"Byron, as in the Gym Leader?'' May inquisitively asked, switching her heads between Riley and Ash.
"That's correct." Riley affirmed, "Quite an eccentric fellow I have met.''
Ash not able to contain himself, bellowed out for the occupied Gym Leader, "Hey Byron!" he waved his hand, throwing himself to scale down towards the barren land. "Byron, right here!''
"Pika pi!''
"Ash be careful!'' May agitated.
Caught off guard by the scream of his name, the elder turned around finding the upcoming challenger racing towards him. His face lit up as the figure neared a little in his aging vision.
"Ash, my boy!" Byron beamed, the thick shovel that was hefted on his shoulders was now stamped into the ground. The Gym Leader eagerly hopped of t he boulder he was standing on, as Ash jogged up to him. "What a pleasant surprise! Who would have thought I was gonna bump into ya here, lad! How ya goin'? And how's you Pikachu?''
"Pika pika!'' the mouse waved.
Panting after that sprint, Ash huffed before standing back upright, still only a few inches shorter than the hulking man. "I am great Byron! It's nice to run into you as well.'' Twisting his lips, as he noticed a dust re Aggron behind Byron, ''I see that you are here for training.''
Acknowledging Aggron's presence getting closer, Byron guffawed, ''Well of course son. When tough trainers like you crop down the Oreburgh Gym, I had a feeling that you'd be coming soon fa' me! So pummelling down steel here is the only way I got to batter down your defenses! Ever since we got your challenge, Father and son have been hammering away to build up!''
"Ah,'' Ash scratched his cheek, "You got the news that I beat your son, huh?''
"You think that guy can hide anything from his old man,'' Byron gruffed his beard, ''But ta heaps young man. You assisted my son in dat mine blunder, I hear."
"You know me,'' Ash's smirk on his visage widened, as he took out a Pokeball, ''But thanks to that, I got a new friend." Tossing it above his head, Ash shouted, "Come on out, Lairon!''
Lairon landed on the rocky terrain with a loud thump, causing some debris to rise up inches from the ground. The steel type appeared cheerful as ever, absorbing all the powerful energy radiating that boosted the liveliness of the steel types. Upon sighting Ash, an ear-splitting cry came from Lairon's throat as the quadruped stood on two feet to nuzzle his face into Ash's stomach.
"Lai… Lair…''
"Feeling good huh, buddy,'' Ash stroked the Iron Armor Pokemon's metallic back. ''This place is really awesome for Steel Types like you. A little training here will make you a whole lot stronger.''
"Lair!'' the rock type hybrid wilfully accepted. He sniffled, upon being acknowledged. Finally, he had someone to share companionship with.
"Oooo, a softie!'' Byron remarked, "I like it! You have got one fine steel type there, son! Ain't it, Aggron?''
"Agg!'' A loud thundering roar was the fully evolved gargantuan's acknowledgement.
"Lai?''
The quadruped dropped to all fours and turned around, finding the stare of his fully evolved species standing across. Staring down his pre-evolved counterpart, Aggron greeted the little one with a little enthusiasm. Lairon, in response, was floored by seeing his peer. His jaw dropped and eyes sparkled, ''Lai!'' He marched along, curious to get a closer view of him. He gave a curious sniff, testing if Aggron had a similar build to himself. Pleased with his findings, Lairon chirped excitedly before looking up to Aggron to chit chat with him.
"You guys bonded pretty fast,'' Ash chuckled, ''Take a good look, Lairon. That's gonna be you someday.''
Finding no reason to stay and listen to humans, Pikachu hopped of Ash's shoulder, leaving him in a little bit of recoil, as he dropped in to become a partner in conversation between the two Pokemon.
Pleased with his Pokemon spending his break wisely, Byron turned once again at Ash, ''Well, I stated my reason to hang around. What's your story…Oh, never mind, I got my answer!''
"Got your…'' Ash bewilderingly pursed his lips, before feeling the touch of May's hand on his shoulder.
"Riley, my old pal!'' Byron delighted. ''What's cooking?"
"Just have some guests over,'' The Aura Guardian pointed to the two.
"Isn't that the Princess of Hoenn,'' Byron smiled, "Nice to meet ya, ma'am. The name's Byron, and I am the Gym Leader of Canalave City Gym."
"The pleasure's mine, Byron. I am May, Ash's partner,'' She nudged playfully at him, while he snorted, but put his hand around her to define their relationship.
"Oh, kids these days,'' Byron cackled, "Well, Ash. Didn't have the faintest idea you are acquainted with this fellow. He's a mystifying sort, this one. When's dat story gonna come up?''
"Well, let's just say Riley's an old friend,'' Ash answered, before taking a look at the Aura Guardian, ''And how do you know Byron?''
"Byron asked me to replace him as the Gym Leader of Canalave City long back, so that he could set out on an excursion to study fossils,'' Riley replied monotonously, ''however, the League was considering his son Roark. It was not in my interest to become a Gym Leader since I was an Aura Guardian in training on the order of my masters, therefore I declined his offer. It amazes me how we have managed to remain friends after all these years.''
"Well, your refusal had its perks lad,'' Byron smacked Riley's arm playfully, making him flinch ''Brought my son closer to me, ya know!'' The fossil lover then furrowed his brows at the Alola Champion. "So Ash, my patience has been tested enough. Day and night, I have rededicated myself to train here in my worship to get stronger. You have ascended I agree, however,'' once again, plucking the shovel from the ground and carted on the braun's shoulder, ''I have not lagged that far behind. Our tussle tomorrow will be one of the greatest, for which I can hardly wait. Therefore, it will be my honor to battle the Alola Champion.''
While the mention of a "Pokemon Battle" did sound exciting, the current events had still left the raven-haired trainer a little desolated. "I am thrilled at the prospect of battling you too, Byron, but,'' turning to look in the direction of Riley's house, "I can't leave my Lucario in this condition."
"Actually Ash,'' Riley stepped up, his Lucario walking along, ''Lucario does need special attention and abundance of rest at this point. He has exhausted his aura and that needs to be replenished. The procedure will take me and Lucario at least eighteen hours to fully revive Lucario's aura. Therefore, I highly suggest that you leave Lucario in my care. I shall deliver him to you by tomorrow afternoon as good as new.''
"But Riley-" Ash argued,
"I can sense Lucario's feelings too, Ash,'' Riley justified, ''I believe he doesn't want you to watch him in this state. Besides,'' he turned around, ''Having you around can be a distraction, and I need complete concentration as zero mistakes can be afforded.''
Tensing, Ash weighed up the option, before making the decision that sounded wise. "Alright Riley, I'll trust you with Lucario. You take all the time you need. Meanwhile,'' Glancing over at May, ''Me and May will be out of your way and back in Canalave City the first ferry we get."
"Ya don't have to worry about that!'' Byron offered, ''I'll drop you folks on my boat!''
"Thanks Byron.'' May appreciated the help.
"That sounds good,'' Riley nodded, before turning back to walk in the direction of his house, ''I suggest you take your mind off Lucario, else, it will give you a hard time during your battle.''
With that suggestion, Riley kept scaling the incline, before disappearing behind the protruded cliff.
"Well my business is done here!'' Byron boastfully declared, recalling Aggron inside his capsule. "If you folks are packed up, its best if we leave now, we can reach there before the sun sets down!''
With a polite nod, both Ash and May acknowledged.
"Lucario, hang in there…''
Next day, at Canalave City Gym.
The time had come: Ash's Gym battle against Byron. He came in with full intent on strengthen the endurance of his Lairon by having him battle against the expert on Steel type himself. To stray his mind away from Butterfree and Lucario, the subject of Lairon had now become his main focal point. Past couple weeks, he had been training Lairon in his own methods. Being dually typed, Lairon was vulnerable to many weaknesses, however, while his offenses had peaked, his defenses could yet use some work. This was no easy task, as Lairon's defenses were well outclassed by its offensive capabilities.
It was strangely appropriate, Ash thought, to focus on improving his Lairon's defenses in a Steel-typed Gym. Steel was easily the greatest type in terms of defense. Ash committed to sticking with his original plan this time around; even if Byron turned out to be unpredictable, and Ash knew he would be, he kept his cool and prevented himself from making any last-minute changes to his team or his strategy.
"Very interesting," May murmured, as she scanned the arena from the bleachers. "Pristine, metallic… fitting considering the dominant type."
The battling area hosted a rough and natural ground with several jagged rocks protruding from the dirt. It greatly contrasted the flooring beyond the boundaries, which was shiny and steel just like the rest of the Gym. At a distance, she watched with anticipation at the Gym Leader toting a shovel standing there at one end of the battlefield. Byron was stiff and silent, and looked as though he expected someone to come up and challenge him. And across from him, at the end of the fray, was Ash, silently standing in his designated corner, a platform of stone.
