Back again with Broken Heart, Healing Soul. This chapter takes a look at my view of combat, although I can say it isn't between who you're thinking. I'm sorry if some of you don't like how I'm portraying the moves, but remember, this is meant to be life-like, ergo some moves don't exist, don't work like the games, or look different.
Also, I don't know how good I am at describing battles, so if this isn't good, don't hesitate to give constructive critism. However, I feel as if I put more effort into the fight than all else. That might be a new weakness of mine.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, although due to my friend, I am getting more into the games. Now, on with the story!
XXX
"Thank you, Officer Jalie. You've been a big help." Navarone spoke, standing and shaking the policewoman's hand.
The Estate's living room held three beings. Specifically, a man, a woman, and a Gardevoir.
The man was rather tall, with black hair and bright blue eyes. He was wearing simple blue jeans and and a dark blue shirt. A black watch was on his wrist and a pair of sunglasses stuck out of the pocket on his shirt. His face held a satisfied look, glad that Apollo was getting what he deserved.
The woman, revealed to be Officer Jalie, was, honestly, rather short, and wore a form fitting blue uniform, with a small badge over her heart. A small pistol, a tazer, and a flashlight were attached to her belt. Her hair was somewhat short, down to her neck, and her eyes were green. Her face held a determined look, eager to get Apollo behind bars.
Finally, the Gardevoir, known to be Liz, was sitting on a couch. She was wearing a light blue dress with white highlights, and had blue gloves on. Her bandages were no longer on her, having recovered enough to both not need them, and not need to be careful. She was sitting there, with a complicated set of emotions on her face: nervous, embarrassed, and relieved.
"I'm happy to help. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. It'll help make sure Apollo is in jail for a very long time." She said as they both walked to the front door of the Planctus Lapidem Estate.
"Yes, that will make me feel a lot safer; knowing that he is imprisoned and will never threaten me, Harmony, or Melody again." Liz spoke, her voice obviously relieved.
As the three of them reached the front door, Officer Jalie turned to them and continued speaking. "If anything else comes to light, or if you would like an update on the trial's situation, don't hesitate to call me."
"Don't worry, I will. I'm just as eager as anyone to make sure he gets what he deserves." Navarone held a frown as he spoke.
The two shook hands again, then Jalie shook Liz's hand as well. The policewoman then turned and exited through the front door, entered her police car, and returned to the station, ready to make a report about Apollo's other kind of abuse against Liz.
Navarone turned around and looked at Liz before speaking, his voice soft and concerned. "It'll be okay, Liz. Apollo will be in jail soon, and probably for life. Even if he gets out, he has no idea this place even exists, and I'll make sure he doesn't even get near."
Liz smiled at him, gratefulness shining in her eyes. She stepped forward and lightly embraced him, her face buried in his neck.
Navarone hesitated for a moment, then wrapped his arms around her. Throughout the embrace, he was acutely aware of her hair tickling his neck, her heart beating quickly, and her natural scent, which was reminiscent of honey and flowers.
Soon, she released him and he, her. They stepped away from each other, and Navarone saw Liz had a small smile, as well as a slight blush. One eye was hidden behind her hair.
"Navar-" Liz began, before being interrupted when Verrin came running into the room.
"Nav, Nav! There is an Espeon and Clefable fighting in the back yard, a little ways away from the pool!" The fire canine said, concerned.
Navarone just chuckled. "That would be Lilia and Kytin. They are just having a sparing match. It isn't a real fight. Most likely, Alyss and Austin are watching."
Liz looked over to Navarone, a confused and slightly alarmed look on her face. "You mean their trainers are making them fight?"
Verrin looked up at Navarone as well, also alarmed and worried.
But Navarone just laughed slightly. "No. Lilia's trainer is Alyss, and Kytin's trainer isAustin, and they are like me, that is, they respect Pokemon and don't make them fight."
"Honestly, Lilia and Kytin enjoy dueling. No one gets hurt, but they have fun. It's a way for them to test themselves."
Liz calmed down when she heard that. "So they aren't forced to fight?"
Navarone smiled and shook his head as he spoke. "Not at all. They honestly enjoy it, and we have plenty of medical supplies to make sure that if they do get hurt, they'll recover quickly and easily."
Verrin looked intrigued at the thought of battling. "Can we go watch? Maybe even I can test some of my abilities."
Navarone looked at Verrin, surprised. "Are you sure, Verrin?"
Verrin nodded sharply and smiled. "Yep!"
