Silver Notes: I'm... really sorry for the absurd length of this chapter, but I've been looking forward to writing this fight for a long time. Hopefully I've done it justice and y'all aren't that put off by the length.
Red on Blue
Victory, like everything else I set my sight on, had never successfully escaped my grasp once I'd gone looking for it.
I don't say this as a way to excuse my actions. Simply to explain why I did what I did. Having always acquired what I wanted with strength alone, why wouldn't I have thought myself infallible, good enough to bend even death to my Will?
It sounds stupid in retrospect, yes. Had my brother been at my side to guide me, had I listened to Noh's warning, perhaps I'd have done differently.
Perhaps I wouldn't have taken Uxie from him by force.
Inyssa never felt more alive than when she stood across the arena from her opponents, Pokeball firmly grasped in her hand.
The cheers of the crowd made the ground reverberate under her feet, or maybe that was just the thunderous boom of her own heart in her ears. The stadium, while antiquated, was a lot bigger than she'd expected. It was rectangular in shape with a hole in the ceiling, as was customary in case of a trainer wanting to use flying Pokemon. The stands were almost full, mostly with kids and teens watching them alongside their family. Inyssa felt every one of those pair of eyes on her, and loved it.
It didn't hurt either that it was her birthday. She was an adult, at last.
"Look sharp," she said, spinning the ball on the palm of her hand. "It's about to start."
At her side, Barry chuckled. "You don't have to tell me that."
Candice raised a hand, and the stadium fell deathly still. At her side stood Maylene, tossing up and catching one of her Pokeballs with a look of impatient excitement on her face. Selena and her cameraman were somewhere in the audience, hidden by the waves of people.
"Welcome, everyone," said Candice, her voice soft, but amplified by the microphone stuck to her cheek. "And thank you for coming. The rules for this match are simple. Four Pokemon on each side, two from each trainer. First side to run out of usable Pokemon loses. If Inyssa and Barry are victorious…"
"Which is a big if," Maylene muttered into her mic.
"…then regardless of whether one of them is out of usable Pokemon, both will be awarded the Cobble and Icicle badge."
"Which would be a great birthday gift to you, Dawn," said Maylene. "Assuming you can beat us, of course."
Inyssa sneered at her, wanting to call her something less than flattering, but somehow finding the restraint not to. There was a second of silence after they stopped talking. The only sound that could be heard was the distant roar of the frozen wind above. Tension filled the air.
"Are the challengers ready?" asked Candice. "Have you chosen your first Pokemon?"
"Not quite yet."
She was clearly not expecting that response, judging by the way she opened her mouth, then froze as she processed what she'd just heard. The audience had a similar reaction. Mutters of confusion could be heard amongst them.
"What do you mean?"
Niss grinned. "Well, we thought it'd be nice to start the fight with some spectacle. Barry, if you would?"
"What are you…'"
Without looking, Barry tossed his Pokeball to Inyssa, who caught it without even flinching. The whole stadium stood silent. She made sure to drink up the moment as much as she could.
"Barry Paladino," she said. "Do you transfer ownership of this Pokemon to me, Inyssa Dawn?"
"I do."
"Good." She let it sink in on the audience before proceeding. "Now that we've established that, have it back."
Once again it was tossed, this time toward Barry. However, as his fingers touched the metal, a subtle silver gleam enveloped the ball for a second.
"I, Inyssa Dawn, now return ownership of that Pokemon to you, Barry Paladino."
"I accept it."
Inyssa nodded, then looked up toward the Gym leaders. "We're ready, then. Get on with it."
Candice looked just as flabbergasted as a few seconds ago, but at least Maylene –and a small portion of the audience– seemed to have caught on.
"I… I guess we can start the m–"
"The match starts now!" bellowed Maylene with a hungry grin. "Let's go!"
Four Pokeballs flew through the air, opening simultaneously in an explosion of light so potent everyone in the stadium had to cover their eyes. Two humanoid figures formed in front of the Gym leaders. Maylene's Pokemon was at least a head taller than her and quite a bit skinnier, with the exception of its oval-shaped waist. Sharp scythes grew from its shoulders. An odd red triangle jutted out of its chest and back, making it look as though the Pokemon had been impaled. Inyssa narrowed her eyes. A Gallade? She'd never seen one in person, but always loved how cool they looked.
Candice's was a lot easier to identify. It looked almost identical to the Sneasel that had attacked them on the way to this city. The only differences were the golden gem sticking out of its forehead and the fan of feathers adorning its ears and the top of its head. Inyssa bit her lower lip. A Weavile would definitely be trouble.
On their side, Shadi emerged from the explosion of light with both arms raised in front of her, scythes ready to attack. Next to her, Barry's Pokemon…
…Hadn't stopped glowing yet. And more than that, it was starting to morph and grow.
A few gasps were heard from the stands above. Barry and her grinned as realization dawned on Candice, eyes going wide and mouth gaping slightly.
When the light finally vanished, Kitsune emerged. His bushy tail was completely gone. The shape of his ears now made his head look like an inverted star and his frazzled mustache was twice as long as before. More importantly, however, was the extra spoon he now carried on his off hand, gleaming and pulsing with barely-contained psychic energy, waiting to be unleashed.
Unfortunately, Inyssa noticed, evolution hadn't made him look any less grumpy or sleepy.
"Now we're ready," said Barry, crossing his arms and lifting his chin up.
"Ha! I admit, that was pretty cool and flashy," Maylene said from the other side. "But you think I'm not used to idiots throwing a Psychic-type my way and expecting an automatic win?"
Candice nodded. "We foresaw this type of strategy."
Inyssa scoffed. "Just because you anticipated it doesn't mean you'll be able to stop us. Shadi!
"Kitsune!"
"Swords Dance!"
"Barrier!"
Both Pokemon raised their arms in front of them, red and purple energy respectively coiling around their bodies like mantles of flame. Power began to coalesce in their–
Weavile disappeared. There was a flash of movement, a blur, and he appeared inches from Shadi, claws wound back, a bloodthirsty smile on his imp-like face.
"SHADI!"
A gleam of white moved like lightning, making an arc toward Shadi's chest. The Kricketune raised her hands in an attempt to block the slash, but just then the air between them solidified with a purple sheen. Weavile's claw bounced on the invisible barrier with a gong.
They won't let us do any preparation, Inyssa realized.
"Thanks for the barrier," she whispered to Barry. "Shadi, Brick Break!"
Unlike the previous slash, Shadi's scythes cut through the psychic barrier as though it were made of paper, shattering it into a hundred glowing shards, momentarily blinding her opponent. Weavile, however, didn't try to dodge. He simply took a step back as a green and white blur materialized in front of him, blocking Shadi's scythes with his own.
"Weavile, jump back!" ordered Candice. "Hone Claws!"
"Oh no you won't!" Inyssa yelled. "Barry, I'm leaving Gallade to you! Shadi, go after Weavile!"
"Right! Kitsune, Shadow Ball!"
The lights dimmed as a gigantic ball of swirling, pulsing darkness formed in between Kitsune's spoons, making a sound as though it were sucking the air around him. He fired it with the force of a bullet, easily covering half the distance in less than a second. Shadi attacked then; she slashed with both scythes at the Gallade's side, then stopped and jumped over him when he moved to block, using the strength in her wings to propel herself toward her real objective.
"Dodge!" bellowed Candice.
"Counter!" followed Maylene.
Weavile's insane speed allowed him to get out of the way just in time, the tip of Shadi's scythes whistling past his arm by a couple inches. Just then, Gallade raised both palms in front of him. In the moment before the dark orb connected, another, identical Shadow Ball formed in front of him. The two attacks collided in mid air, sparks of dark energy flying off in all directions for a few moments were neither advanced, their power perfectly matched. There was a loud, friction-like sound and they suddenly shot up, leaving the stadium in an instant, disappearing past the gathering clouds above.
