As always please read and enjoy.~ Scriffignano
Chapter 38: Tests of the Tournament
Arc didn't bother returning to the stands after his match with Kiba. He knew that he would be up after the next battle so he decided to sit in the waiting area and ponder whatever crossed his mind. Thoughts slowly sifted through his noggin until he remembered the dream he had the night before. It was certainly more ominous than anything before, and there was some sense of realism to it. Like something was reaching out to him, but what was it. What would have the inclination to reach out to him? He was just an ordinary trainer from Pallet Town that used oddball techniques in battle.
"Maybe I'm looking too deep into it?" he looked up and heard the crowd go wild meaning that the battle was over and it was now his turn again.
It was the second to the last match of the group but it was the one that was to decide it all. Arc had won all his battles so far while Kaye had a single draw and the rest were wins. Whoever emerges the victor will rank the top of the group.
With the crowds already roaring in anticipation, the two combatants made their way towards their respective places. The monitors flashed with lightning, splitting the screen and displaying each of their pictures and three vertically lined Pokeballs that represented their Pokémon. The arena floor opened up and a damp and grassy marshland with long slender reeds.
Arc stared into the eyes of his final opponent. Everything up until now has led to this deciding matchup. He smiled and gave his signature wave. "I've been waiting for this battle Kaye! I expect you to give it everything you've got."
The girl standing opposite of him gave a grin of her own. "I wouldn't have it any other way! Let's make this count!" she called back to him.
Arc grabbed his Pokeball off his belt and tossed it out on the field, releasing his Rapidash, Mimzy, her hooves sinking into the soft loamy field. "Let's win this girl!"
Tossing up her own Pokeball as well, Kaye set out her Talonflame. "Ignis, take flight!" The large bird eyed the muddy ground warily, not keen on possibly being stuck in it.
"Ladies first." Arc gave a slight bow out of politeness.
Kaye smiled, "Giving the first move to me? Admirable, but a bad choice. Ignis, start off with Flame Charge!" she ordered, snapping her fingers together. Barely a second passed before Ignis cloaked himself in flames and dove at Mimzy.
"Match that bird Mimzy, use Flame Charge as well!" Arc pointed at the bird.
Mimzy snorted loudly and erupted in her own cloak of flames before charging forward at Ignis. The grass and muck below her started to steam and smolder as she ran, charred by the searing heat of the attack. The two combatants met at the center of the field, colliding with an explosive amount of power as embers and charred debris was flung in every direction.
Having the slight advantage of not being inhibited by the soft ground, Ignis had managed to twist minutely to the side and avoiding a direct collision with Mimzy's horn. Taking a fair amount of damage still, he swooped around and back into the air, awaiting further instruction.
Not one to keep a battle from continuing, Kaye snapped several times one after another. "Acrobatics!" She called out.
Diving, spinning, and gliding, Ignis put on quite the aerial show as he drew nearer to Mimzy, talons at the ready.
"Get out of there Mimzy!" Arc called to her.
It was too late though. Kaye's Talonflame struck her flank and sent her flying across the field into a mangrove tree on the battlefield. She laid there dazed, but still able to stand and fight. She stood, shaking the mud off herself and pawing the ground.
"There you go! Now let's make this an air battle, use Bounce!" Arc laughed.
Mimzy tucked her legs in before launching herself straight in the air and above Ignis. Aiming with her hooves, she started her swift descent, targeting the Flying type's back.
With a snap from his trainer, Ignis attempted to dodge out of the way but was unable to match the descending speed of the Rapidash. His right wing ended up taking the brunt of the attack, sending him hurtling down and crashing into a puddle. After a moment, Ignis shakily rose, weighed down by the grime and nursing his injured wing.
"Quick!" Kaye cried out, "Use Roost!"
A dim light shone around the Talonflame's ailing body as he attempted to recover before another attack came.
"Oh no you don't! Mimzy use Wild Charge!"
Mimzy's mane crackled with sparks as she charged forward at Ignis, her body soon completely engulfed in the electrical energy. Stepping in a puddle, Mimzy then made the whole field erupt in a shower of sparks, zapping her and starting small fires all over the swampy field. Ignis felt the jolt as well, but because of Roost and his position on the field, he didn't take nearly as much damage as she did.
"Mimzy are you okay?" He called out to her.
Smoke rolled off his Rapidash, baking the mud into a hard crust like shell on her body. She shook her head and looked around before nickering softly at him, showing that she could continue. Arc smiled and called for another Flame Charge attack.
The blazing mare once again erupted in a spout of flames and charged forward at Ignis, bearing down on him with every step she took.
Because of the failure of the prior Wild Charge attack, Ignis had enough time to complete the full effects of Roost and heal himself moderately. Taking a liberty, he launched into the air just as Mimzy charged him.
"Circle around with Flame Charge," Kaye instructed calmly with a soft snap, watching their opponent carefully.
Gliding around the arena, the Talonflame began to smolder as he rounded behind Mimzy, before breaking into a direct line as he became engulfed in fire once more.
Mimzy charged at them head on, creating another outburst of embers. Disengaging from each other, Mimzy stood there with her legs splayed out wide. She was exhausted from battling, but by the looks of it Ignis was getting worn out to. She whinnied loudly before losing consciousness and falling into the swampy field, unable to stand no longer.
The referee declared Ignis the victor of the round, waving his flag in Kaye's side. Arc took the time to pull his exhausted Pokémon from the field and re strategize for the next round.
"Earthshaker! Shake 'em up!" He called his Swampert onto the field.
The giant blue mudfish Pokémon bellowed and stomped his strong legs against the scorched wetland. He eyed his opponent unwaveringly and was ready to launch into the battle, but his trainer wanted to clear up a certain matter.
"I've noticed that you snap during battle… What's that all about?" Arc inquired.
Kaye blinked at him, not used to being asked that despite her tendency to do so. "Well...it's generally how I direct my Pokémon better without having to vocalize it. I've trained each of my Pokémon to react differently to a variety of frequencies, number, and where it's coming from," she explained.