Navarone looked over to the Gardevoir. "What about you? Would you like a chance to test your powers? It wouldn't be an actual battle, just you hitting some targets."
Liz looked slightly uncomfortable with the idea, but still nodded. "As long as I'm not in real danger, I'll do it."
He smiled at that before walking towards the back door, the two Pokemon following him.
They soon exited into the backyard and walked to an open area not far from the pool.
The field was not very large, maybe twenty meters across and the same length long. It held the forest behind it, and the opposite side faced towards the pool. Scattered throughout it were several trees.
On the side closest to the woods were several targets in various shapes. Liz saw a human, and several Pokemon. They were made out of a strange black material with foam covering it, except the joints, which were exposed.
In the field, toward the left end, an Espeon was sitting on top of a Clefable.
"You submit?" The Espeon, now revealed to be a female, asked, a smirk on her face.
"I do." Said the Clefable, now identified as a male.
The Espeon got off of the other Pokemon and walked over to the edge of the field, her dual tail swaying behind her. This drew Liz and Verrin's attention to the edge of the field, where Alyss and Austin stood. Alyss was grinning and Austin had a disgruntled look on his face.
"So." Alyss began, a smug smile adorning her face. "Do you still think Kytin can beat Lilia?" She finished, rubbing the Espeon's head.
Clefable, now identified as Kytin, walked over to his trainer, then came to a stop next to Austin, a slightly despondent look on his face.
"I have to admit, you're strong." Austin said, looking at the Psychic type. Lilia just smiled back.
Austin then turned to the Clefable and crouched down. "You did good, Kytin. They surprised us with that combo, but we'll do better next time, okay?"
Kytin looked at him and smiled. "You're right. Thank you."
Alyss then spoke up. "As fun as this was, we need to get back to work, right Austin?"
Austin nodded, then turned to the Pokemon. "She's right, we'll meet you later, okay?"
The two Pokemon nodded and walked off in the direction of the houses. Alyss left without noticing their audience, but Austin noticed them and stopped, before smiling.
"Hello, My Lord, come to train?" He said, a smirk on his face.
Liz looked at Navarone to see him shaking his head with a look of amusement on his face.
"Must you insist upon such dreadful honorifics?" Navarone asked, confusing Liz and Verrin with his word choice.
"You are the Lord of the Estate and I but a humble servant. It is only fitting that I address you in such a manner, is it not?"
"Truly, yes, but I would much prefer you to address me in such a way that reflects my unique opinion about my current title." Navarone said, smiling slightly.
"I may at that, however, I must return to my task of the upkeep of the surrounding lands." Austin said, giving a small bow and walking away.
The three were silent for a moment before Liz spoke up. "Navarone. What was that?"
She was surprised when the only answer she received was Navarone laughing.
Navarone soon calmed his laughter and looked over at Liz and nearly laughed again at her bewildered face.
"That was Austin, as I'm sure you remember. When I was a kid, I introduced myself as the 'soon-to-be Lord of the Estate.'"
"Ten years later, now that I am the Lord, he acts like that as a joke. In ancient times, that's how the Lord and a Servant really would interact." Navarone then smiled at her.
"However, I don't really act like that, as I'm sure you've noticed."
Verrin then spoke for the first time since they went outside. "Yep! You are are a lot more fun and enjoyable to be around!"
That causes Navarone to chuckle a bit. "Thank you, Verrin. That makes me happy."
Liz spoke then, and her voice was quiet. "You certainly aren't strict, or self-centered. You've been nicer to me than anyone has in a long time."
Liz smirked at him and continued. "I think you're one of the better humans out there."
Navarone looked at her, surprised at what she said. He gently pulled her into a hug. "That means a lot to me. Thank you."
Liz hugged him back and they stood there for a few seconds, before they were interrupted. "Yay! Group hug!"
A certain fire canine jumped up on his hind legs and hugged them both, causing Liz and Navarone to chuckle and release each other.
Navarone then clapped his hands, startling the two Pokemon. "Now! Let's test some of your moves. No combat, just hitting the targets."
Navarone walked over to the targets, followed by Liz and Verrin, and came to a stop about ten meters from them.
"Alright, now who wants to go first? Liz or Verrin?" Navarone asked, smiling.
Verrin hopped forward, excited at the prospect of testing himself.
"Alright, I believe you know Quick Attack, Feint Attack, Flame Burst, and Flamethrower, correct?" Navarone asked.
"Yup!" Verrin said, obviously excited.
"Alright, you see the human-shaped target? You are going to be using that one. Let's start off with Quick Attack, then cycle through Feint Attack, Flame Burst, and Flamethrower."
