Alden's fight is getting intense! Anabel's pulled off a powerful trick room, that's keeping him at a disadvantage, but will he be able to defeat them? Or will their pokemon's teamwork, the power of trick room, and Samarra's influence come together and result in their supreme victory? If Alden loses, then things will really get mad for the good guys, let's hope he makes it through alright.
KedharS: It's definitely going to be a test of his ability.
Hyphenman: He definitely doesn't give up, that's for sure. Hopefully that will be enough.
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 1104
Finn saw red and charged forward, moving fast due to the boost from the trick room. But his speed wasn't comparable to Norton and his base 30 speed stat. The Snorlax lunged at Finn like a freight train, slamming into the Swampert to knock him back. But this time, it was Finn's chance to remain standing and prepare a counter. He pushed back against Norton and braced his legs against the floor, pushing low instead of high.
Finn flexed his muscles, and they bulged so tightly Rui was frightened that his arms might burst. To her shock, he was lifting the thousand-pound pokemon! With a ferocious roar he lifted Norton off the ground and used the Snorlax's momentum to send him flying overhead, and the Snorlax flew through the sky and crashed into the ground so hard the entire Battle Tower shook.
"Nice work, Finn!" Alden cheered his Swampert on.
"Norton," Anabel called to their Snorlax. "Get up!"
"Snor…" Norlax rolled into a seated position and yawned. He struggled to rise, before letting out another yawn and sitting back down on the ground.
Anabel blinked, and then they smiled. "Alright! You take a nice nap!"
"Snorlax…" Norton leaned back and went to sleep, using rest to restore his health.
Alden caught on to the situation and turned to Finn and Tracey. Now was their opportunity to strike! He doubted that Norton would be able to fight while he was asleep, like Corin could, so this was the perfect chance.
"Tracey, use double kick!" He ordered. "Finn, use hammer arm! Both of you, target Norton!"
"Cinderace!" Tracey nodded, running for Norton. Her reduced speed meant that Finn was outrunning her, though.
"Swampert!" Finn locked his fingers together and raised his hands, preparing to slam them down on the Snorlax's stomach.
"Margie!" Anabel shouted. "Use heal bell!"
Alden really should have paid attention to Anabel's reaction to Norton trying to go to sleep. Because he hadn't, he missed the opportunity that Margie seized. She opened her mouth and made a chiming sound, releasing a healing chorus that echoed across the room, slowly waking Norton up. The Snorlax woke up just in time to grab Finn's arms before he could strike, using strength to fling the Swampert backwards.
"Cinder!" Tracey just caught up, leaping into the air and delivering a double kick into Norton's chest. Her first strike made him stumble, and her second knocked him back over. She flipped back and landed on the ground, panting.
"That's a great play, Anabel!" Alden called to his rival. "It seems you know how to fight a double battle, huh?"
Anabel smiled back. "With Norton's strength and speed, he can take on both of your pokemon! And in the meantime, Margie's heal bell will keep him nice and healthy by waking him up whenever he needs a rest!"
"That isn't fair!" Rui scowled.
"It's more than fair," Alden assured her. He grinned, in spite of the situation. "It's the kind of strategy that your daughter loves taking advantage of."
Anabel's actions were confirming his suspicions. Gerard had all but stated it, but Anabel's performance was the nail in the coffin.
"Anabel, this Samarra, does she have the power to do more than just influence your thoughts and bond with you?" He called across the room.
Anabel blinked, taken aback. Then they smiled. "You see well," they said, narrowing their eyes with a smirk. "Yes, Samarra doesn't just strengthen me, her friendship is a bond that's shared by all of us. Our thoughts and memories are linked, and we all become united as friends under her!"
It was just as Alden suspected. Olivia had become a phenomenal trainer while fighting against Alcea. And the reason for that was because she was learning the skills and tactics of powerful trainers like Gabrielle and Gerard. And now that Samarra had Vic under her sway, all of her "friends" became exceptional double battlers. And because that was the main fighting style in the Orre Region, it made Vic a good ally to have.
