Shadow Colosseum
Chapter 7: Three Way Melee
Key:
"Human"
"Pokemon"
"Psychic Pokemon/Thinking"
Wes started stirring after feeling a weightless sensation going through him. Gold-yellow eyes slowly became uncovered and gained focus as his hearing became better.
"See? All we had to do was push the bones back into place and have a Pokemon use Softboiled." Mona piped up. "And the good news is that Orre, Johto, Hoenn, and Kanto can communicate, which means it was easy to swap one of my Pokemon for my Blissey 'Happy' which was kept in storage…"
"Blissey-bliss…!" The Pink Pokemon chirped as it stood next to Espen and Nox.
"Yeah, but what was with your Tyranitar "Gigantis"? It was trying to hug the monitor…" Rui commented, recalling the happy expression on the Dark/Rock type before it crushed the computer on the other end with a bear-hug.
"She's a bit too much of a people person…" Mona sweat-dropped and pulled the visor of her hat down so it obscured her face. "…and I'll bet I'm going to have to pay for the destroyed computer before I head back to Johto…" Wes grumbled and began to sit up before pain stung through his side and he crashed back down on his back.
Upon hearing the impact, Ash's attention snapped towards the downed trainer. "WES!!!"
"Blissey!!!"
"PIKA—"
"MIII—"
"EON—" The two brothers yelped.
"You shouldn't strain yourself this much!" Rui exclaimed as she rushed over to his side and helped the sandy-blonde into a sitting position on the makeshift bed, which was just a couch with a pillow and sheets.
"…I suffered worse from a Houndoom burn…" Wes croaked from lack of water. This matter was quickly solved as Ash made a fast dash towards a vending machine and snagged a bottle of water for him. Wes quickly accepted it and started chugging down the precious liquid before it was halted and the bottle was slowly pulled away.
"Not too fast, you don't want to vomit!" Mona exclaimed, holding the bottle to prevent him from swallowing the entire contents. "And stop acting so tough! You almost died back there…"
"What happened anyway…?" The blonde grumbled. "What was that Pokemon you used…?"
"A Psychic type…I caught it at least two years ago…" The brunette explained, pulling the Master Ball out. "Professor Oak wanted me to carry it around…a sort of field work to understand it better."
"Well…I think it still has that mean streak…" Ash commented, backing away two feet.
"Ash…he mellowed down last time I checked…and his killer instinct has been replaced…a lot…" Mona narrowed her eyes before pressing the button in the center of the Pokeball. "Wes…Rui…I'd like to properly introduce you to Mewthree…"
"Mew…three…?" Wes and Rui asked simultaneously as they shielded their eyes from the blinding light. Espen and Nox backed away and eyed the six-foot-tall cat with wary expressions. Mewthree only dusted off his green shaded pelt and adjusted his brownish cape that hung off both shoulders and reached past the base of his long tail.
"Well…nice to meet you too…" Mewthree replied smugly to Wes and Rui's blank expressions.
Wes got over his initial shock and began pointing at it. "What…is that thing?!"
"I happen to be a clone of Mew's clone…I'm not a THING…" Mewthree's smug expression reverted into a scowl. Rui only continued staring at the Mewtwo clone and saw a dark aura about it.
"Look…Wes…Rui…I can tell you the whole story if we can all get settled down for a full hour or so…" Mona sighed as Mewthree waved towards Ash and Pikachu with a fanged grin and a clawed hand.
"Hello…Ash and Pikachu…"
Ash and Pikachu paled in response, remembering how insane the Pokemon was when they last met.
"H-hello again Mewthree…"
"Pi-iikachu…"
Several filler paragraphs of retelling VPI, which earned lots of stares later…
"That certainly explains a lot…" Wes muttered as Espen and Nox continued watching silently. "So, your legitimate father was leader of Team Rocket?"
"I really hate repeating myself…yes! Besides, I thought telling you that at the start would unnerve you all." Mona replied, moving towards a computer and swapping her Blissey with another Pokemon. "Anyway…I don't use Mewthree during an official Pokemon Match. I only use him when it comes to Pokemon thieves and evil organizations such as Team Rocket. Team Snagem and Team Cipher are examples…"
"And I never get to show my true strength when she has a rematch with an elite four member in that stupid cartridge…" Mewthree commented. "Your other Pokemon have all the fun…" Mona shot him a dark expression.
