Chapter 16: Sapphire vs. Mustard Part 1
It took Sapphire a whole week to recover from Zeraora's attack.
Throughout the time, Honey never left her husband or her student's sides, tending to them as much as possible and keeping close watch on their vital signs to see if they were still stable. She'd even called a professional doctor for help in keeping Honey and Sapphire alive. Mustard was the first to wake up, waking up only a day after passing out but Sapphire took much longer. The damage done to her by Zeraora wasn't something that could be healed overnight. Throughout the week, she slept peacefully with the only signs of life being the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. She had of course been changed out of her uniform and given pyjamas as she slept. Honey had started to worry about the child's health. Suppose Sapphire didn't make it and ended up dying before she could ever come out of her coma? But come the second-to-last day of the week, Sapphire started to show signs of improving. Her vital signs were returning to normal and the damage done by Zeraora was starting to heal. The doctor Honey had hired estimated that she might finally wake up the next day if she continued to improve.
His estimations ended up being completely accurate. Late into the afternoon of the next day, Sapphire finally opened her eyes. She groaned groggily as she shifted in her bed and woke up. Her eyes didn't open all the way but it was enough to show Honey that she was alive and out of her coma. The Dojo Matron was so relieved that she began to cry with tears of joy.
"Oh thank goodness! You're finally awake!" Honey gasped, "I was hoping you'd wake up at last."
"At last…? How long…have I been out?" Sapphire croaked. Her voice was so hoarse that she could barely speak above a whisper. It even hurt her throat just trying to talk.
"A whole week, my dear." Honey said gently, "Zeraora brought you so dangerously close to death that you just fell into a coma. You're VERY lucky to be alive! If it wasn't for Iron Fist…well, I think we'd be arranging your funeral by now."
Sapphire could only smile weakly in response. She was naturally glad to be alive, even if she was still in a lot of pain right now. How she'd been electrocuted by Zeraora and had pulled through, she would never know.
"Mustard's doing just fine too, love." Honey informed, "He's still recovering from the beating he got from Zeraora but don't worry, he's OK. My husband's still as tough as nails despite his old age. As for Zeraora, we've locked the Prison Ball away in our private safe. Only me and Mustard will ever know about it and Zeraora will stay there forever and ever. Mustard, bless him, suggested we bury the safe just to be double sure he can't get out but that's not necessary. Oh and you may be wondering about Hyde." she added, "He's back with us too, and he's delighted that you're awake too."
She gestured to her son, who was standing at the foot of Sapphire's bed. Like Honey had said, Hyde genuinely looked happy to see her alive. Hyde had come back to the dojo within hours of Zeraora's defeat and had been anxiously waiting to see if Sapphire would wake up.
"I hope you get well soon." the boy genius said softly, "And I'm so glad that my Prison Ball worked as intended. You saved my parents from that evil Pokémon and I can't express enough how grateful I am. I really hoped you'd wake up so I could thank you myself."
Honey beamed, delighted with her son's kind words. Sapphire smiled back in response.
"Y-you're welcome…" she said weakly.
"Please don't talk dear." Honey said softly, "You're still recovering and it'd help you to preserve your strength for now. If there's anything you need, just whisper to me."
Sapphire nodded. She then gestured for Honey to come closer so she could whisper into her ear. Honey leaned closer and Sapphire whispered to her. The matron nodded.
"Of course dear. I couldn't just not let your family know what had happened." Honey explained, "I called your mother and father shortly after putting you to bed. They were worried sick of course, but they'll be happy to know you're awake and you're going to be alright now. Your sisters and girlfriend will be delighted too."
That made Sapphire feel better. At least her family wouldn't have been spending this whole time worrying about her not knowing what had happened. Her family and girlfriend were going to be thrilled to hear she was alive and recovering well. Sapphire turned to one side and noticed that she had indeed received Get Well cards while she'd been in her coma. The cards had been put on a counter beside the bed and there were small and large cards from various people. Honey saw her looking at the cards and showed them to her one by one to let her see which ones were from whom. She'd received cards from Hop and Leon, Professor Sonia, Klara, Sanjay and Abigail and she noticed that she'd even received a card from Student 4 in the Tower of Darkness, the card signed "Luz" as that was her real name. The card said that her girlfriend, who was apparently called Amity, was wishing her well too. Of course, her parents and sisters had sent cards with Ruby's being the biggest one of them all. It said:
Please wake up soon, Sapph. I can't believe you actually fought against a Zeraora and won! I really hope you don't die. Get well soon, sis! Hope to see you soon!
Ruby XXX
But of course, her favourite card had come from Ashley Benson. She'd posted it days ago but due to Unova being a long way from Galar, it had only just arrived at the Master Dojo yesterday. It was a pink and white card with a pair of Luvdiscs kissing each other, the words "Get Well Soon My Love" written in white letters on a pink heart. Inside it had said:
Hi Sapph! I'm utterly shocked (no pun intended) to hear what had happened to you! I can't imagine how much pain you were in when that Zeraora attacked you! I'm so glad you were able to stop it in the end and I hope you get well soon. I'll come over to see you whenever it's possible! When I do, I hope you'll be much better. Take it easy and don't strain yourself, kay?
Lots of love and kisses for you!
