast, she came to the small rooftop patio and saw the younger girl holding one of the new communicators up and taking a picture of herself. She walked over and peeked over the girl’s shoulder, watching as she updated the photo within the phone’s settings.
“Oh, wonderful,” Ririka commented quietly, not even realizing that she’d spoken aloud. “My own photo is so dreadful.”
“Would you like me to help you change it?” The girl asked, swinging around in her seat to face the startled Ririka. “The operating system on this phone is quite a bit different than the ones I’m used to, but I think I have it all figured out now.”
Ririka nodded silently and handed her phone over to the girl, who introduced herself as Kayla. Ririka’s normally quiet nature didn’t deter Kayla at all, she talked easily enough for five people as she quickly tapped her fingers over the screen of Ririka’s device and held it up for a second shot.
They’d stuck together since then, neither one knowing anyone else that was a part of the tournament. In between Kayla’s boisterous excitement, Ririka haltingly shared a few things about herself and her Pokémon, finding common ground. The normally reticent Ririka soon found herself passionately discussion the benefits of Water-type Pokémon and going over battle strategies.
They’d sat together again during both matches and the dinner in between, chatting and laughing most of the time. Kayla still did most of the talking, but the more dinner went on, the more Ririka found herself liking the girl and enjoying the simple friendship they’d started.
Despite her fondness for the young lass, however, Ririka couldn’t help but breathe a little sigh of relief at being alone again. Keeping up a conversation, even a very lopsided one where the other person did most of the talking, was draining in a way that Ririka could never quite explain to anyone. Well, anyone besides Sebastian anyway, though Ririka never really knew if he actually understood or was just a very good listener.
Once the servant was gone, Ririka removed her shoes and placed them by the door before flopping onto her back on the oversized bed, staring at the canopy above her. She was worn out beyond belief from this long, exciting day, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep for some time still to come.
The next day would be another busy one. Her servant would be back to collect her at eight o’clock sharp for breakfast, and then they would proceed back to the stadium for the first match of the second day, her match. With one hand, she groped along the bed until she found her handbag and pulled out her phone to take another look at her opponent, Shirley. The red-haired woman was a difficult opponent to have for the first match. She exuded experience with an ease that Ririka could never hope to emulate.
Fighting a sudden wave of depression mingled with anger, she flung the phone back into her purse and sighed, one hand lightly stroking the single Pokéball attached to the waistline of her skirt. How good were she and Milotic, really? They’d had their share of battles and adventures, and won more than they lost, though she’d never quite pulled together the courage to participate in any of the Pokémon League tournaments.
With a sudden rush of determination, Ririka gripped her Pokéball tight and pursed her lips. Of course I’m good! They invited me, didn’t they? Just like they invited her. That Shirley has nothing over me other than a smug grin and some attitude. I can be just as strong and confident as she is, and I will be. We will be, together, Sirena and I.
Good, positive thoughts coursing through her, she got up off the bed and prepared herself for sleep, changing into soft, warm pyjamas and brushing her hair out in front of the mirror. With each stroke of the brush, she went through mental exercises, recalling all of Milotic’s attacks, abilities, and strategies. Lying in bed, she played through potential scenarios against Pokémon of all types. She had no idea what type of Pokémon Shirley would use, but she had to assume that the older woman would have seen Sirena when she’d released it for some exercise before the trip, so she would have to plan accordingly. Thoughts of battle tactics floating through her head, she eventually fell into a deep sleep, one hand protectively holding the Pokéball she’d placed beneath her pillow.
In her dreams, she was floating in a sea of black, the sky above her a brilliant white with glowing black stars. But the stars were eyes, and they called to her, urging her forward. She leapt upwards and found herself in her parents’ house, a house more labyrinthine than any she’d ever visited, with more twisting passageways and curving stairwells than even the building portion of the stadium. She walked purposefully forward, following a path her dream self knew but that she could never follow, until she climbed to the top of the tallest tower and entered into a basement as dark and cold as stone. On the floor was a single white rose.