Pikachu decided to stick with May, while not chosen to compete. Who knew what ground type disasters the Gym Leader would have up his sleeve?
"Gwahahahahah!" Byron howled with laughter, ''Since we last battled, Ash, just like a miner would dig deeper, so have we to fill the void of our shortcomings. Over the years, we have tempered and honed by battling the strong. Like me, my Pokémon were longing for another chance to battle with you! Therefore, I declared your challenge accepted!"
"Oh, that's very thoughtful,'' May muttered, like that wasn't very obvious.
"Then fight me with your strongest!'' Ash retorted, trying to stay firm and calm.
"Ah-ha-ha-ha!" Byron bellowed, "I wouldn't be too eager, Ash! You got through our rock-solid defense last time, but my personal team is a different animal! Let's see if you can get lucky a second time!"
"It seems that we are ready to get this battle started!'' the referee declared, "to my left, hailing from Pallet Town in the Kanto Region, and known as the 'First Champion of Alola Region,' Ash Ketchum!''
Ash stood erected, not in the mood to be proud of his big introduction. He glared at Byron, drawing his first Pokéball out, ready to throw at any time.
"And to my right, is the man with the steel body, the Gym Leader of Canalave City, Byron!''
Byron smirked, choosing out his first Pokeball, and winded his arm back for the throw.
"This will be a four-on-four match-up, meaning both the challenger and the Gym Leader will use approximately four Pokémon each! The match is over when one side's Pokémon are all defeated! Additionally, only the challenger may substitute during the battle!" the judge finished announcing the rules, before taking a dramatic pause, ''The battle shall now begin. Both trainers choose your Pokemon!''
"Defenses are the boom!'' Byron gruffly commented, before enlarging his Pokeball and slung it with beastly power, ''Bronzong, show them your iron will!''
"Noctowl, I choose you!''
The two very different Pokémon spawned onto the battlefield.
"Bronnn," Bronzong hummed, prepared for another battle to test the challenger's abilities.
Seeing this made Ash grin. This was much less than he expected, but knew good Gym Leaders wouldn't put their strongest player out front. What he was happiest about was that he knew enough about Bronzong – a Steel and Psychic-type Pokémon. This would make the perfect opponent for Noctowl.
The shiny owl, fluttered his wings above the ground, calmly awaiting his trainer's orders, having no reservations about inquiring the chances he had against the hovering piece of metal. He had left all those concerns on Ash's shoulders.
"Quite an interesting trade off,'' Byron remarked, ''Can't wait to see this.''
"I can't wait myself," May concurred, wondering how this match would play out with advantages and disadvantages on both sides.
"Pika…''
Ash was quick to take the initiative. "Sky Attack!''
Immediately, Noctowl dove in towards Bronzong in a blinding speed. He became enveloped in blue light as he was about to hit his target. Byron expected Ash to be more straightforward and fire off an unpredictable attack or at least not an non effective start off, but the time it took Sky Attack to charge up gave him an excellent idea. He waited until Noctowl crossed over to his side of the field before giving Bronzong the first command.
"Just stay strong Bronzong! Show them the power of our raw defenses!''
The light on Noctowl's body converted into belching blue flames, and the bird jetted forward faster. Noctowl rammed into Bronzong, ramming into the steel hide.
"Confuse Ray!'' Byron combated, proud to strike with perfect timing.
As Noctowl kept pushing into the guerrilla heavy weight, a curious sensation overcame him. He veered, unable to right himself. He felt something glimmering eyeballs orbiting around him. What were these lights?
In the distance, panic ran through Noctowl. Twin spheres of light danced around the owl, confusing him. The momentum of Sky Attack-ruined thanks to Bronzong's Confuse Ray-faltered. The duo crashed into the slope and Ash watched, unable to do much else at the moment. The steel dome rose quickly, seemingly unscathed by the move.
Noctowl struggled to get his bearings, stuck on two talons and erratically turning his head. He hooted, not able to comprehend what was going on.
"Now Bronzong, Gyro Ball!''
Bronzong began to spin itself around rapidly to charge up the energy needed to benefit from the opportunity. Ash immediately looked worried when Bronzong, almost effortlessly, Noctowl all the way back to its side of the field, having overpowered it. Steel wasn't super-effective against either of Noctowl's types, but it certainly looked like it had a lasting effect, shown by the bird's struggling to remain in the air.
May was amazed by the power the small Bronzong possessed, and was enthralled by the clashes of light he just witnessed. "That's quite a strategy," she remarked, though mostly she was talking to herself. "Gyro Ball's power increases if the user is significantly slower than its opponent. The wider the gap, the greater the increase of power. It's no surprise that it could overpower Noctowl with those aspects in play." She blinked, switching questionable looks left and right, ''Looks like I have to solve my own doubts…"
Byron laughed and wagged his finger at Ash, "What'd did I tell ya? The best defense makes the perfect offense!''
"This match is far from over," Ash retorted, though he was hesitant about sending Noctowl in so close against Bronzong again. He decided it was time to battle more strategically. "Noctowl, stay right where you are and use Moonblast."
"kroo..'' the bird felt someone calling for a Moonblast. With nothing to lose, he began charging up a small luminescent orb inside his beak.
"Bronzong, hurry over and use Zen Headbutt!''
The top section of Bronzong glowed light blue, and it veered forward. For Noctowl, it was hard to fight the confusion he was going through, therefore he couldn't dissipate the fully-charged Moonblast that went flying right into Bronzong as soon as Noctowl was broken away from its attack.
Bronzong was hit directly and sent into one of the many large rocks scattered across the field. It was not knocked out yet, but clearly damaged by this point. Noctowl, fully confused, could no longer keep flying and landed on the ground, trying to shake off its unfortunate status before Bronzong had another chance to attack.
Ash assessed the situation thoroughly. Strategically, since he was allowed to, he would be wise to recall Noctowl and use a fresh Pokémon to quickly finish off Bronzong. However, he wanted to focus on endurance for this Gym Battle. He wanted his Pokémon to withstand whatever Byron could throw at them with steeled determination. Ash knew he was going to need that kind of thing when it was time to face the unrevealed opponent in the World Coronation Series, or maybe in some crucial battle…something like Steven and Cynthia have been banking on.
Unsure of the results, Ash made another command to attack: "Now! Use Extrasensory before it recovers!"
Luck was on Ash's side this turn, as Noctowl successfully sent a blast of two golden shimmering energy towards Bronzong, which was still recovering from the previous clash. Bronzong remained pinned against the rock, but was still conscious and able to battle.
Ash growled at this. "Come on, already! It's over!" It was apparent that the foe's great endurance was aggravating him.
May's just shook her head at this. "He's acting rashly now… not a good state to be in before the first match even ends. Impatient, sick, Pokémon with disadvantages… I've got a bad feeling about this." May moaned, ''His mind's still lurking on Lucario.''
"Pika pi…'' the mouse agreed.
"Hah! Wanting a quick match with me, the master of steel?!" Byron shouted out with a laugh. "My team is built with defense being the number one priority! Try as you may, we'll just keep bulking…" Then he grinned. "Bronzong, Zen Headbutt!''
"Not a chance!" Ash shouted back. "Noctowl, stay focused and use Sky Attack!"
Noctowl's confusion was still present, however, as it attempted to fly high into the sky to initiate the attack, only to fly itself directly into a rock instead. Seizing the opportunity, Bronzong flew towards Noctowl and rammed into it with a body full of psychic power, hard. Ash was shocked, and Byron simply laughed again.
"It can miss if it's still confused, which it obviously is!" Byron pointed out, now overwhelmed with pride. "End it with Zen Headbutt!''
Ash had no idea when Noctowl was going to recover from the confusion, but he had a feeling the owl would be well incapacitated if it took another hit. In order to win, he needed to use his speed and accuracy to come out on top.
"Extrasensory!''
Not once caring about the air, Noctowl unleashed a shimmering beam of gold, the linear blast rocking into the steel type's body before pummelling Bronze Bell Pokemon into the ground. Fortunately, having shared the same typing, Bronzong was inches away from losing its participant in this match.
Arbitrarily hovering above the ground, the damage on its ancient body turned out worse than originally conceived.
Noctowl shook his head, every sense regained. His confusion was lifted.
"Talk about perfect timing! But you can't find a hole in our defenses so easily!'' Byron growled.
"We won't give in, use Confuse Ray!''
"Zor!" It called out before following Byron's orders. Swiftly floating over to Ash's side of the field, Bronzong charged in and attacked the avian with a ray shining white and purple with full intent of confusing it again, however the owl narrowly dodged with terrifying speed, all the while furiously seeking a solution to his current conundrum. Noctowl was perfectly capable of taking down any soft skinned opponent- he would wager he could even take down those with shells or scales! This, however, was foreign. He did not tangle with steel types regularly.
