Driftveil Arc: With Body, Mind and Soul
"Well, let's go, Noivern! Heat Wave!" Jacky commanded. Noivern nodded and fanned hot air masses towards his new opponent. "Dig!" Clay ordered, and Exadrill disappeared into the ground where the attack could not harm it.
"Stay alert!" Noivern looked around as Exadrill popped out of the ground near it, aiming at it with Slash. "Grab it, quick!" Noivern grabbed the ground Pokémon's arm with its mouth, then flapped its wings. As it was pulled off the ground, it howled and struck at the dragon with its free arm, thundering a Slash attack against its ribs. Noivern suppressed a pained cry. Doggedly, it held on to Exadrill. "Slap it back to the ground with Iron Tail!" Noivern threw Exadrill into the air before catapulting its opponent to the ground with a powerful blow of its metal tail. The foe quickly got back to its feet. "Now Heat Wave, go!" Noivern flew up to just below the ceiling, flooding the entire battlefield with hot winds. Exadrill dodged back into the ground with Dig. "Stay where you are!" Jacky shouted, and Noivern nodded. Exadrill did not show its face and Jacky became increasingly nervous. Where was it hiding? Then, she got an idea. "Iron Tail onto the ground, Noivern!" Screeching, Noivern threw itself down and thundered its tail onto the ground with force. Cracks ripped through it and Exadrill was flung out of it. It managed to land on its feet and skidded back a bit before it managed to slow itself down with a claw in the ground. "Let's finish this! Iron Tail!" Noivern shot forward. "Horn Drill, Exadrill!",
"Horn Drill...? OH NO!" By the time Jacky remembered what that attack did, it was already too late. Both Pokémon's attacks clashed, but Exadrill's attack was much stronger than Noivern's. The dragon hit the ground and was incapacitated. "That was a one-hit K.O. attack...! Noivern, are you okay?!" Noivern nodded with exhaustion and a spark of pride. "Thank Arceus... You were really great and you got so much stronger! You more than earned that break!" Jacky withdrew it. "...I'm on the verge of winning my fourth badge... Giving up now is not an option. Absol! It's all up to you now!" Her starter appeared on the field with ruffled fur.
Exadrill raised its iron claws. "Good, then let's continue." Clay adjusted his hat. "Slash, Exadrill!",
"Double Team!" Silhouettes shimmered up around Absol and Exadrill hit one of them. The others leapt toward it. "Now Razor Wind!" Jacky shouted. The real Absol leapt into the air while its doubles surrounded Exadrill, sending off an attack. The blades rained down on Exadrill unchecked. However, it fought back, raising its arms and destroying the blades with targeted slashing attacks. "Woah..." Jacky was astonished. "This is insane... It was able to block all of those blades...? Let's not mind it... Psycho Cut!" Absol dove down on Exadrill, which repelled its attack with another Slash attack, knocking it back. Absol landed on all fours and jumped back as Exadrill destroyed its illusions. "Use Hone Claws, Exadrill!" Exadrill rubbed its claws together and an unpleasant scratching sound filled the air. "Now Dig!" Exadrill sank to the ground and Absol looked around.
"Slash!" It flinched as Exadrill shot out of the ground right in front of it, and its Slash attack hit it in the shoulder. This time even seemingly much stronger. Absol backed away and Jacky held her own shoulder for a brief moment. "Stay strong, Absol! Hit back!" Absol lashed out with his own paw, but Exadrill disappeared out of reach. "After it!" Absol hissed and leapt forward. An exchange of blows broke out between the two. Absol kept striking mercilessly at Exadrill with its blade or claws, but the latter kept deflecting its attacks with his own. "Razor Wind, go!" Absol leapt into the air and shot off more blades, which Exadrill blocked- again. "And now, Psycho Cut!" Absol somersaulted and ripped his blade across Exadrill's uncovered shoulder. It screamed and reared back before collapsing with a groan. "Hah! I won!" Jacky raised her fist in the air and Absol joined her. Clay withdrew Exadrill. "Impressive", he commented. "Really impressive. I rarely see young trainers go above and beyond in combat. The Quake Badge is all yours." He walked over to her and handed her the badge. Jacky accepted it and placed it with the other three badges she had obtained. "Thank you. It means a lot to me." Then, she turned to Mari. "Come on. Now it's your turn." Mari nodded. "All right."
