PBZ: Vol. III Ch. 75

    The referee looked at the knocked out Nidoking with a stunned expression. Giovanni was silent as he looked down at Riviére and then at the referee. “What are you waiting for?” shouted Giovanni at the referee. “Announce her as the victor and award her the badge.”

    “O-Oh. The winner of the match is Riviére Bleu!” he announced.

    “We did it!” said Riviére happily as she ran onto the field and hugged her exhausted Blastoise.

    “That was an impressive battle,” said Tatsu.

    “She used the same strategy against Misty in Cerulean City,” said Hanako to Tatsu. “Remember?”

    Tatsu blinked and looked back at Riviére as she returned her weakened Blastoise to his Poké Ball and accepted the Earth Badge from the referee. “Oh yeah. She did do that, didn’t she?”

    Riviére walked toward Tatsu and Hanako and held out the Earth Badge between her thumb and index. “Look! It’s the Earth Badge!” she said happily.

    “Congratulations!” said Hanako as the two girls hugged.

    “You’re next, Hanako,” said Tatsu. “Good luck.”

    Hanako nodded as she and Riviére broke the embrace. Hanako turned and walked to where Riviére stood just moments ago. The referee raised his flag and said, “Hanako Mori challenges Giovanni, the Viridian City Gym Leader to a three-on-three contest. Wonder Launchers have been permitted for use in this battle. Switching is permitted between rounds. The battle will continue until the Pokémon's trainer gives up the match, or the Pokémon is no longer able to battle. Trainers, are you ready?" he bellowed as looked at both trainers. "Choose your Pokémon!"

    Hanako reached into her purse and took out her Poké Ball. “Go, Leafeon!” she said as she tossed the ball. The Poké Ball popped open and Leafeon materialized beside her. Hanako and Leafeon looked up at Giovanni, waiting for him to choose a Pokémon.

    Instead, he lit a cigar and took a deep drag of it. He leaned back into the armchair and enjoyed his cigar. Giovanni looked at her with a mild expression, but Tatsu knew what he was thinking. Hanako didn’t know it, neither did Riviére, but he did; Giovanni knew that Hanako was a gijinka. He knew that she was the one that died sixteen years ago in Viridian Forest, and a dozen times previously in history. Tatsu placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and looked over his shoulder. As he expected, he saw two Team Rocket grunts standing beside the door. They didn’t wear the normal clothing that the grunts did during active combat; they wore jet black suits and pants. The darkness of the corner helped them blend into the void.

    Giovanni tapped the cigar on the ashtray and put it out. “Your progress has reached beyond my expectations. I’ve been following your careers very closely,” he said as he looked over to Riviére. “I commend you for victory. I had underestimated you, and you managed to defeat me outright. I expect to see great things from you,” he said to her. Giovanni turned his attention back to Hanako. “My guard was down in my last battle. Don’t expect to sneak a victory from me like your friend did.”

    “I don’t intend to lose,” said Hanako defiantly.

    Giovanni smiled devilishly as he picked up an Ultra Ball and tossed it into the air. The ball snapped open and a Gliscor materialized from it. The Fang Scorp Pokémon flew above them and landed on the ground on Giovanni’s side of the field. The Gliscor hissed at Hanako and Leafeon menacingly. Hanako’s stomach lurched as she looked at the Gliscor and clenched her fist. She had anticipated Giovanni using some strong Ground-Type Pokémon and feared that Gliscor would be one that he would use against her.

    “Fight!”

    “Guillotine.”

    The Gliscor lunged forward with his claw extended for the immediate knockout blow. Leafeon instinctively used Detect to avoid the death blow. The Gliscor flew upward and dived back down into Leafeon with another Guillotine attempted. Leafeon dodged this attack swiftly and attempted a Leaf Blade on the Gliscor, but missed by inches.

    Giovanni took a sip of wine and placed the glass on end table. “Ice Fang.”

    Gliscor’s pincers froze over and the Fang Scorp Pokémon dived once again at Leafeon. Leafeon dodged the attack and used her Leaf Blade to slash at Gliscor. The tip of her bladed tail sliced along Gliscor’s chest. The Gliscor cried out in pain as it crashed into the ground and held its chest. Leafeon took this opportunity to pounce onto the Gliscor for another Leaf Blade attack. The Gliscor saw the attack coming and flew out of the strike zone. Airborne once again, the Fang Scorp Pokémon kept well out of Leafeon’s range. As the Gliscor waited for Giovanni’s command, Leafeon use Swords Dance to increase her strength. A red aura engulfed Leafeon as her strength greatly increased.