"Well, fine then," he scowled. "Just because you have Vic's skill, that doesn't mean that you'll be able to beat us!"
"We'll see," Anabel said, smiling. "Norton! Use earthquake!"
"SNORLAX!" Norton roared, stomping on the floor. The ground began to shake.
As usual, Tracey responded by leaping into the air, bouncing up high to dodge the tremors. Finn chose the path of endurance, withstanding the onslaught.
"Counter, Finn!" Alden ordered. Finn nodded and shot forward, slamming into Norton with a powerful shoulder-check. The Snorlax fell back and the shaking stopped. That opened up the perfect opportunity for Tracey to attack.
She descended from the sky, aiming her feet for Norton's face. But she never got the chance, because an aura of red light wrapped around her.
"Mismagius," Margie hissed. She was floating across the field and her eyes were glowing red. Using her psychic powers she held Tracey suspended in the air, and flung the Cinderace away. Tracey hit the wall and was stuck there with Margie's psychic powers.
"Tracey!" Alden shouted.
"Swampert!" Finn roared angrily. He charged at Margie and raised his fist, water swirling around his body.
"Yes!" Rui cheered. Now Alden was thinking strategically! That Mismagius was a tricky one, and she was key to Anabel's strategy! If he could take her down, then that would put him in a winning position for sure!
"Mismagius!" Margie was hit by the liquidation attack and flew back, but somehow she still kept holding on. Alden was surprised. Mismagius weren't known for being physically bulky.
"Anabel, what are you doing?" Alden asked.
Anabel smiled innocently. "Oh? What do you mean?"
"Mismagius… and Snorlax, too. They're both pokemon with incredible special defense, but their physical defenses are lacking," Alden replied. "Even for a pokemon as bulky as Snorlax! And yet both of your pokemon have taken some severely powerful physical moves, and barely seem fazed by them, so what's going on?"
It wasn't just that Norton had recovered with rest. Alden knew how powerful his Swampert and Cinderace were, they were both specialized physical attackers. They should have been able to finish off the Mismagius easily, and even Norton should have been more injured than he was.
But no, for some reason, they were doing fine. And he smelled a rat.
"Isn't it just because of harmonia?" Anabel asked, tapping their chin thoughtfully. "My abilities ARE a potent tool, you know."
"Oh, please, don't give me that," Alden scoffed. "Your nose isn't even bleeding. I know the extent of those powers, and while you might be using them, I think that there's something else going on right now!"
"And what could that be?" Anabel asked, narrowing their eyes. They wore a daring smile.
Alden narrowed his own eyes.
"Ross is under Samarra's control, isn't he?"
Anabel's face brightened and they applauded. "Congratulations! You've figured it out! Well done, Alden, I wouldn't expect any less!"
"Ross?" Rui asked. "Your redheaded friend? What does he have to do with this?"
"Anabel doesn't just have access to Vic's fighting styles," Alden said, scowling. "They know all the tactics of everyone from the Battle Frontier. And while I don't expect them to charge into the fight like Tommy does, Ross… he's certainly someone worth copying."
Rui wasn't a battler, so she had no idea what this fighting style of Ross's was. But Alden was happy to explain it to her.
"Ross is what you might call a stickler for the rules," Alden said. "Of course, he enjoys setting those rules himself. His motto is 'restriction breeds creativity.' He's the kind of guy who would use a team of unevolved pokemon to challenge the league, just to add a bit of a challenge to himself. And that's why, for the Battle Frontier, he decided on the Battle Roulette, remember? So he could set up the conditions of the battle on his own."
"But what does that have to do with this fight?" Rui still didn't understand.
"A lot of Ross's pokemon know moves that can change the rules of the battle. Trick room is a favorite of his, as is magic room, which prevents the use of items. But this is wonder room, isn't that right? You didn't JUST set a trick room with your Mismagius! You used wonder room to flip the defense and special defense stats of all the pokemonin battle!" Alden's accusation only made Anabel's smile grow wider, their eyes shining with glee.
