Alright guys, I finally did it. I. Made. A. Fight. It happened, and I am happy. It wasn't settled by one fucking AOE, and I am pleased. It is a short chapter, but I hope that you all enjoy it. Next chapter will be fun too, but nowhere near as action oriented. It's back to shitty slice of life for me. TT_TT
Chapter 11 – The Perfect Life
The barriers of their Psychic Pokémon barely holding, our heroes felt shock waves from each and every blast that the Geodude created shake the very foundation of their mountain. Lights flashed across the skies as the angered rocks bellowed their disapproval of the groups presence. This began to dwindle slightly as those that had not jumped to their deaths realized that those before them had not simply fainted from their internal explosions. Still other felt no remorse for those that had killed themselves already, and continued to hurl themselves into the dome of psychic shielding, Self Destructing on impact.
The forces of the wild Pokémon continued to wear themselves thinner and thinner until the few Geodude that were left were either running, or pleading for themselves to be spared the death awarded to their comrades. Graveler and Golem responded by either hurling them at the enemy trainers or smashing them on their own, granting their wish to be afforded a death that differed from those of their brethren.
The last Geodude was thrown at the group just when Zahrah's barrier crippled under her own exhaustion, but with luck and the lightning fast brain of Anabel's Alakazam, it was swiftly dealt with. Alakazam raised his spoons to the cannon volley that had been lobbed their way. His own mind melded with the form of the Geodude, they became nothing more than an extension his own person. All were completely under his control. He spun, flinging the feeble things at a Graveler. As the rubble from both of them began to rain down, it was time to go on the offensive.
Orders flew past the trainer's lips, their Pokémon following without question. First, Greta's brawlers rushed out. Hardened fists flew through stony armor as their daily kata were put to use. Lucy's were next. Her twin snakes spitting out their natural elements at the rocks before them. Anabel's Pokémon were next. Mental masters that sent wave after wave of destructive force. Finally there were the only two Pokémon that Kanta could safely use in this setting. Sakhr joined his female counterpart under Lucy's commands, letting loose blue beams that froze their targets on contact. Zahrah stayed close to the trainers, keeping them safe behind her barrier.
The battle before had been little more than just a waiting game, and as the sun crept below the horizon, their wait was over. An all out attack was waged against the remaining enemies. The air glittered with the diamond dust of the two Milotic. Boulders cracked as Golem and Graveler alike were smashed into them by Fighting and Psychic-type attacks. Acid melted away the rocks and the Pokémon that stood upon them indiscriminately.
At last, only one Pokémon stood against the group. A lone Golem that had polished itself into the shape of a wheel, its shark-like head making the only bump on an otherwise perfectly smooth surface. It directed one, sharp talon toward the Heracross that Greta had ordered to end three Graveler and two other Golem. "BUG!" It cried in a craggy voice that sounded like falling granite. "You and me. Let's go!"
The Heracross tilted his head. "I like sap... If I win will I get sap?" The innocent fighter asked of its opponent, holding his hand up to signal that fighting should cease as they spoke.
"Wha-" The Golem looked upon the bug he was about to crush. It dared to ask him for a reward in the event of his death? "You little insect..." The Golem drew in its arms and tilted its head down. He sat and began rolling in place, building up power behind its finishing move.
"Sap. Sap. Sap." The Heracross said plainly over and over again. His fellows looked on in disbelief as his out of place chant was juxtaposed against the serious sound of the Golem's body scraping against the gravel and rubble beneath him.
The Golem curled tighter and tighter every time he heard that incessant word. Sap. Sap. What the hell did sap have to do with anything. He heard it over and over, but on the tenth time, he just couldn't bear to curl any tighter.
"Heracross what are you doing?" Greta screamed. "Get out of the way!"
The Heracross tilted his head and clicked his horn with a salute. "Sap." He replied with a grin as he took his stance. The Jolly fool stood strong against his opponent, ready for anything, bracing itself for the coming onslaught.
"I'll crush you." The Golem's now warbling voice came. "ROLL OUT!" The rocky beast cried as it launched itself toward the insect that stood in his path. He would have his revenge if it was the last thing that he did.
The enemy Golem barreled toward Heracross. Heracross raised its arms and at the perfect moment to block the just enough of the damage, he brought his arms down, chopping into the wheel of rock, holding it in place, and stopping its rotation.
"My turn." Said the Heracross happily. He wrapped his arms around the Golem's body as best he could, and leaped into the air. He spun around, using the Golem's weight and his own to speed up the process. He was hurting, sure, but that just made him want to fight harder! "Reversal!" He yelled as his right arm let go of the thing he held. He sent it higher, and then kicked off of it toward the ground. He spun again, this time so that he was righted, his feet landing before his head, and turned to look at the falling rock. He jumped.
The Golem roared as he came rocketing downward, his polished surface speeding his decline. The eyes of both combatants locked as they met midair. He looked on in horror as his opponent's horn seemed to glisten even brighter than his now glowing carapace. It was now the only thing that his eyes could see. Then darkness.
Heracross shook the thing from its horn. It was dead like the rest and its blood now coated Heracross's entire body. Everything was quiet. Everyone looked around hurriedly, looking for any other possible enemies. They found only the rubble left behind by those that they had just defeated.
Tears rushed to Greta's eyes as she ran to embrace her Pokémon. Her hug was reciprocated happily, though it meant that now both of them were covered in the blood of the fallen Golem.
After a few, tear-filled minutes, when Greta began to sniffle her tears away, Kanta spoke up. "Come on, Sakhr and I will go with you guys to the ocean. At least salt will dry better than blood."
"That sounds good." Greta said, wiping her crying face with a hemoglobin covered sleeve.
"I agree." Lucy said. "Sea salt is better than sweat."
