FA+
Shop
584
Views
Views
6
Favorites
Favorites
Category
Story / Pokemon
Species Mammal (Other)
Size 120 x 120
File Size 55 kB
Report this content
More from Aelius
Listed in Folders
Here's my entry into 
pokecombatacademy's Summer Exams Combat Tournament event; Storm's audition.
After having found himself in a horrible losing streak, Storm does a bit of soul-searching to figure out why he hasn't had the fighting mojo he began with when he first enrolled at the Academy. In the midst of all the competition, sometimes it is so easy to forget oneself...
“He’s faking left! Watch out for that Sucker Punch!”
WHAM!
Storm tumbled across the arena, leaving a trail of broken yellow spikes stabbed into the ground as he went. The weary Jolteon pulled himself to his feet as he heard the footsteps of his opponent closing in.
Suddenly, he phased out of view, using a Double-Team maneuver to confuse his adversary, but the Houndoom grabbed him and chomped down, igniting a Fire Fang attack.
On the sidelines, Stiletto clawed a nearby bench, “He knows Odor Sleuth, you ditz! Wake up!”
The Houndoom threw Storm to the side and readied another attack.
Storm landed awkwardly on his feet and darted away just in time to miss a Sludge Bomb.
Stiletto gritted her teeth as she watched the spectacle, “This is insane… he used to be better than this.” The Sandslash winced as her team leader got nailed with a Faint Attack, then remarked, “See? He never falls for that!”
Next to her, Blaze stood with her arms crossed, watching the match with a muted expression as her nine tails coiled behind her in annoyance, “This… is embarrassing…”
“It’s more than that!” Stiletto replied, “He’s completely lost his edge. Watch, he’s just gonna—”
“I’ve seen him, too, Stiletto. I know.”
Out of the yells of the crowd, the pair heard a voice shouting out, “C’mon, Storm! Don’t let ‘im intimidate ya!” A Cyndaquil freshman was nearly leaning all the way over the rail trying to make himself heard.
Lightning flashed, striking the Houndoom from across the arena. Storm rushed ahead to follow through, but his Signal Beam was avoided. His opponent spun right as Storm went past, then landed a serious Crunch attack on his arm.
“AAAAUGH!” Storm crumpled to his knees, then desperately tried to Dig away. He succeeded, but the Houndoom let out a feral Howl and struck again right as Storm emerged. The clash knocked them both back, but this time, Storm was bleeding from the nose.
Stiletto cupped her clawed hands over her muzzle and shouted, “Get your head in the game!”
Storm backpedaled, watching close as the Houndoom circled around him. He charged his fists and let out a Shock Wave, flawlessly connecting, but the Houndoom immediately rushed and retaliated with Payback, sending the Jolteon flying.
Storm slammed onto the arena floor, dazed.
Blaze sighed and threw up his towel, ending the match.
The referee helped Storm to his feet, then held up the Houndoom’s arm, “Winner, Lucius Silver, from Team Ricochet!”
Storm trudged to his team’s bench, head hung low as he anticipated the others’ disappointment, “Sorry, girls…”
Blaze and Stiletto eyed him with frustrated pity.
Stiletto was the first to speak up, “What happened to you??” She poked him with a claw, “You’ve been on a losing streak for the past five matches! Look, you’re not even retaliating when I poke you. You always retaliated!”
Blaze held out her hand, gently pulling her teammate back, “Storm, what’s wrong?”
Storm rubbed the back of his neck, “I dunno… I just… My mind’s not in it right now.”
A voice called out from behind, “He lost that fight before it even started.”
The trio paused, ears perked, as Lucius, the Houndoom who defeated him, stood there with an unimpressed expression, “The fight’s completely gone from his eyes.” With that, he turned and rejoined the rest of his team as they exited. The leader, an Absol female, gave them a defiant smirk before walking out.
Stiletto snarled, “I can’t stand her…”
A Dragonair girl smoothly slithered in past the Absol’s group, then caught sight of her own team, “I apologize for my tardiness!” Her cheerful, accented voice almost sang as she approached Storm, “The tutoring session took longer than I expected.” She paused, noticing everyone’s downcast expressions, “Oh my… Storm lost again, didn’t he?”
Stiletto sighed, “Yeah. We just lost our rank. To a Junior team.”
Neon sank down to Storm’s level, peering into his eyes with a worried expression of her own, “This is starting to become a trend. Is something bothering you?”
The Jolteon shook his head, “I guess I just haven’t been motivated lately.”
Stiletto balked, “What’s not to get motivated about?? How about our ranking? Our careers after graduating?”
“I’ve been thinking a lot about that… Our careers, I mean.” Storm straightened, “What’s really out there for us, anyway? I mean… all these entrants to go into battle leagues, it’s like a one-in-a-million shot at making it big.”
Stiletto narrowed her eyes, “C’mon, I know you don’t believe that… After all the pep-talking you gave me when I first joined? You had me thinking I could conquer the world. Now what? You lost that mojo?”
One of Blaze’s tails draped over his shoulders as the Ninetales began, “It sounds to me like you’ve hit a slump.”
Stiletto coughed, “No duh…”
“What I mean…” Blaze continued, “Is that one loss has sapped your confidence and it’s been wearing you down as other losses piled on.” She took Storm by the arm, “We need to talk. All of us. I’m calling an impromptu team meeting since we have the rest of the afternoon off.”
Neon tilted her head, “But Blaze… you have a Statistics class in fifteen minutes…”
“All I’ll miss is a perfect attendance record. This is more important right now.”
As they walked through the Academy’s hallways, Storm couldn’t help but feel more and more uneasy. The entire reason the meeting was called was because he’d been letting the others down, “Look, I already feel bad enough about all this. I don’t want to be reminded of it in a pow-wow.”
Neon put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, “We’re here to help you, Storm. You already feel guilty, so what good would it do to add to it?”