Ashley B. XXX
P.S., I have a big surprise for you when I come over so I hope you'll live long enough to hear it!
That had made Sapphire curious. What was this big surprise Ashley had for her? She couldn't wait to hear it.
Sapphire remained in bed for a few more days before she was allowed to have visitors come and see her. During that time, she'd been given a bell to ring so that she could tell Honey whenever she wanted something without needing to talk. Over time, her voice got a lot better and she was able to speak again without it hurting so she no longer needed it. Mustard was back on his feet too, feeling much better after his injuries and he was joining his wife in looking after Sapphire. He'd sat by the bed so he could thank her personally for all she'd done.
"You may be the biggest hero on the island, Sapphire." Mustard complimented, "Me and Honey may have contributed, but it was your skills as a trainer that ultimately won the battle in the end. The way you trained Iron Fist to be as endurable as he was, and in such a short amount of time…you should be very proud of yourself, my girl. It's a rare talent that trainers are able to raise such strong Pokémon in only a matter of days."
He took Sapphire's hand.
"All I can say is thank you for all you've done for us. We're all alive thanks to you! And for that, we're forever in your debt." Mustard said kindly.
"Please don't, master." Sapphire said modestly, "I'm just glad I could help, and that we all survived the battle. I'm glad that things will be back to normal here and we'll be safe again."
"That we will." Mustard agreed, "In the meantime, would you be up for the final trial once you're filly recovered?" he asked.
Sapphire just shrugged.
"I started this course, didn't I? I've done all the other trials, so I should do the last. No doubt it's going to be a battle between me and you, right?"
"Absolutely!" Mustard chortled jovially, "And believe me, I'm rather excited about it. Challenging the very student who defeated Zeraora will be a fine way to finish this season's term! Once you're fully recovered, I'll arrange the battle. I bet your family would love to watch it too."
"I'll invite them over." Sapphire declared, "I look forward to battling you, Mustard. It'll be a lot more fun than battling Zeraora, that's for sure!"
"Well at least you know that in a battle against me, I won't try to kill you." Mustard snickered.
By the end of next week, Sapphire was able to get out of bed and walk on her own with no help from anybody. While she still ached from Zeraora's attack and found herself grimacing every so often, she was more or less closer to her old self than before. To show just how much she'd gotten better, she changed into her uniform by herself with no help from Mustard or Honey. After doing so, the first thing she did was bring her Pokémon out of their Pokéballs. While they had seen her during her time in bed, it was nice for Sapphire to be able to interact with them properly and give them hugs like usual. She gave Iron Fist the biggest one for it was all thanks to him that she and Mustard were still alive now.
"As long as I'm around, Sapphire, I won't let anyone hurt you again." Iron Fist swore.
"Might be hard to keep that promise, but I get what you mean." Sapphire said graciously, "I'm just so grateful to be alive, and all because you refused to give up against Zeraora! I don't think I'll ever be able to thank you enough, Iron Fist."
"Your being alive now is all the gratitude I need." the Urshifu insisted, "And hey, I remained optimistic you would pull through and what happens? You pull through! Optimism really is a powerful thing, ain't it?"
"Ha, ha! It really is!" Sapphire agreed, "And I'm optimistic that we'll win the final trial against Mustard and end our time in the Isle of Armour on a high note. I hope you've all rested well from our fight with Zeraora because this is going to be a big one!"
And so with Sapphire feeling much better than before, the battle was arranged to take place the following weekend with all the students returning back to the island. But the night before, Sapphire ended up receiving the very visitors she'd been hoping to see the whole time she'd been bedbound. There was a knock on the door and Honey opened it up. She turned to Sapphire, who was standing nearby.
"It's for you, love! And I think you'll be happy to see who it is." she said cheerfully.
Sapphire gleefully opened the door and found herself blessed with the most beautiful sight she could be seeing right now. Standing on the doorstep was none other than Ashley, her face a broad grin of pleasure upon seeing her girlfriend once again. She looked no different from last time Sapphire had seen her, still clad in her usual vest and shorts.
"Hi gorgeous!" Ashley chirped, "You have no idea how much I've been aching to see you again!"
"Ashley!" Sapphire exclaimed as she threw her arms around her, "It's great to see you too! I loved your Get Well card by the way."
"I hoped you would." Ashley said happily, "No doubt you remembered that I said I had a big surprise for you. Thank Arceus you're alive to receive it!"
"True, true!" Sapphire giggled, "So what is it?"
Ashley grinned, practically giddy with excitement as she unveiled her surprise.
"You and I can be together permanently!" she announced, squealing loud enough for the whole island to hear her.
"What do you mean by that?" Sapphire asked curiously.
"I've packed my bags and decided to move to Galar." Ashley explained, "It was hard saying goodbye to my mom and to Bianca and Cheren but they all accepted that I'd found a girl I loved and I wanted to be with her. We managed to find a place for me to stay and I just moved in earlier this week. I wanted to tell you about it but I thought you'd be happier to hear it in person. Isn't that great?!"
"It is!" Sapphire cried, "But…what about your title? You're the Champion of Unova! Don't tell me you gave all that up just so you could live with me in Galar, right?"
"Why wouldn't I? You think some silly title is more important than my girlfriend?" Ashley snorted, "Besides, I ain't the champ anymore so don't worry about it."
