Alright, I meant for this story to be a two-shot, but it's going to be a chapter longer than that. So, bare with me, okay?
Desimus continued to smile as he stared down upon Salvador's silent body. He could have roared, but that was too out of character for him. Instead, he fell back on his back and started to yawn out loud. While the crowd roared around her, Rosa could only stare in awe. She didn't know why she was so awestruck, honestly. Her Crawdaunt was a few moments away from fainting on his own terms. He did just battle a powerful Swanna after all. But that blow was so monstrous. This next fight would be difficult, there was no denying this fact.
She began to fiddle with her Poké Balls in a way she hadn't done since she first began this journey. There was just something about battling Hilda which put her mind out of whack. She was, in all honesty, terrified by her predecessor. But she would not allow that to get her. She quickly regained a strengthen stance, and pulled the next ball out quickly.
"I know you can do it!" she yelled out, "Go! Tharn!"
Her red and white capsule snapped open against the air. The shimmering light touched down upon the rocky floor, quickly bringing a small green simian to life. It constantly hopped up and down, leaping from toe to toe in a wildly energetic way. When the creature saw the giant frog-like being standing tall, it didn't wilt. In fact, it ran up to match the sheer size of this Pokémon.
"Simi! Simi! Simisage!" the Thorn Monkey yelled as it hopped up and down before his foe.
The Seismitoad cocked its head in surprise at its small foe.
"Seismi?" Desimus remarked in surprise.
"What an interesting Pokémon choice, huh Vance?" Jon asked as he noticed the size difference.
"Not interesting, intelligent..." Vance answered, "Thanks to Seismitoads dual typing of Ground and Water, he's only weak against one type. That type being Grass. Rosa's Simisage, Tharn, is the perfect weapon for battling the great Vibration Pokémon."
"I like these tactics that only Champions can deliver!" Jon announced, "Okay! Get to work you two!"
Rosa smiled. She really couldn't believer her luck. A 4x weakness against grass. The battle was truly in her favor. All she needed to use was Seed Bomb, and that lummox would be down and out. But a quick glance up said otherwise. Rosa gazed into Hilda's eyes. The original Champion placed her fists on her hips, cocked her head, and smiled. Smiling wasn't the face individuals make when their Pokémon had a chance of failure. What did this mean?
"Tharn! Seed Bomb!" Rosa yelled, an appropriate hand gesture following.
The Thorn Monkey Pokémon performed a few back flips, while his prickly tail began to grow seeds. With ease, he swung viney appendage around, launching the seeds up high. Desimus was much to slow to dodge the hard-shelled attack, so he merely blocked the attack. When they struck, they were so painful. It was like knives were dragging into his skin. Everyone watching the attack connect winced in pain. They may have been humans, but even they could understand the pain of a super effective hit.
She seed bombs slashed into Desimus' rubbery and grimy skin, causing him to grovel lowly. Tharn, pleased with his work, began to laugh whilst hopping up and down. He fully expected his foe to fall, honestly. But the Vibration Pokémon quickly recoiled from the hit. He even smiled too.
"Desimus!" Hilda yelled, "Use Earthquake!"
The Pokémon rose his foot, and then slammed it down. His powerful foot triggered an earthquake of powerful standards. Had the building not been designed to hold such a quake, it would have easily fallen. The mountainous battlefield broke and crumbled, now falling directly upon Tharn. He tried to dodge it, but the rocks were too much. They fell atop him, burying him under pounds of rocks and dirt.
After the attack resided, silence filled the air. Hilda's Seismitoad marched upon the land, searching for the Thorn Monkey with his red eyes. He finally found him, for he saw Tharn's tail sticking out the ground. Crouching down, he eyed the weed, wondering if his foe was still conscious.
"Tharn! Seed Bomb! Again!"
The grassy tail straightened up, producing even more seeds. Desimus eyed the weed, only to find his face being pelted by extremely hard-shelled seeds. It struck his face, making him wince in pain as he pulled back. His body slammed up against the mountainous rocky wall, causing rocks to fall atop him. When the Seismitoad gazed forward, he saw Tharn leap out from his living grave.
"SIMISAGE!" the Thorn Monkey Pokémon yelled.
Desimus finally broke his lax visage, for his mouth bent into a frown. Tharn watched as the Vibration Pokémon opened and closed his hands. He prepared himself for battle, he just needed the order.
"Desimus!" Hilda yelled, "Surf!"
The Seismitoad lifted his hands while his eyes closed shut. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, water rushed over the mountainsides. Even more water rushed through the cracks in the ground, dousing Desimus' body in liquid. He pulled his arms back next, then shoved them both forward. His hand movements caused a wave water to fly toward his enemy. Tharn may have been a nimble chimp, but its kind of hard to dodge a wave of that size. It washed him away, pushing him toward the arena's edge. The crowd went wild as the site of the attack. The wave was so great, it actually drenched a few people in the stadium stands.
