Chapter 3

There was now a lot on the line.

Philip couldn't believe that Cinderella would do so much as to take her stepfamily's place in a high-stakes Pokémon battle. But that was Cinderella. When it came to someone else, she never thought of herself, only getting the person or Pokémon in question out of trouble. Philip often wondered if she was very brave or too kind to a fault.

But this was no time to talk about it. He had to help her win this battle.

"First side to defeat their opponent wins?" said Philip.

"Exactly." said the bandit leader.

"I'm going to enjoy this." said the other bandit, relaxing.

The bandit made the first move. "Venusaur, Vine Whip!"

Venusaur's vines moved quickly towards Rose. She used her dancing moves to avoid the vines. Sabrina and Patricia stared as Rose gracefully leaped over and around the vines. The Bandit leader smiled, impressed.

"Interesting, that Eevee can dodge and dance at the same time," he said.

Just then, one of the vines caught Rose by her hind leg. Venusaur lifted her into the air as she tried to shake herself loose.

"Rose!" cried Cinderella.

The bandit leader smiled. "Then again, maybe not."

"Alex, use Bite on the vines!" shouted Philip.

Alex charged forward with teeth bared and bit the vine holding Rose. He knew it wouldn't do a lot of damage, but it still hurt Venusaur. Venusaur bellowed in pain but didn't let Rose go. The chateau and farmyard Pokémon all chattered, yelling at Venusaur and urging Rose to keep shaking free.

"She's in trouble!" said Rex, "Let's help her!"

Rex and Mikey started forward, but Valiant stopped him, shaking his head.

"Rose and Alex must fight this battle with only themselves and their trainers," he said.

"Rose is just a kid!" said Mikey, "She can't battle as well as we can!"

Again, Valiant stood firm. "Let her fight her own battles."

Rex and Mikey frowned but did as Valiant said and stepped back. Rose was still trying to shake free. Venusaur was trying to shake Alex off, but his teeth held strong. He used the other vine and wrapped it around Alex to try and pull him off. Still, Alex refused to let go.

"Rose, use Swift!" Cinderella called.

Rose summoned more golden stars and threw them at Venusaur's face. One of them poked him in the eye. Blinded and hurt, Venusaur lost his grip on Rose and Alex. Rose kept shaking and soon she slipped out of Venusaur's vines and came crashing to the ground. Alex released his bite and dropped down, landing perfectly on all fours. Rose got up as Venusaur recovered from the Swift attack.

"Venusaur, Razor Leaf!" barked the bandit leader.

Venusaur fired more leaves at Rose and Alex.

"Alex, use Psychic!" shouted Philip.

Alex's eyes glowed with a psychic aura and he concentrated. The leaves from Venusaur's Razor Leaf attack stopped in midair as Alex and Rose floated up into the air and out of harm's way. Sabrina and Patricia gasped.

"Look out, boss! That Umbreon knows a Psychic-type move!" called the smaller bandit.

"I know that now!" snapped the bandit leader, "I've got this under control, you idiot!"

Alex concentrated and the hovering leaves spun and shot right back at Venusaur. He bellowed as the leaves hit him with the power of Alex's Psychic move. The giant Pokémon was starting to slow down and was greatly injured with cuts and bruises.

The bandit leader, however, wasn't even fazed. He tossed a blue thing to Venusaur, which he caught in his mouth and chewed. Cinderella knew what it was. It was a Chesto Berry.

"Venusaur, use Rest!"

As Venusaur chewed on the berry, he fell asleep and all his injuries healed. He would have still been sleeping if he hadn't chewed and eaten the Chesto Berry beforehand. Cinderella and Philip gawked in disbelief.

"He recovered his energy!" gasped Cinderella.

Philip looked at their rival with determination. "Then we'll just have to do it all over again! Alex, Shadow Ball!"

"Rose, Swift!"

Alex summoned and fired another Shadow Ball and Rose fired more Swift stars. Again, Venusaur was hit by the attacks. It hurt, but it didn't do much damage to Venusaur. Cinderella and Philip both knew Venusaur was slow, but it had a great endurance.

