Chapter 57: The Sisters' Final Battle! Julia VS Amara!
As usual, Julia was the first to wake up. Needless to say, when she emerged from her tent, she was welcomed by a magnificent autumn morning. The sky was a pure blue, gradually trying to push away the remnants of the night before, with the clouds speckled purple and pink as the sun made its way up to this side of the world. The enormous elm trees in the hollow they camped out in stretched all across the dirt road, their leaves shining golden under the sunrise. The maples further down the bend boasted a deep, royal crimson that stood alongside the regal elms, adding to the road's earthly beauty.
Julia reveled in the world of color around her. She sat down on a nearby rock and treated herself to a banana and some crackers. Not long after, Hikaru and Karin came ambling out from the tent. Hikaru's ears were standing straight, and her eyes were wide awake and alert. In contrast, Karin's blonde locks were scraggly and messy, with strands defying gravity every which way, and her eyes weren't fully open yet.
"Morning, girls!" Julia greeted them with a smile as she finished her banana. She had let them out of their PokeBalls the night before, as she always liked their company, even as she slept. "Isn't today just lovely?"
"Pikachu!" Hikaru chirruped in agreement.
"Smooooch…" Karin groaned before stretching her mouth wide open to let out a yawn. She put one of her stubby hands over it to try and cover it, but it was too small. Julia stifled a giggle.
"I'll get breakfast ready for you," Julia said. She finished her banana before rummaging through her tent to get two bowls and a pack of Pokemon food. Once outside, she set the bowls down and poured them some food. Hikaru and Karin wasted no time chowing down, crooning and preening with joy as they savored their breakfast. Karin perked right up as soon as she started eating. It didn't take long for all three of them to finish eating, and since Perrine and Caiseal were still sleeping, they had time for themselves.
Julia stood up from the rock and crossed her arms, ruminating. She did want to start back on Route 45, since they were still a ways away from Route 46, but Perrine and Caiseal weren't awake yet. Should she wake them up? After the day they had yesterday, Julia didn't want to disturb them. Maybe they could just hang around here for a while. There might be some Pokemon around she could catch. Julia smiled, finding the idea rather appealing.
"Hey, Karin. Hikaru," Julia quietly called them over. "Do you guys wanna walk around here for a bit? I bet there's Pokemon here that we can catch or battle. Would you like that?"
Both Pokemon cheered with delight right away. Julia made a mental note not to go too far. She didn't want to get lost and wind up leaving her friends behind by mistake. She and her two Pokemon friends traversed into some tall grass nearby. Compared to Blackthorn City, this area was still rather mountainous, but it was much more green, with plenty of grass, trees, and bushes. It helped that they had actually gotten closer to Mt. Silver, since from here, it was about three or so miles. Julia had checked the map on her PokeGear last night in order to keep track of where they were. They walked a little ways, looking around and examining their surroundings.
"See anything?" Julia asked.
Hikaru and Karin shook their heads.
Julia shrugged. "I'm sure there are some around. We just need to keep looking," She told them reassuringly, glancing over at some bushes. "Maybe we'll find some berries or something."
The three trekked through the clearing, looking all around. Hikaru and Karin looked through some bushes, but found nothing save for a few stray Oran berries. Julia passed some maple trees and looked down at the red carpet of leaves beneath her shoes. One leaf in particular was quite big, nearly bigger than her whole hand. She bent down, picked it up, and held it up to the sun. It turned dark as the night against the sunlight, but to Julia, it was still beautiful nonetheless. But when she pulled it down, something caught her eye. A lone figure was shifting around, just about ten feet away. Was it a Pokemon? Curious, Julia crept closer to get a better look.
As she ambled towards the figure, taking care to be silent, the figure became clearer the closer she got. It was a person, with long, light brown hair tied into a ponytail.
Wait...a ponytail?
A twig snapped underneath her shoe. Julia took care not to gasp, but the snap drew the figure's attention. The person swiveled around, meeting Julia's eyes with a shocked expression.
Light blue eyes. Fair skin. A light brown ponytail.
"Amara?!"
Right as she shouted, Amara sprinted further into the woods. Without any hesitation, Julia gave chase. Hikaru and Karin followed suit, with the kiss Pokemon struggling to keep up, what with her short, stubby legs.
Julia couldn't believe her luck. She found Amara! Finally! She wasn't going to let her get away. Not this time! Amara ran like the wind, and Julia was just a few feet behind. But she was never very good at running, so Amara sprinted ahead.
"Amara!" Julia called out to her with all the strength her vocal chords could muster. "Amara, stop! I just want to talk to you!"
Despite Julia's pleas, Amara didn't pay her any heed. She kept on running. Julia just barely managed to avoid some gnarled tree roots sticking out from the ground and took care to avoid some fallen trees. But Amara was starting to get away. Desperation ran through her veins as she pushed her legs to keep going. No! She couldn't let her go! Not when she finally found her after so long! Her legs began to burn from the inside. It was times like this she wished she could fly.
Fly…? Wait a minute! An idea popped into her head. If she herself couldn't catch her, someone else could! Julia pulled out a PokeBall. "Tsubasa! Don't let Amara get away!" Julia shouted, throwing it into the air.
Tsubasa wasted no time flying out of the PokeBall. Having heard Julia's command, the bird Pokémon charged right at Amara, her talons gripping her ponytail. Tsubasa pulled on her hair, and a pained yelp escaped her throat. The roots on her hair burned as Tsubasa pulled on her. She tried to keep running, but the bird Pokémon wouldn't budge and kept squawking loud enough for the whole forest to hear. Finally, Julia threw herself onto Amara, wrapping her arms around her waist as the two girls fell onto the ground.
"Ow!" Both of them cried out as they made contact with dirt and rocks. Julia felt a flurry of hands against her face, pushing on her. "Get off me! Get off!"
"No! I'm not letting you go this time!" Julia shouted back. Tsubasa kept her talons around Amara's ponytail, squawking right in her face in an attempt to wear her down. But Amara wasn't going to give up. Before Julia knew it, she felt the same set of hands prying her fingers off her waist. She tightened her grip, but Amara's fingers were stronger.
Finally, the older girl crawled out from underneath Julia, getting back on her feet. The latter pulled herself back up, meeting Amara's eyes for the first time in months. Instead of running away, Amara stood in place, her pale eyes wide and mouth open in an O shape. Julia found herself stunned. Her sister looked a lot different from before. Amara was wearing a grey autumn jacket, skin tight navy blue jeans, and brown boots. Looking closer, her once light brown hair had been dyed blonde, but she could still see streaks of her original hair color peeking through here and there. Her skin had tanned significantly, but not so much that Julia didn't recognize her right off, as she had seen Amara get a tan before. Her sky blue eyes were still the same, and they glared right at her with just as much indignant intensity.
