~ Chapter 104 ~
Elite Four Bertha!
"I hate Whiscash. I really hate Whiscash. Whiscash was the bane of my existence..."
Sam sat in the waiting room once more, waiting for the next match to be called. He wasn't allowed to meet with his friends or anyone else in between matches, just himself, his Pokémon and his Poké Balls, and technically the spectre of his grandfather.
Sam was glad no one else could see him, because having his grandfather here—despite the rules—was a comfort.
"You did great," smiled Aurelio, "I'm very proud. But it's not over yet."
Sam nodded. "I can't get cocky."
"No," agreed Aurelio, "Especially not against Agatha. She's been around long enough to see a variety of battle styles. She's probably your biggest hurdle to Valentina."
Sam nodded again. "She's up next," he stated, "She could make or break my Elite Four run."
"Do you know what she masters in?" asked Aurelio.
"Ground Types," replied Sam, "I've got Empoleon as my Water Type, and he can deal with Bertha's Pokémon. Rampardos could be used in a pinch, with Ice Beam, but she bears a type weakness to Ground, being Rock Type, and I don't want to rely on her too much after that battle with Vespiquen. She needs to rest, Full Restore or not, she's tired."
Aurelio nodded. "You have a tough battle ahead…you'll essentially be relying on a single Pokémon, unless you can exploit a secondary typing in her Pokémon, if they have them, and if you have the countering type available."
Sam nodded. He bit his lip. He had a feeling Bertha would be his biggest roadblock on the way to Valentina.
He could always try again, sure, but…Sam, in his ego and heart, wanted nothing more than to sweep the Elite Four in a single go.
But even Sam was starting to doubt he could do that now.
Palmer looked at Rowan with a serious look. "He's got a ruthlessness to him, just like the old man," he noted, "I wonder how that will carry into other parts of his life."
"Incredibly well," grunted Rowan, "You saw how he handled the Galactic affair. Damn near laid siege to Veilstone City with a makeshift army. Brought the city and its defenders to their knees, and then laid waste to their plans at Mount Coronet."
"He's like a Granbull with a bone," chuckled Palmer, "Just like his grandfather."
Rowan nodded slowly.
The conversation ended shortly after as the referee announced the beginning of the second round.
Sam returned to the Challenger's Box, and the box raised itself above the field once more.
The Elite Four member known as Bertha—though she needed no introduction, and her reputation preceded her.
She stepped into her box, and the gate closed behind her, and slid the box forward so it perched over her edge of the field.
Valentina shifted in her throne as she prepared to watch the fight between what she considered one of her strongest Elite Four, and her greatest challenger.
Sam and Bertha locked eyes.
The older woman smirked. "I hope you're ready for a tough fight."
"I thought that's what I was here for," laughed Sam.
Bertha nodded. "Yes, I suppose that would be the reason."
The referee recited the rules once more, and each of them chose their first Pokémon.
Sam wasn't about to let it be known that his first Pokémon would be his only Pokémon.
The two released their Pokémon onto the field.
Sam's Empoleon, and Bertha's Whiscash.
Sam swore loudly, though it seemed to be drowned out by the referee.
Empoleon was going to have a hell of a time against Whiscash.
Being a Steel and Water Type, Empoleon had absolutely no advantages against Whiscash…if anything, Empoleon would likely not be doing much damage, and the Steel Type would cause Empoleon to be especially weak to Whiscash's Ground moves.
Whiscash swam around obliviously in a small pool of water on the field.
Sam knew what he had to do, though he didn't like it.
Gritting his teeth, Sam had to show momentary weakness, and withdraw Empoleon for the sake of the battle. Instead, he swapped in Lucario.
Lucario wouldn't be doing any extra damage, and Sam had to be mindful of Whiscash's Ground Type moves, but with Lucario's agility, and the ability to communicate wordlessly through telepathic communication, Lucario was more asset than hindrance.
Sam could counteract that moment of weakness and at least swap in a Pokémon that could easily gain him the upper hand quickly.