The water subsided soon after, leaving the rocky fields empty save for Seismitoad and mud. Within one of these mud pits was Tharn himself. He leaped up from the ground, not damaged as much by the water as one may think. He was annoyed, however.
"Surf!?" Jon commented as he looked over to his co-host, "Why Surf?"
"Obviously, it was to get Rosa's Simisage away," Vance answered, "Hilda's no fool, Jon..."
Tharn riled himself up for battle once more, shaking fervently for the battle to ignite again. Desimus cocked his head; his lips forming a smile. That smile made Tharn grow even angrier. He shook his body, tossing the water droplets from his leafy body.
"Siimmmiiiiiiii!" the Thorn Monkey growled.
"Tharn!" Rosa yelled, "Seed Bomb!"
As before, the Thorn Monkey Pokémon prepared seeds within his tail. Swinging it around, he tossed the hardened objects toward his foe. They flew at Desimus, who easily deflected the attacks with the bumps on his hands. Rosa was surprised by the strike, but this was only the beginning.
"Desimus! Hyper Voice!" Hilda yelled.
The Vibration Pokémon slapped his fists together while the lumps on his body vibrated continuously. While at the same time he vibrated, the Pokémon barked. His combined antics fired a sound wave which traveled through the land. The roar bounced along the battlefield, destroying the land. Mud and rocks were tossed on high, as the wave traveled toward its defenseless victim.
How does one block a sound wave so loud it actually destroys the land? You don't. Tharn's body was flung away, where it constantly rolled against the muddy ground. He felt a sense of vertigo over take him, only to realize he had almost fallen off of the battlefield. Luckily, he was able to latch his slippery hand upon the edge.
"Wow! I see it now!" Jon yelled, "Hilda used Surf to push Rosa's Pokémon away. Then she used Hyper Voice to damage it!"
"If Tharn was close when Desimus attempted that attack, there's no way he would have allowed that to happen." Vance stated.
"Ooooh! This battle get's more and more fun as time goes on!" Jon said, giddily.
Rosa was getting a bit angry. As Tharn returned to the battleground, his master wondered how the fight took such a turn. She should have one this as soon as Tharn's Seed Bomb landed. Just how strong was Desimus? Hilda's Pokémon was amazing, there was no arguing against this.
"Tharn! Clear the distance! Acrobatics!" the current Unova Champion yelled.
The Thorn Monkey Pokémon riled himself up, then dashed forward. Desimus didn't move, he merely continue to watch as the ape made way. Then Tharn leaped high, only to vanish in a blur. He struck all around the Vibration Pokémon's body, pushing him further and further back. When Tharn finally landed, a trail of wind whisked off of his body.
"Simisage!" he announced with a smile, while Desimus got back onto his feet.
The monkey's surprise, the great toad was smiling. And, no, this wasn't the usual type of smile the Pokémon owned. This was a 'I got you' smile. Tharn cocked his head in confusion, right when a sharp pain traveled through his chest. He gripped it, nearly falling back as he did so. Wobbling on his toes, he felt pained gurgles escape his simian lips.
Poisoned. The simian was poisoned. He could barely move because of it. But how? Rosa could only slap her face in disbelief. What she just did was such an amateurish mistake. She studied Seismitoad just as she did other Pokémon, she knew the secrets the Vibration Pokémon had. And this Pokémon had one main secret.
Poison Touch.
"Yeouch, looks like Tharn has been poisoned..." Jon remarked.
"Indeed it does..." Vance answered, "Looks like Rosa took a misstep. Wonder what she'll do next..."
"Desimus! Drain Punch!" Hilda yelled.
Just like Salvador before, the Vibration Pokémon dropped one hand upon Tharn's shoulder. The Simisage was taken aback by the tactic, and so he didn't move. To his surprise, a fist slammed into his gut. His eyes bulged from how powerful the strike was. What's worse, he felt some of his energy being taken from him, and absorbed into Desimus' body. When the attack was finished, Desimus dropped Salvador to the ground.
The crowd went wild.
As Rosa returned her Pokémon to his Poké Ball, she wondered what to do next. Desimus, despite taking multiple hits, was still walking around as jovially as ever. He looked positively powerful. Invincible even. The Unova Champ thought about the Pokémon she could use. There was one she could use, but she neglected to bring it out. Instead, she pulled out a surprise.
"I choose you! Go Wyze!" she yelled out.
She pulled back the blue and red capsule device, only to launch it forward as far as it would go. The Great Ball opened in the air, bringing to life her next Pokémon. It was a brown creature, with green dots on its back. Horns were on its head, not normal horns however. They were sharp green bushes. The Season Pokémon had arrived, and judging from its horns, it was Summer.
