Chapter 17: Sister Battles
"Can you believe it Sapph? Both of us have six badges! Only two more to go and we move on to Wyndon City for the semi-finals!"
"It staggers me to no end that we're so close to completing the Gym Challenge. How have we gone from newbies to winning six Gyms in such a short span of time?!"
Emerald and Sapphire were still reeling over the reality that was struggling to settle in for them. How could they simply just accept that they were so far into the Gym Challenge and carrying out a perfect winning streak with every Gym Leader falling to them on their first try? It felt like they were stuck in some wonderful dream and that they were still unable to wake up for the moment. If it was a dream, they'd prefer it if they never did wake up.
After Emerald had defeated Gordie, Sapphire had gone in after and challenged Gordie for the Rock Badge. Using only Bolt, James Pond and Matilda, she'd won effortlessly and was holding her own Rock Badge in her hand just as Emerald was. In fact, the twins had all their badges out. The six badges formed together one big badge with two empty slots for the last two badges they had to get. Together, they looked great and the badges sparkled brilliantly in the light. Once they returned home, they would make wonderful display pieces in their bedrooms.
They were outside of Circhester and on their way towards Spikemuth to challenge the Dark Gym. They were walking along Route 9 right now, though they wouldn't be doing so for long as there was a huge body of water separating Circhester from Spikemuth and they'd need to use their Pokémon to get across. It had been easy for Ruby as she had a Rotom bike given to her last year and the bike came was later upgraded with a feature that allowed it to travel across water. Emerald at least had Water-type Pokémon that could carry her across or even use Misty to fly her over while Sapphire could ride on Celestia and the Galarian Rapidash could use her psychic powers to levitate over the water. They weren't at the water yet so they carried on walking for the time being. Emerald and Sapphire put their badges away and turned to one another.
"When we get to Spikemuth, we'll get a chance to challenge the very girl that Ruby battled during her Gym Challenge last year." Emerald acknowledged, "It'll be nice to see Marnie in battle, especially as she's Spikemuth's Gym Leader now."
"Ruby says that she's gotten a lot stronger since becoming Gym Leader." Sapphire mused, "She might even try again to challenge Ruby for the title of Champion. I bet our battle with her won't be as easy as the fights Ruby had with her last year."
"Maybe not, but it'll still be fun anyway!" Emerald declared, "I wonder if Piers will sing for us when we battle."
"If he does, it'll be "The Girl From Postwick" without question." Sapphire said with a snide smile, "He'll do it at our expense, you see if he doesn't."
"I won't mind. I love that song!" the twin in green said brightly.
"Yeah, cause it's about Ruby." the twin in blue snickered.
"Is that not a good reason to love it?" Emerald retorted playfully.
Sapphire giggled. She supposed it was a good reason. Sapphire suddenly stopped walking. Emerald noticed her coming to a halt and looked over worriedly. Was something troubling her sister? She looked very thoughtful.
"What is it?" Emerald asked.
"Nothing." Sapphire said reassuringly, "I was just thinking about Ruby. Mentioning her a few times now has just reminded me that we haven't had any updates from her about Team Royal. I…I'm just hoping she's OK." she added, her face falling.
Emerald could see why Sapphire looked so concerned. Their sister was still a child and had nearly been blown up by a bomb set up in Team Royal's secret lair. It was in her nature to be worried for Ruby. Hopefully the whole experience hadn't damaged Ruby mentally. Emerald patted Sapphire's shoulder softly.
"Our sister is strong, you know she is. She'll be fine." Emerald said, sounding more certain of anything she'd ever been certain of in her life, "She'll track Team Royal down and arrest the remainder of the team, including their leaders! I know she will! And we'll help her out anyway we can!"
Sapphire beamed gratefully.
"Have I ever told you how much I love your endless optimism?" she said kindly.
"I think it's the number one thing you and Ruby love about me." Emerald replied sweetly.
"Well we say it because it's true." Sapphire chuckled, "So, you say me and you can help Ruby out anyway we can. And I have just the idea. Me and you haven't had a friendly match in a while so how's about we battle each other? We can help Ruby out by battling each other and seeing how strong we both are! This battle can beef our Pokémon up for the next Team Royal encounter and next Gym battle!" she declared.
"Yeah, that's a great idea! I love it!" Emerald cheered, "I've honestly been hoping we could have another battle so let's go!"
"You bet, and to make it more fun, let's have a full six-on-six battle!" Sapphire cried.
"Eee, that's even cooler!" Emerald squealed, "Yes, let's go with that!"
The twins took a moment to go over their current roster of Pokémon to see if they wanted to go with them or change them up at all. Once they were satisfied, they took up positions on opposite ends of the path to begin their battle. The last time they'd fought had been on their way to Turffield town and Sapphire had emerged victorious thanks to James Pond confusing Kerchak and making him hit himself a few times. Emerald was determined to win this one. Her twin maybe a strategic battler but her team had the strength to break through Sapphire's carefully laid out plans! The sisters braced themselves, ready to begin the battle…
Elizabeth was annoyed, more annoyed than she'd ever been in her life. It hadn't even been a day and already Ruby was demanding to talk to her again! Couldn't that silver-haired brat just leave her alone already?
No sooner had Ruby gotten back from Team Royal's hideout, she'd come back to the police station and demanded to speak to Elizabeth again. They were back in the interrogation room with the silver-haired woman handcuffed to her seat while Ruby sat opposite her. She had Houdini the Noctowl beside her once again. Elizabeth swore that something had changed about the Champion since last they'd met. She seemed…darker, more serious and like she had decided enough was enough and she wasn't taking it anymore. Her eyes locked into Elizabeth's as if she was trying to vaporize her on the spot. Despite everything, the woman shuddered. How was it possible for a measly teenager to suddenly look so terrifying?
"While I appreciate you helping us find Team Royal's hideout, miss, I don't appreciate you withholding valuable information that nearly led to my death." Ruby said coldly.
"What are you talking about you stupid little girl?" Elizabeth sighed irritably.
"So are you going to tell me you had no idea that Team Royal had a back-up plan in case their hideout was discovered?" Ruby snorted, "Did you genuinely not know that they had a bomb to destroy their base in the event of its location being leaked?"
"Oh…that." Elizabeth sneered, smiling darkly at the Champion, "You never thought to ask me when I was hypnotized."
"I agree, I overlooked the fact they might've set a trap for me." Ruby sighed, the words tasting bitter as she said them. It genuinely offended her to admit this in front of a Team Royal member, "But never again. You can guess why I'm here talking to you again."
Elizabeth shrugged, the handcuffs clinking softly with the movement of her arms.
"Actually, I'm stumped." she said coyly, "You could be here to talk about the weather for all I know."
Ruby didn't smile.