Barry shook his head in disbelief. "How the…? That was such a fast counter!"
"Kitsune's still faster! Use that to your advantage," Inyssa told him. "Shadi, keep at it! Don't give him a second to rest!"
Shadi was relentless, jumping forward without even a moment's hesitation, leaving less than a second between each attack. With every moment that passed, the dark red glow cloaking her became more pronounced, more powerful; she absorbed a little momentum with every step she took, becoming faster and stronger the more she moved.
However, Inyssa couldn't help but frown. Something was wrong. Weavile wasn't fighting back, he wasn't even blocking, which would've made Shadi charge up even faster. He just waited for her to attack and jumped back at the last possible second, as though he didn't want to fight. As though…
Realization dawned on her as they reached the farthest corner of the stadium. He was leading her away from Kitsune.
"Barry!" she yelled, turning sharply. "They're–"
But just then Maylene threw her hand forward and yelled. "Psycho Cut!"
"Kitsune, Protect!"
The Alakazam crossed his spoons into an X, forming a small, spherical barrier around him just as Gallade jumped high into the air, the scythes on his arms glowing a bright pink. He tensed his muscles for a second, then slashed at the air in quick succession. Wide, triangular blades of psychic energy were shot down with incredible force, cutting through the air with ease as they traveled. Kitsune frowned, the tips of his mustache tingling in anticipation.
None of them connected. The first two fell at each of the Alakazam's side, like walls coming down from the sky. Then the third one fell behind him, connecting the other two. Only then, when it was already too late, did he and his trainer realize what the purpose of the attack was.
The rest of the blades landed, merging with each other and forming a polygonal, makeshift dome all around Kitsune, not intended to shield him but to trap him instead.
"Crap!"
"Shit!" said Inyssa. "Shadi, get back! Use Brick Break to…!"
Weavile saw the surprise in his opponent's face and used that moment to counter-attack, slashing at her chest with a dark-hemmed claw. Shadi barely reacted in time, but was only able to block, not absorb the attack. She stumbled back, hitting the ground with a deaf thump.
Inyssa breathed in sharply, biting her lower lip. The Gym leaders used that moment to speak.
"You think we didn't see your fight with old man Byron?" Maylene asked with a cocky grin.
"We are well aware of how… odd and dangerous your Kricketune's fighting style is," explained Candice. "So we'll be taking care of her first. Alakazam can sit this one out."
And with that, both their Pokemon were off. Trails of dark and psychic energy trailing behind them, they ran toward Shadi from opposite directions in a perfectly synced attack. She wouldn't be able to dodge or block both attacks. Inyssa realized this. And, a second after she did, a chuckle left her lips.
"Dumbasses," she whispered, smiling. "Barry!"
"Got it!"
They threw their hands forward and yelled in unison.
"Switch!"
Glyphs of light materialized under their Pokemon's feet, casting a powerful glow over them as the air began to vibrate intensely. There was a flash, and they were gone. Once it vanished, Shadi and Kitsune had already switched places.
"What!?"
"Ally switch?" muttered Candice, eyes wide.
In the second it took Shadi to demolish the barrier around her, Kitsune glared daggers at his two opponents, and raised a hand toward each of them, spoons facing them.
"Shadow Ball!"
Unable to stop their jump mid-air, similar looks of horror crossed Gallade and Weavile's faces as pulsing balls of black energy the size of their heads were fired point-blank at them. The explosion made the ground shake. Dust trailed behind both Pokemon as they were sent flying back like cannon-balls, and even Kitsune wasn't safe from the recoil of shooting said attack at such close range. He fell to one knee, hands shaking, the fur covering them smoking hot by the sheer power of the explosion.
"That better not have taken you out!" Maylene yelled at her Pokemon. "Bounce back and charge another Psycho Cut!"
"Land and jump!" Candice followed. "That Kricketune's going to hit you from beh–"
Shadi kneeled for a second and then jumped as high as she could, away from the Weavile flying back toward her. Candice's order froze in her mouth.
"Finally, some fucking space," Inyssa muttered to herself. "Barry!"
"On it! Kitsune, now!"
They raised their hands to the sky, calling out the attack in unison.
"Dance of Thorns!"
An electrifying wave of Psychic energy exploded from Kitsune's spoons, the air itself waving and contracting as dozens upon dozens of small, rectangular barriers materialized all throughout the stadium, from down to the ground to high up near the ceiling. The Gym leaders and their Pokemon looked around in awe and confusion, the latter struggling to stand after the previous attack. It was as though someone had left a bunch of glowing glass panes hanging around.
"What the…?"
Shadi landed atop one of the barriers close to the ground, knees buckled. The pale wisps of reddish light coating her body coalesced around her feet, and then she was gone. A blur. A streaking mess of red and black jumping from barrier to barrier at dizzying speeds, more and more momentum being absorbed with every jump she made.
"Stop her!" bellowed Maylene. "Hit her somewhere she's not defending herself!"
Gallade rose to his feet with difficulty, smoke rising from the burn on his chest caused by the previous attack. That, however, didn't seem to slow him down much. He jumped after Shadi without hesitation, landing on one of Kitsune's barriers and kneeling to jump again, scythes brimming with e–
The barrier gave out from under him. Startled, trying to regain balance, he barely noticed Kitsune's trail as he appeared above him, standing upside down on one of the barriers. With a burst of energy he shot himself down, straight at him.
"Psycho Cut!" yelled Barry.
"Counter!"
The glow coating Kitsune's spoons grew out of control, exploding into blinding shards of light as tall and thin as swords. He swung them down as he fell, forming an X. Gallade landed somewhat off balance and raised his own arms in response, taking the full brunt of the attack and pushing against it with his own scythes, sparks and crackles of psychic energy flying in all directions as the ground began to crack from under them.
Gallade let go, ducking to the side as his opponent's psychic blades crashed against the ground beside him. He spun on the ball of his feet, sneaking into Kitsune's side. The whistling of his scythes cutting through the air alerted the Alakazam to the oncoming swing. Spinning the blade on his right hand so it faced down, he stopped the scythes for a moment and then thrust with his remaining hand at his foe's chest. A step back and a much more elegant parry made it so the attack didn't connect, but Kitsune did not back down. The Pokemon threw themselves at each other with incredible ferocity, exchanging swings and thrusts one after the other, unable to concentrate on anything but the other's attacks.
"Got him busy," Barry told Inyssa with a quick smile. "You take care of that one."
She gave him a quick nod, then threw her hand forward. "Wipe him off the stadium! Obsidian Overture!"
Gusts of wind exploded off the Kricketune's feet as she jumped down at her opponent, her scythes glowing with a dark-red energy so potent it was almost black. Weavile raised his claws in preparation, but there was fear and shock in his eyes. Behind him, Candice balled her hands into fists and yelled out.
"Avalanche!"
Waves of stinging cold exuded off the Weavile as he dug his claws into the ground, summoning a long trail of enormous ice spikes that jutted out of the ground violently, forming a wall in front of him, their tips pointing at the oncoming Shadi. In a second, he covered half of the arena.
Unfortunately for him, that was a precaution he'd taken a little too late. Shadi crossed her scythes in front of her and the first spike shattered before she even made contact, the energy cloaking her destroying it upon touch. Both Weavile and his trainer gasped at the sight of the demon flying toward them like a red hot bullet.
Candice bit her lower lip. Knowing how this would end, she decided to cut her losses as much as she could, and screamed out.
"Dark Pulse!"
Weavile threw both arms to the side, letting out a sharp, icy screech as a wave of darkness exploded off his body. Unfortunately, this left him completely open. Shadi's scythes dispelled the dark energy with ease, finally connecting with their target. There was a short moment of silence, and then Weavile was gone. None of the trainers could even see him flying; they simply heard the crash of his body against the stadium wall behind him. Inyssa didn't even need to check if he was unconscious. The fact that he was half embedded into the wall was answer enough.