"Sawsbuck..." Wyze said as he took a powerful stance.
"So its Summer!" Jon said with a chuckle, "I nearly forgot!"
"How do you forget the season?" Vance asked.
"When you watch as many Pokémon battles as I do, Vance, things cease to matter!"
"You idiot, I do watch as many Pokémon battles as you do," he shook his head, "Any way, Wyze, Rosa's Sawsbuck, is an interesting choice for this battle. The match is in Rosa's favor, but so was the Seismitoad versus Simisage battle. We'll just have to see what Rosa plans to do in order to turn the tide."
"Wyze! Energy Ball!" Rosa yelled.
The long ranged move was perfect. This way, Wyze could strike his foe with super-effective moves, whilst keeping his distance. The Sawsbuck charged up an illustrious orb of natural energy. The orb was small, yet extremely powerful. It was as if all of nature was lending its energy into the strike. The Sawsbuck leaped back, before ramming his horns into the sphere. It flew toward his foe, striking Desimus in the chest. The earlier attacks were mere tickles compared to this. The Energy Ball hurt, and whats worst, it exploded into vines. The great Seismitoad tried to escape, but it didn't work. He was trapped by the vines.
"Wyze! Horn Leech!" Rosa yelled next.
From the tip of Sawsbuck's horns, sharp appendages protruded. The next second, he was barreling down the battlefield toward his foe. Desimus tried to dodge the strike, but it wasn't working. And soon, it was too late. Wyze's horns stabbed into Desimus' body, making the Vibration Pokémon go slack-jawed with pain. From the summer horns, vines stretched out. The wrapped tightly around the Seismitoad's body, slowly absorbing all the energy within.
After a few moments of violent absorbing, Wyze pulled back his sharp horns. Desimus wobbled on his toes because of it, only to fall over in extreme pain. All that energy he absorbed from the others was stolen right back, and into Wyze's body. The Sawsbuck marched back slowly, while Desimus fell at his feet.
"Sawsbuck!" the Season Pokémon stated valiantly as he marched a foot upon the ground.
"Wow! A critical hit and it was super-effective!" Jon announced, "How lucky can you get! It even looks like Sawsbuck isn't effected by Desimus' Poison Touch!"
"It's not luck," Vance stated, "It's pre-planning. You see that root coming out of Wyze's head? That's the Big Root, it causes Wyze's Horn Leech to absorb even more energy."
"Impressive! So... what next?"
Everyone shifted their eyes to Hilda, who was busy sizing up the situation. Her smile was gone briefly, only to return a second later. And not only that, a glimmer traveled through her eyes. Withdrawing her next Poké Ball, caused it to enlarge in her hands. And finally that call.
"Venus! I choose you!" Hilda announced.
She tossed the Poké Ball in hand, over to the stadium before. Once the device opened and the flashing light leaped out, a great thunderclap echoed through the land. The creature landed upon the ground on four hooves, electrical impulses traveling underneath. The light show vanished, allowing all to see it for who it was. Equestrian in origin, it was black and white, somewhat like a reverse zebra. The white patterns on its body was jagged and sharp, like the lightning bolts in the sky.
"Zebstrika!" the Thunderbolt Pokémon announced with alternating steps.
"Uh... Vance, can you explain this to me?" Jon asked, "Zebstrika is electric-type right? And Sawsbuck is grass-type, right? And grass-type resists electric-type, right? Then why did Hilda choose Zebstrika for her next Pokémon?"
"Just you wait, Jon..." Vance answered, "Hilda didn't get to this stage in her life by making foolish decisions..."
There was a brief moment of silence. Rosa nor Hilda said a word. They just stared down to the Pokémon they would have to battle. Rosa's Sawsbuck, Wyze, and Hilda's Zebstrika, Venus, also stared down upon each other. They just waited, and...
"Wyze! Energy Ball!"
"Venus! Flash!"
The Sawsbuck prepared his green blast, aiming down upon his foe with determined eyes. But as soon as he was about to fire, the Thunderbolt Pokémon caused an explosion of light. Everyone in the stadium covered their eyes to stave off the blinding shine. Venus' Flash caused Wyze's aim to falter. He ended up firing his attack clear into the sky, missing everyone.
The shine ended soon after.
"Venus! Flame Charge! Now!"
Rosa and Wyze's eyes widened at the same time. The light gave way to a rushing Pokémon with a burning electrical mane.
"Wyze! Block it!" Rosa yelled back.
The Season Pokémon brought back his horns, only to slam them forward. His horns collided with Venus' burning body, stopping the Thunderbolt Pokémon square in her tracks. She was obviously angered, for she constantly tried to force down her push. But Wyze was strong, and he would not be bested in this tussle. After a minute of this, Venus leaped back, putting distance between the two. Wyze was understandably shaken, but he quickly regained authority.
