Pokemon: Radiant Ruby and Shining Sapphire / Separation
Chapter 7
A Hotspring Showdown
Inside the building Ruby and Combusken were greeted with a stairway that had steam rising up from it. They walked down the steps and looked out over what appeared to be an underground hot spring. And in the very center of it was an elevated arena, which was also the only dry land in sight. Steam and the sound of geysers filled the air. Once they reached the bottom of the stairway,
Flannery walked ahead towards two rather bulky men. She turned around and explained, "Allow me to introduce my co leaders. This here is Cole…" She pointed to a rather tall man with black hair and a grizzled look on his face. He smiled as his name was mentioned which made him look much less intimidating though. Flannery continued, "And this man is Axle." The other large man just stood there with his arms folded, not moving an inch. The Gym leader then nodded and said, "Anyway, you'll have to get past these two before challenging me. However, I expect you to live up to your reputation Ruby, so I'll see you soon." After saying this she walked through the steaming water until she was out of sight.
Ruby then looked at the two co leaders and asked, "So, how do we want to do this? I'd prefer not to keep Flannery waiting, so why don't you both try to take me on at the same time? The sooner I'm done here, the better."
Cole gave a hardy laugh and said, "Haha! I like that kind of spirit kid! I don't know how a Team Magma member got in good graces with Flannery, but I'm thinking I'm starting to figure it out!" He turned to the other man and asked, "So what do ya say Axle? Wanna take this brat down a notch with me?"
The other man grunted and unfolded his arms. He walked over to Cole and grabbed a pokeball from his belt.
Ruby turned to Combusken and thought, "Do you want in on this or should I let Linoone and Lombre at em?"
Combusken answered, "I'm happy to share these guys with them, but I want to face Flannery on my own if I can. Recently when fighting, I've felt like I was on the cusp of a new power. I have a hunch that she'll be able to drag it out of me."
Ruby sarcastically responded while grabbing his own two partners from his belt, "A simple 'no thanks' would've been fine. Didn't need your 'push past your limits' speech." The boy then threw out the pokeballs which released both Lombre and Linoone.
Cole and Axle then in turn sent out their two pokemon. The first yellow green mound-like creature, Numel, Ruby knew very well. It was the standard issue pokemon that Team Magma uses for their operations. The other was what appeared to be a slug like pokemon with a body made of lava. Ruby pulled out his pokedex, which read:
Slugma
The Lava Pokemon
Height: 2' 04"
Weight: 77.2 lbs
This Pokemon has Lava inside it's veins instead of blood to carry around nutrients. Since its body is covered in magma, when it cools down it can harden and break apart to reduce its size.
Ruby gave a small chuckle before asking, "Are you ready to go?"
Cole then answered, "Hell yeah! Numel, uses incinerate on the Linoone!"
Numel opened its mouth and shot a ball of flames towards Linoone, but the badger like pokemon dodged it with ease. However, the moment the shot hit the ground, it scattered across the ground in smaller balls of flame. One of these stray fireballs actually hit an unexpecting Lombre. The Lilypad pokemon shook it's bead, clearly aggravated now.
Ruby then commanded, "Alright then, Lombre, counter attack with bubblebeam!" His pokemon then stanced up and sprayed a forceful stream of bubbles towards the Numel. The mound pokemon took the attack head on but tanked the blow, leaving it still looking rather healthy despite the type disadvantage.
Ruby then commanded, "Alright Linoone, keep the pressure up on Numel with a Headbutt."
Axel quietly said, "Yeah, like I'd let you do that, Slugma, use flamethrower."
The lave slug started to expel fire from its mouth, but instead of targeting Linoone, the flames were shot between Ruby and Cole's pokemon to stop the assault entirely. Linoone managed to react in time to not charge head first into the flames, once it pulled back it seemed a bit lost.
Ruby called to his pokemon, "It's okay, just pull back for now, We'll have more opportunities later." Taking his own words to heart, Ruby took the time that Cole and Axles' visions were hindered from the fire still in motion to Lombre to look for an opportunity to get around the enemy pokemon.
Once Slugma's attack ceased, Cole threw a thumbs up to Axel and said, "Thanks for havin my back bud. Now let's burn!" He then yelled out, "Numel, use Earth Power on his Linoone!"
THe mound Pokemon lifted it's entire left side before stomping down. This caused the entire ground to start to shake. Ruby then noticed that a small bulge ith the ground started to appear under Linoone, Ruby called out, "Linoone! MOVE!"
Linoone heard this and hopped to it's side right before the ground below where it was burst upwards causing steaming water and rocks to spew from the hot spring like a geyser. Cole commanded, "Now keep it up Numel!" The mound Pokemon the started alternating which side it stomped down on, causing multiple tremors just like the one before. Linoone leapt around the battlefield trying it's best to track where it would be safe to land.
