"This is probably a bad idea…" Hilda said to herself as she stepped over some trash. Before she knew it, she was back in Nacrene City outside of the alley. "Where did they go?" She then saw the identified Team Plasma member exit the city in the west and gave chase.
"Well?" Hilda immediately stopped running and she and Purrloin hid behind a bush. "…Out with it then!" She peeked from the bush and noticed that there was an old man speaking to a grunt. This old man dressed similarly to Zinzolin from Wellspring Cave, but there were some differences, such as being bald with only a beard.
"We have identified that the fossil on display matches the criteria of the Legendary Dragon, Sage Gorm," the grunt spoke.
Gorm let out a 'hm'. "Come. Let's regroup and speak there." Gorm and the grunt left and when they did, Hilda and Purrloin let out the breath they were holding in. They looked at each other and nodded before following quietly. Soon they were in a forest and Hilda's eyes widened at the sight.
At least 20 Team Plasma members were lined up in front of Gorm, all saluting him. "Fellow members of Team Plasma. It is time we claim the skull of the Legendary Pokémon Reshiram!"
A loud synchronized shout filled the forest as the grunts cheered before splitting into groups to talk. Hilda looked at Purrloin and thought about the situation.
"If I remember right, Ash and Cheren dealt with the grunts with ease at Wellspring Cave. The leader was strong, but Cheren still beat him. If only I was training instead of lying in bed all day!" Hilda clenched her fists, looking outside her hiding spot at the Team Plasma grunts. "Am I going to be powerless again? Am I going to fail to protect something again? What good am I if I can't even protect myself?"
Hilda felt something soft against her side and saw Purrloin rubbing her head against her. Hilda smiled slightly before rubbing Purrloin's head. "Thank you. I was being a bit pessimistic, huh? That isn't like me. I'm bold and strong. I'm not going to falter. Not again. It was my hesitance that made me weak, I'm sure of it!" Hilda pulled out her Pokedex and stared at it.
"Remember Hilda, your Pokedex is more than just a tool. It's your identity, and your friend. If you need help or information, use it."
Hilda nodded as she recalled Cheren's words at the hospital. "Without Ash to give me advice, I'll have to rely on this. I guess I haven't been utilizing it enough. That's probably why Cheren is so strong." Hilda looked back at the Team Plasma members, wondering how to deal with all of them. "Maybe I should draw them away, one at a time? I don't have much time left though…"
Hilda sent out Pansear and Lillipup to help her with her plan. "Ready? Let's do this." Hilda quietly moved through the bushes, making rustling noises.
"What was that?" One of the Plasma grunts asked, looking in Hilda's direction.
"Probably one of the forest Pokémon," another grunt answered.
"Oh, yeah. You're probably right." With that, the grunts didn't move from their position. Hilda grumbled at her failure but then heard Gorm speak.
"In the deepest parts of this forest, there's another Legendary Pokémon here," Gorm said, reading a book. This got everyone's attention, even Hilda's. Gorm continued. "However, it has hidden itself and will not reveal itself so easily. So I say we lure and capture the Legendary Pokemon and increase our ranks and faith with the king."
The members cheered even more. "How would we lure it out?" One grunt asked.
Gorm smirked. "With the element of surprise. This Pokémon in particular is known for protecting other Pokémon. I wonder what exactly will happen if a forest fire were to take place? Surely it wouldn't leave so many forest Pokémon defenceless."
"Exactly what I meant. They are all probably at the bottom of the lake, no more air to breathe."
Hilda shuddered at the tone, a tone she heard similar to Zinzolin's back at Wellspring Cave. She then looked at the group in anger. She grew even more furious when the grunts cheered.
"That's brilliant Sage Gorm! The forest Pokémon are all weak to fire!"
Gorm nodded. "So is this particular legendary Pokémon. It may even get weakened because of the fire."
Cheers erupted again and Hilda did everything she could to make sure she wouldn't give herself away by shouting. Her Pokémon calmed her down and she let out a quiet breath. "Just what is Team Plasma's goal? They want people to release their Pokémon for the Pokémon's sake but have no problem killing innocent wild Pokémon?" Hilda shook her head. "I shouldn't think about it right now. I need to somehow stop them."
"Um, Sage Gorm?" A grunt suddenly asked, getting Hilda's attention. "Do any one of us actually have a Fire Type Pokémon?"
There was a silence and Gorm closed his eyes. "No…but Fire Types aren't the only Pokémon capable of creating fires. Leave that part to me. When the time comes, I will entrust you to retrieve the skull."
"He's serious…How can anyone be that cruel?" Hilda whispered before shaking her head. "Now's not the time to think about that."
"Hey, think we can find a wild Pansear and help Sage Gorm out?" One grunt asked.
"Maybe. They're pretty rare in this area," another responded.
Hilda took note of that and headed deeper in the forest with her three Pokémon following. She kept going until she came to a small clearing. "This is big enough for a battle. Pansear, go to that area and try to lure over some of those Team Plasma grunts." Pansear nodded and jumped up a tree and hopped away.