"After each attack, come back to where you started before using the next one." Navarone said.
Verrin nodded with a smile on his face. He crouched down, then darted forward at an incredible speed and delivered three rapid-paced slashes on the target before retreating back to the start. This time, he disappeared out of sight completely, before reappearing seconds later and hitting the target powerfully, right in the chest.
He, again, returned to the start. Then, he opened his mouth and a orange light grew, before the a fireball flew out and exploded at the target's feet, burning it from the waist down. He opened his mouth again and the light came back, but this time it flew out in a continuous stream of fire, burning the target completely.
Verrin turned and looked at Navarone. "That's it. How'd I do?"
"Well done, Verrin! An impressive display of strength and control." Navarone said, causing Verrin to smile and look down at his feet.
Navarone then turned to Liz and began to speak, but stopped when he saw how nervous she was. "Liz, you don't have to do this if it makes you nervous."
"It isn't that." Liz mumbled.
"Then what is it?" Navarone asked, barely able to hear her.
"I haven't used any of my abilities since Apollo caught me. I might not be any good." She said.
Navarone walked over to Liz and placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke in a soft and caring voice. "I doubt that is the case, and even if it was, neither me nor Verrin would care if you were a little rusty."
Liz looked up at him, surprised, and he continued. "Even if you weren't as good as you once were, you live here. You can always come out here and train."
Liz smiled at him, gratefulness shining in her eyes. "Thank you, Nav. That's really kind of you."
"Its only the truth." He replied honestly.
Liz smiled and spoke again. "I'm ready to at least give it a try."
"That's the spirit, Liz!" Navarone said, patting her should enthusiatically.
"So, what abilities can you do?" Verrin asked.
She smiled down at him. "I can do quite a few, but I'm especially good at Teleport, Double Team, Hypnosis, Fire Punch, and Shadow Ball."
"Well then, go in front of a target and do the same as Verrin. Use your abilities and return to the start after each one." Navarone said.
Liz nodded and looked at a target, this one an Alakazam.
She was wrapped in a purple energy and vanished, reappearing with a slight noise, similar to a compressed air being released, in front of the target. Her fist was wrapped in fire and she punched the target's arm, breaking it and burning it.
She teleported back to the start. She was wrapped in a purple energy again and soon there were two more copies of her. The left and right one's eyes started glowing purple, and the middle one had a black ball of energy form in front of her right hand, which launched forward and cracked the target's chest. The two copies faded away and she turned to Navarone and was surprised to see him smiling.
"Well done, Liz. I think you underestimated yourself." He said, making her smile.
He gestured to where the copies had been. "I assume those copies were using Hypnosis, and that Shadow Ball at the end was very powerful."
She smiled at him. "Thank you, Navarone. That makes me happy."
"Its only the truth." He replied honestly, again.
The three were startled by clapping, and they turned to see James, Destiny, and Julie behind them.
"That made for a good show, you two." Destiny said, smiling at the two Pokemon.
"Thank you."
"Thanks!"
Liz and Verrin replied, simultaneously, both smiling at the compliment.
James then spoke up, saying something that completely surprised the two Pokemon, and made Navarone sigh.
"Did you know that Navarone used to spar with Pokemon? He, obviously, would ask them to not use their powers to their full strength, and he wouldn't go against, say, an Onyx, but he has sparred with a Flareon, two Glaceons, an Umbreon, an Espeon, a Gardevoir, a Lopunny, and a Lucario. He actually managed to beat most of them."
When James finished speaking, Navarone spoke up. "The Espeon was Lilia, who we just saw, and the Gardevoir was Lilly, so I knew their tactics and patterns well. Even then, all of them restrained their powers to tactical uses, or weak attacks. If, say, the Lucario had used a fully-powered Shadow Ball, I wouldn't have stood a chance."
Navarone paused, then continued. "As it is, I can only beat a Pokemon if it is a mostly melee fight. If they start using their abilities, or have a biological advantage such as being made of steel, I don't stand much of a chance."
"So, if you and I were to spar, and I don't use my abilities, you would win?" Liz asked, smiling slightly.
"Possibly." Navarone amended. "I have no idea how good you are. You could end up kicking my ass."
When he said that, Julie got excited and spoke up. "How about I go get everyone else and you two spar?"
She ran off before anyone could answer, leaving Navarone to sigh and run a hand through his hair.
"I guess we're doing this." Liz said, and Navarone looked over to her and saw her smiling at him.
"You're okay with this?" He asked, incredulous.