This went on for a while before Cole asked, "What the heck, you're just going to keep dodging? Numel and I can do this all day! Give a command already!"
Ruby looked at the man and didn't say a word but bore an incredibly desperate expression. The man laughed and said, "So this is all a Team Magma Admin can muster huh? Pathetic!" Ruby then looked over at Axel who was trying to track Linoone's every move and upon seeing this Ruby gave a small chuckle as he thought, "Perfect, this fight is over."
Ruby then commanded, "Linoone! Bait now!"
Linoone then leapt to the side and landed exactly one of the newly formed bumps in the ground and was launched high up into the air, smacking the ceiling of the gym. Axel saw this and reacted, "Slugma, Flamethrower now." Slugma once again fired a stream of fire directly at where Linoone was falling. This time the flames connected and pushed Linoone backwards in the air. To Axel and Cole's surprise Ruby was ready to catch his Pokemon before immediately dousing it with a Burn Heal, followed immediately by a Potion.
Cole laughed a bit and said, "Well that sure was an impressive catch, too bad you're down a Pokemon now though."
Ruby laid Linoone down and the badger just shook itself and appeared to be perfectly fine. The boy then turned and laughed before saying, "Yeah you're right, It's a good thing you're down two Pokemon then."
After saying this, both Cole and Axel turned to realize that Lombre had found its way around to Numel's side in the time that their own attack had been going on. Ruby commanded, "Lombre, use Hydro Pump!"
The Lilypad Pokemon inhaled deeply before unleashing a powerful stream of water that directly hit Numel into Slugma and continued dowsing the two until the flew into the stone wall, cracking it on impactly. Once the hose of water let up, the two pokemon fell to the ground, clearly unable to continue.
The two men rushed to their Pokemon and checked on them before returning them to their pokeballs. "That was rather impressive, eh Cole?" Axel said this while nudging Cole with his elbow. Cole just groaned in disappointment and signalled for Ruby to go ahead.
Ruby nodded as he returned both Linoone and Lombre to their respective pokeballs as well. As he walked around the hot spring gym, Combusken asked, "So you're gona let me take this one, right?"
Ruby responded, "Yeah, I don't see why not. Just stay alert out there."
Combusken nodded and the two continued to circle the gym. On the far end there was a stone stairway leading up to the center of the large room. As Ruby ascended them he was met with the view of a large cobblestone arena, which Flannery stood at the far end of.
The hot headed gym leader laughed, "Well I'll be damned, you got through those two faster than I thought you would! Didn't really have much time to get ready for you and all that junk. I guess I didn't really ask before, how many badges do you have so far?"
Ruby shrugged and said, "I have three, but honestly I don't care how many Pokemon you use, or the ruleset we'll battle with."
Flannery leaned down and let her left arm dangle in front of her with a face of awe, "Honestly, I didn't expect you to be this cocky.""
Ruby sighed and said, "Yeah well, you'll see if it's warranted soon enough, now won't you?"
"Hahaha HAHAHAHA! I guess so!" Flanery laughed with now newly increased expectations. She then declared, "Alright then, I'll just say that this'll be a three on three battle and only one non held item can be used, deal?"
Ruby nodded and grinned before saying, "Deal! Let's get this started Flan!"
The Gym Leader yelled at the top of her lungs, most likely to psych herself up before taking a pokeball off of her belt and saying, "Alright, let's go Magcargo!"
Ruby took out his Pokedex and scanned the new Pokemon in front of him and the device read:
Magcargo
The Lava Pokemon
Height: 2' 07"
Weight: 121.3 lbs
This Pokemon has a brittle rocky shell that if formed from the skin around it being cooled drastically. Inside the shell Magcargo's innards are always exposed to drastic temperatures, sometimes getting up to heats close to 18000 degrees.
Ruby looked over his shoulder at his partner and thought, "Well, you know what they say."
Combusken nodded as he cracked his talon fists and responded, "Fight fire with fire, right?"
The boy nodded and extended his fist out, which met Combusken's before the pokemon entered the arena.
Flannery grinned before saying, "Alright then, looks like I get to see the power of this 'aura bond' right out of the gate! Hell yeah! Now I'm PUMPED!"
Ruby then said, "I declare for my first turn to use an item." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a red capsule and threw it over to Combusken. His partner opened the bottle and ingested the contents quickly.
Flannery nodded and said, "Alright then, looks like I'll get this party started then. Magcargo, use Rock Slide!"