"Being facetious won't get you anywhere." she scoffed, "You're going to tell me where Team Royal's other hideouts are. They clearly have more places to hide than just one so you're gonna start spilling or I'll ask Houdini to hypnotize you again."
"What makes you think I know that?" Elizabeth snorted.
"Because you do." Houdini cut in, his large eyes fixed on the prisoner opposite his trainer, "Do you really think it's a wise idea to lie to my trainer when I'm standing right here? I may not be a psychic-type but I can tell quite easily if people are lying."
Elizabeth frowned. She had to admit it was dumb of her to think she'd get away with that when a Noctowl was in the room.
"You obviously know where Team Royal's other hideouts are." Ruby insisted, "Why wouldn't they tell you in case they had to run away? You'd have that information too so you'd know where to go to when the main hideout is compromised. So you're going to tell me everything, and you won't conveniently forget to tell me if any of the hideouts are rigged to blow this time."
Elizabeth sighed heavily. She obviously didn't want to tell Ruby anything but what choice did she have? She couldn't escape and even if she refused to talk, Ruby would just get Houdini to hypnotize her again! Last time she'd done so, she'd woken up with a killer headache that had been so bad she'd actually thrown up on her prison cell floor. She didn't want to go through that horrible experience again.
"Fine. I'll give you a list if you want." she sighed, "Just keep that evil bird away from me!"
"I hardly see how I'm the evil one when I'm not the one threatening to blow up a power plant to just make my trainer give you what you want." Houdini said, scowling.
Elizabeth ignored Houdini and gave Ruby the full list. There were only three hideouts that Team Royal had left to hide in. Ruby noted them down on her phone as she spoke and added in additional details like how to find them, how to get into them and most importantly, if they'd rigged the places to blow. Elizabeth suspected that they likely wouldn't blow the hideouts up this time as they wouldn't have anywhere else to run otherwise but Ruby took note anyway to be on the safe side.
"Thank you. Your cooperation has been most helpful." Ruby sneered, "But just to be safe, I'm going to ask you those questions again and see if your answers stay the same."
Before Elizabeth could ask, Ruby turned to Houdini and gave the command. Houdini knew what Ruby was thinking. Elizabeth could've tried to deceive them anyway so she wanted him to hypnotize her again just to be doubly sure she wasn't lying. Elizabeth found herself in a strange, psychic trance once more, her eyes blank as she was put under Houdini's spell. The owl-like Pokémon suspected that Ruby was probably getting some kind of enjoyment out of making Elizabeth suffer like this. She was no sadist by nature, but she was clearly enjoying getting back at Team Royal for all the trouble they were causing her lately. As Elizabeth was hypnotized, Ruby asked her again for the hideout locations and if they had any bombs in them. Elizabeth's answers didn't change from before. Ruby smiled smugly at the prisoner.
"Thank you. Good to know that you've been honest for a change." she sneered, "Now I suggest you take a nap."
Houdini broke his hold over Elizabeth and the woman's head flopped down on her chest. Her eyes closed and she immediately started to snore. That had happened last time and it still made Ruby chuckle a second time. She looked at the list on her phone studiously.
"So they have hideouts in these places." Ruby murmured, "Good thing my sisters are on their way to one of them. I'll let them know right away…"
"You're up first! Kerchak, let the fun begin!"
"Spike, shining time!"
Emerald and Sapphire's battle was finally getting under way and both had summoned their first Pokémon to the field. Emerald could already see that she'd made the first wrong move. Kerchak and Spike stared each other down, both eager to get the fight going. Despite Kerchak looking ready for this fight, Emerald knew it was going to be a bad match-up. Grass-types were weak to Poison-types so she couldn't use him against Spike. If he knew a Ground attack, it would be a different story altogether. She held out Kerchak's ball and returned him. Sapphire nodded approvingly. Her sister was certainly good at recognizing a bad type-match up when she saw one and was making the right choice in not senselessly wasting a Pokémon when they couldn't win.
"Sorry Kerchak, I really want to battle with you. But you'll be no good against a Nidoking so I'll save you for later." Emerald said softly, "I know just who to use in this battle instead…"
She whipped out her next Pokéball and threw it. This time, she'd summoned forth Blue the Seismitoad. That was a better match-up for Nidoking's half-Ground typing gave them a weakness to Water attacks. Sapphire wasn't worried, still feeling confident that Spike could handle this match. She made the first move.
"Use Toxic Spikes!" the blue-haired girl commanded.
Emerald cursed herself in her head. Damn! How had she not expected this to happen?! That was Sapphire's go-to-tactic every time she used Spike! Now whenever she brought in a new Pokémon, it would get poisoned on entry! She watched helplessly as Spike arched his back and fired a punch of purple spikes up into the air. The poisonous barbs scattered around Emerald's side of the arena, setting up a permanent trap that would always be there to give her serious trouble. Blue watched the spikes nervously. She would be OK as she was already in play but they still worried her. Emerald shouted encouragingly to her Pokémon.
"Never mind the Toxic Spikes! You use Liquidation right away!" she cried.
Blue shot towards Spike with huge balls of water surrounding her hands. The amphibious Pokémon slammed her fists into Spike, almost knocking him clean off his feet with the sheer power she demonstrated. Spike stumbled back, using his thick, powerful tail to keep himself from falling over. Despite the damage taken, he otherwise looked like he could carry on fighting. Emerald wasn't surprised to see that Blue's ability hadn't worked on him. Poison-types couldn't get poisoned themselves so Blue's Poison Touch wouldn't do anything. She'd have to rely on Blue's attacks to get anywhere. Sapphire retaliated by ordering Spike to use Drill Run. Spike leapt into the air and spun his huge body around, his horn pointing ahead at blue. He launched himself at Blue as if fired from a gun and spun around like some killer spinning-top about to cut his opponent in half. Blue held up her arms to defend herself but couldn't stop the Drill Run. Spike crashed into her and knocked her down onto the ground. Even if Blue wasn't weak to Ground attacks, Spike had still landed a powerful blow that left her reeling for a moment. Emerald was impressed that something as big and heavy as a Nidoking could move that fast. Blue was able to get back to her feet and she croaked loudly, showing she wasn't down yet.
The battle didn't last much longer. Emerald merely called for Blue to use Earth Power to finish the fight. Blue held up her hands and created a fissure that ripped its way up from the ground underneath Spike's feet and punched into him. It was like the ground itself was lashing out angrily at him. Earth Power was similar to Earthquake, only it was a Special Attack rather than a Physical Attack and Seismitoad were able to use both as their Physical and Special Attack stats were near equal. It was super-effective as Spike was weak to Ground attacks so just as Emerald had hoped, Blue's Earth Power had been enough to win the fight. Spike keeled over to one side and fell into unconsciousness. Sapphire returned Spike to his Pokéball.