"Throw the Umbreon at the boy!" shouted the bandit leader.

Venusaur's Vine Whip suddenly seized Alex, lifted him into the air, and threw him at Philip. They were both knocked to the ground. Cinderella and Sabrina gasped in shock. The forest and barnyard Pokémon all chattered angrily.

"That's not fair!" shouted Patch.

"Hey, that's dirty fighting!" Matt yelled, "That's cheating!"

"Illegal! Illegal!" squawked the male Unfezant.

Philip and Alex both got to their feet. At least Philip did. Alex was hurt pretty badly.

"Philip! Alex! Are you alright?" asked Cinderella, concerned.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me." said Philip, "I'm going to need some protection to help Alex, though. Have Rose cover us."

Cinderella understood. "Rose, help Alex!"

"Venoshock!" barked the bandit leader, "Now!"

"Alex, Moonlight!"

Venusaur shot more poisonous blobs at the two Pokémon. As Rose protected herself and Alex with the magical shield, Alex's forehead ring began to glow. He channeled the moon's light below the horizon and Alex's wounds healed. Philip smirked.

"Two can play that game!" Philip boasted.

"But only one can win." said the bandit leader, unfazed, "Vine Whip!"

Venusaur reached out with his vines, but Alex and Rose were already moving. Rose dodged with her dance-like moves as Alex continued to make an active offense.

"Alex, use Dark Pulse!" Philip ordered.

"Rose, use Swift!" Cinderella called

Another sphere of dark energy formed at Alex's mouth, this time a dark purple. With a cry, he fired a beam of black and purple energy at Venusaur. At the same time, Rose summoned and threw more golden stars. The two attacks hit Venusaur head-on.

"Venusaur, teach them a lesson with Razor Leaf!" shouted the bandit leader.

Venusaur didn't move.

"It can't move when it flinches!" said Philip, "Dark Pulse can make a target flinch and unable to attack! Alex, use Psychic with Rose's Swift attack!"

Alex's eyes glowed again while Rose summoned more stars. Alex used his mind to throw the stars straight at Venusaur. It hit their opponent hard and his started to collapse to the ground. Venusaur was down again.

The bandit leader smirked and tossed Venusaur another Chesto berry.

"Venusaur, Rest again!"

Again, Venusaur rested and his injuries healed and the Chesto Berry woke him up. Everyone gawked in disbelief. Alex was only stunned for a moment before he and Rose had to dodge Venusaur's vines.

"Not again!" said Philip.

"I have an endless supply of Chesto berries!" gloated the bandit leader, "Even with all your attacks, you can't defeat my Pokémon with your puny blows! I'll just heal it over and over again until your Pokémon don't have any more strength to fight back! Then I'll wipe you both out and take what's mine!"

Phillip groaned, stressed. "How are we going to beat him if his Pokémon keeps restoring its energy?"

"Don't give up, Ella and Philip."

Philip and Cinderella looked at the person speaking to them. It was Philip's mentor. He wasn't surprised or worried about the results of the battle.

"Think hard about his strategy." he said, "He's been using only one Pokémon and healing that one Pokémon with Rest, followed by a Chesto Berry. But there's a serious flaw in his battle strategy."

The two looked at each other. At first, they didn't understand.

Then it hit Philip. "Now I get it! He's just been healing the Venusaur every time its energy gets too low, but if he's using Rest with Chesto Berries…"

"Then maybe Venusaur is his only Pokémon." said Cinderella, "If we can just defeat Venusaur with one blow, he won't have any Pokémon left to battle."

"That's right, Ella," said Grovyle, "Now think; which combination of your Pokémon's moves will help you win?"

Philip whispered to Cinderella, "Alex knows Psychic, but it won't be strong enough to defeat Venusaur on its own. Ella, what other moves does Rose know?"

Cinderella became worried. "Well, Rose knows Protect and Swift, but I don't know any other moves she has. Rose doesn't like fighting."

Cinderella grew worried. If she didn't figure something out soon, she would lose the battle and she would have to go with the bandits with her Pokémon team. Rose was also getting a little antsy. Suddenly, small red shards started forming around Rose. Cinderella and Philip noticed this.

