Chapter 10: The Tower of Darkness
What was meant to be a momentous and exciting occasion for Sapphire had turned sour by the revelation of what was to come. She should've been bonding with Iron Fist and getting to know more about her new Pokémon. But Zeraora's presence had thrown a wrench in that plan. There was no time to bond or get closer to one another now. This was the time to train and be ready for what was to come.
At the moment, Sapphire only had Iron Fist to train with as her other Pokémon were in need of healing from her battle with Klara. For now, this gave her a chance to see what the legendary Kubfu could do. She'd never seen one before so what attacks they could learn was a total mystery. Unfortunately, Iron Fist's current move set was unremarkable. He only knew moves like Rock Smash, Leer, Endure and Focus Energy. If he was going to be a match for Zeraora, he needed to learn much stronger moves. Luckily, Sapphire still had a few TRs left to improve Iron Fist's move set with. She didn't know what moves Iron Fist could learn so she had to take out all she currently had and see what moves were compatible with the Wushu Pokémon. In the end, she was able to give Iron Fist TRs to teach him Brick Break, Close Combat and Iron Head. She assumed there'd be other moves he could learn as an Urshifu so she didn't try teaching him anything else. Luckily, Kubfu was a faster learner so he didn't have to spend too long on learning his new moves. Brick Break was especially easy for him as he was a Fighting-type Pokémon and knew a lot of martial arts already so he mastered that very quickly.
After that, the training began. Sapphire decided that a good way to boost Iron Fist's strength would be to battle as many wild Pokémon as she could. Her first opponent was a Chansey, a Normal-type Pokémon that were often viewed as the Pokémon nurses due to their kind nature in helping to heal other Pokémon whenever they had the chance. It didn't seem fair to fight this Pokémon as Chansey weren't much of a combatant but Sapphire knew that one benefit from the species was that Pokémon that battled Chansey often got a huge boost that took them to the next level quicker than most others. Iron Fist took the Chansey out with a single Brick Break. Chansey were great at tanking Special Attacks but were hopeless at handling the Physical Attacks of Pokémon, especially Physical Fighting attacks like Brick Break, so it didn't put up much of a resistance. Iron Fist felt disappointed.
"As if Zeraora will go down that easily." he muttered.
"I agree. A Chansey's not really much of a test of your strength." Sapphire concurred, "We need more challenging opponents."
Luckily for them, the Isle of Armour was a big place with lots of Pokémon on offer so they weren't short of opponents to train with. As they ventured on to find another opponent, Iron Fist took this moment to drink in the view. He'd spend most of his time living in the dojo being trained by Mustard so he hadn't seen much of the outside world. As far as he was concerned, the dojo and the Fields of Honour just outside was all he knew. He'd always been nervous of going outside of his comfort zone but now he had a trainer to call his own and a reason to grow stronger with Zeraora coming to the island for Mustard's life, he couldn't be timid and sheltered any longer. The two walked through the Soothing Wetlands together and even something like the marshy swamp environment looked fascinating to Iron Fist. He was entranced by the nature around him, the peaceful lives of the wild Pokémon as they went about their day with nothing to worry about, the many different smells that crept into his nostrils and the warm sunshine beating down from the clear blue skies above. Sapphire took note of this and stopped walking. She smiled softly and patted him on the head.
"Don't get out much, do you sweetie?" she asked.
"Heh, heh. Not really." Iron Fist said sheepishly, "I've been outside a few times but not really much further than the dojo itself. I had no idea that nature was this big…and so beautiful too." he murmured in wonder.
"That's what makes the world worth fighting for, Iron Fist." Sapphire said happily, "The things in it that make it beautiful. My mum always liked to think that those who have a true appreciation for beauty will see the world for what it truly is. And I can see that you definitely have an appreciation for beauty with how wide-eyed and full of fascination you are." she added.
"Well, by our very nature, we Kubfus have a strong connection to nature and the world at large so we always have an appreciation for beauty." Iron Fist said brightly, "And seeing all this…it's all the more reason we have to stop Zeraora. Once he gets here, the island may not be so beautiful anymore…" he said grimly.
"And we will stop him, I promise you." Sapphire swore, "I'll train you to be the best Pokémon you could ever be and you'll be as strong as the rest of my team as we fight together to stop that Zeraora!"
"You sound so sure of that." Iron Fist said meekly, "I mean, we probably have a day tops until he gets here. Even if Mustard's gonna ask the local sea life to try and slow him down, he'll probably still get there in no time at all. You sure you can train me to be strong enough to fight him by then?"
"I…really don't know." the black teen said uneasily, "But I know that if my sisters were here, they'd be equally as determined to stop Zeraora. They'd give it their all just as I plan to now. And you won't be the only one facing Zeraora as I'll have my other Pokémon to fight too so don't worry, you'll be part of a team that'll take Zeraora down." she insisted.
"That's great!" Iron Fist said, sounding more optimistic, "At least I won't be alone. You won't either as Mustard and Honey will be helping too." he added, remembering what the couple had said earlier.
"Oh yes, that's also true." Sapphire agreed, "The three of us together will make that Pokémon wish he'd stayed in his prison! I just hope Hyde can finish the Prison Ball so we have a way to seal him away for good."
She could imagine the young boy hard at work trying to get started on the Prison Ball all over again after Zoroark had destroyed it earlier. Sapphire felt sorry for Hyde that he was in a situation of unbelievable pressure. How nerve-racking must it feel to know that the best chance of keeping a killer Pokémon locked away rested on his shoulders? Hyde may not show emotions much but Sapphire imagined the poor boy must be quaking in his shoes right now! It didn't seem fair that he had to be a part of this too but of course, it wasn't his fault. Zoroark had thrown a spanner in his plan so it was only him that was to blame.