"Great job mate. You get a good rest now." she said affectionately, "You're doing great Em! Blue's really become strong hasn't she?"
"She has and I love her so much because of it!" Emerald cheered, "Her school was so wrong to abandon her and think she was weak!"
"I'll say. Look how strong she is now." Sapphire agreed, "But don't get too cocky, sis. This battle's just getting started." she added, smirking.
Emerald smirked back. No way was she letting her guard down! As far as Sapphire was concerned, it was never wise to get cocky. She watched as her twin sent out her next Pokémon. This time she'd summoned Zao, who had now become a powerful Obstagoon. Emerald hadn't seen him in a while and was surprised to see he'd fully evolved now. Visually, he looked no different from Gene, Ruby's own Obstagoon she'd used many times in her journey. Emerald was curious as to why Sapphire had sent Zao out next. Then she remembered. In her Gym battle with Nessa, Sapphire had ordered Zao to use Seed Bomb, a Grass attack! Blue had a double-weakness due to being a Water/Ground type so she'd go down easily!
"Blue, use Drain Punch!" Emerald ordered.
She knew that Obstagoon also had a double-weakness, that being to Fighting moves, so she hoped to exploit that before Zao could attack. The toad-like Pokémon drew her arm back, her fist glowing with energy, and she ran towards Zao. If Drain Punch made contact, she'd do damage and drain some of Zao's energy, which would be handy in healing some of the damage taken from Spike's Drill Run earlier. But Zao was much too fast. Sapphire ordered him to use Seed Bomb and he did just that. The badger-like Pokémon launched the explosive seeds at Blue just as she came in close to land her Drain Punch. The seeds hit Blue and exploded, knocking her back and sending her staggering away from him. As Emerald had feared, it was a one-hit KO. Blue fell onto her back and passed out, her health depleted completely from the single blow. Zao bumped his hands on his hips and grinned conceitedly.
"Down in a single hit! GLORIOUS!" he cheered.
5+ GLORY
Emerald blinked in confusion.
"Huh? What just happened?" she asked quizzically.
"Don't ask, I really have no idea." Sapphire said sheepishly, "It's a thing he does at times and I don't know how he does it."
"OK…" Emerald said, more baffled than ever, "I'll just ignore that and carry on."
She returned Blue to her ball and whipped out her next one. She knew the perfect Pokémon to choose. Toxic Spikes were still in effect and would stay that way unless she had some kind of attack to get rid of them or she brought in a Poison type to absorb the spikes. However, there was a way to avoid them.
"Flying types are immune to Toxic Spikes, as are Steel types, so you're perfect for my next Pokémon!" Emerald yelled.
She threw the ball and out of it came her strong, mighty Corviknight. Misty cawed and flapped her wings, sending a strong breeze blowing towards Zao and Sapphire. The black twin frowned. Trust Emerald to have enough foresight to bring a Pokémon that Toxic Spikes wouldn't work on! Misty's Steel-typing gave her a Poison immunity and as a Flying type, she was naturally in the air and thus couldn't be poisoned even if she didn't have an immunity. Emerald was certainly much smarter than she expected. This journey had really shown just how clever she could really be.
"Great choice Em. Misty won't get poisoned while she's out in battle." Sapphire complimented, "But Zao will still win this one."
"We'll see about that!" Emerald cried, "Misty, use Drill Peck!" she yelled.
The steel corvid Pokémon shot up a few feet with a single flap of her wings to get herself in position to attack. It was like watching a rocket take off for a minute. Then Misty took aim and flapped her wings again to shoot herself towards Zao. She homed in on her prey with her beak spinning very quickly and making a drill-like whirring sound. Sapphire grinned. Emerald had played right into her hands by launching another attack!
"Use Obstruct!" she yelled.
Zao held up his hands and magically summoned a barrier that surrounded him all over. Misty couldn't stop herself in time and ended up crashing into the barrier. Zao didn't even flinch as Misty crashed into it. He smirked triumphantly as his opponent staggered away, dazed from hitting the barrier. The crow-like Pokémon's body also flashed blue for a moment to signify a lowered stat. Emerald gritted her teeth nervously. Obstruct was like Protect, except even worse because if a move made contact with it, it caused the user's Defences to go down. Any attack Zao landed now would do more damage than usual because of it. Now that Misty was stunned for a moment, Sapphire ordered Zao to use Night Slash. Zao sprinted towards his flying opponent and jumped into the air. Misty looked up just in time to see her opponent come towards her and slice down with his hand. Dark energy surrounded it as he attacked. He landed a clean hit, and managed to score a critical hit too so he ended up doing a lot of damage to Misty. It wasn't quite enough to finish her off but it had left her with not much health left. Emerald could see her metal-coated friend wouldn't take many more hits. However, Sapphire had unintentionally given her something that could help turn this match into her favour. Ironically enough, it was a tactic she'd used before in one of her previous Gym Battles.
"Use Revenge!" Emerald yelled.
Misty squawked as she surrounded herself with red energy and flew quickly towards Zao. Sapphire gasped. She had no idea that Misty knew that move! Given Zao had done damage earlier, Misty's Revenge would do double the damage! Not even Zao's bulky defences would stand up to it! She tried to save her Pokémon by ordering Zao to use Obstruct a second time. The Dark/Normal Pokémon conjured up the barrier once more but this time, Emerald was ready for it. At the last minute she managed to get Misty to dodge by ordering her to bank upwards sharply. Misty changed direction and flew away from Zao. Then she performed a massive U-turn and came hurling back towards her opponent. Zao's Obstruct had finished so now he was left wide open for attack. The flying Pokémon slammed heavily into her opponent, knocking him clean off his feet and sending him spiralling over Sapphire's head. The poor girl even ducked to avoid being hit accidentally. Zao crashed down on the ground and grunted. Sapphire looked over her shoulder to see that he was down and out, not an ounce of strength left in him to continue.
"Ugh…and so I am met with the humiliation of defeat…" Zao droned dopily.
5+ HUMILIATION
"Flippin' heck…I really thought my Obstruct strategy would bring this match to a close with another win for me…" Sapphire said in astonishment as she returned Zao.
"Great job Misty! Avoiding that Obstruct at the last moment was incredible!" Emerald cheered.
"I had no idea my speed was this good!" Misty concurred, sounding as impressed as her trainer, "I guess becoming a Corviknight really ranks up one's manoeuvrability!"
"You're telling me." Sapphire agreed, "I never would've expected anyone could dodge an Obstruct like that."
