Secrets of the Night

DISCLAIMER: I Do NOT own Pokemon!

NOTE: I decided to push through with the Dolosa Trio after making amends with my friend. I hope everyone enjoys~

Chapter 38: A Dangerous Combination

Early that warm afternoon in the rustic city of Fuchsia, Chase and Neo made their way back to the gym. Hours ago, after having lunch at a local ramen restaurant and recuperating their tired pokemon in the pokemon center, they had a short run-through of tactics and strategies. Neo anticipated that his opponents were going to be difficult. They seemed like very crafty ninjas. Not only that, they specialize in poison-types, therefore he had to keep a look out for status conditions. Fortunately, those types were weak against psychic pokemon, giving Neo's side an upper hand with Chase's Gallade and Gardevoir.

Shortly arriving at the grand gates of the gym, Chase handed Neo a couple of pokeballs that contained his pokemon. "I've already talked with Vince and Faith. They're ready to follow any orders you throw at them," he said with a confident grin.

"Thank you, Chase. I'll be sure to take good care of them." Neo smiled back reassuringly as he accepted Chase's pokemon.

With their preparations set, the two returned their attention to the wooden entrance that towered above their heads. It was time. Taking a deep breath, Neo and Chase pushed door open and were once again greeted by the eerie creaking noise of the iron hinges and pitch-blackness of what lied beyond the threshold.

A cold wind blew and silence filled the air. The atmosphere was heavy. Neo heart rate began to quicken. The fears inside of him were growing. Closing his eyes, he tried to calm himself down, but it didn't work. He fidgeted the pokeballs on his belt, worrying that he would soon be overwhelmed before the battle would even begin.

"Ah~ Our challenger has finally returned!" Ode's delighted voice echoed through the void.

Neo's eyes shot open and he froze. Suddenly, the doors shut with a loud reverberating rumble. And on cue, two spotlights lit up over Neo and Chase, while, three pale purplish shades lit up at the far side of the gym where the members of the Dolosa Trio were.

They stood atop of three differently leveled rugged cylindrical pillars, overlooking the dark gym. Ode, with his white grinning mask and purple embroidered robe, flashed his cape and bowed deeply as a flurry of rose petals danced around him and his Roserade. Marr was at the opposite side, in a slightly higher leveled platform, sitting with a knee up to support the long blade that he was busy cleaning. Behind him was dark magenta centipede-like pokemon that had armor plating mirroring its owner's heavy samurai suit, only more reddish in color. Neo identified it as a Scolipede using his pokedex. The last member, Iago, clad in his generic black ninja garb and long violet scarf, was in the middle, standing on the highest platform, arms crossed and eyes staring down on their two guests. Unlike the two, his pokemon was nowhere in sight.

"You aren't planning to run away this time, are you?" Marr questioned with a steely gaze as he stopped cleaning his katana.

"No. I am here for the Soul Badge," Neo declared determinedly.

Marr sheathed his blade with a silken hiss and stood up. Ode chuckled in amusement, while, Iago simply closed his eyes. Suddenly, in a blink of an eye, the three ninjas vanished simultaneously in a cloud of smoke and reappeared at the base of the high pillars, a lilac shaded light still casting over their shadowy figures. Iago was in front, while, Marr and Ode were positioned at either side.

"Shall we begin then?" Ode raised his arms outward and snapped his fingers once again and the middle of the gym immediately lit up, displaying the grand layout of the arena.

In the center was a gray rugged rectangular plane with a white line dividing either side. Framing it was a pool of pulsating glowing purple water. Although it appeared to be, it wasn't toxic. It was because of the lights that came from below the foggy waters made it so. Then on each corner of the arena, where the dry and wet terrain met, were clusters of jagged stalagmites, their surface porous and corroded by what could have been caused by heavy acid attacks.

"I shall oversee this battle," the resident announcer declared as he appeared at the sides, clothed in a ninja suit but without the hood. Standing in the spotlight, he explained the rules. "This will be a two round triple battle, comprising of six pokemon on either side. Only the challenger may switch pokemon during the match. The side who no longer has any pokemon remaining will be declared the loser."