She reached forward to grab the rose, but stopped suddenly, her fingertips a millimetre away from brushing against the petals. She knew, then, that if she picked up the rose that everything wonderful she wanted would come true, but that it would come with a price. Was it a price worth sharing? A door further into the room opened and shut, and footsteps began walking towards her. A voice, warm and masculine, spoke to her from the darkness and she stood up to walk towards the voice, and-
And she woke up suddenly, her pyjamas and bed sheets both soaked with sweat. A glance at the bedside clock told her that it only six o’clock, an hour earlier than she’d meant to awaken. With a groan, she flopped back onto the damp sheets, knowing that every extra minute of sleep would be extra energy she would need for the coming battle, but knowing that she would not be able to get back to sleep again.
Instead of sleep, she settled on a long-time favourite, a nice, hot bath before her morning shower. The claw-foot tub in the bathroom was almost as large as her tub back home and enjoyed soaking in the hot water to relax her muscles before the coming battle. By the time she showered, dressed, and put her hair back up in her signature ponytails, she felt confident and equipped to deal with the day ahead.
Breakfast was served in the same stunning room as dinner, platters and bowls filling the long dining table for everyone to help themselves. Kayla waved Ririka down from the far end of the table and Ririka went to sit in the spot her new friend had saved for her, sliding in between Kayla and Clyde, the boy who had won the evening’s tournament with his twin sister. As Ririka poured herself a cup of tea and prepared a plate, she listened to the twins telling the story of their victory.
“And then BAM, just like that!” Clyde explained, pounding his fist on the table for emphasis. “Duke and the Chesnaught just collided in midair, a flash of purple and then nothing. It was so intense.”
Ririka rolled her eyes as the others nearby hung onto Clyde’s every word. You’d think that none of them had ever seen any Pokémon battle before, let alone watched the exact same one being described to them just the night before.
“Fascinating,” Diamant praised from his usual seat at the head of the table. He ate no breakfast but carried a cup of tea on his folded knee as he leaned back in his chair. “Now, tell me… when Duke and Theodore were smashing together in the middle of that arena, did you already know that Duke would be the one to emerge victorious?”
“Of course I did,” Cycle scoffed. “I mean, no offense to the kid, but his Chesnaught we already injured, and my Duke’s Shadow Claw was obviously going to be more effective than its was. It’s just a matter of strength, and I knew Duke was stronger.”
“Whereas I was terrified,” Claire added, laughing nervously. “After seeing Curie cut up like she was, I didn’t want to see Duke in that state.”
Ririka tuned them out as she started taking a few bites of her eggs, but her attention was quickly brought back to the present by a nudge from Kayla. “So, are you excited about your coming match?”
Ririka swallowed her bite before turning to face her friend. “Yes,” she answered with a smile. “It should be fun. I’ve battled against several trainers before, but never in a tournament.”
“Yeah, me too,” Kayla commiserated, filling her plate up with a second helping of fruit pastries. “I guess Contests kind of count as a tournament, but I never got very far in those. Battling is more my style anyway.”
As everyone finished their breakfast and started to relax, Diamant placed his teacup back on the table and stood, instantly gathering everyone’s attention. “Our schedule today will consist of six battles. The first two will be right after the other, followed by a break for lunch, then two more battles, an early dinner, and the final two battles after sundown. Once the first round is over, a small rooftop party will be held for the remaining challengers. For now, please follow me, and we will proceed to the stage.”
Ririka gulped down the last of her tea and hastily stood, nerves temporarily getting the best of her. Having sat close to the end of the room, both she and Kayla were towards the back of the crowd as they made their way to the stadium. Above the heads of the other contestants, Ririka could see her opponent having a quiet but tense discussion with another one of the competitors, but then Kayla was grabbing her arm and her attention was once again shifted.
“I hope you win, Ririka, I’ll be cheering for you from the stands!”
Ririka and Kayla waved goodbye once again as they reached the final doors to the stadium, and Ririka felt a flair of fear, wondering if it would be the last time she waved goodbye to her new friend. None of the losers had shown up at breakfast this morning, and Juliet had been missing from dinner. Ririka remembered overhearing something Safiri had said the other day about the losers staying elsewhere in the building until they could be sent home, and she absentmindedly wondered if she would see them again as she watched Kayla and the others mount the steps to the stand.
“Hey, good luck out there, okay kid?”
