The Isle of Armour: A Pokemon Story

by Mixedfan8643

With the Gym Challenge over, Sapphire has no desire to succeed Ruby as Champion. She instead turns her eye towards the Isle of Armour, an island that has great trials for trainers to try their hand at. But she soon ends up with more than she bargained for when a vengeful Pokemon from Mustard's past comes back with murder on its mind. Can Sapphire defeat this Pokemon...?

13. Chapter 13: Sapphire vs Honey

Chapter 13: Sapphire vs. Honey

Sapphire and Honey were outside in the Battle Court once again, only it was just the two of them with nobody else around. With all the students safely evacuated except for Sapphire herself and Klara, who was still recovering from Zeraora paralyzing her earlier, it only just occurred to the blue-haired teen just how…empty the Master Dojo suddenly felt. With no one else around to watch and very few people occupying the dojo, the Isle of Armour just didn't feel the same. Sapphire hoped it wouldn't stay like this for long and everyone could come back once the threat of Zeraora was over. She wondered where he was right now. Was he hiding in any of the caves or lurking in the forests while he waited for Klara's poison to wear off? Had the poison already knocked him out and he was just lying unconscious somewhere waiting to be found? It was a lovely thought but Sapphire doubted it would be that easy. Zeraora wouldn't let mere poison get the best of him and ruin his revenge scheme.

She put the thoughts on the island and Zeraora aside as she and Honey faced each other in the centre of the court. Of all the trials she'd had on this island, Sapphire knew this was going to be the most interesting one of all. She'd faced Mustard in The Tower of Darkness earlier and now she was about to battle his wife, the very same woman who had given her Bloom the Bulbasaur after clearing the first trial. She could see that Honey looked keen for action, like this was her favourite thing to do aside from running the dojo with Mustard and cooking Max Soup.

"Not many students suspect I'm a trainer as well until they get the chance to battle me." Honey explained, still keeping up her sweet, motherly smile despite the fact she was about to do battle with one of her students, "Many assume I'm just the Dojo Matron, the woman who cooks and cleans for the dojo. But once they see me in action…let's just say that they quickly realize I'm not what I may seem."

"No kidding!" Sapphire agreed, "I'll admit at first glance, I wouldn't have thought you were a trainer too but once you gave me that Bulbasaur and said you trained it and Squirtle, I began to suspect you were one. What made you decide to become a trainer?"

"My husband." Honey said, her voice showing great fondness for the man she'd married, "I saw how he was with his Pokémon and how he battled with them while also bonding with them so I decided to try it on a whim. To my utter shock, I was surprisingly good at it! I quickly developed a talent for training and now I'm so skilled and strong that some students suspect I may be on par with my husband! Personally, I don't think I could ever reach Mustard's level but I appreciate that they think highly of my skills."

"I imagine you'll be very strong." Sapphire complimented, "Do you often challenge those that clear the trials?"

"Oh yes. I'm like that one last trial before the Armour Warrior has a six-on-six battle with Mustard to close off the term." Honey explained, "I was going to challenge you once you cleared the towers even before Zeraora came back. Thankfully, we at least have time for that challenge now. I hope I can teach you some useful tactics as I'm sure my battle style will help you greatly against Zeraora."

"I'm excited to see what your battle style is!" Sapphire said eagerly, "I'm ready when you are!"

"Then let us begin!" Honey cried, sounding as enthusiastic as Sapphire, "Prepare yourself Sapphire, for I don't go easy on my students, even those that become the Armour Warrior."

She whipped out an Ultra Ball and took aim with it.

"Gallade, it's show time!" the matron yelled as she threw the Ultra Ball.

Her Ultra Ball opened up and a flash of white burst out from inside, forming into the shape of Gallade. Gallade looked very similar to the beautiful Gardevoir species, only it was a male-only species and only male Kirlia exposed to a Dawn Stone could evolve into it. It was white and green in colour much like Gardevoir but its appearance was far less feminine. It had rounded hips, blade-like arms and a head shaped like a gladiator's helmet. It had the same trademark red horns sticking out of its back and chest like Gardevoir had. Sapphire knew what this Pokémon was. She'd seen many Gallades in action be it in the Wild or in trainer battles. She knew they were tough Pokémon to beat and packed tremendous attack power. Their Psychic/Fighting typing also made them tricky to fight as both types were strong types with a lot of powerful moves to learn from. Honey had made a good start with this Pokémon.

"This darling was my first catch and remains my closest friend." Honey said proudly, "Looking after Pokémon like Gallade has not only helped me bond with them, but they've given me a lot of physical strength to the point I can handle powerful Pokémon like him."

"G-gosh! R-really?!" Sapphire exclaimed, "Blimey…you really are more than meets the eye!"

"Hee, hee! I get that a lot, dear." Honey said modestly.

"Likewise, I'm not going to underestimate you with that in mind." Sapphire declared, "Let's see what you're made of. Mysterio, shining time!"

She threw her own Pokéball and brought out Mysterio the Alakazam to the field. The yellow-and-brown Pokémon eyed up his opponent with interest and raised his spoons. Another Psychic-type was going to be an interesting match-up and he knew it. It would all come down to who had the greater mental power and physical strength. Honey nodded.

"Good choice sending out Mysterio." she acknowledged, "Alakazam are strong Pokémon for sure."

"That's why I sought this one out." Sapphire agreed, "Mysterio's been a real trooper throughout my trials. Now show Honey what you can do with Shadow Ball!" the Armour Warrior cried.

Mysterio aimed his spoons at Gallade and conjured up a purple ectoplasmic sphere of energy that he then launched towards his opponent. Gallade didn't even flinch as the Shadow Ball came hurling towards him. Sapphire was confused. Surely Gallade would be a little worried about her attack since Gallade was weak to Ghost attacks? She soon saw why as Honey gave her command.