Nodding, Neo stepped forward and eyed the ninja trio before shifting his vision to the two pokemon that were coming down from the platform. The first was Ode's Roserade who leaped off and elegantly landed unto the arena with a wave of petals swirling around its figure. Marr's Scolipede was up next. It curled into a wheel and rolled down vertically in a burst of speed, surprising Neo and Chase of its prowess given its sheer size and hard armor. The spinning Scolipede shredded through the ground and leaped over the seemingly toxic waters, until finally stopping alongside the masqueraded rose-bearer.

"I shall be using my Scolipede first," Marr stated, brandishing his long sleek katana by his side.

"Then, I shall use Roserade," Ode followed with a chuckle.

The last member, Iago, locked eyes with Neo before motioning to the waters. A long thin shadow was swimming in the ominously lit pool. Neo cautiously looked on, his pokedex in hand. Iago gestured to his pokemon. "Dragalge, I call upon you."

Shooting out of the foggy waters, a thin brown dragon pokemon appeared. It had a narrow snout and a red leaf-like crest on its head. Its pectoral fins and tail fin resemble strands of dried up kelp, just like its overall appearance.

Neo raised his pokedex and looked up the pokemon.

Dragalge
The Mock Kelp Pokémon
The evolved form of Skrelp. When it moves around by riding the sweeps of the tide, it looks like kelp being washed poison is strong enough to eat through the hull of a tanker, and they spit it indiscriminately at anything that enters their territory.

"A dual-type... Other than poison, it's also a dragon-type" Neo muttered to himself. Satisfied of the data, he put away his pokedex and picked out his first three pokemon. Tossing the pokeballs into the air, he sent them unto the battlefield in the burst of brilliant crimson light. "I'm counting on you... Genbu! Arana! Nero! Let's go!"

Taking their respective shapes, a Wartortle, Chandelure and Gengar appeared and let out eager cries. Opposite to them, the poison-types replied with their own battle cries. With all six pokemon raring to go, the atmosphere instantly intensified. The fierceness in their eyes seemed to ignite the coldness around them. When the tension couldn't go any higher, the announcer declared the battle to commence.

Commanding first, Neo coordinated his first wave of attacks. "Nero, Dark Pulse on Scolipede. Arana, follow up with Flamethrower. Genbu, use Water Pulse!"

As Neo's pokemon charged forward, gradually powering up their respective attacks, the ninja trio responded with their countermeasures.

"Defend with Protect, Scolipede!"

"Roserade, set the battlefield aglow with Grassy Terrain~"

"Dragalge. Twister."

Dashing up front, Marr's Scolipede conjured a translucent maroon barrier, blocking all three attacks of Neo's pokemon as they launched them in a massive combined torrent of blue fire and dark waves surrounding an aqua ball. The barrier cracked halfway but it managed to withstand the overall onslaught, leaving Neo and his pokemon in shock. Almost simultaneously, the arena lit up with a neon green glow and ethereal blades of grass grew. Ode's Roserade was at the back of the Scolipede, bouquet arms crossed and eyes mirroring the glow of the arena. And as soon as the grass-like energy faded, Iago's Dragalge launched itself into the air and unleashed a raging tornado that surged across the battlefield and engulfed Neo's Gengar and Lampent.

"Nero! Arana!" Neo cried out in horror as his two pokemon were blown out of the air and sent spiraling down towards the ground. Fortunately, the two snapped back to their senses and ceased in mid-air before they could plummet any further. Breathing with relief, Neo waited for this pokemon to get back in place before following up with another attack wave. "Nero, use Shadow Punch on Scolipede. Arana, Genbu concentrate on the other two. Use Flamethrower and Icy Wind."

Nodding and grinning determinedly, the three once again lunged towards their opponents. Nero drew back his arm as black sparks raced across his shoulder to his hand. Arana was accumulating a mass of blue fire above her spherical head, while, Genbu was swallowing the air and filling his cheeks.

