Pokémon: the Vanguard Descends
Chapter 38 The Grand Kakusa Celebration
Level 70 Ahmes (Gallade) psychic/fighting
Level 70 Wingal (Lycanroc (dusk)) rock
Level 68 Llew (Golisopod) water/bug
Level 68 Gancelot (Lucario) fighting/steel
Level 73 Soul Saver (Haxorus) dragon
Level 100 Alfred (Aegislash) ghost/steel
While they were talking the concert had ended and Morikawa had noticed Aichi. Aichi was still pondering what Shin meant by adult when Morikawa came up to him. Aichi had recognized Morikawa and was a bit confused as to why he had gone up to him.
“You!”, Morikawa said as he pointed at a confused and stunned Aichi.
“Me?”, Aichi questioned.
“As if some loser like you could defeat Suzugamori Ren! I challenge you to a battle to see who the real champion is here!”, Morikawa said.
The crowd murmured overhearing this and the reporters were abuzz.
“Will you accept my challenge Aichi or are you still the little coward I knew?”, Morikawa asked.
Misaki glared at him, Emi and Kai frowned looking angry at Morikawa. Aichi was noticeably silent and his Pokémon looked at him.
“Bro doesn’t have to prove anything! He just had to battle Ren yesterday he’s probably not even fully recovered yet!”, Kamui said.
“Oh, wow shouting commands is very tiring! That’s just an excuse!”, Morikawa replied.
“It’s more complicated than that.”, Misaki replied.
“I’ll battle you.”, Aichi agreed, much to their shock.
They looked back to him seeing he had a smile on his face. His gaze held a bit of excitement.
“Uh, you just fought Ren you really wanna battle again so soon?”, Kamui asked.
“Yeah, you had just battled a bunch. Aren’t you tired of fighting?”, Emi asked.
“All the battles against Team Asteroid were all so serious. But, I do truly love battling without all the high stakes. I don’t have anything to lose battling Morikawa not like when I battled Ren.”, Aichi explained.
Ever since he first battled Kai, he knew that he did enjoy it. He always felt the sense of excitement deep within his bones though he tried to restrain it. He didn’t really have much of a chance to fully indulge in this love for battling with the constant threat of Team Asteroid. The only times he really got to was back at PSY Sweets and Alfred’s castle. But, now there were no stakes to stop him from enjoying the battle. Morikawa was just a normal trainer disconnected from Team Asteroid.
“Haxorus! Haxorus! (Yeah! I’m raring to go!)”, Soul Saver agreed.
“Then it’s settled time to battle!”, Morikawa said.
He made a peace sign when the media’s cameras had turned to him.
“I thought he’d be sick of it, but he’s not at all.”, Shin said.
“It might be the Pokémon dna that makes him enjoy battling so much.”, Esuka reasoned.
“Whatever is, I’m glad he can still enjoy battling after what he went through.”, Mark replied.
“Well, boys will be boys.”, Yuri commented.
“Uh huh.”, Emi replied, agreeing and Misaki nodded.
“Definitely.”, Mikuru agreed, sweat dropping and Chrono looked clueless.
“Let’s go, Morikawa!”, Aichi said as Soul Saver jumped in front of him prepared to battle.
“After I beat you everyone will cheer the name, Katsumi Morikawa!”, Morikawa gloated, while laughing and Izaki sweat dropped.
“That guy never changes does he?”, Miwa chuckled.
“He’s still a idiot.”, Kai replied.
“Looks like our champion already has his first challenge! Let’s see if he’s really up to the job or if his win was a fluke!”, a reporter said as Misaki glared at them causing him to flinch.
“Go, Juggernaut Maximum!”, Morikawa called out, throwing out Nidoking.
“Go, Soul Saver!”, Aichi called out, she was already out and let out a roar.
“Juggernaut Maximum use mega horn!”, Morikawa ordered.
Juggernaut Maximum charged trying to ram Soul Saver with its horn. Soul Saver grabbed it by its massive ears and stopped the attack dead in its tracks.
“He stopped one of the strongest bug attacks!?”, Kishida gaped, shaking a bit.
“That kid really is crazy.”, Kurosawa commented, sweat dropping.
“Soul Saver use scale shot!”, Aichi ordered.
Soul Saver shot scales at the pinned Juggernaut Maximum. The scales hit so hard and fast they were able to penetrate its thick skin. It was sent back and Soul Saver whipped her next cutting Juggernaut Maximum with her tusks. Juggernaut Maximum fell over, fainting causing Morikawa to growl.
“Woah, Aichi kicked that guy’s butt!”, Emi commented in amazement.
Soul Saver giggled at all the attention she was getting, feeling very confident.
“Of course, that guy’s a pushover compared to bro!”, Kamui replied to Emi.
“So, what do you have next?” Aichi questioned as Morikawa looked away awkwardly.