"Interesting… Reminds me of my whistling technique that I use with my Pokemon. They aren't all trained to use it yet, but it's very effective at confusing my opponents." Arc smiled. "But enough chit chat, we have a battle to finish. Earthshaker, Use Whirlpool!"
Arc's Swampert conjured a large vortex of water between his paws and threw it straight up in the air missing any sort of target that a normal trainer would go for. Many spectators in the crowd murmured amongst themselves on what he might be planning, given his usual streak of unexpected tactics.
Wary of the way he had used the move, Kaye quickly instructed Ignis to get as much distance as possible and be ready to use Acrobatics should the need arise. Still hurt from his last battle, Ignis was far more sluggish, but complied to the best of his ability.
The whirlpool that was fired soon lost its momentum and power and fell apart causing a heavy rain to drench the field, creating rolling sheets of steam to choke the entire field and ruining all visibility.
"I never intended on hitting you. That last battle created a lot of heat and now I've created a perfect field for my Swampert." Arc smiled devilishly. "Use Whirlpool once more! Force it closer to the ground!"
From within the fog, another Whirlpool was sent flying towards Ignis, just barely grazing past the top of his head.
Not enjoying the moist air, Ignis squawked irritably. Kaye merely chuckled lightly, "Clever move Arc," she praised her opponent. Then snapping twice, she signaled her Pokémon, "Now let's see if it works. Ignis, cut through with Steel Wing!"
With wings spread apart, Ignis swooped from side to side, slicing the air and clearing the fog where he passed. Eventually, able to make out the large shape of the Swampert, Ignis charged straight at him.
"Use Ice Punch!"
Just as Steel Wing was about to connect, Arc's Swampert dealt a powerful Ice Punch, hitting Ignis square in the chest and sending him flying back towards Kaye.
Narrowly avoiding getting hit by her own Pokemon, she assessed that Ignis was no longer able to continue and returned him. Fingers tapping her next Pokeball, she sighed. "Looks like I'll have to resort to you early," she said, sending out her Froslass in a flash of red light, "It's up to you Skadi! Start off strong with Blizzard!" Snapping quietly once, then sharply again, Skadi nodded in understanding.
Floating toward the assumed center of the arena, Skadi conjured a whirling storm, freezing most of the ground and dropping the temperature of the air by at least thirty degrees. The fog became biting cold with small ice crystals and further inhibiting sight.
Arc's Swampert bellowed in pain before going silent. Arc was worried that the attack would drain his energy and called for a counter using Water Pledge, but there was no response. Soon the fog and snow thinned revealing Earthshaker encased in a block of ice. It would shift every once in a while, but other than that, he couldn't move at all.
"Come on buddy! Break free!" Arc pleaded.
Taking full advantage of the situation, Kaye snapped three times. "Skadi! Hit them hard with Shadow Ball!"
Creating a dark orb, Skadi broke it into three smaller ones and sending them in a volley at the block of ice. She did this several times in rapid succession before pulling back and hovering a distance away. There was a silence as the hazy frost cleared. The frozen prison was still in place but with cracks and fissures littering the spots that Shadow Ball made impact.
The ice while still holding, was starting to break apart and crumble into small pieces. Arc saw his opportunity and went ahead with his trump card move. "Break free and use Ice Pledge!"
The ice shell began to wobble and crack up before Earthshaker burst forth and slammed his fist into the soft field, creating pillars of water that raced towards Skadi. As the pillars got closer to her, Arc's Swampert started weaving through the pillars chilling his fist at the same time. The pillars soon encircled her and started to merge together.
Kaye snapped twice. "Skadi, break the closest pillars with Shadow Ball and then counter with Icy Wind," she called out, tracking the Swampert as he continued to freeze the water.
The Froslass reacted quickly, hitting several of the ice columns and shattering them. Drifting away to avoid being entrapped by the remaining ones, she sent a stream of ice and snow directly at Earthshaker.
Both Arc and his Pokémon were caught off guard by Skadi's defensive measures and Earthshaker was soon caught in another powerful freezing attack. Arc grit his teeth, flustered that Ice Pledge didn't work out the way he planned. Unwilling to give in, he continued to press on the attack.
"Use Whirlpool!"
Earthshaker grunted through the attack and hurled a massive vortex of water straight at Skadi, hell bent on at least hitting her once with an attack.
There was a loud snap that cut the air. "Blizzard!"
Kaye knew that it was a long-shot that it would work, but it was worth a try. She clenched her fist, fully prepared for Skadi to take damage. It seemed the Froslass had a similar thought, bracing herself as she retorted with a powerful flurry.
Without stopping, Whirlpool sliced through the Blizzard attack and struck Kaye's Froslass, trapping her in the frigid waters. Earthshaker crossed his arms and defended himself as the remainder of the Blizzard struck, creating a thin sheet of ice on his arms. He panted for several moments before falling backwards, unable to continue the battle. Arc sighed and pulled him back and looked over at Neeko. He then whistled loudly, spurring Neeko to jump out on the field.
"You have me down to my last Pokémon Kaye… I'm impressed." Arc sincerely saluted her performance.
"I could say the same to you," Kaye replied with a small grin, "I haven't had a battle like this in a while."
"Well it's not over yet! Neeko, use Fire Blast!" Arc snapped his fingers, copying Kaye's technique.
Fire poured from Neeko's mouth before he launched a large five pointed symbol straight at Skadi. As the symbol raced across the field, the ground itself was charred to a crisp.
Snapping twice to the left, Kaye watched in careful concentration, knowing that a fire-type move like that would most likely K.O Skadi. The Froslass gracefully drifted to the side, mere moments before the fire raged past her. Wincing from the emanating heat, Skadi caught her breath as she awaited the order to attack.
"Skadi, retaliate with Shadow Ball!" Kaye instructed, snapping once before her chest.
Quickly creating the orb of menacing energy, Skadi sent it flying at Neeko and following up with two more to both sides in case the initial one missed.
"Defend yourself Neeko, and then use Flamethrower!"
Neeko tucked his body in and shielded himself with his wings. The Shadow Ball attacks glanced off his wings and flew up and an angle, minimizing the damage he took from the attack. He then straightened up and unleashed a powerful torrent of fire and bathed the entire field in the lustrous flames.