Ririka spun around and saw Shirley relaxing against the wall by the door, munching on the last bites of a pastry she’d grabbed from the breakfast table. She wiped her hands off on her pants before extending a hand out to Ririka. The woman’s grip was warm and smooth, her smile earnest.
“Thanks, you too,” Ririka replied politely, bowing slightly before turning and walking to the other end of the stadium where one of the trainer platforms was down on the ground waiting for her. She stepped into the enclosure and gripped her Pokéball tightly in hand, holding her breath for the moment the battle would begin.
Once again, Diamant called out to the previous victor, or in this case victors, to decide on the type of setting the battle would have. Ririka silently hoped for a water stage, hoping for any advantage she could possibly get against the older woman, but her face fell as she heard the announcement over the loudspeakers.
“Well, Clyde and I talked about,” Claire said meekly over the microphone, “and we thought a desert-based stage would be pretty interesting, so can we go with that?”
Ririka’s platform shuddered a bit, and then rose about a meter into the air before stopping. Soon, before her was a rolling field of sand, dotted occasionally with cactuses here and there. A strong wind blew some sand into her face and she coughed for a few moments before getting her bearings.
Maybe I ought to try reverse psychology on my wishes next time. Ugh, this is about as un-watery as I could have thought of. Ririka brought a hand above her eyes to keep out the sand and sun and unconsciously brushed up against her good-luck hair pin. With a smile, she unclipped the Pokéball from her skirt and released her Milotic into the field. “Go Sirena!”
The Milotic emerged from its Pokéball gracefully, twisting and flowing through the air like the majestic creature she was. Unlike most Water-type Pokémon, Sirena was not at a direct disadvantage in a non-water field, since it could levitate and fly as well as it could swim. Feeling the windy and sandy conditions, it positioned its serpentine body in the air to let the sand stream by it as much as possible.
Across the field, through the swirling gusts of sand, Ririka could just barely make out Shirley on the opposite side of the field, her red hair and olive slacks bright enough to be seen, even with reduced visibility. What she couldn’t make out, unfortunately, was the Pokémon her opponent had released. She saw the flash of the Pokéball releasing a Pokémon onto the field, something medium-sized and grey.
“Sirena, set up an Aqua Ring!” Ririka called out to her Pokémon, her words whipped away by the wind. Not knowing what type of attacks to expect, Ririka decided to play the slow, defensive game, at least for the beginning.
Down on the field, the Milotic twisted its body, creating three water rings that surrounded it, twisting and glinting in the light. In addition to helping heal the Pokémon from smaller attacks, the water should also help repel the sand that was flying around in the air.
Just as the rings manoeuvred into place, a grey blur came crashing through the sand, right at Sirena. The Milotic moved to avoid the blow, but its attention had been focused elsewhere for too long as it was too slow; the opposing Pokémon leaped into the air and slammed belly first into Sirena, knocking it roughly to the ground. Through the shifting sands, Ririka could make out the shape and face of a very large and strong Purugly.
Ririka thought quickly, trying to dredge up all the knowledge she had about the large cat-like Pokémon. Puruglys were usually quick and agile but not particularly strong, though this one looked bulkier than the ones she was used to and had walloped Milotic much harder than a typical Purugly could have. I was right about Shirley; she must have loads of experience to have such a well-trained Purugly. But it’s still just a cat, I can take it down!
“Sirena,” Ririka shouted, making sure her words were heard by her Pokémon. The distance between them was only a few meters, five at most, but the sand and wind made it feel more like a hundred. “Hit with a Scald attack!”
The Milotic rose in the air and twisted itself around in the rings of water, spitting a large, steaming stream of water in the direction of the Purugly. Rather than dodging, the Pokémon turned and dug its claws into the sand, taking the full force of the blast against its side. It shook it heads to remove a few clinging drops of water, but otherwise appeared unaffected. Within a few moments, it was backing up a sand hill then running full-out to hit the floating Milotic with another Body Slam. The Milotic twisted itself out of the way just in the nick of time, but the Purugly’s claw still caught on the end of its tail, dragging it back down closer to the sand.