The Galarian girl was so astonished that she thought her ears had dropped off.
"Wait, what? When did that happen?!" she blurted.
"About a day before Zeraora put you in that coma." the Unovan girl explained, "I was challenged by Gym Leader Iris for the title. She's been after it for a while, ya know and…well, I got my ass kicked. HARD! Who knew a Haxorus with Dragon Dance could wreck people's shit so badly?! Of course, Iris was a good sport about it and hoped there were no hard feelings and I just said, "Don't sweat it! I'm actually glad ya beat me as now I don't have anything ta hold me back from seeing my girlfriend again!", which she understood perfectly. She actually hopes to meet you one day, Sapph. Who knows, I might take you to Unova one day so you can challenge her yourself."
"I'm sure it'll be nice to meet Unova's new Champion." Sapphire said brightly, "Well Champion or not, you're still my Ashley and I'm glad that we can be together for real this time. Nothing holding us back anymore!"
Delighted with the exciting news, the two girls kissed each other. Honey had watched the whole thing and was touched at the lovely scene before her. These two young lovers could be together, just as they wanted. What could be sweeter? But of course, Ashley wasn't the only guest that Sapphire received that evening.
Shortly after Ashley's arrival, Sapphire's family came over with Hop also accompanying them. Ruby and Emerald had practically thrown themselves into Sapphire's arms the moment Honey opened the door for them. Naturally, they were going to be the happiest of anyone to see her alive and well again. Sapphire just hugged her sisters back and smiled appreciatively.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you two have really missed me!" she joked.
"We'd be missing you even more if you were dead!" Emerald retorted, "It's so great to see you again Sapph, and very much alive too!"
"I couldn't believe what I was hearing when I got the news." Ruby put in, "I thought my heart was going to stop that day! It's a miracle that you took an electric attack from a Zeraora and survived! What happened that led to that attack anyway?"
Sapphire recapped the whole story to her family from Zeraora's depressing origins to his revenge plot to his return to the Isle of Armour that had left her bedbound for two weeks. Annie had broken down crying just hearing Sapphire recap the whole thing while Ruby and Emerald had listened in complete silence, stunned that their sister had had to go through such intense training in a short amount of time just to be ready for a killer Pokémon that wanted to wreak vengeance on the island. Hop was equally as amazed. It was a story so incredible that they wouldn't have believed it if anyone else had told it. Michael put his arms around Annie to comfort her as she sobbed.
"Man…I wish I'd known about that Zeraora's return!" Hop cried indignantly, "Me and Zamazenta would've really kicked that guy's arse and helped you take him down!"
"Me and Broadsword could've helped too!" Emerald declared, "Galar's heroes coming together to stop a vengeful Pokémon…it'd be like when they stopped the Darkest Day together!"
"And Doomsday could've been of great help too." Ruby added, "Three Legendries together to fight Zeraora…we could've saved you that near death experience Sapph. Why did nobody let us know this was happening?"
"We didn't want to drag anyone else into this and make them potential targets for Zeraora." Mustard explained grimly, "We felt it would be safer to keep the situation contained to our island and to involve as few people as possible. At least if anyone was to die, it would only be us and nobody else."
"But my daughter was very much in danger staying with you two to fight that Pokémon." Annie snivelled, "I know she's a very capable trainer, but she's still my daughter! I would've preferred it if you'd evacuated her and brought her back home so she would've been safe from Zeraora too!"
"But if they had, then Zeraora would never have been defeated." Sapphire noted, "It's thanks to my being there to help Mustard and Honey that we stopped him in the end. I know I nearly died, but I was willing to risk my life if it meant saving others. Ruby risked her life to save us all from Eternatus so I was willing to do the same here on the island."
"And I think you're a very brave girl to do so, Sapphire." Michael said with pride in his voice, "As scared as I was to think we could've lost you, I couldn't be prouder of you to do what you did to stop that Pokémon."
Sapphire just smiled in appreciation.
"Thank you dad." she said graciously as she walked over to her parents and hugged them both.
Michael and Annie hugged their daughter in return.
"I also think it was for the best you kept it strictly contained to the island." Ruby added, looking back at Mustard, "I suppose you also didn't want to risk bringing us over and leaving Galar itself undefended. As unlikely as it was, imagine if we left to help you and then something else happened? With all of us gathered in one place, Galar might've been left wide open to another catastrophe that we might've been too late to help with!"
"That is correct." Mustard confirmed, "We felt it was wiser to handle this situation ourselves so you and your friends could be there to keep Galar safe if necessary. Leaving the mainland undefended would've been very foolish indeed…"
"We still could've at least spared me to help you out." Hop muttered, "I would've been all too happy to fight alongside Sapphire as I did with Ruby last year! Ah well, at least it's all over and there's no evil Pokémon to fight for the time being."
"Too right." Ashley agreed, "I much prefer us all being together to enjoy the peace than worrying if some evil Pokémon's gonna kill us all!"
Everyone couldn't help but chuckle at the remark. Ruby turned to Sapphire.
"So Sapph, aside from nearly getting flat lined by a Zeraora, how has your time on the island been?" the silver-haired Champion inquired.