    Giovanni scowled. “Gliscor!” he shouted at his Pokémon in impatience. “Use Hyper Beam.”

    Gliscor opened one of its pincers and a large ball of energy manifested. In a powerful blast, the Hyper Beam launched at the Leafeon and exploded. Hanako shouted for Leafeon as the debris cloud filled the majority of the Gym. Gliscor took to the ground to rest as the dust cloud began to settle. As the referee, Giovanni, and Hanako waited for the debris to settle, Leafeon burst out of the debris cloud and slashed at the surprised Gliscor with a Leaf Blade. The Gliscor stumbled backward as the second Leaf Blade slashed across its chest. In a fit of rage, the Gliscor used Poison Jab without waiting for Giovanni’s order. Gliscor punched the Leafeon twice in the face and once in the side before Leafeon passed out.

    “Round one goes to Giovanni and Gliscor!” said the referee as raised the flag in Giovanni’s favor.

    Hanako returned Leafeon to her Poké Ball and sighed softly. “I’m sorry,” she said sadly as she placed the Poké Ball to her forehead. She placed Leafeon’s Poké Ball back into her purse and took out another. “Go, Exeggutor!” she shouted as the Coconut Pokémon materialized on the battle field.

    The referee looked at Giovanni before he raised his flags. “Round two, fight!”

    “Guillotine,” ordered Giovanni.

    The Fang Scorp Pokémon lunged at the Exeggutor with the claws open wide and went for the kill shot. The half dozen eyes of Exeggutor turned bright blue as she used Psychic against the Gliscor. The Fang Scorp Pokémon was stopped in midair and held as the mental assault took place. She then flung the Gliscor into the opposing wall just a few feet beside Giovanni’s balcony. He grimaced as Gliscor fell to the ground, knocked out in a single hit.

    The referee ruefully raised the flag in Hanako’s favor and bellowed, “Winner of round two goes to Hanako Mori and Exeggutor!”

    Hanako smiled triumphantly as Exeggutor heads grinned simultaneously. Her nerves settled now that she and Giovanni were now even with victories. Giovanni didn’t look convinced as he returned Gliscor back to its Ultra Ball.

    “Don’t think you’ve defeated me yet, girl,” said Giovanni as he picked up another Ultra Ball and tossed it into the air. The Ultra Ball unlocked and a large Mamoswine materialized. The ancient Twin Tusk Pokémon let out an intimidating bellow and stomped his feet.

    Hanako gritted her teeth and prepared for another tough battle. As she formulated the plan, the referee raised his flags and bellowed out, “Round three, fight!”

    “Mamoswine, use Ice Shard.”

    A wave of cold air filled the arena. Several dozen shards of sharp, ice formations formed from the chill in the air and shot at Exeggutor like knives. Exeggutor had done something much similar. As the Ice Shards were forming, Exeggutor used her Psyshock attack; creating many purple crystals just as big as the Ice Shards. The many ice and psychic projectiles shot at each other. Many of the ice and psychic shards collided and shattered. Ultimately more of Mamoswine’s Ice Shards got by than Exeggutor’s Psyshock attack. Both Pokémon were peppered with the attack. While Exeggutor’s single psychic shard was stronger than an Ice Shard, Exeggutor was much weaker to ice and had done more damage. Exeggutor’s heads cried out in pain and stumbled a bit as Mamoswine was able to withstand the assault much better.

    “Earthquake, ordered Giovanni.”

    Mamoswine stood on his hind legs and drove his feet into the ground as hard as he could. The entire arena shook violently with shockwaves knocked Exeggutor and everyone else to their back. Hanako fell backward against the wall and tried to stabilize herself.

    “Icicle Crash,” Giovanni ordered again.

    The Mamoswine charged the fallen Exeggutor as she tried to get back to her feet, his large tusks icing over to form dual massive frozen weapons. Before she could stabilize herself, the Twin Tusk Pokémon tackled her with all his might. The frozen blades of tusks inflicted massive damage onto her as she was propelled backwards. She hit the ground unconscious.