"Catch it and throw it back to Mysterio!" the brunette woman yelled.

Gallade held out his hands and caught the Shadow Ball as if this was a game of baseball. He then spun around on the balls of his feet and threw the attack straight back towards Mysterio. The Alakazam gasped in alarm and quickly jumped aside to dodge the attack. The Shadow Ball hit the ground harmlessly and disappeared into nothing. Sapphire blinked several times, struggling to register what had just happened.

"I don't believe it! Your Gallade just caught Mysterio's attack and redirected it like THAT?!" she gasped.

"You better believe it, dear." Honey purred, "That's my battling style. My Pokémon turn their opponent's strengths and attacks against them. Even my husband's Pokémon struggle against mine when I use this tactic in our battles. And to think I developed that all on my own!"

"So you're not only a trainer but you developed your own battle style? Man, you're a woman of many surprises!" Sapphire blurted.

"You're too kind Sapphire." Honey said modestly, "Now Gallade, use Swords Dance!"

Gallade held out his bladed arms and extended his sharp elbows to make them look like he had wrist-mounted blades to fight with. Then he began to spin on the spot while slicing the air with his blades. Sapphire gulped. Gallade were already obscenely powerful with their high Attack but Swords Dance boosted their Attack power so now Gallade would hit like a truck! She had to end this battle before Gallade could attack!

"Try Dazzling Gleam instead!" Sapphire suggested, "I bet he can't catch that!"

Mysterio aimed with his spoons and blasted Gallade with a stream of sparkling Fairy energy. As Sapphire suspected, Gallade couldn't catch an attack like that, especially as he was just finishing Swords Dance so he couldn't react in time to do anything about it. Dazzling Gleam hit Gallade and knocked him down onto his back. But to Sapphire's dismay, it didn't seem to do a lot of damage despite being super-effective. Gallade was a Pokémon with high Special Defences so Special Attacks wouldn't hurt as much as they could've done, even if they were super-effective. Gallade was soon back up on his feet and he crossed his arms in front of his face as he prepared to attack. Sapphire somehow knew this battle was over before Honey had even called an attack. The matron folded her arms and smiled coolly as she gave one single command:

"Throat Chop."

Gallade's arms coated themselves with dark energy as he sprinted towards Mysterio. He moved very fast and lashed out at his opponent, striking the Alakazam in the throat and making him gag. The single attack wiped him out instantly. With Mysterio's weak defences and Gallade's boosted Attack power, Mysterio never had a chance. He collapsed onto his back, choking for breath before he passed out. Sapphire looked at her Pokémon in dismay, saddened that he'd had to go out so quickly. She'd hoped that Mysterio at least could've defeated Gallade before going down. She returned her Pokémon.

"That Gallade's strong!" she complimented, "One Swords Dance and it was enough to wreck my Alakazam! Poor Mysterio had no idea what was coming…"

"It's what I always do with my darling." Honey explained, "Deflect an attack, if possible and boost him up with Swords Dance. He becomes quite a one-man army at times!"

"I bet! But will he be able to handle the power of a Legendary Pokémon?" Sapphire said with a sly smile, "Iron Fist, shining time!"

She threw her next Pokéball and out came her newest addition to her team. Iron Fist flexed his powerful arms and roared with anticipation. He was ready for this battle and keen to have a chance to show what he was capable of in his new body. Honey's eyes widened in surprise. She wasn't expecting Sapphire to bring Iron Fist out so soon but she could see why she did so. A Legendary Pokémon could easily go toe-to-toe with a Swords Dance boosted Gallade. Now she'd get a chance to see how well Sapphire had done in training the very Kubfu that Mustard had given to her.

"Ha, ha! The Armour Warrior brings out the Secret Armour! I was wondering when you'd bring him out!" Honey said excitedly, "This'll be quite a battle indeed! Gallade, use Leaf Blade!" she commanded.

"Iron Fist, use Aerial Ace!" Sapphire commanded at the same time.

Gallade and Iron Fist charged towards each other with both their attacks. Gallade's bladed arms glowed green and Iron Fist's hand glowed white as their attacks started and were ready to land. Honey had chosen Leaf Blade due to its high-critical hit ratio and it was the only move that would be any good against Iron Fist. Throat Chop was ineffective as he was half-Dark type and Gallade's only other move, Psycho Cut, was useless as Dark-types were immune to Psychic attacks. Gallade and Iron Fist both landed their attacks, their arm and hand respectively coming into contact with each other. At first, they looked evenly matched but Iron Fist came out just a little stronger as he knocked Gallade away. Gallade's half-Fighting typing gave it a weakness to Flying attacks so Aerial Ace was super-effective against it and Gallade's Physical Defence was much lower than its Special Defence so Iron Fist was able to do more damage with his attack than Mysterio had done earlier. Gallade grunted as he skidded backwards and fell to one knee. While he was stunned, Sapphire commanded Iron Fist to use Aerial Ace again. The kung-fu bear Pokémon charged towards his opponent, his huge muscular legs carrying him effortlessly across the courtyard towards Gallade. But Honey clearly had one more trick up her sleeve.

"Catch his arm and flip him over!" she called.