Hilda waited in anticipation. She was startled when Lillipup barked suddenly. "Huh?" Hilda looked at her hand which was trembling. Lillipup and Purrloin looked at her concerned. Hilda rubbed her hand and smiled at them. "Don't worry. I'm just scared that if I fail, so many Pokémon will pay. We mustn't let that happen!" The two Pokémon cheered and in just a few minutes some Team Plasma grunts appeared. Three in total.
Hilda took a deep breath and grew a cocky smirk as she stared at the three Plasma grunts. "What the? What's some girl doing here?"
"Is that Pansear yours, girl? Why don't you be obedient and hand it over?" One grunt asked, but was wary of Hilda's smirk.
"Not on your life!" At that, Lillipup moved in front of Hilda and started to growl.
One of the female Plasma grunts laughed and stepped forward. "How cute. Guess we'll have to liberate your Pokémon by force." Tossing a Pokeball, a Purrloin appeared.
"If you think you can beat me, then you've got another thing coming!" Hilda claimed before shouting a command. "Lillipup, Headbutt!" Lillipup charged straight towards Purrloin and hit it directly.
"Tch, annoying pup! Fury Swipes!" The Purrloin got up from the attack and readied its claws before running straight at Lillipup.
"Easy! Just keep dodging left to right!" Hilda called. Having trained Purrloin for a bit, she learned that the regular Purrloin attack with their claws in a pattern. They start with a left slash then a right and repeat. Seeing an opening, Hilda called "Headbutt!" Lillipup delivered another Headbutt, this time sending Purrloin flying into a tree, knocking it unconscious.
"You've got to be kidding me!" The grunt exclaimed before recalling her Purrloin.
"Yeah, you lost to this brat. That's pretty sad," one of the male grunts said, stepping forward. "I'm not like her, so be ready!" He tossed a Pokeball and out appeared a Sandile.
Hilda quickly pulled out her Pokedex to confirm Sandile's type, which was Ground and Dark. Hilda tossed a Pokeball into the air and her trusty starter appeared. "I don't have time for this, Oshawott Water Gun!"
"We're not going to stand there and take it! Dig!" Oshawott fired a stream of water but Sandile quickly dug underground, avoiding the Water Gun.
"If you think cheap tricks like that will work on me, you've got another thing coming," Hilda said, raising her head slightly. "The ground!" Oshawott fired a Water Gun at the ground and projected itself into the air. When Sandile appeared from underground, Oshawott was above it with her scalchop in hand and glowing. Delivering a quick slice with Razor Shell, Oshawott knocked out Sandile in one attack.
"W-What the!? Who is this girl!?" The grunt exclaimed, returning his Pokémon.
"Oshawott is confident in you, so be confident in Oshawott."
"A confident girl, that's who," Hilda stated as the third grunt stepped forward.
"No more games," the third grunt sent out a small red and green bug Pokémon. Hilda pulled out her Pokedex.
Venipede. The Centipede Pokémon. Venipede is a Bug and Poison Type Pokémon. It discovers what is going on around it by using the feelers on its head and tail. It is brutally aggressive.
"Yikes…I mean, bring it!" Hilda returned Oshawott and turned to Pansear. Pansear jumped in front of Hilda and let out a breath of fire.
"You asked for it. Rollout." The Venipede curled up and started to roll at a fast speed towards Pansear.
"Avoid it by dodging!" Pansear jumped into the air and grabbed a tree branch, avoiding the Rollout. Hilda would have called out a Fire attack but didn't want to risk missing and starting the fire herself. "Acrobatics!" Pansear jumped down and delivered a quick strike to Venipede, sending it flying.
"Tch, Poison Tail!" The Venipede rushed at Pansear quickly and delivered a smack with its glowing, purple tail. Pansear was knocked back and fell to one knee.
"Pansear!" Hilda shouted, noticing something was wrong. Pansear was panting hard as he stood up and Hilda could see a purple coloured aura around him flickering before disappearing. "Ash isn't here…The Pokedex!" Hilda pulled out her Pokedex to hopefully see the problem.
Poison. Poison is a status ailment. If poisoned, a Pokémon steadily loses HP when battling. The poison lingers after the battle. To cure it, use an Antidote or Pecha Berry.
"P-poisoned!?" Hilda put away her Pokedex and looked worried at her Pansear. "Pansear…can you still fight?"
Pansear nodded but Hilda was still worried. "You aren't just saying that, right?" Pansear turned towards her and Hilda was surprised at his expression. For the first time Pansear looked at Hilda with a determined expression. Hilda closed her eyes and sighed. She opened her eyes and smirked. "If this is what you want, then who am I to refuse? Acrobatics!"
Pansear moved quickly and struck the Venipede once again, the super effective attack knocking it out. "Tch! I'm not done yet!" The grunt returned Venipede and sent out a Sandile. "Dig!" Sandile immediately dug underground.
"Up the tree!" Hilda called and Pansear quickly climbed up a nearby thin tree, gaining a clear view of the area, before wincing as the poison took effect.
The grunt however wasn't worried. "Destroy that tree." The ground started shaking and Hilda's eyes widened as the tree started to fall.