"Are you good to go?" asked Sam.
Lucario grunted affirmatively and sunk into a stance.
Bertha seemed bemused, but not worried about the arrival of Lucario.
Sam was about to change that.
"Force Palm," said Sam, "Get in close. Whiscash isn't a close-quarters fighter, it's all ranged; get in and take it out where it can't defend."
Lucario agreed with a chuckle and charged in, closing in on Whiscash.
Palmer shook his head. "Don't underestimate Bertha."
"Speaking from experience, Palmer?" asked Linda.
Cynthia let out a sharp laugh. "That's an understatement."
Palmer's face went red. This was likely the closest Cynthia had come to talking to him in years, and he wasn't about to argue with it.
"What she said," he chuckled, "Long time ago…different time, different me."
Cynthia knew what Palmer was trying to do. She sighed and turned back towards the battle.
Palmer shrugged, and Rowan simply shook his head.
Bertha wasn't letting Sam get close to Whiscash and called for an Earth Power.
The ground rumbled and shook, large chunks rose up with jagged ends.
"Lucario, use your agility to stabilize yourself and dodge the attack," called Sam mentally.
Lucario nodded, grunted, and began leaping between the raised edges of the dirt field.
Bertha's face did not betray the surprise she felt deep inside.
Sam had not uttered a single word to Lucario, and yet the Pokémon dodged perfectly.
The myths of Lucario being able to speak, perhaps there was something to it.
And yet…Bertha had heard stories that this boy could communicate with his Pokémon without even talking. His Empoleon specifically was infamous for battling on its own without trainer input.
Lucario closed in on Whiscash, preparing to strike with Force Palm.
Bertha called for Whiscash to use Zen Headbutt.
The fish Pokémon's docile face did not change as a ball of pink energy formed before it's forehead, and he launched itself, headfirst, at Lucario.
Lucario's fist collided with Whiscash's Zen Headbutt.
The two attacks grinded against each other, each trying to outdo the other, finally bursting outwards, forcing both Pokémon back.
Lucario was able to land on his feet, while Whiscash dropped back towards the pool.
Before splashing into the water, Whiscash unleashed a Sandstorm that covered the field and blinded all spectators.
"How are we supposed to see anything if they keep doing this?" groaned Rowan, covering his eyes and mouth, trying to keep the sand out of his face.
"Lucario, are you okay?" asked Sam.
"Yes,"replied Lucario, "I managed to close my eyes fast enough…but I don't need my eyes to see."
"Can you get in close for another attack?" asked Sam, probing to see what was possible in this sandstorm.
Lucario responded positive and charged in again to get close to Whiscash.
But Bertha put another stop to that, lashing out with an Aqua Tail that Lucario just barely managed to dodge.
"We can't get in close," hissed Sam.
"Lucario has ranged attacks, doesn't he?" asked Aurelio, "Did you forget about Aura Sphere?"
Sam was dumbstruck. He completely forgot about that. He smiled and called for Lucario to perform an Aura Sphere.
Lucario nodded and prepared a massive sphere of Aura energy. Using his Aura Sight, he scanned the battlefield, aiming and locking on to Whiscash's aura signature.
Lucario let the sphere fly, and the ball shot across the field, slamming into Whiscash.
The sandstorm stopped, but Sam did not let Lucario let up.
Another Aura Sphere was fired off and slammed into Whiscash again. The Pokémon flying up into the air, along with the water it was just swimming in.
Lucario dove in and finished off the fish Pokémon with a Force Palm, slamming the Pokémon down into the field below, unconscious.
The water followed the Whiscash, raining upon the field like a brief, but heavy deluge.
Lucario landed with a snarl and caught his breath.
Sam smiled.
There were cheers from the stands.
But again, Bertha did not allow her face to betray her inner feelings.
She not yet begun to panic, but she had not expect Whiscash to go down so fast.
The Lucario was faster and stronger than Bertha had predicted. It had been her mistake, and she would not make that mistake a second time.
