Argent had never been so livid. He almost had to choose between his friends. Argent was going to make Pierce pay for that.
"Iron Head!"
"Icicle Crash!"
Hinedge sped forward as shards of ice rained down upon him. He veered left and right to avoid the ice as he rocketed toward Cryogonal. He collided head on with Cryogonal, knocking it back a few feet. But, despite the super effective attack, Cryogonal was still conscious.
How?
"Ice Beam!" Pierce yelled.
"Dodge!" Argent cried.
Honedge darted to the left as Cryogonal shot a beam of blue energy at him.
"Iron Head!" Argent yelled.
Honedge shot forward and collided with Cryonogal again, and the two bounced back.
"How can it's Defense be so high?!" Argent cursed. "There's no way!"
Pierce grinned, causin Argent to shiver. That grin was the grin of an old man luring kids into his ice cream truck. It didn't belong on someone as young as Pierce.
"My Defense stat is so high," Pierce said, "that you'll never break through! And I have five other pokemon just as strong! You can't win, Prodigy."
Argent glowered at him, any hint of composure gone. "You don't tell me what I can and can't do! Honedge, Talonflame, and I are going to win! Iron Head! Over and over!"
Honedge began to glow with a silvery aura as he began to slash as Cryonogal.
"You can't win!" Pierce laughed coldy. "Icicle Crash!"
Shards of ice rained down on Honedge, knocking him back toward Argent.
"Hone!" He yelled.
This isn't working... Argent thought. "Honedge, return!" Argent pressed the button on his pokeball,, but Honedge dodged the red beam of light.
"Edge!" he cried.
Argent shook his head. "Stop being stubborn. You can't win!"
Honedge looked at Argent, then began to glow. It rushed at Cryogonal again, colliding with it.
"Honedge, you don't have to-"
"Hone!" he grunted.
Why wasn't he listening? Why wouldn't he give up?
Then it hit Argent.Argent had nearly released Honedge because of Pierce. And their whole time together, Argent had pushed Honedge to be the best, to be better. Honedge thought Argent had actually wanted to release him.
"Honedge!" Argent yelled as Honedge grappled with Cryonogal. "It's okay! I won't be mad if you can't do it! It's okay! You're my best friend, of course I wouldn't release you!"
"Hone..." Honedge cried, letting go. He was flung back toward Argent.
"You did great." Argent told him. "I'm so proud to call you my partner."
"Edge! Edge!" Honedge affirmed.
"It doesn't matter what pokemon you use!" Pierce shouted. "My Defense is unbreakable!"
Argent balled his fist. "You're wrong! I believe in my friends! Amber and Braedon beat Cedar, and my Pokemon will beat you!"
"Hone!" Honedge cried, poonting his blade at Pierce.
Then Honedge began to glow. Soon he became surrounded in light to the point where Argent could barely see him. His form began to change. He seemed to grow.
Then the light faded, and floating in front of Argent was two crossed sword sheaths, both with purple tassels on the end of their handle.
"Doublade!" he cried.
"You evolved!" Argent cried happily.
"Evolution or not," Pierce said, "he still can not defeat my Pokemon!"
Doublade unsheathed both it's swords, then rushed forward, the blades glowing with a violet aura. The two blades struck Glalie and Cryonogal, causing both Pokemon to cry out.
"No!" Pierce cried as they all began to plummet.
"Talonflame!" Argent yelled. Taloflame dived down, catching Pierce with her talons.
"We did it!" Argent cried. He hugged Talonflame.
"Talon!"
"Doublade!"
"You never cease to amaze me, you know that?" Braedon told him in the police hold up. Amber was being questioned by a detective about their fight with Cedar and Pierce, the two of them already having been questioned. Braedon and Argent had been catching each other up on what happened during their respective battles.
At first, Argent couldn't believe that Tangrowth had been defeated in one hit. But now that ge thought about ir, it made sense. Pierce had little strength but massive defense. Cedar, his opposite, was absurdedly powerful but lacked endurance. That's why the two were paired together.
"It was Ho - Doublade, really." Argent said honestly. "I can't believe he evolved and learned Sacred Sword."
Btaedon nodded. "Still, it was really brave of you to take on Pierce by yourself."
"And it was brave of you to tell Amber to leave you behind." Argent replied.
Amber walked out just then, and after the three of them were dismissed by the police, they left the precinct.
"So what now?" Amber wondered. "Sleep?"
"Later." Argent said. "After defeating even more Hallowed Church members, we deserve to have some fun."
Braedon smiled, and Argent couldn't help but think that he wanted to protect that smile from the world.
"Then let's go!" he said. "I need some new outfits so I can impress all the boys in town. And we need to get Doublade a dusk stone, so he can evolve."
"I don't think so." Argent said. "I mean, we can get the stone, but I don't think I'm evolvimg him yet. I might save it for an emergency."
"So tomorrow, around noon?" Amber joked.
"Sounds about right." Braedon said, and they all burst into laughter.
Argent wished that they would never stop.
Gale was growing tired of her subordinates.
"I could have took them." Andreas snapped. "Why did you call me back?"
"Does it matter?" Gale raised an eyebrow. "I'm Head Priest. I say jump, you fly. That's how it goes."
"We could go." Rios said, brushing a hand through his flyaway hair. "We won't lose again."
"Please." Andreas said. "If my Bishops couldn't defeat them, then what chance do you have?"
Gale saw Rios tense, but he held his tongue. He knew not to defy an Archbishop.
"Just as well," Scarlet said, "I don't feel like taking on those cheating brats again."
"Don't you want revenge for what they did?" Mulan asked.
"They're going to crash and burn no matter what." Scarlet answered. "Why waste my time when one of you could do it?"
"With a can-do attitude like that, I'm surprised you failed." Arthur said, rolling his eyes.
Gale rubbed her temples. "Children, could you please stop bickering, or-"
"Or I'll have to punish you."
They all turned to face the doorway. Striding in was Masa, Joseph, Volterre, Cedar, and Pierce.
"That was fast." Gale mused. "You broke them out that quickly?"
"It took a little longer than I thought." Masa said with a giggle, her pigtails swaying. She grinned, showing the alternating blue and yellow bands of her braces. "Some of those naughty police officers had to be punished."
At her side, Volterre snorted. Joseph grinned.
"What are we going to do about the Pokedexes?" Volterre signed quickly, the sleeves to his robes sliding down his dark arms. Joseph translated.
Gale sighed. "Nothing."
The members of the Holy Legion exchanged looks. "Nothing?" Joseph repeated, adjusting his dress shirt collar.
"We have more pressing matters." Gale said.
"More pressing than Plan Erasure?" Pierce wondered.
Gale nodded. "The plan will go on as schelduled. But we must avoid the Prodigies. We will be going to the Pokeball Factory as planned. But the rest of our plans must change."
"Why must they change Head Priest?" Mulan wondered. "If I may be so bold." she added quickly.
"Because I beleive their is a traitor among us." Gale said.