She then exchanged Zao's Pokéball for another one and tossed it. Her next Pokémon was Bolt the Boltund, a Pokémon that Sapphire had used to defeat Gordie's Barbaracle back in the Rock Gym. Emerald gulped. She knew that Misty wouldn't last five seconds against an Electric type like Bolt. She wanted to swap her out but then she remembered the Toxic Spikes. Her next Pokémon would only get poisoned if she switched for another Pokémon. In the end, she recalled Misty. She had to. There was no point in senselessly letting her just get one-shot by an electric attack anyway. Sapphire watched as Misty was recalled and Emerald threw out her next Pokéball. She'd exchanged Misty for Tybo, the perfect match for Bolt. As a Rock/Ground type, he had an immunity against Electric attacks so Bolt wouldn't be able to do much. Tybo growled viciously, pawing the ground as if ready to charge. That quickly changed as he was poisoned by the Toxic Spikes. Emerald watched him glow purple as he was infected. She knew this would happen but it was a risk that had to be taken. Sapphire frowned. She wouldn't be able to do much against a Rhydon with a Boltund but it'd be worth a shot just to see what she could do. She started the match by ordering Bolt to use Charm on Tybo. Bolt made a cute face at Tybo and a bunch of hearts circled around him. Tybo flinched and flashed blue as his Attack went down. The most Bolt could do at this point was lower Tybo's attack so he'd be weaker. Emerald didn't let it faze her and she ordered Tybo to use High Horsepower.
The rhinosaurus Pokémon lowered his head and charged towards Bolt. Every step he took made the ground shake. Sapphire had to fight to keep her balance as Tybo charged. Thinking fast, she called over to Bolt to use Dig to get out of the way. Bolt obeyed, digging quickly out of the way as Tybo was about to slam into him. The Rhydon screeched to a halt and searched around for Bolt. The electric canine could be anywhere underground at this point. Unfortunately for him, waiting for Bolt to come up and attack was proving costly as the poison from Toxic Spikes sapped away some of his strength. He grimaced as the pain from the poison kicked in. Then just as he shook it off for the time being, Bolt erupted from underneath him and sent him flying into the air. Emerald gasped as her extremely heavy Pokémon was effortlessly flung up off the ground as if he weighed nothing. She screamed as Tybo crashed down just inches in front of her, making the ground shake and nearly causing her to fall over. Tybo grimaced, surprised that something as frail looking as a Boltund had managed to do this much damage to him. Bolt took up his position on the other side of the arena and wagged his tail happily. He was feeling very pleased with himself for carrying out a successful attack like that. Tybo picked himself up, the effects of his poison sapping away more of his strength. Emerald was about to order him to attack again but then to her surprise, Sapphire recalled Bolt. That puzzled her. Why was she switching up now? She soon got her answer as Sapphire threw her next Pokéball.
She'd decided to send out Elsa the Froslass this time. The graceful Ice/Ghost Pokémon materialized into play and much like Ruby's own Freddy the Toxtricity, she followed her entrance up with a song.
Show yourseeeeelf.
I'm dyyying to meeeet yooooou.
Show yourseeeeelf.
It's yooooour tuuuuurn.
Are you the oooone that I've been loooooking for,
All of my liiiiiiiiiiiife?
Emerald couldn't help but smile. Elsa sang just as beautifully as the Disney character she'd been named after and every time she started singing, it made the battle seem more fun and less intense to her. After Elsa finished singing, Sapphire commanded her Pokémon to use Ice Beam on Tybo. Elsa opened her mouth and blew. Her breath came out as a beam of ice and it stretched out towards her opponent as if trying to lash out and impale her opponent. The beam hit Tybo and in an instant, he was brought down on to his back. The damage from Bolt's Dig and the poison from the Toxic Spikes had softened him up enough for Elsa to finish the fight. Tybo lay unconscious in front of his trainer, almost looking disappointed that he'd lost. Emerald returned Tybo to his Pokéball and smiled softly.
"It's OK Tybo, you did your best. You get a good rest now." she said kindly.
She eyed up Elsa thoughtfully. She had a couple of Pokémon that might make a good match-up for the Froslass. As an Ice/Ghost type, she had a few weaknesses to exploit. It'd just depend if she could take advantage of them. She drew out her next Pokéball and kissed it for good luck.
"It's up to you sweetie. Vixey, let the fun begin!" she cried.
She threw the ball and out came her beautiful Ninetales. Vixey flicked her nine tails and flipped her hair to the side. She looked almost like a model posing for a photo at that moment. Much like Tybo before her, she was immediately poisoned by the Toxic Spikes, grimacing as they did their damage. Emerald wasn't worried. Vixey had come in at full health so she could last long enough to take Elsa out. But then to Emerald's surprise, Sapphire didn't order Elsa to attack.
"Use Hail!" Sapphire cried.
Elsa flung her arms up and conjured up a shower of hail that started sprinkling down on the ground. Small chunks of ice fell slowly like snowflakes. Emerald didn't understand. What was Sapphire's plan here? Hail didn't exactly do much except slowly shave off a Pokémon's health gradually over time. It wouldn't do much to Vixey as she was a Fire-type. She decided to play along and see if she could unravel her sister's plan. She ordered Vixey to use Flamethrower. Vixey opened her mouth and blasted a huge jet of flames towards Elsa. But despite launching the powerful attack…it missed! Elsa effortlessly dodged out the way of the blazing inferno. Emerald was speechless. Flamethrower had perfect accuracy! How did it miss? She ordered Vixey to use Flamethrower again but the same thing happened. Elsa dodged it again effortlessly. The dodging made things worse for Vixey as the poison and hail both worked together to sap some of her energy away.
"I didn't know Froslass were so fast!" Emerald gasped, "Poor Vixey can't get a hit on Elsa!"
"That's because I've triggered her ability." explained Sapphire, "Snow Cloak it's called. Elsa's evasiveness is boosted when it's hailing."
"Oh, so that's why you had her use Hail!" the brunette twin cried, snapping her fingers in realization, "Very clever of you Sapph! You know how to use your Pokémon's abilities well in battle!"
"Thanks Em!" Sapphire said appreciatively, "I'm hoping to use them well in the semi-finals. Now Elsa, use Shadow Ball!" she cried.
Elsa appeared behind Vixey, a literal ghost out of a nightmare, and conjured up a ball of ectoplasmic energy in-between her hands. Vixey looked behind her in shock and was much too slow to dodge as Elsa launched the attack at her. Vixey grunted as she was hit and she swayed on her feet. She was struggling to remain standing, not helped with the poison and hail gradually shaving more of her energy off. She was close to fainting. Emerald tried to make it so that she didn't go out on low note by ordering her to use Flamethrower once again. Vixey took aim and fired but thanks to Elsa's Snow Cloak ability, she was able to dodge the attack once again. However, Emerald had a plan of her own. She watched as Elsa swiftly moved from one side to the next after avoiding Vixey's Flamethrower. As soon as Elsa had moved, she gave the command.
"There she is! Turn your head now!" she cried.
