Chapter 42:
I Want Some Moor
Location: Icirrus City
Having flown back to Icirrus City, I knew my next destination would be a slippy journey. Being winter, the marsh lands were frozen over. Therefore, Icirrus City and Route 8 turned into a bunch of ice rinks. This means that no Pokémon were encountered, but it was also harder to get around. But I didn't let that bother me; I had no time to. I had to reach N before time was up. I needed to get a move on.
Location: Route 8
Whilst the shallow parts of the marsh were frozen over, the deeper parts remained intact. Now was I willing to go through with the Icirrus City ice skating again? Debatable. I decided I would surf if I needed to.
I slid across the ice all the way to a bit of grass. I slid another way. I didn't know if it was going to be as easy as it looked.
Just then, a Ranger spotted me.
"Practicing your skating lessons? Well, you should practice your battling lessons!"
Hilbert Vs. Pokémon Ranger Lewis
"Cubchoo, go!" Lewis yelled, sending out the gross Ice Type.
"Litwick! I choose you!" I replied.
"Brine attack!" Cubchoo fired salty water at Litwick. I wasn't prepared for a Water Type move, but Litwick was prepared to counterattack. It created a pillar of flames that surrounded Cubchoo. Then, the flames caved in.
"What was that?" I asked.
"It's Inferno!" Lewis lectured. "It's a strong Fire Type move that will always leave a burn, but it only has an Accuracy of 50%. It's a high risk, high reward move." Cubchoo couldn't beat the heat. It was down. "You got lucky. Go Palpitoad!" Palpitoad was sent out.
"I choose Druddigon!" I replied. "Use Dragon Claw!" Druddigon swiped at Palpitoad.
"Use Uproar!" Palpitoad started making loud noises that hurt Druddigon.
"Another Dragon Claw!" Druddigon swiped at Palpitoad again, who kept using Uproar. It did more damage. "One more!" Druddigon used Dragon Claw one more time, finishing off the noisy Pokémon.
"Maractus, go!" The final Pokémon. A cactus on the ice.
"Gothitelle!" I shouted. "You're lucky! This is Gothitelle's first battle since evolving! Use Psychic!" Gothitelle blasted Maractus away with a mysterious power.
"Use Giga Drain!" Maractus fired a green beam at Gothitelle, draining some of its health.
"One more time!" Gothitelle used one more Psychic, and that finished off Maractus.
"Nice one! Okay, time to get back to the heat!"
I decided that battling all the Trainers and potentially going the wrong way whilst sliding would waste too much time, so I decided to Surf a bit with Samurott. Across the bit of water I went.
Suddenly, something flopped out. It was flat, brown, had a yellow tail and was quite frankly, very ugly.
Stunfisk (マッギョ)
124
Ground/Electric Type
Trap Pokémon
2'04" (0.7 m)
24.3 lbs (11 kg)
Its skin is very hard, so it is unhurt even if stepped on by sumo wrestlers. It smiles when transmitting electricity.
Stunfisk has no known evolutions.
"Samurott, Surf!" Samurott created a large wave that swamped Stunfisk for most of its health. Then, Stunfisk use Discharge. Sparks went everywhere, shocking Samurott (and me, because I was riding it) for a lot of HP. "One more Surf!" Samurott created one last wave. Stunfisk was washed away.
"We should look out for those," I told Samurott. "How about we do no more Surf?" Samurott agreed and took me to dry land again. It was here that I noticed a large opening in the woods. "No!" I said. "No more distractions!"
"Really?" a Ranger said, who I had unknowingly entered the eyeline of.
"No, I have not time. Please, I need to go."
"Listen. Being against a time limit is one thing, but just check it out. Plus, there's always time for a battle!"
Hilbert Vs. Pokémon Ranger Annie
"Excadrill, go!" I yelled.
"I choose Cinccino!" Annie replied. She sent out a small white Pokémon with a big scarf around it. Far cuter than Stunfisk let's just say.
Cinccino (チラチーノ)
079
Normal Type
Scarf Pokémon
1'08" (0.5 m)
16.5 lbs (7.5 kg)
Their wight fur feels amazing to touch. Their fur repels dust and prevents static electricity from building up.
Minccino -Shiny Stone- Cinccino
"Cinccino, Sing!" Cinccino started singing. Excadrill heard the song and fell asleep. "Now Bullet Seed!" Cinccino fired seeds from its mouth at Excadrill. It couldn't do anything in a slumber. "Again!" Another Bullet Seed. Excadrill's Steel Type was a life saver.