This battle was going to need a more hands on approach.
"Wyze! Horn Leech!"
"Venus! Flame Charge!"
They rushed each other with as much speed as they could. Tearing through the battlefield was an exhilarating feeling, and it was amazing to watch. When the quadrupedal Pokémon collided, it was like a bomb was triggered. Their heads collided with one another in powerful headbutts. They wouldn't bend back, no matter what. They should have leaped back and separated, but they didn't. Over and over again, the two struck each other in the head. They did so with increasingly powerful strikes, ignoring anything and everything around them. The flames on Venus' body quickly faded away, being replaced by lightning. She didn't care if her strikes weren't effective on the Season Pokémon, she wanted to defeat him. Whenever Venus strike, a lightning bolt felt. Whenever Wyze struck, the entire stadium quaked. And this went on for what felt like forever. Rosa nor Hilda said a word, they just watched.
Until their Pokémon fell. Venus and Wyze stumbled away from one another, trying their hardest to keep tall. But when Venus fell, so did Wyze. Both were silent, both had fainted. What an interesting turn of events.
Hilda and Rosa returned their Pokémon to their Poké Balls at the same time, staring down to the capsules in surprise. They wanted to win yes, but this was shocking. Even the people in the stands were surprised.
"Can you believe that?" Jon asked, "A double knock out. That's so rare these days, I'm shocked."
"As am I..." Vance answered, "I guess these Pokémon really didn't want to give up. I wonder what's next..."
At the same time, Hilda and Rosa withdrew their Poké Balls. Gazing down to the capsules in hands, but Unova Champions prepared for battle. Gazing into Hilda's eyes, Rosa tried to see understand what her idol was thinking. To her surprise, the original Unova Champion smiled and winked. Rosa didn't know what to think.
A moment later, they pulled back their Poké Balls at the same time. And at the same time, they threw the devices forward.
"Go! Fortitudo!" Rosa announced.
"I choose you! Go Scutula!" Hilda yelled out.
Their Poké Balls released the creatures within, right at the same time. The flashing lights were heavy however, on both sides. For Rosa, her light took an interesting form. The creature was silver, with three grassy vines stretching from its body/head. It was extremely spiky, with its body having thorns and its vines having thorns as well.
"Ferrothorn..." the Thorn Pod Pokémon murmured in a low voice.
It stared with glazed eyes over to his enemy. Mystical flames erupted from ground around Hilda's Pokémon. What was that Pokémon by the way? The roar it gave was greater than anything. When the destructive aura around the beast resided, a draconian Pokémon stood in its wake. With a golden-yellow body, and black under body, this creature seemed to own an immense strength. The creature's red eyes shot holes into Rosa's Ferrothorn. But all of this paled in comparison to the axe jutting from the creature's jaw.
"HAXORUS!" Scutula, Hilda's Axe Jaw Pokémon roared.
The titanic dragon marched through the rocky field slowly, staring down upon the Ferrothorn which was her enemy. Being unfazable in any way, the Thorn Pod merely stared up callously.
"A classic battle of power and defense," Vance stated.
"What's that?" Jon asked, "You seem quite intrigued, Vance. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," he answered, "I just can't wait to see how this turns out."
"Ferro?" Fortitudo said lowly as he stared up to the Haxorus.
"Haxorrrrr..." Scutula slurred.
Rosa gazed upon the dragon. This battle was familiar to her. Iris used a Haxorus in their Champion bout some time ago. But this was different. Rosa already knew Hilda was greater than Iris. That Haxorus was with Hilda two years ago when she first challenged the Elite Four. That means this beast now had over two years' worth of action. Could her Ferrothorn take it? One look down, and Rosa noticed her Pokémon gazing back. Yeah, he could take it.
Hilda needed to be intelligent with this fight. She couldn't just have her Haxorus put that impressive attack stat of hers into use. Not only was Rosa's Ferrothorn a defensive powerhouse, it had spikes all around its body. And those spikes weren't just for show. So for now, it she would need to play it smart.
"Scutula!" Hilda yelled, "Dragon Pulse!"
The Axe Jaw Pokémon pulled back her head whilst opening her mouth. From her gaping maw, she fired a purple shock wave of destruction which destroyed the land around.
"Ferrothorn! Iron Defense!" Rosa ordered.
The Thorn Pod Pokémon hunched down to the ground while his body hardened even greater. When the purple blast arrived, Fortitudo was ready. His hard body defended against the attack with ease, the purple wave gliding over his body like butter. When the attack was over, Rosa's Ferrothorn stood tall once more.