"Gyro Ball!'' Now the Gym Leader seemed to have switched to offense.
Bronzong spun into acceleration quickly closing on Noctowl, its spinning slicing the air and releasing audible whistles of wind in its wake, but all the same time, the owl was swift as well, avoiding the Gyro Ball by a wide margin. He clicked his beak, noting the formless manner in which it attacked. It seemed young and yet it already had an adult's shape.
Noctowl just needed time.
"Sky Attack!'' Ash called.
Noctowl's body instantly lit ablaze with fire, and the flames acted as a sort of rocket booster as the flying-type hovered up into the air. From there, the scorching fire wrapped around the owl's body, forming a protective, damaging blaze. Noctowl ascended with lightning speed, crashing into the stationary Bronzong, sending sparks across its blue metal shell. The effects were negligible, and as he flew a measure away for his own safety, he noted the use of Rock Polish.
His physical moves up till now were all useless.
"Zen Headbutt!'' Byron pressed on.
Engrossed in thought, this moment of distraction caused the avian, a powerful body tackle sent him spinning. At the last moment, he righted himself, barely skirting the floor with his tail feathers. He cawed, letting Ash know he was fine.
"Keep booming your defenses!" Byron threw a hand forward, ''Gyro Ball!''
"Dodge!" Ash commanded, as he carefully watched Noctowl dodge yet another Gyro Ball from Bronzong. Grabbing onto his cap's brim to ready himself mentally for the turning point of the battle, Ash almost smirked. That was all he needed. Noctowl was powerful and clever; given a single good tool, he knew he could take care of the opponent. Now, they'd prove it. "Noctowl."
His attention flicked down to him. "kroo…''
Trusting in his trainer, Noctowl copied his movements down to the same desperation and force of will he'd exhibited. Then, he felt it. It started off under his feathers then spread out to the tips of his wings, churning the air around him like a dozen tiny twisters. It felt magnificent! This must have been the power Gengar felt. It rose a second wind – a different side within him.
He let out a battle cry. Swooping towards Bronzong, his talons locked onto what might pass for a handle atop the giant bell, his malevolent gale crashing into it as he landed. It let out a thunderous chime, a melodious roar. As he released his opponent and flew to a safe distance, he felt proud.
"Alright! Great work!" Ash cheered. "Let's circle around for another!"
"Gyro Ball!'' Byron roared, "Shake it off!''
Panic was clear upon Bronzong's face. It stiffened, and its body hardened as a silvery light formed around its body.
"He's stealing off Noctowl's heightened stats!'' Ash balled a fist and then punched it forward.
"Use Ominous Wind once again!''
His talons hooked onto the ornate details of the Bronzong's shell. As his weight and the menacing violet winds he had summoned to surround and support his crashed into it, he hung on for a moment. Down, down, down, the steel type fell. Then, he let go, satisfied to let it crash into the earth hideously and tumble away upon seeing the swirls in its eyes.
After gaping for a moment, the referee remembered he was more of a referee than a spectator and did his duty. "Bronzong is unable to battle!" he announced before dramatically pointing to Ash. "Victory goes to Noctowl!"
Noctowl let out a final chirp, boasting a bit as he landed in front of Ash.
Byron was now impressed. "It seems I underestimated you yet again," he admitted. "You had kept that super effective Ominous Wind a secret until you fetched a perfect timing. And now, it shall only increase all of Noctowl's stats at once." He thrust his shovel deep into the ground. "Bravo! That was an excellent strategy!"
After that praise, the smile on Byron's face quickly dissipated as he grabbed Bronzong's Pokéball, aimed it at said Pokémon, and recalled it. He looked down at the Pokéball with a proud smile. "Admirable effort, Bronzong. You earned yourself a rest," Byron said, putting his Pokéball away and taking out another one. "We'll give you a greater challenge than before! Another mighty steel type that I love- Steelix!''
Out of Byron's second Poké Ball came what was easily one of the tallest Pokémon Ash had ever seen. Steelix absolutely dwarfed Noctowl, and even that was a bit of an understatement. The Iron Snake Pokémon crunched its powerful, metal jaws together, focusing its vision on the miniature bird. Steelix then roared, its battle-hungry screech shaking the building and startling everyone in the room. Well, except for Byron.
May couldn't help but shrink back a bit when the thirty-foot Iron Snake Pokémon entered the battlefield. Despite its intimidating look, Ash shrugged it off.
Analysing the chances Noctowl had against the serpent, there were close to no chances at all. No move: Sky Attack, Extrasensory, Ominous Wind or Moonblast could take the behemoth down. And while they did seem powerful, they were direct offenses that couldn't inflict a status damage. It would be best to withdraw Noctowl, having him rest for a while.
As his fingers went forward for Noctowl's Pokeball, Byron was soon to pick up on the hint.
"Steelix, quick! Cast yourself around Noctowl!''
"What?'' Ash's fingers froze, inches away from the capsule.
Steelix bellowed in fierce agreement, fencing the tired flying type with its long metallic body. Steelix released another earsplitting roar, although this time there was a much more unnerving quality to the noise. Noctowl's feathers bristled and the flying-type shivered. How could it possibly go up against such a titanic Pokémon, it wondered.
Hastily unclipping Noctowl's Pokeball off his belt, Ash cast the red beam from the device, but sadly it could only make contact with the silver, steel coat of the giant.
"What the!"
"It seems that Steelix is ready!'' Byron taunted, "Bind!''
Steelix proudly did as it was told, and captured Noctowl with its brutal tail. It squeezed the bird hard, making the situation all the worse for Ash's Pokémon.
Meanwhile, May was coughing, trying to keep the dust and sand out of her face. "That's plain brutality!" She called out in fear.
"Hey Noctowl!" Ash gasped in fear, hearing for the desperate pleading squawks of the bird to stop the fight.
"Don't get yourself all torn up!" Byron shouted back. "It's only temporary! Now, Steelix! Make sure you've got a good grip! We're ending this very soon!"
"Alright!'' Ash threw an open hand out, that silence everything, even Steelix who ceased to crush the life of the bird anymore. Humiliation was overtaken by deep concern for his Pokemon, as the trainer still held tightly to Noctowl's Pokeball in hand. ''It's obvious that Noctowl has already sustained major damage. I cannot risk my Pokemon's health anymore, therefore, I forfeit Noctowl from this battle.''
The referee, threw him a questionable look, but complied immediately, "The challenger has decided to forfeit his Pokemon, and therefore, on account of forfeit, the winner of this round is Steelix.''
For once, Byron didn't seem to enjoy a victory. "Let it go, Steelix!''
The monstrous curled body unwind, and a desperate for breath Noctowl, spiralled right towards the ground, but only seemed to have made a safe landing…in his trainer's hands who stood in the middle of the field.
"kroo.." Noctowl apologetically crooned.
"Don't apologize Noctowl,'' Ash passionately stared into the eyes of the bird, ''These are the sad realities of a battle. You win some, you lose some.''
"krro….''
"Take a long rest, my friend,'' Ash smiled, supporting the weight of Noctowl in one hand, and he used the another to suck the Pokemon back in. "I promise to get back at them.''
"Pika…'' the mouses' ears drooped, as he felt low.
"Hmm…'' May stroked the mouse's hair, "Gave you some really bad memories, huh? I get it." She rest her chin upon the mouse's head, encouraging him. ''We both know Ash will win this battle. So let's give him our full support.''
"Pika pi.'' The mouse agreed, for he knew his part. But the horrid experience to have own's life squeezed out of you was hard to get over. While Pikachu could easily dish a counter in the Unova League against Trip's Serperior, it would be hard for Noctowl since he had no move to finish off a towering Steelix.
Walking back to his corner, Ash furrowed his brows, molding his face into that angry look that would pave the way forward for his miracles. He thought for a moment, glancing up at the gargantuan Steelix. He would need a Pokémon that wasn't short, but also one that had a speed advantage. Even though it had attacked rather fast just now, Steelix as a species was remarkably slow.
"So, we are two apiece,'' Ash adjusted his cap, throwing forward his Pokeball to unleash his next prized fighter. "Blastoise, I choose you!''
The light present in the Pokeball spilled quickly taking the form of the roaring tortoise that shot pumps of water from his cannons to explain his style and poise. Towering far above Blastoise, the Iron Snake Pokemon screeched and rumbled to reprimand the tortoise.
"Blast…'' the Shellfish Pokemon growled, eyes sizing up the assorted segments of Steelix, not an ounce of fear in his system. Sure, Steelix's incredible height was daunting, but Blastoise welcomed the challenge.
"Pika pi!'' the mouse waved, enthralled of having one of his oldest friends appear on the field. Tonight's evening was gonna be a blast.