The rest of the day was spent fighting against other Pokémon that they found around the island. There were a wide variety of species, and a lot of them very powerful ones, that they could battle against and Iron Fist was given a chance to really prove his mettle. His first real challenge had come in the form of a Tauros herd grazing in the Training Lowlands. Tauros often lived in herds so it was no surprise that there was a bunch of them together now. Sapphire remembered Sanjay's Tauros from back when she'd battled him in the Restricted Sparring Trial. It had been a powerful fighter and she knew that a herd of tough Pokémon like these would be a good test of Iron Fist's strength. Iron Fist started off by yelling at the Tauros to get their attention. Then he taunted them to goad them into attacking him. His taunts worked for the Tauros stampeded towards him, their hooves making the ground shake as they charged. The Kubfu gulped, wondering if he'd bitten off more than he could chew but he shook it aside as he couldn't worry about that now. He jumped into the air to avoid the charging Tauros as they thundered past. Sapphire cheered. So it seemed Iron Fist had good reflexes and speed. That would help a lot against Zeraora!
Iron Fist landed away from the Tauros and he looked over his shoulder to see the bovine Pokémon screeching to a halt. The leader of the herd noticed they missed so he snorted at the others to turn around and attack again. The Tauros herd charged back towards Iron Fist but this time, the bear cub Pokémon was ready for them. He ran towards the charging herd, briefly startling the leader. Weren't THEY supposed to be charging into HIM instead of the other way around? Then Iron Fist jumped into the air, somersaulted and brought a powerful Brick Break slamming down onto the Tauros's head. The bull Pokémon mooed loudly from the attack and it was brought down to the ground instantly. Sapphire's eyes widened at how effortlessly Iron Fist had taken the lead Tauros out. They were not Pokémon to be taken lightly and yet the small bear cub had managed to knock it down with one hit! It hadn't knocked the Tauros out but she could already tell that Iron Fist was going to be a powerful Pokémon when he evolved into Urshifu. If Kubfu were that strong already, how strong were Urshifu? The lead Tauros stood back up again and tried to head butt Iron Fist to make him pay for karate chopping it on the head. But Iron Fist used Iron Head to counter the move. His steel-coated head slammed into the Tauros's head and left it reeling backwards. Despite the Tauros's superior size, Iron Fist had the superior power as his Iron Head had hurt the Tauros more than the Tauros's head butt had hurt him. The Wushu Pokémon looked as amazed as Sapphire was while she was watching him.
"Wow! I had no idea I packed that much power!" he gasped, "This is amazing!"
"You are a Legendary Pokémon so this shouldn't be a surprise!" Sapphire laughed, "By Arceus, imagine how strong you'll be when you evolve…"
She continued to watch as Iron Fist carried on battling the Tauros herd. Every single Tauros that charged towards him tried to take him down but the small Pokémon effortlessly dodged their every attack and struck back just as hard, using Brick Break or Iron Head to take them out. It was clear that prior to being given to her, Mustard had trained this Kubfu very well and Sapphire had only helped him get stronger by teaching him some powerful new moves. In the end, only the lead Tauros was left and Iron Fist was ready for it. The leader pawed at the ground, snorted and then charged towards him. The Kubfu showed no signs of fear as the lead Tauros came to him. After taking the rest of the herd out, this single Tauros didn't scare him one bit. It aimed its horns, hoping to skewer the intruder in its territory and make it pay for beating up its herd. But Iron Fist struck back with a more powerful attack. This time, he'd chosen to use Close Combat. Sapphire had warned him about Close Combat's draw backs that caused a drop in defences so he'd chosen to save that move for last. His body was bathed in red energy as he threw himself towards the Tauros, he drew both arms back and then thrust them forwards. His tiny paws slammed into the bull Pokémon and the blow was so strong that the Tauros was knocked off its feet and sent flying backwards. It was as if the Tauros weighed nothing at all as it sailed through the air. It crashed into a nearby tree and passed out. The tree fell over as a result of the Tauros crashing into it. After the tree fell down, several Pokémon nearby scrambled over to it to scoff all the berries on it. Iron Fist panted heavily but was still smiling over the whole scuffle. He raised his arms in triumph.
"Whew! That's what I call a true test of my power!" he puffed, "I single-handedly took out a whole Tauros herd without taking a hit in return!"
"That was incredible, Iron Fist!" Sapphire exclaimed, "At this rate, we'll be ready to face Zeraora in no time!"
"Yeah! I bet I could flatten him in one hit!" Iron Fist declared, "Come on, let's train some more!"
"Hold on there, hot shot." Sapphire said hastily, "We should take a break after that work out. You look pretty exhausted."
"No way! I can keep on going! I ain't tired!" Iron Fist insisted.
"Well as your trainer, it's my duty to take care of you and I say you need to rest a minute." Sapphire said firmly, "There's still time for more training so don't worry about it."
"But…"
"Please Iron Fist. There's no good in tiring yourself out. We can't stop Zeraora if you're too tired to fight him."
In the end, Iron Fist could see that Sapphire was right. He didn't like it, but he agreed that it was better to spare a few minutes to recuperate than carry on and tire himself out. The two friends spent half an hour sitting together and relaxing before they carried on to battle some more Pokémon. For the rest of the day, Iron Fist was put up against considerably tougher and more challenging opponents than a herd of Tauros. He'd battled a swarm of Scyther, a Scizor, some Mienshao and some Skarmory that flew overhead. But his toughest challenge had come in the form of a Miltank. Miltank were Normal-type Pokémon that were a female only species and resembled pink, bulky cows and they were true to their names. They were the female counterpart to Tauros. They were very strong Pokémon that could take a lot of hits due to their high defences and were able to hit back just as hard while also using Milk Drink to heal themselves from any damage they took. There was a Gym Leader in the Johto region named Whitney and she'd garnered a huge reputation for being a notoriously hard Gym Leader and all because of her own Miltank.
