DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokémon. All characters herein belong to Nintendo. I'm just a fan having a bit of non-profit fun and exercising my lazy imagination...
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ooh, a battle scene at last! Actually, I don't like writing these things much, so I'm sorry if it sucks. As I said in the last chapter's AN, university is busy but the next chapter is in the works! I decided to start using chapter titles because I was sick of the plain old numbers...what do you think? I'm bad at thinking of titles, so any better suggestions are welcome...
A PLUG: By the way, if you're looking for a place to discuss all things related to fanfiction-writing and fan-works in general, you might be interested in a great forum. You can find it at fanbbs dot net and it's already very active, so please check it out :)
AND ANOTHER: ...also, I wrote a spur-of-the-moment semi-creepy BetelgeuseShipping (sort of, not really...) one-shot. It's called Incomplete. The link is in my profile. Hint hint wink wink!
NINE
Barry was very aware of the fact that he and his friends were cornered. He was more than ready to battle against Saturn, but he didn't relish the idea of being trapped. He had already taken his first Pokéball and was tapping it against his leg anxiously. "Give us some room, then. We can't battle in this little corner."
To his surprise, Saturn backed away with a sarcastic smile. "Is that enough space for you?"
Barry immediately pushed Dawn away – and Lucas, too, seen as he was standing close behind her. "Quick, go and find Shinx!"
"But...!" Lucas thought that Barry might have taken up his offer of a tag battle. He could hardly hide his disappointment at being shooed away.
"I'll be fine!" Barry insisted. "This guy looks weak. Go!" Glancing at the Pokéball in his hand, he threw it dramatically. "And go, Heracross!"
"Let's see." Saturn smiled and released a Pokémon of his own. "Golbat, Air Cutter!"
For one second, Golbat was just a stream of red light from a Pokéball; the next, it was hurtling straight towards Barry's Heracross. The boy usually reacted quickly, but Golbat's attack was so fast that the confident smile had only just faded from Barry's face before it hit. The bug Pokémon went down at once and Barry stared at it in blank shock.
"What just happened?" he muttered under his breath.
Much louder, he made a frustrated noise and withdrew his Pokémon with an angry stamp of his foot. The anger was directed at himself. At least one Gym Leader had already warned him about insisting on being the one to start a battle; sometimes it was better to hold back, wait and see where the opponent was going before deciding to make a move. That just wasn't Barry's style, and he knew that he could never heed that advice, but he sorely wished that he had, just this once. Less than two seconds was a pitiful length of time for a battle round to last.
"Alright, then..." Barry replaced Heracross's Pokéball and took hold of the one next to it. "Floatzel! Quick Attack!"
The water Pokémon gave a bark of exertion as it raced towards Golbat and took a flying leap into the air. The bat Pokémon looked heavy and was hovering not very far above the ground, making it a fairly easy target. But Saturn was well aware of that.
"Poison Fang," he said calmly.
Just as Floatzel was about to make contact, Golbat turned aside slightly, making its would-be attacker miss the mark. As it passed, Golbat clamped down on its side with its teeth. It was so fast that Barry didn't even realise his Pokémon had been hurt until it landed with a cry of pain.
"Floatzel! Are you okay?" Floatzel was beginning to lick its wound, but at the sound of its trainer's voice, it rose up again with a wince. "Come on, you can do it! Water Gun!"
"Give it a Bite attack, Golbat."
"Not this time!" Barry shouted over the sound of his Pokemon's powerful water attack.
The jet struck Golbat full on as it was zooming to attack with its fangs bared. As if taking revenge for the previous attack, Floatzel kept up the blast of water until its opponent was pinned against the wall and probably half-drowned, too. If he hadn't been battling against someone from Team Galactic, Barry might have told his Pokémon to stop by now.
"Golbat, fight back with Pursuit!" Saturn ordered, a hint of annoyance creeping into his voice at last.
Golbat raised one of its wings to cover its face and partially block Floatzel's Water Gun. No longer trapped against the wall, it fell to the floor and charged towards Floatzel on its feet. Running didn't seem to be its strong point, especially now that it was drenched with water. It looked weak and clumsy. Barry decided to take his chance.
"Finish it with Quick Attack!"
Although Floatzel was still getting its breath back, it sprung into action and lashed out at Golbat with one claw. It wasn't a very strong attack, but it was enough to take the bat Pokémon down. Saturn withdrew his Golbat with a shrug and selected his next Pokéball.
"This shouldn't take too long," he said smoothly.
"Huh?"
Wondering what he meant, Barry glanced at Floatzel. It was no longer standing upright but had fallen on all fours and was shaking violently, as though it was on the verge of passing out. It must be poisoned, Barry realised. He felt a stab of panic, but he had no Antidotes or Potions, so what else could he do but carry on?
"Hang in there, buddy," he whispered.