This isn’t good, Ririka thought to herself, gnawing on the inside of her lip. The Scald attack had hardly damaged Purugly. It would take stronger attacks to really damage the opposing Pokémon, but using those powerful attacks would also make Sirena less flexible to move around and dodge attacks. As these thoughts went through her mind, another idea struck her.
“Sirena, use Rain Dance!”
Sirena quickly complied, opening her mouth to shoot a small glowing ball up into the sky. Almost instantaneously, dark clouds converged over the stadium field and sheets of rain began falling to the ground. The wind was still blowing strong, but the raindrops kept the sand on the ground, giving Ririka much better visibility. She could now fully make out Shirley on the other side of the arena, and if she concentrated, she could even hear what she said.
“Purugly, hit it with another Body Slam, knock it down!!”
Ririka’s hand flew to her mouth as she saw the Purugly mount another one of the sand dunes and jump into the air, slamming the Milotic into the sand hard.
“Sirena! Get up!” she cried, chewing on a finger as she watched her Pokémon struggle in the wet sand. The Milotic was hurt, but not badly, not yet, the soothing coolness of the rain and the aqua rings healing its skin and helping it recover. Watching Sirena extracting its long body from the sand gave Ririka an idea of a counter-attack plan, however, and she planned on implanting it as soon as possible, trying to buy herself and Milotic more time.
“Sirena, use Hydro Pump!”
A huge blast of water jetted out of the Milotic’s mouth, catching the Purugly square in the face and knocking it back into a pile of sand. Already wet from the rain, the sand dune stuck to the Purugly’s fur like mud, and the Pokémon had a much harder time freeing itself than Sirena did, it’s limbs and fur slowing it down significantly compared to the sleekness of Milotic’s body type.
Seeing that her Pokémon was currently in no condition for traditional physical moves, Shirley quickly changed her strategy, calling out into the rain, “Purugly, use Giga Impact!”
Ririka looked on with held breath as the Purugly stood on its feet, glowing first yellow, then orange, then purple, then exploding outwards in a radiant purple aura with pulsating rings of gold. Not held back in the slightest by the clumps of wet sand all over its body, it shot across the field, colliding with Sirena in midair, and once against crashing the Milotic down to the ground violently.
Ririka counted silently in her head, waiting for the glow to settle so she could see the outcome of the attack. She hopes desperately for Sirena to hold on; the cool down of the Giga Impact was just what she needed to complete her plan and win this battle once and for all. She breathed a sigh of relief as Sirena stirred. The Pokémon was clearly in pain and struggling to hold on, even as the water rings helped restore its strength and get it back in the air.
A couple meters away, the Purugly was similarly winded, trying to recover from the powerful attack it had unleashed. On the other side of the field, Shirley was looking uneasy; likely she had been planning on that attack taking Milotic out and therefore not needing to worry about Purugly needing time to recharge.
“Sirena,” Ririka called out forcefull, “use an Ice Beam!”
Twisting in the rain-drenched air, Sirena once again lowered its head in the direction of the Purugly, spewing forth a powerful beam from its mouth. However, this beam was made of ice, not water, and it blasted the Purugly strongly, freezing the sand that coated the Purugly’s hair and knocking it unconscious with the sudden cold of the blast.
“The battle is concluded.” Ririka heard announced loudly over the intercom. “Ririka is the winner.”
Ririka dropped her decorum for a moment, whooping loudly and jumping in the air. She quickly climbed down the short ladder and ran over to her Milotic as the effects of Rain Dance wore off and the sun began to shine again. She hugged it gently, careful of its injuries, and watched over its neck as Shirley walked calmly through the sand, stopping where her Purugly had collapsed on the field. The older woman gingerly started breaking off chunks of frozen sand, speaking soothingly to her Pokémon as she rubbed warmth back into its body, soon Safiri appeared, leading the woman and her Pokémon away.
***
Sitting in the stands on the edge of her seat, Lisa bit off a curse as she saw the Ice Beam hit her ex-partner’s Purugly. That was surely a game over, and she knew it. She hadn’t expected her friend to be out of the contest so soon, and the thought actually worried her, especially given how no one had seen Juliet or Leon for even a second after their losses.
In a moment, she made up her mind. She quickly excused herself and slipped out of the stands, heading for the door that would take her back inside the building. She’d find where Safiri was taking her friend, one way or another.