"Rose, what are you doing?" asked Cinderella, "What is that?"

Philip's face lightened up. "Alright! She knows Trump Card!"

"Trump Card? What good is that move?" asked the smaller bandit.

"Don't you know?" said Philip, "Trump Card is one of Eevee's most powerful moves, and combining it with my Umbreon's Psychic attack will amplify his attack's power."

"That's right, Philip," said Philip's mentor, "And the later in the battle Trump Card is used, the stronger it gets."

"And now that much time has passed in battle, her Eevee's Trump Card attack is higher than your Venusaur's defense." said Grovyle to the bandits, "You won't be able to stop this."

The bandits' bravo disappeared in the blink of an eye and they broke into a cold sweat. Cinderella's heart soared with relief. She heard about the move Trump Card but didn't think Rose knew it. With their confidence restored, Rose and Alex stood against Venusaur, awaiting their trainers' orders.

"Rose, use Trump Card!"

"Alex, use Psychic with Rose's Trump Card!"

Alex's eyes glowed blue as he lifted himself and Rose into the air. Six ragged red plates formed a circle around Rose. Using Psychic, Alex took the red plates and threw them at Venusaur. Their opponent didn't even have a chance to scream as the psychic-infused plates hit him. A mighty explosion shook the earth in a dust cloud. When the dust cleared, Venusaur laid on the ground, knocked out cold and unable to battle.

"NOO!" screamed the bandit leader.

Cinderella's forest and barn friends all cheered from afar. Philip and his mentor drew their swords. Valiant, Lester, Rex, and Grovyle ran forward with rope and chains and quickly bound the two bandits.

"You won't be going anywhere," said Philip.

Outnumbered and defeated, the bandits surrendered. Mikey went over to the carriage and quickly freed Cinderella's stepfamily and their Pokémon from their bounds.

"We're saved!" cheered Berry and Patricia's Pokémon.

"Good," said the stepmother, "Now that those scoundrels have been taken care of… GET BACK TO WORK, YOU FILTHY WRETCH!"

Philip's mentor turned towards the stepmother with a dangerous look in his eyes.

"Silence!" he shouted, "You will not speak to her like that!"

"How dare you talk to me that way, you filthy commoner!" shouted the stepmother, "I'd ought to throw you out to the Pyroar!"

The man frowned. "You are also being rude and disrespectful towards me after I helped saved your lives. You should be grateful to your stepdaughter for saving you and your Pokémon."

"You're quite a character, you pathetic Grimpig." Patricia said rudely, "Talking like you're the Archduke."

"Oh, really?" said Philip's mentor, "Well, that's because…"

He flashed the chest on his sword's scabbard.

"…I am the Archduke!"

"And I am Duke Grovyle of the Order of the Aurum!" added the Grovyle.

Cinderella and her Pokémon were too stunned at first to piece together what the man and Grovyle had said. This was Philip's mentor? Philip must have been a very important person to have the Archduke as his mentor. Archdukes usually mentored those of royalty and high social status. They should have figured that out with the royal crest on his belongings.

The Order of the Aurum was a group of over 200 Pokémon whose trainers were members of the royal court. Valiant and all of Cinderella's Pokémon beside Rose were members. Rose hadn't been recognized by the court yet and was considered a lady until then.

The bandits were shocked by who this man really was, but not as much as Patricia and her mother. The two women turned pale when they recognized the royal crest on the scabbard and started to tremble in fear. They quickly bowed humbly towards the Archduke and Grovyle.

"We're sorry, Your Grace!" cried the stepmother, "We didn't know it was you! Please forgive us!"

The Archduke scowled at her. "Why should I? I was the cloaked man with the injured apprentice who asked you for help. Not only did you refuse, you insulted us and left my apprentice's Pokémon to die despite your younger daughter's pleas."

"That's right," said Duke Grovyle, "And meanwhile, your stepdaughter was the only one with a heart to help us. She healed us and protected us from our attackers. She also did the same for you, you ungrateful Ekans."

The Archduke continued. "And regardless of who I am, you should mind your manners and show more respect towards all people and Pokémon, noble or commoner. What would the king and queen say when we report your actions to them?"