As Skadi danced away from the worst of the flames, Kaye bit her lip anxiously. "Ah...this isn't good at all. Try and put out some of the fires with Blizzard!" she called out, snapping her fingers twice after a small beat.
Looking abjectly miserable in the heat, Skadi swiftly brought forth a storm of chilling winds. It worked with most of the area around her, but failed to do anything but fan the flames farther away. Breathing heavily, Skadi nearly dropped to the ground before shaking her head and floating up again.
"This is it Neeko! Finish it with Dragon Rage!"
Arc's Charizard formed an orb of fire in his mouth that pulsated blue energy. He then fired it straight at Skadi, using the flames of his previous attacks to power it up even more.
Too tired and fatigued from the heat, Skadi sluggishly drifted around. There wasn't even a chance for her to dodge the attack as she took the full force of it at was knocked across the field and to the ground, unable to move.
Returning her Froslass, Kaye murmured a soft praise for her partner before sending out her final Pokemon. "Harena, finish this battle for us," she said as the Flygon beat her strong wings in determination, hovering slightly above the ground. "In case they try and light up the field again, start with a Sandstorm!"
Snapping briskly, Harena reacted quickly, her wings flapping furiously as dirt and dust began spiraling around the marsh. The field was suddenly covered in dry debris, vision almost completely inhibited.
Neeko shielded his eyes with his wings, but the sand started to scrape at his skin, wearing him down slowly.
"She's right! We do plan to light up the field…" Arc smiled, using his coat to shield his eyes. "Bond our hearts together! Mega Evolve!" He tapped the stone set in his bracer.
With a flash of blue and gold light, Neeko underwent the mysterious transformation and took on his sleeker more powerful form. This eyes flashed with a crimson hue before roaring loudly, challenging the world to take on his might. The sun then became harsher revealing a shadow in the sand storm that cloaked the field
"Use Fire Blast!" Arc narrowed his eyes.
Neeko responded and fired a massive flaming symbol straight at the shadow that flitted about the storm like a desert spirit.
"Mega Evolution...interesting," Kaye said softly, snapping her fingers three times in quick succession, "Harena, counter with Earth Power!"
The Flygon reacted almost simultaneously with her trainer's instructions. The ground erupted with pulsing energy right into the path of the Fire Blast, blocking most of the flames and redirecting what was left off to the side. Immediately after, the muck beneath Neeko began to rumble and crack before bursting.
Neeko felt the tremors, and without having to be asked, took to the air using his superior aerial mobility to get a height advantage on Harena.
"You know Ground type attacks don't work on Flying type Pokemon." Arc teased. "Now Neeko spiraling Flamethrower!"
Neeko immediately did a dizzy dive, spiraling towards Harena and the ground. Opening his maw, he created a mighty Flamethrower that spiraled outwards creating an oven like vortex of heat and flames.
"Honestly I just wanted you off the ground," Kaye replied simply, "and I do know that fire doesn't particularly like sand either. Harena! Whip up the sandstorm to dissipate most of the flames and counter with Dragon Breath!" The blonde girl snapped four times to signal to her Flygon, who quickly beat her wings back to both launch herself up and backwards.
The raging sandstorm only became more aggressive as Harena got farther from the ground. As the sand countered back the spiraling flames, she let loose at harsh stream directly at Neeko.
The stream of energy hit home and knocked Neeko out of the air and back into the thick of the sand storm. The grit of the sand tore at Neeko, creating furrows in his already marred skin. Arc had to act fast if he wanted to change the tide.
"Break that sand storm apart! Use Dragon Rage!"
Neeko roared loudly and punched the ground creating a huge spiraling vortex of blue wind that sucked up what energy was left in the sand storm. Neeko then punched the vortex with Thunder Punch, sending it flying straight at Kaye's Flygon.
Still somewhat exhausted from her previous attack, Harena could only move slightly to the side to avoid a direct hit. The brunt of the attack grazed her side and a large part of her right wing, but she remained in the air.
Snapping once from her waistline, Kaye called out her next instructions, "Hyper Beam!"
Understanding her idea, Harena sent herself flying backwards to the ground with a strong flap of her wings as she aimed the powerful beam of energy at Neeko, ready to change angles should the need arise.
"Neeko, counter with Flamethrower!"
With the Hyper Beam quickly inbound, Neeko didn't waste a moment and fired a powerful Flamethrower attack. The beams met in the middle of the field and with tremendous force pushed at each other, razing the field to nothing more than a wasteland.
Continuing her attack with unwavering determination, Harena desperately held out her Hyper Beam for as long as she could, well aware of the cool-down time after. It became a battle of wills and stamina as the two clashing beams pushed each other back and forth.
In the end, Neeko won out, the opposing Flygon's attack weakening each moment until it flickered out completely, leaving the immobile dragon completely vulnerable. The Flamethrower hit her squarely in the chest, sending her back several feet and severely damaging her.
Feeling the thrill of battle, Neeko started to close in on the injured Dragon type Pokemon. Arc noticed that Kaye's Flygon was really in a bad way and decided to stop Neeko.
"Neeko! Hold it!" Arc called out, stopping Neeko cold. "Is Harena able to continue?" He asked.
Looking over to her Flygon, Kaye sent her a sharp glare as she attempted to stand. "Not today Harena, you caught a cold the first day and I don't want your wing to have any long term damage, you can barely move it. Just concede, you did well," she rationalized to her Pokémon, who in turn, snorted stubbornly, but nodded. With the confirmation from Harena, Kaye nodded over to Arc. "This match is yours, congratulations." Smiling sincerely to him, she nimbly made her way over to her fallen Flygon and began checking over her injured wing with a gentle hand.
The crowd erupted into a flurry of cheering as the referee announced Arc the victor of the match and unofficially the entire tournament. Arc ran out from his side of the field and tackled Neeko onto the sun baked field. "We did it Neeko." He was laughing so hard he was crying.
Neeko then reverted back to his previous form and they both stood to meet Kaye. "That was a great match. I enjoyed every bit of it." Arc put a hand out.