"Oh, great. Just what I need," Amara hissed, her face contorting into a snarl. Tsubasa kept her talons in Amara's ponytail, intent on making sure she didn't try to run. "What part of leave me alone don't you understand?!" She yelled.
Julia wasn't surprised by that greeting. She had pretty much expected it. This time, she wasn't going to be deterred. "No, Amara. This can't go on. You can't keep getting yourself in trouble and running away," She told her, taking care to keep her voice calm and composed. As much as Amara's yelling rattled her ears, she couldn't afford to let her emotions get out of control. "Come back home, please."
"Absolutely not!" Amara snapped. "If you think I'm just gonna let you throw me in jail, you're even stupider than I thought you were! I'm one badge away from getting into the League, and you're not gonna ruin this for me!"
"You think you haven't ruined your own life already?!" Julia shrieked. "You abuse your own Pokémon! You disobey basic battling rules and you haven't done anything to get off the blacklist! Don't you ever stop to think?! Haven't you ever considered that the League might not even let you in at all?! I'm sure the people running it aren't stupid!"
In that moment, Amara fell silent. She made good points. Amara had won all the badges through battling—any she didn't steal, that is—and she was banned from owning Pokémon and battling in general. Who's to say the people running the League wouldn't know about her crimes? She balled her hands into fists. She really hadn't thought about any of this. All this time, she never even gave the actual Pokémon League's potential rules and security measures a second thought.
"Amara. Please, turn yourself in," Julia pleaded softly. "It's not too late. It'll be better for you if you make the effort to do what the courts told you to do in the first place. The chances that you can get off the blacklist and fulfill your dream of battling in the League will be higher if you cooperate. I'm sure it'll take a few years before you get off, but I know it'll be worth it in the end! Mom and Dad miss you. I miss you. We just want you to stop all this. Please, come home."
Amara's glare didn't soften, but Julia didn't care about that now. She knew the sister she knew and loved was still in there somewhere. She just had to be. But at the same time, she knew Amara still committed serious crimes and needed to take responsibility for them. Just because she loved her sister didn't mean she could use that as an excuse to let her run wild and potentially commit more crimes. Julia cared about her, and if she let her go now, it would mean she didn't care enough to do the right thing. If forcing her to turn herself in meant ripping her family apart, then so be it. If she succeeded and Amara hated her for it forever, that was fine, too. But it was high time Amara faced the repercussions for all she had done since April.
No more running away.
As Julia expected, Amara took a step back. "And what if I say no?"
She expected that, too. Julia pulled a PokeBall out. "Then I'll turn you in by force! Battle me, Amara! If I win, I'm turning you into the police, and this whole thing ends once and for all! If you win…I think you already know the answer to that."
Once again, Amara was speechless. This was not the little sister she knew from a few months ago. No longer was she the timid crybaby who threw fits whenever she saw Pokémon battles, or if someone even mentioned them. Now here she was, not only demanding a Pokémon battle, but wagering Amara's freedom on it. She saw intense flames blazing in her sister's eyes, an unfamiliar sight that sent a shiver down her spine. Those weren't the eyes of a soft-hearted crybaby who threw tantrums over everything. This was a new person entirely. Someone stronger, more confident, and wasn't intent on letting anyone walk all over her.
Somehow, this was even more annoying than how she originally was, maybe even more so. Amara really wanted to get her off her back. Why not beat her down a little?
"Fiiiiine," Amara groaned, rolling her eyes. "Let's just get this over with."
The girls found an empty mountain clearing nearby, big enough to be almost the size of a whole battlefield. This time, Tsubasa had let go of Amara's ponytail and returned to Julia's side. Amara was the first to send her Pokémon out. "Beedrill, I choose you!"
Out from the PokeBall came a Beedrill, holding its stingers up in the air. Julia shivered. Of all Pokémon she could have picked, she just had to pick a poison type, the very thing she was afraid of. It was no secret in her family that Julia was terrified of poison types. Even Amara knew that. Did she do it on purpose, or was this some attempt to scare her into not going through with turning her in? Julia steeled herself, balling a hand into a fist. No way was she going to let this get her down. Besides, Beedrill, if they were alone, were relatively weak.
Plus, she had the perfect Pokemon to deal with it.
She grinned in Tsubasa's direction. "Hey, Tsubasa? Want to blow off some steam?"
Tsubasa gave an enthusiastic squawk and flew right onto the battlefield. She hadn't had the chance to battle since facing off against Clair. Now she was itching to fight, intent to go all out.
Amara swiped her hand in the air, giving the first attack. "Beedrill, use Poison Sting!"
Beedrill's stingers glowed white as it fired a flurry of needles in Tsubasa's direction. "Tsubasa! Dodge and use Wing Attack!" Julia called out.
With a loud trill, Tsubasa evaded all of the needles as she charged at the poison bee, her wings glowing in a harsh white light. She flew so fast that Beedrill had no time to react. Tsubasa's wings made contact, ramming into Beedrill's thorax, sending it into the air.
"Use Twineedle!"
Beedrill regained its composure, readying its stingers for another attack. This time, the poison bee charged at Tsubasa.
"Counter it with Quick Attack!"
Tsubasa wasted no time charging right at Beedrill again, overcome with the thrill of being able to battle and go all out against a foe. Unfortunately for Beedrill, Tsubasa was faster, and her beak managed to land a direct hit on the bee's head. The force of the impact was strong enough to send Beedrill to the ground, but the bee got right back up, it's clear wings translucent in the morning light.
"Use Double Team!"
On command, Beedrill flew through the air, glowing red as copies of itself appeared all around it. Tsubasa didn't even bother to stop flying. She rammed through every single copy without difficulty.
"Don't let it throw you off, Tsubasa!" Julia reminded her. "Cut through them with Air Slash!"
Figuring out why she wanted her to do it, Tsubasa found a moment to stop. Then she flapped her wings just once, sending several blades of air soaring across the sky. Each one of them cut through the Beedrill clones, with two of them managing to strike Beedrill head on. Once again, Beedrill couldn't keep itself steady.
Amara growled at the sight of her Beedrill losing. "Nnngh! You are NOT gonna beat me!" She yelled. "Beedrill, use Poison Jab! No mercy!"
Beating its wings, Beedrill regained composure, turning its stingers a bright purple hue. The poison bee charged at Tsubasa, repeatedly stabbing her in the back with its stingers. Not enough to draw blood, but still hard enough to make it hurt. Tsubasa cried out as a burning pain surged through her body. She kept flapping her wings in an attempt to throw off Beedrill, but this time, the poison bee didn't budge.
Even so, Julia had an idea.
"Tsubasa! Grab Beedrill with your talons and use Twister!" Julia cried out.