And still, she frowned.
"Son of a bitch made sure to screw us before he went down."
"Huh?" asked Barry, looking at her, then at where her gaze was set on. "Oh..:"
The Dark Pulse expanded, completely shattering the dozens of barriers Kitsune had put up with the barest touch, leaving the stadium bare once more. The attack was greatly weakened by the time it made it to the other two combatants. And yet they still wavered, letting out grunts of pain, once it made it to them, momentarily forcing them to stop their fight.
Gallade retreated back to his trainer's side while Candice returned her partner to his Pokeball and grabbed another one from her belt. Shadi and Kitsune stood back, expectant. Their chests rose and fell frenetically, though other than some mild exhaustion and a couple of bruises and burn marks, they weren't hurt too badly.
Inyssa pursed her lips; that wasn't good enough. Any damage that Shadi took was too much damage, and she could tell the Kricketune was having trouble holding on to the energy she'd accumulated, even after spending so much on her last attack. The more she fought, the more tired she'd be, and the harder it would be for her to concentrate on both her opponents and the energy swirling inside of her. A slip-up could be devastating.
"Great job," she said, trying to force a smile. "Three more and we'll be golden."
"Belelee!" Shadi replied, cheerful.
"Yeah, that was amazing Kitsune!" yelled Barry. "Those energy swords looked sick!"
The Alakazam simply rolled his eyes and let out a scoff. On the other side of the arena, Candice seemed to have made her choice.
"Sorry," she whispered, rolling the ball on the palm of her hand. "I should have seen through her strategy."
"No worries, babe. If I know you, I know you've got plenty of fight left in you," she said, giving her a wink.
"Heh… Alright, I guess I should turn up the heat a bit then." Candice looked down at the ball on her hand. "Metaphorically speaking, of course."
The Pokeball flew high into the air as she threw it, opening just as it momentum stopped. Light pooled down, taking form. A… rather massive form. Inyssa felt her mouth gape, the ever-growing shape of the beast before her sending a terrible chill down her spine. She was reminded of coming face to face with Byron's Steelix. Only in that case, she was well aware of how massive that thing was, Steelix being one of the most common defensive options if you were looking for a good steel-type. This… was different.
The light finally evaporated off the creature's body, letting her gawk at her full size. Easily three times as stall as Candice, both vertically and horizontally. It was almost impossible to discern what color it was, what with the several layers of snow, plants and roots cloaking it from head to toe. Inyssa was pretty sure she'd seen every one of those colors in the woods surrounding Snowpoint. She tried to imagine running into one of these back then. It was no wonder these things were considered the very embodiment of the wrath of the snowy forests themselves.
"Holy…" Barry looked as though he were being held at gunpoint, while simultaneously having found a stack of pancakes on the floor. "Are they really that big!? That's amazing!"
Inyssa rolled her eyes. "Save your wonder for when it doesn't want to eat our Pokemon. Here, let me…"
She raised her Pokedex to point at the creature, and then it happened.
"BAAAAAAAAAAA!"
The Abomasnow's cry boomed like an explosion, pushing them back and forcing Inyssa to take a step back, both hands pressing against her ears. She felt it in her bones. And as though that weren't enough, the Pokemon immediately began to glow. They had no time to react as she slammed both hands together like they were massive hammers, only for a swirling maelstrom of cold and frost to explode from her body. It swallowed the stadium in a second.
"Crap! Cold, cold cold!"
"Son of a bitch!" yelled Inyssa, every cell in her body shivering. "Not this again!"
The whole world became white and foggy, so much so that if it weren't for the flesh-searing cold, Inyssa would have thought she was inside her own mind again. Wind and hail blew in concentric circles, forming a gigantic dome around them. She had trouble seeing her own Pokemon, and had to squint very hard to even notice her opponents at the other side of the arena. Not to mention the constant roar of the hailstorm making it incredibly difficult to hear anything else.
"This is Abomasnow's special ability!" Candice's voice boomed from the speakers all around. "As you can see, she does not need to be in her natural habitat to unleash the storm upon you. She is the storm, after all."
Inyssa sneered at what she thought was her in the distance.
"Don't sound so cocky," she muttered. "We've endured worse than this."
"Excellent! Then I suppose you don't mind we give it our best to bring you down." There was something different about the Gym leader's tone. It was just as cold, but much less calculated. More jagged, sharp. Wild. "Go forth, Abomasnow! Let us unleash all of winter's wrath on them!"
"Fucking dork," whispered Inyssa.
"Aurora Veil!"
Their reaction was not only immediate, but equally panicked. Memories of their battle against Cynthia flashed before their eyes, and Inyssa found herself raising her hand and declaring an attack before her mind had even processed it.
"Shadi, stop her!"
The Kricketune was gone in a flash, a mini-hurricane of wind clearing the hail in the spot where she'd previously been, followed by the trail she left behind as she jumped. She brandished her scythes, imbuing them with dark energy.
"Niss, wait!" yelled Barry. "We gotta…!"
"Psycho Cut!" yelled out Maylene, a devious smile forming on her lips. "Just like we planned."
Gallade dashed straight toward Shadi, his own scythes brandished at his side. The Kricketune prepared to parry the blow, but just before the crash, her opponent jumped high in the air, past her, toward the middle of the arena. Just like he had done before, he twisted upon himself mid-air, then began to spin like a top.
However, unlike before, he did not fire a volley of disconnected psychic shards. It was a single, continuous attack. A disc of jutting, sharp psychic edges grew from his body at an alarming speed, forming an entire barrier that went from one side of the stadium to the other, completely cutting it in half.
"What the…?"
And that's when she realized the Abomasnow had stopped charging her previous attack, and was waiting for Shadi with one arm wound back.
"Wood Hammer!"
Inyssa gasped. Not only were their Pokemon now completely separated, but Shadi couldn't stop her momentum now. Even if they switched places, one of them would be taking the hit.
"Amber a Capella!" she screamed out, desperate. "Block the–!"
"No; Ally Switch!"
It happened in an instant. Despite knowing what would happen to him, Kitsune extended both spoons forward and linked himself with Shadi, using his powers to instantly switch places with her. The Kricketune crashed against the ground where her ally had been standing a second ago. All the energy from her attack vanished due to surprise. Kitsune materialized only a few inches from his opponent, whose massive arm was already swinging his way.
"Psychic!"
Kitsune tried, but even he wasn't fast enough to perform such an instantaneous attack. By the time he'd raised his hands, he'd been hit. Abomasnow's arm connected, lifting him off his feet as though he weighed nothing and then swinging down, nailing him against the ground strongly enough to make it crack form under him.
Both young trainers shared a similar look of horror. Even through the thick of the hailstorm, there was no doubt Kitsune had been knocked out instantly. A single one of Abomasnow's claws was as long as the Alakazam's torso; a Wood Hammer from her could knock out cold anyone they sent against her.
But she's slow, thought Inyssa, angry at herself. Which is why they tricked us into rushing straight to her.
"I… I'm sorry," Barry said beside her. "I shouldn't have done that without asking."
Her nose crinkled at that. "Not like you had much time to warn me."
"Shadi might've actually blocked that," he argued. "I think I panicked and threw away one of our Pokemon for nothing."
She shook her head. "There's no way. Even if she could've absorbed it, that much energy would've torn her apart from the inside," she said. "I should've realized that… I'm the one who fucked up."
"You gotta stop being so hard on yourself." He raised his hand to return Kitsune, producing a Pokeball on his other hand. "Save it for the guys we're fighting against."
Another explosion of light shook the stadium, momentarily letting them see more of their surroundings. Inyssa squinted. She could have sworn she saw a flash of red somewhere in the audience. In any case, there wasn't much time to look away as Barry's Pokemon emerged from the light, standing tall and proud, its glistening golden horns shining under the light reflected by the ice shards flying around them.