"You sure look happy,'' May giggled. One of the capsules in her fanny pack quaked. Right behind the railing, Wartortle appeared, wanting to be the first class seater of that battle. When he spotted Ash's Blastoise on the field, however, his eyes lit up like stars. "tortle! War!" He cheered his good wishes, leaning forward with a vested interest in the coming fight.
"Rooting for your friend huh?'' May giggled, while Pikachu rolled his eyes.
"A perfect opponent,'' Byron mused. "I can allow you to make the first move.''
"We won't disappoint your offer,'' Ash brushed a finger under his nose, ''Hydro Pump!''
Blastoise obeyed, aiming his cannons where he wanted them. The small rumble of water ready to rush out could be plainly heard. Two powerful columns of water roared out from those cannons, threatening to douse Steelix.
"Absolute defense!'' Byron countered. ''Heavy Slam!''
The Iron Snake Pokemon towered up, glinting inside a silver blue aura. It began descending down towards the field, in which a good portion Blastoise was in was completely covered in its shadow. True to the namesake of its name, Hydro Pump began pushing against the curving train of silver that was Steelix.
The Steel type continued its advances towards Blastoise while the latter did his best at keeping distance. Even with its great size and even greater strength, Steelix couldn't withstand the rage of the torrent for long and was forced to pull away, without a command from its trainer.
"Looks like Ash isn't wasting any time in finishing this battle,'' May observed. "Hydro Pump is super effective against Steelix. I do expect it to half Steelix's stamina.''
Steelix roared out loud in pain, as the super-effective attack effectively dented it, but withstood it and was still in the game.
"Excellent work, Steelix! That may have been painful, but you persevered!" Byron said, truly meaning to compliment his Pokémon. "Use Dig!"
Ceasing its write of pain, Steelix immediately tunnelled head first into the ground, quickly burrowing out of Hydro Pump's range.
"You won't get away, that easy!" Ash argued. "Hydro Pump, in the hole!" The cannons of the fully evolved starter slumped, aiming, and shooting roaring waters into the tunnel, the resulting action propelled him upward, giving the reptile some additional distance between himself and the hole. The ground began to rumble, showing cracks until Steelix surfaced with a roar, Hydro Pump's remains blasting him above ground.
"Tortle!'' the mid stage turtle danced on his feet, watching his idol who the serpent 'who's the boss'!
Steelix managed to move an eye up to see Blastoise already high up in the air using Hydro Pump and had figured out the rest.
"When dealing with pure strength like mine, you've got to learn to improvise," Byron mused, impressed by the actions and plays. "Otherwise, once you're hit, it's all over. Steelix, use Rock Slide!''
Steelix retaliated with an uproarious command of the earth. A sheet of boulders formed out of the thin air, hanging above Blastoise damningly.
"Use Rapid Spin to speed up, and spin on through!" Ash shouted.
In a second use since he'd returned to the battle, Blastoise gained a tremendous amount of speed, spinning like a top between the raining boulders as they showered faster than anvils. Moving on a steadily increasing spin, he shot up at an angle towards Steelix.
"Now!" Ash shouted. "Hydro Pump!"
"Show Blastoise what for, Steelix! Use Bind!'' Byron cried out, thrusting his fist forward.
Steelix's long, segmented tail whipped around to latch around Blastoise's shell, squeezing it in an impenetrable grip. Blastoise indeed retaliated by spouting his greatest attack from his cannons, but it came with one great caveat.
"It's missing!?" Ash exclaimed. The Hydro Pump was spraying, but the way Steelix gripped his shell resulted in a vertical spout, held far away from the serpent's body. The result was little more than a refreshing water fountain for Steelix.
"Don't think your stunts would wheel on our playground, lad!'' Byron reprimanded, flashing a cocky smirk at Ash, ''Apply the pressure with Bind!''
Steelix whirred to life on command. Its tail snapped out with deadly accuracy, grabbing the dizzy, helpless tortoise in a merciless grip. Blastoise felt like being crushed from the inside before feeling a doze of dizziness.
A coat of fear and worry had washed over Wartortle's face. He couldn't fathom the pain his fully evolved counterpart was in right now.
"Oh, no… He can't even use Hydro Pump in that spot." Ash frowned. "In that case, give them everything you got!'' the trainer took a deep breath, before hollering out. ''Hydro Cannon!"
Inside the constricted shell, Blastoise heard his trainer's voice. The cannons rose up to meet Steelix to target it to the inevitable. "Blas!" the tortoise applied the depleting strength that he possessed, blasting the giant face of the gargantuan towards the ceiling gym with mortar spheres of water. The unwinding perturbed as Steelix's grip of Blastoise came loose.
Ash winced in sympathy, as Blastoise plummeted on the floor, slumped over on all fours. He was breathing heavily, finding the oxygen seeping into his lungs very precious.
"Blastoise, are you alright?'' Ash gasped.
"Blast…'' the water type tiredly heaved. It was truly amazing that the Pokémon had withstood the attack, but there were plenty of grievous injuries riddling his body from the one attack it had suffered.
Smoke and dust billowed across the fray, clearing for a battered, ashen, and halfway conscious Steelix.
"War!'' the concerned little turtle called out to his friend. "Wartortle!''
Great strain of pain didn't falter, however, Blastoise received the strength to sustain them a little longer when he saw his old pal in the bleachers. He felt his words, and cast him an exhausted, reassuring smile. One hand began to fetch something deep inside for something before revealing a pair of distinctive sunglasses and donning them. Blastoise's smirk only grew and the Shellfish Pokémon flashed a smug smile, "Blas…blas…Blastoise!"
Ash grinned like mad, "Here we go."
The lights of the ceiling reflected of those shades as Blastoise rose up on two, distinctively grumbling back at Steelix.
"This is no time to be anxious, Steelix!" He called out. "You're the big guy on the field! You own this terrain! Use Dig!''
Steelix burrowed its way into the ground again, leaving behind another majestic hole.
"He'll anticipate me using Hydro Pump a second time,'' Ash mused, scanning the field before his eyes settled on the first hole in the battlefield, and he sharply inhaled. Ash took that moment of opportunity and called out. "Rapid Spin inside that hole!"
Blastoise lumbered forward, withdrawing into his shell, engineering the sturdy shell to spin at a high speed before throwing itself underground. Only faint rumbles could be felt under Ash and Byron's feet, until a subterranean roar hit its crescendo. The already fractured and well-shaken field collapsed in a crater, with Blastoise and Steelix bursting out of the rubble.
"With Steelix's defenses, it looks like they were an even match," Ash recounted. "We've gotta limit Steelix's mobility." With this very thought in mind, he scanned over the battlefield. Ruined stone and broken ground littered the landscape, with running water pooling at the bottom. Without a doubt, this was a result of Blastoise recent Hydro Pump.
"Steelix!" Byron called out. "Of course… he burst open the field and made it uninhabitable just like last time. Now, using Dig will likely hurt us more than it'll help us." The fossil lover smiled to himself. "That boy never ceases to surprise me.''
Byron could only smile at the scene. "Now, this is what a Gym Battle's all about. A Gym Leader's job isn't just to win," he explained, turning his gaze towards the ceiling. Ash figured this speech meant as much as for his son as it was for him. "...but, to test a challenger's mettle, and even help them grow when the chance presents itself." Byron beamed, his attention back on Ash. "Bring it on Ash! Prove me that you have found a way to break my ultimate defenses! Rock Slide!''
Steelix retaliated with an uproarious command of the earth. Sharp stone projectiles soared through the rocky field on a direct course for Blastoise.
"You got it!" Ash nodded with a grin. "Blastoise, Skull Bash!''
Blastoise rocketed off, speeding towards the oncoming hazards in a tucked shell. Thick hardened skull helped the overgrown tortoise pass, leaving behind consecutive burst rocks. Bodies of boulders popped off, and quickly gaining altitude by hopping on the last boulder, the water type lunged at the colossal adversary. Competitors and spectators alike watched the tortoise missile, smashing into Steelix's jaw.
Chunks of earth and clouds of dust were torn from the field, with Steelix's dragging across the terrain. Even its stellar defenses buckled to the brute force, before Steelix curled around, regaining his composure.
"That was some Skull Bash," Byron announced aloud.
Garchomp repeated his course, blazing the trail for another devastating impact.
"We can't afford to take another," Byron muttered. "Steelix, Heavy Slam!"
Steelix geared himself upright, and in sheer act of brashness, the Iron Snake Pokemon threw his head forward, face outlined behind an exterior metallic coat.
Skull Bash bashed into the face of the giant, bucking Blastoise's weight against its momentum. Steelix's body pushed and the required momentum which Heavy Slam gave, forcing Blastoise to disengage.