The bird Pokemon found an opening and grabbed Beedrill's leg with one of her talons. Even though her body burned from the lingering attacks, she was not going to go down easy. Not like this! With Beedrill caught in her grasp, Tsubasa began flying in circles, generating a huge funnel of air that completely swallowed them both. The swirling tornado reached high into the sky, and the force of the wind made both Amara and Julia hold their hands in front of their faces to keep dirt and debris out of their eyes.
"Come on! Get out of there, stupid Beedrill!" Amara barked.
Julia glared. Of course she'd continue to call her Pokemon names and insult them. She wasn't even surprised at this point. But that still didn't make it right. Hearing that only made Julia more determined to win, if only so she could turn Amara in and have her remember to treat Pokemon-her own Pokemon, at that-with love and respect, whether they won a battle or not. Despite Beedrill's best efforts to break free, Tsubasa's grip was too strong on its spindly leg. Not even pushing its stingers into Tsubasa's fur did any good. It didn't help that spinning so much was making Beedrill's vision blur, and it could feel a bad headache coming on.
"You go, girl!" Julia cheered. Now for the finishing blow. "Throw it down and use Wing Attack!"
On command, Tsubasa stopped spinning, threw Beedrill down to the ground with great force, and finally rammed her wings into its thorax. The two of them found themselves falling to the ground, and once they made contact, an explosion of dirt billowed into the sky, making the tornado dissipate. The dirt cloud faded soon after, with Tsubasa flying right out of it with only a few scratches and bumps. On the other hand, Beedrill was at the very bottom of a small crater, its red eyes completely dark, and one of its legs was twitching.
Everyone could see that Beedrill was in no condition to fight.
"Uugh!" Amara hissed, wasting no time recalling Beedrill back to its PokeBall.
"You did it, Tsubasa!" Julia cheered, jumping up and down with glee. She had managed to defeat one of Amara's Pokemon without much difficulty. Beaming with pride, Tsubasa stuck out her chest and folded her wings.
"Pijooooo!" ("I'm not the strongest Pidgeotto for nothing!") Tsubasa trilled.
"You haven't won yet!" Amara snapped, pulling out another PokeBall. "Go, Shuckle!"
Amara's next Pokemon was a yellow turtle with a round, red shell dotted with white rimmed holes. Shuckle popped its head out from its shell, looking around the battlefield. "Shuckle."
Julia could only stare in bewilderment. Of all Pokemon, Amara caught a Shuckle? Sure, Julia herself liked them. She always found them cute, but most of the Shuckle she met at the ranch were very docile and timid, preferring to hide than fight. Shuckle was the least threatening Pokemon one could ever encounter. Why would Amara want to catch something so cute? She always preferred strong looking Pokemon. But she knew not to underestimate it and judge by its looks. It didn't help that Shuckle was part rock type, so it had a partial type advantage against Tsubasa, assuming it even knew any rock type moves.
But standing here thinking wasn't going to end this battle. This time, Julia called the first attack. "Tsubasa, use Air Slash!"
Tsubasa's wings glowed white again. She flapped them once, sending blades of air that sliced through the sky.
"Withdraw," Amara uttered.
Shuckle retracted its head and limbs, hiding in its shell. The air blades struck Shuckle in all directions, disappearing on contact. Seconds later, Shuckle popped back out of its shell, looking no worse for wear.
"Alright then! Use Wing Attack!" Julia cried out.
Growing annoyed by the lack of damage on Shuckle's body, Tsubasa charged right at the mold Pokemon head on, slamming right into its shell. But Shuckle didn't move at all, not even to go back inside its shell.
"Use Wrap!"
The mold Pokemon wasted no time wrapping its slimy limbs around Tsubasa body, clinging to her like a parasite. Tsubasa wriggled and writhed in Shuckle's grasp, flailing her talons and flapping her wings with every movement she could make. But despite how soft and slimy Shuckle's limbs were, its grip on her was iron hard, and nothing Tsubasa did managed to make it let go.
"Tsubasa, get out of there! You can do it!" Julia cried out.
"Fat chance!" Amara hissed. "Shuckle! Power Trick, then Rock Slide!
For just a brief moment, Shuckle's body glowed in a blue light. Then, a white, ovular light appeared just above them, and a rain of large rocks came crashing down. Knowing what was to come, Shuckle retracted its head back into its shell. In contrast, Tsubasa squawked and made another futile attempt to free herself. But Shuckle's grip was too tight, and the rocks piled onto the both of them, neither Pokemon having made their escape. Julia's hands flew to her eyes, covering them. She didn't dare look. All she could hear was Tsubasa's pained pleas for help, and every blow was like a slap in the face to her. It didn't take long for the rocks to disappear. Slowly, Julia removed her hands from her eyes. Shuckle had let go of Tsubasa, who was completely unconscious at this point. Her leg and right wing twitched as she lay face up on the ground.
Tsubasa was out of the battle. She was too tired to even protest or get back into the fight. Julia was quick to call her back to her PokeBall. "It's alright, Tsubasa. You did great."
A loss on each side. Both were down to five Pokemon. Julia had to admit, she had severely underestimated Shuckle, especially now that she learned that it knew Power Trick, an ability that switches a Pokemon's attack and defense powers. Shuckle were known for having high defense and low attack. Switching them around could make this cute, innocent-looking turtle into a living nightmare.
Not only that, Julia realized she didn't have any Pokémon that could stand up to it. Blossom was a grass type, and with Shuckle's dual bug and rock typing, she wouldn't be able to do much. The same with Twilight, Lavinia, and Hikaru. The only Pokémon she had who could possibly stand up to it was Karin, and Julia had never used her in a battle before. She didn't know if Karin had any battle experience at all, and for all she knew, Shuckle might be really strong. She wished she hadn't transferred Aqua or Lucretia back to her house. Aqua had a type advantage, and Lucretia's special attacks could at least help get around Shuckle's high defense. But the more she thought about Shuckle—its weaknesses, lack of physical movement, and a potential strategy against it—the more she realized Karin was her only option. It was a risk she had to take.
"Karin! I choose you!"
Julia sent Karin out from her PokeBall. The kiss Pokémon looked around, looking rather bewildered. "Karin, have you ever battled with any Pokémon before?" Julia asked.
Karin nodded. "Smoochum smoochum!" ("Yep! I fought a few Pokemon! But I'm not super strong.")
Well, that confirmed she had some battle experience. Julia steeled herself. If she played her cards just right, she might have a chance at defeating Shuckle before it could become a real threat. But she didn't want to overestimate Karin's abilities and strength, either.
"Let's do this, then! Karin, use Sweet Kiss!"
Karin blew a kiss in Shuckle's direction, which took the form of a glowing red heart. "Hide in your shell!" Shuckle was quick to pull its head into its shell. The kiss made contact with its shell and disappeared.