Reacting quickly, Marr raised his katana up front and yelled out his command, "Scolipede, Poison Jab!"

Rushing to meet its opponent, the huge megapede pokemon lowered its head and charged like a stampeding Tauros. As both sides closed in on each other, the Scolipede's bent horns glowed with vivid violet. And because of its ability, Speed Boost, Marr's pokemon landed its assault first, throwing back the Gengar into the air. But at that moment, Nero launched his attack, sending a spirit-like black fist to swerve in the air and land squarely on the Scolipede, forcing it back, scarring the desecrated earth under its feet. Nero quickly recovered because of his high poison resistance and levitated back in place.

Meanwhile, Iago and Ode commanded their pokemon to split up to avoid at least either one of the attacks. Iago's Dragalge plunged into the murky depths while Ode's Roserade darted to the opposite side. Neo directed his Wartortle to face off with the brown seaweed-like dragon while Arana would take care of the masked grass-type.

Arana zoomed after the running Roserade and determinedly tried to close the distance between them. When the target finally was within range, the Chandelure fired a blazing stream of pale blue flames. Ode's Roserade continued to dodge, leaping from side to side like it was dancing. There were times though that its leafy cape got caught, but they weren't anything serious, just mere singes. On the other side, Iago's Dragalge disappeared under the cover of the murky seemingly toxic waters, leaving only a faded shadow image to be seen. Rushing after it, Genbu ceased in front of the watery edge and released a frigid wind coupled by glittering blue ice crystals. As the attack spread, the violet waters froze over, trapping the dragon under the gradually freezing pool.

"Roserade, it is time~ Enchant them with Grass Whistle," Ode instructed as he posed dramatically.

Running in front of the ghostly inferno, his Roserade pressed a leaf against its mouth and blew on it. As the leaf glowed, a stream of music notes flew out and filled the air with a soft calming tune. Caught in the tides of the enchanting lullaby, Arana stopped attacking and swayed back and forth, slowly dropping to the ground and falling asleep.

Neo tried to call out to his Chandelure, but his cries landed on deaf ears. Before he could do it again, Iago gave his command and a loud shattering explosion followed, drawing Neo's attention. Shifting his attention to the other side, he saw a Twister burst out forth from frozen terrain and rose towards the ceiling, carrying a brown seaweed-like dragon in its wake. The winds weren't directed at Genbu but they were still powerful enough to blow back the dark blue turtle. Things weren't looking good, Neo was getting pushed back.

As everyone breathed for a moment, the battlefield lit up once again from the effects of Grassy Terrain and restored a bit of energy to each pokemon, excluding Nero who was in the air.

"You seem to be faring better than I first expected," Ode complimented with an entertained tone. "As you can see, we rely on the art of teamwork and strategic coordination unlike our predecessor who upholds the lone warrior principle. We-"

"-Ode, enough with the chatter," Marr complained with a groan of impatience.

The white masked ninja chuckled. "Dear me... My apologies. Well then, shall we continue~?"

Neo exhaled and nodded in response. Focusing back at the battle at hand, he tried to devise a new plan. His first move was to recall his slumbering Chandelure. "Arana, return!" Afterwards, he sent out Chase's Gallade. "Vince, it's your turn..."

Appearing unto the rough stone ground, Vince drew his arms back and engaged a fighting stance with Genbu and Nero positioned at either sides. His two comrades were panting but they were far from giving up. Vince exchanged encouraging looks with them before glaring at the enemies before them.

"Nero, Dark Pulse on Scolipede. Vince, Psyschock on Roserade. Genbu, use Icy Wind again," Neo instructed.

Nero and Vince were the first to close in on their respective opponents. Marr and Ode reacted and cried out their commands.

"Poison Jab again!"

"Venoshock, Roserade~"

Being faster than Neo's Gengar, Marr's Scolipede struck first, ramming Nero with its pair of glowing purple horns. Groaning as he was forced back, Nero placed his hands together and fired an ominous beam of black rings outlined in purple. The attack struck dead-on. Marr's Scolipede was easily knocked off its feet, and consequently it slammed unto the corroded stone floor with a loud thud.