Stiletto paused, noticing a flyer taped on the wall they passed by. She tilted her head, reading the paper, then swiped it off and continued walking with the rest of her team.
Neon continued, “What we need to do is figure out what has caused this change in you, and then figure out what can be done to fix it.”
Blaze smiled, “I know just the place to discuss it…”
A burst of fire ignited nearby. They froze, with Stiletto bumping into Neon, at seeing the Cyndaquil who had cheered Storm on in the previous battle now sitting on the floor in-between a hulking Cacturne and a Glameow whose notebook was half-burnt. The Cacturne wore the insignia of Ricochet; Lucius’s team.
The Cyndaquil nervously got to his feet, facing the Glameow, “I-I’m sorry! He knocked me back and I kinda… flared up!”
The Glameow snarled and leaned in, “Yeah, well my homework is still scorched! Whattaya gonna do about my grade, huh?”
The Cyndaquil trembled, “Um… it looks like only the top part is burnt… there wasn’t anything written there…”
The Cacturne grabbed his shoulder and let out a cruel chuckle, “You shouldn’t have been in my way. Looks like you’ll have to redo the lady’s homework.”
A spike nailed the locker right next to them, wedged into the crease of its door.
The Cacturne immediately let go and stumbled back. Three more spikes sailed into the door crease of the locker behind him while the Cyndaquil and Glameow watched in surprise.
Storm trotted up, grinning, “Whoops! Heh… sometimes these Pin Missiles have a mind of their own. Never know when they’re gonna go off.” He pulled the spikes out of the locker, then flung his arm back, sending another Pin Missile right into the Glameow’s notebook, perfectly threading one of the ring-binder holes to whip past her shoulder and into another locker. “Oopsie… see what I mean?”
The Glameow gave him a sour look, then spun and walked off.
On the other side of him, the Cacturne growled at Storm, then turned and walked off as well, mumbling, “You still lost to my team…”
Storm turned to the Cynadquil, “You alright?”
“Yeah… that was amazing! How’re you so accurate with those spikes?”
“Lots of practice,” Storm replied with a wink.
“Uh, this is gonna sound weird, but my name is Spike. Heh…”
Storm chuckled, “Guess I picked the perfect bully-deterrent.” He turned to walk off with his team, giving a friendly salute, “Take care, Spike.”
“Hey, you too! Oh, uh, and don’t get discouraged by the loss to Lucius!”
Storm paused, blinking, then blushed and followed the rest of his team outside.
The team crested the hill near an older, retired gymnasium. Looking back, they could see much of the Academy’s grounds. The reverent silence around the area seemed to have a calming effect as they sat down to begin their meeting.
Blaze sat cross-legged, letting her tails fan out behind her as she began, “Normally, Storm is the one to start these little gatherings, but given the circumstances I think I’ll take charge this time.” The wind gently caressed her fur as she pondered her next words, “The reason for this meeting is obvious, so let’s get right down to what we can do to solve this dilemma.” She eyed Storm, who was glancing out at the view toward the activity of the Academy.
The Jolteon shrugged, “Well, I wish I knew what started all this, but honestly I haven’t been concentrating on battles lately. I guess I’m just having second-thoughts.”
Neon reclined back, “I have noticed a lack of enthusiasm for the past year. We know you used to enjoy battling, but it seems that interest is waning. What could cause someone to lose such fervor after doing it for so many years?”
“You really think I’m growing out of it?”
Blaze rubbed her chin, “It’s possible, but I wouldn’t think it could happen this quickly. I want you to think back, Storm. Consider why you haven’t felt the same way about battling that you used to. What’s so different now? What did you have before you enrolled here in the Academy?”
Storm leaned back in the grass, pondering. He’d always liked this area; it was so peaceful and tranquil… easy to calm down in and let one’s mind wonder. It was here that he first contemplated the friendship between himself and Blaze, back when an awkward moment at the beach threatened to shatter it. It was here that he meditated before the battle that shot Team Indigo up by two ranks a year ago. On this hill, he even spent his first afternoon at the Academy, looking down with hope and a spark of excitement at the opportunities that awaited him here.
Storm’s eyes widened, “I had drive. When I came here, I believed I had the chance to finally make a difference in people’s lives. Y’know, beyond battling… I wanted to give them something real.”
Blaze’s ears perked, “How do you mean?”
“Well… remember back in middle school? I’d start fights with people I saw picking on others?”
Blaze smirked, “You made it your mission to ‘punish the bullies.’ Instead you nearly drove every student in the school against each other.”
“Right… but I deep down, all I wanted was to help those who couldn’t stand up against others picking on them. Minutes ago, in the hallway when I intervened for Spike… I felt the same way! I realized I hadn’t even done that in years! That’s what I had before I enrolled in the Academy. That’s what I lack now. That’s my drive. Somewhere along the way I forgot why I came here, and it’s turned into just a bunch of battles for something as trivial as ‘rank.’ I want to inspire people again, and stop bullying while I’m at it.”
Neon’s face lit up, “That’s wonderful! Now, how do you intend to pursue this goal?”
Storm sighed, “Well… I gotta admit, having a decent rank does help me get noticed, and it’s a nice way to intimidate a few folks who think they can push us around, but I’m gonna have to do something serious to get back to where we were.”
Stiletto finally spoke up, “I know how.” All eyes were on her as she handed Storm the flyer she’d swiped.
Storm glanced over the paper, “Summer Exams Combat Tournament?”
The Sandslash grinned, “It’ll get you noticed, it’ll get you some cash, and it’ll give you a boost in that calculus class you’re next-to-failing in.”
Neon leaned over to read it, “I heard this event could be brutal. There are a lot of prominent students vying for this prize. Do you think you have a chance, Storm?”
Storm set his jaw and nodded, “I gotta try. If anything, it might wake up that ‘fighting spirit’ in me so I can get back in the game.”
“Be aware, Storm…” said Blaze, “That this event can take your focus away from standard ranked battles. Are you willing to risk that?”