"Pansear get down from there!" Pansear jumped down and Hilda saw a nest of Pidove. "Purrloin!" Hilda shouted and in a blink of an eye, Purrloin had managed to grab the nest and placed it on the ground. Hilda let out a sigh of relief before glaring at the grunt.
The grunt just shrugged. "What? You used the environment to our advantage, why can't I? Sandile. Sand Tomb." Sandile appeared and shot a sand-tornado straight at Pansear.
Hilda shook her head and glared. "Pansear, dodge and use Scratch!" Pansear cartwheeled to the side, avoiding the Sand Tomb and slashed at Sandile's face.
"Bite that monkey!" Sandile opened its mouth, ready to bite Pansear with its sharp teeth.
"Your head!" Hilda shouted. Pansear crouched and Sandile bit Pansear's tuft, which after a second glowed and Sandile let go, unable to stand the extremely hot tuft. "Flame Burst!" Using the opening, Pansear fired a bursting flame directly at Sandile, knocking it out.
Hilda grinned as the grunts stared wide-eyed, returning Sandile. She took a step forward and they took a step back. "Leave this forest and don't come back!" The grunts immediately ran away, presumably to tell the other members what happened.
Hilda let out a huge breath and hugged Pansear, who was now struggling to stand. "You were great Pansear! We need to get you treated. Antidote or a Pecha berry, huh?" Hilda pulled out her Pokedex. There she saw what a Pecha berry looks like. She showed the image to Purrloin and Lillipup. "Can you two keep an eye out for this?" With two nods, Hilda picked up Pansear and was about to run off when a sudden loud cry stopped her.
Turning around, Hilda's eyes widened as a Tranquill was in front of the Pidove nest, glaring at her. "Uh-oh…Um…will you please listen to me?"
In response, Tranquill let out an angry cry, making Hilda take a step back. Purrloin and Lillipup immediately ran up to the Tranquill to try and talk to it. After a minute of Pokémon talk, the Tranquill merely glared and grabbed the Pidove nest with its talons and flew off. "I'm sorry for what happened!" Hilda shouted until Tranquill disappeared into the treetops.
"Those Team Plasma guys suck," Hilda said, clenching her fists before looking at her two Pokémon. "Thanks you two. Come on, let's go and get out of this area and cure Pansear!" They rushed out of the area and a few moments later ten Team Plasma grunts appeared.
"…Huh? There's no one here," one of the grunts who lost to Hilda said.
"Tch, you were probably hallucinating or something. Way to go," one of the new grunts shook his head.
"There was a girl here! She had some pretty tough Pokémon too…"
"Oh please, we were all standing in the intersection between Nacrene City and the Skyarrow Bridge. No one could have gotten past us."
"Listen, we fought a girl here. And lost. If we don't do something, this could mean trouble!"
"…Fine. Going after some skull is pretty boring anyways. Let's search for this girl." Two of the Team Plasma grunts looked at each other and nodded before following the other grunts.
Hilda had just found a Pecha berry and took a piece and gave it to Pansear who ate it slowly. Seeing nothing change, she gave him another piece. Lillipup and Purrloin were standing on guard and also chatting with a Petilil. Soon the entire berry in her hand was gone and Pansear was feeling much better.
"Are you all right Pansear?" Hilda asked. In response, Pansear jumped out of Hilda's arms and nodded, patting his chest. Hilda laughed. "That's good. Especially since we'll be having company, you're going to need to be in tip-top shape!" Hilda used a Super Potion on Pansear and stood up. The Petilil which Lillipup and Purrloin were talking to ran away and the two Pokémon were on guard. There were sounds of voices in the distance.
"Come on guys, we need to find another clearing," Hilda said before running off with her Pokémon following close behind. Another clearing they found, this time near a river. "At least there are some Water Pokémon around here, in case that fire does happen."
"There she is!" Hilda turned around and saw the group of grunts heading her way.
"Wow, they weren't being crazy," one of the new grunts said. "She's just a kid! Are you guys really that incompetent!?"
The three grunts looked down in shame while the other new grunt squinted. "A kid causing trouble? Didn't Sage Gorm mention something about that?"
"Doesn't matter. Go Trubbish," the first new grunt threw their Pokeball and out appeared what seemed to be a garbage bag. Hilda immediately clasped a hand over her face while the other grunts pulled up their outfits.
"Ugh, what is that!? When did you last wash it!?" Lillipup, Purrloin, and Pansear weren't doing much better and struggled against the stench.
The grunt who sent the Trubbish out simply laughed. "Trubbish is known for spewing different types of gas, whether it be Sleeping Gas or Poison Gas! But my Trubbish is special, I've been able to coat it in a terrible stench that paralyzes opponents!" While he was talking, Hilda pulled out her Pokedex.
Trubbish. The Trash Bag Pokémon. It is a Poison Type Pokémon. Inhaling the gas they belch will make you sleep for a week. They prefer unsanitary places.
"Ugh," Hilda returned her three Pokémon to spare them and thought over her choices. "Roggenrola!" Out appeared her rock partner. Again, Hilda wasn't sure about the biology of a Roggenrola but from what she can tell, Roggenrola didn't have a nose.
"Was not expecting that. Trubbish, Poison Gas!" Trubbish belched and sent a Poison Gas straight towards Roggenrola.