Taking his hand, Kaye gave a firm handshake. "I can say the same. It really was a thrilling battle, I'm impressed with how close you and your Pokémon seem to be. Honestly...I'm actually glad I could admit defeat to a trainer like you," she replied with a small laugh. "Think we could battle again sometime?"
"Of course. I look forward to the opportunity." Arc winked at her and smiled. " Lily is going to kill me for winking at her…"
With the match over with, both of the combatants left the arena to get their Pokémon healed and be ready for the final event.
"Wow… he showed mercy." Thorn seemed disappointed.
"You say it like it was a bad thing. He knew that her Flygon was in bad shape and that anymore would have only seriously injured it." Lily cocked her head at him.
"Its… It's just that up until now every one of his battles has been heated and unforgiving up until this point. I guess I'm just a little disappointed on how this one ended." He sighed.
Lily tapped him on the head a few times. "You're lucky he didn't let me end you back on the St. Clair." She smiled devilishly.
Thorn looked away in embarrassment, wanting to forget that the incident ever happened.
"What was that about the St. Clair?" Arc sat down and put his boots up on the chair in front of him that was currently unoccupied.
"Nothing… Nice job out there by the way." Thorn quickly changed the subject.
"Thanks." He pulled some sunflower seeds out of his pocket and started munching on them nonchalantly. "But in all honesty, my Pokémon deserve the credit. All I did was coordinate it from the safety of the trainer box.
"True. I still can't wrap my head around why you let that Flygon go. You had her on the ropes." Thorn bickered.
"Because what you don't know is that Kaye's Flygon has some preexisting conditions. That is why I stopped Neeko."
Thorn finally conceded defeat on the matter and they all turned to watch as the final event unfolded in the arena. It was Neo vs Kiba for the final event. Arc glared at the boastful unrestrained trainer, angry for what his Fearow did to Mimzy.
Both competitors took their positions at either side of the field as cheers and applauses reverberated from the stands. Tension grew. The screen lit up and displayed various angles of the arena, a couple focused on the hardened faces of each trainer, their eyes focused on one another. Without a word of exchange, the floor soon opened up and revealed a rugged terrain with clusters of jagged rocks and boulders scattered around the border.
Before the battle started, Neo and Kiba exchanged a few harsh sentences to each other, infuriating Neo more than usual. Making the first move Kiba tossed in his Pokeball as Champ stood ready for battle already bouncing in anticipation.
Neo eyed Kiba's Hitmonchan observantly as he took out his first Pokeball and sent his Dusknoir into battle. Novus pounded his fists together and let out a loud rumbling groan. "Novus, let's show them what it means to have bonds and trust between trainer and Pokémon."
And with their respective health gauges full and the referee's signal, the awaited rematch had begun.
"Bullet Punch!" Kiba ordered, insuring that he would get the first hit in. With a glowing red fist Champ chambered his fist before firing the attack at the surprised Dusknoir who was shoved back several inches as it barely blocked the attack in time minimizing the damage.
"Novus, turn up the heat with Fire Punch!"
As quick as the words left his trainer's mouth, Novus ignited his fists into sizzling crimson flames before he lunged at Kiba's Hitmonchan with blazing fury. The flurry of swings came in with intense force. Champ used his quick footwork to parry many of the blows but the cinders scraped him a few times while a single solid hit to his torso sent him skidding across the rocky terrain.
"Roll with it Champ! Use Agility and gain the upper hand!"
At his master's command, Champ seemed to disappear from sight before Novus could land another hit. The massive ghost type's single eye tried to track the Hitmonchan the few times it made itself visible, but was only rewarded by an electrically fused fist in his side. And again. And again.
Neo grit his teeth and cringed seemed to cringe to himself before giving his next command. "Give them a taste of their own medicine, Novus! Thunder Punch!"
When another blow from Champ landed, Novus retaliated with a massive fist engulfed in yellow sparks of crackling electricity. Champ brought his arm up and blocked the first attack and then ducked to evade the second. A storm of punches came as Kiba's Hitmonchan was gradually backed up, until he had his back turned to a tall rock. With a final, full-force blow, Novus drove a straight as Champ crossed his arms and blocked the attack. The impact shattered the boulder and sent the Hitmonchan flying back but he landed on his feet before he hit the ground.
"That's what I want to see!" Kiba encouraged at his Pokémon's fancy footwork. "Now give that Dusknoir a taste of your After Image trick! Bullet Punch!"
Champ disappeared again from the eyes of Neo and Novus for only a split second, but what they saw next made Neo's heart skip a beat in fear. Circling Novus seemed to be a dozen Hitmonchan, all moving in the same direction as if they were each their own physical being. Suddenly, a steel induced fist hit Novus from behind and then again in its chest near its mouth. The attacks were relentless and it was impossible for either Neo or his Pokémon to tell where the next attack would come from.
"Novus, don't be fooled! Use Shadow Punch!" Neo countered.
The Dusknoir groaned, his sole eye focused on the multiple doppelgangers as his fists suddenly became outlined in a gray aura. As the after-images of the Hitmonchan closed in, Novus let loose several Shadow Punches, all shot in various angles. But in a single moment, all spectral projectiles swerved and collided on a single target. Champ fell to one knee as the rest of the conjured doppelgangers faded into nothing while Novus was left panting after pulling through the onslaught.
"Come on Champ get back up! Bullet Punch!"
From his kneeling position he fired another punch that barely hit its mark as Novus was brought down to a similar position. Neo took a split-second glance at the screen and saw that Novus' health bar was way less than half, almost on the verge of becoming red. Champ's bar was the same but he had more hit points left compared to Novus. Clenching his fist, he pushed himself not to give in to the gnawing dread of defeat.
"Novus! I know you can do this!" He called out to his Pokémon. "Fight back with Fire Punch!"
Staggering to get off the ground, Novus glared at his opponent and once again lunged at him with fists burning crimson. Champ, although growing equally exhausted, side-stepped to the left and drove a solid Bullet Punch combo against the Dusknoir's midsection, eliciting a hoarse pained cry from the ghost-type.
Neo watched in fear as his Dusknoir swayed erratically, his form quivering as he forced himself to remain aloft. Could he continue? Should he continue? Neo unconsciously stepped forward just as Novus was about launch another attack, only to falter as he let out a final cry of rage before finally falling unconscious across the cold rugged field.