"That's because you went mad with power and I had to get my Pokemon to knock you senseless before you killed someone and I had to use another Master Ball to catch you…which will not happen again…" And she turned back to the computer.
"Mewthree…he has a black aura around himself…" Rui spoke up after a long silence and continued petting Minus behind the ears. Mewthree pivoted his black eyes towards her, making Espen and Nox flinch in response. "But he doesn't act like the other Shadow Pokemon since he actually has a personality…"
Mewthree smirked, exposing some of his fangs. "Well…I was a joint project between Team Rocket and Team Cipher…Team Rocket wouldn't allow Mewtwo to fall into Cipher's hands so they cloned the Mew-clone, which is ME, and sent me to Orre for a period of four years before I was sent back to Kanto as the only Shadow Pokemon to be able to level up and learn new abilities…unlike that Shadow Makuhita you just snagged…apparently the scientist who created me disappeared and took my power's origin with him along whatever files were in their worthless databases…that way, the ones who weren't close to the project wouldn't realize there was a joint project with Rocket and Cipher. A stupid but noble sacrifice…"
Wes pulled out the Pokeball containing Shadow Makuhita. "So...the other Shadow Pokemon created and in Orre…you're an example of what they would have been like if Cipher still had those methods…?"
"True…"
"We're lucky you're on our side…" Ash murmured before looking out the window. His black irises immediately became locked on something outside and Pikachu's fur seemed to stand on end. "Hey, Mona…you might want to look at this…"
"Hm…what is it…?" Mona turned towards her brother-figure and walked towards the window. She then had a pretty good view of Rosso guarding the East exit, Verde guarding the West, and Bluno was at the south. "Well we're in deep Tauros Poo aren't we…?"
"Huh…?" Wes got up, with some help from Rui, and staggered towards the window with the two Eevee brothers following. A few seconds later, Wes had gritted his teeth. "Ah Nuzleaf…"
"They're all carrying Shadow Pokemon…" Rui commented with her blue eyes fixated on what seemed to be a normal Quilava.
"How do you know…?" Ash glanced towards the red-head.
"I can see their auras as clear as day…"
Minus remembered the same energy flowing off Makuhita and shivered. Pikachu nimbly leapt onto Rui's shoulder and pet the worried Minun on the head, trying to calm it down.
"Hmm…they're at a moderate level…at least level thirty…" Mewthree commented, floating over until he was standing behind his trainer.
"So…which one are you going to snag?" Mona asked, turning towards Wes.
"Hm…?"
"You can't be in all places at once…and we've only got one snag machine…"
"True…" Wes commented, placing his hand, which didn't have said Snag Machine, under his chin. "And I'll bet I will have to capture those other Pokemon at a later date…"
"And two others will have to take down the other two so there won't be a blockade at the other exits…" The brunette commented. "We can't leave the Phenac citizens to deal with this matter."
"Can I test my powers out on them and crack their bones in the process…?" Mewthree seemed to grin maniacally causing everyone in the room, except Mona, to become rigid.
"No…the other Pokemon need to get a good exercise before we go onto Pyrite Town…"
"You're no fun…"
"And you're a nekkyō neko (crazy/insane cat) …return…"
"Spoiled sport—" Mewthree succeeded in retorting before he was recalled into the Master Ball.
"Rosso…" Wes interrupted. "I'm battling Rosso…that and I have a liking towards the Cyndaquil evolution line…"
"I'll get Verde…" Ash smiled as Pikachu leapt back onto his shoulder.
"That means Bluno-boy is mine…" Mona quipped.
"What about me…?" Rui commented, releasing Wes who began wobbling in place and frantically trying to find a hand-hold. "I can battle too you know…I don't mean to brag but I've won in several Pokemon Contests and I've beaten 2 out of 3 Pokemon belonging to Trudley with just Minus and…"
"Rui…I can't stand by myself right now…" Wes added and Rui got a hold of him before he could fall backwards.
"And…Rui…you've only got your Minun on your team which would give you a bit of a disadvantage if any of them have two other Pokemon…" Mona pointed out.
"Oh…I forgot about that…" The red-head laughed nervously. "I knew I should have brought my other Pokemon with me!"
"In any case…we all meet up at the South Exit when this is over…agreed?" Wes recalled both Espen and Nox.