While Roggenrola seemed to not smell, as it didn't react to Trubbish, Hilda wasn't going to take any chances that a Roggenrola can't be poisoned. "Mud Slap!" Roggenrola quickly used Mud Slap to counter the Poison Gas then ran straight towards Trubbish. "Now Headbutt!" Roggenrola hit Trubbish directly, sending it flying back.
"Get up and use Doubleslap!" Trubbish ran towards Roggenrola and started slapping it. Hilda was confused and she pulled out her Pokedex to confirm.
"Rock types are resistant to normal attacks, so what's his plan? No matter, Rock Blast!" However Roggenrola didn't move and instead was leaning down, appearing to be tired. "Roggenrola!? What's wrong?"
The grunt laughed. "Trubbish's ability, Stench. If Trubbish deals a physical attack, the opponent may be unable to move!"
"But for that to work…" Hilda's eyes widened. "Roggenrola! You can smell!? Then why did you insist on fighting close!?"
Roggenrola turned to her and while it was impossible to tell, Hilda could tell that it had a determined yet happy expression. Hilda gave out a sigh and smiled. "Thank you Roggenrola."
"If you're done, Acid Spray!" Trubbish fired a fluid that hit Roggenrola. Seeing nothing visual happen, Hilda pulled out her Pokedex.
Acid Spray. The user spits fluid that works to melt the target. This harshly reduces the target's Sp. Def stat.
"Special Defence?"
"Now Sludge!" Trubbish this time hurled Sludge which sent Roggenrola flying back much to Hilda's surprise.
"Roggenrola!" Hilda shouted as Roggenrola stood back up. "We'll just finish this with consecutive attacks! Rock Blast!" Roggenrola's core glowed before shooting a glowing rock, hitting Trubbish directly. Two more were shot and Trubbish was sent flying.
"This is getting ridiculous! Help me out here!" The grunt said to his partner, who rolled her eyes but sent out her Lillipup.
"Two on one? That's not fair!" Hilda then noticed that their Lillipup was unaffected by the stench. "Is this stench selective or something?"
"Take Down!"
"Sludge!"
"Uh, Iron Defense!" Roggenrola glowed before turning into metal. Lillipup ended up hurting itself more but the Sludge still got through and dealt major damage. "I don't think Roggenrola can take another Sludge, but none of my other Pokémon can handle the stench…I got it!"
"Well you're useless, Trubbish. Sludge again."
"Excuse you. Who just cried for help? Lillipup, Work Up then Take Down."
Hilda quickly released her own Lillipup. "Dig! Roggenrola, dodge!" As soon as he came out of his Pokeball, Lillipup dug underground. Hilda looked back to Roggenrola and saw it dodge the Sludge and the opponent's Lillipup heading their way. "Rock Blast!" Firing five Rock Blasts, Lillipup was knocked out immediately.
"Really? You lost already?" Trubbish's trainer said.
The other grunt returned Lillipup. "You lost too."
"Huh?"
Hilda's Lillipup appeared from underground and struck Trubbish, landing the super effective attack and defeating it. Hilda was about to cheer when Lillipup started glowing. All the trainers watched in amazement as Lillipup changed form, growing much bigger. Hilda squealed at the sight of her new Herdier and ran up to him. "Congrats Herdier!"
They quickly remembered their audience and glared at them. "Not so tough without your leader, huh?"
The grunts immediately ran at the glare and Hilda was slowly getting more confident. She turned to Roggenrola and picked him up. "Thanks for your hard work." Hilda grabbed a Super Potion from her bag and healed up Roggenrola. She looked back at her other Pokémon. "I don't think we can take them all on. Soon I'll be out of potions and then we'll be in trouble. Maybe I was getting in over my head…"
Hilda sent out Pansear once again for lookout and started walking. "Maybe…maybe I can find that legendary Pokémon before Team Plasma do!" With a new objective, Hilda headed deeper into the forest. "I wonder what kind of Pokémon it is…Will it be anything like Zekrom? …Nah a Pokémon that big can't possibly be in this forest. What did those grunts say? All the forest Pokémon are weak to fire? So could this legendary Pokémon be weak to fire as well? Then it has to be..."
Pulling out her Pokedex, Hilda checked the types. Grass, Bug, and Steel were all weak to Fire. Hilda nodded, it doesn't make sense for a Steel Type to be here so it had to be a Grass or Bug Type. If she wanted to capture it, then she'll have to weaken it. Hilda glanced at Pansear. Pansear was slowly but surely opening his heart to her and is growing stronger as a result.
Hilda clenched her fists. "I've learned a lot in the short time I've been travelling, and I now know for a fact that Team Plasma is wrong. Pokémon and humans coexist alongside each other, helping each other. That is the truth, nothing more, nothing less."
That is a fascinating truth.
Hilda's eyes widened and she stopped in place, her Pokémon on guard. She could feel a heated stare on her back.
Let's put that resolution to the test.
Hilda turned around and saw a green antelope-like Pokémon. It had two horns, each extending from the side of its head and ending in a curl. It walked on four legs, its hind legs coloured white along with its face. The Pokémon raised its hooves then slammed them into the ground. Leaves appeared and headed straight towards Hilda.
