Chapter 11: Trials of Dialga Part 1: Grass Grandeur
It had been a few days since Camille's birthday, and things had at least calmed down considerably. Lucario was happy to make a good impression to more of Ben's family, but he still felt somewhat iffy on the hero himself. He would not deny that Ben had a good heart, but his arrogance could be rather annoying to deal with, even if he did have the skills and experience to warrant an ego. The two, currently, were engaging in yet another spar. This time, Ben had taken the form of Swampfire, a form that fascinated Lucario. It was strange how there hadn't been a Grass/Fire type Pokémon yet, and such a thing felt like an oxymoronic creature. Yes, there was the Lotad line of Water/Grass, but he couldn't remember if ever there was a Water/Fire type. Lucario continued to evade a bevy of fireballs launched by the Methanosian using Extreme Speed, his body coated in a green aura. Swampfire hadn't given up, trying to work on his marksmanship against speedy targets. Fireball after fireball was hurled at Lucario, and he was not making it easy. Lucario, however, kept weaving through the attacks like a flag billowing in the air.
"Alright, Lucario, don't slow down now! I think I'm getting the hang of how to hit you now!" Swampfire smirked.
"Don't be so sure about that. You have to hit me first, and you have failed thus far!" Lucario replied in kind.
"True. Then it's a good thing I'm not just 'fire', then!" Swampfire snarked, throwing seeds that quickly left him wrapped up, not unlike when a pod of Tangela got too grabby with their favorite trainer. Perhaps even a Bayleef, if certain rumors were true. Still, Lucario was undeterred, using his wrist spikes to cut through the vines, but while distracted, Swampfire seized the opportunity to throw some mud into Lucario's eyes, leaving the Aura Pokémon blinded for a moment. After cutting himself free, Lucario tried to remove the mud from his eyes, but while he did so, Swampfire had a very easy shot. Even as the mud cleared, Lucario was still left reeling from the attack. The spar would have continued had a booming voice not suddenly roared out.
"Cease this combat at once!" The voice declared, a British accent tinging it.
"What was that?" Swampfire wondered, feeling compelled to obey the commanding presence.
"Be not afraid. I come as a friend to a time-travelling ally of yours, Benjamin Kirby Tennyson." The voice continued. As Lucario and Swampfire looked at the source, expressions of shock were etched on their faces, though Lucario switched his face to that of deep respect as he prostrated before the being, who emerged from a blue portal. It was some kind of dark-blue, sauropod-like creature with some gray metallic portions and light blue stripes. It had a chest plate on its torso which had a deep blue diamond-like crystal embedded in the center. The 17-foot-tall creature had a fin-like structure on its back, three spines on the back of its neck, and a crest on its head, resembling a dinosaur. It also had two structures on the sides of its head that extended outward and resembled horns and fangs. Finally, it had three claws on each foot, of the same metallic look as its chest plate and faint cracks existed across its body.
"D-d-d-d-d-Dialga?!" Lucario sputtered in astonishment. "F-forgive my insolence, but what are you doing here?"
"At ease, Lucario. I assure you that I come with nothing but peaceful intentions towards this planet you now call home. However, I see grave threats in the future. 10 to be precise," Dialga noted, catching the attention of Swampfire, who turned to normal immediately, going from eager to serious in a heartbeat.
"I'm listening. What are they?" Ben asked.
"I...I cannot say. Fate is a fickle thing. One thing my mentor in time told me was that 'time travel is for fools and immortals'. As the embodiment of time, I fit in the latter category, but telling you would probably spurn you to go into the former," Dialga admitted.
"Mentor?" Lucario wondered. That's when he remembered. "Wait. Do you mean...?!"
"Yes! Indeed, tis I once again. Hello, Benjamin and Lucario. I see you've acquainted yourself with my student, Dialga!" Paradox noted.
"Yeah, you can kinda cut the pleasantries. Whenever you show up, it's never for a social call, Professor!" Ben noted. "The Hands of Armageddon, the Time War, Eon getting your Chrono Navigator, the Map of Infinity, do I need to go on?"
"Point taken. But rest assured, it's far from that. Like Dialga said, threats are emerging, and you are not ready yet. We feel it would be best if you two are made readied. So three trials have been set for you. Lucario, I must ask, but did Sir Aaron ever go on a quest to explore Rota with a choice between three Pokémon?" Paradox noted.
"I...I...yes. I remember he told that to understood the kingdom, he traveled with a simple Charmander before he settled down, and that was long before he began working as a knight, and far before his time with me," Lucario answered.
"Indeed. A common tradition in the modern Pokéarth is that a 10-year-old child can become a Pokémon trainer, selecting one of three special Pokémon, meant to grow alongside them," Paradox began. "What this will be is a fight against their strongest selves. Their final evolutions. But since the three types of these Pokémon are interrelated, I will let you decide what you take. And it will be decided by this!" In a flash, a seed, a drop-shaped gem with some liquid inside, and a piece of charcoal suddenly appeared.
"Huh?" That was Ben's very elegant response. "What?"
"I know these things," Lucario realized. "That seed is a Miracle Seed, a special seed that strengthen's a Pokémon's Grass-type attacks. That Charcoal imbues their fire moves with more firepower. Finally, that liquid is Mystic Water, which can improve their water abilities."
"So, you're saying I choose between grass, fire, and water?" Ben summarized.
"Yes," Paradox answered. "That is the scenario. There will be three and they will be sequential. You will have the choice of which one you start with."
"Okay? Lucario, what do you think?" Ben wondered.
"I would most likely say...Grass," Lucario answered after a little internal deliberation. "It may be good to have an idea of the general layout of how the fight goes, and solid ground will be better for that."
"Alright. Guess I choose this then," Ben replied as he picked up the Miracle Seed.
"The choice you have made is confirmed. From here on, you go from grass to water to fire," Dialga mused. "Interesting choice, but regardless, ready yourself, for this fight will begin soon."
In a flash, all four vanished from the Plumber's headquarters into a brand new locale.
"What...what happened?" Ben mused as he opened his eyes. As he looked around, he noted just how different things were. They now looked to be in a massive temperate forest, sunlight shining through the treetops. The strangest thing, however, was the tower-like throne Paradox sat upon, like the Roman Emperor overseeing the gladiators in the Colosseum.
"Welcome, Ben Tennyson. To the Trial of Grass!" Dialga declared. "Gaze upon your opponents! The ones who grow alongside trainers through their journey to become the very best!"
The first to be summoned was a squat, quadrupedal amphibian Pokémon with bumpy, blue-green skin. It had small, circular red eyes; a short, blunt snout; and a wide mouth with two pointed teeth in the upper jaw and four in the lower jaw. On top of its head were small, pointed ears with reddish pink insides, and it had three clawed toes on each foot. Upon its back was a large pink, white-spotted flower, supported by a thick, brown trunk surrounded by green fronds.
Next came a quadrupedal, pale-green reptilian Pokémon that resembled a sauropod dinosaur. It had a long neck; yellow eyes; a short, blunt snout; and two stamen-like antennae on top of its snout. Encircling its neck were large, pink flower petals with a yellow central pattern and white edges, as if the rest of the head was the part blooming out of a flower. Finally, there were three claws on each foot and a stubby tail finished its dinosaur-like appearance.
Third came the first biped of the group, having a more lizard-like appearance. Its neck was somewhat long, and it had two crests on its head. The Pokémon had semicircular, yellow eyes with red rims. Its lower jaw and a belt-like band across its waist were also red. Along its back, there were two lines running down the middle and two rows of yellow nodules. The Pokémon's tail was shaped similar to that of a palm tree's branch. Both of its long arms had two sharp, elongated leaves and three claws, looking not unlike Kickin' Hawk's arms.
The fourth one to be called upon was yet another quadruped, this time looking someone fused a tortoise with a mountain. There was a single, oak-like tree and three triangular, stony extensions resembling mountain peaks on the top of the shell, and there was a patch of brown, resembling soil, next to the tree. A white rim surrounded the shell and formed a diamond-shaped continuation on the front. The continent tortoise's body appeared sectioned, with the upper half being green and the lower half brown. Its mouth was jagged, making it somewhat resemble a snapping turtle, and it also had a black nose; additionally, its lower jaw was green and there were two large spikes protruding from its cheeks. Its small, red eyes were encircled by a black ring. Finally, the tortoise's legs were thick and they had four toes (three on the front and one on the heel) each, having a resemblance to jagged stones.
