Pokemon: Arceus' Champion

As we returned to the arena to sit in the stands, the drone of hundreds of people met us from them talking in the background, and otherwise just walking around as they refreshed themselves before the next batttle started.

"Aniki!"

I heard Ash cry out as he directed us to the same seats that he and the rest of the guys, sans Calem and Lucas, were at.

"Hey guys." I said as we all made to sit beside them, only to receive numerous pointed looks as they glanced between the girls and I. Then they all fixed me with a look that said 'if you hurt her, I'll kick your ass'. I doubted they could, but I respected the concern they all showed for their sisters/cousins.

"You ready to get your butt kicked?!" Max demanded as soon as

"The one you should be asking that is your brother." I replied with a smirk, making Max glower at me unamusedly.

"Don't talk smack if you can't take it when someone dishes it back." Brendan said to his little brother, before fixing me with a look. "But I WILL be the one to win."

"Funny, I was just about to say the same thing." I told him, before holding a fist up.

"You better at least not make this battle boring." Brendan told me, bumping my fist with his own.

"I wouldn't dare dream of it." I said, before thinking a little bit. "Say, speaking of boring.... What do you all say to pumping things up a bit to get ready for Lucas and Calem?"

"Oh? What did you have in mind?" Nate asked curiously.

***

"Is there any new information to report?" Lance asked the others who were gathered with him, mostly the other Champions, professors, lady Ilene and Steve Sherwin.

"Aye got the Rangers patrolling while also being undercova. No one should know we're here." Steve said in an uncharacteristically serious tone. After learning of the type of things Team Rocket got up to involving pokemon, he was fully invested in stopping them here.

"I've also got my aura guardians stationed throughout the ship, and I can feel nothing out of the ordinary aside from the Rocket agents starting to gather. I can tell they're getting ready to make their move, but not yet." Lady Ilene told them as she pointed to the various locations on the map of the ship, which were where her aura guardians were stationed.

"Not only that, but Ace also has his Absol on standby with her ability to detect disasters. She MAY be able to detect them before they make their move." Professor Oak added.

Lance nodded slowly as he listened to them, mentally aligning everything on the map before them as best he could.

"Seems as if we'll be as ready as we can be for what information we have. Just remember, we ALL need to be ready to act at a second's notice. Our priority should be making sure the civilian evacuation goes off without any problems, and then we can direct our full might at Team Rocket!"

As Lance finished speaking professor Oak smiled wryly as he asked, "and speaking of the evacuations, do you REALLY think Ace and Ash will be so obedient and leave like you told them to?"

Lance glared at the professor before saying, "they WILL evacuate with everyone else, even if I have to tie them up and set them adrift in a rowboat."

Even as Lance said so, he himself had a hard time believing his claims, while everyone else just appeared bemused. Oak especially snorted as he said, "good luck with that. Ash is basically stubbornness incarnate, and Ace can be spite given human form when someone gets in his way. Or did you forget what he did to Giovanni five years ago?"

Lance was torn between a grimace and smirk as he recalled THAT particular scene, while lady Ilene appeared curious.

"What happened five years ago?" She asked with interest, giving voice to what the others not from Kanto wanted to know.

"Ace, May and Dawn were all attacked by a pack of Houndour being led by a Houndoom, which nearly killed Ace as he gave them time to call for help. Ace only survived because Giovanni was also there, probably to personally lead the attack, and let us use his helicopter to get Ace to Viridian city hospital to make himself look good.

"Then, immediately after waking up, Ace crashed the press conference I was about to give, outed Team Rocket to the world, declared that Giovanni promised him twenty million pokedollars, and then proclaimed a homosexual relationship between Giovanni and another Gym Leader, Lt. Surge. You could probably find the clip on Pokevision."

By the time professor Oak finished recounting the tale, lady Ilene was already trying to search for the specific clip to see for herself, which the other Champions and professor also tried to watch.

"Oh my God..." Iris uttered as they finished it, before all of them looked at Lance with pity.

"Don't look at me like that..." Lance grumbled, though he understood why they did.