Hilda didn't say anything as Pansear fired Flame Bursts and Roggenrola fired Rock Blasts. The leaves were now gone and Hilda pulled out her Pokedex.
Virizion. The Grassland Pokémon. Virizion is a Grass and Fighting Type Pokémon. Its head sprouts horns as sharp as blades. Using whirlwind-like movements, it confounds and swiftly cuts opponents.
Hilda pocketed her Pokedex and used the opportunity given by her Pokémon. "Herdier, Take Down!" Herdier immediately made a dash towards Virizion. As soon as Herdier got near, Virizion leapt into the sky at an incredible speed of which Hilda could only stare in awe.
Virizion sent leaves flying straight at Hilda again, which Pansear and Roggenrola countered once again. Hilda quickly used her Pokedex to find out the attack was Magical Leaf. "Roggenrola, Rock Blast!" Roggenrola fired five Rock Blasts straight at Virizion, each one Virizion managed to dodge. "I have to counter its speed…Acrobatics!" Pansear jumped and with swift movement tried to strike Virizion, but again Virizion dodged.
This time Virizion charged straight at Pansear, its hind legs glowing. "Pansear, get out of there!" Pansear cartwheeled away as Virizion struck the ground with a devastating Double Kick, resulting in small craters. Hilda decided to use the opening for an attack. "Flame Burst!" Pansear used Flame Burst which hit Virizion but it didn't appear to have seriously damaged it.
"It must be really strong. So this is the power of a Legendary Pokémon…Herdier, Work Up! Pansear, Acrobatics! Roggenrola, Rock Blast!" Her Pokémon did just that, Pansear being able to get Virizion to move away into a direction for Roggenrola to land four solid Rock Blasts.
"Now Herdier, Take Down!" Herdier charged at Virizion again, who used Magical Leaf this time. "Flame Burst!" Pansear countered the Magical Leaf with Flame Burst, giving Herdier an opening to land the powered up Take Down.
Virizion then glowed and suddenly green, glowing whip-like brambles appeared from its side and grabbed Herdier. Hilda didn't need Ash to tell her that this was bad. "Rock Blast! Flame Burst!" Her two other Pokémon fired the attacks and broke the green whips. Hilda checked her Pokedex and learned of the move Giga Drain.
"Recovers its health!? I need to make sure it never gets to pull it off." Hilda looked back at Virizion who ran towards Roggenrola, its hooves glowing. "Why do I feel like…Virizion isn't even fighting at its full strength? Ah, Iron Defense!" Hilda quickly called out, knowing Roggenrola wouldn't be able to dodge the attack.
Roggenrola steeled itself for the two kicks but even then, Roggenrola was sent flying into a tree, barely conscious thanks to its ability. Hilda glared at Virizion. "Rock Blast!" Roggenrola fired some more Rock Blasts at Virizion who used Magical Leaf to counter. "Crunch, Herdier!"
While Dark Type moves aren't effective on Fighting Types, Virizion was still flesh and getting bitten by sharp teeth usually hurts. Hilda hoped that Virizion would be affected for at least one second.
Of course, Herdier needed to land the hit, which was difficult as Virizion jumped away and used Magical Leaf again. "This is getting old!" Hilda said as Roggenrola fired Rock Blast again and Herdier once again ran towards Virizion. Hilda decided to look at Virizion's feet and noticed by the way Virizion shifted it was about to dash to its left. "Flame Burst to our right Pansear!"
Following Hilda's instructions, Pansear managed to hit Virizion's side, stunning it and allowing Herdier to use Crunch on its legs. "Don't let go Herdier!" Herdier only bit harder as Virizion winced and tried to get Herdier off. Virizion even slammed Herdier and its leg into a tree but to no avail. "Acrobatics!" Pansear ran up and did a cartwheel jump into the air before delivering a strike to the struggling Virizion, knocking it down.
Not letting up, Hilda called out attacks. "Rock Blast! Flame Burst! Take Down!" The three used their attacks and an explosion followed. Hilda immediately grabbed a Pokeball from her bag and pushed the button. She pulled her arm back and threw it straight at Virizion, who was then sucked into the Pokeball.
1 Shake and Hilda was trembling.
2 Shakes and Hilda glared at it.
And it broke free. Virizion seemed to no longer be playing around, as now its forehead started to glow and Hilda could tell this was bad news. "Stop it Pansear, Flame Burst!" Pansear shot the Flame Burst straight at Virizion, who with a quick swipe dispelled the attack and now there was a large, sharp blade extending from its head upwards, almost like a sword.
Virizion charged and delivered a quick slice, sending Herdier flying and knocked out. "The tree Pansear!" Hilda called out as Virizion headed towards Pansear. Using this distraction, Hilda returned Herdier and sent out Purrloin. "Assist, Purrloin! Pansear, jump on its face!"
Purrloin used Assist and started to glow, using Herdier's Work Up. Pansear jumped down from a tree branch and landed on Virizion's face. "Scratch!" Pansear begun to deliver a consecutive number of Scratches, learning Fury Swipes.
Virizion cried out as its sword was unable to hit the monkey on its head. Virizion used Giga Drain, planning on grabbing Pansear and tossing it.