The Unova couldn't help but to smile. That quickly faltered however, as she realized the ball was in her court. There were a thousand things she could do now, specifically attack. But she instead prepared for the future.
"Fortitudo! Ingrain!" Rosa commanded.
The Ferrothorn shook his body, causing roots to spread. He rooted himself into the ground, allowing him to suck the nutrients given to him by the base. Rosa felt good about herself; with Ingrain in effect, Fortitudo could relieve himself of injuries he may sustain. Now she could only pray Hilda's next move played in her favor.
The original Unova Champion appeared to be extremely hyperactive. It was as if she was bound to explode.
"Scutula! Dragon Pulse! Again!"
Once more the Haxorus opened its mouth to fire a purple blast of destruction. And, just like the last time, it did nothing to the Ferrothorn. What's worse, whatever injuries Fortitudo sustained was quickly healed thanks to Ingrain.
"Fortitudo! Counter with Gyro Ball!"
The Thorn Pod Pokémon suddenly began to spin and spin. It got faster and faster, before dashing over to his foe in a sudden burst of speed. It was so fast, it caught Scutula and Hilda off guard. The dragon suddenly felt extreme pain as Fortitudo rammed her with his spiky body. As she hunched over from pain, he quickly ingrained himself in the floor. Scutula shot her foe a glare as she stood tall once more.
"HAXORUS!" she roared out of annoyance.
"Scutula! Use Dragon Pulse! Again!" Hilda commanded.
She opened her mouth, and fired yet another purple blast. It engulfed Fortitudo, yet the same events played out. He was completely uninjured when the attack subsided.
"Fortitudo! Counter with Gyro Ball!"
As the first time, the Thorn Pod Pokémon spun around extremely fast. He slammed into Scutula, once again slashing her body with his painful body horns. When he finished spinning, he ingrained himself in the ground once more.
Scutula began to stomp her foot up and down in fervent Haxorus rage. She wanted so desprately to destroy her enemy, but he just wasn't going down. Her special attacks were much too weak to cause any damage. If she wanted to win, she needed to get hands on. It appeared as if Hilda noticed this too, for she too realized how pointless this was. Shaking her head, she finally came to a decision.
"Scutula!" Hilda yelled as her hand cut through the air, "Brick Break!"
Here was the point in time where Fortitudo's iron barbs worked. Scutula dashed forward, axe jaw at the read. Landing in front of the Ferrothorn, she slammed her blade down in a karate chop like fashion. Her attack slashed down upon the Thorn Pod Pokémon's in a blow so harsh, it made the arena quake. But as soon as she touched his hard body, the sharp thorns he owned tore into her.
Scutula leaped back, her face injured with scratches. She growled again, while her eyes fell upon Fortitudo's body. He was a defensive powerhouse, but that attack hurt. It was, as they say, super-effective. He was still conscious, but another blow like that was likely to render him faint. Ferrothorn was defensively strong, but Scutula was offensively powerful.
"Gyro Ball!"
Fortitudo began to spin, only to rocket off toward his foe. Scutula rose her arms to block it, only to have her body slashed up by his body. As soon as it was over, the Thorn Pod Pokémon skidded to a halt and ingrained himself. This would be the last chance.
"Scutula! Brick Break!"
She leaped up and over to him one more time. Fortitudo's eyes widened. Her axe fell upon him in a powerful chop. That chop triggered a quake, and his skin slashed into her own. Scutula stepped back, pain rumbling through her entire body. It was too great, and she fell to her knees. Then to her hands, and finally, to her chest. Silence took over.
Rosa stared down in awe. She defeated another one of Hilda's Pokémon. And so far, this didn't look like a double knock out. Well, at first.
Fortitudo fell, his body too brittle to keep going. It seems as if Rosa had underestimated the Haxorus and her strength. What could possibly happen next?
"This is amazing!" Jon yelled, "They just keep going! How long has this battle been? I've seemed to have lost track of time!"
"Don't get to use to it, Jon," Vance stated, "Rosa and Hilda have only two Pokémon left. What do you think they'll show next?"
"We haven't seen their starters in action yet," Jon stated, "So it's obvious they have them remaining. Buuuuuut, for Hilda, I've heard so many rumors of her second dragon! I wonder if we'll get to see it! Oh! I'm so excited!"
"Indeed... wait, they're getting ready!"
Indeed they were. Hilda pulled out a green Poké Ball from her vest. At the same time Rosa prepared with one of her own. The current Champ couldn't help but to stare into her predecessor's eyes. The way Hilda smiled, it was so awe-inspiring. Even when she was challenging her, Rosa couldn't help but to feel mesmerized by her hero.
"Let's see you handle this!" Hilda announced, "I choose you! Go! Irritum!"