"Got it…"
Verde continued guarding the West Exit as he waited for the four Pokemon trainers. His Shadow Bayleef continued glaring ahead, once in a while shifting its attention to a nearby citizen and growling audibly.
"Bayleef…keep still…" Verde commanded.
"…" The grass-type only fumed silently before noticing the four of them heading out of the Pokemon Center. Its head leaf as well as the sprouts about its neck stood on end as its red eyes glared straight at them.
There was some conversation passing between the four before they abruptly split up. The blackhead with his Pikachu headed north while the Sandy Blonde and Red-Head followed. The brunette had turned south, headed towards Bluno.
"Bluno, the major one is headed towards you…the one who has Mewtwo/Mewthree and is Giovanni's legitimate daughter." Verde commented through his communicator.
"No problem…I'll take her down in a second…"
"Oy…don't forget she was able to beat several powerful trainers including the Elite Four." Rosso joined in on the frequency while his Shadow Quilava arched its back and the flames erupted from it.
"Several eh…? I'll bet she didn't beat ALL…" Bluno grinned as his Shadow Croconaw stood in a tense manner. "Ain't that right Croconaw?" He rested his hand on the gator's snout absentmindedly causing the Croconaw to go rigid and—
KER-CHOMP!
"YEEEEEEEEOOOOWWWW!!!"
Mona continued walking around the fountain towards the south exit in a casual manner before the loud yell registered and she caught sight of Bluno yelling in pain due to the Shadow Croconaw biting down on his arm and he was running around in a circle like a headless chicken. The brunette stared for a few moments (a bit wide-eyed) at the insane event then she about-faced and made her way north towards the stairs just as Bluno managed to pry his arm out and recall the maddened-gator back into its Pokéball.
"STOP RIGHT THERE! I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!!" Bluno yelled, catching the attention of several of the citizens. Some were interested in an upcoming battle and gathered in a safe perimeter around the two.
Mona stopped in mid-stride with her right foot barely touching the first step and one visible eye glancing back at the uniformed male. "Um…did you say something?"
"I said: I CHALLENGE YOU TO A POKEMON BATTLE!" Bluno yelled even louder, almost having all the windows in Phenac rattle.
"I am NOT THAT DEAF!" The brunette shrieked back (almost twice as loudly) before she walked back towards Bluno and stopped a good way away. "Geez…what a loud-mouth…and I should've battled Verde or Rosso…darn it…Ash is lucky he's not dealing with this guy…I mean…if I knew he wasn't this idiotic I wouldn't have decided to battle him in the first—"
"So, are you accepting the challenge or not?" Bluno asked smartly.
"It's rude to refuse…Pokemon Training 101…if someone challenges you to a battle, you don't back down or say no. Everyone who's a Pokemon Trainer knows that." Mona replied. "So…what are the terms?"
"One on one Pokemon battle," The grunt replied. "We each use only three Pokemon throughout the battle and if you lose, you're coming with me!"
"Right…and I suppose that's because you only have three on your team…" The brunette commented before muttering under her breath. "Plus I'm having a serious case of Déjà vu…considering I beat him before…and villains have really sucky pick-up lines…or maybe it's because my legitimate father is Giovanni of Team Rocket. Hmm…"
"HEY! I CAN HEAR YOU, YA KNOW!"
"Let's start then…" Mona commented and got poised. "I'm not about to part with my friends…and I really don't want to see DAD again."
Near the east gate, Wes and Rui glanced over towards where Mona was and noticed the crowd of spectators. Wes smirked as he commented: "With that much attention, she wouldn't pass off as a spy."
"That and…she is one of the many elite trainers looked up to." Rui nodded as she helped support Wes. She averted her blue eyes towards Wes's yellow. "Are you sure you can battle in this condition?"
"I'll be fine, Rui…let's just keep focused on the task at hand…" Wes replied as they slowly approached Rosso.
Ash stole a glance towards his 'sister' figure as he and Pikachu got prepared to battle Verde. The black head smiled faintly when he watched before turning back towards the green-uniformed trooper with a serious expression.
"Alright Pikachu…get ready…"
"Pika…"
Mona remained firm as she watched Bluno call his Grimer and Spoink onto the field. Both seemed to be at moderate levels as Mewthree had pointed out earlier, not that the brunette didn't know this already. She noticed the Mystery Troop's smirk before pulling out two Pokéballs with a smile of her own.
"So…what do you say?"