    “The winner of round three is Giovanni and Mamoswine!” declared the referee as he raised the flag in Giovanni’s favor.

    “Oh no! She’s losing!” said Riviére worriedly as Hanako returned her Exeggutor to her Poké Ball.

    “It’s not over yet,” said Tatsu, his voice calm and confident.

    Hanako took out Venusaur’s Poké Ball and looked at it. The grip on the Poké Ball was firm as she sighed. She smiled faintly as she said, “I am resting everything on you, Venusaur.”

    With a toss of her Poké Ball, she bellowed out her Pokémon’s name as he materialized. Venusaur's heavy body made a loud thud as he entered the battlefield. Venusaur stared with great fierceness at the Mamoswine as he returned to Giovanni’s corner.

    “Round four, fight!” declared the referee.

    Without any hesitation, Venusaur’s body glowed a dark green. Giovanni and Mamoswine were surprised as neither had never seen such an attack before. As Giovanni watched with an elevated view, he saw the green energy tentacles on the ground creep eerily toward Mamoswine, who looked unnerved by the strange attack. The attack accelerated quickly as they reached halfway across the field and wrapped themselves around Mamoswine. Three of the energy tentacles sprouted from the ground and began to whip and bash into Mamoswine with great strength.

    “What the hell is this?” said Giovanni in disbelief as the Twin Tusk Pokémon was beaten savagely until it was knocked out.

    “That was Frenzy Plant,” said Hanako loudly as the energy tentacles unraveled themselves from the Mamoswine and dissipated. “It’s an extremely powerful move that very few Pokémon know.”

    “I see,” said Giovanni aggressively as he returned Mamoswine to his Ultra Ball as the referee called the round in Hanako’s favor. “I hate it when my Pokémon get knocked out with only one hit,” he said to himself as he looked at Hanako with a cold expression. “First Nidoking, and now my Mamoswine…disgraceful.”

    Giovanni looked at his remaining four Pokémon. He felt angry that he had used up over half of his Pokémon now. He had only anticipated losing only one or two Pokémon each to Hanako and Riviére. Now he had used and lost five! He reached for the Ultra Ball farthest from him but paused. He took a deep breath and instead picked the one next to the Ultra Ball that housed Nidoking.

    “Go, Nidoqueen,” said Giovanni calmly as he tossed the ball into the air. The Nidoqueen materialized onto the battlefield. Like Nidoking, she held a Life Orb in her hand. “Don’t think you can pull off the same strategy that your friend did,” taunted Giovanni. “She got lucky with that Mirror Coat strategy. Don’t think I will fall for the same trick.”

    Hanako grinned as the referee raised his arms and called for the round to commence. “I don’t need to use the same strategy Riviére used, because I have a different one!”

    “Nidoqueen, use Fire Blast!” bellowed Giovanni as the referee officially started the fifth round.

    Nidoqueen reared her head back and let out a powerful five pointed fire attack that launched toward Venusaur with high speed. Venusaur stared down the attack with sheer determination as his two vine tentacles were placed on the ground at his sides. He put all of his strength into his legs and vines, and leaped upward with all his might. Giovanni’s eyes went wide as the Fire Blast attack went right under the airborne Venusaur. Venusaur landed with his full weight into the ground. The arena shook violently, just like Mamoswine’s Earthquake had done. The Nidoqueen fell over and the Life Orb she had held slipped out of her hand. Venusaur took the opportunity to extend his vines and wrap themselves around the Nidoqueen. Nidoqueen kicked her feet as the Venusaur raised her high into the air; level with Giovanni so he could look his Nidoqueen in the eyes.

    “Giovanni!” called out Hanako with determination. “Forfeit this match or your Nidoqueen will feel the full extent of my Pokémon’s power!”

    Giovanni’s eyes went wide as he pushed himself out of his office chair. “You dare mock me!” he shouted at her angrily. “I will never give up!”

    Hanako closed her eyes and sighed. “I’m sorry, Nidoqueen…Venusaur, use Power Whip.”