She threw her Dusk Ball, having it open on the stage. The light never touched down upon the ground however. Instead, it floated above the land on six slender wings. The draconian creature lacked hands, instead they were small heads. It looked extremely demented; the single head which was in control had eyes born of murder. It roared, all three of the heads, together in a unified screech of malice.
"HYYYYYDREEEEIIIIGOOOOOOOON!" the Brutal Pokémon Hydreigon had appeared.
Rosa didn't know what she was looking at. Such a powerful Pokémon, had she seen it before? Well, yeah. How could she forget? Iris used on in their Champion battle. But that's not all. Ghetsis used one of those monsters on her. But this one, Hilda's Hydreigon, appeared to be stronger. And that's saying something. Ghetsis' Hydreigon was immensely powerful; how strong would this one be?
"We're all waiting for Rosa's Pokémon," Jon stated, "She seems just as awestruck as we are!"
Oh yeah. She needed to battle that thing. Well, it was time to get a move on.
"You haven't disappointed me before," Rosa announced, "I choose you! Go! Lucille!"
Rosa tossed her Poké Ball, allowing it to open in the air. The creature which appeared due to the shine was a magnificent one indeed. Anubis in structure, it was blue with creamy fur. Spikes were on this creature's chest and hands, which lent to the Pokémon's powerful appearance. With shimmering red eyes, the Aura Pokémon gazed up to her flying foe.
"Lucario..." Lucille said as she crossed her arms.
"Amazing!" Jon said, "A Hydreigon versus a Lucario! Never before in my entire hosting career have I seen such a battle! This is a once in a lifetime event, if I do say so myself!"
"So please, grow silent so the rest of us can enjoy it..." Vance snapped out.
"Oh my, I looks like someone wants to see this battle real badly! Okay! Let the Pokémon Battle, continue!"
As if he needed to say anything. Lucille uncrossed her arms, though her burning eyes continued to stare holes into her pseudo-legendary foe. Irritum the Hydreigon suddenly grew angry for seemingly no reason. Slashing her heads left and right, the Brutal Pokémon destroyed the land beneath her nonexistent toes.
"Lucille! Extreme Speed!" Rosa yelled.
Her Lucario hunched down slowly, those burning eyes losing its glimmer. She suddenly vanished. Everyone looked around the stadiums, searching for the Lucario. The wind howled and screamed, only stopping when Irritum suddenly felt a painful strike to one of her heads. She fell back, right when another fist struck her other head. And next, a floodgate of powerful fists pelted her. She was struck up and down, left and right. The dragon couldn't do anything about it. One finally hit was an axe kick to the head, and with that, Lucille left her slipstream of speed. She back flipped off, landing down upon her toes.
"Irritum! Counter with Crunch!" Hilda commanded.
Lucille's eyes widened, and the dragon dashed forth. The Brutal Pokémon clamped her three mouths upon the Lucario's body. Lucille screamed in pain as Irritum's teeth stabbed deeper and deeper into her arms and shoulder. But the Lucario slowly gained stronger. Muscles tensing, she forced the hydra off of her, pushing the Brutal Pokémon away.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa now," Jon commented, "Something about that Lucario seems... different, Vance. Did she just get stronger?"
"Indeed," Vance answered, "Rosa's Lucario has the ability Justified. It's a rare ability that Lucarios can have. When Pokémon with Justified are struck by dark-type moves, they become stronger thanks to it. Thus, the name Justified."
"Amazing. I wonder how Hilda is going to deal with this!"
With the determination that all Champions have. Hilda placed her hand on her chin, loosing that smile ever so briefly. When it returned, she seemed to have her move ready.
"Irritum! Flamethrower!" she commanded.
All three of Irritum's heads poised themselves, then fired. The trio streams of fire fell up Lucille, who attempted to block it with her arms. It didn't work. Being half steel, those flames hurt twice as bad as it would any other Pokémon.
"Lucille! Use Aura Sphere!"
The Lucario suddenly leaped out of the flames, her hands cupping a ball of aura energy. Firing it suddenly, she sent the sphere flying toward her foe. It slammed into the hydra's body, pushing the brutal being back a few feet. But instead of crumbling under the super-effective attack, Irritum merely stared up with sadistic eyes. She wouldn't fall this easy, no, it would take more than that to drop her.
"HYDREIGON!" the Brutal Pokémon roared aloud.
"Irritum! Use Flamethrower!" Hilda ordered.
Once again, the hydra pulled her three heads back. The very next moment, she expelled three streams of fire upon her foe.
"Not so fast!" Rosa yelled back, "Lucille! Counter with Dragon Pulse!"
The Aura Pokémon took a stance, pushed forth both hands, and then fired a vibrantly purple beam of energy. The two attacks collided with one another, entering a heated clash. Lucille tried to overpower her foe with her Dragon Pulse, but it wasn't working. Irritum's flames were much too great for the nimble Lucario. They were constantly pushing down, making both Lucille and Rosa feel the heat. Quite literally and figuratively.