“I’m not going for it unless I think it’ll do us all some good. This’ll give me a chance to refocus without worrying about a total loss of rank.”
The Ninetales nodded, “Then we will support you, as we always have.”
Storm smirked, “Y’know, I couldn’t ask for a better group of friends.”
Stiletto laughed, “Good, ‘cause thanks to your luck with battling lately, we’re all you got right now.”
The next day, Storm was summoned to the same arena he’d fought Lucius in. The lights were out, save for those overlooking the arena floor. Everything else was shrouded in shadow. Through his own electrical impulses, he could sense only a few individuals on the sidelines; the S.E.C.T. organizers, no doubt.
A voice called out, “Tesla ‘Storm’ Veo… Yesterday you signed up to take part in this first annual event. Can you tell us why you decided to pursue it?”
Storm turned and faced the direction of the voice. His battle attire was on; nothing more than a pair of loose slacks with the colors and insignia of Team Indigo printed on them. He’d also been meditating for an hour beforehand. He had to be ready for whatever they would throw at him. He stood straight and nodded, “Yes. Lately I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching and I believe that this event will help me figure out what’s important to me at this academy. I hope to gain my edge back.”
The organizers were silent for a moment, then finally spoke, “Understood. Now, you will need to show us that motivation. This is an audition for a battling event, after all, and you must prove to us, and yourself, that you can succeed.”
Storm nodded again, “I’ll do whatever it takes.” He suddenly jolted in surprise as someone stepped out of the shadows onto the arena.
Lucius.
The Houndoom eyed him with a haunting deadpan expression, “Then defeat me. This is not a sanctioned fight, but instead your first trial in the S.E.C.T. If you can’t win against me, then you won’t get anywhere in the event.” He slowly shifted into a battle-ready stance. The Team-Ricochet-adorned slacks and tank top of his uniform blended with the silver colors of his horns, spikes, and skull collar, making him out to be even more intimidating in the arena’s harsh glow.
Storm stood there, taking it all in, then clapped his paws together, bowed, and stepped into his own ready stance, “Don’t hold back.”
“I won’t.”
The two opponents stood frozen in the singular beam of light shining down on the arena, tense and waiting for the fight to begin.
A whistle sang out and Storm blast out a Signal Beam, making the first strike, then shot forward and dove into the ground.
Lucius steeled himself, quickly recovering, and Howled to power up his attacks. He quickly shuffled back to anticipate Storm’s emergence.
The Jolteon burst out on the Houndoom’s left side, connecting with the Dig attack then quickly shifting into a Double-Kick, knocking Lucius back.
Lucius saw the Jolteon closing in and Countered, sending him to the ground.
Storm quickly rolled away and shot out Pin Missiles as he spun to his feet.
Lucius caught the spikes in his arm, wincing, then rolled forward to send out a Heat Wave.
Storm stumbled back, weakened by the intense heat, and threw up a Light Screen. He suddenly noticed the heat wasn’t fading, and it was getting bright everywhere. Sunny Day! Through squinting eyes, he could see the Houndoom’s form closing the gap between them. Storm panicked and threw out a Shadow Ball.
Lucius powered through it and Sucker Punched, sending the Jolteon skidding across the floor.
Storm frantically got to his feet, cursing himself for forgetting Ghost-type attacks weren’t effective against Dark types. He charged up right as Lucius faded into a Double Team. Storm smirked and unleashed a Shock Wave, nailing him square in the chest.
The Jolteon sprinted forward and sent out another Signal Beam, but this time Lucius evaded and Crunched right as Storm passed him, sending his opponent to his knees.
A follow-up kick knocked Storm back, but he rolled to his feet and tried Signal Beam again, this time connecting.
Lucius staggered back as the eerie light engulfed him, then threw out a Sludge Bomb to keep his opponent at bay.
Storm couldn’t stop in time and the sludge struck him in the chest. He nearly tripped as the caustic mixture ate at his body, but quickly noticed Lucius powering up and Dug into the ground, avoiding a Flamethrower attack. Moving through the dirt helped pull the sludge from his fur as he moved in toward his opponent.
Lucius growled and braced himself.
Storm shot out of the ground and switched up with a Double Team maneuver, throwing off Lucius’s Counter attack.
The Houndoom whirled and lashed out with Flamethrower, punishing the brash Jolteon. He rapidly followed through with Will-o-Wisp.
Storm yelped in surprise, tumbling back as flames tore at his fur. He furiously rolled along the ground, but the damage was already done. He’d been badly burned.
Storm staggered to his feet but the snarling Houndoom closed in and Sucker Punched him across the jaw, sending back down.
The Jolteon struggled to move away as Lucius relentlessly beat down with another Flamethrower attack. The fires around him were severe, yet Storm suddenly noticed they weren’t burning as brightly as before. Sunny Day had faded…
Gritting his blood-covered teeth, he unleashed a Thunder attack, but his opponent’s Double Team moved him out of the way and he lashed out with another Sludge Bomb, engulfing Storm in a toxic mire.
Storm quickly threw out a Shock Wave, staggering his adversary long enough for him to get to his feet. The burn seared through his body with every movement, but the Jolteon stood as firm as he could while the poisonous sludge continued to slide off his body. He was weakening fast; this fight won’t last longer… He needed to give himself an edge.
Lucius suddenly lunged, claws writhing in flame.
Storm faked right and juked, letting loose a powerful Charge Beam. He could feel its power supercharging his own as it screamed across the arena. A boost in special attack power might be enough…
The Houndoom dove, avoiding the Beam, and used Punishment to send Storm back to the ground. The power built in Storm backfired, intensifying the hit with a crack of electricity.
Lucius’s muzzle wrinkled as he watched the Jolteon futilely dragging himself away in attempt to stand, “This is what you’ve become? After what you’ve accomplished?” He forced out another Heat Wave, throwing Storm back to the ground. “You actually made a competent fighter out of Stiletto… skyrocketed your team’s rank after a single decisive battle… and now cannot even take down a Junior battler? What happened to you? Where’s your skill?”