The fifth could best be described as a snobby, aristocratic snake. Its face and throat were white, while its back was dark green. Curled, mint-colored patterns extended into the white portion of its face, and it had narrow red eyes. There were two pointed yellow extensions on the back of its head, like some stiff, pulled-up collar. Coiled, dark green extensions spread out from the sides of its lower neck, forming a curving pattern lower down the body. Just below its neck, it had two small leaf-like arms on either side of its body, and being a snake, it had no legs. Finally, it had curved yellow markings around its middle and several palmate leaves on its tail.
Then came another bipedal creature, having something a hedgehog-like appearance, combined somewhat with a medieval warrior. There was fluffy white fur on its belly and fringing its face like a beard. It had a small, pink nose with a three-pointed patch of brown fur extending up its short snout. On top of its head was a plate of beige armor, similar to a helmet, and it possessed a prominent domed, armor-like shell. The chestnut-like armor was beige with four large spines jutting out of the back, and it was trimmed with red and green bands, the green being on the outermost edge. There was an additional spine protruding from the armor over each of the creature's shoulders, which were connected by a green breastplate. Its body was colored similarly to the shell, and its long limbs and tail were banded with plates of armor. The top surfaces of the tail and arms were protected by green armor, and each arm has two small spines. Finally, it had three brown, clawed digits on its hands and feet.
The seventh was the oddest out, being the only one to be an avian amongst them. The avian it most resembled, though, was more obviously an owl, and it seemed to wear a hoodie made of leaves, complete with vines for drawstrings and a single white feather with a reddish-orange base stood at the top. The upper portion of its face was dark green with a thin, orange mask-like marking encircling its eyes. Its eyes were reddish-orange and it has a hooked dark green beak. The feathers covering its wings and back were brown, while the rest of its body was primarily white. The three feathers at the tip of each wing were structured similar to fingers and had lighter tips, and the backs of its wings and torso were dotted with six white spots on each wing; the inside of each wing had a line of upside-down, reddish-orange triangles across the top. The owl-like Pokémon had long legs, feet with two toes facing forward and two backward, and short dark green talons. Its tail consists of three long, green leaves. Finally, in the center of its chest was a reddish-orange X shape formed by dead leaves.
Finally, there was the most human-like amongst them, as it was the only one that seemed to be a primate, more specifically a gorilla. Its body consisted mostly of shades of brown: light, tan brown on its forehead, chest, abs, and extremities; dark brown on its nose and triangular ears, as well as under its eyes; and medium, mud-like brown across the rest of its body, including its thick arms and legs. Its mouth, the tip of its nose, and its irises were orange, and its sclerae were white. Each of the gorilla's upper arms had tan marks resembling bow-ties or butterflies, and it had two, diamond-shaped, tan marks running down its spine. The first, and larger, of the two marks began around its shoulder blades, and the second, and smaller, mark began below its rib cage. The grassy gorilla had a thick bush of green, leaf-like hair on its head, which cascaded down its back; on its forehead, a single, vine-like hair, which closely resembled a music note, fell between its eyes and curled at the end, which sat to its nose's left side. On its hips on either side, it had green, belt-like adornments resembling four leaves in a row. Similar adornments with two leaf-like parts sat on its each of its shoulders near the clavicles. On each of its wrists, the beast had cuffs that resemble leafy crowns, with the peaks of the crown facing its hands. What interested Ben, though, was what it carried with it on its back. It was a bass drum that seemed to come from a tree stump, with several thick branch stumps protruding from it, which formed both the legs of the bass drum as well as mid and high toms. Ben had to wonder where it was storing its drumsticks.
"Well. That's a selection of Pokémon for you to show me. So am I going to choose which one I fight, or what?" Ben asked.
"It is you who will pick first. Lucario can advise you, but he is forbidden from direct interference. Since I expect the latter half of my Pokémon to be unfamiliar to him, Professor Paradox has also given him the most up-to-date Pokédex there is," Dialga answered. Indeed, Lucario suddenly noticed what looked like a red flip-phone-like device in his paw, and looking at it made him see there was a big screen, a camera lens, a calulator-like display, and numerous keys.
"Alright. Lucario, what are grass Pokémon weak against?" Ben asked.
"That is easy enough to know. Fire, Bug, Ice, Flying, and Poison should do the job, but do not assume that it will be easy. I know they will be pulling more tricks, so don't assume a weakness will be enough," Lucario noted.
With that, Ben began to ponder what might be the case, though his musings were interrupted by a sudden note from Dialga. "Just so you know, Tennyson, you will not be allowed to use the same form twice in this fight. So be wise and know that when you pull out one form, that is the last time you can use it."
"Alright. Well then, let's try something meant for the forest!" Ben declared as he readied the Omnitrix, and Lucario found himself gazing at an unfamiliar form. This time, Ben resembled a blue-furred monkey with arachnid features. He had four green eyes and four arms with three fingers each, alongside a tail with two stripes near the tip. The Omnitrix lay on his dark blue chest.
"Spidermonkey!" The blue arachnid ape declared.
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Codon Stream Entry: Spidermonkey
Species: Arachnichimp
Home World: Aranhascimmia
Aranhascimmia is a world that can be described as a jungle gone wild. Trees that make the Empire State Building look like small huts cover the surface. On the ground, a wide variety of life forms inhabit the bottom, and these are ravenous predators were adapted to the near pitch darkness that result from the coverage of the trees. As a result, the Arachnichimp race adapted to life in the trees. Their environment ordained for a heavy need for agility, and their hands have evolved pads similar to those of geckos, allowing them to stick to surfaces easily. Their prehensile tails allow them to unleash webs strong as steel and incredibly sticky, making them useful either to blind predators or catch food more easily, whether it be fruit far from grasp or the rather large insects of their homeworld.
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"Interesting choice of forms. One prime for this environment and incredibly agile," Dialga noted before his gaze hardened. "Then time for me to go as well. Sceptile, I choose you!" At this, the lizard-like Pokémon swiftly stepped forward, crossing its arms and glaring at Ben.
"Lucario, what can you tell me about this guy?" Spidermonkey asked.
"As soon as I figure out how to work this thing, I'll use it!" Lucario grumbled as he fiddled with the Pokédex. At once, though, he somehow managed to make it work, and that was when the big screen lit up with a picture of the Pokémon in question.
"Sceptile. The Forest Pokémon. Final evolution of Hoenn Grass-starter Treecko. With the nutrient-filled seeds on its back, it is able to revitalize ailing trees, and while it can slice through trees with little effort thanks to the leafy blades on its wrists, it is known to lovingly for the plants in its forest home," The Pokédex revealed as it spoke in what seemed like Ben's voice.
"Opponents have been noted, and combatants are prepared! Sceptile vs. Spidermonkey! Begin the first bout!" Paradox announced.
"Noted. Sceptile, go for a Leaf Blade assault!" Dialga instructed. At once, the blades on Sceptile's wrists glowed a bright green as they fused into two curved blades, and Sceptile proceeded to dash towards Spidermonkey.
"WHOA!" Spidermonkey said as dodged the attack by webbing to a tree and dragging himself up, narrowly avoiding getting sliced. At this, he expected Sceptile to try a ranged attack, but to his surprise, Sceptile rapidly climbed up a nearby tree, and seemed to nonverbally be saying "Really?" At this, a game of cat and mouse seemed to begin, with Spidermokney agilely leaping from tree branch to tree branch, shooting webs at Sceptile in an attempt to slow him down, only for Sceptile to repeatedly keep either dodging or slicing through the attacks in question. "Definitely not a slowpoke by any means. Let's see if that translates to strength, though!" At this, Spidermonkey quickly shot a web at Sceptile and dragged himself to the Pokémon, going for a quick onslaught of punches. To his surprise, while Sceptile seemed good at dealing damage, taking damage was another problem for it, and it helplessly worked to block the attacks. Its defense, though, wasn't particularly strong.
"Sceptile. Double Team, now!" Dialga ordered. At this, Sceptile jumped off the branch and leapt to the ground, Spidermonkey in hot pursuit. Immediately, the Forest Pokémon began to seemingly split into several different copies, and Spidermonkey tried fruitlessly to deal with them, hitting nothing but empty air with his webs. "Good work! Now, Energy Ball!" At this, what looked like a green ball of plasma formed in Sceptile's palms, and it threw it at Spidermonkey, sending the Arachnichimp flying.