"Yes! You figured it out! I knew you would!" Anabel crowed. "When I set the trick room, I added a layer of wonder room as well, in order to flip our stats! Both Margie and Norton are specially defensive, but your pokemon are physical attackers! Now you've got a disadvantage!"
"That's not good!" Rui gasped. "So your attacks won't be as effective?"
"That's right," Alden nodded. "It took me a long time to notice, because Finn and Tracey's defensive stats are both equal. So basically, they're the only one who gets an advantage."
"It's not all bad," Anabel shrugged. "Now, both of my pokemon are vulnerable in special defense! I left an opening for you, Alden, use it as you wish!"
They narrowed their eyes. "If you can, of course. Norton, use curse!"
"Snorlax!" Norton hunkered down, boosting his attack and defense at the cost of a reduction to his speed. But thanks to the trick room, that meant he got a boost to all three stats. At the same time, Margie was glowing red, preparing a move of her own.
"Mismagius!" A light screen appeared around Anabel's side of the field, protecting their pokemon from special attacks. It was a rather annoying prospect.
"Finn, we'll smash through with brick break," he ordered. But even as he gave the command, he knew it wasn't that likely. His "Sense" was screaming at him that this was the kind of tactic that Anabel was expecting, and he wasn't about to play into their hands.
He turned to Tracey. She was in pretty bad shape. While she hadn't received any crushing blows, she'd slowly gotten worn down over the course of this battle, and the chances of her making a big impact were reduced due to the trick room.
Alden had kept her in because her physical attacks were useful against the Snorlax and Mismagius. But with the wonder room in play, that had changed.
"Tracey, return," he said, recalling his Cinderace as Finn charged at Norton. As expected, the Snorlax was able to easily outpace his foe, preventing Finn from landing the hit he needed to break through the light screen.
"Jaune, come back out!" Alden sent out his Vikavolt next. Jaune was still badly injured from the battle with Bolas, and the burns still tormented him. But he had two things that Alden needed right now. A powerful special attack stat, and a very low speed stat. While the Vikavolt couldn't compete with Norton in terms of speed, he was still Alden's slowest pokemon, and the Commander was willing to make use of that.
"Jaune, use thunderbolt," Alden ordered.
"Vika!" Jaune spread his mandibles, a current of electricity crackling between them. He launched the electricity in a powerful bolt as the Mismagius, but it bounced harmlessly off the barrier, to Alden's surprise.
I know light screen is good for reflecting attacks, but really? No effect at all? That's not good… they're probably boosting the power of the barrier with their harmonia… what should I do now, then? Alden found himself in a tough position. It didn't help that Jaune's coverage wasn't the best, either. His only moves that were super-effective against the Mismagius were physical moves, and he didn't have anything for dealing with the Snorlax.
On the other hand, thanks to wonder room, Jaune's special defenses were now higher than his physical defense, meaning attacks from the Mismagius would be less effective.
"Norton, double edge on Jaune!" Anabel shouted. Alden scowled. Of course that's what they would try to do…
"Snorlax!" Norton charged ahead, putting so much force into his attack that he didn't have any consideration for defense. He flung himself at Jaune, and the Vikavolt just barely managed to evade the attack with his speed.
"Now, mystical fire!" Anabel followed the direct carge with a wave of sparkling rainbow flames that threatened to engulf the Vikavolt. Already having been burned once, Jaune wasn't interested in a repeat performance, especially given the fact that the mystical flames would reduce his special attack if they connected.
But Finn had his back. A curtain of water rose up around Jaune as the Swampert used whirlpool, smothering the flames before they could do any damage.
"Nice work, Finn!" Alden called to his Swampert. "Now, use hydro pump!"
"Swampert!" Finn roared, opening his mouth wide and firing a blast of water at Margie. But before the attack could hit, it was time for Jaune to join in.
"Thunderbolt, Jaune!" Alden followed his order immediately with a second. Jaune released a burst of electricity from his long jaws, and the electricity mixed with the water, turning into a charged spurt of water and electricity that hit the light screen, containing the power of both moves.