"Yep. I know you won't hurt me, so it seems like it may be fun." Liz spoke, excited and slightly nervous.
"Hurt you? Don't you mean hurt me? That Shadow Ball and Fire Punch looks like it would hurt." Navarone nearly shouted, slightly concerned for his health and well-being.
She looked at him with a slightly amused expression. "You really think I'll hurt you? I won't use any powers that can really hurt you."
He smiled at her, relieved. "Thank you."
Soon after, Julie came out of the back door with Austin, Alyss, Daron, Melody, and Harmony.
The two bipedal Pokemon immediately ran to Liz and Harmony spoke up. "Are you really going to fight Nav? Why? He's been so nice." As she asked this, the person in question was slightly amused.
Liz chuckled slightly and patted them both on the back. "I'm not mad at him. We are having a friendly spar. We're not going to hurt each other. It is just to see who would win."
Melody and Harmony hugged Liz, her arms wrapped around the Gardevoir's waist. "Be careful. I don't want to see you hurt."
She hugged the Buneary and Riolu back. "Don't worry. I won't."
She released both of them and stood up, turning to face Navarone. When she did, she saw him smiling at her. She blushed slightly and smiled back.
She walked over to him and the six workers and was surprised to see that Lilia and Kytin had joined them.
"Make sure you are ready for this. He's not an easy opponent. I learned that the hard way." Lilia said as Kytin chuckled.
"What do you mean?" Liz asked.
"He pinned me between his body and a tree, so I couldn't escape. I had to yield." Lilia said, smacking Kytin with her tail.
"I think you should go discuss the rules, this is a duel of honor, anyway. In case you don't know, it means that cheating will make you lose your honor. Nowadays, that doesn't mean too much, but a couple hundred years ago, it might as well have been a death sentence." Kytin explained.
Liz nodded and turned and moved towards Navarone, who was stretching, but stopped when she saw he was shirtless.
"I forgot to mention; he fights shirtless. Most of his shirts are a size or two larger than him, so they often get in his way."
"He doesn't like tight clothing, so he wears those shirts. However, after one got his arm stuck and cost him a match, he decided not to wear them during spars." Lilia said, smirking at the blush on Liz's face.
Navarone, while not bulky, very obviously took care of his body. He had a slight six-pack, nothing too obvious though. He wasn't overweight at all and his muscled arms showed he worked his arms more than his abdomen, most likely from his sparring.
Liz shook her head and walked over to Navarone, trying to ignore his chest. "You ready for this, Nav?"
He looked over to her and smiled. "I am. I'm rather excited, as well. I haven't sparred in a long while."
He paused and gathered his thoughts. "Now, obviously we don't want to really hurt each other, so I think we need some rules. I'm thinkin-"
Liz cut him off, surprising him with the determination in her voice. "I didn't show this as I'm not good at it, but I can use Recover, so don't you dare hold back."
"Why didn't you use it to heal what Apollo did?" Navarone asked, confused but completely unperturbed at being interrupted.
She smiled sheepishly. "Honestly? I forgot. I've never used it before. Apollo had that thing that prevented me from using my abilities, and afterwards, I was more concerned with keeping Harmony and Melody safe."
Navarone nodded. "I'm not going to complain, it's good to know you can heal yourself now that you remember. Are you sure you don't want me to hold back?"
She smirked at him. "I'm positive. However, you can't heal yourself like I can, so how will my powers be limited?"
"Obviously, Hypnosis, Recover, Teleport, and Double Team are allowed throughout the duel, but Fire Punch and Shadow Ball will have to be weakened significantly. However, your actual hits shouldn't be weakened; I'm sure I can take it."
"I won't use Recover until after the match, but other than that, that's fair. I certainly wouldn't feel good if I accidently killed you. Where would we Pokemon live?" She smiled at him, and Navarone chuckled lightly.
"Winner will be chosen when one is pinned or unable to continue." He hesitated slightly, then continued.
"Are you sure you want me to hit full strength? I hit hard, Liz, and I wouldn't want to break something, even if you can heal yourself."
"I'm positive, Nav. Thanks for the concern." Liz was touched that he was concerned for her well-being.
Navarone nodded, then spoke. "Then that settles it. We'll start on opposite ends of the field, then have Julie whistle. That'll be the signal to start."
Liz nodded, then started walking to one side of the field. Navarone walked over to Julie, who was watching the others and smiling for some reason.
"Julie, we are about to start, I need you to whistle as our signal to begin." He looked at James and saw him holding a twenty.
"Place your bets, I guess. Don't complain if you lose money."
