Chapter 19
All waited with bated breath for the process to end. Shingo himself and his pokemon also patiently observed the change; few trainers were dishonourable enough to strike in the middle of an evolution -- in fact such an act was instant grounds for disqualification in championship matches.
Electabuzz's size grew slightly, and his limbs bulged out, gaining bulk swiftly. His stripes rippled, and multiplied, forming a chaotic mix of dark lines, thinner than before, yet far more numerous. Electricity started to flow in waves around his body, and some leapt from point to point, arcing as they travelled as if in orbit.
Gradually, the crackling surge of power melded in and merged with electabuzz himself, and the glow diminished.
Details could soon be made out, and Tom gasped at the results. The pokemon's basic form had not changed, but it was as if some insane scientist had added layer upon layer of muscles, strengthening him into a frightening fighting machine. His head was lowered, but a fearsome scowl could be seen etched into it.
He raised his head, revealing a feral grin, and said one word, "Elemanta". His new voice was a deep bass, echoing signs of newfound maturity as well as pure, raw dominance. Without consulting his pokedex, Tom could tell the brand new type-match of the evolution. However, he nevertheless whipped it out, and input the name, reading any additional descriptions the automatic scanner may provide.
Pokedex display:
Name: Elemanta
Gender: Male
Evolution: Elekid, Electabuzz, Elemanta
Type: Electric/Fighting
Resistance: Electric, Bug, Rock, Dark, Steel
Immunities: -
Weaknesses: Ground, Psychic
Further Information: This pokemon has a interesting match of types, enabling it to combine fighting moves with huge electrical discharges. Such a combination is particularly deadly, proves to be very effective in close range combat. For longer ranges, it is estimated that this evolution can pump out up to a hundred times the voltage of its pre-evolution, electabuzz. A even more formidable opponent than electabuzz, elemanta is not to be taken lightly.
Shingo either had extremely acute hearing or was consulting a pokedex of his own. In any case, a shiver crept up his spine, and the barely perceived shudder was nonetheless captured and noted by Tom. Tom's eyes sparkled, and he gave his first command of the battle.
"Thunder."
It was meant to be more of a test than anything else, but the results far exceeded Tom's expectations.
Out of the clear sky, somehow an unbelievably thick bolt of lightning materialised and lanced straight down, spearing one of the skarmory and dazzling all who saw the display. It resembled something, but Tom was not sure what, but it came to him moments later, from the tiny voice at the back of his mind.
*It is as thick as a decent-sized tree trunk and forking out after striking the target gives it the appearance of the roots.*
To which, Tom muttered, "Oh boy."
Then elemanta raised his arms, and grinned widely. Everyone looked up, as the sky darkened. The twin birds above panicked, but clung to their determination and training, diving steeply. There was no hope of staying airborne in the rain, and with a tempest brewing.
The duo made a bee-line towards elemanta, slicing through the torrent of rain. Elemanta allowed his tight smile to melt into a smirk, and lowered his arms, eyes glowing brighter than any star would.
The arena was thrown into turmoil.
Electrical discharge was overwhelming, as what seemed like sheets of energy and blinding current blazed through the air, leaving a trail of ionised particles and a faint scent of ozone. The effect was localised and did not last very long; barely more than thirty seconds, but it was far superior to any fireworks display, and infinitely more dangerous as well.
The hurricane-like force of the storm stopped, and the sky cleared, unveiling the beginning of a beautiful sunset... and two unconscious metal birds. Shingo locked his jaw and hardened his resolve, glaring at the opponent that seemed bent on stretching him to his limits. He allowed a confident look to cross his face as his fingers brushed the pokeball containing his prized pokemon. "You're up next. GO!"
The three materialized in perfect array, and without ado spread out, ready for anything. Tom doubted however, if they could see anything through the hail of water droplets. He pulsed a short message to elemanta. *Give it your all in your strongest electric attack, and then I'll send out the rest to help.*
Elemanta turned back with a grim nod; he understood. Once the others were released in the field, he would not have a chance to fire electric attacks of any kind without endangering his own side as well. He readied himself, and gathered his energy.
The sprinklers abruptly lessened, and now the field was more visible; a portion of water-spewing pipes were shut off or their nozzles turned down. All this dropped the curtain and unveiled elemanta -- eyes closed in concentration and limbs trembling with suppressed power. Mouthing a silent "Bye-bye" to the three scizors, he released the electricity to do their work.