Silence permeated the field as the referee declared that Novus was unable to continue, giving the first round victory to Kiba. Neo looked heartbroken at the loss. Novus, his father's Pokémon and one of the strongest Pokémon on his team had been defeated in the first round against Kiba.
From the stands, Arc and his companions just watched on silently as Neo praised his fallen Pokemon before returning to his side of the field. As soon as he walked back to his respective spot, Neo's demeanor had changed, his posture stood tall and strong. A hardened gaze flooded with resolve turned to Kiba who returned the expression with his signature smirk. Neo then took out his second Pokémon and sent him out into the battlefield.
With an ear-splitting screech, a crimson Drapion materialized in the midst of the arena, his sharp eyes fixated on the familiar boxing Pokémon and the trainer that stood next to him. It was instantaneous; Scourge's eyes immediately narrowed at its former master as it roared in rage at his opponents. His three pincers were raised into the air threateningly as his anger seethed from his body like the poison dripping from its claws, leaving small corroded craters on the ground beneath it.
Arc, Lily and Thorn thought for a moment or two that sending Scourge out may have been a mistake, an excuse for the crimson insectoid to go into a blood rage and kill both of them on the spot. However, much to his relief, Scourge turned back to look at Neo- his eyes returning to normal at the sight of its new trainer- as it nodded at Neo assuredly. Neo responded with a relieved smile and nodded as Scourge turned back to look at Kiba and Champ, growling as they awaited for the referee to signal the start of the battle.
With the cue for the second round to begin, Neo immediately seized the initiative. "Scourge, use Hone Claws and follow up with Night Slash."
As quick as the shiny Drapion's pincers lit up with an empowering white light, dark energy radiated out and engulfed all three of Scourge's limbs. Then without missing a beat, he charged at Kiba's Hitmonchan.
"Agility Champ! Hit it from behind with Sky Uppercut!"
As it had for the majority of the battle Champ disappeared as it made to strike the unexpected Drapion from behind. However, much to everyone's surprise, the Hitmonchan got nowhere near its intended target.
Just as it materialized behind Scourge, it was immediately swept off the ground and into the air by Scourge's tail where he turned its body in a complete 180 to stare threateningly into the eyes of its opponent. With another swing of his tail, he caught Kiba's Hitmonchan between his pincers and pinned him to a boulder where Champ was then met with a cross bladed assault from Scourge's arms.
Champ brought his arms up to shield himself. But the sheer force of retribution came in full force and Kiba's Hitmonchan was sent harshly crashing through the thick rock and slamming against another cluster of boulders where he fell to the ground and succumbed to unconsciousness.
"Wow… that ended fast. What's up with that Drapion?" Lily watched in awe. "It didn't react like that when you were battling it."
"It's acting like that because Kiba used to own that Drapion…" Arc narrowed his eyes.
"Come again?" Thorn poked his head around.
"I was surprised as you are when Kiba first told me, but he was Scourge's trainer before Neo and he treated it pretty poorly. "He hissed. "That's why it's acting this way. It's nothing but rage induced power."
Kiba stared in shock at his downed Hitmonchan and then looked almost fearfully to Scourge who merely growled readily, more than anxious to continue battling and to defeat his former trainer. He recalled his Pokémon from the field and without hesitation threw out his second Pokémon, a massive Fearow with the impressive wing span.
The two Pokémon stared at one another with heated glares. Once the referee signaled for the match to continue, the fighting began.
"Drill Peck, Arrow!" Kiba instructed.
The Fearow was airborne with a single flap of its massive wings and was quickly closing in on Scourge as its beak was spinning at a deathly fast pace.
"Douse with Toxic!" Neo cried out.
Raising his tail, Scourge steeled his stance as the brown avian descended like a missile. As soon as the Fearow closed in, the crimson Drapion spewed a torrent of violet poison that completely drenched the bird Pokémon. However the Fearow did not relent from its attack after being badly poisoned and landed its attack on the base of Scourge's body causing the massive Pokémon to roar in pain before the Fearow ascended to a safe distance, the effects of Toxic evident in the purple static reverberating off of its body.
"Finish this quick Arrow use Drill Run!" Kiba shouted.
Arrow closed its wings and seemingly plummeted towards the ground, however just before it crashed it opened its wings and rotated its entire body at a high speed making it seem as if the avian itself was a massive drill as it went flying towards Scourge.
"Escape with Dig!"
With immediate compliance, Scourge tunneled through the hardened soil using his sharp pincers. Kiba's Fearow swooped in but was too late to land a hit before the Drapion's tail vanished into the darkness of the hole.
"Follow it Arrow, Mirror Move!" Kiba followed up.
Spinning itself into another drill like maneuver, Arrow followed Scourge into the hole moving dirt just as easily as Scourge had moments before. While neither of the trainers could see what was happening below the ground they could both hear the surprised and pained shrieks of Scourge and the equally pained squawks from Arrow. After minutes of their health bars depleting from underground, Arrow was the first to emerge from the ground followed quickly by Scourge who had just missed the Pokémon's tail feathers.
"Press on, Scourge! Use Night Slash," Neo commanded.
As the Fearow escaped upwards, Scourge scaled one of the rocks and used the height to lung itself at the brown avian with a tail wrapped in tendrils of black aura. Surprised by the sudden flying Drapion, Arrow had no chance to dodge the attack as it was struck by the attack sending it plummeting to the ground. However the Fearow opened its wings at the last minute and managed to glide over the ground, avoiding a collision with the ground but taking heavy damage from the poison in its place.
"Quick before it can get back to the ground! Drill Run!" Kiba roared.
Arrow repeated its spinning motion as it made a beeline towards the falling Drapion, almost ensuring that it wouldn't be able to avoid the direct attack.
Knowing that there was no time to tunnel an escape, Neo changed tactics. "Scourge, Night Slash! Block first then attack."