    Venusaur roared as he slammed Nidqueen hard into the arena ground. The air was driven out of her chest and she gasped for air as the Venusaur raised her in the air again. Venusaur held the Nidoqueen up for just a moment for Giovanni to look at his injured Pokémon as Venusaur drove Nidoqueen hard into the ground again. Giovanni scowled hatefully at Hanako and the Venusaur as he lifted Nidoqueen up again for Giovanni to look at the barely conscious Nidoqueen.

    “Nidoqueen, use Flamethrower!”

    The Nidoqueen was unresponsive as she was held there for a moment before being driven into the ground for a third time. Again Venusaur raised her up for Giovanni to see before being driven into the ground for the fourth time. Giovanni looked at Hanako darkly. She hung her head so her hair hid her face. Her fists were balled tightly. He could tell that this strategy pained her. Anger boiled over Giovanni as he slammed his fist into the railing.

    “I concede the damn match!” he yelled out angrily.

    The referee looked stunned as he raised the flag in Hanako’s favor. “T-The winner of this match is Hanako Mori!”

    Tatsu looked at Giovanni as Riviére rushed toward Hanako and glomped her blissfully. He placed his hand on the grip of his sword as Giovanni looked to his guards and raised his hand to snap his fingers. Tatsu quickly stepped in and shouted, “Giovanni! I’m next!”

    Giovanni looked at his son, his eyes wide with rage. “Boy, don’t you disrespect me with that tone!”

    Tatsu ignored him as he walked to Hanako without looking at the girls. He stood where Hanako did just moments before Riviére glomped her. “Award Hanako her badge and let’s get this over with. I have better things to do that waste my time on a weak Gym Leader who concedes a match,” he said with a devious grin. “I bet I can beat you with only one Pokémon.”

    Giovanni scoffed at his statement. “You have some nerve boy!” he shouted at Tatsu.

    “It’s not nerve; it’s confidence,” said Tatsu as he took out a Poké Ball and raised his arm to Giovanni. “One Pokémon. That’s all I need to defeat you. Now, award Hanako her badge! She defeated you fair and square!”

    Giovanni’s eye twitched as he looked over to his referee and nodded. “You have a big mouth, Tatsu,” said Giovanni as he turned to his office chair and sat in it once more. He rubbed his knuckles and mulled over the challenge. “So you want a one-on-one match, huh? Foolish boy.”

    “You’re wrong. I want a three-on-one match,” he said cockily. “My Pokémon is much more powerful than your three. I don’t need to worry about using my other two.”

    “Tatsu, are you crazy?” asked Riviére as Hanako returned her Venusaur and approached him.

    “It took us three Pokémon to defeat him, and you want to use only one?” asked Hanako. “What has gotten into you?”

    “Quiet,” said Tatsu, his tone slightly harsh. “This has nothing to do with you,” Tatsu turned his attention back to his father and crossed his arms. “Well? I’m waiting.”

    Giovanni’s eye twitched again. He looked at his referee and nodded. The referee then walked across the field and presented Hanako the Earth Badge. He returned to his position and raised his flags. “Tatsu Fuji challenges Giovanni, the Viridian City Gym Leader to a three-on-one contest. Wonder Launchers have been permitted for use in this battle. Switching is permitted between rounds. The battle will continue until the Pokémon's trainer gives up the match, or the Pokémon is no longer able to battle. Trainers, are you ready?" he bellowed as looked at both trainers. "Choose your Pokémon!"

    “Go, Charizard!” shouted Tatsu as he tossed the Poké Ball. The Poké Ball unsealed itself and Charizard materialized in midair. The Flame Pokémon landed on the ground and took a fighting position. The Pokémon Armor was still fastened to his chest, the Charizardite and Emera shone brilliantly.

    Giovanni picked up and Ultra Ball and tossed it. “Go, Rhydon!” he called out as the Ultra Ball snapped open and a massive Rhydon materialized. The Drill Pokémon fell to the ground with a loud thud. The Drill Pokémon and Flame Pokémon roared at each other to establish dominance as the referee raised his flag.

    “Round one, fight!”

    Tatsu unsheathed his sword immediately after the referee initiated combat. Giovanni recognized the sword and furrowed his brow.

    “That sword belongs to Blaine,” he said after a moments pause. “What do you intend to do with that sword, boy?”

    Tatsu grinned as the Key Stone on the pommel glowed bright red. The aura also engulfed Tatsu as he looked up at his father with a devilish grin. “Mega Evolution, that’s what. Charizard! Mega Evolve!”