All hell broke lose, as the attack started. The sprinklers shorted out, the power main overloaded, and fires started in places. Two scizors, although prepared for the attack, were thrown back, grimacing and gesturing wildly with their claws.
Elemanta sighed and plopped onto the burnt grass, laying down for a rest.
*Do you want to come back?*
"I'll be alright. Just send out the rest to help me out."
And three dark types appeared in the arena, cautiously studying their adversary. Then Tom saw the centre scyther evolution. It was at least 50% larger than the other two, and was completely unfazed by the previous attack. It calmly regarded the four pokemon on Tom's side, examining each in turn, nodding sagely as if noting each of their weak points. As it laid eyes on nagaeon however, it flinched, and averted its gaze, recovering fast enough that Tom doubted if untrained eyes would have seen the slip.
Shingo's reaction however was more violent. He shook his fist at the sight of the dark psychic pokemon, losing all pretence at control and discipline, and slamming his fist down on the concrete of the trainer box. There was a sharp cracking sound, and Tom harboured no qualms that even the hard material was dented.
He pointed an outstretched hand and a quivering finger at Tom, and shouted, "What do you think you are doing with *THAT*!"
Tom began a retort, but was cut short by the agitated gym leader. "*That* has been going around the forest searching travellers' memories, and then wiping all traces of their work afterwards. The only reason *I* remember the experience is because Blade managed to fend the three of them off long enough for us to escape, and that just barely too. That *thing* is dangerous, and I just hope you can control it enough for my gym and the surrounding region to be intact after this match."
Tom shrugged, and was surprised inside; the pieces finally clicked; now he knew why nagaeon was in the forest, and why he felt the way he did when he "saw" shadow for the first time in Tom's memories.
With that, the real *battle* was joined.
Shingo's command was the first to ring out. "Finish the sneasel and houndoom first."
The two flanking scizors complied, rushing forward to engage the targets. Blade however, crossed its claws in a "X", and turned them sideways, such that it seemed it had three heads, with all six eyes glared down at the opponents -- and it started to meditate. Elemanta did not bother with poses, and just laid down for a rest, trusting his team mates to keep the opponents off his back.
Nagaeon however, just stood there, not unlike a statue, frozen in time. Then what he was doing became blatantly apparent. Houndoom and sneasel, actively involved in the heat of the battle, were both shimmering, surrounded by an aura-like layer of protective shielding that proved very effective, both in deflecting the precise slashes and absorbing beam attacks.
The pair were faring extremely well against the two scizors, taking little to no damage at all. Elemanta was peacefully resting, getting a well-deserved break from the intense heat of battle. Yet all that changed, in an instant.
Sneasel causally blocked a cruel down-swipe from his opponent, and dove in for a chilling neck slash, leaving a trail of frost. Houndoom was engulfed in flames, which shifted with him, permanently encasing in a protective coat of heat. Both scizors then concentrated their strikes on the ice type, brutally lashing out with wild abandon. At last, they backed off, a cold gleam in their eyes. As one, they struck, four metal hammers crashing down on sneasel.
The psychic membrane shattered.
Sneasel screeched, an unpleasant sound having more far-reaching effects than Tom would have thought possible. A flock of spearows far off in the forest flew off, evidently startled by the bloodcurling shiek. *It must have been broadcast in the range above human limits; no sound could have reached miles through the forest.* Tom grimaced; the battle was not going well.
The feline pokemon landed on the grass, shuddering from now painfully obvious wounds. Two large "X"s were etched into his side, with dark crimson blood dripping out.
Tom fought the wave of nausea that threatened to overcome him, and managed to choke out an encouragement. "Come on! You can do it."
Which was when Blade, apparently satisfied with its meditation, acted.
Raising both claws, the sleek creature conjured what seemed like two large oranges. *No hyper beam can be THAT big... can it?* The orbs grew larger, and shimmered, elongating to swallow up the entire arm.
Tom just stared on in unrepressed horror, as the attack reached out, and like some giant's arms, overwhelmed houndoom. The blinding flash that followed did little to prepare Tom for the sight that greeted him when his eyesight returned.
Destruction.
The grass in the arena was blown away, leaving a trough-like depression. Everything in the path of the attack, were... gone. Trees were uprooted and flung away like toothpicks, and all that remained of the forest in that section was a few measly patches of grass that somehow survived the annihilation.