Clay turned to her. "You want to battle, too?" Mari nodded.
"Hmmm..." Clay rubbed his chin, then grunted. "Fine, fine by me. If you think you can take on a tough guy like me, I won't stop you." Jacky called Absol back and cleared the space for Mari, who stepped up.
"Well, let's see who can make the battlefield shake first." Clay opined.
Mari grinned. "All right. Gabite, let's go!" Her Gabite appeared in the field and growled menacingly. "Krokorok, we have work to do!" Clay's first Pokémon appeared on the field. Mari winked at Gabite. "Okay, Dragon Claw!" Gabite's arm was surrounded by shadows as it leapt forward and lunged for Krokorok, but it disappeared into the ground with Dig. "Oh, we can do that too!" Mari exclaimed, and Gabite buried itself in the ground as well. When Krokorok tried to leap out of the ground with a Dragon Claw of its own, there was no target at all. Instead, Gabite attacked from the side as it jumped out of the ground, and its claw hit it in the side. Krokorok growled and backed away. "Stone Edge, come on!" Sharp-edged rocks shot out of the ground. "Destroy them!" Mari commanded. Gabite let its claws strike the ground and shadows shot forward, destroying the rocks.
"Crunch!" Krokorok dashed forward and snapped at Gabite. It managed to get hold of the dragon's arm and it flickered as Zoroark's illusion shattered. Clay tilted his head. "I thought there was something funny about this... So you have a Zoroark. Not bad.",
"I like creating some confusion, it makes the game a little more entertaining. Zoroark, Shadow Claw!" Mari exclaimed. Zoroark hissed and flung Krokorok away before following up with Shadow Claw.
"Dragon Claw!" Both Pokémon hit each other. Zoroark nimbly jumped back again. "Mari taught Zoroark to use Shadow Claw in Gabite's appearance when she commands Dragon Claw..." Jacky muttered. "That's clever... Zoroark knows exactly what to do...",
"Night Daze, let's go!" Zoroark sent out a new shadow wave and drove Krokorok back. "Dig, Krokorok!" Clay commanded, and it disappeared into the ground. Mari grinned. "Shadow Ball, Zoroark! Into the hole!" Zoroark nodded and sent a ball into the hole where Krokorok had disappeared. A bang was heard, followed shortly by Krokorok's scream. "What?!" Clay growled. Krokorok crawled out of the ground injured. The attack had hit it full on, and no one had expected it.
"Now Shadow Claw, go!" With its ears flattened, Zoroark charged forward and dragged its claws across Krokorok's chest. It was knocked violently to the ground and yowled. "Now, Shadow Ball! Let's end it quickly!" Zoroark's next attack exploded at Krokorok's head, finishing it off. Unable to fight, it remained lying there. "Wha...?!" Jacky stared at her friend, puzzled. "...Zoroark brought it to its knees so quickly?" Zoroark jumped back to Mari with a proud growl and she petted its head. "Well done, buddy."
Clay withdrew his Pokémon. "Cheeky and unfair, huh? Hah! That won't get you far!",
"Unfair? What about this was unfair?" Mari asked, befuddled.
"A youngster like you should attack directly!" Clay rumbled. "You're too young for strategy!"
That made Mari grin. "I'm not that into strategy... That's more Jacky's job." She withdrew Zoroark. Clay braced his arms at his sides. "Mmm. You're pretty brave for a girl your age. All right. Sandslash, let's go!",
"Gardevoir, show'em!" Her starter landed on the field and scrutinized its opponent very carefully.