"OUCH! Well that smarted," Spidermonkey groaned, but still undetered. "Got any more tricks up your sleeve?"
"Just one. X-Scissor!" Dialga instructed. This time, Sceptile crossed its arms in an "X" fashion, red energy glowing in its blades. Spidermonkey could guess what was coming, and swiftly decided to get out of the way. Indeed, where he stood was now an X-shaped pattern in the dirt. Taking advantage of Sceptile's posture, Spidermonkey quickly stuck Sceptile's arms to itself, and then proceed to continue wailing on the now helpless Pokémon. At the end of the attack, Spidermonkey stuck a web onto Sceptile's back and spun it around before throwing it, making it skid across the ground. After it stopped, Sceptile's eyes were spirals, indicating it had gone unconscious.
"Sceptile is unable to battle. Spidermonkey wins!" Paradox announced.
"Oh yeah! That was easy!" Spidermonkey boasted, pounding his chest.
"Don't get so cocky, Ben. The fight has only just begun," Lucario warned.
"Was it? Then allow me to make things a little harder. Go forth, Rillaboom!" Dialga noted. At this, the drummer gorilla went forth, setting the wooden drum set on the ground, and pulling drumsticks from its wrist cuffs.
"Rillaboom vs. Spidermonkey! Let the battle begin!" Paradox noted
Just before Spidermonkey could begin trash-talking, Rillaboom began to play the drums, and all of a sudden, a flurry of tree roots sprung out of the ground, all reaching to grab the Arachnichimp. "Lucario? What can you tell me about this guy?" Spidermonkey wondered in astonishment at the roots.
"One second. Still trying to get the handle of this!" Lucario admitted, noting that Ben was struggling to dodge the onslaught.
"Surprised? I suspect Rillaboom's Drum Beating will leave your ears ringing!" Dialga taunted.
"Drum Beating?" Spidermonkey asked in confusion.
"Got it!" Lucario commented, pointing the Pokédex at Rillaboom.
"Rillaboom. The Drummer Pokémon. Final evolution of Galar Grass-starter Grookey. Through drumming its tree stump, Rillaboom can direct the way the roots of the stump grow. In troops of Rillaboom, the leaders are those that drum the best, and they do not take kindly to disharmony, though will protect its allies fervently," The Pokédex explained.
"Well that's...interesting," Spidermonkey noted. "Really doesn't help me much against this tank!" Just as Spidermonkey noted, Rillaboom was a far cry from Sceptile. Rather than speed, Rillaboom had the constitution of a brick wall, and Spidermonkey's punches had all the collective oomph of a sleeping baby's kick. Rillaboom didn't care much for it, as it continued to send wave after wave of roots, forming what amounted to a 3D maze of them that Spidermonkey had to keep working to weave around.
"Rillaboom, now while he's distracted! Boomburst!" Dialga ordered. At this, Rillaboom smirked, as its stump drum glowed blue. At this, it hit its drumsticks on the toms at the same time, and massive sonic blast erupted, not only destroying the roots, but sending Spidermonkey flying and collapsed in a heap. For a few moments, Spidermonkey weakly tried to stand up, but in the end, he collapsed in pain.
"Spidermonkey is unable to battle. Rillaboom wins!" Paradox announced. At this, Lucario used Extreme Speed to quickly go to Ben, who had turned back to normal.
"Are you alright?" Lucario asked in concern.
"Yeah. I...I will be," Ben shakily replied. "Give me a minute to recuperate and I'll get back in there. If sound is going to be what he uses, I have an idea on how to deal with that." Switching the Omnitrix, Ben looked for what he wanted before making his choice. As light flashed, Lucario saw that in Ben's place was a more familiar form: Echo Echo.
"ECHO ECHO!" The Sonorosian announced. "These headphones aren't just for fashion, you know."
"Very well. The next match will begin. Rillaboom vs. Echo Echo!" Paradox announced.
"Let's see why you chose this form. Rillaboom, Wood Hammer!" Dialga ordered. At this, Rillaboom picked up its stump drum, and as it glowed green, he charged at Echo Echo. Unlike what he thought, though, Echo Echo split into two copies just before impact, and Rillaboom stared in confusion. Seizing the opportunity, the two clones quickly unleashed a sonic scream. Rillaboom covered its ears in pain, not quite as used to being on the recieving end of sonic attacks.
"Calm down Rillaboom. Ignore the sounds and use Drum Beating again!" Dialga instructed. Focusing, Rillaboom put down the stump drum and began to play again. Another wave of roots began to form, all aimed for Echo Echo and his clones. Thinking quickly, Echo Echo formed a clone beneath him that tossed him up, just before a branch struck the clone and made it vanish in a flash of green light. Shocked at this, Echo Echo was distracted.
"Ben look out!" Lucario hurriedly noted a branch about to strike the Sonorosian. At this, Echo Echo released another sonic cry that stripped the roots of bark before making the rest of it shatter into pieces of wood pulp. There was little time to celebrate though, as he noted that Rillaboom was readying another Boomburst. Seeing this, Echo Echo smirked. "What are you thinking, Ben? You'll be blasted again"
"Trust me, I know what I'm doing!" Echo Echo reassured Lucario. As the soundwave struck, this time, Echo Echo was unaffected, even if somewhat blustered by the soundwave. "Sonorosian headphones protect them from sonic attacks, including their own."
"Clever. Basically an innate form of Soundproof. I can applaud the creativity of your planning," Dialga complimented. "However, do not assume that alone will be enough. Rillaboom, keep going and use Razor Leaf!" At this, Rillaboom headbanged and sent a wave of sharp leaves at Echo Echo from its leaf-like hair.
"Try this on for size then! Wall of sound!" Echo Echo quickly split into five clones that were able to force the leaves away from them with a combined sonic scream. The razor leaves proceeded to scatter about the battlefield, some even hitting Rillaboom.
"Good work, Ben!" Lucario reassured him. "I may have a way to take him down!"
"Well, I'm all ears!" Echo Echo conceded.
"Your sonic attacks seemed to be unpleasant for him. Perhaps if you are able to surround him, you can take him out," Lucario noted.
"Worth a try," Echo Echo split into several copies that all began to run towards the Drummer Pokémon.
"Don't let him get close! Drum Beating again!" Dialga ordered. Rillaboom obeyed, beginning to beat its stump drum again, sending another flurry of tree roots at the Sonorosians. However, the Sonorosians worked to confuse him by splitting into more copies than it could focus on. Even if a few were taken out, there were still several more that were able to make their way to Rillaboom.
"Alright, Rillaboom! Your concert's over! Echo Chamber!" One Echo Echo declared, splitting into copies that surrounded Rillaboom. All at once, the six Echo Echos released a concentrated sonic scream that left Rillaboom's head rattling. Growling in pain, it didn't take long for Rillaboom to fall unconscious eventually.
"Rillaboom has fainted! Point to Echo Echo!" Paradox announced.
"A very clever idea on your part. Using your alien's physiology in rather unorthodox fashion. But this fight is only 25% done. There is still more to be had! Decidueye, shoot him down!" Dialga said. At this, the owl-like Pokémon flew into the battlefield, tightening its hood to the point its face was almost invisible.
As before, Paradox announced. "Decidueye vs. Echo Echo. Let the match continue!"
Soon, it held one of its drawstrings taut, and notched an arrow, revealing it to have formed a primitive bow. At this, it fired, managing to strike one Echo Echo clone dead center, leading it to vanish in a burst of green light. While Echo Echo quickly tried to fight back, Decidueye retaliated by continuing to send arrow after arrow at the clones. "Now! Pin him with Spirit Shackle!" At this, Decidueye shot one more arrow, this time with a shadowy aura surrounding it, and it struck Echo Echo's shadow. Echo Echo tried to get out, but it was like someone had pinned him to the ground. "Now, Sucker Punch to finish him off!" At this, the Arrow Quill Pokémon suddenly dashed forward, picking up the shackling arrow and clotheslining the Sonorosian with one of its wings. At this, Echo Echo was sent flying, turning back to normal.
"Echo Echo is unable to battle! Decidueye wins!" Paradox announced.
"I guess you aren't familiar with this one either," Ben coughed out.
"No. Time for the Pokédex?" Lucario asked.
"Yeah," Ben instantly agreed. Once again, Lucario aimed the Pokédex at the owl, and the Pokédex revealed the details.