“Uh...all I have besides Juggernaut Maximum are Magikarps…”, Morikawa replied awkwardly as many of the spectators burst into laughter.
“W-what?!”, Aichi questioned, genuinely stunned.
“Catching Pokémon is hard okay!”, Morikawa replied.
“Well, that was anticlimactic…”, Gai commented, sweat dropping.
“Haxorus! Haxorus! Haxorus! Haxorus! (Aww! But, I wanna fight more!)”, Soul Saver whined as Aichi’s other Pokémon sweat dropped.
“Anyone else want to challenge me?”, Aichi asked.
“Is this really that same guy we knew?”, Izaki questioned, stunned.
“I’m not sure.”, Morikawa replied.
Some challengers did come up all crowding around him. They couldn’t help, but sweat drop about the crowd not making him nervous now when it did before.
“Is he just going to battle all day?”, Miwa questioned.
“Of course, a real man battles all day!”, Gouki replied.
It was a testament to Aichi’s strength that it hadn’t actually been all day for him to battle each member of the crowd. It had only been an hour at most much to their amazement. Aichi had recalled his Pokémon who were a bit tired out now.
“Wow, that guy is really strong.”, Chrono commented.
“Of course, my bro is the strongest trainer in Kakusa!”, Kamui gloated.
“You guys don’t look related.”, Chrono replied, sweat dropping.
“Finally, you're done brother. I was worried you were about to spend the whole party battling.”, Emi said as she walked up to Aichi.
“Yeah, especially after you even rematched the gym leaders.”, Misaki added.
“That was a complete massacre.”, Kourin commented, walking up with Takuto, Suiko, and Rekka.
“Looks like he’s definitely proved his dominance as the champion to the whole region.”, Rekka added.
“I think you guys are exaggerating.”, Aichi finally said, sweat dropping.
“Don’t sell yourself short kid, you’ve really gotten tough.”, Mark replied.
“Yeah, you're like Kai now.”, Miwa added.
“With a way better attitude.”, Kamui replied.
“What else do I do?”, Aichi asked Emi.
“I dunno dance? There’s still music and they probably have some games here.”, Emi replied.
“I-I can’t dance.”, Aichi replied.
“That’s because you’ve never tried.”, Emi replied.
“How about we go around to see everything there is?”, Kamui suggested.
“I guess.”, Aichi replied.
There were a lot of food stands and games that you’d find at festivals.
“Aww. I wanna Teddiursa bear.”, Emi said as she pointed at the prize.
“Do not fear I’ll get it miss Emi!”, Kamui offered before being pulled away by Nagisa.
“Get me that prize Kamui.”, Nagisa said as she pointed to a different one.
“No way! I’m getting my goddess Emi a prize!”, Kamui refused.
“It's one of those games where you have to hit a target. Their usually rigged.”, Misaki said.
“Let’s see…I’ll try it.”, Aichi said.
“Alright.”, The person at the stand said as they gave him the gun toy to shoot at the targets.
Aichi raised the gun to shoot.
“I’ve never used a gun before.”, Aichi thought.
“There’s no way he can get it. That girl is right the game is rigged.”, the stand person thought.
He suddenly gasped in shock when there was a bang and he looked over to see Aichi hit the target.
“Huh, maybe this one isn’t rigged.”, Misaki said.
Aichi shot more of the targets to rack up points for the plush.
“W-what the fuck?!”, the stand person thought.
Aichi narrowed his eyes as he noticed how the seemingly stationary targets moved slightly out of the way very quickly. Because of that he thought of simply predicting where the target will move to rather than shoot where it currently was. He remembered the principal from when Alfred taught him about bows.
“We’ll have one Teddiursa plush.”, Aichi said, after he got all the points.
“Thanks brother.”, Emi thanked, smiling brightly at Aichi.
“It’s nothing.”, Aichi chuckled, handing Emi the plush.
“I wish that was me.”, Kamui thought, he cried comedically while being pulled around by Nagisa.
“Kourin wishes that could be her.”, Rekka said with a sly smile as Kourin glared at her.
“As if!”, Kourin replied, looking away with a blush.
“We’ve gotta play the wingmen here.”, Rekka whispered to Suiko.
“Definitely.”, Suiko whispered.
“What are you guys talking about?”, Kourin asked as her eye twitched with annoyance.
They went to play some more games. Next was a dunking game and they couldn’t help, but be stunned at how good Misaki was. Her tall height probably helped a bit.
“I bet I can get more points than you.”, Yuri teased.
“Challenge accepted.”, Misaki replied, with a serious look.
Aichi couldn’t help, but flinched at the intense auras the two gave off. Emi looked amazed at the two cheering them on.
“Those two can be scary sometimes.”, Koutei commented.
“Yeah…”, Aichi agreed.