Julie smiled. "I think most are betting on you. Go to your spot and get ready."
"Alright. Don't get too mad if you lose some money. I don't think it's a good idea for you to underestimate her. She demonstrated amazing control of her powers." Navarone explained, amused at the prospect of others betting on his winning, even though he could lose.
Navarone turned and walked to the other end of the field and faced Liz. He crouched lightly and watched her movements, hoping she'll give something away, and waiting for the whistle that would signal the fight.
The field quieted, and Navarone knew that the workers of the Estate would be silent, watching him and Liz. A quick glance told him Verrin was excited, but Melody and Harmony were slightly nervous.
Julie's whistle sounded, shrill and piercing, cutting through the sky. Liz flinched slightly and Navarone used that to his advantage, darting forward towards her. He reached her mere seconds later just as her eyes began to widen.
He lashed out with a fist to Liz's left arm and struck it, moments before she Teleported away with a odd sound, reminisicent of pressurized air being released.
She appeared several feet away and studied him. He smirked at her and started advancing, moving slower this time. When he was within range, she darted to the left and punched at him. He dodged, but didn't see the follow-up and was struck in the shoulder. He backed away, smiling slightly.
"I'm going to be honest; you hit a lot harder than I thought you would. It isn't that painful, but I definitely feel it." Navarone said.
She frowned at him. "You could feel my hit, but I couldn't feel yours. Don't hold back!"
He frowned slightly, but agreed anyway, knowing it was what she wanted. "As you wish."
A couple seconds after he finished speaking, he lunged forward and sweeped Liz's legs out, sending her to the ground. She rolled away, her dress billowing around her, and crouched up just in time to be hit on the shoulder.
She grunted in pain and Teleported away again, making that peculiar sound once more. She appeared again and looked at Navarone and smiled at the concerned look. "I'm fine. Don't hold back. If I can't take it, I'll Recover."
"I doubt I'll need to though." She added, teasing. Her form wavered and suddenly there were two more Lizs, making a total of three. Navarone cursed slightly, knowing that even though the clones weren't physical, Liz could still use her abilities through them.
The clones each had a black ball of energy form in front of their hands, before the two Shadow Balls flew at him. One flew past him as he dodged and the other hit the ground near him. He was relieved when the grass was barely singed. Navarone refocused on the clones and was slightly alarmed to see the original Liz missing. He heard a noise from his side and turned to see a flaming fist hit his chest.
The blow knocked him back and down. His chest was slightly singed and sore, but he knew that it had been weakened severely. He rolled backward and dashed towards the Gardevoir, quickly delivering three quick strikes to her shoulder, arm, and collar bone.
He backed away as she Teleported, reappearing next to the clones who were now transparent. Liz was breathing heavily and Navarone was slightly worn. If the goal was to last longer, Navarone knew he would win, but anything could change in a first-to-yield or incapacitated duel.
Navarone ran forward just as the clones faded away. As he neared, Liz's fist erupted into flames and she disappeared. The moment she vanished, Navarone spun around with his leg extended, delivering a brutal kick to Liz's side, causing her to collapse. When she hit the ground, her fist extinguishing. Immediately, Navarone was on her, pinning her down.
"Do you yield?" Navarone asked quietly, his face next to her ear.
"The question is; do you?" Liz asked, smirking.
While Navarone was confused, she reached her head up and kissed his cheek. As soon as it happened, he felt his energy drain and started to fall asleep.
"Draining Kiss. First time I've ever used it." Liz whispered in his ear.
"Well played." He replied drowsily.
He tried to fight it, but knew it wouldn't work. He felt his eyes trying to close, and surrendered to it. Navarone rolled off of Liz and soon fell asleep. Liz got up and looked at the audience, who were shocked, unable to believe that Liz had won when it seemed she had lost.
Julie recovered first and whistled again. "And Liz is the winner!"
XXX
And that was Chapter 7 of Broken Heart, Healing Soul. Now, this was the first chapter that I've written combat, so tell me how I did. All constructive criticism and generic reviews are welcome.
Another thing: I'm looking for a Beta Reader for this story specifically. You don't need to know Pokemon, and I won't hold you to a specific schedule; that's to say, I won't tell you, "I need this done by Friday. Do it." I'll say, "Edit this whenever you have the time, I'm patient."I only ask that you be fluent in English, and be good at grammar, spelling, and punctuation. I'm not picky about whether or not you have any stories written or not. If interested, please send me a PM.
Don't hesitate to review how you feel, or even make any suggestions, and thanks for reading!