The Power Trials
Chapter 10: Shadow Storm
Rain lashed across the trees, strong wind gusting through. Thunder rumbled within the dark clouds of the boiling sky, lightning crackling through the rain.
Alan Harrison stepped up to the microphone, his announcer's podium shielded by a dark blue shade.
"Since it has begun raining, we have decided to shut down the fire and ice machines. The weather has made it a perfect environment to battle in, so I suppose the next few competitors would like to use it." He looked back at the rows of chairs each of the battlers were sitting in. "Unless they say so otherwise."
There was muttering among them, and soon they had reached an agreement. Evelyn Tirene stood up. "Both Megan and I have chosen to battle."
Harrison smiled. "Then let it begin. Next match, Evelyn Tirene against Megan Rayme!"
oOo
The Chairman held up the glass vial and gazed at it with wonder. It shimmered with energy, and glowed faintly of blue.
"Is this enough?" He turned to face darkness, as if speaking to no one. There was a rumble of noise, and the darkness rippled unnaturally. The Chairman winced as a voice spoke. It was filled with icy cruelty, as if all the cold in the world had formed together to create it. It seemed as if a thousand voices were speaking at once, making the ground shake with the sheer power.
"Enough," The voice hissed. "Place it on the ground."
The Chairman trembled, and the vial shook in his hand.
It shifted. And it fell.
The darkness roared in fury, and the shadows began creeping over the walls, freezing them with an aura so cold frigid air was wafting off them, cracking the walls. A jet of black shot out and engulfed the vial before it fell to the ground.
The shadows on the walls continued creeping across the walls of the room, shrouding the room in darkness. The walls began cracking, and The Chairman collapsed to the ground in terror, whimpering.
The walls started shimmering with energy, and a wave of pure black force exploded through the walls, the scream of the Chairman echoing through the wind and pounding rain.
oOo
Evelyn's Swampert dug its paws into the ground and roared as tendrils of glowing energy twisted from the ground and wrapped over him. Rain lashed through the stadium, thunder booming through the sky.
Megan wiped water from her chin with the back of her hand, and glanced at her Gastrodon, through a mist of howling wind and swirling water.
The other trainer was grimacing as she witnessed the rain that was lashing down on to the Gastrodon, only to be swirling around it, getting sucked into it. It was as if a mini hurricane had surrounded the Gastrodon. Its own personal rainstorm.
"Storm Drain," Megan grinned, as the rain began pounding down harder.
Evelyn smiled back. "Nothing to worry about."
A flock of Taillow flew off the trees in alarm as the driving rain split around the two Pokémon, a resounding boom shaking off into the distance.
Swampert was glowing with energy, its two front paws dug into the ground as tendrils of light wrapped around them. As this happened, rock began crusting around the Swampert's back paws, fusing with the earth.
Megan cringed at the sight, and yelled out an order at Jello, her Gastrodon. "Use Surf!"
Anxiety contorted her face as Gastrodon summoned a tidal wave from the ground at Swampert, dust and stone erupting from its wake.
"Before it can boost itself any more…" Megan murmured to herself.
The wave crashed right through the Swampert, causing it to stagger and collapse to the ground. The rocks beneath its paws crumbled to dust, only to have more collect around them as Swampert brought himself up, shaking water off himself.
Evelyn frowned at this. Although Curse boosted her Swampert's attack power and defense, it also brought its speed down by having rocks binding it to the ground.
"Waterfall!" Evelyn called out.
Swampert began crashing towards the Gastrodon, leaving a trail of desolation as the ground began continuously wrapping itself around Swampert and shattering at the same time.
Megan yelled out a warning as the Swampert brought both its arms down at Jello. A circle of water split from around them and there was a flash of light as boulders and pieces of earth flew into the air.
The Gastrodon had been brought down into a ten foot wide crater.
oOo
Eldon slid his room card across the scanner, and entered as the door hissed open. As he walked in, a silhouette moved across the transparent white curtains, right at his balcony.
He wasn't about to let this person get away this time.
"Hey!" He called out, running across the room, waving his arms. The shadow flitted across and disappeared as quickly as Eldon had started running.
He flung open the curtains and threw open the balcony door. A howling wind struck him and rain lashed against his face.
"Stop!"
Eldon squinted his eyes and glanced up at the looming doorway above him. Grabbing onto the ledge, he hoisted himself up and surveyed his surroundings.
Everything was darkness. Pitch black. The only thing he heard was the sound of footsteps fading in the distance.
Eldon did one thing. He ran.