The Slug like Pokemon tensed up before the ground below it started to break apart bit by bit, flying in Combusken's direction. As each of the projectiles reached the pokemon, he tried his best to dodge or parry them, but ultimately found himself flinched by one stray rock grazing his head. He then took the full force of three more rocks that happened to hit his core.
After the onslaught ceased, Combusken clenched his fists and shook his head to show that he had plenty of fight left in him.
Ruby saw this and said, "Alright, our turn!" He then thought, "Can you push through another attack like that?"
Combusken responded, "Yeah, that shouldn't be too hard, especially if we have the same idea in mind."
Ruby nodded and thought, "Yep, just use Protect while closing the distance." The boy then commanded, "Allright, use Mach Punch!"
Combusken started running towards Magcargo, seemingly to attack. Flannery commanded, "Fine, use Rock Slide to keep your distance!"
Magcargo sent another wave of stones towards Combusken, but this time Ruby's partner had surrounded himself with a barrier and easily pushed through the entirety of the barrage, Once through, Combusken rusheed up to his opponent and delivered and quick, devastating blow to the pokemon's brittle shell. Magcargo was quickly sent flying back against the wall. Flannery quickly returned her Pokemon to it's pokeball.
Ruby asked, "Doing alright there?" But to his surprise, Combusken was holding the hand he struck his opponent with tightly in his other hand.
His partner responded, "I might be a Fire- Type, but FUCK that burns"
Ruby thought, "Do you want to Baton Pass out? I'm sure Lombre would handle the match up just fine."
Combusken snarkily responded, "Do I look like a little bitch to you? Hell no, this is my fight!"
Ruby just smiled and said aloud, "I'd expect no less honestly."
Flannery then said from across the arena, "We're just getting started, so don't get cocky." She gripped another pokeball from her belt and said, "Alright! You're up Torkoal!"
The Pokeball released another new Pokemon that Ruby had yet to encounter. It was a small turtle like pokemon with orange skin and a rocky shell with holes scattered around it. Ruby pulled out his Pokedex again and it read:
Torkoal
The Coal Pokemon
Height: 1'08"
Weight: 177.2 lbs
This Pokemon's shell acts as a furnace in which it can burn coal and convert it to energy. This energy can be converted to either heat, or can come off as a smoke screen so the pokemon can retreat from predators.
As Ruby put away his Pokedex, the Pokemon had already begun to demonstrate it's smoke creating abilities, littering the air around it with a gray smog. Flannery then called out, "Stay hidden and build up as much energy as you can Torkoal!"
Ruby then reacted, "Alright then Combusken, that's your cue. Go find it and stop it."
Combusken nodded and threw himself into the smog, trying to find the source. Upon entering however, he noticed that there was absolutely no way he could make out anything. Combusken then started to kick around at the ground aimlessly to no avail.
Combusken thought, "There's no way, I can't see a damn thing and the little guy is just too small."
Ruby thought, "It's fine, I've got a plan, Just stand still and make a lot of noise like your still trying to find it. And while your at it send an Ember in the direction your facing right now. After you do, whatever, you do, don't turn."
Combusken did as he was instructed and continued to throw a tantrum in the smoke. Ruby then saw a fireball fly out roughly to his right a bit. The boy then nodded and ran over to the rocky wall next to him and started to climb.
Flannery saw this and asked, "What the hell are you doing?"
Once Ruby reached the top of the wall he spun around and sat down saying, "I'm strategizing damn it, mind your own business!"
Flannery chuckled and said, "Well whatever, it's about time we ended this. Torkoal, use Sunny Day!"
Then it happened, an orange flash of light was sent into the air from the smoke and the room heated up drastically.
However, this didn't bother Ruby at all because his mind was doing calculations. He then thought, "To your right at 112 degrees, roughly seven feat away."
All of the sudden the random tantrum sounds that Combusken was making ceased and there was a fast pulse like movement in the smokescreen. Not a moment later Combusken leapt from the smoke holding Torkoal by one of the holes in its shell. Once Combusken hit the apex of his jump, he lightly tossed his opponent upwards before flipping in the air and delivering a kick that sent the turtle plummeting to the ground below. A large crash spread out from the impact and Torkoal was out cold. Combusken then did another flip before gracefully landing on the ground and taking another ready stance.
Flannery walked over to her Pokemon and checked on it before returning it back to it's pokeball. She then looked at Ruby and said, "So it comes down to this, huh? Things are getting interesting."
Ruby, still atop the wall, shrugged and said, "I wouldn't say that honestly. Interesting would be an even fight, neck and neck. What's happening now is more like we're playing Smash and you're trying desperately not to get three stocked."