Sapphire recapped her whole time on the island from the first day to when she won the trials and acquired Iron Fist. She even showed her family, girlfriend and neighbour her team of Pokémon she'd built up during her time on the island. Iron Fist, Terri, Dal, Bloom, Mysterio and Kagami were pleased to meet their trainer's friends and family and they enjoyed getting to show off some of their moves. Sapphire detailed the trials she'd had to go through and how she'd won each of them or at least passed them. Then she spoke of the additional training Klara and Honey had given her along with conquering the Tower of Darkness in order to evolve Iron Fist into an Urshifu. But most of all, she talked about what wonderful hosts Mustard and Honey had been and how they'd looked after her well on the island, both before and during Zeraora's attack. The Dojo Master and Matron just smiled modestly, saying it was no problem at all and they were glad to have received a student as talented, honest, kind and brave as Sapphire to be a part of them. Ruby shook their hands.
"Well regardless of what you think, I can't thank you two enough for all you've done for my sister." the Champion said with pleasure, "I'm glad that you gave her a good time and that you helped her in fighting Zeraora so she wouldn't have to do it alone. As a token of thanks, I'll donate some of my winnings to the Master Dojo that you may spend on whatever you believe is necessary to keep the place running."
"Oh Ruby, I cannot accept an offer like that!" Mustard exclaimed in surprise, "Gracious me, I wouldn't ask to receive money from Galar's current Champion! You don't have to compensate us like this!"
"No…but I WANT to." Ruby insisted, "It's what you deserve, after all! Besides, I make more money off of my battles than I know what to do with! It's no skin off my nose!"
"Well if you insist…" Honey said with a slight chuckle, "Thank you very much. I guarantee, your reward will be well used."
"That, I know it will." Ruby said with a reassuring smile, "In the meantime, I'd like to stay and watch you and Sapphire duel each other, if that's OK with you." she added, looking to Mustard again.
"Sapphire insisted she invite you over for that match so of course it's OK with me." Mustard declared, "You might have to stay overnight though as the battle's arranged for tomorrow."
"We have plenty of beds to spare so don't worry about space." Honey reassured them, "And don't worry about food either, we have plenty of that too. Speaking of which, who wants to try my famous Max Soup while you're here? I guarantee that it's as delicious as it sounds!"
And so the next morning, the battle was set up. After breakfast, the students all made their return to the island, arriving in Flying Taxis one after the other with Mustard and Honey welcoming them back with open arms. Abigail and Sanjay were both relieved to see Sapphire again, especially now she was back on her feet and looking so well despite the battle with Zeraora. They were also astonished to see Ashley was here and were thrilled to get the chance to meet her, even if she was no longer the Unova Champion. And of course, Klara was among the returning students. Even if she and Sapphire weren't exactly friends yet, she was genuinely pleased to see her looking well.
"I can't imagine how horrible that must've been." the Poison Gym Leader said sympathetically, "Being shocked into a coma…and I thought being paralyzed was torturous enough! I'm so glad you're OK now!"
"Thanks. That really means a lot to me." Sapphire said graciously, "I'm glad you're OK too. You'll be happy to know that your teachings helped us out a lot in the battle."
"I'm glad they could!" Klara said brightly, "So where is Zeraora now? Did the Prison Ball work?"
"Like a charm." Sapphire confirmed, "He isn't going anywhere. Mustard and Honey have put him somewhere, but I'm not allowed to tell you. We all agreed it's a secret we mustn't share with anyone."
"I get it, just in case anyone stabs us in the back and frees him again." Klara acknowledged, "At least we won't have to worry about that monster anymore!"
"I only wish we could've turned him back to Mustard's side so we wouldn't have to lock him away." Sapphire said grimly, "But I guess things can't always go how we want."
"Sad but true." Klara muttered, thinking back to her own experiences in how things didn't go how she'd wanted them to, "Say, if ever you're available again…would you be up for a rematch?" she asked, her tone of voice clear that it was a friendly request and not a demand, "I know I'd love a chance to battle you again!"
"You're on!" Sapphire declared, "And I bet you'll end up regretting teaching me some of your moves when I use them against you!"
"Ha, ha, maybe! But we'll just have to see who does it better." Klara said with a mischievous wink.
But the biggest surprise for everyone came when an unexpected guest showed up at the Master Dojo to watch Sapphire and Mustard battle. A chorus of gasps rang out from all the students as none other than Leon Dande made his entrance. Even Mustard looked surprised to see his former student again but his surprise quickly turned into pleasure as the two men approached each other and embraced. It was an incredible sight to see two former Champions together like this in one room.
"Well, if it isn't my old student!" the old man chuckled heartily.
"It's been a long time, old friend." Leon agreed, "And yet it feels like yesterday when I was here in this very dojo being trained by you…" he sighed as a tingle of nostalgia crept through his body.
"I wondered if you'd ever return some day." Mustard said, "You look well! How's life been for you since being dethroned by Ruby?" he asked, glancing in the current Champion's direction.
"Quieter." Leon chuckled, "But I'm really enjoying being the man in charge of the Battle Tower. The amount of challengers the tower gets every day really fires me up! But today, I thought I'd see how my old master does against one of my neighbours so I had Charizard fly me over so I could watch."