"Decidueye. The Arrow Quill Pokémon. Final evolution of Alola Grass-starter Rowlet. By masking its presence, it can attack unaware foes with incredible accuracy from half a mile away within only a tenth of a second. While it has a calm, cautious nature by default, it reacts to surprise incredibly poorly, seizing up in panic," The Pokédex reveal.
"Well then. That settles things!" Ben declared as the Omnitrix reactivated. In his place now floated Ghostfreak.
"Ghost to ghost, then? This should prove fascinating," Dialga mused.
"Ghostfreak vs. Decidueye! Resume the battle!" Paradox announced again.
"Alright, you hoot! Let's see you try that on me a second time!" Ghostfreak declared as he dashed towards him.
"Do not fret! Match his strategy with Brave Bird!" Dialga ordered. At this, Decidueye flew up before suddenly diving towards the Ectonurite while surrounded in a blue aura. At this, Ghostfreak halted his charge as he opened up his chest to fire a blue energy beam. While Decidueye was surprised, he continued forward, weaving around the beam and tackling Ghostfreak.
"GAHH!" The Ectonurite cried in pain as he flew back. Feeling confident, Deciedueye continued to release a bevy of arrows at Ghostfreak, all before the Ectonurite could wink with his single eye. Deciding to cut out the middle man, Ghostfreak became intangible, flying through the arrows with no problem.
"He'll need to be tangible to hurt you. When he gets close, ready a Sucker Punch!" Dialga commanded. At this, Decidueye continued firing more arrows, readying for the inevitable approach. When Ghostfreak got close and undid his intangibility, Decidueye suddenly dashed forwards before clotheslining the Ectonurite with his wing. This left Ghostfreak falling down as he screamed more out of shock than pain. "Excellent shot."
"Cheap trick. Definitely not a sucker punch, but a sucker clothesline," Ghostfreak grumbled. Deciding to try another approach, he decided not to be intangible, but invisible. Hopefully, that could do the trick. Indeed, Decidueye, unable to see Ghostfreak, decided to start firing randomly in his general direction, but nothing came of it. In the meanwhile, Ghostfreak began to claw at the Arrow Quill Pokémon. While Decidueye was a Ghost-Type, it had no way of being able to locate his prey. This left him panicking as he continued sending out arrow after arrow. While a few got close, Ghostfreak had still not been hit.
"Switch things up! Perhaps Leafage may be able to expose him yet!" Dialga ordered. At this, Decidueye briefly calmed down, managing to regain its wits. Afterwards, it began to spin in place and send a tornado of leaves, some of which slashed Ghostfreak, leading the Ectonurite to gasp in pain. That proved to be a mistake, as Decidueye was able to use that to send another flurry of arrows at him.
"OWW! That was a good move from Arrow Owl," Ghostfreak admitted. Deciding to experiment, though, he tried something he'd seen Zs'Skayr do previously. Concentrating as much as he could, he began to make the arrow pinning him wiggle, and with some more effort, he was able to pick them up with his telekinesis. Decidueye, not expecting this, hooted in utter shock. The hoots further came about when Ghostfreak sent the arrows back at the Arrow Quill Pokémon, leaving it to fly around in a panic. At this, Ghostfreak proceeded to clothesline and throw Decidueye to the ground, knocking the archer owl out.
"Decidueye is unable to battle! Ghostfreak wins!" Paradox announced.
"Gah. Happy about that, but I guess whoever's next will thrash me like a punching bag," Ghostfreak snarked.
"Indeed. And think about the 'punching bag' part, for my next Pokémon shall treat you like one. Go forth, Chesnaught!" Dialga noted. At once, the hedgehog-like Pokémon went forward, jumping up before landing on the ground, and unleashed a mighty roar to challenge the strange ghost-like creature in front of it.
"Ghostfreak vs. Chesnaught! Let the battle continue!" Paradox announced.
"This is going to stink, isn't it?" Ghostfreak muttered as he rested his head on his palms. Seeing Lucario simply nod in acceptance only strengthened that notion. "Ah well, might as well see what this guy can do." At this, Ghostfreak charged forward, intent on possessing the strange chestnut-like creature. However, that notion was quickly averted when Chesnaught folded its arms together to form a circular shield, and then proceeded to have spikes extend from it to skewer the Ectonurite like a shish kebab.
"What the-?!" Was all Ghostfreak could utter before nearly impaling himself on the spikes, managing to swerve at the last second to avoid them.
"Good initiative using Spiky Shield, Chesnaught. Now! Bite into him like a Chesto berry!" Dialga instructed. At this, Chesnaught's fangs glowed yellow, and a pair of teeth-like energy constructs snapped on the Ectonurite like a bear trap, leaving him to writhe and scream in agony as Lucario winced in sympathetic pain.
"As you say, you'll be feeling that in the morn, won't you?" Lucario asked when the energy jaws let Ghostfreak go, leading him to limply fall to the ground.
"Yeah. I think I've got an everywhere-ache," Ghostfreak groaned.
That still wasn't enough for Dialga, for he gave one more instruction. "Now finish him with Hammer Arm!" With this, Chesnaught's right arm glowed white, and with one mighty blow, Ben was left unconscious in a small crater in the grassy field, his eyes spinning.
"Ghostfreak is unable to battle! Chesnaught wins!" Paradox announced. "Lucario, give this revival herb to Ben. It should give him the boost he needs." Holding a small, tied-up bundle of herbs, Lucario winced as he felt the bitter taste from memory come back to him. Pushing the bitter herbs down Ben's throat, the effect was immediate: he woke up and began to gag from the bitterness of the herbs.
"What the-?! What did you give me?!" Ben coughed out as his body tried to reject the herbs. "Why would you do that?"
"Revival herbs. Apologies in advance for a potential strain in our relationship," Lucario answered.
"Well, they're definitely effective, I'll give 'em that," Ben admitted. "But what do you know about shield-scruff over there?"
"Nothing. The Pokédex should tell us more," Lucario answered as he did what he did before. In a few moments, the Pokédex completed the scan and gave an analysis.
"Chesnaught, the Spiny Armor Pokémon. Final evolution of Kalos Grass-starter Chespin. This Pokémon is said to be the patron Pokémon for knights and guards in the Kalos region, revered for their strength and honor. They are strong enough to flip a truck of 50 tons in weight, and with their shields, they can withstand bomb explosions. They are protective and loyal, willingly shielding allies, Pokémon and human alike, from danger with no hesitation," The Pokédex explained.
"Raw strength. Time to match him pound for pound, then!" Ben declared, as he turned the Omnitrix to another form. In his place now stood what looked like a human-like dinosaur that stood 12 feet tall. His scales were brown on the outside and beige on the inside, and the Omnitrix lay on his chest. "HUMUNGOUSAUR!" he roared.
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Codon Stream Entry: Humungousaur
Species: Vaxasaurian
Home World: Terradino
Being a world similar to prehistoric Earth, Terradino is one that has a society very similar to early primitive societies. The creatures of this planet are clan-like and violent, constantly getting in wars over resources like food, water and space. Amongst the chiefs of the planet are the Vaxasaurians. Warlike, brutish, and deadly, Vaxasaurians have developed immense strength and durability, managing to gain order through this might. However, they have also developed another ability that gives them a great edge against opponents: the ability to increase in size. Vaxasaurians can grow up to a whopping 60 feet tall, and this grants them an increase in strength and durability. While generally shown in their tallest selves, Vaxasaurians can develop plates on their backs, spikes on their tails, and a crest on their head, which can be used for offense and defense.
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"Alright! It's nighty-night for you!" Humungousaur declared.
"Chesnaught vs. Humungousaur! Let the battle resume!" Paradox announced.
Roaring, Humungousaur charged at Chesnaught, and readied his right arm for a haymaker. Reflexively, Chesnaught turned his arms into a shield, blocking the attack. It was then Humungousaur realized something about Chesnaught's shield even when it wasn't using Spiky Shield: there were still spikes on it. The small spikes went between his knuckles, and Humungousaur screamed in pain as blood started leaking out of the wounds. "GAH! That stings!"