Vixey reacted instantly, turning her head to one side and blasting Elsa straight on with Flamethrower. Elsa hadn't had time to dodge as she had been in the process of finishing her last one so she was hit by the blazing attack. Elsa cried out and was sent reeling backwards from Vixey's attack. The ghostly Pokémon winced from the burns she'd received. It was a miracle she hadn't melted right then and there. Despite Vixey's best efforts, Elsa was still in the battle. Vixey however couldn't last any longer. The hail and poison finally worked together to bring her down onto the path. She lay on her side and passed out. Emerald sighed in disappointment. She'd hoped so much that Vixey could've won the fight despite everything. Even Sapphire felt sorry for the vulpine Pokémon. She'd fought so hard and managed to land a great attack! She deserved to win but as is the nature of a Pokémon battle, things didn't always work out well in the end. Emerald returned Vixey to her Pokéball and smiled appreciatively.
"You're a real trooper Vixey and I'm proud of you. Rest well my sweet Ninetales." she said softly.
"It was clever of you to pinpoint where Elsa would move to during her evasion." Sapphire complimented, "I really thought Vixey deserved to win that fight. So sorry it didn't work out, Em."
"It's OK!" Emerald said cheerfully, "You're just showing why you're the best opponent for me! Your strategies are really keeping me on my toes!"
"I'm glad I'm giving you a good fight." Sapphire said happily, "I hope next time me and Ashley fight, I can do the same for her."
"Oh I bet you do." Emerald said slyly as she chose her next Pokémon.
It was risky to try using this one due to being weakened from earlier but Emerald was confident that Misty could return to the battle and finish the fight in her favour. As a half-Steel type, she would have the advantage. Emerald summoned Misty into battle, the metallic crow returning to the field with her wings spread wide and a savage caw to say she was ready to battle again. Sapphire reacted quickly, ordered Elsa to use Shadow Ball again. Elsa conjured up the shadowy blob of energy again and launched it directly at Misty. It scored a direct hit but Misty was able to take it. Her Defences hadn't been lowered and Shadow Ball didn't score critical hits so Misty was able to withstand the blow. Emerald ordered her Pokémon to retaliate by using Steel Wing. As it was still Hailing, Elsa's Snow Cloak ability was still in effect but Emerald knew how to handle that. As Elsa dodged Misty's attack, the Flying/Steel Pokémon merely changed direction and kept swiping at her with her Steel Wing multiple times until she was eventually able to catch up to her opponent and finally slam her down. Her attack slammed into Elsa and knocked her out instantly. The damage from Flamethrower had left her unable to handle another super-effective hit. The ghost Pokémon lay still on the ground, not even a song note coming out of her as she passed out. Sapphire returned Elsa to her Pokéball.
"Great work out there Elsa. You've earned a good rest from this battle." she said kindly.
The next battle went extremely quickly. Emerald knew what was coming before Sapphire even sent out her next Pokémon. She could only watch as her sister sent Bolt out to finish Misty off. She was tempted to switch her Pokémon out but in the end decided it wasn't worth getting another Pokémon poisoned upon entry and having them get weakened before they could fight. It was best to let them come in fresh to have a better chance at taking care of Bolt. Despite the match-up being in Sapphire's favour, Emerald wasn't going to let Misty go out so easily. She ordered her Pokémon to use Steel Wing on the electric canine. Misty's wings glowed with energy and she came soaring in towards Bolt, aiming to knock him off his feet with her attack. Despite the speed that Misty was moving at, Bolt was much faster. It helped that unlike Misty, he hadn't taken any damage at any point in the fight and was still at full health as a result so he had more energy in him to move quickly. Bolt jumped away from Misty's attack, leaving her to shoot harmlessly by just centimetres beside him. Misty turned around and homed in on him again but Sapphire ordered Bolt to use Thunderbolt at the last minute. Bolt gave off a loud howl as he fired a terrific jolt of electricity at Misty. The crow Pokémon was too slow to react and was promptly electrocuted by her opponent. She squawked loudly and crashed down onto the ground. She winced as electricity crackled over her body. She tried to get up but in the end, it was over. She couldn't fight any longer. Misty gave an apologetic glance over to Emerald before finally passing out. Emerald wasn't even disappointed for she knew that was the only way this fight was ever going to go.
She returned Misty and took a moment to weigh up her options. She was down to two Pokémon while Sapphire had three left and all of them were at perfect health while her remaining two would only get poisoned upon entry by the Toxic Spikes. If only where was a way to get rid of them! When this was over, she would try and learn a way to deal with arena hazards like this in any future battles with Sapphire. For now, she could only rely on brute strength to win this match. Luckily, her remaining two Pokémon were ones that had a lot of power in them.
"You've got this one! Percival, let the fun begin!" cried Emerald.
Percival the Sirfetch'd was brought into battle, the duck-like Pokémon raising his trademark leek weapons excitedly for he was ecstatic about getting the chance to fight again. Like before, he ended up getting poisoned upon entry but he barely seemed to notice as he was infected. Sirfetch'd were durable Pokémon by nature so Percival had a high pain tolerance. While he was poisoned, it wouldn't hurt much compared to the others. Sapphire was tempted to tell Bolt to use Thunderbolt but she quickly remembered that it wouldn't be super-effective. Despite being a regional variant of a Flying-type like Farfetch'd, Galarian Farfetch'd and Sirfetch'd were pure Fighting types so they didn't have a weakness to Electric types. Luckily for her, Bolt had type-coverage for that.
"Use Psychic Fangs!" Sapphire commanded.
Bolt jumped into action, sprinting towards Percival like a dog in a race and opening his mouth. Psychic energy surrounded his teeth. Emerald gritted her teeth nervously. Trust Sapphire to conveniently teach Bolt a psychic move for occasions like this! Percival was helpless to defend himself as Bolt pounced on him and bit down on the arm holding his sword. The psychic energy in his teeth inflicted super-effective damage on Percival and made him feel light-headed as if he was under a spell of some kind or about to be hypnotized. However, Emerald saw an opportunity that Sapphire had unintentionally provided for her. Now Bolt was clinging onto Percival with his teeth, he was wide-open for an attack! Seizing the opportunity, she ordered Percival to use Brick Break on Bolt. Percival raised his other arm, the one he was holding his shield with, and slammed it down on the dog Pokémon's head. Bolt yelped as he was slammed by the shield. Despite being made of a leek, it felt like being hit by a real shield with how solid it felt. Bolt was knocked down on the ground by the attack, dazed and stunned by the blow to the head he'd received. Sapphire watched, impressed with Percival's raw strength he was displaying. He really showed just how mighty Fighting-types could be!