Sapphire knew all about this thanks to reading plenty about Gym Leaders in other regions so she thought a Miltank would be the perfect opponent to test Iron Fist's strength against. She ordered Iron Fist to use Brick Break to start off with. For a tough Pokémon like this, it was always wise to use type-advantage and not mess around. Iron Fist ran towards the Miltank and karate-chopped it in the face with Brick Break. The cow Pokémon grunted, more surprised than hurt by the attack. The Miltank snorted, enraged that this impudent Pokémon had just come out of nowhere and attacked it for no reason. It was minding its own business and that just happens? Well it would teach him a lesson! The Miltank curled up into a ball and rolled towards Iron Fist. It was using Rollout, a Rock-type attack that got stronger and did more damage the more times it hit. Iron Fist dodged it with ease but the Miltank didn't stop there. It carried on rolling around like a runaway boulder and it performed a U-turn to circle around and roll back towards Iron Fist. Iron Fist tried to counter attack with Brick Break but the Miltank came in too quickly for him and he was rammed down by the attack. Another thing that caused people to severely underestimate Miltank was the fact they were surprisingly fast for a bulky Pokémon. This gave the bovine Pokémon a terrifying combo of being both fast and strong so Iron Fist wasn't going to have an easy time with it. Iron Fist landed on his back and grunted. The Miltank uncurled from its Rollout attack and smirked as if to say "Serves you right!"
Iron Fist picked himself up and shook himself off. It would take more than that to stop him! Rollout may do more damage the more times Miltank hit him, but his Fighting-typing gave him a resistance to Rock attacks so it was not the best move to use on him. Iron Fist sprang back into action by sprinting towards Miltank and using Brick Break on it yet again. He karate-chopped the bulky Pokémon in the face and sent it flying backwards. Despite Miltank's size and weight, the single blow from the tiny Legendary Pokémon had flung it aside as if she were a cardboard cut-out. Sapphire could see how Kubfus were Legendary Pokémon with strength like this. She couldn't wait to see how strong Iron Fist would be when he evolved. The Miltank crashed down and skidded to a painful halt. It winced as its back received a few scrapes from the slide across the grass. Miltank picked itself up and mooed loudly. Then, just as Sapphire had feared, it used Milk Drink to heal itself up. Now the Miltank had recovered from some of the damage it had taken and was fighting fit again. It curled into a ball and came charging towards Iron Fist again with Rollout. It thundered across the grass in its rolling attack and slammed straight into Iron Fist. The Kubfu was thrown backwards by the attack but he managed to manoeuvre himself around so that as he hurled into a nearby tree, he hit it feet first so he sprung away from the tree and came back towards the Miltank. Sapphire ordered him to use Iron Head this time. As a Steel-attack, it would counter the Rollout easily as Steel-attacks were super-effective against Rock-types. Iron Fist hurled headfirst into the Miltank and knocked it clean out of its Rollout. Miltank skidded across the grass again and grunted. It was getting tired of Iron Fist being such a pain in the neck for it and it was going to finish this fight now! It stood up again but instead of using Rollout, it ran towards Iron Fist and then sprung itself into the air in a single jump. Then it spread out all its limbs and allowed itself to simply fall towards Iron Fist. It was using Body Slam this time. It was a strong Normal-type attack that could paralyze the opponent on occasion.
The Miltank missed completely as Iron Fist dodged the attack. As soon as the Miltank hit the ground, he retaliated by using Brick Break once again. He hit the Miltank on top of its head, the blow so powerful that it nearly knocked the pink Pokémon out. While it was stunned, Sapphire ordered Iron Fist to use Focus Energy. It was the only move he had left from his original move set and Sapphire hoped it would boost Iron Fist's critical hit ratio so he could do more damage against the Miltank. Iron Fist stood still a moment and focused, his body glowing orange for a moment as he used the move. Miltank picked itself up and wiped grass and dirt off of itself. Iron Fist had just finished using Focus Energy as it stood up. Miltank charged towards her opponent again but it didn't use Body Slam or Rollout. Instead, it conjured up some kind of Fairy mist that surrounded Iron Fist and pounced on him. Sapphire gasped.
"Oh no, that Miltank knows Play Rough!" she exclaimed.
That was bad news for Iron Fist due to the Fighting-types having a weakness to Fairy attacks. The Miltank walloped him multiple times with a flurry of punches and kicks as the Fairy mist cloaked them both. Iron Fist grunted from each and every blow that landed on him. It was the first time he'd been hit by a super-effective attack so this was doing a lot to him. He was sent flying backwards as the Miltank hit him one last time and knocked him out of the mist. Iron Fist landed on his back and grunted. His body ached from the beating he'd taken but despite everything, he didn't seem in any hurry to give up. He sat up again, rubbing his arms as the Fairy mist disappeared and Miltank was left standing there with a confident smirk on its face. It was sure that Iron Fist was done for now. But the bear cub Pokémon stood up again, straining a little but otherwise showing no signs of being unable to continue. He flexed his muscles and growled, effectively telling the Miltank "I ain't done yet!" without having to say the words themselves. Sapphire punched the air excitedly. That was lucky. It seemed Iron Fist was able to take a hit despite his small size. She ordered him to use Close Combat, deciding now was a good time to use his strongest move to end the battle quickly before Miltank could use Milk Drink to carry it on any longer. Iron Fist leapt into action, charging straight into Miltank with his body bathed in red energy again. He clobbered the Miltank by punching it repeatedly and thanks to using Focus Energy earlier, he'd managed to score a critical hit. The Miltank was knocked out in seconds, its massive defences rendered useless by the combined strength of Close Combat and the critical hit Iron Fist had landed. The pink cow Pokémon collapsed onto its back and lay still. Iron Fist panted heavily, exhausted but otherwise triumphant. It had been his toughest challenge yet, and he'd still managed to come out on top.