"When you pluck a rose, Tennyson, watch the thorns. Same goes for fighting a Chesnaught. But don't let up Chesnaught! Use Hammer Arm!" With this, one of Chesnaught's arms began to glow a bright white. Humungousaur crossed his arms to block the upcoming blow, but he ended up being thrown back quite a bit. Digging his elephantine feet into the ground, he left trails of dirt in his wake, even uprooting a few trees in the process. Seizing the opportunity, the Vaxasaurian picked up one of the trees to use as a makeshift clumb. Lugging it, he swung it forward, planning to make even with the Spiny Armor Pokémon. Not expecting this, Chesnaught didn't have the time to react to the attack, and was hit in the gut, sending it skidding back. Humungousaur didn't let up though, as he continued to wail on the Spiny Armor Pokémon repeatedly, not giving any quarter. A swing from above hit Chesnaught on the head, dizzying the poor creature. "Hang in there, Chesnaught! When he swings, Bite his tree!" Shaking its head, Chesnaught focused, and when Humungousaur swung again, it chomped onto the tree and held it firm. With a swing of its neck, it snapped the tree in two.
"Oh come on!" Humungousaur complained. With this, the two behemoths used the tree fragments as makeshift weapons, clashing against each other and releasing shockwaves with each blow. Leaves rustled as gale-force winds billowed from the points of contact. Even Lucario and Professor Paradox found themselves buffeted by the winds. However, Chesnaught had one power over Humungousaur: its shield arms. While they could form a shield, even without being crossed they were dense and strong, more like tree trunks in their own right, and good enough to serve as a powerful defense.
"Ben! Perhaps you're going about this the wrong way! Instead of matching Chesnaught pound for pound, try to disorient it! You're not strong enough!" Lucario advised.
"Maybe. Or maybe it's time I put on the pounds!" Humungousaur declared. Throwing the tree at Chesnaught, it gave him enough to to focus, and he soon began to change. He began to grow taller, and he began to develop armored plates on his shoulders and arms, spikes on his tail like those of a Stegosaur, and a crest of spines across his back. Now, he stood 20 feet tall: big enough to add some more defense, but not too big to restrict his mobility. At this, Humungousaur picked up Chesnaught in a tight grip, but the Spiny Armor Pokémon did not go quietly: even with the added defenses, Humungsouar could still feel needles sticking through his arms as Chesnaught used Needle Arm, its arms glowing green as energy spikes stabbed through his arms. Still, Humungousaur began to spin in place, and soon threw Chesnaught into several trees, knocking the poor Pokéon out as soon as it landed on the ground.
"Chesnaught is unable to battle! Humungousaur wins!" Paradox noted.
"I admit. You've done well to defeat half of my party. But as you humans say, the gloves are off now! Torterra, go forth!" Dialga declared. At this, the giant turtle jumped to the ground, and when it landed, it was almost like an earthquake had suddenly struck the area.
"Torterra vs Humungousaur! The battle continues!" Paradox announced.
"Ben! Be cautious! Torterra aren't known as the Continent Pokémon without good reason!" Lucario warned.
"Indeed! Go Torterra! Unleash Earthquake!" Dialga instructed. With a roar, Torterra reared up and slammed its forelegs into the ground, and massive vibrations rumbled through the ground. At this, Humungousaur's bulk worked against him, as he soon collapsed from the swaying, and combined with the earthquake, he ended up creating a giant crater that he was stuck in the center of. "Excellent! Now drain him of everything with Giga Drain!" At this, Torterra's "mountains" glowed green, and formed green tendrills of energy not unlike Gwen's mana. They all wrapped around the Vaxasaurian, and he could feel his energy slowly get sapped away. By the time Torterra was done, Humungousaur had shruunk down to normal size and was left gasping for breath, like he'd run a marathon in summer while wearing a fur coat. Afterwards, Humungousaur collapsed, turning back to normal.
"Humungousaur is unable to battle. Torterra is victorious!" Paradox announced.
"Ohh...," Ben groaned. "I wonder if that's how Kevin felt after being stuck in Andreas' grip."
"Perhaps you should have more of an idea on how dangerous Torterra can be," Lucario noted as he held the Pokédex to the Continent Pokémon.
"Torterra. The Continent Pokémon. Final evolution of Sinnoh Grass-starter Turtwig. These immensely powerful beings are remarkably gentle in nature, letting smaller Pokémon like Joltik and Pidgey make nests on them when they stay still, with some Pokémon living their entire lives on a single Torterra. Sustaining themselves on a diet of dirt and grass, they wil migrate in massive herds to find water, leading some locals to mistake herds of migrating Torterra as moving forests, and some legends even claim that a massive Torterra is what holds the world in place," The Pokédex noted.
"Perhaps try the form that looks like Sandshrew. Arm...something?" Lucario suggested.
"Armodrillo? Worth a shot," At this, Ben twisted the Omnitrix, and in his place stood Armodrillo.
"ARMODRILLO!" The Talpaedan bellowed. "Alright then! Guess I'm going to be making turtle soup and mud pie out of you!"
"Armodrillo vs. Torterra! The match continues!" Paradox announced.
"Let's see how strong he is! Torterra, Withdraw!" At Dialga's command, Torterra quickly retracted into its shell when the Talpaedan charged forwards. At this, his jackhammer arms punched into Torterra's shell, but the shell was one tough nut crack. As Armodrillo continued to wail on Torterra, his frustration grew.
"Come on! There's no way that's all you've got!" Armodrillo yelled in frustration.
"Complain all you want, it won't change anything. Torterra, Earthquake! Again!" Dialga ordered. At this, Torterra emerged from his shell and knocked Lucario away before releasing another earthquake stomp. This time, however, Armodrillo counteracted with an earthquake of his own, planting his arms into the ground and starting up his jackhammers. The two earthquakes gradually began to cancel each other out, and Armodrillo elected to seize the chance to dash forward and release another jackhamer punch.
"Get ready to rumble, shell head!" Armodrillo declared as he weaved around another attempt to wrap him with Giga Drain. Once he got close to Torterra's right side, he released a mighty punch, sending Torterra flying and billowing shockwaves that ripped the leaves off of some of the smaller trees. However, when Armodrillo readied another punch, he briefly overhead an instruction from Dialga for Crunch, and with that, Torterra proceeded to chomp into Armodrillo's arm like it was a big juicy leaf of lettuce, leading to Armodrillo screaming in pain, and also disabling his right jackhammer.
"Good work, Torterra! That should debilitate him enough for you to take him out. Try another Giga Drain and drain him dry!" Dialga ordered. Once again, Torterra tried to wrap up Armodrillo in green energy tendrils, but when they wrapped around, Armodrillo pulled out his good arm and began to have it start pumping. The vibrations soon carried over to Torterra, who began to become dizzy as a result.
"Now! Let's finish this!" At this delcaration, Armodrillo charged forward, rearing back his goodarm and preparing to pump, and on contact, another shockwave billowed, sending Torterra flying as it collapsed on its side, falling unconcious soon after.
"Torterra is unable to battle! Armodrillo wins!" Paradox declared.
"Well done. Ben. You truly are earning your keep. But don't got cocky! I still have a few tricks up my non-existent sleeve! Serperior, show him what gives you your name!" Dialga said. At this, the snake-like Pokémon slithered to the ground. Looking at the Talpaedan, no words seemed necessary, and its glare said everything. It looked at the drilling armadillo with disdain and haughtiness, as if Armodrillo was some insect meant to be squashed. "Now! Leer!" With this, Serperior's eyes began to bore into Armodrillo, its eyes glowing a deep red. At this, Armodrillo felt like his defense was faltering under his glare, and even then, he couldn't help but freeze up like a statue. "Serperior! Use your Leech Seed and drain him dry!" At this, Serperior shot a light green seed that attached to Armodrillo, wrapping around him and going into the chinks at his joints. At this, Armodrillo found his energy being drained before he fell unconscious, turning back to normal. One could see the bloody hands and arms from Chesnaught's spikes and Torterra's jaw.
"Armodrillo is unable to battle! Serperior wins!" Paradox announced. "Lucario, perhaps give Ben some medicine for his wounds. There's a potion that should help if you spray it on him." Indeed, suddenly next to Lucario was a purple spray container with a white sprayer. Picking it up, he began to spray Ben's wounds like he'd seen Sandra spray when she cleaned the house. Much to his surprise, it worked just as well as herbal medicines like Energy Powder or Roots.
"Wow. I'm feeling better already! But what was up with that? I got one look at that thing's eyes, and I felt like I was bewitched to it! I couldn't help but just stay stuck," Ben wondered.
"Let's again see what the Pokédex says on the matter," Lucario noted.