Bolt picked himself up, his head still spinning from the attack. While he was still dizzy, Emerald took advantage again by ordering another Brick Break from Percival. The Sirfetch'd raised his leek sword high above his head, gave a mighty roar as if he was a gallant knight charging into battle, and swung it down on top of Bolt. The Boltund cried out as he was hit. It felt as if a sledgehammer had been swung down on him and tried burying him into the ground. The two Brick Breaks back-to-back had been enough to take him down. Boltunds were not the best Pokémon in terms of defences so he hadn't been able to take the hits too well. He passed out, no energy in him left to fight anymore. Sapphire returned Bolt, grateful for the great performance he'd put up in the battle.
"You're a good dog Bolt and don't you forget it." Sapphire said supportively, "I'm kinda jealous of you Em. I wish I had a Sirfetch'd of my own given how powerful that one seems to be!" she joked.
"Glad you recognize my unrivalled power, kind maiden!" Percival boasted, puffing his chest out and raising his head high.
"I'm not sure you'd be able to put up with an ego as big as his, Sapph!" Emerald laughed.
"Yeah, he definitely seems full of himself." Sapphire acknowledged, "Well let's see if this mighty knight can match up to my noble steed. Celestia, shining time!"
Emerald wasn't surprised at all to see Celestia making her grand entrance. Of course Sapphire was going to use her in this fight! She was her latest catch so why not use this opportunity to show her off? The beautiful pony Pokémon made her appearance in a dazzling flash of sparkling Fairy energy. Her mane twinkled as if all the stars in the sky had come down to rest in her. Emerald knew that Percival was in trouble. A Psychic type like Celestia was a perfect match-up for him! However, she also knew that Galarian Rapidash were half-Fairy types. Percival may have a chance if she played her cards right…
"Celestia, use Psychic Terrain!" Sapphire commanded.
Emerald was so surprised that she did a double-take and wondered if she'd heard correctly. Why hadn't Sapphire called an attack? Psychic Terrain wasn't an attack so it wouldn't do anything! No…that wasn't her plan. Emerald remembered from watching battles on TV that Psychic Terrain was a field move that increased the power of psychic attacks when it was in play. Dynamax Pokémon that used Max Mindstorm could create a Psychic Terrain as an added side-effect. Emerald understood now. Sapphire wanted Celestia's attacks to hit HARD and with Psychic Terrain in play, she could do just that! Percival recoiled as Celestia's horn glowed and a beam of energy shot out from it. It was purple and pink in colour and it expanded into a dome that surrounded both Pokémon and their trainers. It felt as if they'd been transported to a whole new dimension to carry out the rest of the battle. Emerald clenched her fists. Her hands were sweaty and she had to take her gloves off for a moment to give them so air. She had to win this match quickly before Celestia could take advantage of Psychic Terrain!
"Quick Percival, use Poison Jab!" Emerald cried.
Percival pointed his sword at Celestia and charged. He looked like a knight in the middle of a jousting tournament and he wasn't going to stop no matter what. His sword glowed purple as a poisonous aura surrounded the blade. It was a weird sight watching this knight-like Pokémon fighting a horse-like Pokémon. It was like the horse had turned on its master and they were fighting as a result. He jabbed Celestia straight on, making her whinny in pain and stagger back from the blow. Sapphire was impressed that Emerald had thought to teach Percival that move. Clever of her to plan ahead to deal with Fairy-types! Not only was the move super-effective, but Celestia ended up grimacing as she glowed purple and some of her energy was sapped away. Sapphire cried out in horror. Celestia had been poisoned by the attack! Now both opponents would suffer poison damage throughout this fight! Emerald cheered excitedly.
"YES! Just what I was aiming for! Now it's your turn to be poisoned, Sapphire!" she crowed.
"Heh, yes indeed." Sapphire said casually, "Clever you to teach Percival Poison Jab in the first place. Fairy-types will think twice about dealing with him in the future."
"Exactly! That's why I did so!" Emerald declared.
"And I love it. It's great seeing you think so far ahead!" Sapphire complimented.
Emerald smiled with pleasure. She loved it when her sisters complimented her like that. It made her achievements feel more rewarding when they pleased them as well. Emerald tried to take advantage of the situation by ordering another Poison Jab from Percival. If she could just land that last blow, she might win this match! Percival charged towards Celestia with his sword aimed and glowing with purple energy again. Celestia had recovered in time to launch an attack of her own. Sapphire ordered her to use Psycho Cut, a physical move that had an increased critical hit-ratio. With Psychic Terrain in play, it would do much more damage than normal. Celestia flicked her head, sending a wave of psychic energy shooting out from her horn and straight into Percival. The energy sliced across the duck Pokémon, stopping his Poison Jab dead in its tracks and knocking him down onto his back. The earlier damage from Bolt's Psychic Fangs plus the poison damage had left him no strength left to handle the powerful psychic attack. Percival lay still and passed out, looking truly like a valiant knight that had been slain in battle. Emerald returned Percival, sad that he hadn't been able to land that last attack but still proud of his performance anyway. At least she'd poisoned Celestia so she could soften her up for her last Pokémon. She even saw the psychic equine cringe from the poison effect as it flared up again. She took out her last Pokéball and kissed it for good luck.
"You're my last hope now, sweetie." she said affectionately, "I'm counting on you. Kerchak, let the fun begin!"
She threw the last ball and brought out the very Pokémon she'd intended to start with at the very beginning. Kerchak was pleased that he was finally able to come out again and this time he wasn't dealing with a Pokémon that had a type-advantage over him. He winced as the Toxic Spikes did their damage again but Emerald didn't mind that. Kerchak was her strongest Pokémon and he would have the power to finish off Sapphire's remaining two Pokémon, poison damage or not! She gave the first command, ordering Kerchak to use Drum Beating. Kerchak pounded on his drum and the roots grew up from underground to do their work. They slammed down on Celestia, earning some loud whinnies of pain from each hit. Celestia staggered back, her head reeling from the move. Her body flashed blue for a moment, telling Sapphire that a stat had decreased. She remembered from watching Kerchak in action that Drum Beating made a Pokémon's speed go down so Celestia would be slower than usual. This wouldn't be good for her at all.
Regardless, she still had Psychic Terrain to take advantage of so she ordered Celestia to use Psycho Cut in return. Celestia flicked her head and sent the blade of psychic energy slicing towards Kerchak. Kerchak held up his arms and grimaced as the energy hit him. Luckily, Celestia didn't land a critical hit on him so she didn't cause as much damage as Sapphire had hoped. Both Pokémon winced as the poison effects kicked in again and then Emerald and Sapphire ordered them to use another attack. Celestia used Psycho Cut again but Emerald ordered Kerchak to use Darkest Lariat. It was a Dark-type move that did damage regardless of any stat changes and as Dark-types were super-effective against Psychic types, it would break through the Psycho Cut effortlessly. Emerald cheered as Kerchak swung himself around like a spinning top, dark energy surrounding his entire body, and ploughed through Celestia's attack. The dark energy destroyed the psychic energy like a fist through glass and he kept on spinning until he crashed into Celestia. The Rapidash was knocked down onto her side and sent skidding to a halt at Sapphire's feet. She was about to get up again but the poison effects kicked in at the last minute. It was enough to sap away what remained of Celestia's energy and finally take her out. She drifted mercifully into unconsciousness and the Psychic Terrain disappeared as a result. Kerchak roared with triumph, overjoyed with his victory.