"This is going to be fun… Rika, Togechikka! I choose you!" She shouted before throwing them into the air. No sooner had the red and white spheres returned to her hands, two Pokemon stood in front of her. One was easily recognized as Rika the Raichu while the other one was a cream-white color. Three spikes were atop the egg shaped creature's head while two small wings were on the back.
Bluno stood in place with a blank expression before a snort escaped and was followed by full blown laughter.
"A TOGETIC?!" He chortled. The Togetic he was referring to twitched an unseen brow and a corner of its lip twitched, expressing annoyance and aggravation as Bluno spouted off rude remarks about the seemingly un-usefulness of the Togepi evolution line. Mona looked down at Rika with a half-lidded eye expression.
"He's really asking for it…"
"Yep…"
"You think his Pokemon are going to survive her wrath?"
"Nope…"
As Bluno and his Pokemon laughed, Togechikka began to glow a dangerous blue color as the technique she learned from a TM kicked in. Instantly, psychic energy slammed into the Grimer, throwing it into the nearby wall with a painful SPLAT noise. Bluno and Spoink felt their blood chill as they saw a dangerous blue aura rising off Togechikka in waves and Grimer slid painfully down the wall.
"That…was Psychic…" Mona grinned. "A bit of a way for you to stick both feet into your mouths…oh and that's not the only special attack she knows."
"Yah wanna make fun of mah species again" Togechikka asked with a mock-southern accent. "Yer gonna get much worse"
"Hey, Togechikka, save it for the battle…" The brunette smiled. The Togetic nodded (still a bit vengeful) and stood alongside Rika. The crowd looked on and several onlookers moved back since they got the hint from the Psychic attack. "Ready to go again, Blue-boy?"
Bluno tried to remain steady as Grimer and Spoink shivered in place. "Yeah…"
"Good," Before Bluno could launch a command, Mona threw her arm forward. "Togechikka, use Water Pulse! Rika, use Mega Punch! Focus them both on Spoink!"
Togechikka and Rika dashed forwards at a fast pace, catching Bluno's Spoink off guard. Rika's glowing paw caught Spoink in mid-bounce as an uppercut and sent the Psychic type skywards. Togechikka flew above Spoink and charged up a glowing sphere of water that she literally slam-dunked and Spoink was sent hurtling into the ground, creating a crater on impact.
Bluno grimaced and recalled Spoink before reaching for Shadow Croconaw's Pokéball. "Alright, play-time is over…"
"You really don't know how overused that phrase is…" Mona replied before shifting her attention to Grimer and the new arrival in the form of a Shadow Pokemon.
"Destroy…target…orders…waiting…" It growled.
The brunette became grim as she observed. "Rika's safe at level 60, but Togechikka's at level 32…she's going to have to try to endure this…"
"Grimer, use Sludge! Shadow Croconaw, use Shadow Rush!"
Mona retaliated. "Togechikka, finish off Grimer with Psychic! Rika, use a combined Quick Attack and Mega Punch on Shadow Croconaw!"
Before Grimer could attack, Togechikka charged up her Psychic energy and had it throw the Poison type into the wall once again where it slid down in a dead faint from the collision. Rika dashed at Shadow Croconaw with a blinding speed and threw a punch forwards only to have it get caught in the Shadow Pokémon's claws which were glowing a dangerous red. Rika gritted her teeth and squinted in pain as the claws closed tightly around her paw, threatening to crush bone.
"Rika, use Thunder and try to break away!" Mona shouted.
"Ahh, good…Shadow Rush!" Bluno commanded. The Croconaw cut off the electric attack and rammed into Rika, throwing her into Togechikka. Both females got onto their feet while the brunette gritted her teeth. "Well, well…looks like the mighty has fallen…"
"Wait a minute…this isn't right! Your Pokemon looks like it's still around level 30!" Mona exclaimed.
"Please…once a Shadow Pokemon enters Hyper Mode, it's more than able to take down a fully grown legendary." Bluno grinned as Mona's eyes were locked with the Croconaw. The brown seemed to quake when they met the dark-red glow and the red glow matched a pair she spotted as a child. She abruptly snapped out of it when she heard the command: "Shadow Rush" and tried to get back into action.