"Whew…that was a workout and a half!" he puffed, wiping his forehead, "Those Miltank…are pretty tough…for Normal-types!"
"It's no wonder Gym Leader Whitney from the Johto region gives so many trainers a hard time with her's." Sapphire concurred, "I'd say that's enough for today. We've trained you plenty today and as I can see, you're definitely going to be a strong Urshifu when we clear the two towers."
"I bet Master Mustard will be so proud of us! You've trained me well and I've gotten so strong already!" Iron Fist said excitedly.
"Oh yes. He'll be very proud of us." Sapphire agreed, "Come tomorrow, we'll train just a little more and then I'll see if we're ready to enter one of the towers."
"Do you have any idea which one you want to pick?" the Kubfu asked as Sapphire came over to him and picked him up.
"Well logically, I should pick the Tower of Darkness." the teen trainer deduced, "Zeraora's an Electric-type, so what sense would I have in evolving you into a Water-type Urshifu? At least I assume that's the case: the typing Urshifu is will depend on which tower I enter." she thought.
"It is." Iron Fist confirmed, "Urshifu comes in two types: Water/Fighting or Dark/Fighting. Whichever scroll I read will determine which type of Urshifu I'll become."
"So the Tower of Darkness it is." Sapphire declared, "At least Zeraora's electric attacks won't be super-effective against you. I guess that'll leave Mustard's Kubfu to become the Water/Fighting version…"
"His Urshifu may have a disadvantage, but at least we'll have the strength and power of two Urshifus to fight him together." Iron Fist noted.
Sapphire nodded. That would at least help a little and she was sure Mustard would train his Urshifu well to mitigate its Electric-type weakness. She carried the tired Iron Fist back to the Master Dojo so they could have some dinner and settle down for the night. Tomorrow, the training would continue and Sapphire wondered if she might be able to teach her new Pokémon some new moves. But she hoped most of all that Zeraora wouldn't get back to the island before she was finished…
Sapphire opened her eyes. As expected, she'd woken up to find herself still in her bed in her own room in the Master Dojo. But curiously, there was one major difference from when she'd gone to bed that night. She wasn't alone in her room this time. As she woke up, a beautiful face filled her field of vision. It was a face that she knew all too well and couldn't be happier to see. The fair skin, the dazzling blue eyes, the gorgeous brown hair and the friendly smile were no different from the last time Sapphire had seen her girlfriend.
"Morning cutie!" Ashley Benson chirped happily.
"Ashley! W-wow, I didn't expect you'd visit Galar again so soon!" Sapphire exclaimed, "What brings you here?"
"Do I need an excuse to visit my adorable girlfriend?" Ashley retorted, "Just be glad I'm here again and we can hang out together on this beautiful island."
"Oh you're right to call it beautiful, Ashley. This place is amazing!" Sapphire said happily, "I'll take you to the beach and we can hang out there."
"Lead the way, Sapph." Ashley offered, holding her hand out for her to take.
Sapphire took Ashley by the hand and the two girls left the bedroom together to go to the beach. The blue-haired girl smiled warmly to herself. What could be better than a lovely day at Challenge Beach with her love? But they didn't get very far. Sapphire screamed as three sharp claws suddenly protruded through Ashley's chest. The Unovan girl cried out but the sound died in her throat. The claws tore themselves back out and Ashley collapsed onto the floor. Her eyes were still open but there was no life in them anymore. Sapphire shrieked and threw herself down on her knees beside her dead girlfriend.
"NO! No, no, no, no, Ashley! Don't die! Please don't die!" Sapphire begged. Tears streamed down her face as she shook Ashley's body.
"I wouldn't waste time mourning for her. You'll be joining her soon enough." purred a smooth, devious voice that made Sapphire's blood freeze.
She looked up to see her girlfriend's killer looking down at her with a look of cold murder in his eyes. It was Zeraora. His fangs were bared in a vicious smile that made him look as if he was ready to slice somebody's throat open. His claws crackled with electricity.
"So Mustard trained you to challenge me?" Zeraora sneered, his voice echoing around the room, "What a joke. You're just a scrawny little child! You're not like that Cynthia woman who put me away twelve years ago. You never had a chance against me!"
"N-n-no! I w-w-will stop you! I m-must!" Sapphire stammered, her eyes still streaming with tears.
"And how will you do that without your Pokémon?" Zeraora taunted.
Sapphire was puzzled. What did he mean by that? She reached for a Pokéball to summon Iron Fist to fight Zeraora with. But her Pokéball wasn't there! She scrambled around frantically to find her other Pokéballs but to her horror, all six of them were gone! They'd just vanished like that! How could this be? How had her Pokémon disappeared? Sapphire screamed as Zeraora approached her.
"So I'm against a Pokémon trainer that doesn't have any Pokémon to fight me with. I'd feel sorry for you if it wasn't such a pathetic situation to be in…" he sneered, "At least now killing you will be easy! When you die, I'll present your body to Mustard so he can look at his own failure as he failed to keep himself safe from my wrath!"