Houndoom and sneasel... were nowhere to be seen.
Seconds later, the pokeballs activated, and ranged out, the scarlet beam lancing out to strike the unmoving forms of the two dark types. All this, Tom observed in his mind's eye, wincing as the process reminded him of a spear striking through.
Elemanta awoke, blinking in confusion at the field. *Another time. Try your best.* He nodded, and spoke to nagaeon. "The large one's all yours. Good luck." Somehow, the last two words worried Tom far more than the first sentence.
His fears were justified.
The striped electric type leaped up high, glaring at the two scizors, standing back-to-back, ready for action. They froze, shivering as if to break some invisible lock. Elemanta smiled ruefully, and charged. Tom's eyes snapped to nagaeon, and understood. *He's doing a disable attack. A VERY powerful one, if I'm not mistaken.*
Almost casually, the fighting pokemon went up to the duo, and smashed them both together. The cross chop was not very impressive-looking; but the thunderous "clang" of the two steel bugs striking each other provided testimony to its power.
Then, he focused, and released the fury within.
Once again, the three humans present were treated to a display that left indigo patches in their eyes.
The electricity was not a single, devastating bolt, but a constant shocking flow that arced and writhed as it manifested in other forms, namely heat -- and sound energy. The pair were crying out, with small flames bursting into painful existence everywhere.
All three collapsed, the scizors from the absurdly powerful combination of attacks, and elemanta from using it.
Nagaeon and Blade faced one another, as the limp outlines were withdrawn in their energised form. Both waited for the other to make the first move, and the air seemed to be charged with static. *Future sight.*
Moments later, a howling sound was heard, and Blade was chucked to the dirt, a surprised expression evident. Effortlessly vaulting up, the ninja-like pokemon disappeared, and reappeared with its back facing nagaeon, in the same spot. Somehow, it had hit, and returned, all without Tom noticing any other movements.
Uneasy, Tom turned to his pokemon, taken aback by the upturned corners of his mouth. Ahead, a screen exploded into smithereens -- what was left of a barrier.
Scizor was ridiculously fast... nagaeon was still swifter -- or so it seemed.
***
Half an hour later, the battle was still on going. The battlers matched each other; swipe for counter swipe, move for move... and neither seemed to tire.
On the other hand, both trainers were gritting their teeth, frustrated at the length of the clash; battles were almost as draining for the trainer as for the pokemon. Shingo paced back and forth in his trainer box, while Tom tried to concentrate on the scenery -- or what was left of it, while keeping an eye on the battle just in case.
Something had to give. Something.
And that something turned out to be Blade.
Nagaeon could probably hold the scizor still with relative ease, but the problem was getting a solid fix on its location; which was a real headache.
Blade was always in motion, executing the lightning swipes with precision and an eerie silence that unnerved both Tom and Shalla. Nagaeon was able to constantly create barriers around himself, but without offence, this could probably go on forever.
It had attacked and approached with a different pattern each time; but likely exhausting all the possibilities, Blade had tried one line of attack once too many. Nagaeon seized the opportunity at once.
The steel pokemon snapped to a halt, and trembled, straining. Nagaeon broke out in sweat. *Oh my god. That thing is almost breaking out.* Face contorted with the immense effort, Blade struggled with a ferocity Tom could scarcely believe. Shingo hammered the concrete box, muttering an oath, as Blade's almost comical antics produced absolutely no results.
The attack started out as tiny, barely perceptible slivers of ruby gathering, forming like an armour surrounding Blade. "What the-" Tom almost choke on air, as the notion made itself known. *Is that scizor somehow creating some sort of protection for itself?* The voice in his head answered. "Maelstrom Fire. The user creates a giant vortex of a specified element, which damages the enemy badly as well as traps it."
As if on cue, the temperature elevated, and Blade, now in the rapidly expanding swirling mass of energy, squirmed from the fiery of the incredible attack.
Then the vortex activated, and nagaeon laid down, releasing the scizor to its fate, and trying to gather enough concentration for a recover.
The tempest raged, amazingly localised for such a powerful move. Sparks were flying out, and the only thing that saved the grass from catching on fire was that the heat was so intense that the plants either withered and flared into oblivion or flickered with a small flame for an instant before dying out -- nothing was left to burn.
One entire minute later, the maelstrom faded away. The silhouette of Blade had stopped moving, and now it dropped onto the dirt, burnt to a crisp but somehow still alive, albeit unconscious.