After scanning Serperior, the Pokédex spoke. "Serperior. The Regal Pokémon. Final evolution of Unova Grass-starter Snivy. Much like its pre-evolutions, they rely on photosynthesis to generate energy, so Serperior have a natural dislike of getting their leaves dirty. In combat, they rarely give their all against those they consider unworthy, preferring to intimidate weaker opponents with their mighty glare, powerful enough to halt them in their tracks. If an opponent is strong enough to resist, only then do they give their all, using their stored energy in combat as well as their strong coils to crush opponents into submission."
"Okay. Then I know he's really going to hate what I have in mind!" Ben said as he transformed yet again. In his place no stood Wildmutt, growling, snarling and raring to go.
"Wildmutt vs. Serperior! The match resumes!" Paradox announced. At this, Serperior decided to try intimidating the Vulpimancer as it had done to the Talpaedan, but much to its surprise, Wildmutt was unaffected, and even smiled in response. Lucario was puzzled until he remembered how Ben told him that Vulpimancers were utterly blind due to their home planet being a waste dump, which would have been a haven for Grimer and Muk to thrive.
'Of course! Wildmutt doesn't 'see', per say. He simply relies on hearing and smell to navigate,' Lucario realized. At this, Wildmutt charged at the Regal Pokémon, who proceeded to slither out of the way with grace and ease.
"Unexpected approach, but not to worry, Serperior! We still have this under control. Wrap attack, now!" At Dialga's orders, Serprior quickly charged towards Wildmutt and began to tangle around him, beginning to crunch the Vulpimancer's ribcage.
"GRRR!" Wildmutt growled. It was something he was working to develop, but Wildmutt decided to try a trick Vulpimancers gained with age. Concentrating, he tensed the muscles on his back and squeezed around the spikes on his back, firing them out. They hit their mark, and Serperior winced in pain, but hissed in what seemed like ice cold fury. At this, Serperior sent out another Leech Seed to try and drain Wildmutt's energy, but Wildmutt began climbing up the trees and swinging more like an ape than dog to avoid the Leech Seeds. At this, Serperior hissed in frustration, using another Leer on him. Despite being blind, Wildmutt somehow could still feel Serperior's eyes boring into him. Seeing this, he dropped down from the ground and tried to slash with his claws. He managed to hit the Regal Pokémon a few times, but Serperior's speed was nothing to sneeze at. The swift snake constantly dodged attacks from the slower Vulpimancer, and hitting him was like trying to put a snake in a basket.
"Okay! No more fooling around, Serperior! Finish him off! Leaf Tornado!" At this, Serperior began to rapidly slither in circles around Wildmutt as the leaves on its tail glowed green. Soon enough, a giant tornado surrounded the Vulpimancer, one full of leaves that all began to slash him, leaving shallow cuts as if they were paper cuts. All the resulting pain made Wildmutt whine in pain, and he struggled to break free. It was then he remembered something. Serperior hated getting dirty not out of vanity, but out of a need for energy. Putting that detail in the back of his mind, Wildmutt tried to focus on freeing himself. However, there were no openings to be found, and any attempt only seemed to lead to more leaf cuts. Thankfully, the assault let up, but Wildmutt clearly had seen better days. Trickles of green blood oozed out of his skin and leeched into his fur, giving hi a somewhat sickly look. It was now time, though, for his plan to be put into action. Concentrating, he looked to see where Serperior was, and once he found him, Wildmutt turned his back to face Serperior and proceeded to begin to dig, sending large amounts of dirt into Serperior's face. At this, a revolted look emerged on the Regal Pokémon, and it quickly began to try to shake off the dust as much as it could. The next time Serperior lunged, the attacks were somewhat slower than before.
"Why did you-? Oh! I see!" Lucario realized. "That was the other reason for Wildmutt! His digging would allow you to cover Serperior in dirt, making it harder for it to photosynthesize, and thus reduce its ability to fight!" The smirk on Wildmutt's face said it all. With time, Serperior began to exhaust itself, trying in vain to strike at Wildmutt, only to keep missing each time. It was now panting and huffing, and Wildmutt seized the chance to quickly bite into Serperior and shake it around like a normal dog would shake a rope around. In time, the exhaustion and dizziness began to take the toll, and the Regal Pokémon collapsed.
"Serperior is unable to battle! Wildmutt wins!" Paradox declared.
"That was clever of you, Ben. Using your alien's strengths to your advantage as well as turning Serperior's physiology against him," Lucario complimented, earning a happy growl from Wildmutt.
"What an interesting idea. So why don't I do the same? Go on Meganium! Make him smell daisies!" At Dialga's command, the sauropod jumped out and landed with a thud. As it exhaled, Wildmutt noted how some of the uprooted plants began to regain some vigor.
"Meganium vs. Wildmutt! The match continues!" Paradox announced.
"Alright, perhaps start off simple. Meganium, use Magical Leaf!" At this, Meganium began to shake the flower on its neck, releasing glowing green leaves that aimed for Wildmutt. Seeing this, Wildmutt rapidly began to run, but the leaves suddenly changed trajectory like guided missiles. While he was able to dodge a few leaves, most of them still made their mark. "Good! Now why don't we turn that smell against him? Sweet Scent!" At this, Meganium began to release pink powder from its flower, and the odorants made their way to Wildmutt. The smell was like a hundred flowers all being shoved into his face at the same time, leading him to become overwhelmed, and he began to sneeze. All the while, he began to feel oddly calm, like there was no reason to fight. "Good. Now let's squash him! Body Slam!" At this, Meganium suddenly jumped up and began to fall towards Wildmutt. He barely had anytime to shake off the effects of Sweet Scent before he ended up getting stuck under 221.6 pounds of weight that had gravity backing it. At this, Wildmutt was left completely paralyzed, and turned back into Ben.
"Wildmutt is unable to battle! Meganium wins!" Paradox said.
"Owww..." Ben winced in pain as Lucario helped him up. "What can you tell me about this guy?" After saying this, Ben sneezed, his nose still runny from the Sweet Scent. Nodding, Lucario pulled up the Pokédex and let it explain.
"Meganium, the Herb Pokémon. Final evolution of Johto Grass-starter Chikorita. Docile and diplomatic, Meganium are well-known for being peacemakers between warring Pokémon factions to the point of serving as ambassadors. They have the ability to release pleasant smells from their flowers that help to calm aggression while also having the ability to revive dead plants and flowers with its breath and rejuvenate those who stand near it. As such, many Meganium also serve as healers and guardians for packs of Chikorita and Bayleef, helping to care for them while they grow up," The Pokédex explained.
"Peaceful? That gives me something of an idea," Ben wondered. Turning the Omnitrix, Lucario saw Ben turn into a form he'd never seen before. This was similar to Swampfire in that it was a plantlike form, but apart from that, they divulged considerably. This form was a humanoid plant with one green eye in the middle of his face, four vine-like legs, four thick fingers on his hands, flytrap-shaped flaps with teeth covering his head, and pods on his back. There were also two eyes on each shoulder and light green patches on his arms, and the Omnitrix symbol lay on a white belt wrapped around his waist.
"Wildine!" The alien screamed in a rather...spaced-out voice.
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Codon Stream Entry: Wildvine
Species: Florauna
Home World: Flors Verdance
Flors Verdance can be described as the greenest planet in the entire Milky Way, and quite literally. Apart from the occasional starships meant for trading purposes, Flors Verdance is generally one of the most unpolluted and pristine planets, full of lush jungles and forests that span the skies every which way. The ones responsible for this beautiful world are its main sapient species: the Florauna. These plant-like creatures help maintain harmony amongst the denizens of their home, and certainly equipped to do so. They can stretch their vine-like arms and legs long distances, allowing them to swing from branch to branch with ease, and should the need arise to defend themselves, they have a number of tricks at their disposal: merging with plant-life to hide from predators, generating spikes to harm their mouths, tunneling underground, and even using the pods on their back for various effects, including explosions, sleeping gas, creating vines, and even taming some creatures like the Gracklflint. While Floraunas are mostly peaceful and non-violent on their homeworld, some report that those outside their homeworld have become violent, incorporating a carnivorous aspect to their mostly photosynthetic diet.
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"Alright! Let's do this, bro!" Wildvine declared as he stretched his arms and fingers.
"Wildvine vs Meganium! Let the next match begin!" Paradox announced.