Gallade shot out with his hands and caught Iron Fist's arm just as he was about to slice his hand across his body. Then Gallade pulled Iron Fist's arm onto his shoulder and yanked on him sharply. He hauled Iron Fist off his feet and flipped the powerful Urshifu onto his back. It was amazing seeing this skinny looking Pokémon effortlessly flip over a huge, bulky Pokémon like Iron Fist. He grunted as his back sharply slammed against the ground but he was otherwise unhurt. Sapphire imagined that was part of Honey's strategy to turn an opponent's strength against them. With Gallade doing that, he'd now brought Iron Fist down and left him open for an attack. Honey ordered her Pokémon to use Leaf Blade again but Sapphire called for Iron Fist to catch it and stop it from landing. Iron Fist did so, his huge paws catching Gallade's arm as he tried to slice into him. Honey gasped in astonishment.

"Whoa, you're catching on quickly, love!" she blurted, "Iron Fist managed to stop my Pokémon's attack right there!"

"I was just hoping it'd work!" Sapphire chuckled, "Now Iron Fist, throw Gallade up into the air and finish him off with Wicked Blow!" she yelled.

Iron Fist rolled over onto his side, still holding Gallade by the arm, and pulled his opponent over with him. Now Gallade was no longer standing above him, he was able to get back onto his feet and carry out Sapphire's command. Grinning eagerly, he tensed himself up as he prepared to throw his opponent sky-high. With a single flick of his arms, he tossed Gallade up into the air. Honey wasn't surprised as she'd seen Urshifus in action many times before and knew how strong they could be. She could see that Sapphire had trained her one well in such a short amount of time. As Gallade hurled upwards, Iron Fist jumped after him and drew his arm back. Dark energy surrounded his fist and he slugged Gallade in the stomach as hard as he could. The Psychic/Fighting Pokémon cried out as he was punched. Wicked Blow was the signature move of Single Strike Style Urshifu and it was a move that always landed a critical hit, making it a move that was always guaranteed to hurt no matter who he used it against. Gallade was sent hurling back down into the ground by the hit, the impact kicking up a cloud of dust that forced Sapphire and Honey to look away for the moment. Once the dust cleared, they saw a triumphant Iron Fist standing there with his fists raised while Gallade lay battered and beaten on the floor. It had been a tough battle, but Iron Fist had ultimately prevailed.

"Wow, I knew I'd be strong as an Urshifu but even I'm impressed at that!" Iron Fist cried, "That Wicked Blow really packs a wallop!"

"It's a move that always lands a critical hit, it's always going to be a hard-hitting attack." Honey agreed as she returned Gallade, "I must say, you haven't even had Iron Fist a week and you've already raised him into a fine Pokémon. You must be very proud of yourself, Sapphire."

"I've been proud of pretty much all my accomplishments here." Sapphire said modestly, "I came to this island expecting to just do well…and I managed to do better than even I would've guessed I would do! I can't wait to tell my girlfriend and my sisters about my whole term here!"

"You'll have quite the story to tell them." Honey concurred, "But this battle's not over yet. Both of us have five Pokémon left and I assure you, the rest of my team is nothing to sneeze it. This one especially will give even Iron Fist a tough battle!"

She threw her next Ultra Ball and brought out a beautiful Togekiss. Sapphire stared at it in awe as the bird-like Pokémon flew a loop through the air in a graceful glide that seemed to be about demonstrating how elegant it looked. The last time she'd seen a Togekiss, she'd been battling Opal's own Togekiss during her Gym Challenge. She imagined this one was going to be much stronger as this wasn't a Togekiss raised to battle Gym Challengers. This one was raised by Mustard's wife and she used it to challenge the Armour Warrior after they passed the trials and successfully evolved their Kubfus. She knew Iron Fist had Iron Head to cover his weakness to Fairy-types but she didn't want to risk it, not when Iron Fist had a double-weakness to Fairy attacks. She would save Iron Fist for later and use a Pokémon that would stand more of a chance. Sapphire returned Iron Fist and exchanged him for Dal the Magnezone. As Togekiss was weak to both Steel and Electric attacks, it made Dal the perfect Pokémon to battle it with. Honey didn't seem worried.

"Thinking a Steel-type will give Togekiss a hard time? My dear Sapphire, I've trained her to overcome that pesky weakness." she said smoothly, "My darling Togekiss, use Heat Wave!" the matron commanded.

Sapphire's eyes widened in shock. She knew Togekiss were versatile Pokémon that could learn a lot of moves but it was still surprising to see one with a Fire attack! She'd unknowingly played right into Honey's hands by bringing Dal out! Togekiss flapped its wings and took a deep breath. Then it breathed out a huge ball of flames that were backed up by fiery winds that blew straight towards Dal. While Sapphire was surprised that Togekiss had a Fire attack, she knew she had the perfect counter to it.

"OK Dal, use your Counter Shield strategy like we practiced this morning!" she commanded.

Dal held up his magnets and started to use Thunderbolt. Then he spun around on the spot, creating a wall of electricity that circled around him. He briefly looked like the planet Saturn as he spun with him as the planet and his Counter Shield as Saturn's rings. While it didn't stop Heat Wave completely, it at least lessened the impact so the attack didn't do quite as much damage. The electricity was able to block the worst of the flames so Dal took little damage and was able to carry on fighting. Honey was impressed by what she'd seen.

"My word, you used Klara's Counter Shield strategy and pulled it off without a hitch!" she gasped, "You're such a faster learner, Sapphire!"

"I guess fast-learning runs in the family given my sisters were quick learners in their battles too." Sapphire suggested, "Klara's advice will be of great help when we face Zeraora, just like it's helping against you now!"