"Let's roll out the big guns," Saturn said, smiling as his next Pokémon appeared beside him. "Toxicroack, Faint Attack!"
Barry could tell that this was Saturn's strongest Pokémon and that they both meant business. He was about to give a counter-order to Floatzel, but Toxicrock suddenly vanished. A second later, it reappeared directly in front of Floatzel and slashed it violently with one of the prongs on the back of its hand. The blow sent Floatzel reeling and it collapsed at Barry's feet.
"Floatzel..."
It was rare that Barry took time out in the middle of a battle to make sure that his Pokémon were okay – not that he didn't care, but he was usually in too much of a rush – but this time, he knelt beside Floatzel and gently touched its fur. The bite wound on its side looked like it was going to need treating. Wiping his brow with his sleeve, Barry stood up and withdrew his fainted Pokémon. Before grabbing another Pokéball from his belt, he surveyed Saturn's strong-looking Toxicroack thoughtfully.
"You look like you're considering a forfeit," Saturn remarked, holding his hands behind his back. "I think it might be a good idea. If you care about your Pokémon, that is."
"It'd be an insult to my Pokémon if I surrendered to the likes of you!" Barry replied furiously. He took hold of the Pokéball that was nearest to his right hand and threw it. "Torterra, it's your turn!"
It was only right that he matched Saturn's star Pokémon with his own: he had raised this Pokémon from a tiny Turtwig. In fact, he'd received it at the same time as Dawn had obtained her Piplup, and from the same person, too. Barry found himself wondering what Professor Rowan was doing, but now wasn't the time to get distracted.
"Have it your way," Saturn said. "Poison Jab."
"Torterra, look out!"
Torterra might have been strong, but it wasn't very fast, and its huge shell tended to get in its way sometimes. Toxicroak obviously knew what it was doing: it attacked from behind and from above, its single claw shining as it descended through the air. Then it emitted a grunt of surprise: its claw was stuck in Torterra's shell, and the large grass Pokémon barely lifted its head in response. Barry grinned. That cumbersome shell could be pretty useful, too.
"Alright, Torterra! Bite attack!"
While Toxicroak was trying to free its claw, Torterra lifted its head, turned around and locked its jaw around its opponent's arm. Toxicroak's grumbles of frustration coalesced into a yelp, and the pain gave it the extra motivation to yank itself free. It retreated towards Saturn, nursing its arm.
"Don't even think about hesitating. Faint Attack, now!"
"Uh-oh," Barry muttered, knowing that Torterra was much too slow to avoid an attack as quick as that. He was right, and this time, Toxicroak aimed for the back of Torterra's neck, where its shell ended. In desperation, he called out, "Torterra, use Absorb!"
A faint green light surrounded Toxicroack, supposedly showing the energy that was being drained from its body to heal Torterra. But it didn't seem to be making much difference, and Toxicroak continued to attack, slashing at Torterra's exposed head with its uninjured arm. Barry was chewing his lip so hard, it might have bled. Why did I never teach it how to properly use Withdraw? he wondered desperately. He knew the answer. He'd never had any patience for non-offensive moves. His anger came out in a pained sigh as Torterra's legs gave way beneath it and Toxicroak jabbed the air in triumph.
"Ugh..." Barry withdrew his Torterra and picked yet another Pokéball from his belt. "Rapidash."
In contrast to Barry's slumped shoulders and hopeless expression, Rapidash was raring to go. It reared up with a neigh and pummelled Toxicroack with its front hooves before its trainer had even given a command. Out of all Barry's Pokémon, this was his most recent catch, and the one least likely to obey him. But as long as it was going to attack, Barry decided that it could do whatever the heck it wanted.
"Poison Jab!"
Toxicroak raised its arm with an angry roar and charged towards Rapidash, but the fire horse Pokémon charged right back, its flaming mane and tail combining into one huge wheel of fire. Toxicroak saw it coming and sprang out of the way just in time, receiving only a few burns rather than a full-on scorching, but Rapidash came around full circle and charged again.
"Stop running away and attack!" Saturn commanded.
Toxicroak rolled out of the way of Rapidash's second charge and swung its claw in a sweeping motion. The fire Pokémon tripped and staggered, and its Flame Wheel attack came to an end at last. Its front leg was wobbling slightly as it tried to regain its balance, and Barry only hoped that it hadn't been poisoned. He had already used four Pokémon against Saturn's pair. That might have been cheating, but this was a desperate situation – and besides, neither of the trainers had laid down any rules. Barry decided to see if his Rapidash was in an obedient mood.
"Rapidash, Tail Whip!" His Pokémon snorted and tossed its head before charging towards Toxicroak yet again. "I guess it likes using Flame Wheel," Barry muttered to himself.