He lunged at Sapphire, his claws aimed directly for her throat…
Sapphire opened her eyes. This time, it was no dream. She was still in her room and still in the Master Dojo, but it was still night time. She lay in her bed, panting heavily as if she'd run a marathon and she put a hand over her chest in relief. She could feel her heart hammering away at her ribcage. What a nightmare that had been! At least she was awake with the knowledge that Ashley wasn't dead and Zeraora hadn't come for her…not yet at least. That part of the dream would at least come true. And the part where she died could also come true too.
Sapphire climbed out of bed and stumbled out of her room. She felt like she needed some air. She groped her way through the dark dojo until she found the main doors. Opening them quietly so as not to disturb anyone, she slid outside into the night air and sat outside by one of the support beams. The night was quiet and still, a perfect example of the world at its most peaceful and tranquil. If it was possible for the planet itself to be sleeping, then it would probably look like this very night. Stars twinkled in an endless sea of black above and the moon provided the only source of light that anyone awake could use to get around in a time like this. Not a single Pokémon was awake. They were all asleep in whatever homes they had to sleep in. Sapphire wished she could enjoy the peace but it was impossible to do so. The threat of Zeraora's arrival had changed everything for her. What had been a fun time learning new things and going through new challenges had become a battle for survival with a Legendary Pokémon at its very heart. How had she ended up in this mess?! She hugged her legs tightly to her chest, something that Emerald often did when she was scared.
"What if I'm not strong enough?" Sapphire whimpered to herself, "What if I can't stop Zeraora? He'll kill Mustard, and then he'll probably kill everyone else on the island. And then what if he decides to come to the mainland and kill everyone else? I'm sure Ruby could handle him but he'll probably kill Emerald too! Oh why did that monster have to escape his prison?!"
She lowered her head into her knees and began to sob. She had every right to be worried for herself and everyone she knew and loved. Zeraora may have a grudge against Mustard but what was to stop him from killing anyone else? And she'd only be training her new Pokémon for so long. They might not be strong enough to handle a Legendary Pokémon! Even her old Pokémon might not be strong enough. Sapphire cried to herself for a couple of minutes before the door opened up and somebody came outside to join her.
"Hey, what's the matter? Did you have a bad dream?"
To Sapphire's surprise, it was Klara. The two hadn't really spoken to each other since the Poison trainer had been given her punishment. She'd spent the rest of the day carrying out those extra cleaning duties she'd been put in. Sapphire had only given her a sympathetic gaze as she handed her dinner plate to the girl for her to wash. It amazed Sapphire that Klara would want anything to do with her after today and yet she was here asking if she was OK. She wiped her eyes.
"Y-yes." Sapphire mumbled, "It was really horrible."
"What was it about?" Klara asked.
Sapphire explained everything that she'd learnt about Zeraora during her talk with Mustard and Honey earlier today. Klara of course knew about the oncoming threat as Mustard had felt it fair to warn everyone about Zeraora. He couldn't keep it from them, especially as Emolga had mentioned that name in front of everyone when giving the bad news. Klara had been as terrified as everyone else to hear that a Legendary Pokémon was coming to the island in the hopes of settling an old score with Mustard. Klara shook her head sadly.
"I don't blame you for being so worried." she said sympathetically, "Truth be told, I've been lying awake in worry too. I feel like the longer I'm on this island, the more danger I'm in. I'm no expert on Zeraora but I know that they're Pokémon way above our level! I mean it's a LEGENDARY Pokémon! How can any of us stand up to that?!"
"Ruby stood up to Eternatus and she survived." Sapphire retorted.
"Oh yeah, sorry about that." Klara said sheepishly, "But didn't she have help from Zacian and Zamazenta for that? She had two Legendary Pokémon to help her take out another Legendary Pokémon! We haven't got that privilege! Granted, you have Kubfu now but that Zeraora was a Legendary Pokémon trained by Mustard himself, and we all know what a big deal he is. A Legendary trained by a former Champion isn't going to be an easy fight."
"It sure won't." Sapphire agreed, "Even the unbeatable Cynthia from the Sinnoh region was down to her last two Pokémon when she beat him and she's the kind of woman that truly comes off as unbeatable. I know I'll be fighting alongside Mustard and Honey, but I'm just not sure if it'll be enough."
"Huh, with the kind of confidence you have, I'd have thought being aided by a former Champion and his wife would make you feel unbeatable." Klara murmured, "I know I'd feel safer with those two helping me."
Sapphire nodded, seeing Klara's point. She really didn't need to feel like everything was on her for this upcoming battle as she wasn't going to be alone for it. It was just a matter of if Mustard and Honey were strong enough for this battle too. Klara shifted closer to Sapphire.
"Say, I know we haven't exactly started on the right foot, you and me." Klara noted, "But I thought that maybe as a way to make it up to you…how's about I help you train for the battle with Zeraora?"
Sapphire stared at the pink-haired girl as if she'd just turned into a Ditto.
"You…help me?" she blurted, "OK, who are you and what have you done with Klara?" she teased.
"Ha, ha, very funny." Klara said sarcastically, "But in all seriousness, I bet I could really be a big help to you. You've seen first-hand today that I'm nothing to sneeze at, even if I have a long way to go before I'm at your level. I bet if I could teach you some of my battle tactics, you could use them against Zeraora!"
"Your counter-shield tactic would especially be useful." Sapphire agreed, "I bet Dal and Mysterio could learn that easily and keep his attacks away for a bit. You know Klara, I'd really like that." the blue-haired teen said appreciatively, "I really don't know what to say…"
"Just consider it my token of apology for trying to cheat today." Klara said casually, "And hey, if you beat Zeraora, at least I can say that I helped!"
"Couldn't resist some way of getting the glory, could you?" Sapphire teased.