When Kiba's Fearow closed in, all three limbs of the Drapion blazed with dark energy. With Scourge's sharpened senses helping him zero in on his target, he extended his arms and clamped his pincers around the rotating beak of the brown avian. The drilling motion and the dark-type energy reverberated in the air with harsh crackling noises. Scourge was doing his best to hold back the Fearow, partly succeeding but the two continued to plummet towards the earth. Pushing to accomplish Neo's last instruction, he maneuvered his tail and struck the midsection of the Fearow.
The two crashed landed onto the rocks, sending rumbles across the ground and dust into the air. Moments of heavy silence passed before the arena cleared up and the two Pokémon were now visible. Scourge emerged from the smoke, roaring as it did and shocking the crowd that it had survived such a violent fall. Arrow however was on the ground unconscious, whether it was from the attacks or from the effects of Toxic however was unknown. Kiba returned his Fearow and looked to Neo with a look of loathing.
"You're right." Lily stated as Kiba and Neo exchanged a few harsh lines. "He is tough on his Pokemon… They seem almost afraid of him."
"That's because they are… If they don't listen, they get punished, and the punishments are quite severe." There was a sharp tone to his voice. "Scourge had scars that didn't heal properly because of him."
"How arrogant can a trainer get?" Even Thorn was overly appalled. "Even I… a newbie to being a trainer knows better than to-."
"It's up to you, Bane!" They heard Kiba shout
From the Pokeball the shining form of Kiba's Scizor emerged from its Pokeball as its red armor seemed to glisten in the sun light, a mega stone harnessed to its chest like an armor plate mail.
"Oh crap… It can Mega Evolve now." Arc cringed.
"I came prepared after seeing you fight with Scourge in the first match," Kiba said with a vindictive smile on his face. "You can preach all you want about how your bonds keep you strong but just wait until my bond beats your Pokémon to death! Bane, Mega Evolve!"
As Kiba spoke one of the dog tags around his neck started to glow, apparently having been his key stone. It glowed at the same time as the one around his Scizor's chest as it was overcome by a bright light changing its physical features. Its wings increased in size as its pincers also grew changing into the shape of giant pliers, while the rest of his body seemed to become heavily armored. Once the light dissipated, the Scizor looked terrifying, and even Scourge could tell that the change was alarming.
"You can go first Neo," Kiba said with a cruel smile. "And it'll be the last nice thing I do for you."
Neo clenched his teeth and balled his fists, his resolve barely keeping him on his feet in the face of such an adversary. Arc knew he was testing his limits and could pass out like he did before, but something told him he wasn't going to stop him. Scourge screeched loudly and stomped his legs, drawing Neo's attention back into reality. He looked to the Drapion and saw just how determined he was to keep on going.
"Scourge, attack with Dig!"
And with that, the crimson Drapion penetrated the rocky layers of the arena and disappeared beneath it.
"Get in the air," Kiba said calmly.
The Mega-Scizor shot like a rocket into the sky and merely hovered in place, well out of reach of anywhere the Drapion would be able to strike upon exiting the ground. After only a few moments Scourge emerged from underground shrieking in frustration at not having a target.
"Metal Claw," Kiba said with a continued calm in his voice that worried Neo.
Bane's wings opened as it threw itself towards Scourge. Before it had any time to evade the Scizor's massive claws shined with the texture of metal as it made two fast and precise cuts on the Drapion's chest before flying out of range of a counter attack. Scourge stood there, shocked, for several seconds before falling to the ground having reached its limit from that single attack.
The crowds looked on as fear and doubt began to gnaw at Neo as he stared at Scourge's unconscious form on the ground, the mega Scizor looming over him. His instincts told him to rush to the Drapion's side but his feet were frozen in place. With only a reflex of a trainer, Neo called back Scourge into his Pokeball without a word.
"Neo," Kiba called out, surprising the young noble. "I'm going to give you this one chance to give up now."
"What?" Neo asked in shock.
"Don't be a fool. You say you care about your Pokémon but you know sending out your Wartortle will end poorly for it. And unlike Scourge, Bane has no problem getting his claws bloody, so I'll say it one last time: Give. Up."
"Bloody? You don't mean?" Lily went wide eyed.
"Yes. Bane may very well kill Genbu in this round if given the chance." Arc bit his lip. "He told me something similar when his Fearow started pecking at Mimzy…"
Neo stood still, as if frozen in time. The roars of the crowd drowned away as his hand hovered above Genbu's Pokeball. It was obvious that even though the rules were dead set against killing, Kiba was after blood… and more horribly it was Genbu's he wanted.
Neo seemed to give up at that point. His hand went limp but suddenly Pokeball snapped open and Genbu emerged from it, landing at the edge of the arena, his snowflake-printed back turned to Kiba and Bane while he faced Neo with an angered look.
"Warr!" Genbu growled in a scolding manner.
Arc realized what was about to happen. It reminded him of what Neeko did all those months ago.
"Genbu…" Neo muttered absentmindedly. His Wartortle shook his head and turned around to walk further into the arena. "Genbu!"
The ice-born Wartortle glanced over his shoulder and met his trainer's wavering look with an expression of zero fear. It shocked Neo and the rest of the crowd for that matter. He didn't want to endanger his Pokemon. He didn't care about what other people would think so why wouldn't his Pokémon just understand that?
"Warr!" Genbu cried out once again as if forcing his trainer to get up and face the enemy ahead.
Neo bit his lip and recalled Novus' gesture on his shoulder, Scourge's trusting gaze and now Genbu's relentless ways of being stubborn. He chuckled inwardly and raised his head to meet Genbu's grin with his usual warm smile. "Alright… You guys win."
As the referee confirmed Neo's choice to continue, he raised his hand and declared the final round of the fifteenth match to begin.
"Use Swords Dance," Kiba said in his terrifyingly calm tone. "Don't attack until it makes a move," he added."
Bane's pincers sharpened at the order as he clicked them readily together, as if taunting for the Wartortle to fight in close quarters.
"Genbu, stay where you are." Neo instructed as his Wartortle kept a calm disposition. "Attack with Water Pulse!"
Just as soon as the commands were issued, Genbu conjured whirling blue water spheres and hurled them at the Mega Scizor. Bane didn't even wait for an order from its trainer as the Water Pulses made their way towards him; he merely raised his pincers and batted the attacks away as if he was hitting a rubber ball, dissipating each attack before they could do any damage.