Hilda noticed this and quickly called out. "Rock Blast, Roggenrola! Get up close Purrloin and Fury Swipes its legs!" Hilda planned to make Virizion completely immobile. Right now she had it trapped, and it was still feeling the effects from the Crunch as Herdier's teeth marks were still fresh on its skin.
Roggenrola destroyed the green, glowing vines from the Giga Drain and Purrloin managed to deliver a few slashes at Virizion's legs. Virizion cried out and charged at a tree.
Hilda's eyes widened. "Jump Pansear!" Pansear jumped from Virizion's face onto a nearby tree branch. Virizion stopped charging and turned around, sword still raised high. One leap and all of a sudden Hilda and her Pokémon were blown back by the sudden Whirlwind.
"Purrloin, Sand Attack!" Purrloin tossed some sand at the Whirlwind but it didn't do anything as the winds were too strong. Hilda saw Virizion heading straight to Roggenrola. "Roggenrola!"
Hilda watched as with a whip of its head, Virizion slashed at Roggenrola, sending it flying again. But Hilda noticed something and that was Virizion now had mud on its face. Hilda turned to Roggenrola and quickly returned him. "A last second Mud Slap…thank you Roggenrola." Hilda watched carefully as Virizion struggled to walk and stand straight. "I need to bring it down again. Purrloin, Assist! Pansear, Acrobatics!"
Purrloin's paws glowed before a jet of water appeared and sprayed Virizion, unfortunately getting rid of the mud. Hilda almost cursed at her luck before Pansear managed to strike Virizion again with a seemingly more powerful Acrobatics, knocking it down again. Hilda grinned and tossed another Pokeball.
It was three shakes before Virizion broke free again, though this time it was much more exhausted. Virizion clearly underestimated Hilda and as a result took a lot more damage than it expected.
Hilda looked at her two Pokémon, and Purrloin looked ready to fight Pansear was really worn out even though he didn't show it.
Hilda was surprised when Virizion collapsed on the ground, kneeling and it sword disappearing. Hilda stared in shock before smiling. She turned to Pansear and returned him. "You were amazing. Thank you." She looked at Purrloin and nodded before walking to Virizion. Hilda gripped her empty Pokeball but was hesitant.
You have the opportunity to seize me.
Hilda blinked at the sudden voice and turned her head but the only ones around were her Purrloin and Virizion before she realized it was Virizion. She decided not to question it and respond.
"Yes, but I can tell you don't want to be caught. Besides, I heard you protect the Pokémon here. If you were gone, then who would do that?" Hilda looked at the Pokeball in her hand, still thinking about what she should do. She then went through her bag and frowned, realizing she had just one regular Potion left. No doubt it would be of little effect on a Pokémon as strong as Virizion.
Interesting. Your resolve, it's strong. Admirable, for a human.
"Uh, thanks." Hilda scratched the back of her head and took off her cap. Hilda was about to open her mouth again when all of a sudden she and Virizion were surrounded by a ring of fire. Hilda jumped and Virizion stood up. Hilda put her hat back on and adjusted it. "What the!?" Hilda looked up and saw smoke fill the sky. She looked back down when someone spoke.
"I must thank you." Hilda's eyes widened at the familiar voice she heard minutes ago. From the flames a familiar old man appeared. "Not only were you able to draw out the Legendary Pokémon Virizion, you even managed to weaken it despite your trainer rank."
"Team Plasma Sage Gorm!" Hilda clenched her fists and Purrloin readied her claws.
"I wonder if Zinzolin was incorrect about his assessment. After all, you have plenty of potential yourself." Gorm stroked his mustache. "No matter. Any potential must be eliminated. Cofagrigus." Behind Gorm a coffin appeared. A coffin with four shadowy arms extending from its back and two glowing, red eyes. Hilda pulled out her Pokedex.
Cofagrigus. The Coffin Pokémon and the evolved form of Yamask. Cofagrigus is a Ghost Type Pokémon. They pretend to be elaborate coffins to teach lessons to grave robbers. Their bodies are covered in pure gold.
"I have seen you fight, you do not stand a chance against me, Shadow Ball," Gorm said as Cofagrigus created a ball of dark energy and fired it at the three.
"Dodge Purrloin, then Pursuit!" Hilda called out before realizing she was going to be hit. She suddenly felt Virizion bite the back of her shirt and leapt away with her, saving her from the attack. Purrloin was able to quickly dodge the attack and strike Cofagrigus, dealing moderate damage.
Virizion stepped in front of Hilda and glared menacingly at Gorm who didn't seem affected. Purrloin then stepped in front of Virizion, who stared in surprise and turned to Hilda who had a Potion in her hand.
Hilda sprayed the Potion on Virizion and patted Virizion's side before giving it a determined look. "We'll deal with him. You need to go save the forest Pokémon." Virizion didn't hesitate and nodded before taking a leap and creating a whirlwind which dispelled the flames before disappearing into the forest.