"Maaaaaaaaybe." Klara said slyly, "But at least I'd be doing something worthwhile for a change. Helping to stop an evil Pokémon will be the best thing I'll ever do."
"I bet." Sapphire agreed, "Thank you Klara. I really appreciate you wanting to help me."
"Don't sweat it." Klara said modestly, "I just hope my teachings will pay off. I'll meet you in the Battle Court first thing tomorrow morning, OK?"
"I'll be there." Sapphire declared.
The two girls stood up and headed back into the dojo so they could get back to sleep. Sapphire felt much better after that talk with Klara. It still made her head spin to think that this girl had been determined to utterly destroy her and win the trials over her and yet now she was willing to help her train in her battle against Zeraora! Maybe her loss today and being punished for trying to cheat had helped to humble her more than she thought. Nevertheless, Sapphire was glad to be getting more help in stopping Zeraora. She would put Klara's teachings to great use when the time came…
The next morning came and as promised, Sapphire and Klara were in the battle court as soon as possible. Mustard was glad to see this as it meant the sooner his Armour Warrior got down to training, the quicker she'd be ready for Zeraora's arrival. He was also glad to see that Klara was training with her. It made a nice change from the two being bitter enemies at least. He decided to watch the two to see how they did. Hyde was up nice and early too so he could continue working on the Prison Ball. He'd spent the rest of the yesterday starting all over again and was continuing his work right now. He suspected he might have it finished by tomorrow if all went well and no outside interference slowed him down. Mustard felt that he may have the time he needed for he'd been informed by Emolga that his plan to slow Zeraora down was working. Last night, he'd been approached by another Wailord and it had said it would take him the rest of the way to the island. Instead, it had gone in a completely different direction and was taking Zeraora away from the island. While Zeraora would eventually realize he'd been deceived and force the Wailord to take him the right way, it meant Sapphire and Hyde had more time to be ready, just as Mustard had hoped for.
He watched the teenagers standing in the middle of the Battle Court with their Pokémon out beside them. Sapphire had her whole team out sans James Pond as he had to go back home to Professor Sonia to make room for Iron Fist. He needed the training more than James did so it only made sense to keep him in. Bloom, Terri, Kagami, Dal and Mysterio had been informed on what they were being trained for and they all agreed they would work together to stop Zeraora while also offering to help Iron Fist get stronger. Klara turned to her Roserade.
"Now, my Roserade's the Pokémon that I taught the Counter Shield move to." she explained, "You saw for yourself how well it worked in keeping an opponent's attacks at bay. If you want to learn it, it's pretty simple. Just order your Pokémon to use an attack and get them to spin around. Roserade, can you demonstrate please?"
The rosy Pokémon obeyed and used Sludge Bomb while spinning around on the spot. Mysterio watched intently, remembering quite well how Roserade had given him a tough time yesterday with that move. Terri watched with interest, thinking back to her own Counter Shield that Sapphire had taught her by using Stone Edge to circle around her and block attacks. After Roserade had finished, Sapphire followed suit.
"I'm sure we can learn that." she declared, "Dal, Mysterio, you give it a try by using Thunderbolt and Psychic respectively! But spin around like Roserade did!"
Mysterio and Dal obeyed. They launched their attacks and copied Roserade's spin as they did so. Dal found this easy as he was a machine-like Pokémon and thus wouldn't get dizzy from spinning around. He spun like a top, his electric attacks dancing around him with every turn. Mysterio on the other hand couldn't keep it up for long as he wasn't used to spinning around like this and he had to stop as he was getting dizzy.
"Are you OK, Mysterio?" Sapphire asked.
"I'll be fine once my eyeballs stop doing ballerina twirls…" the Alakazam muttered.
"Don't worry, my Roserade suffered from that when she was starting out." Klara insisted, "You get used to it the more you try. That's why we gotta practice!"
"Yes, but we're racing against time so we need to learn it as quickly as possible." Sapphire murmured, "Maybe instead of Mysterio spinning around, he could simply use his psychic abilities to make the attack spin around him."
Klara nodded.
"It could work. Let's try it out!" she piped.
Sapphire gave the command and Mysterio tried again. He stood still this time but he held his spoons out and conjured up his psychic attack. Then, with just the power of his mind, he made the psychic waves circle around him like a satellite orbiting a planet. The girls watched with awe as Mysterio's psychic waves circled around him. It was like watching some kind of dazzling magic show. This was a much more practical way of teaching Mysterio a Counter Shield move!
"Is this what you were after?" he asked.
"Absolutely!" Sapphire cried excitedly, "This is perfect! Ooooh, Zeraora won't know what hit him when you block his moves with that!"
"A-FFIRM-A-TIVE!" Dal barked, "WE-WILL-EX-TER-MIN-ATE-HIM-WHEN-HE-ARRIVES!"
"He may be a Legendary, but we'll show him we're tough enough to handle him!" Terri declared, "I can't wait to give him my fearsome bite!"
"Trust me, you six will be just what I need to help Mustard and Honey stop him." Sapphire declared, "Now Dal and Mysterio have the Counter Shield down, let's see what other moves we can learn. Klara, do you think any of my Pokémon could learn your Dragalge's dodging tactics or your Drapion's holding manoeuvres?"
Klara considered.
"I imagine your Krookodile could learn Drapion's tactics. Her big jaws would make for a great pining move." she suggested, "Dragalge's dancing however, that may be more difficult as none of your Pokémon are as lean and slinky as Dragalge. Iron Fist and Mysterio maybe your best bet as they're pretty fast but you could try Kagami and Terri too. Maybe they're more agile than their sizes would suggest."