She then ordered Dal to set up a Light Screen so any Special Attacks used against him would be weakened. Honey could see what Sapphire was planning but she wasn't going to let a mere Light Screen stop her Pokémon. She ordered Togekiss to use Aura Sphere. It was a Fighting-type move that had high power and never missed. Togekiss conjured up a sphere of energy between the tips of her wings and spun around before throwing it straight towards Dal. Sapphire knew Aura Sphere did and didn't even bother telling Dal to dodge as it wouldn't work anyway. Instead, she ordered the UFO-shaped Pokémon to fight back with Tri-Attack. Dal aimed at the oncoming Aura Sphere with Tri-Attack and the two attacks collided, creating a huge blanket of smoke that covered the arena for the moment. Sapphire and Honey shielded their eyes as the smoke blew over them. Togekiss coughed and flapped its wings to try and get the smoke away. It couldn't see otherwise. Dal didn't have this problem due to being machine-like. He could see perfectly through the smoke. He spotted Togekiss and Sapphire ordered him to use Thunderbolt while he had the chance to attack.

Dal aimed his magnets at Togekiss and zapped her with Thunderbolt while the Flying/Fairy-type Pokémon couldn't see him. He didn't even bother to yell "EXTERMINATE!" as he did so as that would've given him away. Togekiss yelled in pain as it was electrocuted. Togekiss were bulky Pokémon that could take a hit so Dal hadn't managed to one-hit KO her but he'd still done plenty of damage while Togekiss could barely fight back thanks to his Light Screen. It seemed hopeless for the angelic Pokémon but Togekiss wasn't going to give up. The smoke cleared and Sapphire and Honey could see their Pokémon again. Honey ordered her Pokémon to use Heat Wave. Even if Light Screen was weakening Togekiss's attacks, Honey knew that Heat Wave could burn the opponent. If she could burn Dal, it would give her a chance to inflict additional damage to the Magnezone to compensate for Light Screen weakening her Togekiss's attacks. Togekiss breathed flames at Dal again but Sapphire ordered him to use his Counter Shield again. Dal spun around like a top with electricity circling him, once again lessening the damage from Heat Wave. With that and Light Screen both protecting him, Dal barely even felt the flames as they licked his steel body. Once Dal had finished spinning, Sapphire ordered her Pokémon to use Flash Cannon to finish the battle.

Dal aimed at Togekiss with his magnets and fired a silver blast of energy towards her. Togekiss held out its wings and conjured up another Aura Sphere upon Honey's command. She spun around and hurled the sphere towards Dal's Flash Cannon. As Fighting attacks were super-effective against Steel Pokémon, Aura Sphere broke straight through Flash Cannon and continued on its way towards Dal. It hit him directly in his centre eye and knocked him back. Despite Light Screen being in play, Aura Sphere had still hit him quite hard and he his centre eye was momentarily blinded. He still had two more eyes to see with so he wasn't totally blind. Togekiss tried to use another Aura Sphere but Dal was able to stop it this time by using his Counter Shield to block it. It just hit his circle of electricity and broke to pieces as it came towards him. Determined to finish the battle now, Sapphire ordered Dal to use Thunderbolt again. At least Togekiss's Aura Sphere couldn't break through that.

"EX-TER-MIN-ATE!" Dal barked, thrilled to get the chance to use his catchphrase as the battle was coming to an end.

He aimed his magnets at his opponent and zapped her a second time. This time, Togekiss wasn't able to handle it. She was taken out by the attack and brought down to the ground. Honey stared sadly at her beaten Togekiss. She'd been so sure that she could win this battle but in the end, Sapphire had been too skilled for her. It was so easy to see why she was the new Armour Warrior! She returned Togekiss to her ball and whipped out a third Ultra Ball.

"You're quite a trainer, dear!" she said with the kind of smile a mother might have when praising their child for some good work, "Not only do they know some strong moves but you pick up new tactics very quickly and put them to great effect! I bet even my husband will have his hands full with you…"

"I feel I got lucky back in that tower when Iron Fist was against his Kubfu!" Sapphire exclaimed, "And that was just a one-on-one battle! Who knows how a full six-on-six battle with him will go!"

"I know I'm keen to see that fight take place." Honey said keenly, "In the meantime, let's see if you can handle my mighty Darmanitan!"

She threw her Ultra Ball and out came the Galarian version of Darmanitan, a powerful Pokémon first discovered in Unova. While the Unovan species were Fire-types, the Galarian variant was an Ice-type. Sapphire remembered seeing Ruby face a Darmanitan when she'd watched her Gym Battle with Melony on TV last year. To her, Darmanitan looked like a snowman and a gorilla had been thrown into a blender to make what she was looking at now. She was confused at Honey's choice of Pokémon. Why use Darmanitan when Ice-types were weak to Steel-types? She soon got her answer as Honey gave the first command.

"Use Earthquake!" the brunette woman commanded.

Darmanitan raised its great fists and slammed them both down heavily onto the ground. The resulting smash created a huge tremor that ripped through the arena floor towards Dal. The Magnezone tried to dodge but the shockwave from the Earthquake managed to catch him and send him flying into the air. If he'd been hit by the full force of Earthquake, it would've been all over as he had a double weakness to Ground attacks. Dal let out an electronic wail as he spiralled through the air and crashed down onto the ground. Sapphire stared worriedly at her Pokémon, hoping he was OK. Dal was still in the battle but he didn't look as if he'd last much longer. Another Earthquake would finish him off easily. Darmanitan were strong Pokémon but their special ability, Gorilla Tactics, boosted their Attack power so any attack Darmanitan launched had the potential to be utterly devastating. Even though Dal had been hit by the force of the attack, it had been enough to nearly wipe him out. Sapphire knew it would be futile to keep him in the battle. Even if she got a lucky shot and hit Darmanitan with a super-effective Flash Cannon, there was a risk Darmanitan might take the hit and just casually finish him off. She returned Dal to his Pokéball and carefully considered her options. While Kagami knew Iron Head and Fire Punch, both attacks that were super-effective against Darmanitan and boosted by her Sheer Force ability, it was still risky considering Darmanitan was an Ice-type. Terri and Bloom wouldn't fare any better as both were weak to Ice-types too. But Gorilla Tactics had a huge side-effect. It boosted Darmanitan power at the cost of leaving it stuck only able to use one attack. So if she used Kagami, Darmanitan would be stuck using only Earthquake with no way to use any Ice attacks.