The ground began to rumble. Rocks tumbled from the heights of the mountain. The entire island shook as though some ancient god was beginning to emerge. The rumbling ceased for a moment, but only just before the thing causing it revealed itself. An enormous Steelix burst through the side of the mountain above, roaring as it knocked rocks and debris away by thrashing its head in every direction.
"Shit!" Exclaimed Lucy. "My Pokémon are useless for this one!" She yelled quickly.
"Return!" Kanta ordered, holding Sakhr's ball out, the usual red flash signifying his compliance as Lucy did the same.
"Kanta, what do we do?" Anabel asked, obviously stricken with fear.
"I don-"
"You leave it to me!" Greta replied, cutting Kanta off. She returned her Heracross, unwilling to see his death today. "Oish! Let's go! Time to shine~!" She yelled to her two remaining party members. She snapped her fingers and pointed at the gargantuan, metal wurm before them. "Bring it down! Medicham, use Focus Punch!"
"CHAM!" he replied, hardening his stance and his gaze.
"Hariyama, I need you to use Close Combat as soon as I send you out again." She decreed to her second Pokémon as she held out his ball.
"Hari!" It responded with a salute before becoming red light again.
She began to run. She was much more agile than her Hariyama, so she would need to do this first. She jumped, bounding and rebounding off of the falling rocks, making sure that her kicks sent them away from her focusing Medicham. The rocks continued to come her way, new ones falling every time the metal titan shook.
Left, then right. Straight up and then right again. The thrill of battle made her heart beat faster. She was enjoying every second of this, with a grin plastered on her face. This is what it felt like to be a super hero. She imagined a cape flowing in the wind, leaving red streaks behind her at every turn.
Her entire body moved like lightning as she scrambled up the side of a long pillar of rock. Every crack in its craggy surface acting as a ladder for the Arena Tycoon. She looked upward the entire time, waiting for the next rock in her path. Another long piece was next. It overlapped for a few feet with the one she was currently on. She wall jumped between the two quickly, rebounding off of each in turn before climbing along the higher of the two further into the sky.
It was the last one. A boulder before her that would be her ride down. She jumped to it and crawled like a spider to get to the higher side. "OISH!" She yelled as she through the ball. "CLOSE COMBAT!" Her order rang out as though she had given it through a megaphone before she allowed herself to rest on the falling rock. The Steelix looked at her with both anger and disbelief. This little human had made it up this far just to help her Pokémon. His gaze showed respect in the last moments that she held it.
Hariyama leaped out of the white hot light that he had been. His eyes locked with those of the Steelix. "I am sorry, but this is the end!" He roared as his fist collided with the Steelix's forehead for the first time. It was hard. His face was made of the same material that a Steelix was always made of, but whatever Ho-oh had done had made it even more resilient. He continued to pound away, dealing little damage to its shining surface.
"Do not be so sure of your power." The Steelix replied with a throaty chortle. "I have been tempered by the flames of the earth, hardened by her force. You are nothing compared to that."
"Maybe. But the earth is alone." Retorted Hariyama as he flipped away from the Iron Snake Pokémon. Behind where he stood, previously hidden from the Steelix's view, was a lone Medicham. He was coming right at the Steelix, his hand enveloped in the light of his energy. "I bring friends!"
"Go for it!" Yelled Greta from her rocky elevator.
"Impressive." The Steelix admitted.
Medicham's fist struck at the same point that Hariyama had focused on. They were a team. They had trained together, sweat together, and worked together for as long as either of them could remember. This was the day that it payed off.
Shock waves resounded off of the Steelix's forehead. The sound of a great gong echoing over the sea. A slight crack. A single, solitary crack showed in his armor.
"Aura Sphere!" Called out a strong, masculine voice. It was followed by a bark and the appearance of a Lucario on Greta's rock, surrounded by an aura so strong that even the members of the team could see it. His Aura flashed outward before condensing between his palms.
"Medicham, Hariyama! Get out of there!" Greta ordered, returning both of her Pokémon.
The teal, glowing ball rocketed toward the Steelix's weak point and exploded on impact. It only caused a bit more damage, but it was enough that the Steelix flinched a bit. They were dealing enough out to make him feel something, and that was quite a feat from where they stood.
The Steelix reared back and roared before letting out an Hyper Beam at the Lucario. Greta was quick to react however, and tackled the Aura Pokémon out of the way of the blast. They landed on another rock safely, but the hyper beam had blasted away their escape route, at least any that could be safely taken by Greta.
Zahrah, Anabel, Kanta, and Lucy suddenly stood beside them on their rock. Zahrah now safely levitating the rock that acted as their vessel. The entire team had a moment to smile as Alakazam materialized. They were all alright. Against all odds, they were going to win.
"Focus Blast Alakazam." Anabel ordered softly.
"Ala~" He began to beat the air with his spoons, forming his own energy into a small sphere of fighting spirit. "KAZAM!" He yelled, bashing the ball of energy toward his foe with a fore-swing that would bring tears of joy to a tennis pro's eyes. It hit, causing the crack in his armor to deepen as it did.
They hadn't been enough to kill it, but the enemy Steelix had fainted, and everyone stared, dumbfounded as an Ultra Ball flew to meet it. Everyone's eyes slowly trailed it as it signaled that the ball had made its capture, and when Lucy exclaimed happily that she had done it, it was obvious that they believed her to be insane.
The rock gently floated to the ground where Lucy ran to grab her new Pokémon. She was replaced by the trainer of the Lucario. An older teen, around the same age as Lucy and Kanta. He wore a sharp, blue blazer over a black T-shirt that was accented with some odd yellow embroidery with a pair of brown jeans.
"Hi there." He began. "My name's Riley."