"The more the user outweighs the target, the stronger Heavy Slam gets,'' May heard her Rotom dex go off, musing over. ''So now it's even better to use against Blastoise…''
"Looks like this'll be coming to a close, soon," Byron muttered. "Use Bind!"
Steelix roared, swinging its mighty tail around to snatch its adversary.
"Dodge it!" Ash shouted.
With remarkable speed and spinning prowess, the tortoise retreated and spun himself inside his shell, swooping under the trap of Steelix's tail, and again, proving itself a great deal faster than his giant opponent.
"Alright, now use Hydro Cannon!"
Two cannons raised above the Pokémon's head, focusing the elemental hydro energy within Blastoise's guns. Mastery of the move achieved long ago pushed it past the extremities, firing the orbs high into the air. Though dimmer after a consecutive use, the move teeming with life was bound to burst into Steelix's segmented body.
"If you dodge that then Blastoise will be wide open for attack!" Byron instructed, thriving to exploit the numbness Blastoise would feel after the ultimate move. "Steelix, use Dig to get underground!"
The large Iron Snake did just that, tunneling just in time to avoid the fallout. Hydro Cannons bombed and detonated on the battlefield, creating even more rubble than its design had originally intended.
"Now, attack it!" Byron ordered.
Steelix shot out of the ground, ready to deal a finishing blow.
"You need to recharge!'' Ash cautiously called, only to reveal the smirk beneath, ''So why not recharge inside your shell?''
"Blast!'' the tortoise nodded, withdrawing inside his shell, that was tossed high above the battlefield by Steelix's forehead, dealing moderate damage than what Byron had expected. Both Pokémon were panting, clearly exhausted. Even the adrenaline rush of wearing those sunglasses had to run low for Blastoise sometime. Steelix who had put up his best offenses as defenses was out of strategies. Both retained their resolve to win.
Their trainers, likewise, were equally invested. Ash's fists had balled up painfully tight, a wide smirk spanning across his features. This was the kind of battle he'd been looking for; one that pushed him and his opponent to their limits, after unraveling a binding strategy.
Byron, meanwhile, had abandoned his more characteristic, rowdy demeanor for the moment. The nostalgia of his childhood and Roarks's childhood flooded him, too; for days long gone, where they were all young and naive, to one extent or another.
"Let's finish this, Blastoise! Use Skull Bash!" Ash shouted, punching towards the ceiling.
The same aura crowned upon the Shellfish Pokemon's head, his powerful legs launching him towards Steelix.
"Heavy Slam, Steelix!" Byron ordered; fully aware this was his only hope.
Skull Bash bashed into the gnashing, dominating wrath of Heavy Slam once more. Solid-steel armor faced off against the raw power of a fully hardened skull. Perhaps it was Steelix growing tired, or perhaps it was just Blastoise's determination to win. But there was no difference in the monumental power. The power struggle sent shockwaves that quaked the whole field, before both Pokemon were sent apart. Blastoise hurtled down to earth. As Steelix slumped to the ground, Blastoise crashed down into a rock formation near the fallen Iron Snake Pokémon. With the wind knocked out of it, and just enough damage being dealt by a few Heavy Slams and the critical Bind, Blastoise collapsed besides the fallen Steelix, prompting the referee to blow his whistle loudly.
"Both Steelix and Blastoise are unable to battle! The battle is now tied, 2-2, and the Trainers will move on to their third Pokémon!"
"War…'' Wartortle sulked, having lost his spirit as the battle didn't turn out as expected. May not wanting her Pokemon to mull over, sweetly advised, stroking the turtle's shell, ''Now, now. Don't be sad, Wartortle. Instead, just look hard Blastoise battled. You want to be as strong as him one day, don't you?''
"War…'' the turtle mumbled in reluctant affirmative. It will take some time to pass.
"Oh you silly,'' May sweat dropped.
Byron solemnly returned Steelix to its Pokéball and looked to it. "It was my fault for not making a suitable strategy. Don't blame yourself. Rather, you made this battle easier for us.''
"Blastoise, return!" Ash called. Once the fallen water-type was safely inside the capsule, Ash curved the sphere around and talked to it, "Blastoise, you were awesome out there, too. I'm real proud of you sticking it out and finishing off Steelix. You've earned this rest."
"Well, Ash. Maybe I got a little ahead of myself,'' Byron spoke out with no chivalry lost, ''Your offenses were able to rival my defenses, and now I have been pushed to go all out! I hope that my next Pokemon shall give you greater challenge." Activating the device, Byron swung it into the fray, "Go Bastodion!"
The Poké Ball burst open and familiar white light jumped out from the capsule's insides. Out came the Shield Pokémon to the battleground in its glory at a modest four feet and three inches, the ancient reptilian Bastiodon stood firm as Byron's signature Pokémon.
"Hey, neat!" May exclaimed, nudging his Rotomdex to get a more accurate look. "Bastiodon. I've never seen one up close before!"
"Bastiodon, the Shield Pokemon. Rock and Steel Type, and the final evolution of Shieldon, Any frontal attack is repulsed. It is a docile Pokémon that feeds on grass and berries. When attacked, they form a wall with their shield-like faces to protect their young. Its face is sturdy—as strong as diamond—and this hardness offers a very stable defense. Much about this species is still unknown, such as its natural habitat."
Ash sighed, trying to analyze the opponent's choice. "Facing it head-on won't do any good, it looks like. All that armor...but why is he choosing Bastiodon right now? Then what's gonna be his final Pokemon? Could it be Aggron?''
Taking his mind off away from these bubbling questions, Ash tossed a capsule in the fray. "Tauros, I choose you!''
The Wild Bull appeared, smoking flare from his nostrils, as he stomped the floor with his hooves. He was huge and prime for competition, blood boiling in those beef muscles. May noted the size and bulk of Tauros, having seen one of his herd battled more than once. She was aware of their tenacity. Tauros glared at Bastiodon, who looked right back at him as if a fight was about to brew.
Tauros stomped further out into the field, seemingly ready to brace whatever attack Bastiodon had in store for it.
"Let's get started, shall we?" Byron asked rhetorically. He stiffened as he raised his voice, "Bastiodon, use Flash Cannon!"
Byron had wasted no time in calling for the attack, and Bastiodon in turn launched the attack in almost no time at all. A powerful, silvery blast was thrown from the steel-type's throat, speeding toward Tauros. Ash made no attempt for Tauros to dodge the attack, and the silver blast hit quickly and powerfully, sweeping the normal-type off of his feet and dragging him backward through the air before dropping the Pokémon to the ground.
Tauros snorted, shaking his head, as he stood back up. The attack had dealt a decent amount of damage, and Ash quickly threw a hand out, "Revenge!''
Fury boiled up in Tauros's system as he stampeded forward, horns glowing red, driven by revenge.
"Had planned that in advanced, didn't you?'' Byron smirked, ''Bastiodon, use Iron Defense!''
Bastiodon relaxed and its body glowed. The light quickly went away, but the Shield Pokémon already looked tougher. Without any other option, Ash called for Tauros to pace forward. The Bull Pokémon flipped the prehistoric Pokemon by crashing into the steel-type with a full-body tackle. Bastiodon complained and took a few steps back, shaking its wide, shield-like head and blinking.
"You thought I won't anticipate a retaliating move heh?'' Byron cocked a brow, ''We got one too! Bastiodon, use Metal Burst!''
Bastiodon briefly grinned and formed a ball of light inches from its mouth. The Metal Burst attack struck Tauros at full force, dealing devastating damage and slinging the bull away. Tauros hit the ground hard, bounced further away for a few seconds, and finally skidded to a stop near Ash.
"Tauros!" Ash gasped.
Insult to his pride, the Normal type brayed, glaring at Bastiodon. The Shield Pokémon held the Normal-type's gaze and gave a gargled grumble, as confident as ever.
Tauros suddenly reared up on his hind legs, and the three tails began to whiplash at Tauros's bottom.
"You were 'got' right!'' Ash smirked, throwing a hand out, ''We'll show them who's the best brawler. Use Blizzard all over the field!''
The decision confused Byron and Bastiodon a bit until they noticed what exactly Tauros was doing: by using Blizzard to cover the battlefield in a sheet of ice, it was a matter of time before Bastiodon had traction issues and crashed itself into a rock. Tauros landed with ease, accustomed to the cold thanks to his fur to stay on the ice without any problem.
"Well, that's one way to 'level out' the playing field," May remarked, smirking. "Most trainers in Ash's mental condition would've cracked by now. Here he is still using strategy rather than haphazardly attacking to get it over with."
"On your feet, Bastiodon!" Byron ordered. "You can't Bastiodon. accomplish a thing lying down like that!" His Pokémon tried to obey, but it was easier said than done for the awkward and heavy (not to mention tetrapod)
Ash nodded back to his Pokémon. "With your best shot, now, since Bastiodon's struggling! Hit it with Revenge!"