On the other hand, Vince caught up with the speedy masked pokemon and hurled two consecutive energy masses dyed in a blue and purple glow. Ode's Roserade was hit by the super-effective attack, but managed to retaliate by dousing the Gallade with thick violet liquid that sprayed out of the bouquet pokemon's rose-covered arms. Vince cringed at the burning sensation but was still able to move at a proper pace.

Genbu was the last to face off with his respective opponent. When Iago's Dragagle was within reach, he dove into action, inhaling deeply and blowing out frigid gusts of powdery ice. Iago countered by instructing his Dragalge to use Twister. The Icy Wind was absorbed by the powerful whirling winds and deflected, spreading across the surrounding area of the Twister and coating it with a layer of frost.

As the battlefield once again restored a bit of health to all the grounded pokemon, Neo grumbled under his breath. His pokemon were in trouble. He had to think of better countermeasures.

"You can do it, Neo! Go for it, Vince!" Chase cheered at the back while standing beside his newly caught Grovyle, Percival who was showing very little interest on the on-going battle, much less his new trainer.

Thinking quickly, Neo called to his pokemon. "Nero, Dark Pulse again! Vince, work with Genbu and take down Dragalge. Use Psycho Cut. Genbu, follow up Vince with Icy Wind."

"Scolipede, take them down with Megahorn!" Marr commanded with the added gesture of his katana. But much to his dismay, his pokemon staggered and remained down because of the secondary effect of Dark Pulse, leaving him open for Nero's Dark Pulse which once again struck the Scolipede and dragged the maroon centipede across the rugged arena.

Disengaging from Ode's Roserade, Vince turned around and dashed across the rocky terrain. Ode called out to his Roserade to pursue and once again fire another round of Venoshock. Unfortunately for it, Vince managed to leap out of the way and get airborne by using the large stalagmites as a stairway. Iago's Dragalge was now directly below him. Diving down, Vince unleashed his neon blue blades and continued to spiral towards the opponent.

"Dragalge, use Twister," Iago instructed. On cue, his dragon roared and summoned a violent tornado that quickly rose upwards, surrounding the Gallade and trapping him in a swerving vortex.

"Genbu, now! Use Icy Wind!" commanded Neo. His Wartortle complied and released a frigid shroud of azure ice crystals.

Seeing the attack, Iago's Dragalge defended itself by expanding the Twister to serve as a barrier for itself. The roaring vortex continued to lengthen on both ends, piercing the waters below and almost reaching the ceiling above. As it did, the Twister gradually dragged the waters upwards from the pool. When the Icy Wind made contact with the Dragalge's attack, the liquid in its midst froze over, creating an ice prison for the dragon. Not only that, the moisture and ice crystals reached Vince's blades and eventually his Psycho Cut became blades of ice.

"Vince! This is it!" Neo yelled.

Chase's Gallade tucked his arms together and dove down like a bomb, striking Iago's Dragalge with an explosive force. The Twister instantly dissipated and shards of ice rained down. Accomplishing the feat, Vince nimbly landed next to Genbu on the frost covered ground. The two panted and exchanged relieved looks before turning to the barely conscious Dragalge that was leaning against the watery edge.

The terrain once again glowed green and slightly healed the pokemon within its range. Iago's Dragalge moaned and once again raised its head to glare at its two opponents. Ode's Roserade hurried to its side and stood with watchful eyes atop of the stalagmites. Marr's Scolipede was the last to fall back to its comrades, but made it over nonetheless.

"It seems this battle is dragging longer than I first expected," Marr commented with a somewhat impressed tone, much to the surprise of Ode and Iago who both glanced at him with a disbelieving gaze. Marr ignored them and returned his attention to battle that once again continued on his cue. "Scolipede, Infestation!"