"Rika, Togechikka! Fly!!" Mona shouted. Rika grappled Togechikka's legs and the happiness Pokemon flew upwards and away from the crocodilian Pokemon which destroyed a portion of the fountain located in the middle of the city. Mona leapt to higher ground and turned her attention to her airborne duo. "Togechikka, let go of Rika! Rika, use Thunder!"
Rika leapt from Togechikka, who flew back, and launched a powerful bolt of electricity at the crocodile. Shadow Croconaw side-stepped the electricity and grinned up at Rika who felt her blood freeze.
"Ah…!"
"Togechikka! Get her out of there!" Mona yelled; feeling completely unnerved in her current state. The Togetic flew at Rika at a fast rate and no sooner had she grabbed the Raichu, the Shadow Croconaw's form slammed into them. Rika, receiving the full force of the blow, was thrown back while Togechikka was thrown into mid-air, too stunned to assist Rika. Mona sprang from her perch and intercepted the Raichu which was going to collide head-first with the fountain and was forced backwards into it.
"Rika? Are you okay?!"
"…he's…toostrong…couldn'tmakeit…"
"You did your best…" Mona half-smiled.
"You're afraid…" The brunette stopped smiling. "It'sbecause of something…in your past…isn't it"
"Yeah…"
"Don't let it affect you…just take him down…trust the team, and they will trust you in return" Rika smiled with a wince behind her voice.
"Will do Rika-chan…" Mona replied before getting to her feet and reaching for a Pokéball. She couldn't help staring at the irises again but this time, her brown eyes were hardened and focused. "Red eyes…you stay out of my mind…GO GODZILLA!!"
The Shadow Croconaw found itself staring up at the fully evolved form of its species and it grimaced.
"Godzilla? It's more like a Shrimp-Gator in my Shadow Pokémon's case…" Bluno smirked; feeling like the battle was all his as Mona recalled the shivering Togechikka and weakened Rika.
"You want to bet? Just try…" Mona's collected tone-of-voice returned.
"Alright then…SHADOW RUSH!"
Shadow Croconaw charged forwards with a glowing red aura and outstretched a fist aimed directly for Godzilla's torso. The spectators were abruptly caught off guard by a sudden rush of wind that resulted by the Feraligatr blocking the attack with a clawed hand. The Croconaw twitched and looked upwards and felt a chill as it looked at Godzilla. It appeared that all the light of the sun was blocked by his size and his eyes stood out as a dangerous white.
"Godzilla, use HYDRO PUMP!" Mona commanded. Godzilla slowly opened his maw and a dangerous energy seemed to seep through the gaps between his fangs before the water blast was released. Shadow Croconaw, even in its Hyper Mode and that it was a water type as well, fell victim from the point-blank attack (that had a resemblance to the thermonuclear ray) and crashed at Bluno's feet.
"What?!" Bluno stared at his Shadow Pokemon. "But…it's supposed to be…how did you?!"
"Godzilla's been by my side ever since I started my journey as a Pokemon Trainer. We've both accomplished many things together and have grown strong as a team with my other Pokemon. Our friendship is a power so incredible your heart-sealing retards can never learn to comprehend its existence!" Mona and Godzilla glared at the same time, sending chills down Bluno's spine. "And don't say you'll power through or destroy it. That is the most pathetic threat ever to fall on deaf ears…"
Bluno took a hesitant step backwards after recalling Shadow Croconaw and looked warily at Mona who looked as though she could end his life right then and there.
"Run Blue-boy…" Mona's voice reached a dangerous tone. "Run…"
And run Bluno did…
After a moment of silence, a wail of cheers sounded off and Godzilla turned to its partner, giving her the claws-up. Mona relaxed and allowed a smile to grace her features before hearing Pikachu's cries and spotting its electric attacks shooting upwards.
"Ash…he's probably still fighting Shadow Bayleef…" She murmured worriedly before recalling Godzilla and running in her brother-figure's direction as the crowd dispersed and went on with their original daily routines.
Ash had already taken down Verde's Spoink and Grimer with a combined assault by Pikachu and Swellow. Currently he was engaged in battle against the Shadow Bayleef which didn't seem at all phased by Swellow's attacks despite the countless Aerial Aces that were used on it. Pikachu had to stay back and dodge the Shadow Rush as Swellow found safety in mid-air where it attempted to dive-bomb Bayleef with little success.