"It's worth a shot." Sapphire deduced, "We'll give it a go and see what happens."
So for the next hour or so, Sapphire got down to trying those techniques to see if her Pokémon could learn them. As Klara had suspected, Terri didn't take long to learn her Drapion's pining move. As a Krookodile, she had a lot of strength and her big jaws made for effective pining by grabbing the opponent and using her whole body strength to keep the opponent in place. Her small arms proved to be stronger than they seemed and helped her in pinning her opponent. She'd tested this on Bloom and by the time she'd finished, the powerful Venusaur had struggled to move. Sapphire could imagine Zeraora having a lot of trouble getting out of that hold if Terri was able to pin an opponent down hard with just her jaws!
While Terri had been doing that, Sapphire took Klara's suggestion and told Iron Fist and Mysterio to focus on evasive actions. That wasn't hard for Iron Fist as he was already pretty agile and good at dodging and Mysterio didn't take long to master it either. As an Alakazam, he was naturally very speedy so evasive dodging wasn't hard for him to master. Bloom, Terri, Dal and Kagami all took turns in launching attacks at Iron Fist and Mysterio and while they were able to hit them some of the time, the two Pokémon had managed to dodge most of the others. After that, Kagami and Terri were given a go to see if they could do it as well. They weren't speedy Pokémon but they proved to be more agile than some might've expected from their species. Their dodging consisted of mostly moving their bodies around to dodge an attack that came for them rather than running or jumping around like Iron Fist and Mysterio did. Whenever one Pokémon tried to hit them, they bent over to one side or ducked down to avoid being hit. Klara was impressed. It seemed Pokémon didn't have to be slender-bodied to be good at weaving around.
But the most interesting part of the training came right at the end when Sapphire ordered a big battle between all six of her Pokémon to try out all the new techniques they'd learned. In order to give Bloom something to do, Sapphire tried teaching him a Counter Shield of his own. He was too big and heavy to try spinning around like Klara's Roserade but he was able to work around that like how Mysterio did earlier. She ordered him to use Sludge Bomb but instead of spinning around, he shook his body from side-to-side to make the oozing sludge flick around him. He looked like he was doing some kind of dance as he moved, leaning left and then right to make the Sludge Bombs spin around. Klara laughed, unable to keep the amazement out of her eyes at watching the Venusaur perform like so. As he was half-Poison type, it was naturally great for her to watching a Poison Pokémon do well like Bloom was. The battle commenced with a flurry of attacks, dodges and Counter Shields to avoid or block them. Each of Sapphire's Pokémon took turns in attacking and either dodging or blocking the attacks. Everyone managed to land a hit or two but also avoid and/or block many attacks aimed towards them. Sapphire cheered, amazed with her team but also happy for them that they'd picked up Klara's strategies so quickly. Then came the surprise that caught everyone off-guard. While Bloom was using his Counter Shield, Iron Fist was trying to find a way around it. He jumped towards Bloom and used his feet to kick through the sludge that he was using to defend himself. Then the bear-like Pokémon came in towards Bloom with his right fist glowing white. He sliced down with his paw and hit Bloom, making him grimace in pain and stagger backwards. Not only had it been a strong hit, but it appeared to be super-effective too. Sapphire and Klara stared at Iron Fist in wonder while the Kubfu looked surprised at what he'd done.
"Did I just do a new move?" he asked in confusion.
"I think you've just learned Aerial Ace." Sapphire deduced, "It's a Flying-type move that most Fighting-type Pokémon can learn. It's super-effective against Grass-types, hence why Bloom seemed badly hurt by it. I'm amazed you pulled that off considering I haven't yet tried teaching you a move like that!"
"Same here. It's like I sub-consciously knew I could do it and…it happened." Iron Fist said in astonishment, "So now I have four different attacks I can use!"
"Pity it had to be a Flying move." Klara said grimly, "Flying attacks don't do much against Electric types like Zeraora. Aerial Ace won't be that useful against him."
"True, but you never know." Sapphire said with a shrug, "There might be a way to make it useful. At least for any other battle I may have with Iron Fist, he's got a move that he can use against other Fighting-types that may battle him."
"Quite so." agreed Mustard.
He decided that now was a good time for him to come in and tell Sapphire how she'd been doing. He approached the two teens with his hands behind his back and a soft smile on his aged face. It was the first time Sapphire had seen him look genuinely happy again since the bad news came yesterday.
"You're doing extraordinarily well, my child." he complimented, "You've not only taught your new Kubfu some new moves in a short amount of time, but your Pokémon have very quickly adapted Klara's tactics for their own. I imagine they'll give Zeraora a tough time with those dodges and Counter Shields."
"I'm just grateful Klara offered to help out." Sapphire said graciously.
Klara just shrugged.
"It was the least I could do master." she said modestly, "If anything, I can be happy with myself knowing that if we defeat Zeraora, I helped towards bringing him down."
"Very much so." Mustard said approvingly, "I'm thrilled to see that despite your shortcomings, you can be a pretty generous person after all. I appreciate you offering to tutor Sapphire with battle tactics that could help in defeating my former partner."
Klara looked down at her feet shyly.
"Gosh…I feels weird getting so much praise, and genuine praise at that!" she said bashfully.
Sapphire and Mustard chuckled.
"As fun as it has been to watch you two train together, I'm afraid it must come to an end." Mustard said firmly, "Sapphire, I believe it is time for you to enter one of the two towers so we may carry out the trial that will evolve Iron Fist into Urshifu." he said, looking over at the blue-haired teen.
"Oh, already? Are you sure I'm ready for that?" Sapphire asked doubtfully, "I mean, I've not been training Iron Fist for that long. It might be too soon for me to go into the towers with him."