"You're in for a treat, I'm sure." Sapphire put in, "Mustard's taught me a lot on this island and I'm quite keen to show you what I've learnt!"
"Ha! That's exactly why I had to come and watch!" Leon said brightly, "I know you're not Galar's Champion, Sapphire, but I bet you'll show Mustard a Champion time regardless!"
And with that, everyone had gathered outside in the Battle Court to watch master and student duke it out in the trial that would conclude this term for the Isle of Armour. Sapphire had to admit, she was feeling a little under pressure given she had her family, her girlfriend, her neighbours and her friends here on the island all watching her about to battle the man that owned the whole island. She had a lot of people to impress, and a lot to disappoint as well. But the blue-haired teen put the thoughts aside. She would do just fine. If she could deliver great battles with an entire audience of people watching her in the Gyms and Wyndon Stadium, she could do anything!
"Good luck out there, Sapph!" Ruby and Emerald both squealed in unison.
"Show em what for, hon!" Ashley cheered.
"I honestly don't know who to root for as both are great!" Honey said with a slight giggle.
"Show everyone why you're Galar's longest reigning Champion!" Leon cried supportively.
The cheers rang out amongst the students and visitors as the battle was about to commence. Sapphire and Mustard had taken up their positions in the Battle Court, facing each other and staring intently into one another's eyes as they awaited the signal to go. It was hard to believe for either of them that one had been a new student starting the new term a couple of weeks ago and the other had been her tutor, and now where they were going to be testing their mettle against each other in an all-out battle to determine who was going to conclude the term victorious! How had time passed so quickly on the island to get them to this point? It was as if life had gone on fast-forward to get them here and get the battle going! Mustard had discarded his jacket as usual, which gave Ruby, Emerald, Hop and Ashley a surprise as much like Sapphire, they two had no idea that under that baggy jacket, the Dojo master was actually very fit. Leon had no reaction for he, of course, knew this already. As far as he was concerned, Mustard hadn't changed a bit since he'd last seen him.
"And so it begins, the closing trial." Mustard announced, "And to think you was here starting the very first trial not so long ago! How do you feel, my child?"
"Excited, but kinda nervous too." Sapphire admitted, "How is my time here nearly at an end already?! I have to say, it's going to be quite amazing, getting a full six-on-six Pokémon battle with Leon's mentor and Galar's longest reigning Champion. I doubt any opponent I face in the future can match up to that kind of reputation!"
"You don't have to see me that way, Sapphire." Mustard insisted, "Just view me as any other opponent. Let's give everyone here today a battle that'll go down in history as one of Galar's greatest, shall we?"
"I'm ready when you are!" Sapphire declared, "Let's battle!"
"Ha, ha, just the kind of enthusiasm I adore from my students!" Mustard chuckled, "In that case, let the battle commence!"
Both he and Sapphire drew out their first Pokéballs. They waited for a moment…and then threw them.
"Mysterio, shining time!" Sapphire called.
"Mienshao, into action!" Mustard cried.
The two Pokémon materialized into the arena and took up battle positions as they prepared to fight. Sapphire took a moment to take in who she was up against. Mienshao were Fighting-type Pokémon originally discovered in Unova and were notorious for being fast and powerful fighters, but weren't very good at taking hits themselves. They were weasel-like in appearance with grey and purple fur and had long whippy fur draping over their hands that they used for fighting. Ashley recognized it straight away and was surprised to see that Mienshao could be found here in Galar too. They were among some of the species that were exclusive to the Isle of Armour.
"A Mienshao…that's a good Pokémon to start with." Ashley declared, "I speak from experience when I say they're strong Pokémon!"
"No doubt about it. But Sapph has the advantage here." Ruby noted, "Alakazam is a Psychic type so Mienshao will be weak to his Psychic attacks…unless Mienshao has a way of mitigating that weakness."
Ashley nodded. They'd just have to see how the fight would play out. Sapphire made the first move by ordering Mysterio to use Psychic on Mienshao. But Mustard had been expecting that move. He countered it by ordering his Pokémon to use Fake Out. Mienshao rushed up to Mysterio just as psychic energy was building up around him and then it clapped its hands together. The resulting clap created a shockwave that knocked Mysterio back and stopped his attack. Mysterio grunted from the attack, taken aback by how sudden and powerful it had been. For the moment, Mysterio was stunned and couldn't move by the result of Fake Out. Now he was wide-open, Mustard took advantage of the situation by ordering Mienshao to use U-turn. Ruby nodded grimly, her suspicions confirmed by that single command. His Mienshao knew a Bug-type move to combat its weakness to Psychic types! Mienshao rushed towards Mysterio and slugged him hard in the stomach. The Alakazam coughed, wondering if Mienshao's fist would rip through his stomach if it punched him any harder. After that, the weasel-like Pokémon returned to its master's Pokéball and Mustard whipped out another Pokéball.
"Useful isn't it to have switcheroo moves like U-turn, isn't he?" the elderly Pokémon Master said brightly, "Let's see if this one's a better match-up for this fight!"