"Well, that didn't work," Julia said.
"Tch! Pathetic," Amara hissed. "Shuckle, use Sludge Bomb!"
"Shuckle!" The mold Pokemon began firing a barrage of poisonous spheres in Karin's direction.
"Freeze them with Powder Snow!"
Karin took in a deep breath before exhaling a huge gust of sparkling powder. Once the attacks made contact, the sludge bombs all turned to ice, falling to the ground, completely useless. Not a single one shattered when they made contact with the dirt. Wait a minute…the cogs in Julia's brain were turning. Maybe she could use those.
"Karin, use Confusion to lift the ice balls, then throw them at Shuckle!" Julia called out.
While not quite sure what Julia was planning, Karin carried out the order. Her eyes glowed an eerie purple. The same light enveloped all of the icy spheres. Lifting her hands upward, Karin made the ice balls float into the air before throwing them in Shuckle's direction. Shuckle was still inside its shell, so it barely felt a thing. All of the ice balls shattered upon making contact. But Julia looked closer. Some of the smaller shards slipped into the holes in Shuckle's shell.
"Shuckleeeeeee!" A piercing cry echoed from inside Shuckle's shell. Not long after, Shuckle's head and appendages all popped right out, with Shuckle shivering and crying out from the sudden decrease in temperature. Amara's jaw dropped in bewilderment.
"What the heck did you just do?!" Amara yelped, her face crimson with indignant fury.
"I had Karin make the inside of Shuckle's shell a little colder than usual," Julia answered, beaming with pride. Now was the chance to attack. "Karin! Hurry and use Confusion again! This time on Shuckle itself!"
Once again, Karin's large eyes glowed purple, but only for a brief second this time. Then, Karin shot small, circular rays in Shuckle's direction. With Shuckle still reeling from the coldness in its shell, it was unable to compose itself enough to dodge the attack. The circular rays struck Shuckle head on, though the mold Pokemon's heavy shell kept it in place. But before long, Shuckle found itself seeing double, and it felt strangely lightheaded.
Noticing Shuckle's slowed movements, Julia grinned. "Yes!" She exclaimed, folding her hands into fists. "Shuckle's confused!"
"Rrrgh!" Amara growled. She couldn't believe this battle was turning in Julia's favor. "Snap out of it, Shuckle! You can't let yourself be beat by a puny Pokemon like that!" She shouted.
The mold Pokemon barely heard a thing its trainer was saying. Its yellow head kept swaying from side to side.
"Use Pound!"
As ordered, Karin ran up to the confused Shuckle and began whacking its head with her stubby hands. She pummeled the poor mold Pokemon without mercy, not giving it time to recover in between slaps. Julia smiled. Good. This way, Shuckle won't be able to compose itself enough to attack. If she kept this up, she could possibly beat Shuckle without having to deal with any devious tricks that might turn the battle in Amara's favor.
"Come on! Snap out of it!" Amara yelled. "Use Rock Slide!"
"Powder Snow!"
Julia prayed that Karin beat Shuckle to the attack. Karin was part ice-type, so she was still weak against rock-type moves. If Rock Slide hit her, she'd be out of the battle in no time. She knew ice moves weren't particularly strong against a rock and bug type, but any attack that could land a dent on it was better than nothing at all. Shuckle finally snapped itself out of its stupor and raised its limp arms into the air, readying its attack. Luckily, Karin unleashed another breath of fresh powder, letting it sweep across the mold Pokemon. Shuckle was hit with a blast of cold, the light above its head vanishing in an instant.
Eventually, the Powder Snow dissipated, and despite Shuckle's best efforts to stay up, its yellow appendages went completely limp. With the added flourish of a groan, Shuckle's head plopped right down to the ground, unable to move an inch. It had finally been taken down.
"Yay! You did it, girl!" Julia cheered, jumping up and down. Karin followed suit, hopping around her part of the field like she had too much coffee.
Amara's face contorted into a snarl as she called Shuckle back to its PokeBall. "Ugh. This guy was a weakling after all, and I heard they were sooooo strong, too," She complained, shoving the PokeBall in her jacket pocket before pulling out another one. "Don't get full of yourself just because you beat two of my Pokemon!"
Ignoring her sister's remark, Julia said nothing. Now it was two to one. "Fearow, you're up!"
Out from the PokeBall appeared a Fearow, at least two feet taller than Karin, but from the latter's perspective, the bird Pokemon still seemed to dwarf her in size. Fearow gave Karin the stink eye, and the kiss Pokemon backed away five feet. This bird sure was scary-looking. The cogs were turning in Julia's head once more. Even though Fearow was a flying type, therefore weak against ice, it was still much stronger than Karin. There was no way Karin could win this one.
Julia pulled out Karin's PokeBall. "Retu-!"
"No substitutions!" Amara yelled. "Nobody switches their Pokemon out!" She swung her arm outward. "Fearow, use Aerial Ace!"
Fearow wasted no time ascending into the air in a circular arc before diving back down. Karin attempted to run, but her stubby legs couldn't carry her fast enough. It took seconds for Fearow's beak to make contact, striking Karin with such force that she was sent rolling across the ground. Julia recoiled when Karin fell mere centimeters away from her, but more than that, her face blazed red as she shot an indignant glare back at Amara.
"What's with you?!" Julia shouted. "You can't decide what rules are in place in the middle of a Pokemon battle! If you wanted there to be no substitutions, you should have said so from the beginning!" If there was one thing Julia hated, it was unexpected changes. She didn't outright hate them, but she liked to follow the rules and know what was set in stone from the beginning. Having them not be mentioned until much later threw her off, both physically and mentally. Why was Amara suddenly deciding that nobody switch out their Pokemon now of all times? She hadn't mentioned it when Julia challenged her, and at least in official Pokemon battles, challengers were told of whatever rules were being enforced right before the battle started.
All Julia got in response was Amara waving her hand dismissively, as if she didn't want to bother. "Just shut up, will you? I am not taking orders from a brat!"
Karin staggered back to her feet, refusing to back down. But Julia could tell her friend was in trouble. Her legs were shaking, and she could see a big red mark on her abdomen. She wanted to switch her out right then and there. After all, Amara wasn't the one who challenged Julia, so she had no business trying to order her around and act like she was the one making the rules around here. Then again, when did she ever listen to anyone over the past year?
Screw it! Julia pulled Karin's PokeBall out. "Return, Karin!"
"Oh, no you don't! Pursuit!" Amara cried.
Before the red light from Julia's PokeBall hit Karin, Fearow jabbed her beak right onto the kiss Pokemon's head. Karin let out a yelp before she was returned to her PokeBall. Deja vu hit Julia right there. This was the stunt Caiseal had Ravenclaw pull on Fergus's Politoed in order to defeat it. Was Karin alright? She sent Karin back out again, only to find the kiss Pokemon lying face first on the ground, mouth hanging open, unable to move an inch.