"OK, let's give this a shot. Kagami, shining time!" Sapphire cried.

She threw her Pokéball and brought out her mighty Dragon Pokémon. Kagami roared with anticipation and bared her teeth. She was keen to get the chance to show everyone that no pesky Ice-type would worry her. But to Sapphire's confusion, Honey returned her Darmanitan and then immediately brought it back out again. She'd never seen anyone do that before. What was her game here?

"Why did you do that?" Sapphire asked in confusion.

"Quite simple, dear. Darmanitan's Gorilla Tactics ability forces him to use only one attack, so my way around it is to return him and bring him back out so I can change attacks." Honey explained, "If you thought your Druddigon would be safe from its Ice Attacks, then you're sadly mistaken. Use Icicle Crash!" she commanded.

Darmanitan took a deep breath and released it again, shooting out a sphere of icy blue energy that formed in the sky just above Kagami. It then formed into a bunch of sharp icicles and rained down towards Kagami. It was like being caught up in the world's most dangerous rain fall where the drops of rain had the potential to impale you repeatedly as they fell. Sapphire was a little nervous now her plan wasn't going to work but just because Darmanitan could use Icicle Crash now, it didn't mean he would beat Kagami. She could still win! As the icicles came close to Kagami, Sapphire ordered her Pokémon to use Iron Head. Kagami's head coated itself in steel and she jumped straight up into the icicle shower. Her iron-covered head smashed through them instantly. Honey watched in amazement. This girl really knew how to handle her Pokémon's weaknesses! She was certain that Sapphire would handle herself well against Zeraora when the time came. Now Darmanitan's Icicle Crash had failed, Kagami landed back on the ground and sprinted towards her icy opponent. She still had Iron Head in use so she was running to Darmanitan with her head lowered. Honey knew she couldn't allow the attack to land as Kagami was a strong Pokémon with huge attack power. She'd seen for herself how strong she was. As Kagami was about to head-butt Darmanitan, Honey ordered her Pokémon to grab her and stop her dead in her tracks. Darmanitan lashed out with his huge hands and grabbed Kagami by the shoulders. He dug his heels in and held her back just before her Iron Head could actually connect. Kagami tried to land her attack but Darmanitan held her back firmly. His huge arms bulged as the muscles fought to keep Kagami held back.

For a moment, both Pokémon were in this big test of strength with Kagami and Darmanitan pushing hard against each other. Both Kagami and Darmanitan pushed against each other, refusing to give one another an inch. They grunted loudly, gritting their teeth and pushing as hard as they could. Darmanitan's grip on Kagami's shoulders was like an iron vice and she couldn't wrestle free, though that didn't stop her pushing back against her opponent. Sapphire and Honey watched with baited breath. Not even they were sure who was going to win this muscle match. Both Darmanitan and Kagami looked pretty even. But then Sapphire had an idea. Kagami was being held by the shoulders, but her arms were pretty long. Even with Darmanitan holding her back, she would have enough range to use another attack!

"Use Fire Punch!" Sapphire shouted.

Kagami smirked as if to say "Oh you're so gonna get it now, buster!". She spat fire onto her hand and threw the punch directly in the side of Darmanitan's head. Thanks to her Sheer Force ability taking away Fire Punch's side effect of burning the opponent to make it stronger, Kagami's attack had done a lot of damage and sent Darmanitan hurling sideways across the arena. Darmanitan hit the ground and rolled to a stop, clutching his cheek as it stung from the fiery punch he'd received. Honey could see that another attack like that would be all Sapphire needed to win this battle. She had to score the next hit or she'd be down to just three Pokémon while Sapphire still had five remaining. Darmanitan stood back up and Honey commanded him to use another Icicle Crash. The gorilla snowman creature did so, sending another shower of sharp icicles heading towards Kagami. The Druddigon still had flames around her first so she ended up using Fire Punch to punch through the icicles to stop them hitting her. Unfortunately, she couldn't keep up with all of them and a few icicles were at least able to hit her despite her punching through most of them. Darmanitan used another Icicle Crash shortly after the last one and was much more successful. Kagami didn't have time to use Iron Head or Fire Punch to smash through the icicles so she was left at the mercy of the icicle shower. They crashed down heavily all over her, making her cry out and grunt from each icicle that hit her. Thanks to Darmanitan's Gorilla Tactics boosting its attack power, that single Icicle Crash had almost knocked Kagami out completely. If she wasn't so resilient, the battle would've been over for her. She grunted in pain and massaged her arms and shoulders. Despite the pain she was in, she didn't want to give up, not when she still had a chance to win.

Sapphire waited for Kagami to recover before issuing her next command. As soon as the powerful Druddigon was back on her feet, Sapphire told her to use Iron Head. If she had any chance of winning this match, she had to make this Iron Head count. Kagami lowered her head and charged once again. Honey ordered Darmanitan to grab Kagami again and stop her attack from hitting but Sapphire was ready for her. She ordered her Pokémon to weave to one side just as Darmanitan tried to grab her by the shoulders again. Darmanitan missed and Kagami pivoted around on her feet to take aim and come in with Iron Head. Her iron-coated head slammed into Darmanitan's side and knocked him off his feet. Darmanitan cried out from the hit and he was thrown down onto his side. He skidded to a painful halt and lay still. As Sapphire had hoped, Kagami's Iron Head had been enough to finish it off. It had been a close one, but Kagami had triumphed in the end. She panted heavily, worn out but nonetheless triumphant in her victory.