He threw out his next Pokéball and brought it the electric-type Luxray, another Isle of Armour exclusive Pokémon. First discovered in the Sinnoh region, they resembled lions and had blue and black fur with a yellow star at the end of their long tails and they had star-shaped manes which were longer on the males than the females. They too were Pokémon that packed a lot of power but couldn't take many hits themselves. Sapphire was curious to see what this Luxray could do. She didn't know much about them so there were plenty of opportunities for it to surprise her.
"I bet that Luxray's going to be a good opponent." she murmured, "Given what Mienshao can do, who knows what Mustard trained this Luxray to do."
She commanded Mysterio to use Psychic again, hoping to land a hit this time. The Alakazam held out his spoons and sent a wave of psychic energy sweeping towards Luxray. The lion-like Pokémon just simply jumped up and dodged out the way as if it was nothing. Sapphire gasped. Luxray weren't slow Pokémon but they weren't particularly fast either so seeing it dodge like that was definitely surprising. She imagined Mustard trained his Pokémon to be agile as well as strong. Luxray landed back on all fours and sprinted towards Mysterio, bearing its teeth. Mustard had ordered it to use Crunch. Luxray pounced towards Mysterio, opening its mouth wide so it could bite down on him. Sapphire countered by ordering her Pokémon to use the Counter Shield technique he'd learnt from Klara. The pink-haired pop singer beamed with delight as she watched Mysterio perform it now, psychic energy spinning around him to protect him from Luxray's attack. The waves hit Luxray and knocked it aside, stopping it from getting close to bite down on him.
"Wa-hey! Great job Sapph! Just like what I taught ya!" Klara cheered.
"Wow, you taught her that move?" Emerald asked in surprise.
"Sure did! I use Counter Shields a lot in my battles and I offered to teach her those moves to use against Zeraora!" Klara squealed excitedly.
"That's so awesome of you." Ruby said, her voice full of gratitude, "I remember Ash and Paul would use moves like that when they fought each other in Sinnoh…" she added, thinking back to their legendary battle she and her sisters had seen together on TV before they'd become trainers.
She turned her attention back to the battle as Mysterio knocked Luxray aside with his psychic waves. The lion Pokémon skidded across the floor but was otherwise not badly hurt. It stood back up and shook itself off, ready to attack again. Mustard ordered it to use Wild Charge instead, hoping that Mysterio's Counter Shield technique wouldn't block it. Luxray sprinted madly towards Mysterio, its whole body coated in electricity. Mysterio tried again with his Counter Shield but this time, it didn't work. Luxray came in too quickly and too heavily for the shield to stop it so it ploughed through his psychic waves and smashed right into him. The whole attack felt like being slammed in the stomach by a sledgehammer. Mysterio hurled backwards and crashed down sharply on his back, wincing from the impact. Luxray grimaced too as Wild Charge was a move that came with recoil damage, but it wasn't hurt for long. Sapphire waited for a moment to see if he could get up again. To her relief, he did. He grunted but he was otherwise able to stand back up. Satisfied, Sapphire ordered him to use Dazzling Gleam.
Mysterio held out his spoons and created a sparkling beam of fairy energy that shot towards Luxray. The attack was so bright and dazzling that Luxray didn't even have time to dodge as it was momentarily blinded by the bright sparkles. It squeezed its eyes shut in response, which left it wide-open to the attack. The Dazzling Gleam hit and knocked Luxray back. Mustard watched on as his Pokémon was brought down. At first, it seemed like Luxray was out of the fight but to his relief, it was able to get back up again. The Electric Pokémon pounced towards Mysterio once again, hoping to land a Crunch attack on him this time. It bared its fangs and came in for the bite. But Mysterio was able to react in time, using Psychic to stop Luxray before it could come close enough to bite him. Now Luxray was immobilized, Mysterio used his psychic abilities to swing it up and down onto the ground numerous times. Then finally, the Alakazam sent Luxray flying backwards with a single thrust of his hands. The electric Pokémon hurled through the air and hit the ground, bounced up and then crashed down again, rolling to a painful stop on its side and groaning from the impact. It didn't get up again.
The crowd gasped in amazement at what they'd seen. The Dojo Master was down one Pokémon already?! Even Sapphire was speechless that she'd gotten such a good start against Mustard. Even Honey had managed to take out one of her Pokémon before she took out any of her's!
"Blimey, I didn't think I'd get the lead so quickly and early on!" Sapphire gasped.
"What can we say? You're a skilled trainer and I'm a strong Pokémon." Mysterio gloated, "The two of us together are always going to start off well!"
Mustard returned his Luxray to its Pokéball and gave a broad, fiery smile that showed he was just getting warmed up. He looked pumped, more excited than he'd ever been in a while.
"Just as I expected from my star student!" he said, his nerves surging with adrenaline, "With the great performance you put up in the Tower of Darkness, I expected nothing less from you. But mark my words, this battle's only just beginning! I have many more surprises up my sleeves!"
"How? You just threw your jacket off and your vest has no sleeves." Sapphire noted, "Where are you keeping your surprises in that case?"
The crowd giggled, seeing the funny side of Sapphire's comment. As true as it was, she had meant it as a joke and even Mustard couldn't help but laugh.
"I don't know what's sharper, your wit or your Pokémon trainer skills!" he chortled, "Now then, let's see how you feel about my Mienshao making a comeback to the arena…"
He threw his first Pokéball and returned Mienshao to the arena. The Fighting-type Pokémon balanced itself on one foot and raised its arms in a martial arts stance as it prepared to battle some more. Sapphire already knew what to expect from Mienshao and took a moment to consider her options.