Using a similar strategy to the one against Steelix (though not on the head this time), Tauros's body shined with bright intensity while landing the attack hard against Bastiodon – specifically, the areas of said Pokémon that weren't protected with its natural armor. Tauros rammed into the unexposed sides of Bastodion's torso with powerful revengeful move, leaving the Shield Pokémon howling in pain as it fell flat onto its stomach on the cold ice floor.
Byron grimly nodded at the sight, well aware of his Pokémon's double-weakness from the beginning and figured Ash would have used Revenge as the central part to Tauros's strategy. "You can endure it, Bastiodon! Show our friend here that you won't be overcome by a simple double-weakness! Use Iron Defense!"
Bastiodon growled as its head began to subtly glow a shade of blue, showing Iron Defense in play. Ash frowned, as he was quick to see a problem in the near future because of Bastiodon's now dramatically-increased defensive power. Tauros had no way of undoing it, meaning Revenge's effectiveness was significantly snuffed out. "Fall back, Tauros!" Ash shouted out. "He's planning something."
Tauros obeyed and marched backward across the ice, distancing himself from his opponent, who was now very close to being able to stand on its own. Back on all four feet, Bastiodon carefully turned around to face Tauros.
"First thing's first," Byron reminded his Pokémon. "Get rid of that pesky ice, Bastiodon!"
After a mighty roar, Bastiodon rose up on its hind legs, only to quickly descend and smash its two front legs back into the ground. The force of the stomp and the weight of Bastiodon was enough to make the entire field of ice crack and break into pieces, ridding Ash of his advantage in the field. The shockwaves sent off by the stomping was enough to knock Tauros off its feet. Ash and Byron also wobbled around, but were able to remain standing.
Byron grinned, obviously happy to have the upper-hand once again. "Let's see if our foe can match up to your defenses! Bastiodon, rush it with Iron Head!"
Bastiodon rushed at Tauros as its entire body glowed with a blinding aura. Being knocked off his feet, Tauros was unable to react as quickly as he normally would. Ash had no real way of countering the move, but he thought the least he could do was slow down his hefty opponent.
"Tauros, use Fire Blast and get out of there!"
Tauros reared back his head, summoning a scorching fire from his throat. Lashing out, he unleashed the fiery discharge, mooing as the blast expanded and formed a star-shaped pattern. The destructive star zoomed across the field and struck home against Bastiodon, but it seemed to only barely scratch the Pokémon as it continued to rush at Tauros with full power. Seeing that it didn't help, Tauros attempted to move out of the way, but still got nailed in the side by the vicious attack. The Wild Bull Pokémon was careened into a rock from the force of the blow. It was still conscious, but was significantly wounded.
"That's the power of absolute defense! It doesn't make you cautious, it makes you stronger!'' Byron howled "Finish this, use Flash Cannon!''
Feeling the words of its trainer rushing in its adrenaline, Bastiodon charged the energy within its mouth and fired it off when ready. Pure Steel-typed energy flew at the faltering Tauros with a fury.
Ash knew a direct hit would end it, but he wasn't content to let it end this way. He smiled, having done his homework, ''Rest!"
It was a close call, as Tauros was still trying to recover from the side-swipe he suffered from the Iron Head, but rather staring at the danger coming right at him, just in the nick of time, the self-sleep-inducing trick worked, and Tauros slumped on his side, peacefully asleep. Flash Cannon instead disintegrated the rocks Tauros was previously lying against.
Bastiodon stood flummoxed. Its opponent was in a sleeping trance.
"Flash Cannon!" Byron called out to his partner. "And this time, make it big!''
Tauros was dangerously exposed to Bastiodon now. This was something Ash was sure Tauros couldn't have handled if his vitality wasn't being restored in the back operations. Yet there was no way to reach out to the bull now.
The Shield Pokémon fired off another silver blast, crashing into Tauros and acting as the perfect follow up. Tauros was simply sent reeling on the floor. He didn't feel a thing, just playfully kicking in his sleep.
May couldn't look when this happened. When she managed to open her eyes, she was horrified to find Tauros lying on the ground, yawning. "O-oh, that's… that's really not good. Flash Cannon's can potentially lower an opponent's defense."
Ash shook his head when he noticed Tauros was stirring up. Yawning once more, Tauros' vision was adjusted to find Bastiodon baring its fangs at him. Not the perfect wake up call. But now did Tauros start to regain his senses, as well as his bearings…he was on a freaking battlefield, and now there was no room for error.
"Admirable that you made it this far, Ash, but I'm going to end it here." He pointed out to Bastiodon. "Bastiodon, use Flash Cannon on Tauros! Its defenses have been wrecked."
Literally, it could be very true. While his energy was back on full track, he defenses were faring poorly by repeated hits of Flash Cannon. Just as Tauros knelt up, he could feel the increasing radiance coming up from behind. It was dreadful to see a massive stream of silver burst headed his way, and any decent hit would end the battle for sure.
In haste, Ash commanded whatever came to his mind just then.
"Try to cancel it out!" Ash hollered, "Fire Blast!"
Ordinarily, Steel was weak to Fire and wouldn't stand a chance against a Fire-based attack. The attacks possessed the same amount of power, and what no one actually counted on was Fire Blast melting Flash Cannon, rocking up a decisive explosion.
Seeing this chemical reaction gave Ash an idea, possibly something inspired from his own ordeals. "So let's try this! Tauros, use Blizzard!"
Byron just raised an eyebrow at that command. "Blizzard? Seriously? That's not going to affect Bastiodon; it'll just…" Then he paused. "Wait, the secondary effects…" He then got it. "He's going to…!"
The jaws of Tauros glowed with cyan power.
"Don't let this drag out any longer, Bastiodon!" He shouted out. "Destroy that Pokémon! Flash Cannon again!"
A weaker Flash Cannon came out from Bastiodon, but it was too late to counter. Tauros fired snowballs and powerful wind shears. The intensity of the coldness coming from the Blizzard attack prevented it from being totally nullified, and whatever was melted was thrown right back at Bastiodon by the wind shears and froze to it instantly.
Ash smiled wickedly, as he couldn't believe it was actually working. "Keep it up, Tauros! Let's see how Byron likes his Pokémon being deep-chilled!"
Now it was hitting Byron. As Blizzard dissipated, everyone was witness to the massive Bastiodon being frozen solid in a block of ice.
"Impossible!" Byron cried out. "Bastiodon, you have to-"
"It's over, Byron." Ash calmly interrupted. "Tauros, one last Revenge! Send Bastiodon into oblivion."
Tauros was more than happy to comply. A fearsome rush followed by two powerful horns to break the ice and finish off Bastiodon occurred, and with a thunderous thud, the Shield Pokémon had been felled.
"Bastiodon is unable to battle! The winner is Tauros!''
"You did it, big guy,'' Ash smiled,
"Mooo!" the Normal-type cheered. Byron wore a stone glance, unhooking Bastiodon's Poké Ball and calling the fainted steel-type back inside. After thanking the Shield Pokémon for its help, Byron pulled his fourth and final Poké Ball from his belt, brushing the end of his thumb across the clean red-and-white capsule.
In all his days of battling, Byron couldn't recall the last time he was witness to such a turnabout. But he did know one thing: this old challenger was notorious for turning things around in his favor in a pinch.
May had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming, and with reality confirmed, she cheered. "Alright!"
"Pika!''
"Tortle!''
"So, it's down to this," said Byron, looking down at his final Pokéball. "Just as well. Keeping it tight makes a battle more worthwhile and interesting! Represent yourself, me, and this Gym well, my friend!" He looked to his opponent. "We'll make our stand here and now! GO!" He threw the Pokéball out to the battlefield. "Aggron!"
Aggron emerged, flaunting its powerful metallic spikes. Sunlight glistened off of the silver plates and crown masking its face, giving the Iron Armor Pokémon a fittingly regal visage.
"Aggron!"
The Iron Armor Pokémon was a familiar foe to Ash, having battled both the likes of Paul and Brendan's fully evolved steel-type monsters. It really was a surprise though that Byron possessed this Pokémon, and even better, Ash knew how to combat the steel-type.
"Tauros, you ready?" Ash asked. Tauros bellowed that he was, and the Pride of Pallet called for an attack. "Okay, use Revenge!"
All too eager to share his misery with his opponent, the mighty bull galloped forward.
Byron moved to counter, "Aggron, stop that bull with Metal Sound!"
Aggron beat its steely chest and then leaned forward, opening its mouth and releasing a screech that could only be likened to long nails scratching a chalkboard. The noise was disturbingly painful to the ears of both Ash and Tauros, and Wild Bull Pokémon found themselves a little disoriented when the noise finally stopped.