"Bringing out the big guns, eh?" Maylene's voice could be heard from the speakers. "Good! It wouldn't be fun to beat you otherwise. Gallade, Shadow Ball!"
"Blizzard!"
A gigantic wall of frozen wind and ice shards rose from the already violent hail like a wave from the sea, crashing against their Pokemon a second after. Within it, barely visible, a hint of dark could be seen.
"Protect!" Barry bellowed.
"Swords Dance!" Inyssa followed.
Pedri took a step forward and raised his hands, the weight of his glare enough to make even forces of nature shiver in fear. As he raised a dome around them, Shadi began to move. Their opponent's attacks, coalesced into one, crashed against the barrier with such force that Pedri began to shake under their weight, and still Shadi danced. Faint music flew off each crash of scythe against scythe, as though she were playing an instrument. Finally, once the blizzard subsided, they both moved in unison, turning toward each other.
Inyssa and Barry yelled out the name together. "Royal Song!"
Just as they had done once before, Shadi slammed her scythes against the thickest part of Pedri's fins, linking them together and interlacing the buff she'd just received. It was a shame it was only an offensive one, though. Without Pedri having been able to perform his part, they wouldn't count with any extra defense.
Good enough, she thought. The best defense was a good offense.
"Go!"
"Attack!"
They dashed forward in unison, each one heading toward a different Pokemon, the shared aura of power linking them together.
"Gallade! Don't let that one get close to Abomasnow!" Maylene yelled out, pointing to Shadi.
He didn't wait for his trainer to finish the sentence, a swirling gust of wind trailing behind as he ran at his opponent with both arms wound back, covered in psychic en–
"Aqua Jet!"
And just like that, Pedri was there. Boosting himself with an explosive stream of water, he appeared between his foe and Shadi. Gallade stopped in his tracks, eyes wide. The look the Empoleon was giving him was one of pity, or so he imagined, as it only lasted for a moment before he swung at him with his fin.
While they were busy exchanging blows –somewhat one-sidedly– Shadi threw herself under an oncoming Wood Hammer and spun on the ball of her feet, slashing under the Abomasnow's arm strongly enough to leave a substantial scratch, dirt and snow flying off by the force of the attack.
"BAAAAA!"
The behemoth swung again, but this time Shadi crossed her scythes in front of her and stopped the arm mid-air, instantly absorbing the attack's momentum. A second after, said arm flew back as though pushed by a spring. A grunt of pain left Abomasnow's mouth.
"Ingrain!"
Stumbling in pain, Abomasnow took a step back, making the ground crack under her weight, and through the crack slithered a multitude of vines running up and down the Pokemon's leg. They burrowed deep, blooming in a circle under the ground. Shadi felt the vibrations under her just in time as a few dozen vines exploded upwards, throwing mounds of dirt and snow high into the air. The vines remained there for a moment, coiling upon themselves as though they were tentacles, before falling upon Shadi with the speed and force of whips.
"Cut them down!" yelled Inyssa.
Shadi danced amidst the slashing vines. Long pieces of stem and plant matter flew everywhere as she cut them down one by one, and yet for every one she sliced two more seemed to take its place. As though that weren't enough, a silvery white glow caught Inyssa's attention. The Abomasnow was hanging back, a ball of swirling white energy forming between her hands. Another Blizzard, one they wouldn't be able to dodge this time.
Inyssa breathed hard, feeling time slow around her, the sheer cold enveloping the stadium raising her senses to their limits. Or perhaps it was the fact that her eyes were glowing gold.
Those ice shards from the hailstorm are already whittling Shadi down, she thought. She can't absorb the impact from those and concentrate on the fight at the same time. We gotta end this quickly.
"Can you keep the Gallade at bay for a little longer?" she asked Barry.
His only response was a raised eyebrow and a smile. "You heard her, Pedri!"
The Empoleon cut his opponent off once more as he attempted to rush toward the others, slashing at the air with his fins and forcing him to retreat. The two seemed locked in a stalemate for the moment. Pedri was much healthier and a bit stronger, but Gallade held the type advantage.
Good enough for now.
"Shadi, let's bring a classic back, shall we!?" She gestured forward with an expression she could only hope showed confidence. "Reaper's Waltz!"
The Kricketune stopped on her tracks and looked back at her, the tips of her mustache quirking up into a smile. Just then, a few dozen vines closed in around her.
"Shoot!" yelled Candice.
"BAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Abomasnow unleashed the energy she'd been gathered into a single point, a stark maelstrom of sheer cold exploding in a cone in front of her, swallowing the vines whole and tearing them apart as though they were made of paper.
Inyssa greatly enjoyed the look on her face as she realized Shadi wasn't under them.
"Belelee!"
Shadi appeared a few feet above the beast, spinning wildly. The storm cleared in a whirlwind around her, its stark white a great contrast with the blood red energy coating the Kricketune's scythe, making her appear like a gigantic saw from hell.
Candice's mouth gaped, eyes wide as plates.
"What in Mew's name…?"
Flashes of red and white streaked back and forth, the sound of slashed stems and skin echoing through the storm as Shadi danced around her opponent, slicing her over and over. The behemoth thrashed about in agony, grabbing at the air with her massive hands in a futile attempt to catch her opponent.
"That is some crazy shit," Maylene's voice echoed through the stadium.
"No! Abomasnow, get her off you!"
But she wasn't fast enough. No matter the weight and power of her blows, Shadi always ducked under them at the last second, jumping back to keep slashing at her. However, Inyssa didn't know for how long that would be the case. She could see the energy coating Shadi grow duller and weaker with every second that passed. This had to end now.
"Use everything!" she yelled out. "Bring her down, no matter what!"
She heard Maylene sneer. "Like hell! Bab… I mean Candice, we gotta…"
"Yes. I know."
The Gym leaders exchanged a quick glance, and whatever silent conversation seemed to occur between them, Inyssa knew she wouldn't like it.
"Alright. I trust you," said Maylene, taking in a deep breath. "Gallade! Time to fold'em; use Close Combat!"
Barry gasped. "Use Protect!"
Pedri crossed his fins in an X, a translucent green barrier forming around him just as Gallade fell down upon him. The young trainers felt their jaw drop. The insane flurry of kicks and punches was fast and brutal enough to make the shield shake violently, small, thin cracks beginning to spread throughout its surface. He was putting everything he had into that attack.
But why? Thought Inyssa, confused. Maylene knows that Pedri can use Protect, so…
Her answer came before she could react to it.
"Abomasnow, use Leaf Storm!"
"No!" Inyssa screamed, eyes flying wide. "Shadi, stop her!"
But there was nothing to be done. Shadi fell upon her once again, slashing incessantly at her back with whatever strength remained in her, but the beast had stopped fighting back, and her resilience meant she could take such a punishment for the couple seconds it took her to charge the attack.
"Pedri!"
It was too late by the time the Empoleon looked over his shoulder. A gigantic hurricane of sharp, frozen leaves fell upon him from behind, instantly shattering the barrier and swallowing both Pokemon whole, making them disappear amidst the green and white storm. Their shrieks were the only thing they could hear over the sound of the attack.
After a few seconds, the hailstorm settled along with the clouds of dust and snow covering the stadium. Inyssa lowered her hand from her face, squinting. She could see Gallade laying unconscious against the right wall near the stands, having been dragged there by the attack. Pedri had held on, but not much better. He was on one knee, panting heavily. His steel type resistance made it so the Leaf Storm hadn't been as devastating as it could have otherwise, but it still had been one hell of a hit.
"Shit…"
And, somehow, Abomasnow still stood, though she looked to be on her last legs. Her massive body looked smaller now that she was kneeling, one hand uselessly trying to push her back to her feet, her entire body shaking and covered in cuts and bruises. Shadi stood before her, completely bare of the energy she'd previously absorbed.