The very idea of being reported to the king and queen scared the stepmother even more.

"No!" she cried, "Please wait, I-!"

She stammered her words and didn't finish the sentence. She whimpered as the Archduke approached her, his hand still on the sword hilt.

"Then you will stop treating Duchess Ella like that." said the Archduke, "Or else the court and your husband are going to hear from me."

"Wait, how do you know about Ella?" asked Sabrina.

"Will you be quiet?" hissed her mother under her breath, but Grovyle and the Archduke heard her. The Archduke drew his sword out halfway again in a warning. The stepmother saw the blade and let out a yelp.

"Yes, yes, I promise!" she squealed, "Cross my heart!"

"Good," said the Archduke, "If I delay any of Ella's work, I will take the fall. You may take your leave. And don't get any ideas, because I will be watching you from here on out."

The Stepmother and Patricia blankly nodded and got back into their carriage. They headed on their way back to town. As soon as the carriage was gone, the Archduke looked back at Philip and Cinderella.

"You're really the Archduke?" said Cinderella, "Why didn't you tell us who you are, Your Grace?"

"And how did you know who Ella really was?" asked Valiant.

"I know a lot of things." said the Archduke, "My reasons for concealing my identity are my own. For now, my apprentice and I have to escort these fools the palace to receive their punishment."

Cinderella could hear the bandit leader muttering angrily to himself. Duke Grovyle started to drag Venusaur and Houdoom away, but Cinderella heard their cries.

"Wait, Duke Grovyle! These two Pokémon didn't mean any harm," said Cinderella.

"These Pokémon attacked you and tried to steal your Pokémon." said Duke Grovyle, "Our apprentice's Pokémon nearly had early funerals."

The Houndoom stared sadly at his feet.

"Hoooundoooom... Hooound..." ("But we were forced to attack you or else we would have been whipped by those men. It was a cowardly and dishonorable thing to do.")

"It's alright, Houndoom," said Cinderella, "You don't have worry about men anymore. I forgive you and Venusaur for hurting us."

"Ella, you understand these Pokémon?" said Philip, surprised.

"Of course, Philip," said Cinderella, "I can talk to Pokémon. It's something my dear mother taught me when I was little."

Venusaur lifted his head a little. "Veeenusauuur…"

Cinderella translated, "Venusaur's saying that he and Houndoom sorry that they hurt you. These men aren't even their real trainers. They were taken from Baron Goodland two weeks ago and just want to go home."

"Baron, you say?" said Duke Grovyle, "Wait a moment."

Grovyle took a rag from Cinderella, dipped it into the fountain, and walked over to the two Pokémon. He rubbed the rag on their right shoulders until a branded shield emblem with a "G" came into view.

"The Goodland crest is branded on their shoulders, my Lord." said Duke Grovyle, "These are Baron Goodland's Pokémon."

"So these Pokémon were stolen." said the Archduke, "We'll have a Pokémon nurse check them over before they are returned to their trainer."

Cinderella petted Venusaur and Houndoom. "You're both free, Venusaur and Houndoom."

The two Pokémon smiled and nuzzled Cinderella in a sign of thanks.

"You're most welcome," said Cinderella.

With the bandits tied up and the Pokémon freed, Philip mounted Lacy and he and the Archduke said their goodbyes to Cinderella and her friends then left the chateau. Cinderella and her Pokémon went back into the house to continue their lessons.

When they passed over the bridge in the forest, the bandit leader suddenly asked, "Wait a minute, if you're the Archduke, then who's that other guy?"

Philip stopped Lucy to answer.

"Philip."

"Philip?" The bandit leader's eyes widened. "Wait, as in Prince Philip, the crowned prince?"

Philip nodded. "Yes, I'm the crowned prince. Prince Philip."

It took a moment for the words to sink in. Just then, the bandit leader turned on his smaller partner, seething with rage.

"This was your dumb idea!" he shouted.

"No, this was your dumb idea!" retorted his partner.

The two continued to argue loudly as they continued their walk to the palace. Philip was glad that Cinderella and her family didn't know who he was.