Neo and Genbu were both caught by surprise at the futility of their attacks but while Neo was growing fearful by the Mega Scizor's display of strength, Genbu refused to give up as he stubbornly stood his ground.
"Use X-Scissors," Kiba said plainly as his cruel smile refused to vanish from his face.
"Counter with Ice Beam Genbu!" Neo yelled out quickly. "Trap it before it can get close!"
Genbu immediately fired an Ice Beam at the mega evolved Pokémon in hopes to trap the Pokémon in a block of ice. Unfortunately, Bane was fast enough to avoid volley after volley of the attacks, leaving pillars of solid ice in the spots it had been standing seconds, doing little more than minimizing the amount of the battle field they could safely travel across.
Despite it all, it couldn't halt Bane's advance and soon Genbu found himself looking face to face with the Mega Scizor who was hovering right in front of him. An uncontrollable sense of dread flashed before the Wartortle's eyes as well as his trainer's when Bane crossed his long pincers in front, a blood red glow radiating out from them. Genbu had barely time to brace himself inside his shell as Bane's attack came, slamming him into a series of boulders that shattered on impact, the final one where he ultimately slammed against left a sizeable web-like crack.
Neo's breathing narrowed as he looked to Genbu who wearily emerged from his shell and staggered back to his feet, wincing as he did. After a moment, his gaze shifted to Bane who was steadily walking towards the shaken up Wartortle.
"Genbu! Get out of there!" Neo tried to warn his Pokémon but he was too late.
"Metal Claw, Bane. It's time to finish this," Kiba commanded almost excitedly.
Bane's Claws glowed with a metallic sheen as he quickly reached out his claw and attacked Genbu yet again, forcing him to fly backwards and slam against another boulder before grabbing the turtle Pokémon around his midsection, keeping Genbu pinned against the rugged rock with no obvious way to escape.
"So it seems we've returned to a familiar situation," Kiba taunted as Genbu struggled to get out of Bane's death grip. "My Pokémon holds the life of yours in his pincer. Maybe if you ask Bane nicely he'll let your Wartortle go... Go on, ask him!" Kiba almost demanded.
Neo struggled to think straight, his gazing shifting back and forth from Genbu to Bane. "...I."
"Warr!" Genbu intervened with a hoarse growl.
Desperately, he struggled to break free and even fired a single Water Pulse move, striking the Mega Scizor on the head, but Bane barely flinched as the death grip only tightened. Without waiting for an order, Bane slammed Genbu into the boulder where he was pressed against, releasing a pain-filled gasp from the turtle Pokémon as he weakly continued to try and break free from his opponent's grasp.
"I told you to ask Bane to be merciful," Kiba angrily demanded again, watching with amusement as Bane continued to crush Genbu effortlessly as his health bar continued to decrease on the screen. "Beg him to free your precious Pokémon like you did with Scourge. Forge a 'bond'," he added with an almost beast like snarl.
Lily was at her wits end with how this was going and stood up, her eyes were burning with rage. "I'm going to kill him." She started storming towards the back of the arena.
"Lily! Don't do it!" Arc tackled her midsection and despite her flailing and kicking managed to get her back in her seat. "This is out of our hands…" Arc took a more somber tone.
Lily snarled, but soon conceded on the matter and watched with a bloodlust gaze.
Neo clenched his fists, defeat and despair slowly swallowing him from under his feet. Genbu's cries echoed in his ears, part laced with fear but it was still ringing with the message to fight on. Thoughts of his Pokémon and the bond they forged over time wrapped around him with warmth. "As I said before… Our trust in each other will be the one to beat you."
Kiba scoffed and cued his mega evolved Pokémon. "Then your trust will lead your Pokémon to his death. Hyper Beam Bane! Point blank!"
Bane raised his free pincer and opened it. In it was an orange light sphere steadily beginning to build in power. Genbu continued to struggle against his restraint but his efforts were useless. Finally, as the attack had reached its maximum power, Bane put the tips of its pincer around Genbu's head just as the attack was about to be unleashed Kiba couldn't help but smirk at Neo and make one final taunt.
"Times up."
At those words, a bright light engulfed the arena. Crowds and onlookers gasped, not knowing what had happened, but all fearing for the worst. Arc, Thorn, and Lily covered their eyes out of fear. Neo blinked away the blinding brilliance and looked ahead at the shroud of light. As the enormity of the event came crashing down, regret pierced through his body like ice cold daggers. Trembling, he looked down as his world began cave in around him. The light slowly faded away but even then, Neo refused to look up, wallowing in his mistake.
Suddenly the crowds erupted with various reactions. Loud gasps and soon a booming applause reverberated through the atmosphere. With wonder and slivers of hope rising, Neo looked up and fell speechless at the sight.
What stood before all of them was now a massive turtle with a broad head and an enormous shell with two cannons coming out on each side of the upper portion. When the white light cleared away, a greenish-blue glow, a remnant of Protect, had just faded, mere seconds after being visible, revealing a signature white snowflake mark on the face of the brown shell.
Arc gave a deadly smile and snickered. "Game over Kiba."
Neo could barely believe what had occurred at that very moment. He eyed in disbelief Genbu's new form as a grin curved across the titan turtle's maw as he now held a buzzing red armored insect off the ground and in his massive clawed hand.
Kiba stared in shock at the enormous turtle Pokémon standing in the arena, now holding his own Pokémon in a similar grip that it had been held in seconds before. Unfortunately, Kiba had no time to give orders as one of Genbu's massive cannons took aim at the Mega Scizor and fired a powerful concentrated blast of water that sent Bane crashing through several boulders before finally he slammed to a stop into one of the ice pillars Genbu had made earlier. Kiba shook with fury while Neo watched in awe at Genbu's newly obtained strength.
Arc took the time to look up Genbu's new form in the Pokedex. "Blastoise, the Shellfish Pokémon, and the evolved form of Wartortle. Blastoise's strength lies in its power, rather than its speed. Its shell is like armor and attacks from the hydro cannons on its back are virtually unstoppable."