"You did it Kagami! You really are the best!" Sapphire complimented.

"Whew…thank you…" Kagami puffed, wiping her forehead, "I think that may…have been…my toughest battle I've ever…fought."

"Too right! I really thought we were done for after that third Icicle Crash hit you." Sapphire noted, "We were lucky that you're so good at taking a hit!"

Honey returned Darmanitan to his Ultra Ball and brought out her fourth Ultra Ball.

"This doesn't look good for me so far." she acknowledged, "Half my team down and you still have five Pokémon left. But at least two of your Pokémon are weakened so there's still a chance for me." she said optimistically, "Now it's time for my own dragon to join the battle. Kingdra, it's show time!"

She threw the ball and out came a Pokémon that Sapphire had only seen pictures of in the many books she'd read about the Isle of Armour. Kingdra was a seahorse like Pokémon with red eyes, a yellow underbelly, two thin spines with a single branch on its head, white fins on the side of its head, a long snout and a white fin on its back. Kingdra was the final form of Horsea and could only be evolved by trading a Seadra while it held a Dragon Scale. They were first discovered in Johto and were exclusive to the Isle of Armour for anyone living in Galar. They were also unique for being one of the few Pokémon species in the world to be a Dragon/Water type and Famed Dragon Gym Leader Claire was notorious for using one in her Gym Battles for Johto trainers. Sapphire though Kingdra looked very beautiful but also very powerful. She'd seen at least one with a school of Horsea and Seadra when she had to hastily catch Sky Bite and Stinger for the Restricted Sparring challenge the other day. Now she'd get to see what they were like in battle.

"Pity Mysterio's out already. His Dazzling Gleam would've been great against Kingdra…" Sapphire thought, "But Kagami's Outrage should do the trick. Kagami, use Outrage now!"

Kagami obeyed. Her body bathed itself in orange energy and she charged furiously towards the seahorse Pokémon. The whole Battle Court seemed to shake as Kagami charged towards Kingdra, every footstep she took sounding like thunder despite her average size. Honey waited for a moment before she gave Kingdra her first command.

"Use Dragon Dance!" she yelled.

Kingdra acted instantly. Just as Kagami was about to collide with it, Kingdra spun out the way in a neat pirouette that made it look almost like it was performing a show for the two trainers watching. It danced around in neat spins while its body glowed orange to signify its stat boosts. Sapphire remembered Paul's Dragapult using Dragon Dance against Emerald's Pokémon in the semi-finals last month. It was a handy move that boosted both the Pokémon's Attack and Speed stats, which could prove deadly for the opponent as being faster and stronger helped tremendously in any battle. Now Kingdra was going to be faster and stronger than before. Determined to at least land a good hit, Sapphire ordered Kagami to try again with Outrage. The powerful Druddigon turned around and stampeded back towards Kingdra as it was finishing its Dragon Dance. Honey was quick to act, ordering Kingdra to use Ice Beam. Kingdra took aim with its snout and blasted the ground at Kagami's feet as she was charging to it. Now the ground had frozen solid, Kagami slipped and crashed down onto her back, bringing a stop to her Outrage attack. Now Kagami was down, Kingdra used its own Outrage attack. It hurled itself towards Kagami, looking very much like a giant blue bullet that had been fired from a hidden gun somewhere. Kagami didn't even have chance to stand up again as Kingdra crashed into her. Already weakened from Darmanitan's Icicle Crash earlier, Kagami had no energy left to withstand a Dragon Dance boosted Outrage from Kingdra. Sapphire could only stare in dismay as Kagami lay on the floor of the arena, unable to battle any more. Kingdra celebrated its victory by squirting water in the air, creating a shower for itself and it danced around as the water sprinkled down over it. Sapphire walked over to Kagami and patted her on the head softly.

"You were amazing Kagami. You rest well now." she said softly.

She returned her Pokémon to her Pokéball and took a moment to mull over her options. Kingdra knew Dragon Dance, Outrage and Ice Beam and it had already boosted its power up. It wasn't going to be easy to fight it. Dal might have a chance against Kingdra but he was too weak from Darmanitan's Earthquake earlier. Bloom was possible but Kingdra's Ice Beam would give him trouble and she would have to be an idiot to send Terri out against a Kingdra, especially as it knew Ice Beam and likely knew a Water attack that would give her trouble! It seemed this would be all up to Iron Fist. He would have the strength to handle Kingdra and Kingdra didn't know any attacks that were super-effective against him.

"You're sure getting a true test of your new form today…" Sapphire murmured as she drew Iron Fist's ball back out, "Iron Fist, time for you to come back to the field!"

She threw the ball and Iron Fist emerged, looking around curiously as if to say "Oh, I'm out again already? Wow!". He eyed up his opponent and smirked. He knew Kingdra were tough Pokémon but he wasn't going to let this one give him a hard time! He would win and show this Pokémon why he was a Legendary Pokémon! He clenched his fists and braced himself for battle. Kingdra narrowed its eyes and prepared to attack. With a Legendary Pokémon and a Dragon Dance boosted Pokémon, this battle was sure to be more even than it would've been normally.

"Use Wicked Blow!" Sapphire yelled.

"Use Outrage!" Honey ordered at the same time.