Growling, the giant maroon centipede stomped its strong legs, setting the battlefield a lit but this time, it was in a shade of a sinister violet glow. Then from the light, venous tendrils slowly crept up Vince and Genbu's lower limbs and sent a sharp pain that raced up their body.

Neo cried out to them and attempted to recall Genbu, but the secondary effects of Infestation prevented his pokemon from switching out. Presented with little option, he motioned to his Gengar. "Nero, Shadow Punch on Scolipede."

As instructed, his Gengar soared across the air and flung a dark fist with black lightning streaks towards Marr's Scolipede. Ode's Roserade tried to intervene, but was thwarted by Vince who hurled two energy masses, forcing the bouquet pokemon to sidestep out of harm's way. In that moment, Nero landed a clean hit on the maroon centipede, finally knocking it out cold.

"Scolipede is unable to battle!" declared the announcer as Marr recalled his pokemon.

Ode followed through with his own pokemon, "Roserade, infatuate them with Attract~"

The masked bouquet pokemon pulled its rose arms close and winked. As it did, a pink aura with hearts instantly emanated from its body. The hearts made their way to Vince and Genbu who both became enchanted by the Roserade. Neo tried to call out to Vince and Genbu, but they didn't respond.

Iago's weakened Dragalge was left, but the eldest of the Dolosa Trio didn't seem bothered. He motioned to his seaweed-like dragon and told it to use Rest. His Dragalge retreated to the safety of the watery depths where curled up and slept, recovering its full health.

Neo continued to call out to Vince and Genbu. Much to his relief, he managed to get a response from his Wartortle. "Genbu! Icy Wind on the waters!"

Fighting his trance-like state, Genbu did as he was told and completely iced the surface with a solid layer of frost, swiftly declining the water temperatures. Afterward that move, the arena lit up with a green glow and healed the pokemon within its range. But as soon as the rejuvenating light faded, the floor became shrouded in a sinister purple. As a result, Genbu and Vince cried out as the effects of Infestation did their damage.

"I choose you, Muk!" Marr sent out his second and final pokemon.

The samurai-clad ninja's pokemon was massive purple blob with a horrific smell emanating from its presence. Neo and Chase drew back from the stench just as Ode did. The youngest member of the ninja trio complained to his comrade about his pokemon choice, but Marr argued back with his own complaints about Ode's flashy showmanship. The squabble seemed to go on, but Iago simply coughed in contempt and silence the two who consequently returned their attention to the battle.

With everyone once again set for the match, Neo commanded first. "Nero, Dream Eater on Dragalge!"

Nero nodded and glided towards the iced area of the pool. Upon reaching the aerial point of the target, he released a shadow version of himself and it phased through the ice, entering the dreams of the dragon and draining the energy from it.

"Roserade, shower them with Venoshock!" Ode commanded while once again striking another dramatic pose.

Leaping to the aide of its comrade, Ode's Roserade darted towards the Gengar and drenched the shadow pokemon with a gunky purple liquid that shot of out its rose covered arms. Nero cringed and drew back, breaking away from his hold over the slumbering Dragalge.

"Vince, Genbu, you have to help Nero!" Neo yelled but his Wartortle and Chase's Gallade were still heavily dazed.

"Dragalge. Sleep Talk," Iago instructed.

Much to Neo and Chase's shock, a Twister burst forth from the icy floor, flinging hundreds of icicles into the air. Caught off guard, Nero was quickly sucked it and hurled across the battleground, heading towards Marr's pokemon.

"Muk, Giga Impact!" Marr commanded with a rapid thrusting gesture of his steel blade.

Wasting no time, the sludge-like pokemon radiated a brilliant glow before rocketing off the floor and colliding in a massive explosion, inevitably knocking out Neo's Gengar.

"Nero is unable to battle."

The boy returned his Gengar into his pokeball and sent out Faith, Chase's Gardevoir as the battlefield once again lit up with the final effects of Grassy Terrain.

"Do your best, Faith!" Chase yelled out. His Grovyle cried out to cheer for the Gardevoir as well, much to the boy's surprise. Chase grinned in suspicion as he shifted his eyes back onto the match.