Flannery stood up slowly and started to giggle, then laughing, and nothing. "Is that right? Well then, let's show you just how much I don't want to get beat." She reached down and grabbed another pokeball from her belt and said, "Go, Camerupt!" And out from the capsule came the spitting image of Maxie's partner, the orange camel like Pokemon with two volcanoes sprouting from its back.
Ruby sighed before saying, "Before we resume, I have to ask, do you know what Combusken's hidden ability is?"
Flannery yelled back, "Not a damn clue, but it's not like it matters, Camerupt use…"
Ruby thought before the command ended, "Show her just how fast you are Combusken, that's all I have to say."
Combusken gleefully responded, "With pleasure." The bird humanoid pokemon then leaned forward as if ready to dash. And then he vanished. Not even Ruby could follow his partner's movements.
Out of seemingly nowhere, Camerupt was kicked in its side, nearly toppling it over, but was immediately balanced by a blow to its other side almost instantly. Next an apparent hit to the jaw to push the camel up on its hind legs. Another strike toppled it to the ground on its side. As it was trying to get back to it's feat, Combusken reappeared in the air right next to the artificial 'sun' Torkoal had created earlier. He allowed the orb of flames to engulf one of his legs in a glorious blaze before beginning to fall towards his target. As he fell he flipped to build momentum before slamming his foot down into Camerupt's side, causing a shockwave of sound and flame on impact.
Comusken then backed off of his opponent, and the flame that had covered his leg began to engulf his whole body and a white light appeared around him like it had once before. Then finally, in a burst of light, there stood Ruby's partner, now dawning a completely new form. He was now dawning a slim figure with red feathers leading down to his legs, where the shifted to a very bright yellow. His head now also bore a crown of white feathers that extended down to his lower back. He looked down at himself and thought, "Now this is what I'm talking about, let's GO!"
Ruby climbed down from the stone wall and pulled out his Pokedex to learn about his partner's new form:
Blaziken
The Blaze Pokemon
Height: 6' 03"
Weight: 114.6 lbs
This Pokemon is a fighter through and through. It's wrists burn intensely when in combat and can even break out into an inferno when fighting a strong enough opponent. It's legs are als incredibly strong, even achieving feats of jumping over nearly half a mile vertically.
Ruby walked over to his partner and chuckled saying, "Well would you look at that. You're finally taller than me" He then extended his fist out to Blaziken.
Blaziken in turn nodded and said, "Yeah wll, you're still growing. Maybe if you're lucky, you'll catch up." He then met Ruby's fist with his own.
Flannery walked over to the two after returning Camperupt to its pokeball. Once she made it to them, she let out a huge sight, "Well shit. I gave it everything I had and I still got completely washed."
Ruby reached out and playfully patted her head saying, "There there, you were really strong, honestly. The thing is, Blaziken and I have been through a lot more stressful fights in our day than you."
Flannery sighed again saying, "So what you're saying is that I need to train in more stressful environments?"
Ruby chuckled and said, "Not at all. I'm talking about real life or death situations, and you shouldn't put yourself through that. I don't think Clause would be too happy if you did either."
The gym leader giggled before saying, "Yeah, that prolly wouldn't go over too well." She then reached down into her pocket and pulled out a badge. It bore the design of a red flame that turned yellow at the end. She said, "Well, here you are, this is Lavaridge's Heat Badge."
Ruby held out his hand and took it from her and nodded saying, "Awesome, and that makes four, just like I promised."
Flannery then reached into a fanny pack that she had on her left him and pulled out a red disk and said, "Also, take this. It's the TM for Heat Wave. It's a really powerful move but unfortunately it also reduces the user's firepower for a little while after. It's great for taking on multiple opponents though, so it has it's uses."
Ruby took this as well and said, "Alright, sick." After storing both items in his various bag pockets, the boy said, "Alright, it's about time I head out. I'm going to try to make it to Petalburg in two days."
Flannery then added, "Oh cool, so you're heading straight to face off with your dad then. Won't he be really mad that you're working with Team Magma though?"
Ruby nodded and said, "That's what I'm hoping for honestly. In that case, he'll fight me with everything he has to bring me back, and that's exactly what I want."
Flannery then said, "Well then, I wish you luck with that. It'll be a battle for the ages without a doubt in my mind."
"Let's hope." The boy smiled and looked at his partner and said, "Alright, let's get going then." He then started to walk away but stopped for a second to say, "Oh, and tell the kids it was great to see them. I don't want to make a big deal while departing, so I'll leave that to you."
Flanery waved and said, "You got it! Stay safe out there Mr. Hero."
After hearing this, Ruby and Blaziken left to pack up their things just outside of town before heading through the Jagged Pass to get to Rustboro on their way back to Petalburg.
