Love in the Time of Tenacity

Chapter 18: A Concert

So, the League continues here in full glory, and I hope you enjoy the matchup shown here! Onwards to Chapter 18!

Chapter 18

A Concert

"All right, Passimian, use Close Combat!" Ash cried, the surging cheers of the crowd rising with his own voice behind him. Passimian stamped the ground, throwing his berry behind him as he rushed towards his opponent, the one that would end that day's match.

"Starmie, use Ice Beam!" cried his opponent, a girl, who had proven to be a fun battle for the second day with her team of Arcanine, Clefable and the one she was currently commanding. Passimian ran to the side, rolling a little to avoid the chilling beam that froze the sands they were fighting on. It was too far away from the water that joined to the beach, not affecting the small sea on the battlefield. The ice struck the sands, freezing it entirely, but Passimian was too far away from that spot for it to make a difference.

"Pasi-si-si-si-sim!" Passimian cried. He reached Starmie and pummeled forward rapidly, slamming into every part of their opponent with punches and kicks until sending it flying forward with a final, rapid punch. It soon landed against the sands, which puffed up, obscuring its body for just a moment. The referee stepped forward.

"Starmie is unable to battle. Passimian is the winner, and the match goes to Ash," he called out. The crowd cheered out loudly for his victory, but Ash blocked them out. Passimian came running back, nabbing his berry.

"Pikachu pika!" Pikachu cheered, swaying back and forth cheerfully as Passimian returned. Ash grinned at him, holding a fist out to bump it against the lemur's.

"And there we have it folks!" Kalas cried out, his voice managing to rise above the cheers. "Ash Ketchum has proceeded into the quarterfinals with another undisputed victory. Lynn simply didn't stand a chance in an unmitigated three-zero victory. Toucannon, Lycanroc and Passimian all put in quite the bit of work for that victory!"

"He's right. You did a great job, Passimian!" Ash called to his partner, calling him back into his pokeball with a grin. He looked across to the girl he had faced, her face one of disappointment. However, when she looked up, he grinned at her. She was a good opponent, if someone who seemed to be in a little over her head. The battle had started strong with her, her Arcanine giving Toucannon some trouble, before quickly devolving when she started panicking over not having the control over the field that she thought she would. Even her use of Hydro Vortex in the last moments before Passimian's Close Combat had done nothing, especially when he'd mitigated it using Double Team. "You did a great job! Let's battle again someday!"

"Th-thank you!" the girl bowed, as if apologizing for her performance in battle. Ash just gave her another grin, indicating there was no need, and he turned around with Pikachu on his shoulder, deciding to leave the battlefield, which was switching out for the final battle of the day.

"We have one battle left folks, but the ones we've seen today have been nothing short of exciting!" Kalas called out. Ash nodded a bit as he proceeded into the hallways, passing by the boy that was coming towards him for his own battle. The two nodded, despite not knowing each other at all outside of being fellow competitors, but that didn't stop them from being amicable in the moment. "From the energetic Hau, to the engaging Ryuki. We've seen highs and lows in this round alone, including the enigmatic Silvally and Ash Ketchum's rather impressive shutout. That Continental Crush Z-Move he managed to pull off was stunning against Clefable!"

"Yes! League battles offer a different experience from those in the Ceremonies, and I've enjoyed seeing the different strategies employed," Maika commented, her voice echoing around the hall. Ash continued on, planning to meet up with his friends before getting his Pokémon checked at the Center, now that he'd made it to the quarterfinals. "Do you have any favorites, Harry?"