"Are you done yet? We haven't even broken a sweat and your Pokemon look as though they could drop." Verde commented. Pikachu and Swellow, indeed, looked as though they couldn't take it. Ash had found the battle against Spoink and Grimer to be fairly easy but when Bayleef appeared, it was as though nothing could cause damage. "Just give up and save your Pokemon the trouble of being broken."
"That is not about to happen!" Ash retaliated. "Pikachu, Iron Tail!"
Pikachu dashed towards Bayleef with its lightning-bolt-shaped tail a bright white glow.
"Don't make me laugh. Bayleef, Shadow RUSH!" Verde commanded. Bayleef abruptly charged towards Pikachu and both the head-leaf and Iron Tail collided with each other. Pikachu was thrown back with a cry as Bayleef skidded back a few feet.
"Pikachu! Are you alright?!"
Pikachu staggered back onto his feet and shook its yellow head before keeping a glare fixed on Shadow Bayleef.
"Pika-Pikachu; I'm fine, Ash"
"Try to avoid its attacks!" Ash commanded as Pikachu dodged another Shadow Rush. "Great. Swellow can't do a thing…and Pikachu's attacks get deflected right off! I've got to think of something!!! Pikachu! Get on Swellow!"
Swellow swooped downwards in time to catch Pikachu before flying skywards.
"This plan had better work!" Ash murmured before crying out: "PIKACHU, USE THUNDER!"
Meanwhile, Wes continued facing Rosso with Espen and Nox. The Espeon and Umbreon were both standing strong while the Spoink and Grimer looked like they were about to drop dead, in a literal sense. Rosso's teeth were clenched as he saw the smug expression on Wes's face.
"Alright tough guy," The Mystery Troop shouted. "Grimer, Sludge! Spoink, Psybeam!"
"Espen, Psybeam! Nox, protect Espen!" Wes commanded. Espen promptly fired a multi-colored ray into Grimer, knocking it unconscious, before Nox jumped in front of Espen, blocking the Psybeam. "Nox, finish it off with Bite!"
The Umbreon complied, jumping at the Spoink and biting it till the psychic type was unconscious alongside Grimer.
"Good work you two!" Rui cheered.
"Don't congratulate them just yet Rui; we still have a Shadow Pokemon to worry about." The sandy-blonde commented as Rosso recalled the two Pokemon.
"Go, Shadow Quilava!"
Espen and Nox stood at the ready as they faced the Shadow Pokemon. The fire type remained still before slowly opening its eyes and glaring directly at Wes. Rui cringed from its gaze and how the Shadow aura seemed to flicker dangerously.
"What is it Rui?"
"It's a lot different than the other two." She replied as Mimi chirped and hid behind it's trainer's right shoulder. Wes frowned then looked towards Nox.
"Nox, Return! Makuhita, come out!" The ex-Snagem member commanded, switching the Umbreon with the Shadow Pokemon. Espen side-glanced the Makuhita as though it was a volatile substance as Rui bit her lip. The Makuhita's aura seemed to change to a red color and it's heckles began rising upon sight of Shadow Quilava. Wes caught sight of its ready-to-eliminate posture and shouted: "Makuhita, enough!"
The red abruptly shifted back to a dark color as Makuhita stood in place with a scolded pet expression. Wes held back a sigh of relief as he observed the change. "At least there's a way to calm it down…"
"Unbelievable…he's able to call it out of hyper mode!" Rosso stared before grinning to himself. "But that's not going to help him defeat Shadow Quilava!"
"What the heck is he doing?" Verde stared up at the two Pokemon which were being thoroughly electrocuted by Pikachu's thunder. Bayleef seemed to be taken aback from the raw energy as Ash watched and waited.
"Hold on…just a bit longer…" The trainer murmured as electricity engulfed the bird and electric Pokemon. "You guys did this before against Tate and Liza!"
Mona stopped short on the stairs and watched as Swellow and Pikachu were engulfed by the electricity. Like Ash, she watched and bit her lip out of nervousness until the electricity died down and the two Pokemon were coated in an electric gold color.
"Atta boy, Satoshi!" The teenager grinned as Swellow and Pikachu dove down towards Shadow Bayleef at a rate that would rival that of a kamikaze plane.
Verde stared wide eyed at the golden-plated Pokemon diving at Shadow Bayleef. Bayleef dodged to the side, away from a Thundershock, before getting rammed in the stomach by Swellow's Aerial Ace attack.