Gorm raised a brow. "Normally I'd follow, but you won't leave me, would you?" Hilda shook her head and Gorm sighed. "Troublesome. So you survived a cold swim, let's see you survive a hot oven. Will-o-wisp." Cofagrigus shot several bluish-white flames at the surrounding area, lighting the forest back on fire and surrounding them in a ring of fire once again.
Hilda adjusted her cap and glared at Gorm, sweat trickling down her face. "I won't falter, I will survive this 'hot oven.' The question is, will you survive my fury?" As Hilda said that, Purrloin dealt an incredibly powerful slash at Cofagrigus, being Assurance.
Gorm furrowed his brow. "What are you? Do you not only have one Gym Badge? This…Cofagrigus, Disable." Cofagrigus's eyes glowed and then Purrloin glowed. Hilda's Pokedex told her exactly what Disable did, though it wasn't hard to guess. "Now Night Shade!"
Once again Cofagrigus's eyes glowed and a ghostly monster appeared in front of Purrloin and then swiped its claw, hitting Purrloin. Hilda checked her Pokedex which detailed the attack. "Purrloin, it was nothing but a mirage! Counterattack with Pursuit!" Purrloin slashed and struck Cofagrigus again, the effects of the attacks showing.
"Will-o-wisp." Cofagrigus shot the bluish-white flames at Purrloin, landing hits but not doing any damage.
"Huh?" Hilda asked as she used her Pokedex again.
"You are awfully reliant on that tool. I'll save you the trouble, Will-o-wisp doesn't deal damage but instead burns the opponent. This is especially devastating on a Pokémon who like to deal quick strikes. It's even worse when you're up against a Pokémon like my Cofagrigus. Hex."
Cofagrigus created a dark energy ball with that had an eye in the center and threw it straight at Purrloin. "Dodge it!" Purrloin leapt out of the way and used Pursuit again. Purrloin was then engulfed in flames. "Purrloin!"
"Burn makes you take damage over time, just like Poison. Hex again." Once again, Cofagrigus generated the dark ball of energy and shot it at Purrloin, dealing massive damage and sending it flying. Hilda quickly caught Purrloin in her arms before Purrloin flew into the flames. "I watched you fight Virizion. I know your Pokémon well. You don't have anything that can face me."
Hilda returned Purrloin and glared at Gorm. "I have one more Pokémon." Hilda sent out Oshawott who gripped her scalchop. "Water Gun!" Oshawott immediately used Water Gun, though Cofagrigus quickly dodged. The Water Gun ended up hitting the flames and dousing it.
"Are you going to battle me, or put out the fire? Will-o-wisp."
"I'll do both and one better, defeating you! Water Gun!" Oshawott countered the incoming flames with Water Gun and started to run towards Cofagrigus. "Now, Razor Shell!" Oshawott leapt in the air and delivered a slash with Razor Shell.
"Shadow Ball, we won't lose to this peasant!"
"Peasant!? I'll show you, Razor Shell!" Oshawott sliced through the Shadow Ball and was going to strike Cofagrigus again but was grabbed by its arms. "Oshawott!"
"The hierarchy of old, while forgotten, was effective. Much more effective than it is now. Now trainers have the belief they can do whatever they want, disregarding the safety of Pokémon. We, Team Plasma, aim to fix that and if not a peasant, then you are an enemy that must be eliminated. Will-o-wisp."
"What's with you guys? Talking about saving Pokémon…then explain Wellspring Cave! Or this fire!" Hilda shouted. Oshawott picked up on Hilda's emotions and blasted Cofagrigus with a close-up Water Gun, breaking free from its grasp.
"Sacrifices must be made for the greater good. Wellspring Cave however, is a different novelty entirely. One day you'll understand, should you survive today. Disable."
Once again Cofagrigus's eyes glowed and Oshawott followed, her Water Gun disabled. "Shoot, Razor Shell!"
"Now you are stuck with close combat, Will-o-wisp."
"Destroy those flames!" Oshawott, using Razor Shell, cut each flame dispelling the attack and jumped again to slash at Cofagrigus, who was able to quickly float up and avoid the attack. It tried to grab Oshawott again but Oshawott kept its distance with Razor Shell.
I still have Pansear but…he's really tired. Oshawott can do this, I know it.
Right before Hilda gave a command, a scream filled the air. Hilda whipped her head in the direction it came from. "Virizion!?" Hilda exclaimed, the cry sounding similar to Virizion's telepathic voice.
"Never take your eyes off the battle." Hilda turned around and saw Oshawott get hit by Will-o-wisp. "Looks like I didn't need to follow. My subjects managed to claim the Legendary Pokémon, all thanks to your efforts."
Hilda clenched her fists. "There you go again with that talk, 'subjects.' I don't understand your motives, but there's no way you're doing this for the Pokémon! I'll save Virizion, after I defeat you!"
"…Grab it."
"Razor Shell!" Oshawott did another slash with its scalchop but was unable to deflect the hands as her Razor Shell was weakened considerably. Cofagrigus grabbed Oshawott
"Hex." At a close range, Cofagrigus generated the dark energy with the eye and tossed Oshawott in the air. It fired the attack, hitting Oshawott who was sent flying to the side into the flames. "May your Oshawott rest in peace. You on the other hand…"
"Wha-!?" Cofagrigus's arms wrapped around Hilda's neck and pulled her up into the air.