Inyssa clicked her tongue. "Well… it's something. Want me to do the honors?"
"No," said Barry. He frowned in that very attractive way he rarely did, clearly pissed off by what had happened. "This one's ours. Pedri!"
He didn't need to say anymore. Letting out a roar that perfectly echoed the beast's wounded pride, Pedri boosted himself with an Aqua Jet and slammed himself against the Abomasnow's side with enough force to knock her back a few yards. She let out a scream and rolled over, finally defeated.
Candice's sigh of disappointment was hard to hear over the thunderous applause and cheers from the people in the stands. Some of the younger kids were going a little nuts. They slammed their hands against the rails, jumping up and down as though their feet were made of springs, looks of awe and excitement on their faces.
Inyssa smiled to herself. They would always be able to count on them to put on a good show.
At the other side of the arena, Candice returned her Pokemon to her ball and looked down at it, shoulders stiff, lips pursed tight.
"I'm sorry," she said. "Guess there's a reason I'm one of the lowest ranked Gym leaders."
Maylene scoffed, swiping at the air with one hand as though to push the idea away. "Nonsense, babe. You put in some serious work there, and there's no shame in losing against a stronger opponent. Besides…"
A red beam connected with the unconscious Gallade, returning him to his ball. Then, instead of grabbing another one from her pocket, Maylene bit down on her thumb and index finger and let out a sharp whistle. The cheers ceased, and everyone looked her way, confused.
Then, from their side of the arena, a long, slender shadow rose like a pillar of black, framing a humanoid, familiar shape. Inyssa and Barry looked up in unison, squinting at the strong sunlight. They barely caught the glimpse of someone standing on the edge of the open roof before the figure jumped down.
"…I've got this one in the bag."
Dust exploded into clouds around Lucario as he landed, one paw against the ground, head slightly down. Classic hero pose. Then, rising to his feet, he simply crossed his arms and opened his electric blue eyes, the full weight of his paralyzing glare falling upon his opponents.
The crowd exploded in even more crazed cheers. Inyssa and Barry exchanged an identical look, their bodies suddenly feeling stiff. Their Pokemon didn't look much better. All four of them were more than aware of the full capabilities of Maylene's strongest Pokemon, as he had been so kind to beat said information into them for almost a week straight, back in Veilstone.
Candice smiled at her partner, then walked off the arena. Maylene raised her hand, and the stadium fell quiet, all eyes on her. The look on her face was one Inyssa would have recognized if she'd ever looked in a mirror during a heated Pokemon battle. There was something savage and hungry about that smile of hers.
"Now, you two might have the advantage in numbers, but I think we all remember how this match-up went the last time," she said. "Think you have what it takes now?"
Inyssa glared daggers at her, fingers curling into fists. Barry scoffed.
"What do you think we've been preparing for?" he asked.
"Oh, and that training you said we needed to finish in order to be strong enough to beat you?" Inyssa threw her hand forward, a stalwart determination taking over her expression. "Done, twice over. So prepare to get your shit wrecked."
"Aqua Jet!"
"Brick Break!"
There was an explosion of force and Pedri was there in an instant, fin wound back, body coated in swirling water.
"Force Palm!"
Lucario lowered his knees in preparation and extended his palm just as Pedri's claws fell down on him, a faint, almost invisible blue sheen covering his body. A blast of force exploded from his palm, sending shockwaves all around them. The water coating Pedri flew off him in an instant and the force was strong enough to completely stop his swing, even pushing back the arm a few inches. Pedri grunted, falling back a step, out of balance.
Shadi appeared behind them in a flash. Joining her scythes as one, she slashed with all of her strength but Lucario had sensed her, and ducked just in time, letting the attack pass less than an inch over him.
"Again!"
He raised his remaining palm toward her, releasing another burst of concentrated aura point-blank, sending her flying. Inyssa let out a gasp. That is, until she noticed that Shadi veered in mid-air, wings flapping as she tried to stop her momentum. She didn't look much more hurt than before.
Outside of her resistance to fighting-type attacks, I'd wager he uses that one more to gain some distance than to do harm, she thought, frowning. So he's trying to…
"Now finish the Empoleon off!"
"Shit!" Inyssa was right; he wanted to pick them off one by one. "Get back in there, Shadi! Stay close to Pedri!"
"Counter with Metal Claw!" yelled Barry.
Lucario attacked too fast for Pedri to be able to dodge, so he didn't. Raising his left fin, he endured the flurry of punches as he gathered energy into his other arm, then swung as fast as he could, the silver energy coating his claws whistling as it cut through the air with ease.
"We got h–"
He caught the fin between his paws, stopping the attack completely. Never before had they seen such a look of shock, anger and fear cross Pedri's expression, made only worse by the slight quiver at the corner of his opponent's lips. Almost a smile.
"Belelee!"
Shadi came down on him like a storm, twisting in mid air, putting all of her body weight into the next slash. Lucario caught a glimpse of her, and moved. He let go of Pedri's fin and ducked in an instant, both attacks passing over him as he placed a paw against the ground and spun quickly on the palm, kicking his opponent's shins and making them trip backwards.
"Now!"
He shot another burst of energy from the palm holding him up, propelling him a few inches off the floor in an instant. His opponents were too busy trying to regain their balance. In the moment before landing, he extended both legs and delivered a pair of devastating kicks to their chests. Gasps of pain left their mouths as they were thrown back as though they'd been hit with a cannonball, landing flat on their backs at Lucario's sides.
"Shit!" Inyssa clenched her teeth. "Shadi, get up!
"This isn't working," said Barry. "I think… I have a plan. Just go with me on this one, okay?"
She glanced at him, lips pursed, and nodded after a moment.
"Alright…"
Their Pokemon had gotten to their feet, but it was clear there wasn't much fight left in them. Lucario stood amidst them with eyes closed and arms crossed. Utter boredom exuded from every part of his body.
I'll make you eat dirt, asshole, Inyssa thought, furious.
Barry threw his hand forward. "Time for our secret strategy! Rock Slide!"
"Get out of there, Shadi!"
Pedri brought down his arms with all the strength left in them, giving Shadi just enough time to fly away before the ground erupted. Jagged spires of rock exploded in a circle around him. Dust and stones the size of his head flew in all directions as though a bomb had been let loose in the middle of the stadium, forcing trainers and spectators to cover their faces and brace themselves as to not be thrown away.
By the time the dust settled, the stadium was completely unrecognizable, though not quite as destroyed as it had been after her fight with Byron. Barely a straight spot of rock remained. Aside from the enormous crater in the middle, surrounded by jutting stones that covered a third of the arena, at least a dozen person-sized rocks were littered all about.
"…Really?" Maylene's voice was heard through the speakers. "That's the trick you go with?"
Lucario hadn't moved an inch. Despite having been right next to Pedri as he unleashed his attack, the jagged stones that had been thrown his direction had done little more than irritate him. The fur on his right leg and side was slightly dirty and bruised, but he barely seemed to notice.
His opponents were nowhere to be seen. Yet no worry showed on his face.
"Lucario can pick up on everyone's aura around him, remember?" asked Maylene, a dangerous edge to her voice. "Your Pokemon can't hide from him."
Barry let out a laugh, running a hand through his hair as he looked up at Maylene.
"Not the plan."
Lucario moved before the sound of creaking stone was even heard, reacting just in time as one of the boulders behind him was cut into four jagged pieces and launched at him. He dodged the two above and spun on the ball of his feet, still kneeling, to kick the remaining two out of the way. Shadi appeared from behind the cloud of dust, scythes gleaming and eyes wide with fury.
Next to her, Inyssa noticed Barry bouncing in place, hands practically shaking from excitement. His grin was so wide it almost reached from ear to ear.
Not his strong suit, subtlety, she thought with a smile.
"Here it comes…" he whispered with an exulted tone.