But the Lucario wouldn't give up. Feeling the boost she gained from Irritum's earlier attack, she felt her draconic blast increasing in power. The aura rushing through her, she put even more energy into her attack, causing Irritum's flames to slowly drift back. The Brutal Pokémon saw this, and instinctively forced down even more power.
"I can't believe what I'm seeing!" Jon yelled out as he pulled Vance aside, "These two Pokémon just won't give up!"
"So it would seem," Vance replied as he pushed his co-host away, "These two are going at it as hard as they can. Even from inside the booth, we can feel the heat even inside this booth. So it must be blistering outside."
Indeed it was. The onlookers were fanning themselves as sweat poured from the glands. Yet they never stopped cheering. No, they wanted to see this battle exploded before their eyes, no matter what.
And explode it did. Suddenly, Lucille roared, her red eyes gleaming like stars. From her open palms, the vibrant purple beam rocketed off toward her foe. Her Dragon Pulse effortlessly pushed off the flames, much to Irritum's surprise. The Brutal Pokémon suddenly felt a searing pain as an attack of draconian origins slammed into her body. Lucille's violet blast roared off into the skies, before dissipating in the Nimbasa night skies. The crowd went ballistic.
Both Rosa and her Lucario took combined deep breathes. One more of Hilda's Pokémon had been defeated, and in such a magnificent way as well. Rosa was astonished as well. She couldn't believe Hilda's Hydreigon had gone down so easily. The hydra-like Pokémon was usually impossible to kill. Maybe she shouldn't have counted her eggs so soon.
To both Lucille and Rosa's surprise, the Brutal Pokémon descended from the sky. Irritum owned scratches and marks on her body, but that mattered not to her. She rose all three heads in triumph, only to roar as loudly as she could. Her screech shook the very core of all of Unova, not just Nimbasa.
"Wow!" Jon said, "Can you believe it!? Despite Rosa's Lucario putting all of its energy into that Dragon Pulse, Hilda's Hydreigon doesn't look all that impressive! In fact, it looks as if it was barely affected at all!"
Rosa swallowed her spit, whilst taking a few steps back. Her Lucario Lucille quickly returned to her feet however, taking a pose which showed she was ready for battle. Rosa gazed upon her Lucario, feeling a certain click in her head. Like her Ferrothorn before, she knew her Pokémon was ready. Her heart said so.
"Lucille! Aura Sphere!"
The Aura Pokémon quickly pulled back, only to force forward one hand. Putting a potent amount of her power into the blast, Lucille quickly fired it forth. It swiveled through the air, kicking up dirt and grime as it glided amongst the land. It was truly a powerful attack.
"Irritum! Counter with Crunch!" Hilda yelled back.
The Brutal Pokémon dashed forward with its main head mouth open. And then, it literally devoured the Aura Sphere. Lucille and Rosa were taken aback by the tactic; could that actually happen? Well, yeah, because no one said it couldn't. Even the crowds were surprised by such the strike.
"Did that just happen?" Jon asked, showing he was still shocked.
"Now Irritum! Outrage!" Hilda yelled next.
Now, there are many grey areas in the world of Pokémon. Trapping small creatures within capsules, that's a grey area. A Blaziken with Speed Boost, that's a grey area. A Hydreigon that knows Outrage? That's a definite grey area. Despite the total legitimacy of the move, Hydreigon's are extremely power Pokémon. A rare few trainers in the world own them, most of them being used by Dragon Tamers anyway. And any Dragon Tamer will tell you when a Hydreigon uses Outrage, it never truly stops.
Irritum began to flare red with anger. Steam poured from her mouth, nose, and ears, as she growled with a hellish level of blood lust. The Brutal Pokémon rushed forward, destroying the ground which existed feet below. Lucille stepped back in fear, for there was little she could do. The dragon rushed her, its many mouths biting down upon her foe all at once. This was worse than crunch, for the dragon applied even more power to her destructive nature. Lucille placed her hands upon the Hydregion's shoulders, pushing her off as best she could. When she finally dislodged her main head, the dragon punched the creature away.
Irritum flew back, smiling maliciously as it did so. Lucille could barely keep standing, her wounds were too great. She fell on one knee, whilst grasping the area's where she was bitten. Any wise trainer would have returned his or her Pokémon to their Poké Balls. But not Rosa. She did lift her Lucario's residential capsule, but the Aura Pokémon rose her hand in a 'no' manner. She wanted to face her enemy, not turn tail and run. Besides, she was even stronger now. The latent powers within a Lucario.
