Chapter 440

"There's Levels To This"

Prince stomped up the spiral staircase, passing numerous floors until he finally reached the top of the tower where Mandy stood.

"You made it," Mandy smiled.

Prince, out of breath, nodded, "…Yeah," he coughed.

The top floor of the tower was almost barren, nothing but the slab of a wooden floor. It reminded Prince of an old attic.

(Wood?) Prince stared at the ground. (That means fire-type moves can't be used here unless I want us to burn and fall to our deaths.) He noted.

Mandy patted Prince on the shoulder, "Well," pointing across the wooden floor, "There's the captain."

A petite woman with long green hair, arms covered in tattoos and magma red lipstick stood across the room, "Kept me waiting, huh?" Hand on her hip she strode forward, "I'm the captain of this tower."

Prince slowly stood, "And we're here…," he panted, "to take," clutching a pokeball, "this tower."

Mandy strode in front of Prince, "I'll battle her."

"What?" Prince coughed.

"I could use the chance to test out my new Milotic." Mandy smiled.

"No." Prince declined, "This isn't a game. We don't have time for that. We have to get back before they do. I'll handle this and you can spar with your Milotic back at the camp. Besides, if you lose, it only makes her stronger and a bigger obstacle."

Mandy said nothing in protest.

"Battle?" Prince called.

"We'll use two pokemon," the green haired woman stated, "Ready when you are, ehh, I didn't catch your name."

"I didn't give it," Prince replied, "It doesn't matter what my name is, once we take this tower all of that won't matter."

"Shotzi," The green haired woman introduced, "I guess the eastern pharaoh still lacks manners even all these centuries later."

Prince ignored her, gripping the pokeball, "Kirby, go," summoning his perfect lead-off pokemon, his Ditto.

Shotzi wound up, throwing a pokeball and in a flash, a teal-blue Nidorina appeared.

(This won't take long.) Prince thought. It wasn't a conversation of type; it was the topic of level. An unevolved pokemon couldn't have much experience. That was rare. Ash's Pikachu was one of the few exceptions that Prince had ever encountered.

"Kirby, transform." Prince ordered.

A silver glow enveloped the Ditto, it's body molded like clay until it became a replica of the Nidorina across the floor from it.

"Kirby, start off with Toxic Spikes!" The duplicate-Ditto fired leapt into the air and sprayed a flurry of toxic needles into the ground on the other side of the floor. Poison landmines for whatever pokemon stepped onto them.

Shotzi shook her head, "That's not going to do anything. Nidorina is a poison type, the toxic spikes won't do anything to it."

Prince shook his head. Shotzi must not have much experience battling. The Toxic Spikes weren't being set for her Nidorina; they were being set for her second pokemon, whatever it happened to be. Opening with a set up move also gave Prince an opportunity to test his theory; just how strong was Shotzi's Nidorina.

Shotzi pointed, "Nidorina, Bite!"

The Nidorina leapt into the air clamping it's jaws onto the arm of it's doppelganger.

Prince's Ditto, the duplicate Nidorina, landed and didn't seem to be bothered or injured from the attack.

(So its level is a lot lower.) Prince confirmed. (This battle won't take long if her second pokemon is in the same ballpark.) "Kirby, Fury Swipes!"

The Ditto shot forward, claws bared and with slash-after-slash it sent the Nidorina tumbling backwards until it collapsed.

Shotzi gawked, "Wow, so strong." Recalling the Nidorina. "Well," She drew the second pokeball, "I might finally be free of this tower if you're strong enough to beat this one. But I can't just give it to you; you have to be strong enough. Go, Azumarill."

The aqua-rabbit appeared, and then cringed in pain as it landed on the toxic spikes.

(Gotcha.) Prince smiled. (This battles already over.) He watched the poisoned Azumarill.

"You're going to have to give this all you've got Azumarill, Bubble Beam!" Shotzi ordered.

The Azumarill inhaled and fired a stream of bubbles that crashed into the transformed Ditto.

The copycatted Nidorina brushed away the bubbles, empowered by its high level and battle experience.

"As expected," Prince noted, "We'll beat Sasha back to camp, Kirby double kick!" The Nidorina spun and mule kicked the Azumarill into the air.

"What power!" Shotzi gawked as she recalled her defeated Azumarill.

"Well," Shotzi smiled, "Looks like this tower is yours." She turned around, walked to the wall, bowed her head and whispered something.

There was a low hum, then the tower shook as if it were a generator or car engine that had just been turned on. A moment later, a pearl-white light shined like a beacon in the sky.

"What did you do just now?" Prince asked.

Shotzi folded her arms behind her back, "Mystery man, why do you care? Does it matter?"

Prince turned away, "Look, the tower is on, right?"

"Yup." Shotzi nodded, "Which means I'm free to go." She cheered.

"I don't get it." Prince shook his head turning to Mandy and Shotzi, "You guys want to be free from the towers, right? Are you guys throwing battles?"

"No," Shotzi shook her head, "You must not understand the magic of this island."

Prince rolled his eyes, "Here's that magic stuff again."

"It's true," Shotzi explained, "We do what the island commands us to do. I was to defend this tower against all intruders until I was finally beaten. If I threw the match, I'd be punished."

"Punished?" Prince questioned.

Shotzi smiled, "Well, no point worrying about that now right? I'm free." She threw her arms around Mandy pulling her into a hug, "Can I go with you guys?"

"Well," Mandy began but before she could answer, footsteps at the top of the staircase drew their attention.

"Me too." Mickie James waved.

"Me three," Rico smiled, "I have to see how this romance turns out."

Prince exhaled, "And if we say no?"

"We'll just follow to camp anyway." Rico chuckled.

"Fuck it." Prince sighed, "Come if you want."

"Yay!" Shotzi cheered.

Mandy patted Prince on the shoulder, "See, look what being nice to people does."

Prince shook his head, "Whatever, let's hurry back. We need to get there before they do."

"Well," Mandy drummed her fingers on Prince's shoulder, "Since you're done battling, can we fly back?"

"Yeah." Prince nodded.

"Yes!" Mandy cheered.