Lucario's eyes flew open. Whatever Pedri was doing, he'd sensed it, and it shocked him so much that he turned around toward where he was, hidden behind one of the enormous rocks. In his shock, however, he'd forgotten about Shadi.
"Belee!"
He moved to act, aura spiraling around his arms toward his paws, but just then Shadi fell down on him. She didn't slash at his back. Instead, she reached over his shoulders and pressed the sharp of her scythes against his chest, trapping him in place. Lucario instinctively drove his elbow into her stomach, but she did not budge.
"Rhaaw!"
Letting out a snarl, he expelled aura from every pore in his body, spinning in place so fast that Shadi was thrown off her feet. And yet, she did not let go.
A light shone behind the rock where Pedri hid. A second after, it was blown apart like it'd been hit by a cannon.
"Shit; Lucario…!"
But she was too late. Barry was already calling out the attack, the boom of his voice hard to hear over the sound of the torrent.
"Hydro Cannon!"
Pedri was thrown back by the force of his own attack, the gigantic beam of water swirling like a hurricane as it fell upon the two Pokemon, dust and debris spiraling around it as the air itself was bent by it.
"Aura Sphere!"
Unable to move, moments before the impact, Lucario threw both hands forward and let out an air-shaking roar, eyes flying wide open as a ball of swirling aura was launched before him. The two attacks connected, and for an infinitesimal moment, stopped each other's momentum. Then the water began to advance.
For the first time, Inyssa saw fear crept up Lucario's face.
The sphere of energy evaporated. Pedri's attack hit Lucario head on, swallowing him and Shadi whole as it kept going and slammed against the opposite wall of the arena. It was as though a geyser had been let loose. Water exploded in all directions, flooding the arena and raining down buckets on everyone on the stands, obscuring their view for a few seconds.
Inyssa couldn't help but shiver, cold water reaching up to her ankles. It began to settle, either swallowed by the soil or the multiple cracks across the arena, until they could finally see the result of the attack.
"Holy…"
"…Crap," Barry finished her sentence, eyes wide in disbelief. "That was…"
Lucario was on his knees, one paw holding him up. He was soaked from head to toe, though that didn't seem to be bothering him as much as the bruise covering most of his chest. His face was twisted in pain and his arms shook violently.
Behind him, Shadi was slumped against the cracked wall, unconscious. Inyssa felt a pang of guilt at the sight. Though it was far overshadowed by the pride bursting in her chest, her lips curling into a loving smile.
You did so much…
Silence hung in the air as the audience realized what had happened, and for a second it seemed as though another set of cheers and applause would break out. Until Maylene spoke, that is. She was no Candice, but at the moment there was a strength to her voice that was hard to ignore.
"…Well played, you two."
Lucario rose to his feet, letting himself breather for a second before relaxing his posture, aura rushing from his pores to cover him once again. There was no more boredom in his eyes as he looked up at his opponent.
"But it wasn't nearly enough."
Despite still being conscious, Pedri couldn't move an inch. He was down on his knees, struggling to even keep himself up, every inch of his body shaking from the recoil from his last attack.
Lucario didn't need to be given the order. Expelling a great amount of aura off his feet, he rushed to Pedri's side in an instant, paw curled into a fist, eyes narrowed in anger, seeking retaliation. In that moment before the hit, the Empoleon looked up at him, and gave him a smug smile.
Everyone cringed at the sound of the punch. Pedri fell like a stack of bricks, and did not move again.
And now the cheers erupted. Barry and Inyssa sighed, letting down their tensed up shoulders in unison.
"Guess it's up to you, Niss."
Hearing that from Barry cemented it. She took a deep breath and swallowed down the knot trying to form in her throat. Then she looked at him, and smiled.
"Just like in Eterna," she said. "Now it's my turn to win this for the both of us."
Barry didn't kiss her or hold her hand, but the smile he shone back at her filled her with a burst of determination, as though her body had been enveloped by invisible flames.
"I'm counting on you."
He returned Pedri to his Pokeball and walked out of the arena. She took another deep breath, then returned Shadi as well and took her final Pokeball from her belt with shaking fingers.
" I think I have an idea of who you'll pick," said Maylene, trying to hide her excitement. "Ready to end this, Dawn?"
She smiled back at her. "I was born ready."
Enma burst into the stadium, the flare of his flames brighter than the Pokeball's light. Water boiled and evaporated at his feet. The crown of fire atop his head moved in a wild, erratic dance, burning a deep shade of red. Just like…
Inyssa swallowed, feeling a sudden chill. Memories of that horrible night came to her in flashes; the fight, the rain, Enma losing control and attacking them, only to run away…
It took her a moment to realize her hand was shaking. She held it strongly with the other, swallowed, then looked up at Enma. He wasn't the same Pokemon anymore. And besides, deep down in her chest, there was a feeling that burned much stronger than her fear.
"Enma."
He perked up at the sound of her voice, looking over his shoulder. Hesitant. Still nervous of her.
"I'm trusting you," she said. "At any other time, I'd tell you to do your best and accept the result either way. But today is different. You want to prove yourself and I…" She pursed her lips, hands curling into fists. The green of her eyes was more vibrant than ever. "…I want to fucking win. Got that?"
No more words were needed. Enma nodded, then flashed her a confident grin before turning to his opponent once more.
"Good," she whispered, raising her hand slowly. "Then we fight."
"Force Palm!"
"Punch him!"
There was an actual explosion at Enma's feet, and then he was gone. In a flash he fell upon his foe with his hand wound back for a punch, but Lucario saw the arc the attack would make and ducked his head just in time for it to pass over him. The punch sent a gust that exploded behind him. Now under Enma's arm, Lucario raised one palm and pointed it at his chest as he coated it with aura.
"Up!"
Aura exploded in a cone in front of him, but by then Enma was gone, scorch marks where his feet had been. He vaulted over his foe and spun in mid air, readying a kick. Lucario smirked. That previous punch had been way too slow. He was more than confident he could dodge every one of his–
"Now!" bellowed Inyssa.
Bursts of fire exploded off the Infernape's calf, and suddenly the kick wasn't quite as slow. Lucario gasped. Before he could even raise his hands to shield himself the full brunt of the blow hit him on the side of the head and his vision went blank.
"Wh–Lucario!
He came to himself just in time to catch his fall with one of his paws. His vision swam. From above he felt the heat of his opponent's flames. With another burst of aura he pushed himself to his feet and high above, barely dodging a punch that would've connected with the back of his head. He landed a few feet back and took a wobbly step back, cheek stinging with pain.
Back at her spot, Inyssa smiled to herself.
"Lucario, use Bone Rush!" Maylene yelled out. "Keep him at bay!"
"Keep attacking; don't let him zone you out!"
Lucario clapped his hands together and between them formed a long, shining blue staff in the form of a bone. He swung it upwards in an arc, but there was another flash of light. Enma let out a burst of flame from his hand to spin himself quickly toward Lucario's side, then used the momentum of his body to kick at his back. There was a quick blur of movement, and a sound like metal being struck.
Grunting, clenching his teeth, Lucario held his shining staff against the force of the kick, having been barely fast enough to block it. Enma sneered, then used his other leg to jump a few feet. Flames burst from his calf and he spun in mid-air again, throwing another kick.
If it was hard to follow their movements for their own trainers, then Lucario must have had one hell of a hard time himself. His opponent didn't let up for a second. There was something oddly beautiful about the way he chained his attacks together, a kick morphing into a jump which then became an overhead punch, only to land and spin on his palm to deliver a sweeping kick. It wasn't just that the flame bursts gave him a boost in speed. Maylene and her Pokemon knew speed. Knew how to counter it.
But, just as it was hard to fight a flame, Lucario found it grueling to keep up with the fluid and erratic movements of his opponent. It was a difficult task. The kind which he hadn't had to tackle in a while, which is exactly why he enjoyed it so much. Before he knew it, a smile had begun to form on his lips.