Fighting to keep his breathing steady and every muscle in his legs straining to keep up with his actions, Eldon called out.
"Hey! Whoever you are, stop!"
Eldon's eyes started adjusting to the darkness, but he followed his ears and kept on running. That was when he stepped into emptiness.
His scream echoed through the cave as he fell.
oOo
"Finish it off with a Waterfall!" Evelyn called out, as she tried to focus on what was happening. It had begun raining harder, and she felt as if her eyes were going blind.
But it didn't ebb her Swampert's power. The water beast had gathered the rain around his arms, an orb of water swirling around them.
He stomped forward and crashed into the crater, thrusting his arms as jets of water shot through.
The crater exploded. A wave of energy tore through, and dust jetted into the air, boulders crashing through the battlefield.
Swampert was thrown back from the sudden upsurge and he skid across the earth on his back, layers of rock forming around his hind legs.
The smoke cleared and the Gastrodon slid through, his trainer walking behind him.
"Ice Beam!" Megan yelled.
Bolts of blue-white ice energy burst from Jello's mouth and jettisoned through the rain. Deathly sharp shards of ice formed around the beam as it surged through. Nothing could stop it.
The beam was headed for the Swampert at point-blank range.
Evelyn winced as her Pokemon bellowed in pain, the beam of ice slamming into his chest, shards of ice slicing across his skin. A layer of ice formed around the Swampert's arms, and they froze over.
The Pokemon had felt its arms go numb, and he was unable to move them. Evelyn called out a warning as the Swampert roared, only to welcome a Surf attack.
The wave of water swamped over him and brought him crashing into the ground.
oOo
Eldon's heart skipped a beat and he sighed in relief as fortunately, he landed on something sturdy and large that was a short distance below him. Unfortunately, it was moving.
He looked down and discovered that he was in the trunk of a pickup truck, and looked over to the side to see the head of a pistol being pointed at him.
It took him a split second to duck down as the bullet singed past his hair. He heard the driver swear, and a Vigoroth climbed out from the window.
It smiled at him. And its fist connected with the side of his head.
The force of the blow swept him off the back of the truck, and he crashed into the concrete ground. As he slowly brought himself back up, he watched the pickup speeding off uphill.
It struck Eldon as odd, since the dormitory building wasn't that big. But he did remember a mountain beside the building.
He should have just left the scene. He should have just gone back to his room and rest.
But Eldon could care less. The man had just pointed a gun at him, and he wasn't about to let him get away with it.
"Jolt!" Eldon yelled, as his Jolteon flashed out in a red light. He started sprinting forward.
"Let's get him." Eldon muttered as Jolt dashed forward and started running alongside him.
Eldon shook his head. "Catch up to him and stop him with a Thunderbolt."
"Jolteon!" The electric dog dashed to his full speed and streaked towards the truck.
The roof overhead disappeared, and Eldon found himself high up on a mountain cliff. Rain was pounding, soaking his clothes. Thunder crackled.
At the end of the cliff, the road ended, looming above a large plain. But the truck kept on going.
Jolt shot forward and launched a lightning bolt at the car, short-circuiting the controls. The car continued moving forward, edging towards the end of the cliff. It swerved.
Eldon watched in horror as the car veered off the cliff, tumbling down. There were no screams. There were no cries of terror.
There was the sound of hissing rain as the car exploded, metal parts crashing around wildly, a ball of fire flaring up as the rain fought hard to keep it at bay.
Neither Eldon nor Jolt had noticed a shadowy shape streaking from the explosion, into the sky and through the rain.
oOo
Megan wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, the water from the rain blinding them.
She had only a single chance to finish this. Both Pokemon were on equal footing. Both were greatly weakened.
If she was going to win, she only had then to find out.
"Use Surf one more time!"
A wide wave of water gushed from Jello's mouth, and swept across the field like a tidal wave.
Megan was almost certain of victory. She was sure that it was hers. But then she saw the wall of water split apart, gathering around something that was gaining water from all around it.
Swampert crashed through the battlefield and brought an arm surrounded by a tornado of water down on the Gastrodon.
The water dissipated into the air and Jello slumped down onto the ground.
The crowed roared.
Megan walked over to her Gastrodon and returned it to his Pokeball.
"Great job," She murmured, and then walked over to Evelyn and put out a hand.
"Good match," Evelyn said, shaking the hand.
The crowed cheered even harder, and Megan waited for Harrison to announce the victor. She turned around and glanced at the commentator's podium.
Amidst the cheering, she saw something very strange.
Harrison wasn't there.