Storm coughed, gagging blood as he pushed himself to his feet, “Just a slump…”
Lucius scowled, “Pathetic… You’re even making excuses.” He fired out another Heat Wave, nailing Storm.
The Jolteon stumbled off-balance and dropped to his knees in pain. The burn injury worsened by the second; it was unbearable!
Lucius paced forward, “Get back up!”
Storm lurched to his feet, legs wobbling, “I will not… be bullied…” Studying his opponent, he noticed a slight trail of blood seeping down the Houndoom’s chest, right out of an “eye hole” from a wound at the collar skull. A weak point…
Lucius sneered, “Yet here you are… on the cusp of defeat once again. Was your motivation all for naught? How can you truly protect others from bullies when you lose? You risk becoming a victim yourself!”
Storm panted heavily, “Don’t try and Taunt me to make me angry… I’m better than that…”
“You could use an adrenaline burst, because calm meditation hasn’t done squat.”
Storm clenched his fangs and pushed off into a run, “I’m not finished!” He leapt into the air, readying himself for a Double Kick.
Lucius let out a frustrated sigh and braced himself to Counter, then blinked in surprise.
Storm twisted in midair to reveal the energy building in his paws, then roared as he unleashed a massive Hyper Beam.
The burst of supernatural power swallowed up his opponent in a pulse of devastating energy, shoving out even the arena floor as it furiously pounded the Houndoom. When it finally faded, Lucius was on his knees, paws on the floor to hold himself up in the middle of a crater. He glanced up to see Storm about to collapse.
The Jolteon wheezed as blood spilled from his mouth; the burn wound seared like hot knives stabbing him all over. His whole body trembled in agony, barely able to remain standing. His glance, however, was firmly on Lucius.
The Houndoom grunted, slowly standing up straight, “Your power is impressive… but it’s not enough. Now you’ve left yourself vulnerable.”
Storm’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Lucius Howled to power up his own attack, then lunged forward for the final attack.
Storm tried to move, but he was too exhausted. His legs refused to budge!
Lucius roared in fury as the gap closed, then nailed his opponent with a brutal Punishment attack, sending blood flying.
The Houndoom slid to a halt then stood straight, back turned, “I honestly expected better from you, Storm…”
“I said I wasn’t finished.”
Lucius blinked. He slowly turned to see Storm still on his feet, hunched over but not down. The Houndoom’s eyes widened in shock; the attack was Endured!
Storm punched forward with all his remaining strength.
Lucius jolted, then staggered back. He glanced down to see a single Pin Missile lodged in the eye hole of his collar skull, still bleeding and now sapping his strength like a starved leech. He coughed, stumbling back even more, then collapsed.
Storm feebly whimpered, trying not to fall as the burn wound tortured his body. He had to stay up!
Lucius gritted his teeth as the Pin Missile remained in his bloodstream. His body spasmed, then went limp.
Storm panted a weak laugh, “I… I did it…”
A whistle blew to end the match, then he fell to the floor.
“Helloooo… Wakey wakey, Storm!”
Stiletto’s face came into Storm’s vision as he woke up. The Sandslash grinned, “Y’know, I’ve seen you do a lot better than that…”
Storm gave a frail cough, “Well, I am coming out of a slump…” As Neon helped him sit up, he glanced around to find the rest of his team surrounding him, “How long were you three here?”
Blaze put a paw on his shoulder, “We were let in shortly before the battle started. We are your support crew, after all. How do you feel?”
“I’m not sure if the euphoria I’m feeling is just because I won, or you girls drugged me up on painkillers… I’m still hurting all over, but I’m not unhappy…”
Neon chuckled, “We used a few Super Potions, but it may take a while to recover.”
“Worth every wound…” muttered the Jolteon. His ears perked as Lucius limped over.
“Nice job…” panted the Houndoom. “You might stand a chance, after all.”
“So all that, uh… taunting earlier during the battle. Were you trying to motivate me or something?”
Lucius’s expression remained blank, “I grew up in battle circuits, and I’ve seen people who forget why they fight. They lose the drive to continue, and most never recover because they’re afraid of starting over. I didn’t want to see that happen to you, Storm.”
Storm grunted as Blaze and Stiletto helped him to his feet, “Thanks… Wait, you knew?” He paused, then glanced over to Blaze, “Did you have anything to do with this?”
Blaze smirked, ruby eyes glittering, “Oh, I might’ve dropped a hint or two…”
The voice of the unseen S.E.C.T. organizer called out, “Well done, Tesla. We will consider what we saw here during our selection process.”
Storm gawked, “You mean you don’t have an answer yet?”
“There are a lot of auditions. We’ll let you know if you’re chosen, but even if you aren’t, it seems you’re well on your way to coming out of your ‘slump.’”
Storm gave a slight chuckle, “I guess you’re right…” He turned to Lucius, “I guess I oughta thank you for your help in this, too. Y’know, most wouldn’t expect a teammate of Biff and ‘Wreck’ to be so supportive.”
Lucius nodded, then turned to leave, “If I may offer a bit of advice for the future… everyone has their motivations. You may be seeing a lot of it in the S.E.C.T., so don’t be quick to judge someone until you understand why they do what they do. My relationship with Requiem, for instance, is a personal matter with consequences I’m willing to deal with. If you truly wish to help others, then know your opponents like I know mine. Then you can help them off the battlefield even though you defeat them within it. Good luck… with the S.E.C.T. and your ‘slump.’”
Team Indigo watched as he disappeared into the surrounding darkness, followed by the sound of a door opening and closing.
Storm turned to Blaze, “So… now what?”
Stiletto was already walking out, wearing a proud smirk, “Lunch! You’re doing so good that I’ll buy this time.”
