Hello all – again.
Many thanks goes to lupine and Starlll – sorry for the error. Thank you once again to previous reviewers and readers, and I hope you will continue to read. Things will be coming to a head soon.
Thank you for your kind comments: Mr Game and Watch is also one of my favourite characters... though I find it quite hard to describe him in writing, I'll try my best.
So please enjoy, and review. Thank you.
hawk
Claustrophobia – Chapter Four
The sky was dark over the blue-tinted stage – some hints of cloud floating by. Two disembodied hands hovering inches above the stage prepared to address the crowd, the left glove perpetually twitching. The crowd was silent. Seeing how rare it was to see Master Hand at a brawl, much less Crazy Hand, the both of them together must signify a rather important announcement.
Crazy Hand slammed the centre of the stage, the echo resounding across the crowd. Master Hand addressed the gathering. Today's Brawl will be on Final Destination. One stock, and no items allowed. The stake: Smasher Lucario's allegiance to Smasher Pokémon Trainer. Here Master Hand paused, as the heavy importance of the brawl suddenly started to sink into the audience.
Both Hands suddenly pointed skywards, as Pokémon Trainer and Lucario made their entrances onto the stage. The Trainer quickly stepped back into the background, throwing a Pokéball to the ground instead, while Lucario tensed and prepared himself, blue Aura already materialising around his paws.
Both Hands flew towards each other and met with astounding force, a shockwave rippling from the point of impact, a resounding clap signifying the start of the brawl.
Let the Brawl... begin!
---
Squirtle got in the first hit; spinning across Final Destination in his shell, knocking Lucario temporarily off his hindpaws. Lucario recovered, however, and executed a stunning hit on Squirtle, blue Aura fire burning the turtle as it was sent flying across the stage. Lucario rushed next to it, intending to Aura Palm it off the stage, but his paw passed over thin air as Squirtle was recalled back into its Pokéball.
Lucario stumbled backwards, momentarily shocked at how quickly Squirtle had been "captured" – or returned – to the small Pokéball. Mental images of his capture flooded his mind, breaking his concentration on the battle at hand. Lucario realised this, shaking his head from side to side, trying to clear his mind before Ivysaur was released.
Ivysaur beat him to it, landing a heavy blow right across Lucario's snout. Lucario roared, grabbing Ivysaur and pummelling it into the ground. However, Ivysaur proved to be a greater foe than Squirtle, blasting him skywards and dangerously close to the blast line, the boundary markers of the brawl.
Lucario knew if he crossed those boundaries, he'd have lost the brawl – and his freedom – so he tucked in his hindpaws, and literally cannonballed back to the stage ground, uncurling at the last instant to strike Ivysaur a glancing blow.
Take this – Lucario thought, but his Aura Sphere attack missed as Ivysaur suddenly shrank and disappeared back into its small, red-and-white Pokéball. Lucario was suddenly overcome once again with a wave of nausea, his fear gnawing away at his mind, and for once he wished for the wooden staff to lean upon.
Lucario turned instead to stare at the Trainer, who just shrugged. Changing Pokémon in the middle of battle was legal Brawl strategy, and the rules didn't say anything about taking advantage of others' weaknesses then. Lucario instead resorted to repeatedly pummelling Charizard when it appeared, his earlier complete thrashing at Charizard's claws fresh in his mind.
---
One mad brawl later, Charizard and Lucario retreated to their corners on the stage, both equally worn out and injured. Charizard had multiple cuts and slashes along his entire belly and flanks, courtesy of Lucario's Aura-powered attacks and chest- and paw-spikes, while Lucario suffered burns, random patches of his blue and yellow fur discoloured, as well as cuts and bruises.
Both of them charged at each other once again, but this time Charizard opened his jaws and seized Lucario's abdomen in his teeth, skilfully avoiding the otherwise-painful chest-spike. Lucario bit back an urge to yell, but instead smashed at the great jaws with Aura, forcing Charizard to release him but leaving his with bloody teeth marks across his waist.
Charizard instead slammed him into the ground, burying his lower body in the stage. As Lucario struggled to break free, Charizard repeatedly smashed at his skull powerfully, racking up enormous amounts of damage. Lucario, half-buried in a shimmering stage of blue, felt his claustrophobia rise up again.
---
Lucario continued to stare at the blue crystal. It was strangely comforting, sitting in the middle of a shattered room, looking at a piece of rock set in a stick of wood. But still, the crystal seemed to hold enormous power over Lucario's vision, compelling him to continue to stare at its depths.
One thousand years,Master, murmured Lucario, ears slowly flattening against his head, and eyes misting up ever so slightly. And I didn't even manage to see you that last time...
His tears shimmered transparent against his fur, and brilliantly refracted the light as the morning sun dawned, playing out a complicated, magnificent spectrum of brilliance all around him.
---
Lucario exploded from the ground, countering Charizard's powerful blows with an Aura-powered punch that sent Charizard across the arena. Both sides bared their fangs at each other, but it was clear that both Pokémon were reaching the end of their stamina. Pokémon Trainer seemed to realise that too, and commanded Charizard to charge against the defiant Lucario.
But before anyone could move, there was a resounding cry across the field, nearly as loud as the Hands' clap so long ago at the start of the brawl. The crowd, all combatants and even the Hands tilted skywards to see a lone bird? plane? circling the stadium at a great height. Even in his weary state, Lucario caught a glimpse of familiar Aura, whereas the Pokémon Trainer's Aura grew more erratic and emanated a great sense of fear and fury.
This new entity flew to a halt over the stadium, but not before a boy expertly dropped off its back. The newcomer had an average height, but sported a vest and jeans and a very crumpled hat. He stood his ground, turning to face not just the crowd, but also Lucario, Charizard, and the Trainer, and made his announcement in a loud, clear voice, just as a Charizard landed heavily behind him and roared.
"I am the Pokémon Trainer – and challenge me whoever dare!s"