As the trigger activated to draw the scizor back into its pokeball, the winner was clear.
Shingo went over to Tom, and spoke.
"Perhaps I was too hasty in my judgement... and too harsh as well. You are a brilliant trainer, no one should have any qualms about that. You get my badge, and a gift."
Tom bowed; still a little stunned by the victory, and examined the two objects. One was a small piece of steel, plated with silver. It was moulded into the rough shape of a scizor, complete with crossed claws and a piercing gaze.
The other was just a chunk of iron that seemed to pulsate with an inner glow.
"Thank you. And this is?"
"It may induce evolution in several pokemon. I've tried it with an eevee. The result is fantastic, and powerful, but woefully difficult to control; now it sometimes doesn't listen to my commands. Scientists suspect it will work on a rhydon, but it is not confirmed... Ah listen. Do you have a rhydon or eevee?"
Tom blinked. "I guess so."
"Which one?"
"Both."
Shingo frowned, and smiled. "Alright, I'll give you another one of the stone, if you would use it on your rhydon and let me see."
"I've got to ask him first."
"Be my guest."
Tom traced a finger over the row of pokeballs searching for the correct marking, and gingerly pressed one, careful to face open ground.
The shiny emerged, shouting. "Bring them on! Huh?" He saw Tom.
"Ya?"
"Would you like to have a shot at evolving?"
"Uh... into?"
"Rock or ground steel type." Tom replied, but hastily added, "I think."
"I guess so."
Shingo tossed Tom another stone at his nod, and backed off to watch. Tom pressed the radioactive piece of metal to rhydon's armour-like hide, and held it there.
Unlike any other evolution Tom had witness before, this change did not happen all at once. Insteed, the patch in contact with the stone started to smoulder, and the shine spread slowly, covering the great rock type inch by agonising inch. Shingo, acting like an excited child, gazed on in fascination.
The form grew slightly, and the horn receded into the skull. Small ridges sprouted on the head, like a crown. Strangely, a spiralling drill protruded out once again, and the rocky structures on its back grew slightly.
Nothing else changed.
The luminosity faded, and a booming roar penetrated the serene peace of dusk.
All waited with bated breath for the process to end. Shingo himself and his pokemon also patiently observed the change; few trainers were dishonourable enough to strike in the middle of an evolution -- in fact such an act was instant grounds for disqualification in championship matches.
Electabuzz's size grew slightly, and his limbs bulged out, gaining bulk swiftly. His stripes rippled, and multiplied, forming a chaotic mix of dark lines, thinner than before, yet far more numerous. Electricity started to flow in waves around his body, and some leapt from point to point, arcing as they travelled as if in orbit.
Gradually, the crackling surge of power melded in and merged with electabuzz himself, and the glow diminished.
Details could soon be made out, and Tom gasped at the results. The pokemon's basic form had not changed, but it was as if some insane scientist had added layer upon layer of muscles, strengthening him into a frightening fighting machine. His head was lowered, but a fearsome scowl could be seen etched into it.
He raised his head, revealing a feral grin, and said one word, "Elemanta". His new voice was a deep bass, echoing signs of newfound maturity as well as pure, raw dominance. Without consulting his pokedex, Tom could tell the brand new type-match of the evolution. However, he nevertheless whipped it out, and input the name, reading any additional descriptions the automatic scanner may provide.
Pokedex display:
Name: Elemanta
Gender: Male
Evolution: Elekid, Electabuzz, Elemanta
Type: Electric/Fighting
Resistance: Electric, Bug, Rock, Dark, Steel
Immunities: -
Weaknesses: Ground, Psychic
Further Information: This pokemon has a interesting match of types, enabling it to combine fighting moves with huge electrical discharges. Such a combination is particularly deadly, proves to be very effective in close range combat. For longer ranges, it is estimated that this evolution can pump out up to a hundred times the voltage of its pre-evolution, electabuzz. A even more formidable opponent than electabuzz, elemanta is not to be taken lightly.
Shingo either had extremely acute hearing or was consulting a pokedex of his own. In any case, a shiver crept up his spine, and the barely perceived shudder was nonetheless captured and noted by Tom. Tom's eyes sparkled, and he gave his first command of the battle.
"Thunder."
It was meant to be more of a test than anything else, but the results far exceeded Tom's expectations.