Just like that, Karin was out of the battle. She put the kiss Pokemon back in her PokeBall just as quickly. "Sorry, girl. You get a good rest. You still did a great job," She whispered reassuringly, swapping her ball out for another one.
Amara crossed her arms, sneering at her. "You really need to get better at thinking on your feet."
Julia snarled right back. "Who are you to tell me what to do?! You're the one trying to throw me off! You can't just set a battle's rules right in the middle of it! There's a reason challengers don't battle until they're enforced at the beginning, y'know!"
Amara's hand hit her face at full force. "This is what I hate about you! You always want things to be a certain way! Can't you get a clue already?!" She hissed spitefully. "The world doesn't revolve around you!"
Leave it to Amara to do something she shouldn't, shift the blame, and then have the audacity to claim Julia was just bring a brat. Julia wasn't even surprised by this point. She had the perfect Pokemon to use for this one, and she was sure this one would be more than happy to let off some steam for the both of them. "Twilight, you're up!"
Twilight the Ponyta came bounding out from her PokeBall, giving a hearty neigh as she lifted her hooves in the air, ready for battle. Amara's eyebrows shot up.
"Whoa. Where'd you get a Ponyta with a prosthetic leg?" She asked, the bitterness and anger that tinged her voice replaced with genuine curiosity.
The younger girl was in no mood for answering. Instead, she called the first attack. "Twilight, use Flame Wheel!"
Hooves drummed on the ground as Twilight made her way across the path. Flames enveloped her whole being, burning as she picked up the pace.
"Dodge and use Aerial Ace!" Amara cried.
Fearow effortlessly flew into the air as soon as Twilight got close, flying in a circular arc, just like before. With a harsh squawking noise, Fearow readied itself and descended downward, charging right at the fire horse.
"Hit it right back!" Julia exclaimed.
Once Fearow got close enough, Twilight found an opening and rammed her blazing body right into the bird's face. Because Fearow was going so fast, it wasn't able to react in time to dodge, so it could only shriek in pain as Twilight's flames singed the whole front of its body as a result of the impact. But the bird Pokemon got back on the ground, quickly regaining its composure.
"Darn it! Fearow, use Drill Run!"
With a loud squawk, Fearow's beak turned orange, the bird began to spin around rapidly. Fearow took to the sky and charged at the fire horse Pokemon once more. Julia shivered. Drill Run was a ground type move, and fire was weak to ground. Thankfully, she did know one attack that could stop it in its tracks.
"Twilight, use Fire Spin!" Julia cried.
Twilight's tail flared up as she let out a swirling funnel of fire, trapping the bird Pokemon in a fiery blaze. The cone shaped light around its beak dissipated as Fearow's entire being was encased in fire. Any attempt to break from the fiery cyclone only exacerbated the burning sensations that wracked its body inside and out.
"Get out of there with Aerial Ace again!" Amara shouted.
In spite of the pain that overwhelmed it with every movement, Fearow managed to regain its composure and charged through the flames, finally breaking out from the fiery cyclone. Then, Fearow lunged right at Twilight, ramming its beak into her side and sending her skidding across the ground. Twilight's diamond hard hooves remained firmly planted onto the ground, keeping her from losing her balance. Despite the impact, when Fearow backed away, Twilight simply shrugged it off.
"You okay, Twi?" Julia asked, concerned. Twilight gave a reassuring nod. She wasn't going to back down to the likes of a skinny-looking bird.
"Hit it with Fury Attack!"
Fearow readied its beak and repeatedly pecked at Twilight, who dodged every move with grace, swiftly moving from side to side. Amara had to admit, this Ponyta was pretty impressive. Even with a prosthetic leg, it was still adept at dodging Fearow's attacks, and it wasn't even breaking a sweat in doing so.
"Tackle it, Twilight!" Julia called out.
Having found an opening, Twilight rammed herself against Fearow, sending it to the ground. But she knew Fearow had the advantage of flight. If she took to the sky again, things would get tricky. They both needed to keep Fearow from flying in the air. As soon as Fearow tried to lift its wings, Twilight pressed one of her hooves down onto its left wing, trapping it in place. Fearow retaliated by unleashing another Fury Attack on Twilight's body, but the fire horse wasn't taking the bait. As far as she was concerned, this attack didn't hurt at all.
"Now use Stomp!"
Twilight used her other hoof to stomp down on Fearow's back, further pinning it to the ground, only she lifted it up and pressed it back down. Up and down, up and down, repeating the same pattern multiple times. Fearow could only shriek as the sheer weight and hardness of Twilight's hooves weighed heavy on its body. If Twilight had stomped on Fearow any harder, she could have easily crushed its organs and broke its bones.
"Come on, Fearow! You're stronger than that!" Amara shrieked. "Use Roost!"
Roost? Julia's eyes widened. A healing move. If Fearow healed itself now…she had to act fast. The next attack might not work, but it was better than nothing.
"Hypnosis!"
Twilight's eyes glowed in an eerie purple color. Fearow met Twilight's eyes in that moment, and just as it was about to heal itself, its vision blurred and lethargy set in. Fearow couldn't keep its eyes open. Before long, it had no energy. Fearow's eyes closed themselves, and its head slumped to the ground. Amara could only growl and shake her fists up and down. She couldn't believe this was happening. This Ponyta had gotten the upper hand, when Fearow could have easily managed to beat this thing in two hits. Not only that, Julia was smiling. Amara had never seen Julia look so enthusiastic about a Pokemon battle before. What changed her mind about them?
"Alright! Let's finish this! Use Stomp again!" Julia called out.
Like before, Twilight pressed her hooves into Fearow, only this time she stomped on the bird's wings to make them immobile. Again, she was careful enough not to break any bones. After a while, Twilight ceased her attack, backing away. Amara could only watch as Fearow lay there on the ground, helpless, immobile, and dead asleep. There was no way Fearow could continue battling in this state. On the other side, Julia cheered once more, and Twilight followed suit, braying and raising her front hooves into the air.
"Great job, Twi! You really nailed that Fearow!"
Amara could only cringe as she called Fearow back to its PokeBall. Now she was down three Pokemon, with only half her team left. Julia still had four Pokemon to use. How was this possible? A strange feeling lurched in her chest.
"…You've really changed."
"Huh?" Despite how loud her cheering was earlier; Julia was able to hear Amara's low voice just fine. She saw Amara ball one of her hands into a fist, and, just barely, her lower lip quivering.
"I don't get it. When and how did you get so strong?" Amara asked, her voice shaky and unsteady. "Before all this, you'd completely freak at the idea of seeing Pokemon battle, let alone hearing people talk about them. What made you change your mind about them?"