It was a shame, then, that Maylene gave her next order.
"We're getting nowhere with this. Lucario, stop screwing around!" She threw her hand forward, voice booming. "Force Palm; get some distance!"
"Don't let h–!"
But he acted quick. Just after ducking under one of his opponent's kicks, he took a step back and pressed both palms against the ground. Aura traveled from his chest throughout his arms, then down. A blue sheen covered the entire battlefield in an instant, and then the shockwave came.
Aura exploded in a hurricane around him, raising such a potent gust of wind that Enma's next punch was stopped on its tracks. He was thrown back a few feet, letting out a surprised grunt. By the time he landed, Lucario was gone. A thick cloud of dust and dirt obscured the entire arena.
"Now, finish him with Close Combat!"
"No!" The scream left Inyssa's mouth before she realized. "Double Team! Dodg–"
Lucario flew like an arrow cutting through the dustclouds, striking with the middle knuckles of his paw, just above the stomach. A choked gasp left Enma's mouth, but there wasn't time to react. Three more blows followed, aimed at his neck, forehead and kidney next, and that time he felt it. The blows themselves weren't very strong. However, with each one Lucario was sending out a small shockwave of aura which rippled throughout his body like an electric current, paralyzing him.
The rest was a quick, painful blur. Four, then eight, then sixteen, then thirty-two; Lucario's whole body glowed with a powerful coat of aura as he delivered blow after blow with the speed of an automatic hammer. By the time he was finished, the dust cloud had settled. The two Pokemon stood still before the other, a tense silence falling over the arena.
Enma fell, all control over his muscles lost. He was barely able to stop his head from colliding from the ground, holding his chin above the floor by pushing himself up with one arm, but that was as much as he could do. Every cell in his body hurt. But more than that, a terrible numbness had begun spreading throughout his limbs. The mere act of keeping his eyes opened was a struggle.
"W-what…?"
Inyssa felt her mouth dry, the weight of what had just happened bearing down on her at full force. Her hands began to shake.
"Fancy, ain't it?"
The sound of Maylene's voice was like rubbing salt on the wound, especially since she sounded so damn satisfied with herself.
"Now I'm not as melodramatic as you, Dawn, so I don't have a name for that one," she said, "but let's just say it's a variation of Close Combat we came up with ourselves. Instead of striking haphazardly, why not focus on the opponent's vital points? Add a little aura to that thought and the result is… well, this."
Cheers filled the stadium. Inyssa cringed at them, the sound that a few minutes ago had been music to her ears now only filling her chest with cold and dread. They'd been so close. Just a little more and she'd have won them the badge.
"Inyssa…" For the first time during the match, Uxie's voice resonated in her head. "There will be more opportunities to earn this victory."
She shook her head. No. I don't know why but… I feel like if I don't win here, I'll…
A subtle movement. Inyssa blinked, surprised, then looked up at Enma. His body still shook, but this time it looked as though it was due to effort, like he was trying to get up. The flame atop his head had begun changing color. Its pale red was getting brighter and brighter by the second. Curls of smoke rose from the spots where his body touched the ground.
Her eyes went wide. This was…
"I admit, that was a much closer fight than I expected."
Maylene's voice boomed through the arena once more, an air of finality to her voice.
"You two did well," she said, smiling. "But I'm afraid there'll always be someone stronger."
Enma struggled to raise his head, then as fast as he could, he looked over his shoulder and locked eyes with his trainer. His teeth were clenched with effort. He was trying his best to keep the storm at bay, and if his expression was any indication, he was also asking her for permission to unleash it.
Inyssa only hesitated for a moment. Her nod was all he needed.
"You're right."
Now the steam rising off Enma's body was much more visible, enough for Maylene and her Lucario to notice. The smile dropped off the Gym leader's face.
"There's always someone stronger," Inyssa declared, eyes flaring gold. "Let us show you."
Enma pushed himself to his feet, steam exuding off every pore in his body like gusts of wind. Lucario took a step back and covered his face, squinting at the powerful heat.
In the midst of it all, a beep was heard from Inyssa's pocket. She took out the Pokedex almost by reflex, pointing it forward as its electronic voice resounded.
"Blaze: Activated."
Had Inyssa not known to close her eyes, she would've been blinded by the flare. It sounded and felt as though a jet engine had been turned on; Enma was gone in the blink of an eye, red and yellow and white flares trailing behind his burning body as he flew like a bullet. His fist connected with Lucario's chest, and an explosion tore through the room. Thick, black smoke rose from his chest as he was thrown back, limbs hunched forward, shock and pain all over his face.
There was a second flare. Inyssa saw Enma's trajectory in the trail of fire he left behind as he jumped high into the air, and then boosted himself down with the sheer power of the flames exploding off his feet. In an instant he landed behind the falling Lucario, reading a flaming kick.
"Behind you!" Maylene bellowed, panic in her voice. "Aura Sphere!"
Despite the searing pain coursing through his chest, he raised his right hand to the side and released a gust of aura, spinning himself out of the way of the kick. Landing with one foot, he raised his other hand toward Enma. A swirling, pulsing ball of energy was shot almost point-blank a second after.
But all it met was empty flames.
Wind whirled around the column of flame Enma left behind with his jump, following him high above, almost toward the ceiling. He hung there for a second, then flared his flames once more. His body formed a shining arc through the air. It almost looked as though he were flying, boosted by the power of his flames alone.
Lucario's eyes couldn't follow him, but he felt his presence and the scorching heat radiating off his body as he landed behind him. And yet, his limbs didn't move fast enough. The flaming punch caught him just between his shoulder blades, evoking a choked gasp that was barely heard over the rushing of the flames. His vision went blank, but he felt himself flying through the air.
He yelled at his muscles to move. At his eyes to start working again. But just as he came back to himself an instant later, the front of his body slammed hard against one of the Gym walls. Gasps and screams were heard above, in the stands. He'd been partly embedded into the wall itself, cracks spreading from the outline of the crash outwards toward the stands.
"Lucario, get a hold of yourself!" Maylene's voice was more pleading than angry. He felt it resonate through his bones. "Get up!"
His body obeyed more due to willpower than anything else, every inch of him either numb or flaring with pain. Various patches of his fur were smoking hot. Bruises dotted him like dark polka dots. Blood ran down his arms and face, feeling almost as hot as the flames coating his opponent.
His opponent… Lucario squinted as he took a shaking step forward, facing him once more. Every inch of him was caught ablaze. Bright, almost white flames danced erratically around his body as though it were an ethereal suit of armor, its crown being the flame at the top of his head, so bright it hurt to look at.
Lucario had never seen something so beautiful. Nor someone he wanted to beat so badly.
"This is Enma's ultimate fighting style," Inyssa declared, breaking the silence. Her voice reverberated through the gym. "A perfect combination of Flare Blitz and Close Combat; this is…"
"Please tell me you didn't give it a stupid n–"
"Infernal Consecration!"
"Dear Synn above." Maylene sighed into her mic. "Well, you can name it whatever you want, it's not going to stop us! Blaze is a dangerous ability; there's no way that Infernape of yours can keep up those flames for much longer."
It was true. Behind the flames and bravado, Enma's face shook with the gargantuan effort of exuding and keeping up such insane amounts of rage and energy from his body. His eyes were narrowed, tinted red like blood.
"Let's finish this, Lucario!" The raw energy and emotion behind his trainer's voice lit a fire behind his eyes. He curled his paws into fists. "Close Combat!"
"You too, Enma!"
That was the last the two trainers got to see of the fight for a while. The impact that followed sent a shockwave of heat and wind so powerful that it expelled clouds of dust high into the air, forcing everyone in the stadium to squint and cover their faces. More and more hits followed, booming with the rhythm of their fight. It sounded as though someone were playing drums at frenetic, inhuman speeds.