Out of the clear sky, somehow an unbelievably thick bolt of lightning materialised and lanced straight down, spearing one of the skarmory and dazzling all who saw the display. It resembled something, but Tom was not sure what, but it came to him moments later, from the tiny voice at the back of his mind.
*It is as thick as a decent-sized tree trunk and forking out after striking the target gives it the appearance of the roots.*
To which, Tom muttered, "Oh boy."
Then elemanta raised his arms, and grinned widely. Everyone looked up, as the sky darkened. The twin birds above panicked, but clung to their determination and training, diving steeply. There was no hope of staying airborne in the rain, and with a tempest brewing.
The duo made a bee-line towards elemanta, slicing through the torrent of rain. Elemanta allowed his tight smile to melt into a smirk, and lowered his arms, eyes glowing brighter than any star would.
The arena was thrown into turmoil.
Electrical discharge was overwhelming, as what seemed like sheets of energy and blinding current blazed through the air, leaving a trail of ionised particles and a faint scent of ozone. The effect was localised and did not last very long; barely more than thirty seconds, but it was far superior to any fireworks display, and infinitely more dangerous as well.
The hurricane-like force of the storm stopped, and the sky cleared, unveiling the beginning of a beautiful sunset... and two unconscious metal birds. Shingo locked his jaw and hardened his resolve, glaring at the opponent that seemed bent on stretching him to his limits. He allowed a confident look to cross his face as his fingers brushed the pokeball containing his prized pokemon. "You're up next. GO!"
The three materialized in perfect array, and without ado spread out, ready for anything. Tom doubted however, if they could see anything through the hail of water droplets. He pulsed a short message to elemanta. *Give it your all in your strongest electric attack, and then I'll send out the rest to help.*
Elemanta turned back with a grim nod; he understood. Once the others were released in the field, he would not have a chance to fire electric attacks of any kind without endangering his own side as well. He readied himself, and gathered his energy.
The sprinklers abruptly lessened, and now the field was more visible; a portion of water-spewing pipes were shut off or their nozzles turned down. All this dropped the curtain and unveiled elemanta -- eyes closed in concentration and limbs trembling with suppressed power. Mouthing a silent "Bye-bye" to the three scizors, he released the electricity to do their work.
All hell broke lose, as the attack started. The sprinklers shorted out, the power main overloaded, and fires started in places. Two scizors, although prepared for the attack, were thrown back, grimacing and gesturing wildly with their claws.
Elemanta sighed and plopped onto the burnt grass, laying down for a rest.
*Do you want to come back?*
"I'll be alright. Just send out the rest to help me out."
And three dark types appeared in the arena, cautiously studying their adversary. Then Tom saw the centre scyther evolution. It was at least 50% larger than the other two, and was completely unfazed by the previous attack. It calmly regarded the four pokemon on Tom's side, examining each in turn, nodding sagely as if noting each of their weak points. As it laid eyes on nagaeon however, it flinched, and averted its gaze, recovering fast enough that Tom doubted if untrained eyes would have seen the slip.
Shingo's reaction however was more violent. He shook his fist at the sight of the dark psychic pokemon, losing all pretence at control and discipline, and slamming his fist down on the concrete of the trainer box. There was a sharp cracking sound, and Tom harboured no qualms that even the hard material was dented.
He pointed an outstretched hand and a quivering finger at Tom, and shouted, "What do you think you are doing with *THAT*!"
Tom began a retort, but was cut short by the agitated gym leader. "*That* has been going around the forest searching travellers' memories, and then wiping all traces of their work afterwards. The only reason *I* remember the experience is because Blade managed to fend the three of them off long enough for us to escape, and that just barely too. That *thing* is dangerous, and I just hope you can control it enough for my gym and the surrounding region to be intact after this match."
Tom shrugged, and was surprised inside; the pieces finally clicked; now he knew why nagaeon was in the forest, and why he felt the way he did when he "saw" shadow for the first time in Tom's memories.
With that, the real *battle* was joined.
Shingo's command was the first to ring out. "Finish the sneasel and houndoom first."
The two flanking scizors complied, rushing forward to engage the targets. Blade however, crossed its claws in a "X", and turned them sideways, such that it seemed it had three heads, with all six eyes glared down at the opponents -- and it started to meditate. Elemanta did not bother with poses, and just laid down for a rest, trusting his team mates to keep the opponents off his back.