The referee called for a short recess, as Sam withdrew Lucario, thanking his Pokémon, so that the field attendants could refill the pool, and repair the battlefield in the process.
The two battle boxes withdrew—Bertha's to the Elite Four Box, and Sam's retracted into the floor again, going back to the waiting room.
He had five minutes to catch his breath, grab a small snack from the mini-fridge, and discuss the course of the battle with his grandfather.
"That was…unorthodox," sighed Aurelio, scratching his forehead.
"But it worked!" replied Sam defensively.
Aurelio nodded. "That it did, that it did. Let's hope none of her other Pokémon pull curve balls like that…if that was her hardest Pokémon, you might be able to pull through with just Empoleon."
"Provided there's no Quagsire or anything like it hiding on her ball belt," sighed Sam, "I don't know how much more I can push Lucario like that."
"Not much," agreed Aurelio.
Sam sighed. "I have faith in Empoleon. He's got this."
Sam downed his bottle of water, shoved a few snack bars into his mouth, and waited for the bell chime to sound, letting him know what he was to return to the match.
Standing on the moveable part of his Challenger's Box, the box went back up the sloping elevator towards the field.
Once it clicked into place, locking into the lifting platform, and was lifted to its position above the field, level with Sam's opponent's box.
Bertha was there, waiting for him; emotionless and stone cold as ever.
She did not betray her inner feelings like Aaron did.
When in a pinch, Aaron let his frustrations show, but Bertha, whether she lost a Pokémon, or was met with the unexpected, she did not change her expression.
She had mastered the poker face in all her years of being in the Elite Four…Palmer wasn't kidding when he said she was the most dangerous member.
She had certainly been the longest serving that was certain.
Bertha and Sam wasted no time continuing the match, sending out the next of their Pokémon.
Sam's Empoleon and Betha's Gliscor.
Sam thought things over in his head. He was in an interesting position here.
Gliscor could fly and glide about and could easily swoop in and fly out of an attack.
Empoleon was mostly grounded, and decently heavy from its steel armour.
Sam thought hard about how to proceed.
He wasn't putting anything past Bertha. She likely had several more secrets up her sleeve.
Bertha wasted no time, calling for another Earthquake.
Empoleon wasn't fast, but was able to hold its own, avoiding the folding and crashing rocks and dirt that chased him.
Empoleon escaped the attack without a scratch, but soon realized the Gliscor was doing as expected and swooping in for an Ice Fang.
Sam wasn't falling for that again; not after Volkner.
"Metal Claw!" cried Sam, not allowing Gliscor to latch on to Empoleon.
The Metal Claw caught Gliscor across the face.
For the first time, Bertha's eyes, if but for a fraction of a second, betrayed the panic she suddenly felt inside at her ruse being seen through.
The calm broke for a moment, but it was enough that Sam caught it.
In his youth, before his grandfather had died, Sam had looked into the viability of Gliscor as a Pokémon he could use on his team to beat the Sinnoh League.
In the end, Sam decided against it, but he knew they were proficient with bite-based attacks.
Sam had a feeling that Bertha was using a similar tactic to Volkner.
Teach all three element bite attacks to her Pokémon, and then get in close with whichever was ineffective against her opponent, hoping to exploit the weakness of the opponent to either of the other two types of attacks once the teeth had sunk in.
It was a devious and somewhat respectable tactic. It required a slight of hand a speed to pull off, as well as the ability to bluff.
But Sam knew better, and he wasn't making that mistake again.
"Empoleon, Ice Beam!" called Sam.
Empoleon prepared his Ice Beam, catching the stunned Gliscor in the chest, knocking it back.
Sam didn't relent.
As Gliscor tried to glide again, higher and out of Empoleon's reach, Empoleon shot another Ice Beam, clipping the Pokémon's wing.
Gliscor spun, falling as it spiralled back to the ground.
Its wing had been frozen, and it couldn't catch a draft to glide to safety.
Bertha watched helplessly as her Pokémon fell towards the ground, slamming into the field.
There was a silence that coated the field as the dust settled, and Gliscor was soon proclaimed unable to battle.