Eventually, it woke up. "Earthquake!" I shouted. Excadrill made the entire ground shake. Cracks appeared in the ice as none of us could keep balance. Cinccino fainted.
"Aw no, I lost! Now come on, let's go to the Moor of Icirrus!" I didn't know why Annie wanted me to visit the Moor so badly. But then she whispered this in my ear. "Virizion wants to see you."
Without questioning how she knew, I followed her in.
Location: Moor of Icirrus
The Moor of Icirrus was completely frozen to aside from some ponds. Annie walked me over snowy plains. In the middle was Rood. With him was Virizion and a grand, grey Pokémon with a white beard and yellow horns.
Cobalion (コバルオン)
144
Steel/Fighting Type
Iron Will Pokémon
6'11" (2.1 m)
551.2 lbs (210 kg)
It has a body and heart of steel. Its glare is sufficient enough to make even unruly Pokémon obey it.
Legendary Pokémon
"Rood!" I said. "What are you doing here?"
"Hello again Hilbert," Rood said. "Now I know you've already met Virizion. A Plasma Grunt spied on your little meeting and told me. But Cobalion must be new to you."
I knelt and put my hand to my heart. "A pleasure," I said. I got up and dusted the snow of my trousers. "That still doesn't answer my question. What if Team Plasma find out? A sage disobeying N sounds rebellious. But if you are on my side, great!"
Rood nodded. "Now hold on there. Just because I am on your side, does not mean that I'm not part of Team Plasma. If I need to, I will stop you. But I do not need to at the moment, ha ha ha."
"As for why here," Cobalion said. "This is where my team was formed. There was once a great fire caused by humans, and the three of us worked together to save the Pokémon from being harmed. I being the leader gave the instructions, telling everyone where to go. Virizion being the quick one shielded Pokémon from the embers. There was also the brawns, Terrakion, who created shortcuts out. However, it couldn't make it today."
"And?" Virizion said.
"The other member we won't reveal. It is not ready yet. What we can reveal is that, if you so need it, we are more than happy to give assistance. This is a very noble deed you're doing Hilbert of Nuvema Town."
I took out the Dark Stone. "I don't know how to awaken Zekrom."
Rood shook his head. "Concern yourself not with how. Sometimes searching for an answer brings it further away. It'll come to you."
Cobalion looked to the distance. Over the trees was a mountain with a large structure on top of it. It was the Pokémon League.
"Terrakion lives at Victory Road. Please tell it to come to the Moor of Icirrus to prepare for our Team Plasma attack."
I nodded, just as my C-Gear went off.
"Hey Hilbert! So, since training is obviously needed, shall we have a battle by the Tubeline Bridge? It's been a while to!"
I gave a simple yes then hung up. "Thank you all," I said. "Every inch of help I receive is needed. Team Plasma will go down."
Rood smiled. "I will try to stop you if I need to."
Location: Route 8
As promised, I slid across the ice to meet Bianca at the Tubeline Bridge.
"Sorry for the short notice," she said. "But this might be the last battle before the League! I've grown stronger, so it will be the perfect opportunity to give you a great opponent before N!"
I adjusted my hat. "Bring it on Bianca!"
Hilbert Vs. Bianca
"Go Stoutland!" she shouted.
"I choose Scrafty!" I replied. "High Jump Kick!" Scrafy kicked forward but missed! Scrafty kept going and crashed.
"Use Thunder Fang Stoutland!" Stoutland chomped down on Scrafty with sparking jaws.
"High Jump Kick again!" Scrafty kicked Stoutland for lots of damage. It was finished in one.
"I choose Mienfoo!" Bianca said next.
"Come back," I told Scrafty. "Go Litwick!"
"U-Turn!" Mienfoo ran forward, then attacked Litwick for little damage. It then went back to Bianca. "Go Jellicent!" She sent out a large pink Pokémon with a squishy collar around its face.
Jellicent (ブルンゲル)
099
Water/Ghost Type
Floating Pokémon
7'03" (2.2 m)
297.6 lbs (135 kg)
The fate of the ships and crew that wander into Jellicent's habitat: all sunken, all lost, all vanished.
Frillish -Lv 40- Jellicent
After Litwick hit Jellicent with a Flame Burst that didn't do much, I recalled it for Scrafty. "Water Pulse!" Bianca yelled as Jellicent fired a ball of water at Scrafty.
"Crunch!" Scrafty bit down on Jellicent for Super Effective damage.
