After that disaster, I remembered the shield I had tucked away into my bag way back from when we left Grama. I saw that it could use a little more work... I unsheathe my sword and begin smoothening those jagged edges. It ended up becoming smaller than before, turning it into a buckler. But I was able to carve it into the shape I wanted.
I pulled one of my other blocks of wood and carved it into a handle. I was thankful I was able to get it right this time, and I slapped it onto the buckler with some glue. After waiting for the glue to dry, I had my first shield.
I had to test this in a battle. I thought Allison would make a good opponent, since Fire-type moves would burn it to a crisp, and Water-type moves would warp the shield, making it less effective.
"Really?" Allison asks. "You wanna rematch? What do you think, Chloe?"
"Well," Chloe says, "After getting hit by that Frizzle, I've been waiting for another opportunity to even the score. Let's do it!"
Smiling cockily, I jump back and draw my sword. I bring out the buckler I finished earlier and hold it in my offhand. Allison and Chloe were surprised to see that I now had a defensive tool, but it was clear to me that they thought they could work around it.
"You make the first move!" I declare.
"We accept!" Allison says. "Chloe, use Fake Out!"
Instead of disconcertingly walking towards me, Chloe starts charging. I bring up my shield to defend myself, but she stops her attack midway, and reaches around my shield to land a hit. I flinched, stopping me from retaliating.
"Follow up with Quick Attack!"
Chloe starts speeding again and turns invisible from her extreme speed. Before I could react, I get bashed by her whole body. I respond by shooting a Frizzle at her, and she takes decent damage.
"You okay?!"
"I'm alright," Chloe says. "What now?"
"Fairy Wind!"
I knew that I was resistant to that move, but it would be better to take no damage at all. I bring up my shield to guard and successfully block the attack. But Chloe reads my moves, and was able to get a free hit as soon as I let my guard down. I was able to slash her before she was able to retreat, however.
"What?" I taunt. "That all you got, girls?"
Allison and Chloe get a little miffed, but they shake it off. Allison orders Chloe to use Life Dew, and she heals herself. Next thing I know, I'm getting assaulted with a Quick Attack. I rush in there and use Falcon Slash. I suppose I could do a little better, though...
"Hmm... Maybe I should switch Pokemon..."
"You're thinking of throwing Ponyta in now?" Chloe says. "C'mon, just lemme battle him a little more!"
"Hehe, sorry, Chloe. But I promise I'll switch with you later, okay? Return for now."
"Hmph... Just make it quick, alright?"
A very disappointed Chloe struts behind Allison, who brings in her Ponyta. She orders it to use Confusion, and I take some more damage. I think for a while and wonder what Galarian Ponyta are weak to. Since it was a Psychic-type, I concluded that it would be weak to Bug-, Ghost-, and Dark-type moves, all of which I lacked. Maybe this is why she switched Pokemon... I had no way of exploiting Ponyta's weaknesses.
Undeterred, I run at Ponyta and land a critical hit, dealing major damage. Ponyta refuses to give up however, and makes me drop my guard a little with a Tail Whip. It then follows up with a Tackle. Shoot... I'm barely getting any chances to use my shield! How am I supposed to win like this?!
In desperation, I prepare a spell. Two intertwined fireballs appear, as if I'm about to cast Frizzle, but panic made me shoot it differently, causing a wave of fire to fly towards Ponyta, roasting it. It seemed like I just used an improved version of Sizz... Sizzle, right?
"Woah!" Allison gasps. "What was that?!"
"That was Sizzle," I reply. "An enhanced form of Sizz!"
"Since when did you learn that?"
"Just now. But focus on the fight!"
Casting Sizzle had done a lot of damage to Ponyta, and it seemed a few more attacks would cause it to faint. I wouldn't cast Sizzle again, because I could feel my magic energy petering out. I swiftly land a blow before Ponyta has time to react. Ponyta attempts to counter with a Tackle, but it collapses before it could get going. I take this chance to land one more attack, which caused it to faint.
"Ponyta, no!"
Allison runs over to Ponyta, worried sick. I wouldn't blame her- the friends I'm traveling with care about their Pokemon a big deal. Allison manages to shake Ponyta awake.
"Are you alright, Ponyta?"
"Y-Yes... I'm fine," Ponyta gasps. "Finish this for me... alright?"
Allison nods, and returns Ponyta to its Poke Ball.
"Well, I didn't expect you to come in clutch with a new spell. But that doesn't matter! We'll win this! Go, Chloe!"
Chloe psyches herself up for another round. Chloe is commanded to use Fake Out. I decide not to let my guard down and hold my shield for the entire duration of the attack. But Chloe foresaw this, and ran behind me to attack and make me flinch. She tries to Quick Attack me, but I fend her off with my buckler. I'm starting to run out of stamina, and I had to do something ASAP.
I try casting Sizzle on Chloe, and she takes big damage. I try it again... Only for the spell to fizzle out and die. I'm already out of magic energy?! Why do I get drained so quickly?! That's so unfair!
While I rant in my mind, I have no time to avoid another Quick Attack. I fall on my knees, defenseless and unable to do anything.
"Yeah, Chloe! Now finish the job!"
Chloe runs at me and attacks so fiercely that she kicks up a cloud of dust, as if she were using Co-op de Grâce on her own. By the time she finishes, I'm already knocked out.
When I come to, I see Chloe using Life Dew on me to heal both of us.
"What happened to me?" I mutter.
"You lost," Allison says. "You were beaten by Chloe's newly-learned Play Rough."
"Really? She just learned a new move?"
"Uh-huh. But it's thanks to you that we've both gotten stronger!"
"Yeah. Good fight."
The two of us shake hands in good sportsmanship.
The one in which David and Chloe grow stronger, and the latter defeats the former.
A certain Pokemon takes the spotlight for the next chapter...