It was a good thing that Rapidash had decided to do its own thing: this time, it hit Toxicroack properly, with enough force to send the poison Pokémon flying a few metres through the air. It wasn't unconscious, but as it limped back to its trainer with a weak croak, Saturn decided that it wasn't going to be much more use. With a frown of disapproval, he put it back into its Pokéball. Barry noticed that he only had one other Pokémon, and he shifted his weight in nervous anticipation as it was released.
"Bronzor, Shadow Ball."
"Haha, we've got it!" Barry said, even while a ball of dark energy was forming in front of Bronzor. Steel Pokémon couldn't stand up to Rapidash's fire, and as far as he was concerned, that was all that mattered. "Watch out, Rapidash!" Rapidash ducked as the Shadow Ball came hurtling towards its head. Barry had to do the same. "Hey!" he squealed. "You're the Pokémon! You're meant to be protecting me here!"
Rapidash seemed to give him a disdainful glare. It scratched the floor with its hoof, making a horrible screeching sound, but it didn't make any move to attack. Raising an eyebrow, Barry tried again. "Uh...Ember?"
Rapidash swung its tail and head, sending small wisps of fire in Bronzor's direction. The steel Pokémon dodged most of them, but there were patches of glowing red on its body here and there where it had been hit. It didn't have a very detailed face, and its voice was little more than a metallic hum, but Barry guessed that it was probably hurt.
"Another Shadow Ball, Bronzor!"
"Ember again! Even better this time!" But Rapidash had already set off on another charge, and Barry shook his head. "Fine, then. Use Flame Wheel."
Instead of just charging on its feet, Rapidash leapt up this time, like a show-horse clearing an obstacle. It threw its head back forcefully like a soccer player heading a ball. Bronzor was scorched with its fiery mane and clattered to the floor loudly. It was out for the count, but Rapidash reared up again, about to deliver a Stomp attack. Fortunately for Bronzor, its trainer withdrew it just in time and Rapidash's hooves hit nothing except the floor.
"You used one more Pokémon than I did," Saturn pointed out sourly. "But I suppose all's fair in love and war." His gaze wandered beyond his opponent and he narrowed his eyes. "I see your friends found their way back."
Barry turned his head and grinned triumphantly at the sight of Dawn and Lucas coming down the corridor. Shinx was following its trainer closely, almost getting tangled between her feet as she walked. As soon as his friends were within earshot, Barry let out a hoot of laughter, just to make it clear that he had won. "So, what do I get for winning? I think you should tell us exactly where Cyrus is heading, and what he plans to do when he gets there."
"Oh, is that what you were hoping?" Although he was smiling, Saturn cast a wary glance towards Barry's Rapidash, still standing in front of him and snorting angrily, as though it was just waiting for a command. "I'm afraid you're asking the wrong person."
"What? But I thought you were a commander!"
"Our boss keeps his cards close to his chest. I know that he crafted a red chain from crystals he took from the three Pokémon. That red chain is what he needed to shackle something on Mount Coronet. It's also apparently needed for creating something."
"You're not making any sense!" Barry complained. "For a start, Mount Coronet is huge. What's he gonna do? Climb to the top?"
"Our leader will be travelling to a set of ruins located on the peak of the mountain, a place known as the Spear Pillar. But that's all I know." Saturn's smile turned wistful and he shrugged. "Who knows what he's planning to do up there? But, by all means, go and find out for yourself. I don't think it will make much difference."
Visibly unimpressed with this answer, Barry scowled as he withdrew his Rapidash. He turned to his friends. "So, what do you reckon? Should we – "
"Now, Toxicroak! Get them!"
The three friends turned around in alarm and Dawn shrieked at the sight of Saturn's Toxicroak rushing towards them, poised to deliver some sort of attack with its deadly claw. Lucas grabbed one of the Pokéballs from his belt. "Monferno!" he yelled desperately.
The small fire Pokémon emerged at once and delivered a surprisingly powerful Flamethrower attack to stop Toxicroak dead. Seen as it had already been weakened in battle, the poison Pokémon couldn't take much more and it quickly crumpled to the floor – unconscious, this time. Barry's eyes were the size of teacups and he was hyperventilating.
"Let that be a lesson," he whispered breathlessly. "It's not over until they're all knocked out!"
After taking Toxicroak back into its Pokéball, Saturn turned heel and walked away. Lucas quickly withdrew Monferno and began to bolt after the Galactic Commander, but Barry grabbed his shoulder. The two boys exchanged glances, both of them aware of how strange it was for Barry to be the one holding Lucas back. Their nervous tension from what had just happened faded away, and soon they were both doubled over in laughter.
"What's so funny?" Dawn demanded. "We nearly got killed!"
"But we didn't," Lucas replied. "Thanks to my Monferno."
"Yeah, yeah, nice move," Barry said. He'd never been very good at giving praise, even when it was definitely due. "Now, come on! Let's get going! If we're late to Mount Coronet and it's because of you two Slowpokes, I'm fining you both!"