<<< PREV | FIRST | NEXT >>>
All characters © Aelius (me)
pokecombatacademy's Summer Exams Combat Tournament event; Storm's audition.After having found himself in a horrible losing streak, Storm does a bit of soul-searching to figure out why he hasn't had the fighting mojo he began with when he first enrolled at the Academy. In the midst of all the competition, sometimes it is so easy to forget oneself...
“He’s faking left! Watch out for that Sucker Punch!”
WHAM!
Storm tumbled across the arena, leaving a trail of broken yellow spikes stabbed into the ground as he went. The weary Jolteon pulled himself to his feet as he heard the footsteps of his opponent closing in.
Suddenly, he phased out of view, using a Double-Team maneuver to confuse his adversary, but the Houndoom grabbed him and chomped down, igniting a Fire Fang attack.
On the sidelines, Stiletto clawed a nearby bench, “He knows Odor Sleuth, you ditz! Wake up!”
The Houndoom threw Storm to the side and readied another attack.
Storm landed awkwardly on his feet and darted away just in time to miss a Sludge Bomb.
Stiletto gritted her teeth as she watched the spectacle, “This is insane… he used to be better than this.” The Sandslash winced as her team leader got nailed with a Faint Attack, then remarked, “See? He never falls for that!”
Next to her, Blaze stood with her arms crossed, watching the match with a muted expression as her nine tails coiled behind her in annoyance, “This… is embarrassing…”
“It’s more than that!” Stiletto replied, “He’s completely lost his edge. Watch, he’s just gonna—”
“I’ve seen him, too, Stiletto. I know.”
Out of the yells of the crowd, the pair heard a voice shouting out, “C’mon, Storm! Don’t let ‘im intimidate ya!” A Cyndaquil freshman was nearly leaning all the way over the rail trying to make himself heard.
Lightning flashed, striking the Houndoom from across the arena. Storm rushed ahead to follow through, but his Signal Beam was avoided. His opponent spun right as Storm went past, then landed a serious Crunch attack on his arm.
“AAAAUGH!” Storm crumpled to his knees, then desperately tried to Dig away. He succeeded, but the Houndoom let out a feral Howl and struck again right as Storm emerged. The clash knocked them both back, but this time, Storm was bleeding from the nose.
Stiletto cupped her clawed hands over her muzzle and shouted, “Get your head in the game!”
Storm backpedaled, watching close as the Houndoom circled around him. He charged his fists and let out a Shock Wave, flawlessly connecting, but the Houndoom immediately rushed and retaliated with Payback, sending the Jolteon flying.
Storm slammed onto the arena floor, dazed.
Blaze sighed and threw up his towel, ending the match.
The referee helped Storm to his feet, then held up the Houndoom’s arm, “Winner, Lucius Silver, from Team Ricochet!”
Storm trudged to his team’s bench, head hung low as he anticipated the others’ disappointment, “Sorry, girls…”
Blaze and Stiletto eyed him with frustrated pity.
Stiletto was the first to speak up, “What happened to you??” She poked him with a claw, “You’ve been on a losing streak for the past five matches! Look, you’re not even retaliating when I poke you. You always retaliated!”
Blaze held out her hand, gently pulling her teammate back, “Storm, what’s wrong?”
Storm rubbed the back of his neck, “I dunno… I just… My mind’s not in it right now.”
A voice called out from behind, “He lost that fight before it even started.”
The trio paused, ears perked, as Lucius, the Houndoom who defeated him, stood there with an unimpressed expression, “The fight’s completely gone from his eyes.” With that, he turned and rejoined the rest of his team as they exited. The leader, an Absol female, gave them a defiant smirk before walking out.
Stiletto snarled, “I can’t stand her…”
A Dragonair girl smoothly slithered in past the Absol’s group, then caught sight of her own team, “I apologize for my tardiness!” Her cheerful, accented voice almost sang as she approached Storm, “The tutoring session took longer than I expected.” She paused, noticing everyone’s downcast expressions, “Oh my… Storm lost again, didn’t he?”
Stiletto sighed, “Yeah. We just lost our rank. To a Junior team.”
Neon sank down to Storm’s level, peering into his eyes with a worried expression of her own, “This is starting to become a trend. Is something bothering you?”
The Jolteon shook his head, “I guess I just haven’t been motivated lately.”
Stiletto balked, “What’s not to get motivated about?? How about our ranking? Our careers after graduating?”
“I’ve been thinking a lot about that… Our careers, I mean.” Storm straightened, “What’s really out there for us, anyway? I mean… all these entrants to go into battle leagues, it’s like a one-in-a-million shot at making it big.”
Stiletto narrowed her eyes, “C’mon, I know you don’t believe that… After all the pep-talking you gave me when I first joined? You had me thinking I could conquer the world. Now what? You lost that mojo?”
One of Blaze’s tails draped over his shoulders as the Ninetales began, “It sounds to me like you’ve hit a slump.”
Stiletto coughed, “No duh…”
“What I mean…” Blaze continued, “Is that one loss has sapped your confidence and it’s been wearing you down as other losses piled on.” She took Storm by the arm, “We need to talk. All of us. I’m calling an impromptu team meeting since we have the rest of the afternoon off.”
Neon tilted her head, “But Blaze… you have a Statistics class in fifteen minutes…”
“All I’ll miss is a perfect attendance record. This is more important right now.”
As they walked through the Academy’s hallways, Storm couldn’t help but feel more and more uneasy. The entire reason the meeting was called was because he’d been letting the others down, “Look, I already feel bad enough about all this. I don’t want to be reminded of it in a pow-wow.”
Neon put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, “We’re here to help you, Storm. You already feel guilty, so what good would it do to add to it?”
Stiletto paused, noticing a flyer taped on the wall they passed by. She tilted her head, reading the paper, then swiped it off and continued walking with the rest of her team.
Neon continued, “What we need to do is figure out what has caused this change in you, and then figure out what can be done to fix it.”