For once, the hostility that normally permeated Amara's voice wasn't there. It seemed like the old Amara had returned. She was right: Before her journey, Julia would never have watched any Pokemon battles at all, much less participating in them herself. But she didn't have to think too hard about the answer.
"Do you remember that really bad day I had in second grade once?" Julia asked, countering Amara's question with one of her own. "When some kid let some Pokemon loose in a storage shed and locked me in there as they were battling? The one that was set on fire? I think Mom and Dad told you about it once. Right?"
Amara was silent for all but a few minutes. "Yeah, I do remember hearing about it. You were a complete wreck for weeks afterward," Flashes of a seven-year-old Julia doing nothing but cry and be afraid of absolutely everything, especially seeing Pokemon battles on TV, flickered in her mind. She hadn't thought about that incident in a long time. Amara hadn't been there herself, so she didn't see first hand what Julia had went through.
"To be honest, whenever I saw Pokemon battles, in real life or on TV, I always got scared," Julia explained. "Seeing them made me feel like I was right back in that storage shed, completely trapped and unable to escape. In the back of my mind, I probably knew Pokemon weren't battling for the sake of being violent and killing each other, just for sport. But no matter how hard I tried to remind myself that, the incident kept replaying in my head and I couldn't turn it off. Some days I could still smell the flames, even when there wasn't a fire."
Again, Amara said nothing. She could only take it all in one bit of information at a time.
"Then one time, when I was in Violet City, not too long after I left New Bark Town...someone lent me a book about Pokemon battles, and I decided to learn more about them. I even participated in some battles as a way to maybe finally tell that awful memory to shut up and stop tormenting me," She continued on. "It was then that I realized...I couldn't let what happened in that storage shed hold me back forever. If I were to eventually catch up to you, I knew I'd inevitably wind up having to battle you, since trying to talk to you never worked. I guess...in a way, you helped me finally face my fear of battles."
Despite her calm demeanor, even Julia found herself shocked by what she was saying. It hit her right then and there: Everything she said was true. Everything that had happened to her, and the choices she made, was all because of Amara. Amara was the reason why Julia left on her journey in the first place. Perhaps Amara herself was the boost Julia needed to finally get out into the world and see it with her own eyes instead of hiding in her comfort zone at home. How would Julia have turned out if she hadn't decided to go after Amara all on her own? Would she still be that scared girl who wanted to stay with her parents and spend her days at school being picked on by other kids? Would she even have met Perrine and Caiseal? Two people who gave her a chance and made an effort to see her for who she was and didn't dismiss her as just some weird kid who'd embarrass them with their odd ways?
She knew one thing for sure: She didn't regret her decision to leave one bit.
Amara clenched her teeth. "Well, let's see how you like battling when I beat you down!" She threw another PokeBall into the air. "Go, Gligar!"
A white light shot out from the capsule, materializing into a pink, bat-like Pokemon with long, triangular ears, large teeth protruding from its upper jaw, and with large, crab-like pincers serving as its hands. In between its arms were two blue wing membranes, each tipped with a pink claw. At the very tip of its tail was a small stinger.
"Gligaaah!" Gligar growled, holding its pincers up as if daring Twilight to attack it. The fire horse turned her head away from it, not falling for its ploy. Julia pursed her lips together as she pulled out her PokeDex.
"Gligar, the fly scorpion Pokemon. Gligar are capable of flying through the air without making a sound, as if it were sliding. They typically build their nests on steep cliffs as a way to spot prey from high in the air. When it happens upon prey, they spread their wings and glide downward to attack, attaching themselves to the target's face and then clamping down on the startled victim to inject them with poison, using the barb at the tip of its tail."
'I certainly don't want to get attacked by that kind of Pokemon,' Julia thought, still shivering just from looking at it. It technically wasn't a poison type, but the fact that it knew poison type attacks made her nervous. The stinger on its tail was certainly nothing to sneeze at. There was another thing to consider as well: Gligar was part ground type, therefore strong against fire. Twilight's Solar Beam attack wouldn't do much to it since it was part flying as well. The only Pokemon that even remotely could stand up to it was Karin, and she was knocked out.
"Can you go on, Twilight?"
Twilight gave a huff and a nod.
"I'm not letting you get the first attack this time!" Amara shrieked. "Gligar, use Slash!"
Gligar's pincers glowed white as the fly scorpion charged towards Twilight.
"Counter it with Flame Wheel!"
Encasing herself in fire, Twilight charged right back. The two attacks collided, and Gligar yelped when its pincer made contact with the flames. It didn't leave any burns, but the pain was still enough to make Gligar recoil backwards, as the heat nearly pierced its hide. This allowed Twilight the chance to ram right into it, sending it rolling across the ground. But Gligar got back on its feet just as quickly as it fell.
It was then that Julia noticed everything around her was darker than usual. Shadows blended into the environment as if they were part of it. She looked up. Thick, grey clouds traversed across the sky, completely obscuring the sun, and the air felt heavier than it did this morning. Was it about to rain? Julia hoped it wouldn't, but those dark clouds could be anything. She silently chastised herself for not having brought an umbrella or a raincoat with her. But she reminded herself to focus on the battle. If she let herself get distracted now, Amara could slip away again.
"Tackle it, girl!"
"Use Sand Attack!"
Once again, Twilight charged at the fly scorpion at full speed. Gligar dredged its pincers in the ground and began throwing dirt in all directions. Since the sand didn't fly too high, Twilight was able to avoid getting any in her eyes, and it helped that she was taller than Gligar. But before she could ram into it again, Gligar used its tail as a spring and hopped into the air, with Twilight running right past it.
"Screech!"
Julia's hands instinctively flew to her ears, shielding them from the awful shrieking noise Gligar made. The fly scorpion let out a shrill, ear-splitting cry that cut through to everyone's ear drums. Even Twilight couldn't find it in herself to move. The screech sent harsh vibrations all through her body, and she was sure she could feel the vertebrae in her spine shuddering. One of her legs buckled, and the fire horse found herself to the ground.
Amara smirked. "Oh yeah! It worked! Now latch onto Ponyta's face!"
Finally, the screeching noise stopped. Twilight managed to conjure up enough energy to shake her head, but the minute she stopped, something thick and purple suddenly latched itself onto her face. Pincers dug into her neck, sending jolts of pain through her, exacerbating her distress from earlier. Twilight gave a pained whinny as she flailed around miserably, hopping and jumping all over the place, shaking her head in a futile attempt to get Gligar off. Unfortunately for her, Gligar's grip was strong.
"Twilight!" Julia's hands nearly flew to her mouth.
"Now use Poison Jab!"