"Normally, I'd agree with you." the dojo master said understandingly, "But as you told Klara earlier, we're racing against time. We cannot afford to waste time. Zeraora's arrival may have been delayed, but he could still be back anytime now. We must evolve Iron Fist as soon as possible, so you must enter one of the towers. Which one have you chosen?" he inquired.
"As I told Iron Fist, I'll enter the Tower of Darkness." Sapphire declared, "It won't do me any good to evolve him into a Water-type Urshifu when there's a Zeraora to worry about. At least with th Dark-type Urshifu, Iron Fist won't have a weakness to Electric-types."
Mustard nodded.
"A wise choice." he agreed, "Granted, Zeraora knows some Fighting moves like Brick Break and Close Combat and he also knows Play Rough, which would be double strong against the Dark-type Urshifu. But Close Combat has a huge drawback that'll force him to use it sparingly and Zeraora will likely rely on other moves he knows. So the Tower of Darkness it is. I'll be waiting for you at the top of the tower where me and my own Kubfu will challenge you to a duel that'll determine if Iron Fist is ready to evolve."
Iron Fist gulped. This would be his big moment to prove himself and he had a feeling it wouldn't be an easy match.
"We'll be there." Sapphire swore, "I'll see you there, master."
"And you too." Mustard replied, "I'll give you half an hour to rest from your training and then I'll expect you at the Tower of Darkness shortly after."
He turned around and headed back into the dojo so he could make his way to the Tower of Darkness. Half an hour later, Sapphire did the same, leaving Klara to return to her cleaning duties. Sapphire remembered where the Tower of Darkness was for she'd seen it when cycling around to find Pokémon to catch on her first day. It was at the very top of Challenge Road and in no time at all, Sapphire had cycled there again and left the Rotom bike at the foot of the stone staircase that led up to the tower. She climbed all the way up and approached the tower. Only now she was up close to it could she really appreciate and see just how tall it was. It was only five storeys high, yet up close it seemed so much bigger. Its antiquated appearance also gave it a strange kind of beauty that few other buildings were capable of generating. Sapphire was glad it had been built here on a remote island instead of in the Galarian mainland as it wouldn't have looked right in a big city like Wyndon. Breathing in and out softly, Sapphire placed her hand against the door. Iron Fist was on her shoulder, looking nervous but trying his best not to show it.
"I've never been in either of the towers before." he murmured, "I've spent most of my life being trained for this moment and now it's here…I wonder if I'll clear the tower and become an Urshifu?"
"The only way we'll find out is to give it a go." Sapphire said, trying to sound optimistic, "Chin up Iron Fist. We'll do it, you see if we don't!"
"Have I ever told you I love your optimism?" Iron Fist said with a warm smile on his cute, round face.
"It's optimism that's kept me going this far." Sapphire said casually, "It'll keep us going through this trial."
She pushed on the door and walked inside. She found herself walking into a single room with red wooden floors, a marked arena for Pokémon battles, large windows, a pair of candles burning together and a staircase that led up to the next floor. There was a student standing in the arena, clearly waiting for Sapphire to arrive. He was male, a tall boy with long brown hair and serious brown eyes. Like all the others, he was clad in the usual dojo uniform. The trial wasn't as simple as just walking into the tower and challenging Mustard right off the bat. Each floor of the tower had a trainer to battle and Sapphire had to defeat all of them before reaching Mustard at the very top. Everyone who passed the trials and won a Kubfu of their very own went through this and only very few ever conquered this trial. If Sapphire won today, she'd be one of the very few people in all of Galar to have her own Urshifu. The student opened his eyes.
"I see you've chosen the Tower of Darkness." he acknowledged, "A very wise choice, Armour Warrior. If you conquer this tower, you'll unlock Kubfu's next stage, the Single Strike Urshifu."
"Single Strike?" Sapphire asked.
"The two forms of Urshifu have different fighting styles, Single Strike and Rapid Strike." the student explained, "Those that evolve Kubfu here will receive the Single Strike Urshifu. Now, are you ready to battle?"
"I'm ready." Sapphire declared, "Me and Iron Fist will reach the top of the tower and defeat Mustard, then we'll read the scroll that will evolve Iron Fist into Urshifu and we'll be ready to face Zeraora when he arrives!"
"Me and the rest of Mustard's elite students hope you are right." the student said grimly, "Let's battle!"
Sapphire ordered Iron Fist to take his place on the battlefield while the student sent out his Pokémon. He'd chosen a Zorua, the pre-evolved form of Zoroark. Zorua looked like a black-furred fox kit with a black poufy fur collar, red-tipped paws, red eyelids and red-tipped hair. Seeing the Zorua reminded Sapphire bitterly on the fact a Zoroark was the reason that Zeraora was on his way. At least the Zorua looked considerably friendlier and less devious than Abigail's Zoroark. Iron Fist clenched his fists and the Zorua lowered its head, the two opponents ready to fight. Of course, Iron Fist had the type-advantage due to being a Fighting-type battling against a Dark-type but Sapphire knew that it wouldn't be that easy. This was a test of true strength and battle skills and it would take everything she'd taught Iron Fist to pass the Tower of Darkness…
Sapphire has conquered the previous trials, but this trial is going to truly test her skills and if she's ready to face Zeraora when the time comes. Can she and Iron Fist defeat Mustard's own Kubfu and win the trial? Will Iron Fist ever become an Urshifu? Tune in next time as "A Legend Awakens"...
Trivia: Sapphire choosing the Tower of Darkness was down to me, as usual. Out of the two Urshifus, Single Strike Urshifu is my favourite so I had Sapphire choose the Tower of Darkness for that reason. :)