"Hooray! Great work Kerchak! That was brilliant!" Emerald complimented.
"Thank you." Kerchak said modestly, "I'm glad it worked out for us."
Sapphire returned Celestia and drew out her last Pokémon. She spun the Pokéball on the tip of her index finger.
"I didn't think I'd be down to my last already." she murmured, "I thought my strategies would give me a sure victory. I'm glad to be proven wrong, especially by you Em!" she added brightly.
"I'm just glad both of us are giving such an amazing fight out here!" Emerald replied, "This is easily our best battle yet!"
"Oh I'm sure we can top this one somehow." Sapphire chuckled, "Now James Pond, it's up to you to wrap this battle up!"
Her last Pokémon came into play. Emerald somehow knew the battle would end this way. How else would it have ended? It seemed only fitting that their last Pokémon be their respective starters. James Pond stood opposite Kerchak, his finger extended and held close to his chin as if mimicking a famous James Bond pose. All he needed was an actual gun in his hand and the image would be complete. Emerald smiled confidently. Kerchak may have been poisoned but he would win this battle easily. He had the type-advantage after all.
"Let's make this quick Kerchak! Use Drum Beating!" Emerald ordered.
Kerchak obeyed instantly, banging his drum furiously to summon the huge roots to attack his opponent with again. The roots snaked up from underground and made their way towards the chameleon Pokémon. But just as they were about to strike, Sapphire intervened.
"Use Reflect!" she cried.
James Pond held up his hands and conjured up a rainbow coloured barrier that surrounded him. While it didn't protect him from the attack, it had some kind of effect for the Drum Beating didn't seem to hurt him as much as it usually would. He took the blows as if they were harmlessly tapping him as opposed to smacking down on him. Emerald gasped. Sapphire had outwitted her again! She knew James Pond was weak to Grass attacks and had taught him Reflect to deal with that weakness! As long as Reflect was in play, any Physical Attack Kerchak landed would only do half the usual damage so he couldn't use his full power to truly do the damage to James. James smiled smugly, taking in the surprise on Kerchak's face with clear amusement.
"I think you need to "reflect" on your battle style…" he purred.
"This won't go well for us." Emerald muttered, "Now my best attack to take James down will only do half the damage!"
"Exactly." Sapphire confirmed, "I had James learn it just so Kerchak's Drum Beating wouldn't give him too much trouble. Also, I made sure he had type-coverage for Grass-types…"
Emerald's eyes widened in horror. Did that mean James could somehow exploit one of Kerchak's weaknesses?! Her fears were confirmed as James Pond pointed his finger at Kerchak and fired an unmistakeable Ice Beam from it. Most Water-types were capable of learning Ice Beam as a contingency against Grass-type Pokémon that would otherwise threaten them. The Ice Beam hit Kerchak, the sheer cold biting into his flesh and chilling him to the bone. He was so cold that he thought the Ice Beam would carry on and actually freeze him alive. Her staggered back, shivering furiously. His leafy mane shook like a bush in a breeze as he shivered. Emerald was speechless. James had truly become stronger and more prepared since their last battle together! It seemed type-advantage wouldn't help much in this fight after all. James smiled again, clearly pleased with how effortlessly he was winning so far.
"At this rate, I'm gonna leave you "out in the cold" my friend." he said smoothly.
"Seriously James, you don't need to make dumb puns every time you successfully land an attack." Sapphire sighed.
"Can't help it. I think it adds a bit of charm to my performance." the chameleon Pokémon said dismissively.
As Kerchak shook off the effects of Ice Beam, Emerald forced herself to think for a moment. How could she win this fight now? Kerchak was still poisoned and at the mercy of James's deadly Ice Beam attacks! Her own attacks were nullified thanks to Reflect halving the damage he took so while Sapphire could successfully exploit Kerchak's weaknesses, Kerchak couldn't exploit James's own in a meaningful way. What could she do?! She was tempted to forfeit. Sapphire was clearly going to win anyway so why not let her sister have the victory? But then she remembered. What was the one downside to Reflect again? She thought back to a match Ruby had had during a Championship defence battle. Someone had used Reflect to halve the damage her Pokémon inflicted. Ruby didn't let it bother her and had told Gene the Obstagoon to use Brick Break. That destroyed the Reflect. Yes! That was it! She had the answer!
"Kerchak, use Brick Break now!" Emerald cried.
"What?! Kerchak knows Brick Break too?!" Sapphire shrieked in astonishment.
Kerchak scampered towards James Pond on all fours, looking very much like a rampaging gorilla charging through the jungle towards an enemy, and lunged towards him. He raised one of his arms and swung down in a chopping motion. He hit James Pond clean on the head and as a result, smashed the Reflect to pieces. James had no more defences to exploit now! He was wide open for another Drum Beating! James staggered back, clutching his head in pain. He quickly shook it off and regained himself. Sapphire clapped happily at her sister.
"That was brilliant thinking, Em! You continue to amaze me!" she cried, "I wouldn't have thought you had another Brick Break to use like that!"
"I thought Kerchak could use it as a way of dealing with Ice-types that would give him some trouble." Emerald explained, "So I had him learn Brick Break along with Percival. I'm so glad I got to put it to great use here!"
"There's no doubt about it Em, Ruby's brains have really carried on to you." Sapphire complimented, "Even Paul's going to have to watch out for you!"
"Likewise!" Emerald said, returning the compliment, "With your strategic mind and clever use of status moves and a Pokémon's ability, you'll probably give even Ashley a tough time! Now Kerchak, use Drum Beating!" she yelled.
Kerchak did so, glad that he'd be able to land a meaningful hit this time now that Reflect was gone. But Sapphire still had ways around it for as the Drum Beating was about to come in and do the damage, she ordered James Pond to use Ice Beam on the roots. James shot at the vines, freezing them instantly as the Ice Beam touched them. The roots stooped just inches in front of him, unable to move. Then he jumped on the frozen roots and leapt towards Kerchak. He took aim again and fired another Ice Beam. Kerchak dodged out the way just in team, the Ice Beam leaving a spot of ice where it hit. Emerald watched James homing in on Kerchak, using the skin flaps under his arms to glide down towards him. She was about to order Kerchak to use Drum Beating again but then suddenly, she had an idea. He was heading towards her side of the arena. So…
"Kerchak, grab James and slam him on the ground just behind you!" she yelled.