"I will eliminate you now before you become a thorn in our side." Hilda's eyes widened as Cofagrigus opened its coffin, revealing nothing but black, empty space.
"Why…why are you doing this? What will you gain from separating Pokémon from humans? Killing them even!" Gorm raised a brow and watched as Hilda tugged on Cofagrigus's shadow hands.
Gorm turned around and put his hands behind his back. "Humans refuse to listen. So we must show them the results of their action to trap and use Pokémon."
"Then this…!"
"Was a set up. And with the right evidence, we can trick the region into believing this fire was their fault. The blame will then fall on the Pokémon League."
"I took a huge risk, and I think it paid off."
"What?" Gorm turned around before watching as his Cofagrigus was shot by a torrent of water, dropping Hilda on the ground.
"Ow," Hilda groaned as he stood back up, rubbing her neck. She turned to the side and saw her Oshawott standing proud with steam coming out of its body. "I knew you wouldn't let me down Oshawott!"
Gorm was at a loss for words. "I was tricked? Night Shade!" Before Cofagrigus used the attack, it was engulfed in flames and took damage. "Burned? But…Ah!"
Hilda was also confused, and pulled out her Pokedex to find out Oshawott had learned Scald, a Water Type move capable of burning the opponent. "All right, with a ranged attack, we can finish this! Scald!" Oshawott shot the blast of boiling water at Cofagrigus again, dealing much more damage than Water Gun.
"This makes me so mad." Gorm put a hand to his head as he watched Oshawott attack Cofagrigus relentlessly, allowing no chance for a command. "I won't forget this. Regardless, the mission should have succeeded, we should have gotten the Dragon Skull and the Legendary Pokémon. I will take my leave."
Cofagrigus disappeared into its Pokeball suddenly, surprising Hilda. "Wait!" Hilda and Oshawott ran forward but Gorm disappeared into thin air. "He's gone."
Hilda wiped her forehead and looked at Oshawott. "You were amazing. Let's hurry and find Virizion. Scald!"
Oshawott immediately fired Scald to put out the fires around them. When Hilda was certain the fire in the area was put out, she and Oshawott ran off in the direction of Virizion's cry.
Wow time flies. Felt like only last month I updated…speaking of which, a year has passed since I created this story…Damn.
Reasons for delay: School, exams, extracurricular activities, and I finally caught every single Pokémon in Pokémon Y. My Pokedex is complete for the first time since Diamond. It wasn't worth it though and I only had about 50 Pokémon left. But the main reason for the long wait was school and exams.
Honouring Pansear for the fact that Simisear came dead last in that poll in Japan! ...Not really this was just some big coincidence haha. Sorry this took so long, exams and stuff but once I got down to it, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Let me know what you guys thought about it. Did I make Hilda too skilled? Or is she at the right balance between a video game protagonist and an anime protagonist?
I'm trying to listen to you guys while keeping this as realistic as possible, character wise and following my own desires. I'll have Ash bring back Pokémon for training purposes, like Buizel to help Oshawott with Aqua Jet for example. Just don't expect that too much. And Pikachu I guess I did give him the anime treatment huh? I'll fix that.
Thank you for reading!
Here are my replies to reviews!
Cottonmouth25: Haha, Trip sucks I agree. Hopefully I can make him better. Thank you very much!
Werewingwolfxx: He'd probably just say they "don't count" 'cause they're from the boonies, even if they weren't. That or Trip wouldn't believe him.
Guest: That's a good concept, but I'm personally tired of Mewtwo in fanfics. The Genesect movie I may write and the TRUE Mewtwo will be in it but that's about it. I could make N appear in the movie as well but that's all you'll see from Mewtwo.
Server lock: Yeah, I may not know from experience, but relationships just don't happen immediately especially with someone you barely know. I think a certain Ferris wheel is where the "true" fluff will begin ;) (Fluff will still be between then, especially in Castelia but a certain Ferris wheel would be where things get serious)
Thank you! I'm still learning at writing battles so that means a lot! Apparently. At least in Johto he kept his skills and sort of did in Hoenn and kind of regained them towards the end of Sinnoh.
Klaw117: Glad to hear that! Trip was I'd say more of an ass :P Probably for the best you didn't see too much if you didn't want Ash ruined for you. Summer is here! More updates! Hopefully but there's so much games I need to play!
Ash beating Tobias…probably won't happen. I hated Tobias for the reason you stated but because he's got Legendaries, he isn't an easy opponent since Legendaries in the anime are basically gods or demi-gods. Ash has beaten them before, but not without serious effort and struggling. Charizard had a difficult time beating an Articuno. But if I make a sequel…then Ash may beat Tobias. I would love for him to get knocked down a few pegs, but the Ash in my story still isn't strong enough, if we're considering that Tobias has more Legendaries. If Tobias just has Latios and Darkrai, then Ash will win in my story. Ash was also kind of stupid in that battle anyways and there was some stupid stuff like Darkrai surviving Megahorn and Ash using Gible and Torkoal. I expected Snorlax personally.
Dareth: I'm glad you respect my take on things and still enjoy it! Thank you very much!