Nagaeon however, just stood there, not unlike a statue, frozen in time. Then what he was doing became blatantly apparent. Houndoom and sneasel, actively involved in the heat of the battle, were both shimmering, surrounded by an aura-like layer of protective shielding that proved very effective, both in deflecting the precise slashes and absorbing beam attacks.
The pair were faring extremely well against the two scizors, taking little to no damage at all. Elemanta was peacefully resting, getting a well-deserved break from the intense heat of battle. Yet all that changed, in an instant.
Sneasel causally blocked a cruel down-swipe from his opponent, and dove in for a chilling neck slash, leaving a trail of frost. Houndoom was engulfed in flames, which shifted with him, permanently encasing in a protective coat of heat. Both scizors then concentrated their strikes on the ice type, brutally lashing out with wild abandon. At last, they backed off, a cold gleam in their eyes. As one, they struck, four metal hammers crashing down on sneasel.
The psychic membrane shattered.
Sneasel screeched, an unpleasant sound having more far-reaching effects than Tom would have thought possible. A flock of spearows far off in the forest flew off, evidently startled by the bloodcurling shiek. *It must have been broadcast in the range above human limits; no sound could have reached miles through the forest.* Tom grimaced; the battle was not going well.
The feline pokemon landed on the grass, shuddering from now painfully obvious wounds. Two large "X"s were etched into his side, with dark crimson blood dripping out.
Tom fought the wave of nausea that threatened to overcome him, and managed to choke out an encouragement. "Come on! You can do it."
Which was when Blade, apparently satisfied with its meditation, acted.
Raising both claws, the sleek creature conjured what seemed like two large oranges. *No hyper beam can be THAT big... can it?* The orbs grew larger, and shimmered, elongating to swallow up the entire arm.
Tom just stared on in unrepressed horror, as the attack reached out, and like some giant's arms, overwhelmed houndoom. The blinding flash that followed did little to prepare Tom for the sight that greeted him when his eyesight returned.
Destruction.
The grass in the arena was blown away, leaving a trough-like depression. Everything in the path of the attack, were... gone. Trees were uprooted and flung away like toothpicks, and all that remained of the forest in that section was a few measly patches of grass that somehow survived the annihilation.
Houndoom and sneasel... were nowhere to be seen.
Seconds later, the pokeballs activated, and ranged out, the scarlet beam lancing out to strike the unmoving forms of the two dark types. All this, Tom observed in his mind's eye, wincing as the process reminded him of a spear striking through.
Elemanta awoke, blinking in confusion at the field. *Another time. Try your best.* He nodded, and spoke to nagaeon. "The large one's all yours. Good luck." Somehow, the last two words worried Tom far more than the first sentence.
His fears were justified.
The striped electric type leaped up high, glaring at the two scizors, standing back-to-back, ready for action. They froze, shivering as if to break some invisible lock. Elemanta smiled ruefully, and charged. Tom's eyes snapped to nagaeon, and understood. *He's doing a disable attack. A VERY powerful one, if I'm not mistaken.*
Almost casually, the fighting pokemon went up to the duo, and smashed them both together. The cross chop was not very impressive-looking; but the thunderous "clang" of the two steel bugs striking each other provided testimony to its power.
Then, he focused, and released the fury within.
Once again, the three humans present were treated to a display that left indigo patches in their eyes.
The electricity was not a single, devastating bolt, but a constant shocking flow that arced and writhed as it manifested in other forms, namely heat -- and sound energy. The pair were crying out, with small flames bursting into painful existence everywhere.
All three collapsed, the scizors from the absurdly powerful combination of attacks, and elemanta from using it.
Nagaeon and Blade faced one another, as the limp outlines were withdrawn in their energised form. Both waited for the other to make the first move, and the air seemed to be charged with static. *Future sight.*
Moments later, a howling sound was heard, and Blade was chucked to the dirt, a surprised expression evident. Effortlessly vaulting up, the ninja-like pokemon disappeared, and reappeared with its back facing nagaeon, in the same spot. Somehow, it had hit, and returned, all without Tom noticing any other movements.
Uneasy, Tom turned to his pokemon, taken aback by the upturned corners of his mouth. Ahead, a screen exploded into smithereens -- what was left of a barrier.
Scizor was ridiculously fast... nagaeon was still swifter -- or so it seemed.
***
Half an hour later, the battle was still on going. The battlers matched each other; swipe for counter swipe, move for move... and neither seemed to tire.