Gligar flashed a mischievous grin as it readied its stinger. The tip of its tail glowed in a harsh purple light. Gligar wasted no time stabbing Twilight's neck with its stinger. It didn't let go even as Twilight whinnied louder than she had ever done in this entire battle. Mission complete, Gligar finally let go, flying back to Amara's side. Twilight fell to the ground, the open hole in her neck turning the skin around it a nasty shade of purple. The fire horse could barely stand up. Stinging, burning sensations wracked her large, sturdy frame, and moving was near impossible. Any movement she attempted made her muscles tighten up.
"Twilight-!"
"Alright, Gligar! Finish it with another Slash attack!" Amara shouted.
In spite of the pain, Twilight staggered back to her feet, her dark eyes blazing with a determined intensity that told Julia that she was not going to lose. Not to this puny thing. Twilight was gonna beat this thing or, if she lost, take it down with her. Julia knew exactly how she wanted this to go down.
"Give it all you got, Twilight! Use Flame Wheel, full power!" Julia cried.
With another loud bray, Twilight exploded in a sphere of flames as she charged right at Gligar. The attacks collided, and fire flew in all directions. The girls were quick to get out of the way, taking care not to get burnt from the fall out. Eventually, the flames dissipated, and both Pokemon were lying on the ground, immobile and unconscious. A double knockout.
Amara fell to her knees, her light blue eyes wide as saucers and her mouth hanging open rather ungracefully. How in the world was this happening? She trained her Pokemon to be as strong as they could be, as hard as she could. She made no effort to ease up on the gas, and yet...she was losing to her kid sister! The same little sister who only months ago hated Pokemon battles of any kind. Amara was supposed to be the strong one. She had beaten her many times before. True, they were still somewhat evenly matched, with Amara having two Pokemon left and Julia having three, but Amara was sure she could predict who would be the victor...and it made her blood boil red hot. Both girls recalled their fallen Pokemon.
"Amara?" Julia asked aloud, hoping her sister was okay.
Silently, Amara got back on her feet, wasting no time sending out her next Pokemon. "Feraligatr! Don't you dare lose! Do you hear me?!"
"Hikaru! Show her what you're made of!"
Hikaru readied herself as soon as she hit the battlefield. Feraligatr towered over the tiny mouse, maw open, displaying sharp teeth that looked as though they could cut through flesh and bone. But Hikaru couldn't sense any malice in this creature, who had once been a young Totodile. Something about its gaze and stance seemed...friendly, like it didn't really want to fight. But the yellow mouse steeled herself, knowing they'd have to battle regardless of their feelings on the matter.
"Let's finish this, Hikaru!" Julia exclaimed. "Kick it off with Volt Tackle!"
Hikaru made a mad dash across the craggy mountain ground, gaining speed with every step she ran. Electricity flared from her entire being, completely consuming her, creating a near blinding flash as she charged right at the big jaw Pokemon.
"Blow it away with Hydro Pump!" Amara yelled.
Feraligatr used one second to puff up its cheeks, then another second to fire a huge stream of pressurized water right at Hikaru. Thankfully, despite the force of the attack, Hikaru cut through the water with ease. Once she got close enough, she leaped into the air and rammed right into Feraligatr's abdomen. The impact took the air out of Feraligatr's lungs, rendering it unable to breathe for just a moment. Just as quickly, Hikaru was back on the ground with a large mark on her head. Recoil from the attack, but the mouse wasn't bothered a bit, even though her fur was sopping wet.
"Now use Quick Attack!" Julia commanded.
Once again, Hikaru sprinted towards the blue bipedal alligator, only this time, she didn't have electricity all over her. The speed at which she ran helped pull the moisture out of her fur.
"Counter with Slash!"
With a great roar, Feraligatr's claw glowed as it raised its hand in the air, ready to strike when Hikaru got close. Once she attempted to leap and ram into its stomach again, Feraligatr swiftly lowered its arm, its claws scraping Hikaru's body with such strength that it sent her flying across the ground. She was quick to regain her stance.
"You okay, girl?" Julia asked, her voice echoing with concern.
Hikaru shook off any dirt that got in her fur, looked towards her trainer, and flashed a thumbs up. "Pika pika!"
Amara gnashed her teeth again. "Use Slash again!"
"Dodge it, Hikaru!"
Feraligatr chased the electric mouse all around, slamming its claw into the ground whenever it was close. Being smaller and more agile, Hikaru dodged every attack, resulting in the big jaw Pokemon to leave big claw marks on the dirt. At one point, Hikaru landed on a rock. Feraligatr threw its claw down, and as Hikaru jumped away, the claw smashed the rock to smithereens, with pieces of it flying everywhere. Seeing an opportunity, Hikaru smacked some of the bigger pieces with her tail like it was a baseball bat, sending them right into Feraligatr's face. Unused to being pelted with rocks, Feraligatr let out a pained yelp, using its large hands to cover its face, recoiling from the barrage.
"Woohoo!" Julia cheered, jumping up and down. "You go, Hikaru! That was a good one!"
Unlike her little sister, Amara's face was beet red, and she bared her teeth as she yelled, "Get over it and attack that thing, you dumb alligator! Use Hydro Pump!"
Once it recovered from the onslaught, Feraligatr took a breath before firing another stream of pressurized water at Hikaru. Again, the electric mouse dodged the torrential attack by leaping on various rocks and outcroppings circling the mountain.
"Thunderbolt!"
Hikaru shrieked as she sent a flurry of lightning sparks towards the big jaw Pokemon. Because it was slow to put a stop to its own attack, the thunder managed to strike it head on, sending searing, burning pain throughout its body. Feraligatr's muscles convulsed, and black spots dotted its vision from the electrocution. Before long, the attack dissipated, and Feraligatr found itself swaying from side to side unsteadily, its limbs feeling like they were being poked with a million pins and needles.
"Come on!" Amara complained, stamping her foot into the ground. "You're way stronger than that little mouse!"
The big jaw Pokemon came to its senses upon hearing this, shaking its head to get back to the battle.
"Now, Ice Fang!"
"Volt Tackle again, Hikaru!"
Like before, Hikaru let out a shriek, running across the field as electricity sparked all across her body. Feraligatr opened its huge maw, teeth glowing light blue as it charged towards the mouse with vigor. But neither attack would make contact. Suddenly, a huge blast of white energy shot out from the sky, cutting through the ground with such force that it sent chunks of stones and debris flying everywhere. It cut right between Feraligatr and Hikaru, preventing their attacks from making contact. Hikaru stopped running, but the attack was enough to send her flying across the field. Feraligatr simply ran backward at least five steps, evading the blast's range. Julia managed to catch Hikaru with her arms just in time, preventing her from getting any injuries, but she kept her eyes closed to keep debris out of her eyes. Amara simply held an arm over her face as a great gust of wind blew in her direction.