"Don't let his laid-back tone deceive you, Meganium! Use Magical Leaf again to tear him apart!" Dialga ordered. At this, Meganium's flower shifted again, and leaves were sent out. This time, however, Wildvine elected to dodge what was easily seen, tunneling underground quickly, and causing some leaves to get stuck in the soil chasing him. It soon became clear what the plan was when Wildvine suddenly appeared beneath Meganium and wrapped around it. While they still hit the Florauna, the Herb Pokémon got caught in the crossfire. Even then, it could be seen the Wildvine was able to some what rejuvenate himself, being able to heal the cuts on his body from the sharpened leaves.
"I see. Good to turn his move against him. Still, there's still one more move, so be cautious," Lucario advised. Nodding, Wildvine continued the fight, wrapping up Meganium in his extended fingers, serving as makeshift ropes that were able to tangle its movement. Meganium swayed like a bucking bronco, begining to use its binds as a means to grapple with Wildvine at a distance. In time, Wildvine's fingers snapped off, leaving him without fingers and sending him flying into a tree. Before Meganium could use another Body Slam on him, he quickly merged into a nearby tree in the forest, hoping for something of a breather while he gathered his wits. While Meganium, not seeing its opponent, decided to play around and help revitalize the forest, Wildvine began to use his breather for a strategic thinking session.
"Alright, so at least as far as I know, this form won't be that badly affected by pheromones. I mean, my first time using this guy, I didn't have that many issues with that giant Mycelium, and that thing was huge. So sweet scent shouldn't be that problematic. I can always dig to avoid another Body Slam or even just create some spikes if I'm already like that. But what exactly is that final move that Dialga's got for this guy?" Wildvine said to himself. "Anyway, I can feel my fingers again, so best to attack while it's distracted." While Meganium continued to try revitalizing the forest, Wildvine made his move. "Hey! Want a little help? Why not have some more seeds?" At this, he took the pods of his back and threw them at the Herb Pokémon. Vines suddenly erupted, tangling the Meganium tightly as it struggled against its bindings. While such was the case, Wildvine seized the opportunity to throw some more pods, these ones filled with knockout gas. Meganium held its breathe, doing its best not to inhale any of the gas
"Hang in there, Meganium! Petal Blizzard, now!" Dialga reassured his Pokémon. All of a sudden, a pink twister formed around Meganium as its flower spun. Within the twister were sharp petals that sliced the vines that held it apart, as well as blowing away the knock-out gas Wildvine had released. With this, it charged for another Body Slam, pinning the Florauna with all its weight and pinning him down. While Wildvine had intended to spear him with spines if such was the case, he'd been too flabbergasted at the power of Petal Blizzard for the plan to be put into action.
"Gah. Anyone got the number of that truck?" Wildvine dizzily asked before shaking his head to focus. Rushing towards Meganium once again, he continuously threw more pods in an attempt to smoke him out, trying to suffocate him since Wildvine really wasn't meant much for physical combat. Meganium continued to keep holding its breathe, not letting any gas in, and that was when Wildvine had an idea. Switching tactics, he starter throwing pods only in front the Herb Pokémon, and while some were blocked by Magical leaf, there were still enough to form a relatively thick makeshift hand that grabbed Meganium, and threw it against a tree. While Meganium tried to stand up, it clearly wasn't easy for it, and a few smoke pods later, Meganium had fainted.
"Meganium is unable to battle. Wildvine wins!" Paradox announced.
"Oh yeah! Who the man? Me! I'm the man, man!" Wildvine whooped.
"Well done. To bring me to my last Pokémon is not an easy feat. But Venusaur is the oldest and strongest of my bunch, so expect a far more difficult fight ahead!" Dialga declared. At this, the squat amphibian waddled forward, giving a mighty roar to challenge the Florauna.
"Wildvine vs. Venusaur! The match continues!" The time-travelling professor declared.
"Alright then, let's see what you got!" Wildvine declared as he charged. That soon proved to be a very stupid decision, as Venusaur released a cloud of purple powder from the flower on its back. All of a sudden, Wildvine felt himself feeling incredibly ill, beginning to cough as purple liquid began to ooze from his eyes and mouth. "What the?"
"Ben! Are you okay?" Lucario asked in concern.
"What...what did Venusaur do to me?" Wildvine asked, fear lacing his voice.
"Poison Powder. Not very strong at first glance, but it constant keeps going, sapping your strength," Lucario answered. "Don't push yourself too hard."
"Can't stop, have to keep going and win this fight. I've gone this far, and I can't stop now, dude!" Wildvine argued.
"That determination is admirable, but not very smart. I'll put you out of your misery, though! Sleep Powder, now!" At Dialga's instruction, Venusaur sent out green powder, and when Wildvine accidentally inhaled it, he soon found himself falling asleep. While the Florauna snored, Dialga instructed Venusaur to use Vine Whip, and long, dark green vines emerged from the leaves on its back, and slapping Wildvine harshly and repeatedly. By the time it was done, Ben had been forced to return to normal and fallen unconscious from the poison and lashings he'd received.
"Wildvine is unable to battle! Venusaur wins!" Paradox declared. "You might want to give Ben this just to remove the last traces of poison from his system." Seeing what Paradox held, Lucario let out a sigh of relief as he saw the peach-like Pecha Berry.
"Thanks, man. What is up with that guy?" Ben said in appreciation and curiosity.
After a few seconds of scanning Venusaur, the Pokédex spoke once again. "Venusaur. The Seed Pokéon. Final evolution of Kanto Grass-starter Bulbasaur. These large Pokéon subsist on a photosynthetic diet in the wild, putting them on the move and using the absorbed solar energy to make their flowers more vibrant. The flower is later capable of releasing soothing scents that attract other Pokémon, and the scent will grow stronger in the rain due to the improved photosynthetic ability. Venusaur can manipulate nature to their will, and are involved in great ceremonies that have them working with helping in the evolution of the pre-evolution forms, Bulbasaur and Ivysaur."
"Alright. There's one ore plant guy in my arsenal. So let's do this thing!" Ben declared as he switched to Swampfire once again.
"Swampfire! Alright then! Let's do this thing!" The Methanosian declared.
"Swampfire vs. Venusaur! Let the final match begin!" Paradox announced.
"See if you can do another Poison Powder and Sleep Spore combination, Venusaur!" Dialga ordered. At this, Venusaur's flower released two clouds: one pink and one green. However, Swampfire ran through the clouds with no issue.
"Ha! You what this guys home planet has a lot of? Methane! No wonder they developed gained an immunity to gases!" Swampfire gloated as he snapped his fingers, making the clouds explode into a giant ball of fire.
"Clever to use a form that has no means of inhaling Poison Powder or Sleep Spore. But Vine Whip will still be enough to take you down!" Dialga noted. At this, the vines on its back extended use again, but this time, Venusaur sent not two, but ten vines all to Swampfire. Swampfire tried to to deal with them by launching fireballs, but the vines were practically a hydra, with two growing any time one vine was burnt. This only served to frustrate Swampfire, and he decided to literally play dirty. Generating mud within his body, he quickly tossed it into Venusaur's eyes, leaving the Seed Pokémon to halt the attack as it used its vines to clear its vision. While doing so, Swampfire sent a bevy of seeds that all erupted into vines that all began to tangle it and bind it to the ground.
"Yeah! Time to finish you off!" Swampfire declared as he formed more fireballs in his hands.
"Indeed. Time to finish this! But it's your end. Especially with THIS!" Dialga declared as he telekinetically held what looked like a black bracelet with a strange marble-like stone, having the pattern of a DNA molecule inside it. He also wielded another stone similar to the marble in the bracelet, this one having teal, pink, and light pink inside it. At this, what looked like metal engulfed Venusaur, and when it shattered open, Venusaur had changed drastically. The flower on its back had grown larger and two smaller pink flowers had bloomed, one on its forehead and one on its rear. Additional leaves with woody stems, which were supported by vines, also grew around the flower. Venusaur also developed dark markings on its forehead below the new flower on its forehead. Just to further worsen things, it was now big enough to tear the vines that bound it previously like they were nothing but strands of string cheese. "Might I introduce you to Mega Evolution, Tennyson? Consider it similar to your Ultimate Forms. So say hello to MEGA VENUSAUR!"
"Whoa. Talk about super-powered," Swampfire could only say in utter awe.
"Believe me, you will be impressed by what comes next. Now Mega Venusaur. SOLAR BEAM!" At Dialga's command, Mega Venusaur's flower began to glow white, as sunlight began to gather inside it. While Swampfire thought he could dodge if he began to flee, it proved futile, as in a few seconds, enough energy had gathered for the flower to unleash a blindingly-white beam of energy that burnt Swampfire's legs to a complete crisp, fading into ashes. Swampfire screamed in pain afterwards when collapsed to the ground.