    The Mega Stone on Charizard’s breastplate also glowed red and engulfed the Charizard in a massive red shell. The energy ball shattered a moment later and Charizard’s new form stood tall. Charizard became sleeker and expansive in appearance, but retains his normal coloration. He had three pointed horns on the back of its head, the middle of which was much longer. His snout became shorter, larger fangs and a ridge on the nose. His neck was shorter and hands are much smaller, but his torso and legs were longer. Small wings develop on his wrists, while the ones on its back become larger and now had ragged edges. The back of its tail had a large thorn at the base and three smaller ones near the tip, which now burned with a longer flame. The entire arena became very hot, almost unbearable like an intense drought.

    Giovanni stood up, his eyes wide as he beheld Charizard’s new form. “That’s…Mega Evolution…”

    Tatsu raised his sword at the Rhydon, his hair flowing from the excess energy that he and Charizard expelled. “Charizard, use Solar Beam.”

    Charizard opened his jaws and quickly formed a powerful ball of yellow energy. An attack that would normally take a bit to charge was fired nearly instantly. The powerful Grass-Type attack launched across the field and exploded when it made contact with the Rhydon. The Rhydon was propelled out of the debris cloud and slumped against the wall, knocked out instantly from the attack.

    The referee trembled as Giovanni stood rooted in the spot, shocked how his Rhydon was so easily knocked out. He began to sweat as the referee raised the flag in Tatsu’s favor, whether it was from the intense heat or the shock of the swift defeat was unknown to even him.

    “So this is why you were so confident,” said Giovanni as he finally returned his Rhydon to his Ultra Ball and grabbed another. “I won’t be giving up so easily, boy!”

    Giovanni tossed the Ultra Ball and a Rhyperior materialized where the Rhydon stood just a few moments ago. The referee raised his flags and declared for the second round to commence. Giovanni shouted his orders of a Stone Edge while Tatsu gave orders for another Solar Beam attack. Mega Charizard launched a second Solar Beam much quicker than Rhyperior could deliver a Stone Edge attack. The Drill Pokémon tried to withstand the powerful Solar Beam. Despite the Solid Rock ability, the attack was too much for Rhyperior to handle and was launched back into the wall just like Rhydon. The Rhyperior crumbled to the ground, unconscious.

    The referee once again raised the flag in Tatsu’s favor for the second time in a row in under a minute. Giovanni immediately returned the Rhyperior to his Ultra Ball and threw it at the wall, shattering the ball into pieces. He grabbed for the final Ultra Ball and tossed it into with aggression. The Ultra Ball snapped open and a large Garchomp formed.

    Tatsu narrowed his eyes at the Garchomp as Charizard roared at the new challenger. “You must be getting desperate if you’re using the strongest Pokémon in your possession.”

    “You’ve brought this upon yourself!” shouted Giovanni. “Garchomp, use Dragon Rush!” he declared without waiting for the referee to initiate the beginning of the final round.

    “Tch. Pathetic,” said Tatsu as Mega Charizard opened his mouth once more and this time launched a Dragon Pulse as the Garchomp.

    The Garchomp moved out of the way at the last second to dodge the Dragon Pulse and dived at the Mega Charizard with tremendous force. Mega Charizard however sidestepped the Dragon Rush with ease. Mega Charizard opened his jaws for a second Dragon Pulse and fired it point blank into Garchomp’s side. The Mach Pokémon roared in pain as it was sent careening across the field and landed in the center. As the Garchomp tried to get to its feet, Mega Charizard flew over with great speed and landed beside the Garchomp. Mega Charizard stomped his foot onto Garchomp’s head and pinned him to the ground to assert his dominance over Garchomp.

    Tatsu looked up at Giovanni with a savage grin. “Well? Do you give up, or does my Charizard have to go for the finishing blow?”

    Giovanni didn’t answer. Instead, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers. The two guards that stood at the entrance moved forward and aimed pistols at the trio. The referee also dropped his flags and took aim at them. Tatsu swung around and pointed his blade at Hanako’s face, the tip held between her eyes.

    “Don’t you move an inch, or I’ll kill her right here,” said Tatsu darkly as Hanako stared at him with her eyes wide and terrified.