"What's going on here?! That Swellow should have been roasted from that power intensity!" Verde then tried to get the battle back into his favor. "Bayleef, Shadow Rush!"
The leaf Pokémon's aura immediately changed into a dark red but the Bayleef found itself overwhelmed by another Aerial Ace before Pikachu jumped upwards. Bayleef stared upwards, unable to do much else in its Hyper Mode.
"Pikachu, use Thunder!" Ash commanded as the electric mouse charged up a high magnitude of electricity and launched it downwards. Bayleef and Verde's pupils shrunk from the lightning bolt that seemed to gain a draconic head at the end before it engulfed the Shadow Pokemon.
Verde shielded his eyes as Ash turned slightly to the side and tried to prevent flying debris from getting to his face. The light died down and the spectators were able to see the full extent of the damage. Pikachu was standing upright on the ground alongside Swellow, the golden plating disappearing in electric sparks, as Bayleef lied on the ground with a spiral over where its eye used to be.
"Alight! We did it!" Ash cheered as Pikachu and Swellow shook off the excess electricity.
"What?! How?! My Shadow Bayleef had an advantage over that brat's Pikachu!" Verde gritted his teeth as he recalled Shadow Bayleef back into its Pokéball. He looked up at Ash and the black head stopped cheering upon seeing the glare. "This isn't over Ash Ketchum. I may have made a miscalculation this time, but next time you and your Pokemon won't be so lucky…"
"We'll see about that…" Ash replied before the Mystery Troop exited stage west.
Shadow Quilava lunged at Espen, coated in a massive amount of dark energy. Espen gritted its teeth as it tried to fend off the incoming fire-type with Psybeam.
"Espen, get back! Makuhita, counter with your own Shadow Rush!" Wes commanded. Espen jumped back as Quilava's Shadow Rush made a dent in the ground. Makuhita charged in from the side and had an outstretched fist impact with the other Shadow Pokémon's side. Quilava spun sideways before landing on its feet and skidding onto the ground, glaring daggers at the Makuhita before charging at it. "Makuhita, use Arm Thrust!"
Makuhita stopped in its tracks, unable to comprehend its new trainer's orders, before Shadow Quilava knocked it backwards into the surrounding wall resulting in spider-web cracks running up it.
"What the…?"
"You look surprised." Rosso sneered as Shadow Makuhita staggered to its feet. "If a Pokemon gets its heart sealed, it forgets all those worthless moves and learns the most powerful Pokemon attack: Shadow Rush."
"So that's all Makuhita can use?" Rui asked herself as she supported Wes and watched the battle. A thought came to mind as she watched the recently snagged Shadow Pokemon shake off the blow and she turned to Wes. "Wes, Shadow Rush doesn't seem to affect Shadow Pokemon as much as it does normal Pokemon."
"What are you planning?" Wes asked as Makuhita charged at Quilava while Espen got at a safe distance and tried to find an opening.
"Makuhita can block the attacks and Quilava while Espen can get a clear shot!" Rui pointed out.
"Good plan…no wonder you won those Pokemon Contests." The sandy-blonde smiled at a plan formulating in his head as Rui blushed from the compliment. "Makuhita, use Shadow Rush!"
Shadow Makuhita charged at Shadow Quilava who performed the same attack. Both the Shadow Pokemon found themselves in a deadlock with neither one being able to force the other back as Espen jumped to high ground, trying to find a clear shot. Quilava gritted its teeth as it tried to force Makuhita backwards and Espen locked onto his target.
"Espeon, use Psybeam!" Wes shouted, catching Rosso off guard.
"Crap! I forgot about his Espeon!!" The Mystery Trooper panicked as the Eevee Evolution expelled a multicolored ray directly into Shadow Quilava's side. Makuhita took advantage of his opponent's in-pain moment and grabbed the Shadow Pokemon by the forelegs, performing a 360 degree spin and throwing the Fire Type into the nearby wall as an act of revenge. The Shadow Pokemon crashed, gritting its teeth from the impact before sliding down.
"Wes! You have to snag it now!" Rui pointed out.
"Get one of the Pokéballs and put it in the machine!" Wes replied.
"Which kind?!" Rui hastily reached into one of the many pockets of Wes's overcoat.