He then reached for his cup of tea, only to see it shudder as ripples filled it.

"Huh?" Lance uttered while putting his hand on the table lightly, and felt it shaking at regular intervals that didn't match the ship's engines.

"Are we under attack?!" Lance demanded as he looked up urgently.

"???"

"No?" Ilene replied, not knowing why Lance was worried.

But then she, along with the rest of them, felt the ship vibrating at an increasing rate, while she could also feel a spike of a certain emotion.

"Ahhh..." Ilene said as she realized what was happening, drawing attention to herself as she said, "let's go and you'll be what's going on."

Their curiosity growing, the Champions, professors and Top Ranger followed the queen as she led the way back to the arena, where a scene unlike anything they had ever seen was waiting for them as the entire ship felt as if it were shaking now.

*BOOM BOOM CLAP!*

*BOOM BOOM CLAP!*

*BOOM BOOM CLAP!*

"""WE WILL, WE WILL ROCK YOU!"""

*BOOM BOOM CLAP!*

*BOOM BOOM CLAP!*

*BOOM BOOM CLAP!*

The Champions and professors looked at spectacle before in awe while Ilene and Steve both had wide smiles on their faces at the scene. It was the most hyped up Ilene had ever seen a crowd of this size in her life.

"Take a wild guess who was behind this." Cynthia said with a smirk, before they all turned to face a certain group in the stands.

Sitting there, stomping, clapping and singing out loud with the ENTIRE arena was Ace, a shit-eating grin on his face as he looked back at them pointedly. Or more specifically, Lance.

***

God, I miss my old music.

That was the main thought I had going through my head as we managed to get the entire arena to stomp, clap and sing along with us as we waited for the next round of battles to begin. And it was fucking glorious.

I wonder what I could achieve if I had access from the playlists that I had in my old life?

Please Arceus, if you're watching me at all right now, hook a guy up!

I couldn't help the shit-eating grin on my face as we shook what was possibly the entire damn ship with our feet, before looking pointedly at Lance and the others as they arrived.

I then gave him a look that basically said 'I did this because I was bored, I DARE you to keep me from the fight when I want to join in'.

*BOOM BOOM CLAP!*

*BOOM BOOM CLAP!*

*BOOM BOOM CLAP!*

"""WE WILL WE WILL ROCK YOU!"""

*BOOM BOOM CLAP!*

*BOOM BOOM CLAP!*

*BOOM BOOM CLAP!*

"This is amazing!"

I don't know who it was, but I heard someone cry out over the sound of everyone stomping and clapping, which continued even as Lucas and Calemmade their way out onto the arena.

It was only when the referees camee out that we all slowly ceased the stomping and clapping.

"WELL WELL WELL! AREN'T WE ALL FIRED UP?!"

"I'D SAY SO! NOW IT'S TIME TO GIVE YOU ALL WHAT YOU WANT!"

A great cheer went up at his declaration, while professor Oak re-entered the commentary box with Iris this time.

"Hello again and welcome back all from our brief break."

"Hello~! Its great to see everyone here today!"

I cocked a brow while throwing a look at Iris, wondering if she were putting on a performance in the public eye. Well, I guess she couldn't be Champion of Unova if she acted like a brat ALL the time.

"This time we have two battles lined up between our semifinalists, first Calem versus Lucas, and then Brendan versus Ace." Professor Oak stated, gesturing to the two trainers below.

"And now, if everyone is ready, then let the first round of the semifinals comence!"

As professor Oak declared, both Lucas and Calem stepped forward as they reached for their first pokeball.

"Lead the charge, Tyranitar!" Calem cried out, making me raise my brows as a kaiju-looking pokemon appeared in the arena.

"Wow!" Dawn exclaimed as she stood and leaned against the rail.

"Wow is right. Though not a dragon type, Tyranitar is pretty damn close to it. Enough so that I believe Lance has one." I told her.

"Not only that, but they're also so strong that a certain village in Johto even worshipped one as a mountain god in ancient times." Lyra added.

"I want one..." Ethan whined in his seat, giving voice to my own thoughts. And I fully planned to find myself a Tyranitar when I go to clear the remaining Johto League Gyms.