Neo breathed for a moment and drank a bit of the special mixture. The match was far from over but he was already feeling the immense pressure from the difficult match. Analyzing his odds, he gave his directions. "Faith, stay with Vince and Genbu. Attack with Psychic."

Complying dutifully, Chase's Gardevoir positioned herself in between her two comrades and used Psychic. Her eyes glowed bright blue as she raised her arms upward, casting a blue energy hold over Iago's Dragalge and Ode's Roserade. The two poison-types were raised into the air and flung far across the desolate terrain, knocking out the Roserade and awaking the Dragalge.

"Roserade is unable to battle!" declared the ninja-garbed announcer.

"Nice job, Faith!" Neo cheered and turned towards Vince and Genbu. "Get a hold of yourselves, Vince! Genbu!"

Neo's voice reached his Wartortle and Genbu to return to his senses, while, Vince recovered when Faith reached for his hand. The Gallade blinked and flushed. He hurriedly retracted his limb away from the Gardevoir who became puzzled. The act was seen by their trainer who chuckled in amusement and by a tall green gecko who became even more green as he grumbled under his breath.

Meanwhile, Ode returned his pokemon and sent out a Nidoqueen in its place. "Center stage, my beautiful pokemon~"

The giant armored pokemon stomped on the ground and roared in a loud reverberating voice. Neo's battling team stood turned their fierce glares upon the latest pokemon that now stood before them.

"Okay! It's time to turn the tides, Vince, use Heal pulse on Genbu! Genbu, Water Pulse on Nidoqueen!" Neo instructed. His Wartortle dove into action, conjuring a swirling aqua sphere between his hands, while, Vince created a light pink ring around Genbu and healed his injuries.

"Nidoqueen, drench the enemy with Toxic!" Ode countered.

As Genbu rocketed towards his opponent, the Nidoqueen expelled a pitch black liquid from its maw and drowned the blue turtle in the poisonous spray. Neo called out to his Wartortle as a whirling aquatic ball pierced through the ink-like gunk and exploded in a burst of water squarely on the Nidoqueen's body, forcing a pained cry from the armored pokemon. Genbu then fell to the rough floor, quivering in pain due to the poison.

Neo knew he needed to switch back his Wartortle but the effects of Infestation were still in play. With Marr's Muk still recharging after the Giga Impact, he only hoped that Genbu could at least survive another round, but much to his horror, Iago directed Dragalge's next attack towards his Wartortle.

"Dragalge, use Venoshock."

Lying helplessly, Genbu braced himself as he was doused with a violet gunk. The damage of which was intensified by the Wartortle's poisoned state. It was inevitable. Genbu was no longer able to continue.

As the overseer of the battle made his announcement, Neo returned his Wartortle to his pokeball and thanked him for a job well done. Then he sent out his Dusknoir just as the final round of Infestation took another painful toll on Vince. Unable to watch, Neo grimaced and sent back Chase's Gallade as well and replaced him with Arana who was dozing off in mid-air.

With two losses on either side, Vince weakened, Arana asleep, things weren't looking good for Neo. Iago has yet to show his final pokemon, while, Marr and Ode were down to their last. The battle proved severely difficult and long, but in the end, a victor will surely arise. That much, Neo was certain.

End of Chapter 38

ARTWORK: ht$tp:/$/fav.$me/d86xwna

*phew* What a long battle... And it's still not over. DX
I wanted to at least portray at least four of their moves,
And combine a lot of them since this is a Triple battle.
I rather like Gallade having Ice Blades (like Gray from FT).

I have no Mega Evolutions at the moment. Maybe next time~
And if I may say it again, Damn you, Malc! (Trying to beat your team is REALLY Difficult)
Any fans of PMD? Read Malc Modnar's story. It's great.

I'll probably squeeze in a small surprise for the next chapter. Then it'll be back to Semira.
After that, it'll be another collaboration battle (back to back, maybe).