A thin crack appeared across the surface of the barrier of light, and Anabel's eyes widened in surprise. They were breaking through!
"Not a chance!" They shouted, focusing their harmonia and strengthening the light screen to prevent them from breaking through. As they did this, they used some of their reserve strength to order their Snorlax to attack.
"Snorlax!" Norton bellowed, charging across the room towards the closer of the two targets, Finn, who was standing still.
"Jaune!" Alden shouted to his Vikavolt. He wasn't about to let Norton take Finn down. "Use you x-scissor!"
"Vika!" Jaune nodded, spreading his jaws and darting towards Norton. The attack was significantly weaker than it would have been normally. Not only was Norton's physical defense much higher due to a combination of curse and wonder room, but Jaune's attacking ability was severely reduced due to the harsh burns on his carapace.
But it would still be more effective than if he'd tried to use a special move, so it was what he had to work with.
Jaune swung his mandibles, slashing at Norton. Norton shrugged the attack off and swatted Jaune out of the way, just barely missing the pokemon as Jaune evaded. But that was fine for the Vikavolt, and for Alden as well. He'd been counting on Jaune to serve as a good roadblock for his opposition, and the Vikavolt had served his purpose.
Because now, Finn had turned to Norton and was ready to attack.
"Finn, use hydro pump!" Alden ordered. Finn fired another blast of pressurized water, which hit Norton directly. The bulky pokemon was forced back by the attack, but tried to push through anyway, refusing to give in even as the water stung his belly.
Anabel grunted, clutching their stomach. The backlash from harmonia was painful, but they weren't too fazed by it. They shook their head and took a deep breath, switching their focus to Margie instead. The Mismagius was already flying for the Swampert, her eyes glowing red as she focused her psychic powers on Finn, to pull him out of the way.
But this wasn't the first time Alden had seen this play out of the Mismagius. He knew how Margie fought. "Jaune!" He shouted to his Vikavolt. "That Mismagius is going after Finn! Stop her with your crunch!"
"Vika!" Jaune nodded, flying after Mismagius. For once, Alden was making the trick room work for him instead of against him. Jaune's speed was incredible due to the effect of the area, and he was a streak in the air as he approached Margie.
Jaune spread his jaws wide and clamped down on Margie, biting her with everything he had. The Mismagius wailed in pain. The attack might have been weakened by various factors, but it was still a super-effective move.
Margie's concentration was broken before she could even begin the psychic. That allowed Finn to continue his onslaught of the Snorlax, pumping in more power as the water overpowered the pokemon and brought him to one knee.
"Snor…" Norton was buffeted by water, but he couldn't keep up his focus. He took a deep breath, trying to breathe through the torrent as Finn shifted the focus of the hydro pump up to his head, nearly drowning him.
Anabel was coughing. They were having difficulty breathing themselves, feeling the same water rushing into their lungs as their pokemon.
"Margie…" They coughed out, turning to their Mismagius. She wasn't badly hurt by the crunch, and had more than enough health to keep going. She turned her attention to Jaune, and released a blast of mystical fire at the Vikavolt.
"Jaune, dodge with double team!" Alden ordered.
"Vika!" Jaune moved from side to side, creating countless images of himself that filled the sky. The rainbow fire burned through the copies but none hit the original Jaune, who kept himself safely in the back, away from the blaze.
But that was fine with Margie. She wasn't trying to defeat Jaune with that attack, she just wanted to weaken him, so that he wouldn't be able to interfere. She turned and flew towards Finn, opening her mouth wide.
A tornado of rainbow leaves rained down upon Finn, causing him to cry out in pain. He stumbled back, clutching the gashes carved into his skin.
With the water let off, Norton stood back up, waterlogged but still capable of fighting. With a bellow he charged at the weakened Finn, eager to finish what he'd started.
Uh-oh! Things aren't looking good for Alden's Swampert! This battle is really going back and forth, between Alden discovering the advantage Anabel seized, and Anabel's harmonia. Will Alden be able to fend them off? Or will Anabel knock out his Swampert, and take a commanding lead of the battle? We'll have to find out!