After a few minutes, both girls opened their eyes. When they saw what was once their battlefield, their mouths fell wide open in shock. A huge fissure split the ground in two, with the opening bordering on at least six or seven feet long.
"...What the heck was that?!" Amara yelled, immediately sending a glare in Julia's direction. "Did one of your Pokemon do this or something?!"
Julia shook her head. "No way! None of them can do something like this, I swear!" She protested. She didn't even know what that was, so how could any of her Pokemon have done this?
Before the girls could argue further, a piercing, animalistic howl echoed in the sky. Down from the thick clouds came a large, silvery white bird with long, outstretched wings and dark blue plates on its back and eyes. Julia could make out a light blue underbelly and navy blue protrusions on its tail. The Pokemon soared right over them, faster than an Arcanine's graceful sprints. But the girls could only stare in awe of the majestic beast.
"Are you seeing this?!"
"I sure am!" Julia yanked out her PokeDex as Amara put Feraligatr back in its PokeBall.
"Lugia, the diving Pokemon. Lugia is considered one of the most powerful Pokemon in the world. Even the tiniest flap of its wings has been known to turn houses to rubble and cause storms that last for over forty days. Because of its overwhelming strength, Lugia prefer to spend their days in the deepest depths of the ocean, only appearing when storms are brewing. However, Lugia also has the power to calm these storms, and because of this, early Johtoans have worshipped it, calling it the guardian of the sea, alongside Ho-Oh, who is the guardian of the skies. Although Lugia are confirmed to be genderless, they are capable of reproducing, and researchers have confirmed the existence of Lugia nests containing chicks, hidden deep in the Whirl Islands."
Lugia...a legendary Pokemon. Julia couldn't believe her eyes. She had always seen Lugia in pictures or read about it in books, but never in her wildest dreams had she imagined ever seeing one in person. Now, both she and Amara were staring right at it. Was Lugia responsible for that attack earlier? Questions sprouted in her mind like a Frenzy Plant attack. What was a Pokemon like Lugia doing here? Didn't it usually live in the ocean? Why did it nearly kill them with that attack? It didn't take long for all of those questions to be answered. Just above Lugia was what looked to be a black airship. A shudder wracked Julia's body in that moment.
She knew that airship.
Just as it appeared, Lugia fired a beam of light at it. The airship swerved to the right, evading the attack with ease. Lugia let out a shriek afterward, and Julia the diving Pokemon loud and clear. "Give my friends back, you blasted Pokemon Hunter! Let them go!"
Julia sprinted across the battlefield and took Amara by the hand. "We need to run! NOW!"
Before Amara could protest, Julia yanked her from her position, making a mad dash towards Mt. Silver. They couldn't stay here. That attack from earlier must have been either Lugia trying to attack J, or J firing something-one of her lasers, probably-in an attempt to capture Lugia. Whatever the case, things were getting ugly, and the sooner they left, the higher their chances of getting out of here alive. Even Hikaru was sprinting ahead, running as fast as her little legs could carry her. Julia didn't dare look behind her. She was afraid that if she did, she'd stop in her tracks and put everyone, herself included, in harm's way. Her lungs burned with every step she ran.
A large shadow darkened the path before them. Rocks erupted into explosions of debris, sending chunks of stones flying in every direction. Lugia soared right over them, as if it didn't even notice them. The whirring of an engine and pressurized air flanking them spurred Julia into running faster. A flash lit up the mountainside, and a guttural roar escaped Lugia's throat, rattling Julia's ears from the inside. One of her hands clutched Amara's like a vice grip, and she was too focused on moving her free hand up and down to cover her ear with it. Another flash blinded her, pure yellow, incinerating the treeline on her right. Leaves, bark, and wood chips erupted into a dusty spume.
They needed to find some place to hide. But where? Julia risked a glance over her shoulder. Amara was still behind her, pale blue eyes so small they looked like dots. Her ponytail was swishing wildly behind her, and her legs carried her skinny frame. Julia turned back to the path before her. Just above her, the airship was still in hot pursuit of Lugia, who flew around in circles just above them. As the two girls ran, Julia spotted a hollow opening further down the mountainous path. A hiding spot!
"Come on! Let's hide in there!" Julia shouted, pointing towards what appeared to be a cave entrance leading into Mt. Silver.
Increasing their speed, Hikaru and the girls made a mad dash for the cave. But as they went into the darkness, something hot as fire grazed them, and their nostrils were attacked by the scent of sulfur. The deafening noises of Lugia's howling and their screams were drowned out by ringing. A hand pressed hard on Julia's back, and the ground beneath her feet crumbled. The ovular cave entrance suddenly shrank smaller and smaller, with the last thing Julia saw being the silhouette of her hand, black against the flashes of light.
And just like that, they were all swallowed by darkness.
A/N: Guess what, guys? I'm officially 26 now! My birthday was a while ago. God, I feel old. Oh well. I'm still me at heart. So...yeah, the girls' battle gets interrupted and they find themselves in a sticky situation. Don't worry, they're fine. The story may be close to finished, but it won't end like this. No, sirree! Look forward to the next two chapters, which will finally conclude Amara's saga!
Julia's Party:
Hikaru (Shiny Pikachu, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Thunderbolt, Disarming Voice, Quick Attack, Volt Tackle
Tsubasa (Pidgeotto, Female, Naughty Nature)
Ability: Keen Eye
Attacks: Quick Attack, Twister, Air Slash, and Feather Dance
Blossom (Bellossom, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Attacks: Stun Spore, Giga Drain, Petal Blizzard, and Acid
Twilight (Ponyta, Female, Lonely Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Flame Wheel, Solar Beam, Hypnosis, and Stomp
Karin (Smoochum, Female, Impish Nature)
Ability: Forewarn
Attacks: Pound, Confusion, Powder Snow, and Sweet Kiss
Lavinia (Scyther, Female, Rash Nature)
Ability: Steadfast
Attacks: Quick Attack, Fury Cutter, Wing Attack, and Agility
Amara's Party:
Feraligatr (Male, Lonely Nature)
Ability: Torrent
Attacks: Hydro Pump, Crunch, Ice Fang, and Superpower
Beedrill (Male, Hasty Nature)
Ability: Swarm
Attacks: Rage, Poison Jab, X-Scissor, and Double Team
Fearow (Male, Timid Nature)
Ability: Sniper
Attacks: Roost, Pursuit, Aerial Ace, and Drill Run
Gengar (Male, Impish Nature)
Ability: Levitate
Attacks: Thunder Punch, Hypnosis, Shadow Claw, and Dark Pulse
Gligar (Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Hyper Cutter
Attacks: Poison Jab, Fury Cutter, Slash, and Swords Dance
Shuckle (Female, Bashful Nature)
Ability: Sturdy
Attacks: Power Trick, Rock Slide, Struggle Bug, and Withdraw