Pikachu and Wartortle wailed, holding their ears. This noise was unbearable.
May closed her eyes as tight as she could to try and fix her own disorientation.
Having the moment that he needed, Byron threw his hand out, "Dragon Rush!''
Draconic aura roared and spread around Aggron, headed forward with a dragon's veil. It was easy to become startled when an iron-clad titan nearly seven feet tall and eight-hundred pounds came charging right at you. That was the scenario Tauros was faced with, and his overdramatic moo of defeat came a little early from that alone, just before Tauros was hastily taken out from a mere collision with its opponent.
The force of the colliding was something Aggron used to its advantage – to slide its way back to Byron's side of the battlefield while the dust cleared to reveal the Bull Pokémon completely down and out.
"Tauros is unable to battle! Aggron wins!'' the referee declared, ''The challenger is now left with only one Pokemon!''
"Return!" he quickly called, sparing Tauros anymore pain. "You did great, buddy. You're the macho-est man here," he assured, knowing very well how Tauros prided himself on his ability to take blows. "But we are not done yet.''
His final Pokeball enlarged, before Ash tossed it into the field. "Lairon, I choose you!''
"Laii!" the steel-type chattered as he spawned from the Poké Ball. The Iron Armor Pokémon stretched his legs, glancing up at the Aggron, who dwarfed it easily. Made friends yesterday, and foes now. Nevertheless, Lairon was not deterred anymore, narrowing his eyes into a glare as a way of accepting the challenge.
"Lairon hasn't gotten a whole lot of action since Ash caught him. I hope Ash knows what he's doing." May mumbled. "Pitting a Pokemon against its evolution isn't the best idea, but I sense that Ash has chosen after some careful thought.''
"I have been intrigued to face Lairon since yesterday,'' Byron grunted, ''From my experience, I can see that you have been through some grind with Lairon.''
"See for yourself,'' Ash threw a hand out, ''Autotomize!''
Lairon cried out, his entire body lighting up. Every metal segment of his body shifted and gleamed, alleviating the load of Lairon's body. He let out a hearty battle-cry as his speed surged. "Lairon!"
The move prompted a raised brow from Byron. "Hmm…" He grunted in thought. "Rock Tomb!''
Aggron bellowed, manipulating the field around him. Boulders gathered and fired towards the Steel-type, one at a time in a several-fold volley.
"Use your new speed, Lairon!" Ash coached. "Dig!''
Lairon chattered and dug his way under the ground in an instant, leaving only a small hole in its place. Once Aggron realized he had missed his target entirely, the tall steel-type was overwhelmed with precaution. At that exact moment, Lairon tore his way out of the ground, ramming into the back of Aggron's knee with a full-body tackle. The impact smashed and rattled the behemoth, surprisingly stumbling him forward.
"Amazing!'' May exclaimed, "Both Aggron and Lairon are half-Rock and half-Steel; both types are weak to Ground moves! It's four times as vulnerable to the type compared to a Pokémon with no strength or weakness to the type! If Ash can keep this up, Byron will be history very shortly even his Aggron has top-notch defenses!"
"Don't stop!'' Ash urged, ''Use Flash Cannon!''
Lairon bounded off, and splendid silver burst forward from midstage's mouth, blasting Aggron's back. The propulsion of his Flash Cannon allowed Lairon to bound backwards, and land on his feet. "ron!"
"Aggron pull yourself together!" Byron grimaced. "They are challenging our superior defenses with agility. Smart plan with many flaws known to me.'' Byron's voice carried low, maintained by a sinister gravel. "Rock Tomb!''
"Raaayh!" Aggron pointed spread his arms out, a swirling taking birth between the two limbs. Bits of earth and rock gathered together to a much greater degree than the last assault. Culminating in one impossibly huge boulder. With a mighty roar, they fired it towards their smaller foe.
Lairon was quickly left in Rock Tomb's shadow.
"Dodge that, Lairon! Quick!" Ash urged. Though the command was redundant; the quadruped was leaping away from the projectile as soon as he could possibly manage. His increased speed carried him, but only just short of his body being pummelled by the giant boulder's edge.
The pre-evolution exhaled heavily in relief.
"That was a close one." Ash exhaled in relief. "Use Autotomize again!"
Metallic parts once again shifted and adjusted themselves like live machinery, chipping away Lairon's weight. A warm aura surrounded the Steel-type again, boosting his abilities further. Satisfied with himself, he smiled. "Lairon!"
"Now use Sand Tomb!''
Lairon leaped away from Aggron, generating a whirlwind of dirt and sand around its body. Lairon flexed its muscles and send the twister at Aggron, wrapping the Iron Armor Pokémon up in the vortex. The sand stung Aggron's eyes and irritated its body, infuriating the steel-type.
"Now, we have got the advantage!'' Ash boasted. He'd been approaching this strategically from every angle, since they'd started; he knew better than to assume he'd win. "Use Dig once more!''
Lairon bounded forward, scraping his claws into the earth in which he achieved adeptness since his days in the mines. Quickly navigating his way beneath the battlefield, Lairon popped off from the ground, colliding with Aggron, driving them both to the ground.
"ron…!" Lairon grunted, suffering the vibrations of his plates that rang upon collision with Aggron's mecha body. He took the opportunity to spring off back, landing on all fours. He stumbled, shaky on his feet.
But the super-effective move proved to be a failure, as Aggron easily endured the pain, glancing down at the steel-type below.
"Ah! It's didn't do a thing!" May gasped.
"Ah-ha-ha-ha! I love defense!" Byron howled, "As I love Aggron! Dragon Rush!''
Aggron scraped his feet along the dirt like a race horse ready to take off, taking a charging stance and preparing to go. A sudden vortex of dirt appeared at Aggron's feet and rushed up around his body, swirling about and restricting the steel-type's body.
"Yes! Sand Tomb's taking effect!" May cheered from the sideline. Aggron roared and the Sand Tomb went away, but the damage was done. He had no chance of hitting Lairon now. Regardless, the steel-type heeded Byron's earlier command, rushing forth with a violet outburst of a dragon.
"Lairon, quick! Use Dig!"
Lairon heard Ash's call and crashed into the ground, burrowing underneath the earth easily. Aggron lumbered past once again, allowing Lairon to once again dig his way out and slam into Aggron's backside. This time, though, Aggron was able to grab Lairon before the shifty the Iron Armor Pokémon could dash away. The titan whipped his tail, pinning his pre-evolved counter part on the ground.
"Now, Superpower!''
"What the!" Ash exclaimed.
Aggron reached down effortlessly and grabbed the toiling Lairon by the sides of the body he once had. Lairon winced as Aggron's claws squeezed it, and Aggron lifted the steel-type up so that they could clash eyes. Lairon stopped his complain as he locked eyes with Aggron, and the steel-type trembled as Aggron's eyes flared along with his entire body. Then, Aggron reared back and slung Lairon high into the air. The latter wailed as he flew, his little legs flailing about in the foolish hope that he would cling to some sort of ground.
This time without opposition, he crushed into a rock of gargantuan weight, loose rocks splintered and flew.
"Lairon!'' Ash screamed in worry "How can I just let him take that?''
Aggron hunched over. Breaths heavy and labored from the taxing move. Along with that, another Sand Tomb vortex rose up from thin air to add a little extra damage to Aggron.
Ash mulled over, and began to study the moveset Byron had chosen for Aggron and how they were cancelling Ash's strategies. Rock Tomb was holding off Autotomize at bay, restricting Lairon's Speed. Metal Sound was abating his Special Defenses. And then there was Dragon Rush, that could flinch the timid rock type and expose him to a powerful attack like Superpower.
"Well, that should be that for Lairon," Byron surmised. "this battle would have turned the other way, had you focussed on increasing Lairon's defenses, and not just its endurance.''
The rubble started to rattle and shift, drawing all eyes to it. Rocks and pebbles rolled down with shifting foundations, before one leg with metal band around it found the surface. Grabbing solid earth, before dragging the weight behind it to freedom. Lairon's head emerged. "ron…" He groaned weakly. His eyes, shut as always, gave no indication of his health. But the weak stumbling out of the rubble did.
"Lairon!" Ash exclaimed happily, and laughed. "You made it!"
"Lair… ron!" Lairon chattered defiantly. Though, he was conscious, he hardly looked well.
"He made it…!" May beamed, pumping a fist in the air. "Way to hang in there, Lairon!"
"Pi…Pikachu!"
"Well, I'll be damned," Byron muttered. "To think your Pokemon could survive an attack like Superpower! I absolutely respect your defenses!"
"Lairon, can you still battle?'' Ash asked calmly. He didn't wish to make the same mistake as Noctowl.