On the other hand, both trainers were gritting their teeth, frustrated at the length of the clash; battles were almost as draining for the trainer as for the pokemon. Shingo paced back and forth in his trainer box, while Tom tried to concentrate on the scenery -- or what was left of it, while keeping an eye on the battle just in case.
Something had to give. Something.
And that something turned out to be Blade.
Nagaeon could probably hold the scizor still with relative ease, but the problem was getting a solid fix on its location; which was a real headache.
Blade was always in motion, executing the lightning swipes with precision and an eerie silence that unnerved both Tom and Shalla. Nagaeon was able to constantly create barriers around himself, but without offence, this could probably go on forever.
It had attacked and approached with a different pattern each time; but likely exhausting all the possibilities, Blade had tried one line of attack once too many. Nagaeon seized the opportunity at once.
The steel pokemon snapped to a halt, and trembled, straining. Nagaeon broke out in sweat. *Oh my god. That thing is almost breaking out.* Face contorted with the immense effort, Blade struggled with a ferocity Tom could scarcely believe. Shingo hammered the concrete box, muttering an oath, as Blade's almost comical antics produced absolutely no results.
The attack started out as tiny, barely perceptible slivers of ruby gathering, forming like an armour surrounding Blade. "What the-" Tom almost choke on air, as the notion made itself known. *Is that scizor somehow creating some sort of protection for itself?* The voice in his head answered. "Maelstrom Fire. The user creates a giant vortex of a specified element, which damages the enemy badly as well as traps it."
As if on cue, the temperature elevated, and Blade, now in the rapidly expanding swirling mass of energy, squirmed from the fiery of the incredible attack.
Then the vortex activated, and nagaeon laid down, releasing the scizor to its fate, and trying to gather enough concentration for a recover.
The tempest raged, amazingly localised for such a powerful move. Sparks were flying out, and the only thing that saved the grass from catching on fire was that the heat was so intense that the plants either withered and flared into oblivion or flickered with a small flame for an instant before dying out -- nothing was left to burn.
One entire minute later, the maelstrom faded away. The silhouette of Blade had stopped moving, and now it dropped onto the dirt, burnt to a crisp but somehow still alive, albeit unconscious.
As the trigger activated to draw the scizor back into its pokeball, the winner was clear.
Shingo went over to Tom, and spoke.
"Perhaps I was too hasty in my judgement... and too harsh as well. You are a brilliant trainer, no one should have any qualms about that. You get my badge, and a gift."
Tom bowed; still a little stunned by the victory, and examined the two objects. One was a small piece of steel, plated with silver. It was moulded into the rough shape of a scizor, complete with crossed claws and a piercing gaze.
The other was just a chunk of iron that seemed to pulsate with an inner glow.
"Thank you. And this is?"
"It may induce evolution in several pokemon. I've tried it with an eevee. The result is fantastic, and powerful, but woefully difficult to control; now it sometimes doesn't listen to my commands. Scientists suspect it will work on a rhydon, but it is not confirmed... Ah listen. Do you have a rhydon or eevee?"
Tom blinked. "I guess so."
"Which one?"
"Both."
Shingo frowned, and smiled. "Alright, I'll give you another one of the stone, if you would use it on your rhydon and let me see."
"I've got to ask him first."
"Be my guest."
Tom traced a finger over the row of pokeballs searching for the correct marking, and gingerly pressed one, careful to face open ground.
The shiny emerged, shouting. "Bring them on! Huh?" He saw Tom.
"Ya?"
"Would you like to have a shot at evolving?"
"Uh... into?"
"Rock or ground steel type." Tom replied, but hastily added, "I think."
"I guess so."
Shingo tossed Tom another stone at his nod, and backed off to watch. Tom pressed the radioactive piece of metal to rhydon's armour-like hide, and held it there.
Unlike any other evolution Tom had witness before, this change did not happen all at once. Insteed, the patch in contact with the stone started to smoulder, and the shine spread slowly, covering the great rock type inch by agonising inch. Shingo, acting like an excited child, gazed on in fascination.
The form grew slightly, and the horn receded into the skull. Small ridges sprouted on the head, like a crown. Strangely, a spiralling drill protruded out once again, and the rocky structures on its back grew slightly.
Nothing else changed.
The luminosity faded, and a booming roar penetrated the serene peace of dusk.