"Now use Ice Beam!" Jellicent fired a cold beam at Scrafty. Scrafty was barely hanging on.
"Crunch it again!" Scrafty bit down on Jellicent, knocking it out.
"Mienfoo, come out again!" She sent out the athletic Fighting Type once again. "Drain Punch!" Mienfoo punched Scrafty, dealing the final blow.
"Litwick, come out again!" I shouted.
"U-Turn!" Once again, Mienfoo went back after attacing. It was replaced with Musharna who dodged an Inferno. "Use Psychic!" Musharna attacked Litwick with Psychic energy. It almost blew out Litwick.
"Inferno again!" This one missed to. I could see what Lewis meant about Inferno now.
"Psychic one more time!" Musharna blasted Litwick again, this time finishing it.
"Druddigon, come out!" I yelled. "Crunch!" Druddigon bit down on Musharna. Musharna of course has high HP so whilst it did a lot, it also didn't in a weird way. But it did lower Defense.
"Use Psychic!" Musharna blasted Druddigon with another psychic blast.
"Crunch one last time!" Druddigon bit down on Musharna. The Defense lowering gave Musharna enough of a hit to get knocked out.
"Mienfoo!" Bianca yelled. "Use Force Palm!" Mienfoo ran up to Druddigon. It attacked, and left Druddigon paralyzed. It was unable to move that turn. Mienfoo did take damage from Rough Skin however. "Again!" Mienfoo used another Force Palm.
"Dragon Claw Druddigon!" Druddigon swiped back at Mienfoo.
"Drain Punch!" Mienfoo drained the last of Druddigon's HP.
"Gothitelle, go!" I forgot though; Mienfoo knew a Bug Type move!
"U-Turn!" Meinfoo attacked Gothitelle for lots of damage, then returned. "Go Simisage!" Bianca sent out a green and yellow Pokémon with a fuzzy head.
Simisage (ヤナッキー)
018
Grass Type
Thorn Monkey Pokémon
3'07" (1.1 m)
67.2 lbs (30.5 kg)
Ill tempered, it fights by swinging its barbed tail around wildly. The leaf growing on its head is very bitter.
Pansage -Leaf Stone- Simisage
"Psychic!" Gothitelle blasted Simisage in an attack meant for Mienfoo.
"Seed Bomb Simisage!" Simisage fired some big seeds at Gothitelle which exploded on impact.
"Psychic once more!" Gothitelle blasted Simisage one last time. That was the final blow.
"Mienfoo!" Bianca shouted. "Use Force Palm!" Mienfoo attacked Gothitelle. It was a Critical Hit and knocked it out.
"Samurott, go!" I shouted.
"Drain Punch!" Mienfoo punched Samurott, draining some HP.
"Revenge!" Samurott, remembering the pain it felt, punched Mienfoo. It went down.
"Time for my final Pokémon, Emboar!" shouted Bianca. Out came a large orange and black Pokémon with a beard of fire.
Emboar (エンブオー)
006
Fire/Fighting Type
Mega Fire Pig Pokémon
5'03" (1.6 m)
330.7 lbs (150 kg)
It can throw a fire punch* by setting its fists on fire with its fiery chin. It cares deeply abou tits friends.
Tepig -Lv 17- Pignite -Lv 36- Emboar
*This is not necessarily referring to the move Fire Punch, which Emboar can't learn. Which no I don't know why. This thing looks like it should learn it.
"Come back Samurott," I said. "Go Excadrill!"
"Heat Crash Emboar!" Emboar surrounded itself in flames, then jumped on Excadrill. Excadrill was almost taken out.
"Earthquake!" Excadrill made the ground shake. Emboar took a lot of damage, but just about held on.
"Another Heat Crash!" Emboar jumped on Excadrill again, finishing it.
"Samurott, go!" I replied. "Surf!" Samurott created a large wave. Emboar was hit, and it went down.
"Nice!" Bianca said. "If you battle like that, N doesn't stand a chance! Well, I mean he does as he has Reshiram but you know what I mean!"
"Thanks," I said.
"Tiring stuff," Bianca replied. "Hey, I heard the Tubeline Bridge had small hotels either side! Let's take advantage of them!"
Talk about convenience! "Okay!" I said. First, I got out my map. "Tubeline Bridge has trains from the Battle Subway going underneath. It won't be an easy sleep with all this noise."
Well, it isn't. It's currently eleven at night as I write this. The noise is one thing, but the pressure put on my is still a lot. I took it easy for one day, but that was it. Tomorrow, things get real. At least I have some new friends to help me!