"Your Wartortle may have evolved but that doesn't change anything!" Kiba roared angrily. "Bane, Metal Claw!"
The Mega Scizor shook off any weariness and ice debris he had obtained from Genbu's attack as he launched himself at the Blastoise with his deadly metallic claws. Genbu, though, didn't look the least bit scared as he snorted and awaited Neo's signal.
Now with his determination and confidence now brimming, Neo initiated a full counter-attack. "Hydro Pump!"
Genbu let out a rumbling cry as he lowered his cannons , aiming both directly at the advancing target, and unleashing surging torrents of water that shattered rocks and ice pillars before colliding with the Mega Scizor with explosive force. Halting, Bane dug his feet into the ground and brought his glowing pincers forward to counter the unrelenting onslaught. But despite that, he was still being forcibly pushed back.
"What are you doing?!" Kiba asked angrily. "Get out of the torrent and hit him already!"
Bane ducked low beneath the Hydro Pump's torrents and flew around the streams before closing in on Genbu, where he then landed two strikes with his claws on the front of Genbu's shell. Neo's Blastoise recoiled slightly before ending the Hydro Pump and swinging one of its massive arms towards Bane to force the Mega Pokémon to back off.
As the Mega Scizor flew out of range from Genbu's fist, Neo pressed on the attack. "Follow up with Blizzard!"
Genbu pointed his cannons upward and let loose a powerful snowstorm into the arena, blanketing the rocky terrain with a pure layer of white slush. Above the arena, Bane desperately tried to fly through the icy gale but with every stroke of his wings, frost and snow built up around his wings and body, impairing his flight until he came crashing down from the air and into the domain of snow and ice.
"Damn it, Bane!" Kiba responded angrily. "Get up now! Full power Hyper Beam! Take. Him. DOWN!"
Brushing off the white slush, Bane stood back up and raised both of its pincers, readying a dual-Hyper Beam in a way firing them at Genbu in a way that would be difficult for the now bulkier Pokémon to avoid.
"Give us your best shot!" Neo yelled back as Genbu backed him up with a booming growl. "Genbu, use Protect and follow up with another Hydro Pump."
Planting both his bulky legs on the snow-covered ground, Blastoise braced himself, a vivid bluish-green glow radiating out and outlining his massive form. Bane fired both pincers simultaneously and two powerful orange beams plowed through the field, melting away ice and disintegrating rocks. When the attack collided with its target, an explosive burst of light occurred, forcing chunks of the arena to fly into the air.
One by one, the debris fell back into place and the haze cleared away, revealing that Genbu was still standing in place, scathed yet conscious, and a deep depression had formed in front of him. Then before anyone could react, Genbu glowed with a blazing blue aura, evidence of Torrent ability's activation. With the ability empowerment and pre-aimed cannons, he fired another surging stream of Hydro Pump straight at Bane who was still recovering from using the energy-consuming move. The massive spouts of water rushed through the field as remnants of the cold air rapidly solidifying them into ice missiles. Bane didn't have the energy to dodge as the large iced projectiles crashed dead on, exploding on contact before raining down in the form of ice crystals.
The haze of frost dissipated and Bane laid across the snow, unconscious as he reverted back to his prior form. The crowds cheered on and the referee declared the match to be over with Neo emerging as the victor.
Neo let out a breath that came out white in the lingering coldness. He stared ahead, slowly giving the feat of the accomplishment to sink in. But when it did, he made his way to the arena, his shoes crunching in the snow with every step.
Genbu turned around to meet him with a wide grin that was almost said, 'And you thought I'd lose.'
Arc and his friends watched as the ending of the battle unfolded. He smiled for Neo as he defeated the one person he feared in the tournament and he did it with tactics that rivaled his own. He threw caution to the wind and let hell rain upon Kiba and his Pokemon.
"Neeko is going to have a hard time beating Genbu next time they meet… No telling how much power is packed into that turtle."
He turned to face Lily and Thorn when he heard Kiba's word erupt across the entire stadium.
"This isn't over, you hear me?! THIS ISN'T OVER!"
Arc watched as Kiba stormed off in the other direction. There was weight to his words and they were not friendly in the least bit. He then sighed and shook his head.
"Neo… you better watch your back with him. There is no telling what he will do."
With that, we come to the conclusion of the Scuffle of Legends... But! There is more to come! Stick around and find out what happens next on Pokemon: The Untold Story of Arc!
This project was brought to you by Scriffignano, Airenee, Ramaxy18-chan, DeadBonesSam, and WrittenWhim.
***As always, Please read and REVIEW. Any feedback is very helpful, appreciated, and valuable.
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Arc
(Neeko) Charizard: Flamethrower, Fire Blast, Dragon Rage, Thunder Punch
(Snow Storm) Butterfree: Psybeam, Bug Buzz, Sleep Powder, Double Team
(Dino) Salamence: Flamethrower, Hydro Pump, Dragon Dance, Dragon Claw
(Mimzy) Rapidash: Bounce, Flame Charge, Agility, Horn Drill
(Earthshaker) Swampert: Whirlpool, Ice Punch, Earthquake, Water Pledge
(Amarga) Amaura: Powdered Snow, Charge Beam, Ancient Power, Flash Cannon
Lily
(Kappa) Totodile: Aqua Tail, Water Gun, Superpower, Bite
(Smoke) Quilava: Flame Wheel, Swift, Rollout, Eruption
(Iceberg) Dewgong: Icy Wind, Headbutt, Brine, Swagger
(Waru) Krookodile: Crunch, Stone Edge, Dig, Dragon Claw
(Dusky) Mightyena: Dark Pulse, Crunch, Shadow Ball, Howl
(Stratus) Altaria: Cotton Guard, Ice Beam, Aerial Ace, Dragon Pulse
Thorn
(Sparky) Pikachu: Thunderbolt, Electroball
(Roxanne) Ninetales: Flamethrower, Energy Ball
(Savage)Rhydon: Power-up Punch, Horn Drill, Surf, Take Down
(Sammy) Quagsire: Haze, Icy Wind
(Foreshadow) Absol: Stone Edge
(King) Tyrunt: none know