"OK, Mysterio has the type-advantage but Mienshao has Fake Out to stop him and U-turn to do super-effective damage while also returning to its Pokéball to switch out with another…" Sapphire murmured, "If I try to have Mysterio use Psychic again, Mienshao will stop it with Fake Out and then use U-turn while he can't move. He's already taken a few hits so I might be better of switching out. But who to use next…"
She thought for a moment. Then she made her decision. She returned Mysterio to his Pokéball and exchanged him for another.
"I know Ashley will love getting to see you. Kagami, shining time!" Sapphire cried as she threw the ball.
Her mighty Druddigon materialized into view and just as expected, Kagami immediately drew Ashley's attention. Her eyes widened with delight at the sight of her.
"Awesome! You got your own Druddigon too!" the Unovan girl exclaimed, "No doubt my battle with you in the semi-finals inspired you to catch one!"
"Absolutely, and just like your Druddigon, she has the Sheer Force ability too!" Sapphire called back, "Just wait until you see her in action, Ashley!"
Kagami gritted her teeth and spread out her claws. Mienshao just narrowed its eyes, refusing to be intimidated by the Dragon Pokémon. Mustard could see that this match-up wasn't necessarily a favourable one for him as his Mienshao had nothing to really use against Dragon-type Pokémon, but he had a handy way around that. Once again, he commanded his weasel-like Pokémon to use U-turn so he could do damage to its opponent and swap out for another Pokémon. Mienshao struck Kagami, but the Dragon Pokémon was able to take the hit better than Mysterio did as Druddigon were tougher Pokémon than Alakazam in terms of defences, plus she lacked a weakness to Bug-types that Mysterio had. After the hit, Mienshao returned to its Pokéball and Mustard whipped out another, throwing it into the air to give Sapphire his third Pokémon of the battle already.
This time, he'd sent out a Lycanroc, a Pokémon first discovered in the islands of the Alola region. It was a brown-and-white coloured wolf-like Pokémon with a big bushy white tail, piercing blue eyes and pointy ears. Lycanroc were Rock-type Pokémon and could come in three different forms. This was the Midday version of the species. Sapphire could tell by its brown and white fur and its quadrupedal stance. Like Mustard's first two Pokémon, Lycanroc were also Isle of Armour exclusives for those living in Galar. Sapphire was intrigued by Mustard's new choice. What could this Lycanroc do? She had a feeling it was going to be something she wouldn't expect.
"My Lycanroc may seem a little frail compared to my first two Pokémon, but I assure you, appearances can be VERY deceiving, my girl!" Mustard crowed as if reading his student's thoughts, "This loyal Pokémon has always been a big help for me in many battles, as you'll soon see for yourself!"
He commanded Lycanroc to use Stealth Rock. The lupine Pokémon tensed its body up for a moment and then sent huge chunks of rock hurling over to Kagami's side of the field where they buried themselves into the ground and stayed there as if waiting for their next victim. Sapphire frowned. With Stealth Rock in play, her Pokémon would receive damage upon entering the arena now. That would be troublesome if she didn't play her cards right in this battle.
"Clever thinking, master." Sapphire complimented, "If only I'd thought to teach my Pokémon any moves to get rid of Stealth Rock. But we won't let that slow us down! Kagami, use Iron Head!"
Kagami lowered her head and charged towards Lycanroc. A steel covering formed over her cranium and glowed with silver energy as Kagami charged. Ashley watched with excitement as her girlfriend's Druddigon stampeded straight into Lycanroc and smashed her head hard into her opponent. With the Sheer Force ability removing side-effects to power up attacks, Kagami's Iron Head was much more powerful than it would've been normally. Lycanroc howled in pain as it was thrown backwards by the heavy blow. It crashed down on its side and skidded to a halt. It grimaced in pain but surprisingly, was able to get back up again relatively quickly. Mustard grinned with delight. His Lycanroc was notorious for being able to take hits more than the species usually was as they didn't have the best defences. As soon as Lycanroc was back up, Mustard made everyone gasp in amazement as he commanded his Pokémon to use Play Rough. Even Ruby was surprised to learn that Lycanroc could learn a move like that. Lycanroc created a fairy mist that shrouded Kagami from view for a moment and then it pounced on her, lashing out multiple times with its claws and tail to inflict super-effective damage onto Kagami.
The Druddigon grimaced from every hit she took. Even she couldn't stand up to a powerful Fairy-type attack like this. After the mist cleared, Lycanroc was left standing, its tail flicking side-to-side with pleasure while Kagami fell to one knee, panting heavily from the onslaught. Sapphire could tell that another Play Rough from Lycanroc would bring this match to an end so she had to end it first before the rocky wolf could attack again. She had just the move that would end things in her favour. Smiling confidently, the blue-haired girl ordered Kagami to use Superpower. Lycanroc would NEVER survive a blow from one of the strongest Fighting-type moves a Pokémon could learn! Kagami glowed with red energy and pounded towards Lycanroc. Her fists were clenched and her footsteps came down heavily. Ashley watched, wide-eyed with awe as Kagami whaled down on her opponent. It was so awesome to see that her girlfriend had her own powerful Druddigon she like did, and she seemed to be just as strong as her's too! Kagami punched and kicked Lycanroc several times over, throwing her attacks with enough force to split open boulders. For a Rock-type like Lycanroc, Superpower was an attack that made them feel like they were being smashed wide open.