"Owww. So that's how you want to play? Alright. Then turnabout is fair play, too!" Swampfire declared as he twisted the Omnitrix symbol. At this, he slammed it and took on his Ultimate Form. "Ultimate Swampfire! Now let's finish this!"
"Indeed! Mega Venusaur, Vine Whip!" At this, more vines erupted from the leaves under Mega Venusaur's back flower, all seeking to lash out at Ultimate Swampfire. However, the Evolved Methanosian had known about this and sprayed sticky blue stap from his palms. This not only lessened the blow from the vines, but caused them to be stuck Ultimate Swampfire. In a few seconds, Ultimate Swampfire detonated his body, igniting the sap and forcing Mega Venusaur to cut its losses and snap the vines like a lizard losing its tail to escape predators. That was when Ultimate Swampfire made his next move. Throwing more seeds, Lucario was expecting vines to come out, but rather than that, quick growing trees erupted, becoming massive wooden tendrils that all made their way towards Mega Venusaur. The Pokémon was quick to use Vine Whip to snap at the trees, managing to slice them with a single blow. However, Ultimate Swampfire was not to be deterred, though felt a sudden wave of thirst course through his body. Seeing how the trees were basically xylem-covered sacks of water, he quickly formed wooden tendrills and began to drain them dry. The trees shriveled as a result, but Swampfire could feel himself recovering from both the sap spray and self-ignition. On the other hand, the Mega Evolved Seed Pokémon saw no reason to give the evolved Methanosian a breather, and tangled him in Vine Whip once again, slamming him to the ground over and over again. Thinking quickly, Ultimate Swampfire focused on his fingers, and converted each of them into what amounted to wooden bunsen burners, managing to torch the vines and free himself. Once again snapping the vines to save itself, Mega Venusaur figured third time was the charm, and used Vine Whip again. Not wishing to exhaust himself too much, Ultimate Swampfire turned off his burner fingers, and converted his arms into a pair of wooden swords. Setting them alight with the pods of his arms, they burned a bright blue, and cut through the vines like butter.
Still, both opponents knew that this fight had to end. Mega Venusaur switched tactics, gathering solar energy once again for Solar Beam, while Ultimate Swampfire began to form a giant blue fireball in his hands. In a few moments, white solar energy and bright blue fire clashed in a massive struggle, both pressing against each other and creating gusts of wind. Mega Venusaur's Solar beam began to win against Ultimate Swampfire's flame stream, but Swampfire gritted his non-existent teeth and self-detonated against, giving him extra firepower and pushing against the Solar Beam. As Mega Venusaur's eyes widened, it was blasted by the blue fire, and sent crashing into a tree, returning to normal and falling unconscious. Ultimate Swampfire, though, wasn't that much better. He fell to the ground panting, even as returned to regular Swampfire and to Ben.
"Venusaur is unable to battle! Swampfire wins! Ben Tennyson is victorious against Dialga in the Grass Trial!" Paradox cheered.
"Yay..." Ben tiredly and thirstily coughed out. "Someone got a glass of water? I'm parched over here!"
"Well done, Benjamin. The trial of Grass is complete," Dialga coplimented. And as for your prize, I am offering this!" Dialga sent the band he used to Mega Evolve Venusaur. "This is the Mega Ring. It is yours to keep." As Ben prepared to put on in confusion, Dialga quickly bellowed. "NOT NOW. Sorry. But without the proper stone, Lucario won't Mega Evolve, and until then, it won't be anything more than a fancy piece of jewelry."
"So what do I do with this? Just keep it in my room until then?" Ben asked in exasperation after Lucario gave him a glass of water courtesy of Paradox.
"Unfotunately, yes. These rings are rather rare, so it wouldn't do well if one of your enemies took it before you got what was needed," Dialga answered. "But with that, the first trial is complete, and Paradox? You can take them home now."
"Excellent!" Paradox said as a flash of blue light took them back to Ben's room. "Wasn't that a stimulating fight?"
"Yeah. Definitely not something I'm forgetting any time soon. I'm feeling really sore now, though," Ben said in response.
"Indeed. But you need to be ready. I see 10 big dangers in the near future. I hope you're ready for what will come next," Paradox warned, his face going from joyful to serious in a second. As the time traveller left, the only expressions seen on human and Pokémon alike were confusion and fear at what could come.
Voice Cast:
Swampfire- Dee Bradley Baker
Lucario - Sean Schemmel
Dialga - Gary Oldman
Ben Tennyson - Yuri Lowenthal
Professor Paradox - David McCallum
Spidermonkey - Dee Bradley Baker
Pokédex - Yuri Lowenthal
Echo Echo - Dee Bradley Baker
Ghostfreak - Steve Blum
Humungousaur - Dee Bradley Baker
Armodrillo - Dee Bradley Baker
Wildmutt - Dee Bradley Baker
Wildvine - Dee Bradleey Baker
Ultimate Swampfire - Dee Bradley Baker
Author's Note:
Happy Thanksgiving ya'll! :)
Yeah. Let me get something out of the way. I'm really sorry if people will be disappointed by this, but I will not include the Paldean starters into this. The Galarian region will be the most recently explored realm, and that will not be subject to change. On the bright side, you're at least guaranteed Rath vs. Incineroar, so yay for that! Just in case anyone is wondering, while it is updated to the national Pokédex, Lucario's Pokédex is based on the original Pokédex. Also, yes I know Volcanion exists, but that's a Gen VI Pokémon, while Lucario is a Gen IV Pokémon: I'm fairly certain that people from past Sinnoh would not be that interested in Kalos.
If you're wondering why Gary Oldman is voicing Dialga, the explanation does involve some spoilers for the Legend of Spyro series, but long story short, Gary Oldman voices Ignitus, Dragon Guardian of Fire, and upon his death, he became the Chronicler who records all of history and could have the power to control time itself, given Spyro got that power from the orginal Chronicler. My initial idea was for Jeffrey Wright to voice Dialga since he voiced Uatu the Watcher in What If...?, but since the multiverse feels more like an exploration of space rather than time, he feels more fitting for Palkia, the Pokémon of Space.
Just to be clear, here are the moves for each Pokémon used by Dialga:
Sceptile: Leaf Blade, Double Team, Energy Ball, and X-Scissor
Rillaboom: Drum Beating, Boomburst, Wood Hammer, and Razor Leaf
Decidueye: Spirit Shackle, Sucker Punch, Brave Bird, and Leafage
Chesnaught: Spiky Shield, Bite, Hammer Arm, and Needle Arm
Torterra: Earthquake, Giga Drain, Withdraw, and Crunch
Serperior: Leer, Leech Seed, Wrap, and Leaf Tornado
Meganium: Magical Leaf, Sweet Scent, Body Slam, and Petal Blizzard
Venusaur: Poison Powder, Sleep Powder, Vine Whip, and Solar Beam
Additionally, I decided to make Ultimate Swampfire a bit more unique, as you may have noticed. Now he's more of a tree manipulator, controlling wood rather than ordinary plantlife, and with more of the ability to alter his physical body, kinda like Kevin can. I also gave him the ability to launch sap similar to gasoline or kerosene, making it especially flammable, and the ability to turn his fingers into burning claws (think like Burner Man in Mega Man & Bass). Also, one thing I should mention, I'm going to be introducing new Ultimates throughout this fic alongside some changes to the original ones, mainly those that didn't do much to change the aliens (looking at you Ultimate Big Chill, Ultimate Cannonbolt, and Ultimate Wildmutt). Ultimate Way Big gets exempt from this as it works as a continuation of the Ultraman inspiration of the original. Wildvine's design does also take some aspects from both his original and Omniverse counterparts.
So with that, let's also note that we're going to start the very first of 10 (ha ha!) major arcs of this fic: Null Void Nuisances. This won't be too big, but the final results will be quite significant. This will also be one of two arcs that I include a series other than Ben 10 or Pokémon into this story: the second such arc is not going to be until a lot later.
Next Time: NVN Part 1: Nasty Nanochips
After years of not being present, Elena somehow resurfaces, allegedly happy for Ben, and making steps to try to make up with Julie. However, Lucario can't help but smell a Ratatta in her actions, and grows suspicious of the Nanite Queen. Has she really gone straight as she claims, or has her time in the Null Void driven her to something much worse?