Kerchak wasn't sure what Emerald had in mind but her did so anyway. Her catapulted himself into the air with a single bound and he seized the skinny reptilian Pokémon with his huge hands. James cried out as he was grabbed. Sapphire watched in confusion. What was her sister planning? As soon as Kerchak grabbed James, he landed down on the ground, turned on the spot and slammed him down behind where he had been standing. Just as Emerald had suspected, James had ended up getting poisoned by the very Toxic Spikes that Sapphire had given her so much trouble with. James grimaced as the poison kicked in and sapped some of his energy away. Before he could get away, Kerchak grabbed him again and threw him back over to his trainer's side of the battle. Sapphire put her hands to her face in amazement.
"I don't believe it!" she gasped, "You found a way to use my Toxic Spikes trap to your advantage!"
"I sure did!" Emerald squealed, "You see, the spikes are on MY side of the arena, right? So logically, if I had Kerchak slam James down on my side of the arena, James would get poisoned too! Pretty clever, isn't it?"
"I need to stop being amazed, because you just keep on pulling surprises out of your hat!" Sapphire laughed, "Gosh, I bet even Ruby will struggle against you at the rate you're going!"
"Perhaps!" Emerald giggled, "But I'll worry about that when the time comes. Kerchak, finish the battle with Drum Beating!" she yelled.
Kerchak launched his signature move once more, confident that he couldn't miss this time. He pounded on his drum and that caused the frozen roots to break free of the ice from earlier and slam down on James. At last, he'd scored a clean hit! James grunted as the roots slammed down on him. It was like being attacked by an enchanted tree to him. But just as Kerchak's attack was about to finish, Sapphire ordered James to use another last minute Ice Beam to try and turn the fight around. James held up his hand and fired the Ice Beam just as the last root smacked him around the head. The beam hit Kerchak and he was sent staggering backwards, reeling from the cold attack. Now the two opponents were left staring each other down, panting heavily and grimacing as the poison kicked in on both of them. Emerald and Sapphire watched, their hearts pounding and their breath frozen in their throats. Could their Pokémon carry on? It looked as if they were about to go at it again. Kerchak and James smiled at each other.
"Good show old chap." James complimented.
"You were a great fighter." Kerchak acknowledged.
They gave one last nod of respect before eventually…they BOTH collapsed at the same time. The twins stared as their Pokémon fainted on the ground, both unable to battle any longer. So that was it. The battle was over with nobody as the winner! Emerald and Sapphire stood still for a moment to take this in. Then eventually, they gave their response.
"Well…I guess that's that." Sapphire said with a shrug, "Who've have thought we'd end in a draw?"
"Our record together remains even." Emerald said, sounding happy to be stating that fact, "A win each and a draw between us! I didn't think things would go that way for me and you, did you?"
"Can't say I did." Sapphire said modestly, "I always thought either one of us would be really good and win more often than not but I'm glad to say we're officially equals at this moment."
"Me too!" Emerald said happily, "It's better this way!"
She and Sapphire approached their Pokémon and knelt down beside them. Emerald patted Kerchak on the head tenderly while Sapphire helped James Pond to sit up again.
"You were amazing Kerchak. I'm so proud of you." Emerald said softly.
"Thank you. There's nothing that makes me happier than putting a smile on your face." Kerchak said affectionately.
Emerald beamed back, her eyes welling up from Kerchak's touching words.
"You gave it your all James. You've come so far since my birthday." Sapphire complimented.
"You're too kind Sapphire, honestly." James said appreciatively, "Knowing my training has paid off well makes this loss feel strangely rewarding."
Sapphire nodded understandingly. As is the case with competitions, sometimes losing could feel as good as winning. After all, sports like Pokémon battles were never about winning, it was about having fun and taking part. Emerald and Sapphire returned their Pokémon and shook hands with one another. Emerald still had her gloves off from her hands getting sweaty earlier so it was the first time in a while that Sapphire got to shake hands while her sister had no gloves on.
"Great battle Sapph! I can't wait for our next one!" Emerald piped eagerly.
"Next time, it'll probably be us fighting for the right to enter the Champion Cup and challenge Ruby." Sapphire suggested, "I warn you though Em, I'll be coming at you with everything I got!"
"So will I!" Emerald declared challengingly, "Your strategies won't overwhelm me next time!"
"Ha, ha, we'll see about that, won't we?" Sapphire teased.
They twins were about to set off again and make their way over to Spikemuth Town. Now that battle was over, they could make their way over to the Gym and get their next badge. After this battle, they felt completely re-energized and ready for anything. But before they could get going, their phones started buzzing. Sapphire got her phone out first and looked at it. A message had come through and she read it closely. Then she turned to Emerald, her eyes wide in surprise.
"It's Ruby! She's got more information out of Team Royal again!" Sapphire exclaimed, "She's found where the next Team Royal hideouts are."
"Oh awesome! Where are they?" Emerald asked curiously.
"You'll never believe this…but one of them is in Spikemuth!" Sapphire cried, "And to think we're heading their next! Bloody hell, what were the odds?!"
Emerald was incredulous. Of all the impossible coincidences, this had happened! It seemed incredible that Team Royal just happened to have a hideout in the next town they were heading to!
"We need to get there pronto and warn Marnie!" Emerald said frantically, "She has to know!"
"Ruby's already tried but apparently, she's in the middle of a Gym Battle right now so she can't talk to her." Sapphire explained, "We best get to her quickly so once her battle's over, we can warn her."
"And then we'll all search the place together." Emerald put in, "We'll catch all the Royal criminals hiding in Spikemuth in no time flat! If we're lucky, maybe Sordward and Shielbert are hiding there too."
"I doubt it, but one can hope at least." Sapphire concurred, "Let's go!"
She brought Celestia out of her Pokéball and used a Revive to wake her up. Once Celestia was back on her feet again, Sapphire and Emerald both climbed onto her back and Sapphire ordered her to gallop off to Spikemuth and fast. Celestia whinnied and ran like the wind, her hooves clopping loudly on the path. Once they reached the water, Celestia would use her psychic powers to simply levitate over it and they could carry on riding to Spikemuth. The twins could only hope that Team Royal hadn't already started carrying out crimes by the time they arrived…
So the twins have fought to a draw this time. With both of them having at least one win and a draw under their belts, the two are definitely looking pretty equal. All this is just gonna hype up their eventual battle in the semi-finals later on. ;) But they need to get the last two badges to qualify first. As they make their way to Spikemuth, they can challenge the Dark Gym but it seems Ruby has other plans as she's learned there's a Team Royal hideout in the town. The twins can investigate for her. ;) Join us next time as they uncover a dastardly "Wishing Plot"...