Both opponents threw themselves towards each other, their quick reactions making them look as if they'd been catapulted by some hidden spring under their feet. Iron Fist drew his arm back and Kingdra took aim while surrounding itself with orange energy. Both Pokémon collided with each other but unlike Iron Fist's earlier battle with Gallade, this tussle was more equal. Both Iron Fist and Kingdra knocked each other back with their attacks and they crashed down onto their backs at the feet of their trainers. They both got back up again after a minute and jumped back into action. Sapphire ordered Iron Fist to use Iron Head this time while Honey called for Kingdra to use Liquidation. Sapphire wasn't surprised to see her guess had been correct and that Kingdra did know a Water attack. Good thing she hadn't sent Terri out! Kingdra covered itself in water and shot towards Iron Fist like a poisoned arrow. Iron Fist pounded towards his opponent in an athletic sprint with his head lowered and his arms held out behind him. Once again, both opponents collided with each other and the results were evenly matched. They were thrown backwards again but they managed to remain standing this time, just skidding across the floor with mounds of dust forming around Iron Fist's feet.

Honey could see that this battle was going nowhere. Just doing the same thing over and over didn't yield results so she had to try something else. She ordered Kingdra to use Dragon Dance a second time. Another boost would make it faster and stronger so now it'd be able to overpower Iron Fist. Kingdra pirouetted on the spot, twirling around gracefully in another Dragon Dance. But Sapphire wasn't going to let it just boost itself up that easily. She ordered Iron Fist to use Wicked Blow while it was dancing. Iron Fist pounded towards Kingdra, his fist drawn back and aimed directly for the seahorse Pokémon. Kingdra didn't even have time to dodge or counter-attack as Iron Fist landed his attack. He slugged Kingdra hard in the gut and sent it hurling backwards through the air. Honey gasped as her Pokémon crashed down onto its side and rolled to a painful stop. It winced in pain and tried to get up, visibly straining from the effort. Sapphire punched the air excitedly. It seemed that this fight was going to go her way!

"Quick Iron Fist, use Wicked Blow one more time before it can get up!" she yelled.

Iron Fist obeyed, launching himself towards the downed Kingdra to try and take it down. Due to being boosted by two Dragon Dances, it was critical that he ended the battle now before Kingdra could fight on. But unfortunately, Honey had other ideas. While Kingdra wasn't back up yet, it could still use Ice Beam on the floor. Honey ordered it to do so and the Dragon/Water type Pokémon shot the floor with its icy attack. A section of the floor froze solid and Iron Fist slipped on the ice patch. He fell over and crashed onto his back, yelling in a mixture of surprise and pain as he landed. Now he was down, Kingdra had the chance to finally get back up again. Honey could tell it wasn't going to be fit to fight much longer so she at least wanted to make Kingdra's last move count. If anything, it could hopefully weaken Iron Fist enough for her next Pokémon to finish him off next. She ordered Kingdra to use Liquidation on Iron Fist just as he was standing back up. Kingdra rocketed towards Iron Fist, surrounded by water once again. Iron Fist was just getting up as Kingdra hurled straight into him. As he wasn't ready to defend himself or counter attack, Kingdra slammed hard into its opponent and knocked him back. Iron Fist was so surprised that he didn't even cry out. He fell back down onto his back again and his body flashed blue to signify that he'd had a drop in his Defences, a side-effect from Kingdra's Liquidation. Now if Kingdra attacked again, it would do more damage than before. Sapphire knew that this battle had to end now or Iron Fist would be done for.

Honey ordered Kingdra to use Outrage, reasoning that using her Pokémon's strongest attack would definitely finish Iron Fist off. Kingdra charged towards the Urshifu again, letting out a cry of triumph as it was as sure as Honey was that it was going to win. But Sapphire had another idea.

"Grab it and stop it before it can hit!" she cried.

Iron Fist obeyed. As Kingdra was about to crash into him, he lashed out with his hands and seized Kingdra by the sides. Honey stared in astonishment. Sapphire had just taken her Darmanitan's strategy and had got Iron Fist to use it himself! She only had to wonder how a trainer this skilled hadn't managed to become the new Champion of Galar with how quick and adaptable she was in battle! Kingdra desperately tried to carry on its attack and knock Iron Fist down but the kung fu bear Pokémon dug his heels in hard and held Kingdra as tightly back as possible. He could feel the strain on his arms as Kingdra pushed back. He couldn't keep it up forever. Iron Fist used all his strength to turn to one side and throw Kingdra straight down into the floor. Once the seahorse Pokémon was down, Iron Fist followed up with another Wicked Blow. That last attack was more than enough to finally bring the mighty Dragon/Water Pokémon down. Kingdra lay on the floor, unconscious and completely energy drained. Sapphire breathed a sigh of relief, amazed that she'd managed to take Kingdra down at last. Honey was one strong trainer! And to think she just tried it out on a whim no less! She could only wonder how strong Hyde would be if he decided to become a trainer like his parents! Honey returned Kingdra to its Ultra Ball.

"I'm giving you my best and you're still holding your own out here, darling!" she complimented, "I don't think any student I've personally battled has brought me down to two Pokémon while they have more than three of their own party left."

"Wow, for real?" Sapphire said in amazement, "So I guess your battles usually go your way more often than not?"

"Usually." Honey confirmed, "I'll either win easily or it ends up being close before the students win. As I say, I've usually taken down half of their teams before I end up down to just two. However, these last two I assure you will turn everything around for me, starting with my dazzling Volcarona!"

She threw her fifth Ultra Ball and brought out her next Pokémon. Sapphire was in total awe as she found herself staring at the most beautiful Bug-type Pokémon she'd ever seen. It was a Volcarona, but this was not an ordinary Volcarona. This one had a purple body and golden wings, completely different colours from its usual appearance. This was Volcarona's shiny form and it was Honey's most prized Pokémon for that very reason. Its body sparkled in the sunlight and the golden scales on its wings glittered like diamonds. If there was a Beauty Contest for Pokémon, this Volcarona would win without question.