But even though Inyssa couldn't see what was happening, she felt it. The impacts rippled through the ground. Along with dust, small stones and bursts of flame flew in all directions, shocking and terrifying the people in the audience. Even she caught herself almost taking a step back. The heat was so intense…
"Come on, Enma!" she bellowed into the storm of blows. "Beat him!"
"Kick his ass!" Maylene followed.
One last clash echoed, fire and aura clashing fist to fist, sending a shockwave of force powerful enough to instantly dispel the clouds of dust, almost toppling Inyssa back. Red on blue, they shone like beacons, the last remnant of their power overflowing from them.
Lucario made the first mistake. Taking a step back, he threw an overhead punch with his over hand, giving Enma the space he needed to duck under it and counter-attack. His fist buried into Lucario's gut. There was an instant of nothing, and then the Pokemon was thrown up as though he weighed nothing, his body spinning uncontrollably in mid-air as he reached past the open ceiling.
"NOW!" Inyssa screamed, seeing victory in front of her. "Flamethrower!"
"Aura Sphere! Full power!"
Their screams were lost in that of their partners and the following explosion. Curls and ribbons of white hot fire rose from Enma's body, converting into a single column, a beam which shot up with the speed of a bullet, scorching air and dust in its search of its target. Lucario looked down from above, time slowing as he hovered in place, paws drawn together. From between them, light shone. A gleaming, blue vortex of energy in the form of a ball, sucking in and spitting out air in powerful, erratic waves all around it.
"Freeeaar!"
"Brreeaaaaw!"
They met in the middle between them, and for a moment the world slowed to a crawl. Enma's flames continued to rise. Lucario continually shot aura from his hands, pushing his attack down and keeping himself afloat. For a long, insufferably crawling second, both attacks held in place.
Then came the friction. The swirling nature of Lucario's attack began to unravel Enma's flames, sucking them in and spitting them out in dozens of thin ribbons which climbed past the sphere, rising up with incredible speed, disappearing into the sky as they spun around Lucario. The sphere of energy began to advance. Slowly, inch by inch, it ate through the column of endless flames and got ever closer to its target.
Inyssa's eyes flew open, but she couldn't speak, couldn't scream a warning. Her throat was burning from the heat. Her eyes watered. For a second, past the impossible brightness of the flames and her own tears, she could have sworn she saw Enma's body shimmer and flicker like a heat haze.
Wh–
It happened quickly, like a candle's flame being snuffed out. Enma ran out. The fire engulfing him vanished, followed a second after by the rest of his attack.
No…
His arms fell to his side, limp. Eyes fell closed.
"Enma!"
She didn't see the Aura Sphere connect, but felt the explosion in her bones. The impact traveled through the ground and up throughout her bones, knocking off her balance and almost throwing her to the ground. The gust of wind followed, hitting her like a punch to the face.
Once it was over, all that remained was the scene in front of her. Laying atop a circular crater of crushed, smoking rock was Enma, limbs sprawled about, a peaceful expression on his unconscious face. Lucario fell in front of him, landing on one knee. He barely had the strength to look up. Every muscle in his body shook violently.
Yet he was still standing.
"N-no…" Inyssa's voice was thin, weak. "Enma…"
She felt the tension in the air dissipate, like the calm before the storm. The audience was realizing what had happened; in a second the cheers would start, sealing what Inyssa desperately didn't want to be true. Sealing their defe–
Enma's body vanished in a poof of smoke. The world fell still. Frozen.
The smoke and dust behind Lucario shifted, and from within it rose a single, shaking hand, flames licking at the fingers. Above, two crimson eyes shone like rubies.
D-double Team? Realization hit Inyssa like a bolt of lightning. Oh my god…
One last flame burst from Enma's hand, swallowing his opponent whole. It was weak, but it was enough. As the heat and fire dissipated, everyone in the stadium saw Lucario laying face down against the ground, curls of smoke rising from his charred back.
The air exploded with screams, laughs and cheers. Inyssa let out a breath she'd been holding, and almost all of her energy went out with it so that she almost passed out from relief and happiness alone. A warm shiver ran through her arms and legs. Everything felt bright and vibrant, but for once that didn't bother her one bit.
"I…" She swallowed, feeling her throat dry. "Enma…"
She walked to his side and knelt before him as Maylene recalled Lucario. He was still standing, though it looked as though a stiff breeze could knock him out cold, judging by the way his body shook and the pale, yellow flame atop his head. She placed a hand on his shoulder, ignoring the hot pain.
"When were you planning to tell me you'd do that?" she asked, smirking. "Oh well… as long as we won..."
They locked eyes, and no more words were necessary. Mutual pride bloomed between them.
"Welcome back to the team, Enma." She gave him one last pat on the shoulder, then produced his Pokeball. "Take your rest. I'll make sure to wake you up to a tasty meal."
He disappeared into the red beam of light, returning to the Pokeball. She closed her eyes, breathing in. The sound of her and Barry's name echoed through the stadium, coming from the mouth of multiple audience members. Never had she imagined a simple sound could fill her with so much pride. She could almost imagine Selena in between all of them, frowning. That, also, was pleasant.
"Niss… that was incredible."
Barry, Candice and Maylene converged to her spot, each wearing a different kind of smile, though none was forced or fake. She returned the gesture. A kiss, a court nod and a pat on the back later, the time was right for their reward to be given to them.
"That was one hell of a fight," said Maylene, grabbing something from her pocket. "It's been a while since someone pressed us so hard."
"I'm not much of a trainer, but for today at least, that flame of competitiveness burned within me once again," exclaimed Candice. "I can't wait to see how far you two will go. You've earned this."
The Cobble and Icicle badge fell on their palms, welcoming their new masters with their gleams. Red and blue. Tourmaline and Diamond. Inyssa's lips quirked up into an unconscious smile.
Just one more…
Candice waited for them to save the badges in their cases before speaking again.
"And now, as stinging as that defeat was, I think it's time for congratulations and a good celebratory meal."
Inyssa noticed that the corner of her eyes twitched slightly as she said that, her smile a bit rougher than the last. She figured it was just the adrenaline messing with her. Candice gave Barry a firm handshake, then turned to her.
"Maybe we could even leave town; look for a nice place to–"
Their fingers met, and everything went white. Inyssa felt as though a live wire had been hooked into her veins, sending a pulsing shockwave through her muscles, flaring her eyes a bright gold.
The stadium disappeared. Barry, Maylene, the audience, it all evaporated into smoke, which then swirled and reformed into a new, different scene before her eyes.
"You two have fought admirably… but I'm afraid this is over."
She was in a dark, wide room of rough, mossy stone. A single opening could be seen on the wall, opening up to an almost moonless night, the northern part of Snowpoint resting far below. A faint light filtered into the room, framing the silhouette of the two other people in the room.
A glimpse of cold blue caught her eye. The sound that left Inyssa's mouth was a sharp, heavy one, mirroring her sudden breath intake.
"You… You're going to pay for this."
Shadi stood over a bruised and panting Candice, curls and tendrils of darkness outlining her body, licking hungrily at the air around her. A cold, lightless blue replaced the usual green of her eyes. The same Inyssa had seen back then. However, that wasn't the only thing that caught her attention.
Candice's eyes were different too. A bright, vibrant pink. The same color as the light emanating from her body.
"Keep your mouth shut, and I'll keep my end of the bargain," Shadi said matter of factly. "Darkrai, Cresselia, this town, I promise I won't lay a finger on any of them."
A pale, ghostly hand emerged from the folds of her cloak, fingers extended toward the young, frightened Gym leader.
"Is it a deal?"
Cold fury emanated from Candice's eyes as she looked up, locking gazes with her. And yet she was shaking. Her breathing was slow and shallow, all strength gone from her.
When Candice spoke, her voice was sharp and cold like a shattered piece of ice.
"It's a deal."