After Kagami was finished, Lycanroc was thrown back and sent crashing down onto its back. It didn't get back up after that. That astonished all the watching students and guests. Even Sapphire was struggling to comprehend the current outcome of this match. How was she against the Dojo Master and Galar's longest reigning Champion and yet she was winning?! She still had a full team left while Mustard was already down to four Pokémon! It was clear her time on the island had made her stronger than she thought!
"If this is how well I'm doing with my Isle of Armour team, imagine if I was fighting Mustard with James Pond and the gang!" Sapphire exclaimed.
"You're kicking a lot of ass out there, Sapph!" Ashley cheered, "And yer Druddigon's awesome!"
"Thank you! I knew you'd enjoy seeing her in action!" Sapphire replied happily.
"I don't believe it…your sister's actually winning!" Leon exclaimed, looking over at Ruby, "I thought my old mentor would give her a tougher time than this but nope! It seems she's got this in the bag!"
"Don't give up on Mustard so quickly." Ruby warned, "Four Pokémon left can still turn a match around big time. Sapph hasn't won by a long shot. Let's not forget both Kagami and Mysterio have taken damage so Sapph may have a full team, but not all of them are at full health."
"Oh just you wait, darling." Honey insisted, "My husband's got plenty more to work with for now. He'll be bringing out his real aces now…"
She was absolutely right. Mustard returned Lycanroc and exchanged him for what had once been the strongest Pokémon in his arsenal until he'd gotten his own Urshifu to battle Zeraora with. This next Pokémon was another species first discovered in Alola, a Dragon/Fighting-type Pokémon named Kommo-o. Sapphire had read much about them in guides to Galar's Pokémon Wildlife she loved to read in her spare time. They were grey, draconian Pokémon with large scales on their heads, arms, back and tail. The scales were gold coloured at the tips and were large, round oversized things that made them look like they were carrying lots of giant coins on their bodies. Kommo-o were a unique type of Pokémon as they were the only Pokémon in the world to have the Dragon/Fighting type combination. Sapphire took in Kommo-o's appearance with fascination and nervousness as she had a feeling this was going to be a tough opponent to beat.
"That Kommo-o looks real tough." she observed, "This'll be interesting as I've never fought one of those before."
"I hope mine will set a good example for you, Sapphire." Mustard purred smoothly, "This Pokémon is one of my personal aces and often acts as a sort of mentor to my other Pokémon. Now we shall see who will emerge victorious in this battle of the dragons!"
Kagami and Kommo-o stared each other down, both growling viciously as they prepared to attack. Both were itching to show each other just how powerful they were. All eyes were on the opponents now as the battle commenced. Kagami and Kommo-o launched themselves as if they were fired from a gun at each other. They collided and grappled one another, their powerful arms wrestling heavily as they tried to push one another back. They gritted their teeth, growling from the effort as they pushed against each other. Kagami could tell Kommo-o was an insanely strong opponent. Its arms felt like steel cables to her and it was certainly going to overpower her if this sumo match kept up. In the end, Kagami threw her arms aside to throw Kommo-o off but the Dragon/Fighting Pokémon spun on its heels and walloped her with its tail. Kagami grunted. The tail whip had felt like being hit with a mallet! She fell onto the floor, her back throbbing from the attack. Kommo-o raised its tail and tried to attack again but Kagami rolled out the way, causing it to miss. Then both trainers called their attacks.
"Kagami, use Outrage!"
"Kommo-o, use Clanging Scales!"
Kagami surrounded herself with orange energy while Kommo-o shook its scales furiously together to create a damaging soundwave that carried powerful draconic energy that would tear through its opponents and lower their defences. Kagami cringed from the battering soundwave but she kept on going as she charged into Kommo-o and crashed into it. A huge cloud of smoke punched out from the resulting clash of draconian power and Sapphire and Mustard were forced to look away for the moment before they could be blinded by the smoke. Nobody could see anything. Who would emerge on top of this tussle? They could only wait for the smoke to clear to see if anyone was still standing after that…
It sure didn't take long for Mustard and Sapphire to get battling one another and it's sure looking tense so far. Who will emerge triumphant as we conclude this term with the final trial? Tune in for the epic conclusion as we approach Part 2...
Trivia: Sadly, the games don't ever have a moment where Mustard and Leon meet each other, so I had to give them a reunion moment of some kind. :) Seriously, what a missed opportunity that was for the games...
And no doubt anyone who's played the Isle of Armour is snickering at Hop lamenting he wasn't here to help Sapphire given that he DOES show up in the second half of the DLC to help us find the Max Honey. As I said, I had to leave Hop out of the plot as his presence only complicated things in the story and him being here with Zamazenta would've undermined Sapphire's story as Hop would've just made things much easier by bringing one of Galar's Legendary Heroes to face Zeraora with. Sometimes, things have to be done in a way that benefits the plot. :)