Lucille stood up, her energies charging magnificently. She cupped her hands and began to charge up a powerful attack of titanic proportions. Both Irritum and Hilda cocked their heads in confusion toward the creature, wondering what she was doing. The blue aura in her hand started to shake the very foundation of the stadium, causing everyone to bounce in their chairs. Then Lucille said something.
"Face the power of the AURA!"
As soon as that roar echoed from her lips, the attack she was charging was let loose. A magnificent blue beam, one which held nothing but destructive power, roared toward her foe. This was the secret weapon that all Lucarios possess, yet only a few know of. A Lucario can only use it when they are in dire straits, and are powerful enough to contain it. Lucille was both of these.
The blue beam swallowed Irritum whole, drowning out the destructive Pokémon in a sea of shining blue. The beam wavered over the stadium walls, missing any innocent bystander it could have hit. Just like Lucille's Dragon Pulse before, this beam drifted powerfully into the sky, glimmering like a star.
"Wow… did you see that?" Jon asked, "Mighty lexicon. What was that attack?"
"Aura storm…" Vance answered, "It's called Aura Storm. I've only seen it once before. How amazing…"
It all vanished soon after. Lucille dropped her hands, as her body went limp with exhaustion. She fell again on her knee, breathing tirelessly for her life. She thought it was over; no creature could remain conscious after the strike. She thought wrong.
Breathing. Hard, heavy, breathing. Lucille's eyes widened as she suddenly gazed up. Irritum was still there, her face filled with immense rage. Lucille tried to stand, while her mind processed the image she had before her. How in the name of Arceus did Irritum survive that attack? The hydra should have been out like a light for at least three days. Yet she was moving closer, oozing a gangly foam from her three mouths.
"Lucille..." Rosa whispered, "Close Combat..."
The Lucario shuffled her feet down as she felt the influence of her aura increase her powers. Lucille rushed down, fists ready to strike her powerful foe. Irritum wasn't deterred, in fact, she welcomed the attack. The Lucario was like a blur, dashing through the rocky field with her amazing speeds. When she arrived, she dove a fist into the hydra's chest. One fist was followed by another and another. The Aura Pokémon struck her enemy over and over again in random places, sending shock waves of pain throughout the dragon's body.
But it did nothing. There was just no way a being like Irritum could take all these punches, yet she did. Lucille suddenly fell back, trying her hardest to keep standing. Her red eyes glared into Irritum's, seeing that three-headed dragon jerk its head in fervent rage.
"How much pain can that Hydreigon take?" Jon inquired.
"Much more than we can..." Vance replied.
The dragon pulled back all three of her heads. Everyone watched as its body bulged. A roar was coming they could feel it. They knew it!
EEEEEERRRRRRRAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGHHHHHH!
The crowd went wild. Irritum showed them all exactly why the enjoyed Pokémon battles so much. It was magnificent! The entire land of Unova came to life when the roar echoed out. It sent fear down the spines of those unfortunate enough to hear it. And Lucille? Her knees were buckling in fear. It takes a true opponent to drive terror within the heart of a Lucario, and Irritum was that opponent.
But there was more to the roar than just to show her power. The star field which was the sky, began to twinkle and break. Lucille stared up, watching as the stars fell toward the lands. But they weren't stars, they were meteors. Draco Meteor, in fact. Meteors of mystical origins fell upon the land, pelting the battlefield with burning rocks. Unfortunately, Lucille was a victim of such a thing.
She was buried beneath burning meteors which fell from the sky, riving in pain as the violet flames singed her body. When the meteors stopped falling, and the explosions died out, the Aura Pokémon struggled to her toes. She pushed the space rocks from her body, coughing up as she did so. Her red eyes drifted up, watching as the Brutal Pokémon flapped its dastardly wings dauntingly.
"Hy...drei...gon..." Irritum snarled.
This was it. This was the fine point. Lucille was one step away from complete lifelessness. She could barely keep her eyes open.
"Lucille! Reversal!" Rosa yelled.
The Lucario's eyes widened. Irritum's eyes widened. Hilda's eyes widened.
From the rocks, Lucille rocketed up, her fist rising first. She struck the Hydreigon square in the chest, sending an earthquake of a blow through the hydra's body. Lucille put everything she had into that punch, making sure it was a strong as it could possibly be. When her fist fell back, she stared forward. Irritum was still staring down upon her, drooling violence from her draconian lips.
And suddenly, the three-headed beast fell. She collapsed on her back, growing silent quickly. It no longer moved. All three heads were as silent as could be. Lucille stared upon her foe with eyes of surprise. She didn't expect her Reversal to actually work. Good thing it did, because she was done for.
The Lucario wobbled on her toes, only to ultimately collapse on her back. She breathed in a few hard times, before growing as silent as her defeated foe.
And what do you think the crowd did? They roared of course.