"Lai!'' the quadruped roared in response. It wouldn't be the best image to rescind from this battle now. All that self-training he went through in those mines will now come fruitful.
"Stubborn, eh?'' Byron cackled. "Good to know where you make your stand."
"You are amazing, Lairon,'' Ash smiled, his words prompting Lairon to turn back towards him. ''Seems like you and I were made for one another. You definitely are the Pokemon I would raise.''\
"Lai… Lai…'' the quadruped's eyes watered up, as he went through a chain of emotions. Finally, he was being acknowledged and appreciated. And now, he would go any lengths to make his trainer's dream come true. Now he realized why on Mount Silver was everyone working so hard.
"Lai!" Lairon grumbled, facing Aggron again. The Iron Armor Pokémon then opened his mouth and formed a sizeable white orb that increased in monstrous proportions, exceeding Lairon in size. The glowing silver projectile arced over the huge cloud of dust, curving its way downward directly at Aggron. The blinding shockwave consumed the behemoth, and dirt broke up into individual sections and churned back and forth, instantly causing Aggron to lose his footing and fall to the ground. From there, the ground ravaged Aggron's body, showing no mercy for all of a few seconds.
Byron's and Ash's jaws had both dropped. "That was…that was Metal Burst!" Byron stammered.
Ash's shock turned into elation, "All right, Lairon, you learned how to use Metal Burst! That's great!" the Champion praised, "Now, let's use Dig one more time!"
Lairon burrowed under the ground, and Byron shook as he recognized the sudden momentum Ash was tapping into. "Aggron, quick, watch for Lairon to come up and then use Dragon Rush immediately!"
Aggron watched the ground carefully, trying to sense the vibrations in the ground that would signal Lairon' movements. This failed, though, and Lairon came up from directly underneath Aggron, smashing into his belly. Aggron roared and staggered back for an instant, quickly recovering and charging at Lairon with a Dragon Rush. Lairon effortlessly rolled out of the way, and Aggron passed by.
Aggron stumbled, and Lairon quickly stood up. Another vortex of Sand ravaged Aggron's body, and it was just enough to get the job done. Aggron roared as the sand that ate into him disappeared, glanced over at Lairon, and then collapsed, shaking the ground a final time as his heavy body crashed down.
The gym floor rattled and gave under his weight, leaving a massive crater. Though, it was in vain; swirls sat in the armored Pokémon's eyes, and they were completely lax.
"Aggron is unable to battle!'' the referee declared, ''Since all four Pokemon of the Gym Leader are unable to continue, the winner of this battle is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!''
"Yyyyess…!" Ash cheered, hopping in the air. Cool presentation be damned, he couldn't help it in his excitement; flashing a thumbs-up to his triumphant partner. "Way to go, Lairon!"
"Pika Pikaaa!" Pikachu cheered, hopping from one foot to the next.
"Tortle!'' Wartortle joined the prance as well.
Lairon tiredly looked over his shoulder, and his smiling lips quivered. "airron…!" He promptly started to sob, tears rolling down freely. He galloped, vaulting into the air and latching himself on top of Ash's body, making him collapse under his weight.
With a small amount of discomfort, that he was used to from Meganium, Ash giggled, his eyes fixated as far upward as they could go as he tried to look at the Iron Armor Pokémon. "You've done great, big guy." Ash smiled fondly.
With a little sniff and nuzzling his face, Lairon got off, allowing the human to stand up once again.
Byron conceded with a nod, now taking a mature stance as he looked to Aggron. "Looks like we had that one coming, my friend. It was just a lucky circumstance." The fainted steel-type broke down into red light and returned to the Poké Ball, and Byron walked out onto the battlefield with a smile, his shovel hefted onto his shoulders. May and two petite Pokemon came down the steps by the bleachers as Byron reached Ash, allowing the Trainer and Gym Leader just a few moments to speak.
Wartortle and Pikachu ran into the field and hugged Lairon, which was unexpected for the quadruped. It smiled with a bashful "Lair…" before they released their hold.
"Ash, that was a fierce and iron clad battle that we had,'' the Gym Leader commended, firmly gripping Ash's hand for a sportsman handshake. "At first it seemed repetitive, but it turns out that you and your friends expertly exploited the critical flaw of my team. Your Pokémon are strong, and I can see that they have been raised by the right Trainer. Your power overwhelmed my team's defensive tactics…again!" With that, Byron began laughing loudly. He brought his shovel down from his shoulder and stuck it into the ground.
"Thank you so much, Byron,'' Ash smiled, suddenly looking rather sheepish, ''I did enjoy our battle, but most importantly, it was thanks to you, Lairon got some much-needed experience today.''
"Of course!'' Byron nodded, lowering his gaze on Lairon, ''I was not expecting such little Pokemon to pack such power. You got places to go, little bud!''
"I did enjoy the battle,'' May butted in, and leaned to coo at the newest addition to Ash's team "You were the 'star' of today's battle, Lairon.''
"Lair!''
"So, Ash?" Byron inquisitively asked, ''Are you heading back to Iron Islands for your Lucario?''
"Nah…''
The answer shook those around him, as Ash's decision was quite questionable, and before anyone could crack open their astonished faces, he interjected, ''And in three seconds you will know why…''
The automatic doors of the Gym slid open before the Aura Pokemon sprinted in and stopped his blitz where the crowd had gathered.
"Alright! I am here! Where's the fight?!" Lucario frowned.
"Eh?'' Byron blinked, tapping his eyelashes a little more than necessary. ''You have a Lucario that can talk?''
"A long story,'' May rolled her eyes, ''To cut long story short. Yes.''
"We won already,'' Ash smiled, giving the Aura Pokemon a side. ''Good to have you back Lucario. You are as good as new.''
"We won?'' Lucario set his eyes on Lairon, finding his presence odd. ''Oh Lairon is here.''
The timidity that Lairon felt in the jackal's presence had long faded, before he chimed.
"Is it true! He landed the final blow for the win?''
"He did,'' Ash smirked, "We have a fighter on our team, Lucario.''
"Most importantly,'' May threw Ash a dirty look for not bringing the question up, ''How are you feeling Lucario? You are here sooner than I expected.''
"I delivered him like I promised,'' one of the two figures that walked in, interjected. ''He wasn't willing to wait a second so I had to bring him in here.''
"Thanks for everything you did, Riley.'' Ash expressed his sincere gratitude, looking at him with glimmering eyes, ''Looks like you saved the day again…Master.''
Smirking at the teasing tone, the Aura Guardian turned towards the faithful Lucario, ''You have the makings of an extraordinary Pokemon. Together with Ash, you have strengthened your bonds beyond the limits that few were broken. Take care, Lucario. You have a long path ahead.''
There was a long pause, before the Aura Pokemon bowed down with respect, rarely did before. "I shall follow your teachings with dedication."
Smiling, Riley turned at Lucario's trainer. "I hope this doesn't boost your ego, but you were lot better pupil than I ever was, even though you were a lot rasher. When the time comes, you will need to pass on what I gave you to another pupil, but until that time comes, chase your dream with determination. I hope you return triumphant from the World Coronation Series.''
The two Aura Guardians stared at one another. Riley felt a weight lifted off him. He'd been worried, honestly. What if he hadn't trained Ash? Would the boy have ever learned on his own? What if the day came when the world needed a champion? Not from the Leagues, but from somewhere more ancient and mystic, a hero whose powers could rival those of any Pokémon…? Well, now, Riley knew there were at least two chances of it being attended to.
And, somehow, he got the feeling that Ash was more likely to be that champion. He was surprised by the lack of jealousy he felt within his heart. Then again, he'd always found himself to be more of a hermit. Ash… Now, Ash could fit that heroic archetype. Riley was content to merely have trained him.
"Thank you, Riley.'' Ash nodded, taking the hat off his head. ''I won't disappoint you.''
A device chimed off that broke the silence amongst the small gathering, as each head turned in May's direction, who hurriedly pulled off her Rotom Phone, that kept repeating.
"You have a notification from Pokemon World Contest Entourage!"
She peered into the screen of her phone, the light radiating on her face. As she finished the reading the update, she giddily jumped, ''The location and time of my next Contest is decided! My next Contest is in Castelia City! That's where Dawn is right now!'' her face lit up with excitement.
"Dawn eh? Looks like both you will be competing at some point!'' Byron deduced. ''I haven't been much of a Contest enthusiast but I am sure the event will be a blast.''
"Ash!'' May blushed, ''Isn't it exciting? We'll be…''She stopped, finding his back facing her.
"Ash?''
"Looks like we have two reasons to go to Unova, May.'' He whispered, and whipped around, flaunting the face of his screen. "I just received an updated from Pokemon World Coronation Series, and my next opponent is!"
"The Champion of Unova!" Byron gasped.
"The Dragon Master, Iris!" May squealed.