Blaze smiled, “I know just the place to discuss it…”
A burst of fire ignited nearby. They froze, with Stiletto bumping into Neon, at seeing the Cyndaquil who had cheered Storm on in the previous battle now sitting on the floor in-between a hulking Cacturne and a Glameow whose notebook was half-burnt. The Cacturne wore the insignia of Ricochet; Lucius’s team.
The Cyndaquil nervously got to his feet, facing the Glameow, “I-I’m sorry! He knocked me back and I kinda… flared up!”
The Glameow snarled and leaned in, “Yeah, well my homework is still scorched! Whattaya gonna do about my grade, huh?”
The Cyndaquil trembled, “Um… it looks like only the top part is burnt… there wasn’t anything written there…”
The Cacturne grabbed his shoulder and let out a cruel chuckle, “You shouldn’t have been in my way. Looks like you’ll have to redo the lady’s homework.”
A spike nailed the locker right next to them, wedged into the crease of its door.
The Cacturne immediately let go and stumbled back. Three more spikes sailed into the door crease of the locker behind him while the Cyndaquil and Glameow watched in surprise.
Storm trotted up, grinning, “Whoops! Heh… sometimes these Pin Missiles have a mind of their own. Never know when they’re gonna go off.” He pulled the spikes out of the locker, then flung his arm back, sending another Pin Missile right into the Glameow’s notebook, perfectly threading one of the ring-binder holes to whip past her shoulder and into another locker. “Oopsie… see what I mean?”
The Glameow gave him a sour look, then spun and walked off.
On the other side of him, the Cacturne growled at Storm, then turned and walked off as well, mumbling, “You still lost to my team…”
Storm turned to the Cynadquil, “You alright?”
“Yeah… that was amazing! How’re you so accurate with those spikes?”
“Lots of practice,” Storm replied with a wink.
“Uh, this is gonna sound weird, but my name is Spike. Heh…”
Storm chuckled, “Guess I picked the perfect bully-deterrent.” He turned to walk off with his team, giving a friendly salute, “Take care, Spike.”
“Hey, you too! Oh, uh, and don’t get discouraged by the loss to Lucius!”
Storm paused, blinking, then blushed and followed the rest of his team outside.
The team crested the hill near an older, retired gymnasium. Looking back, they could see much of the Academy’s grounds. The reverent silence around the area seemed to have a calming effect as they sat down to begin their meeting.
Blaze sat cross-legged, letting her tails fan out behind her as she began, “Normally, Storm is the one to start these little gatherings, but given the circumstances I think I’ll take charge this time.” The wind gently caressed her fur as she pondered her next words, “The reason for this meeting is obvious, so let’s get right down to what we can do to solve this dilemma.” She eyed Storm, who was glancing out at the view toward the activity of the Academy.
The Jolteon shrugged, “Well, I wish I knew what started all this, but honestly I haven’t been concentrating on battles lately. I guess I’m just having second-thoughts.”
Neon reclined back, “I have noticed a lack of enthusiasm for the past year. We know you used to enjoy battling, but it seems that interest is waning. What could cause someone to lose such fervor after doing it for so many years?”
“You really think I’m growing out of it?”
Blaze rubbed her chin, “It’s possible, but I wouldn’t think it could happen this quickly. I want you to think back, Storm. Consider why you haven’t felt the same way about battling that you used to. What’s so different now? What did you have before you enrolled here in the Academy?”
Storm leaned back in the grass, pondering. He’d always liked this area; it was so peaceful and tranquil… easy to calm down in and let one’s mind wonder. It was here that he first contemplated the friendship between himself and Blaze, back when an awkward moment at the beach threatened to shatter it. It was here that he meditated before the battle that shot Team Indigo up by two ranks a year ago. On this hill, he even spent his first afternoon at the Academy, looking down with hope and a spark of excitement at the opportunities that awaited him here.
Storm’s eyes widened, “I had drive. When I came here, I believed I had the chance to finally make a difference in people’s lives. Y’know, beyond battling… I wanted to give them something real.”
Blaze’s ears perked, “How do you mean?”
“Well… remember back in middle school? I’d start fights with people I saw picking on others?”
Blaze smirked, “You made it your mission to ‘punish the bullies.’ Instead you nearly drove every student in the school against each other.”
“Right… but I deep down, all I wanted was to help those who couldn’t stand up against others picking on them. Minutes ago, in the hallway when I intervened for Spike… I felt the same way! I realized I hadn’t even done that in years! That’s what I had before I enrolled in the Academy. That’s what I lack now. That’s my drive. Somewhere along the way I forgot why I came here, and it’s turned into just a bunch of battles for something as trivial as ‘rank.’ I want to inspire people again, and stop bullying while I’m at it.”
Neon’s face lit up, “That’s wonderful! Now, how do you intend to pursue this goal?”
Storm sighed, “Well… I gotta admit, having a decent rank does help me get noticed, and it’s a nice way to intimidate a few folks who think they can push us around, but I’m gonna have to do something serious to get back to where we were.”
Stiletto finally spoke up, “I know how.” All eyes were on her as she handed Storm the flyer she’d swiped.
Storm glanced over the paper, “Summer Exams Combat Tournament?”
The Sandslash grinned, “It’ll get you noticed, it’ll get you some cash, and it’ll give you a boost in that calculus class you’re next-to-failing in.”
Neon leaned over to read it, “I heard this event could be brutal. There are a lot of prominent students vying for this prize. Do you think you have a chance, Storm?”
Storm set his jaw and nodded, “I gotta try. If anything, it might wake up that ‘fighting spirit’ in me so I can get back in the game.”
“Be aware, Storm…” said Blaze, “That this event can take your focus away from standard ranked battles. Are you willing to risk that?”
“I’m not going for it unless I think it’ll do us all some good. This’ll give me a chance to refocus without worrying about a total loss of rank.”