"It's so beautiful!" Sapphire whispered in wonder, "I've never seen a Volcarona with those colours before!"

"Very few have, dear." Honey said, "This was quite a lucky find for me, and it's quite precious to me as a result. Such a beautiful find for me…"

She patted the fiery moth Pokémon on the head. The Volcarona chirped in response, clearly enjoying the affectionate gesture from its trainer. Sapphire smiled with awe. Could anything be sweeter than seeing the wonderful bond between trainer and Pokémon? Honey turned back to Sapphire.

"But mark my words Sapphire, this Volcarona isn't just pretty to look at." she purred, "Many students I battle often struggle to take this lovely lady down more than my other Pokémon."

"You don't say." Sapphire agreed, "I've read that Volcarona are strong Pokémon, especially if they get to use that Quiver Dance move of theirs. Ashley always told me that her predecessor, Alder, was tough to beat because of his own Volcarona!"

"And I'm no different." Honey insisted, "Volcarona, be a darling and use Quiver Dance for me, won't you?" she cooed as if she was an affectionate pet owner hoping her beloved companion would follow an order for her.

Volcarona obeyed instantly, spreading its glamorous golden wings and taking flight. Then it started to spin around through the air, pirouetting elegantly as if it was in a ballet lesson. Its body sparkled as it spun around and around like a top. Sapphire gulped. She knew perfectly well what Quiver Dance did. It was an amazing move that simultaneously boosted a Pokémon's Special Attack, Special Defence AND Speed all at once! Volcarona was going to be quite a tough Pokémon to defeat with all that in mind! She had to make it fast before Volcarona could make another move!

"We may have to go for broke Iron Fist…" Sapphire said cryptically, "Use Aerial Ace!"

Iron Fist sprung into action, launching himself directly at the dancing Volcarona. He raised his hand and scythed it across the giant moth's body. As it was a Flying attack, it was a super-effective hit and Volcarona wasn't so good at handling Physical Attacks compared to Special Attacks due to having lower Physical Defences. But Aerial Ace wasn't the strongest move ever so it hadn't done as much damage as it could've done. Volcarona shook off the pain easily and Honey smiled hotly as she gave her next command.

"Use Fiery Dance!" she yelled.

Volcarona coated herself in flames and flapped her wings, sending a fiery inferno blazing towards Iron Fist. Iron Fist could only feebly hold up his hands and shield his face as the flames swept over him, threatening to barbecue him alive. Thanks to Quiver Dance, Volcarona's Special Attack was through the roof and Fiery Dance, which was already a really powerful move, was more than enough to finish Iron Fist off. The flames blazed away for a minute before Fiery Dance stopped and Iron Fist was finally given the blessed relief from the heat and pain of the fire. He panted heavily, worn out from his battles with Gallade and Kingdra and this one with Volcarona. He wanted to carry on…but he knew it was useless. He had no energy left to fight. He accepted his fate and allowed himself to collapse onto the floor. The Legendary Wushu Pokémon was finally out of the match. Sapphire wasn't even shocked at the loss. Once Volcarona had used that Quiver Dance, Iron Fist's fate had been sealed. It was going to be tough to beat with such a power boost.

"You can see why this is the Pokémon that many struggle with the most." Honey said, her voice full of pride for her fiery moth, "Once Volcarona gets a Quiver Dance in, it's often game over for my opponents. But I doubt that'll be the case for you, Sapphire. Having seen you in action, you're not one to give up easily. I'm sure right now, you've already got the perfect strategy to defeat my Volcarona."

Sapphire returned Iron Fist to his Pokéball and nodded. Honey was right. She was already concocting a plan to defeat Volcarona. She only had an almost defeated Magnezone and two Pokémon that hadn't seen battle yet to use, and yet she was sure that she could defeat Volcarona despite the boost from Quiver Dance. It was risky and it could go terribly wrong…but it just might work!

"I do have a plan." Sapphire confirmed, "Volcarona may have a power boost, but mark my words…it's NOT invincible! No Pokémon is! Allow me to show you my strategy!"

Then she threw her next Pokéball…

---

Honey has shown why she's Mustard's wife. Her battle is giving Sapphire a lot to work with and she's really keeping the Armour Warrior on her toes. Now she has a Quiver Dance boosted Volcarona to give her grief with! But Sapphire has a plan to defeat it. Will it work? Tune in next time as we see the conclusion of the battle and also see if Hyde will finally finish the Prison Ball in "Conclusions and Testing"...

Trivia: This was the most surprising thing to come out of the Isle of Armour DLC for me, Honey being a secret boss battle. It was so unexpected that I didn't even find out until I saw a YouTube video about it! XD I was just like "Honey's a secret boss fight?! WOW!" It sucks that you have to give her 1 million watts to unlock it so it's a lot of hard and tedious work just to unlock a mere boss battle but it's worth it as it shows Honey's not just some generic NPC in Sword and Shield. It's easy to see why Mustard married her. XD

Like with Klara, Honey's team here is different from the actual game. In the game, she has a Blissey and a Salazzle but here, I replaced them with Volcarona and Kingdra. Don't you think her team would be SOOOOOO much better if she had those two instead of Blissey and Salazzle? And of course, whether she has Blastoise or Venusaur depends on which one you pick from her after completing Trial 1. :)

I was also going to include Hyde and the Prison Ball at the end but with how long this battle went on for, I felt it would be better to save it for another chapter. Plus with this battle being long, I decided to split it in two instead of put it all in one chapter. :)