"Any kind!" Wes barked before the red-head found a Premium ball and placed it into the Snag Machine's palm. Wes closed the palm into a fist as the Snag Machine charged the normal Premium Ball into a Snag Ball. He took a step away from Rui and pulled his other arm loose as Wes took aim and hurled the ball straight at the weakened Shadow Quilava. The Shadow Pokemon barely had time to jump out of the way as the ball impacted with its side and it was trapped in an unnatural yellow light that pulled it into the Premium Ball. The Pokéball quivered three times before coming to a complete halt.
"Got'cha…" Wes grinned as Espen picked up the Premium Ball in its teeth and handed it over to Wes who returned to using Rui as a crutch again. Makuhita remained in place, watching the Mystery Trooper with a continuous glare.
Rosso gritted his teeth from the loss of a Shadow Pokemon before turning tail and running out the Eastern Exit. Shadow Makuhita made a move to pursue the fleeing enemy before hearing its name being called. Obediently, it stopped short of the exit and turned to Wes.
"Orders…waiting…pursue…eliminate?"
"Don't chase him…we need to regroup and heal…" The sandy blonde explained.
"Rest…? Recharge…understood…" Makuhita seemed to squint harshly at its new trainer before relaxing and being recalled into its Pokéball as Espen was recalled into his own Pokéball. Wes stored the Pokéballs back onto his belt.
"Rui, let's go…"
"Okay…"
"I've seen you use that tactic against Tate and Liza…" Mona leaned against the south exit wall as Ash sat down with Pikachu.
"Wha…oh…right…the TV series in your world…" Ash sweat dropped from almost forgetting as Pikachu hopped onto his right shoulder. "I almost forgot."
"Anyway, I was impressed with how your Swellow was able to withstand that electricity. I mean, most other Flying Types would have ended up in the emergency room." The brunette pointed out as she adjusted the visor of her hat. "I'm sure Falkner from the Violet City gym would try to learn the same technique."
(Meanwhile, Falkner sneezed while training his Pidgeot in case of another Charizard trainer)
"I'm pretty sure he would…" The other trainer chuckled (causing Falkner to sneeze again) before catching sight of Wes and Rui walking carefully down the stairs. "Hey look, Wes and Rui made it!"
"And from the looks of things, Wes definitely caught the Shadow Pokemon." Mona replied as the Coordinator and Ex-Snagem member walked over.
"Sure did," Rui piped up.
"It wasn't as easy as I had hoped." Wes winced as he stood upright. "Those Pokemon…"
"Were around level 30 but were strong enough to seem like they're level 60?" Mona completed his sentence. Wes gave the brunette a glance which she answered without any hesitation: "The Shadow Croconaw that Bluno used…it almost killed my Raichu."
Rui and Ash flinched while Wes frowned at the long task ahead of them.
"Until they are all purified, the Shadow Pokemon are all pure Fighting or Killing Machines." The brunette added.
"That means: we have to work quickly to bring down Cipher before any more Shadow Pokemon are created and released." Wes agreed. "So, where do we go next?"
"That guy, Miror B., he said something about a Pyrite Town. Maybe we can find more clues about Cipher there." Ash pointed out as Mona pulled a Poke-navigator out of her backpack.
"Pyrite is to the west of Phenac, and halfway there is a construction site for a new colosseum." The brunette traced the path along the 'screen'. "We can take a short break at the construction site to heal our Pokemon to full health and take a few moments to recuperate before continuing on."
"Alright, let's move." Wes started to stagger towards his Spider-bike before realizing that his keys were missing. "What the—"
"Ash, you and Pikachu are going to ride on Flygon. I'm driving the motorcycle-thing."
Wes stared at the brunette as though she had just sprouted three heads.
"Wes, you're badly injured. And secondly, I've been on a motorcycle before and I have a driver's license." Mona pointed out.
Wes did not look assured.
Author Commentary:
Sorry if this took too long. Not only did I have a ton of fanfics to update, I got Pokemon Pearl (Yaay! I caught Uxie!), I also have summer reading (I'm still not done!), and lastly I had to go with my parents to Canada to visit my grandparents.
The next chapter is already planned out. It's going to be a bit shorter than the other ones.
I also would like to point out that the quote "Playtime is over" has been used several times. An example would be "Seto Kaiba" from the anime/manga Yu-gi-oh.
This chapter was also a bit clichéd and I think I could have done a bit better. Ah well…at least I finished it.
One more thing...I really-really don't know how to drive a motorcycle.
Please Review!