The Ninetales nodded, “Then we will support you, as we always have.”
Storm smirked, “Y’know, I couldn’t ask for a better group of friends.”
Stiletto laughed, “Good, ‘cause thanks to your luck with battling lately, we’re all you got right now.”
The next day, Storm was summoned to the same arena he’d fought Lucius in. The lights were out, save for those overlooking the arena floor. Everything else was shrouded in shadow. Through his own electrical impulses, he could sense only a few individuals on the sidelines; the S.E.C.T. organizers, no doubt.
A voice called out, “Tesla ‘Storm’ Veo… Yesterday you signed up to take part in this first annual event. Can you tell us why you decided to pursue it?”
Storm turned and faced the direction of the voice. His battle attire was on; nothing more than a pair of loose slacks with the colors and insignia of Team Indigo printed on them. He’d also been meditating for an hour beforehand. He had to be ready for whatever they would throw at him. He stood straight and nodded, “Yes. Lately I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching and I believe that this event will help me figure out what’s important to me at this academy. I hope to gain my edge back.”
The organizers were silent for a moment, then finally spoke, “Understood. Now, you will need to show us that motivation. This is an audition for a battling event, after all, and you must prove to us, and yourself, that you can succeed.”
Storm nodded again, “I’ll do whatever it takes.” He suddenly jolted in surprise as someone stepped out of the shadows onto the arena.
Lucius.
The Houndoom eyed him with a haunting deadpan expression, “Then defeat me. This is not a sanctioned fight, but instead your first trial in the S.E.C.T. If you can’t win against me, then you won’t get anywhere in the event.” He slowly shifted into a battle-ready stance. The Team-Ricochet-adorned slacks and tank top of his uniform blended with the silver colors of his horns, spikes, and skull collar, making him out to be even more intimidating in the arena’s harsh glow.
Storm stood there, taking it all in, then clapped his paws together, bowed, and stepped into his own ready stance, “Don’t hold back.”
“I won’t.”
The two opponents stood frozen in the singular beam of light shining down on the arena, tense and waiting for the fight to begin.
A whistle sang out and Storm blast out a Signal Beam, making the first strike, then shot forward and dove into the ground.
Lucius steeled himself, quickly recovering, and Howled to power up his attacks. He quickly shuffled back to anticipate Storm’s emergence.
The Jolteon burst out on the Houndoom’s left side, connecting with the Dig attack then quickly shifting into a Double-Kick, knocking Lucius back.
Lucius saw the Jolteon closing in and Countered, sending him to the ground.
Storm quickly rolled away and shot out Pin Missiles as he spun to his feet.
Lucius caught the spikes in his arm, wincing, then rolled forward to send out a Heat Wave.
Storm stumbled back, weakened by the intense heat, and threw up a Light Screen. He suddenly noticed the heat wasn’t fading, and it was getting bright everywhere. Sunny Day! Through squinting eyes, he could see the Houndoom’s form closing the gap between them. Storm panicked and threw out a Shadow Ball.
Lucius powered through it and Sucker Punched, sending the Jolteon skidding across the floor.
Storm frantically got to his feet, cursing himself for forgetting Ghost-type attacks weren’t effective against Dark types. He charged up right as Lucius faded into a Double Team. Storm smirked and unleashed a Shock Wave, nailing him square in the chest.
The Jolteon sprinted forward and sent out another Signal Beam, but this time Lucius evaded and Crunched right as Storm passed him, sending his opponent to his knees.
A follow-up kick knocked Storm back, but he rolled to his feet and tried Signal Beam again, this time connecting.
Lucius staggered back as the eerie light engulfed him, then threw out a Sludge Bomb to keep his opponent at bay.
Storm couldn’t stop in time and the sludge struck him in the chest. He nearly tripped as the caustic mixture ate at his body, but quickly noticed Lucius powering up and Dug into the ground, avoiding a Flamethrower attack. Moving through the dirt helped pull the sludge from his fur as he moved in toward his opponent.
Lucius growled and braced himself.
Storm shot out of the ground and switched up with a Double Team maneuver, throwing off Lucius’s Counter attack.
The Houndoom whirled and lashed out with Flamethrower, punishing the brash Jolteon. He rapidly followed through with Will-o-Wisp.
Storm yelped in surprise, tumbling back as flames tore at his fur. He furiously rolled along the ground, but the damage was already done. He’d been badly burned.
Storm staggered to his feet but the snarling Houndoom closed in and Sucker Punched him across the jaw, sending back down.
The Jolteon struggled to move away as Lucius relentlessly beat down with another Flamethrower attack. The fires around him were severe, yet Storm suddenly noticed they weren’t burning as brightly as before. Sunny Day had faded…
Gritting his blood-covered teeth, he unleashed a Thunder attack, but his opponent’s Double Team moved him out of the way and he lashed out with another Sludge Bomb, engulfing Storm in a toxic mire.
Storm quickly threw out a Shock Wave, staggering his adversary long enough for him to get to his feet. The burn seared through his body with every movement, but the Jolteon stood as firm as he could while the poisonous sludge continued to slide off his body. He was weakening fast; this fight won’t last longer… He needed to give himself an edge.
Lucius suddenly lunged, claws writhing in flame.
Storm faked right and juked, letting loose a powerful Charge Beam. He could feel its power supercharging his own as it screamed across the arena. A boost in special attack power might be enough…
The Houndoom dove, avoiding the Beam, and used Punishment to send Storm back to the ground. The power built in Storm backfired, intensifying the hit with a crack of electricity.
Lucius’s muzzle wrinkled as he watched the Jolteon futilely dragging himself away in attempt to stand, “This is what you’ve become? After what you’ve accomplished?” He forced out another Heat Wave, throwing Storm back to the ground. “You actually made a competent fighter out of Stiletto… skyrocketed your team’s rank after a single decisive battle… and now cannot even take down a Junior battler? What happened to you? Where’s your skill?”