"I choose you, Octillary!" Lucas declared on the other side, raising numerous brows as his choice appeared on the battlefield, a large red octopus.

"Interesting choice." I said while looking at the pokemon. Octillary would have the type advantage with water against rock, but would that matter to a pseudo-Legendary like Tyranitar?

"Oh my gods! Its an Octillary!" Misty declared as her eyes seemingly changed to hearts from seeing the water type pokemon.

"Octillary, Water Pulse!" Lucas declared, beginning the battle.

"OCTO!"

At Lucas' command, Octillary summoned a pulse of water that washed over the arena in a straight line towards Tyranitar.

"Tyranitar, Dark Pulse!"

"TAAAAAAAAAAAAR!"

With a roar, Tyranitar also sent out a pulse of pure darkness that clashed with Octillary's attack.

Both attacks flooded the arena with darkness on one side, and water on the other, until the power of Tyranitar won out and pushed the water back before enveloping Octillary.

"Octillary, use Surf!" Lucas hurriedly ordered.

"Octilllllll!"

Trilling as it did so, Octillary summoned a massive wave of water that washed away the darkness as it covered the entire arena, including Tyranitar.

"Now, use the momentum of Surf to use Wrap!"

"Octoooo!"

As Lucas commanded, Octillary took advantage of Tyranitar being buffeted by the waves of Surf to Wrap it's many tentacles around it's body, restricting it's movement and giving Octillary the advantage. Momentarily.

"Tyranitar, use Thunder Fang!"

"TYRAAAAAN!"

Though not able to use the full movement of it's limbs, Tyranitar readily bit down onto one of Octillary's tentacles with it's teeth, before sending a powerful wave of lightning into it.

"Octillary! Use Hydro Pump to get away from those fangs!" Lucas hurriedly told it.

""Octo!"

Suddenly, Octillary shot a powerful blast of water from it's mouth while simultaneously releasing Tyranitar, both hitting it's opponent and putting space between them with the force of the attack.

"Tillary!"

"Good Octuillary, now use Water Gun from a distance!" Lucas ordered, apparently planning to make this battle a long distance one.

"Tyranitar, use Rock Tomb!" Calem commanded.

"TAR!"

With another roar, Tyranitar ignored the Water Guns hitting it as it picked up numerous large chunks of the arena they were battling on, and chucked them at Octillary.

*Crash! Crash! Crash!*

"!!!"

"Now Octillary has nowhere to go." I commented, as the pokemon was surrounded on all sides by large boulders. It had a disadvantage in the movement department to begin with, but now it was unable to move at all.

"Now finish this up with a Thunderbolt!"

"TyraniTAR!"

Despite being a rock type, Tyranitar summoned a masive amount of electric power as a Thunderbolt shot across the arena, and struck the motionless Octillary.

*KER-KRACK!*

"Octillary!" Lucas cried in alarm as his pokemon was engulfed in lightning, which faded to reveal that it had been knocked out.

"OCTILLARY IS UNABLE TO BATTLE!"

We watched as Lucas recalled his pokemon, and whispered a few quiet words to it's pokeball before returning it to his belt.

"I can't believe THAT Octillary was defeated..." Barry uttered in disbelief, while Serena appeared smug from how powerful Camel's Tyranitar was.

"You've battled it?" Hop asked curiously.

"'Battled it?' That thing whooped my Infernape's ass almost every time we've battled. The only time I managed to take it down with Infernape was after it learned Thunder Punch." Barry said bitterly.

"Infernape's biggest advantage IS it's unpredictable movements and fighting style. If that Octillary manages to use Wrap on it, then it loses it's biggest advantage on top of the type weakness." I said after giving it a moment's thought.

"Basically. Plus that thing is terrifyingly accurate with it's ranged attacks. No matter how fast Infernape moves, it still gets hit." Barry concluded.

"In comparison, Tyranitar is a tank." I finished, highlighting the biggest reason Octillary lost.

"I wonder which pokemon Lucas will use next?" Dawn said while everyone watched him, and two of Lucas' pokemon instantly came to my mind.