Storm coughed, gagging blood as he pushed himself to his feet, “Just a slump…”
Lucius scowled, “Pathetic… You’re even making excuses.” He fired out another Heat Wave, nailing Storm.
The Jolteon stumbled off-balance and dropped to his knees in pain. The burn injury worsened by the second; it was unbearable!
Lucius paced forward, “Get back up!”
Storm lurched to his feet, legs wobbling, “I will not… be bullied…” Studying his opponent, he noticed a slight trail of blood seeping down the Houndoom’s chest, right out of an “eye hole” from a wound at the collar skull. A weak point…
Lucius sneered, “Yet here you are… on the cusp of defeat once again. Was your motivation all for naught? How can you truly protect others from bullies when you lose? You risk becoming a victim yourself!”
Storm panted heavily, “Don’t try and Taunt me to make me angry… I’m better than that…”
“You could use an adrenaline burst, because calm meditation hasn’t done squat.”
Storm clenched his fangs and pushed off into a run, “I’m not finished!” He leapt into the air, readying himself for a Double Kick.
Lucius let out a frustrated sigh and braced himself to Counter, then blinked in surprise.
Storm twisted in midair to reveal the energy building in his paws, then roared as he unleashed a massive Hyper Beam.
The burst of supernatural power swallowed up his opponent in a pulse of devastating energy, shoving out even the arena floor as it furiously pounded the Houndoom. When it finally faded, Lucius was on his knees, paws on the floor to hold himself up in the middle of a crater. He glanced up to see Storm about to collapse.
The Jolteon wheezed as blood spilled from his mouth; the burn wound seared like hot knives stabbing him all over. His whole body trembled in agony, barely able to remain standing. His glance, however, was firmly on Lucius.
The Houndoom grunted, slowly standing up straight, “Your power is impressive… but it’s not enough. Now you’ve left yourself vulnerable.”
Storm’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Lucius Howled to power up his own attack, then lunged forward for the final attack.
Storm tried to move, but he was too exhausted. His legs refused to budge!
Lucius roared in fury as the gap closed, then nailed his opponent with a brutal Punishment attack, sending blood flying.
The Houndoom slid to a halt then stood straight, back turned, “I honestly expected better from you, Storm…”
“I said I wasn’t finished.”
Lucius blinked. He slowly turned to see Storm still on his feet, hunched over but not down. The Houndoom’s eyes widened in shock; the attack was Endured!
Storm punched forward with all his remaining strength.
Lucius jolted, then staggered back. He glanced down to see a single Pin Missile lodged in the eye hole of his collar skull, still bleeding and now sapping his strength like a starved leech. He coughed, stumbling back even more, then collapsed.
Storm feebly whimpered, trying not to fall as the burn wound tortured his body. He had to stay up!
Lucius gritted his teeth as the Pin Missile remained in his bloodstream. His body spasmed, then went limp.
Storm panted a weak laugh, “I… I did it…”
A whistle blew to end the match, then he fell to the floor.
“Helloooo… Wakey wakey, Storm!”
Stiletto’s face came into Storm’s vision as he woke up. The Sandslash grinned, “Y’know, I’ve seen you do a lot better than that…”
Storm gave a frail cough, “Well, I am coming out of a slump…” As Neon helped him sit up, he glanced around to find the rest of his team surrounding him, “How long were you three here?”
Blaze put a paw on his shoulder, “We were let in shortly before the battle started. We are your support crew, after all. How do you feel?”
“I’m not sure if the euphoria I’m feeling is just because I won, or you girls drugged me up on painkillers… I’m still hurting all over, but I’m not unhappy…”
Neon chuckled, “We used a few Super Potions, but it may take a while to recover.”
“Worth every wound…” muttered the Jolteon. His ears perked as Lucius limped over.
“Nice job…” panted the Houndoom. “You might stand a chance, after all.”
“So all that, uh… taunting earlier during the battle. Were you trying to motivate me or something?”
Lucius’s expression remained blank, “I grew up in battle circuits, and I’ve seen people who forget why they fight. They lose the drive to continue, and most never recover because they’re afraid of starting over. I didn’t want to see that happen to you, Storm.”
Storm grunted as Blaze and Stiletto helped him to his feet, “Thanks… Wait, you knew?” He paused, then glanced over to Blaze, “Did you have anything to do with this?”
Blaze smirked, ruby eyes glittering, “Oh, I might’ve dropped a hint or two…”
The voice of the unseen S.E.C.T. organizer called out, “Well done, Tesla. We will consider what we saw here during our selection process.”
Storm gawked, “You mean you don’t have an answer yet?”
“There are a lot of auditions. We’ll let you know if you’re chosen, but even if you aren’t, it seems you’re well on your way to coming out of your ‘slump.’”
Storm gave a slight chuckle, “I guess you’re right…” He turned to Lucius, “I guess I oughta thank you for your help in this, too. Y’know, most wouldn’t expect a teammate of Biff and ‘Wreck’ to be so supportive.”
Lucius nodded, then turned to leave, “If I may offer a bit of advice for the future… everyone has their motivations. You may be seeing a lot of it in the S.E.C.T., so don’t be quick to judge someone until you understand why they do what they do. My relationship with Requiem, for instance, is a personal matter with consequences I’m willing to deal with. If you truly wish to help others, then know your opponents like I know mine. Then you can help them off the battlefield even though you defeat them within it. Good luck… with the S.E.C.T. and your ‘slump.’”
Team Indigo watched as he disappeared into the surrounding darkness, followed by the sound of a door opening and closing.
Storm turned to Blaze, “So… now what?”
Stiletto was already walking out, wearing a proud smirk, “Lunch! You’re doing so good that I’ll buy this time.”
<<< PREV | FIRST | NEXT >>>
All characters © Aelius (me)
Category Story / Pokemon
Species Mammal (Other)
Size 120 x 120px
File Size 55 kB
Comments