"You're up next, Garchomp!" Lucas cried out.

"GarCHOMP!"

The dragon type roared out as it appeared, bearing the claws it had for hands threateningly at it's opponent.

"Oh! Lucas is using Garchomp already?!" Victor exclaimed, no doubt recalling his loss against the pokemon.

"Well, it was either Garchomp or Toxicroak, unless Lucas was willing to send out his Torterra this early." I told him.

"You up for more Tyranitar?" I heard Calem ask his pokemon.

"Tyran!"

"Alright! Start things off with a Stone Edge!"

At Calem's prompting, numerous jagged stones shit up from under Garchomp.

"Break them all with Dragon Claw! Then use Dig" Lucas commanded.

"Chomp!"

Garchomp slashed it's claws as they glowed with draconic power, shattering the jagged stones before they could hit it, and then leapt up into the air before angling itself into a dive, allowing it to plunge into the ground as if it were swimming in water. All we could see was the fin sticking up from Garchomp's back as it sailed through the arena, right at Tyranitar.

Even as Garchomp shot at it, Tyranitar didn't move a single muscle until after it shot out of the ground and slashed it with it's claws.

"Now Tyranitar, use Payback!"

*CRASH!*

Garchomp was sent flying across the arena as it took Tyranitar's attack, before flipping up to right itself on it's feet.

"Good job Garchomp! Now use Dragon Rush!"

"GarCHOMP!"

Garchomp surged forward with dragon type power radiating from it's entire body, before slamming into Tyranitar with enough force that it was pushed back several feet.

"Tyranitar, use Ice Fang!"

"TAR!"

With ice covering it's fangs this time, Tyranitar bit down on Garchomp's arm to cover it with a layer of ice.

"It knows electric AND ice type moves?" Hop asked in disbelief.

"It's not too suprising, to counter it's weakness against water and ground type pokemon." Serena said proudly.

"Now use Bulldoze, Garchomp!" Lucas ordered.

"Garchomp!"

Wrapping it's claws around Tyranitar, Garchomp summoned another burst of speed as it channeled ground type energy.

"Break free Tyranitar!"

"Bulldoze it right into the wall!"

"CHOMP!"

With a roar, the recently evolved Garchomp charged straight at the wall, slamming Tyranitar into it with a full-force Bulldoze.

*CRASH!*

Dust enveloped the entire section of the arena, concealing the result of the attack from everyone else.

"What's going on? Did it work?" Serena asked worriedly.

"Do you want me to spoil it for you?" I asked her.

Serena appeared to contemplate whether or not she did want me to tell her, until the dust cleared to reveal Tyranitar on the ground.

"TYRANITAR IS UNABLE TO BATTLE!" The referee announced.

"Now they're both down one pokemon." I commented, as Calem and Lucas returned both Tyranitar and Garchomp. Except while Lucas was down his Octillary, Calem was down a psuedo-Legendary. However Garchomp was one of Lucas' strongest as well, and was probably tired from that battle as well.

No wonder Lucas returned it in case he'd need it later.

"Its your turn now, Bastiodon!" Lucas declared, sending out a pokemon with a head resembling a massive square shield that I recognized from the fossil sanctuary.

"Oh? Lucas has a Bastiodon?" I asked Barry.

"Yeah. Even against fighting types, that thing is a defensive monster." Barry said.

"Shatter that shield, Charizard!" Calem declared, making me stand up suddenly even as said pokemon appeared in the arena.

"CHAAAAAAAAR!"

"Calem has a Charizard?!" I exclaimed.

"Of course! Professor Sycamore gave us a second starter from the Kanto region after we got our first Gym Badge. Calem got Chespin and Charmander, while I got Fennekin and Squirtle." Serena said in a matter-of-factly tone.

My eyes however were glued on Calem's Charizard as it prepared to battle Bastiodon. Even if mine was more powerful, which I knew it was, I could still gleam some interesting tactics from Calem as the two of them battled Bastiodon.

(A.N. Any requests for who moves on to the finals?)