This round was given to Sam, who knew exactly what he had to do next.
Bertha would not be fazed by shows of cunning or clever strategy.
Sam needed to unnerve her with something more direct; something she didn't expect.
An awesome display of power was all it would take to shatter the calm demeanour of Bertha.
Sam smiled; he knew what had to be done.
Bertha released her next Pokémon; a sturdy and angry looking Hippowdon.
The Pokémon was as black as night, with crimson eyes—a female, based on Sam's knowledge.
He also knew what came with the Hippowdon: Sand Stream.
Sound poured from the sides of the Pokémon like it was a massive jar, and as it roared onto the field, half submerged in a pile of sand that came from within itself, the entire field was cloaked in a violent sandstorm.
Sam wasted no time.
Him and Empoleon were linked, in-sync, with nothing standing between them.
"What are you doing?" asked Aurelio as he saw Sam close his eyes and breathe, "You're not…are you talking with Empoleon?"
Sam shushed his grandfather and reached out with his mind, like he did with Lucario.
Admittedly, he felt stupid, but if he had done it by accident before, perhaps he could do it again…
Suddenly, Sam felt the consciousness of Empoleon across the field.
Sam wasted no time in giving him an idea of what Sam wanted.
Empoleon squawked loudly and began to glow blue.
The Pokémon seized as he prepared to attack, the blue glow growing brighter and brighter each moment.
Everyone stared in awe at what was happening.
"What is he doing?" asked Rowan in awe.
"Watch," smirked Alyssandra.
She knew what Sam was doing; she and Niya and Jeremy had helped Sam perfect this move for weeks before they had even reached Sunnyshore, so it would be perfect by the time Sam reached the Elite Four.
They had practiced Hydro Cannon for hours, to finally get it to this point. Now that practice was paying off.
Every muscle in his body tense, Empoleon unleashed the move it had been prepared.
A massive torrent of water blasted from Empoleon's beak, shooting out like a high-pressure hose.
The water hit Hippowdon and exploded the ground beneath the Pokémon as it ploughed through both equally.
Hippowdon was sent flying back into the concrete wall of the stadium.
The wall around Hippowdon cracked and buckled beneath the pressure of the attack and the Pokémon pressing against it.
Empoleon did not relent, continually blasting water at his opponent until there was not a drop left within its body.
When Empoleon had finally exhausted his reserves of energy, he closed his mouth, and began to huff, dropping to one knee.
Hippowdon slid from the wall, and thumped into a pile on the ground, completely unconscious and covered in wet mud and silty, damp, sand.
In astonishment, the referee called the round in favour of Sam, and Bertha recalled her Pokémon.
No more was her face a slab of marble, unmoving and cold.
Now her eyes and face showed her true feelings within; shock, fear, amazement, and panic.
Sam had shaken Bertha to her core, and while he hadn't completely unnerved her like he had with Aaron, he had begun to weaken the foundation.
There were two Pokémon left, and Sam could easily pull through—he hoped, anyway.
With her confidence shaken, the silent and stoic Bertha—who still said nothing to Sam—would not be at the top of her game, something Sam would take full advantage of.
But it would not be with Empoleon.
The steel penguin Pokémon had seen its fair share of fighting for now. He would need to come back later, likely, during the fight with Flint, but had earned a long, hard rest.
Sam had other Pokémon that could handle Flint's Fire Type Pokémon for a bit while Empoleon recovered.
Sam recalled his exhausted Pokémon, pouring all his gratitude and love and appreciation for his Pokémon into the Pokémon, and into his thoughts, hoping they would get through their tenuous mental link.
Sam put Empoleon's Poké Ball back on his belt and drew his next Pokémon.
He didn't want to have to resort to this, but he would need his Lucario back for now.
Lucario had had enough of a rest to be able to keep fighting, and with any like, Lucario would be able to bring down Bertha's last two Pokémon before being brought down himself.
With a deep breath, Sam waited for Bertha to draw her next Poké Ball.
When Bertha had finally decided, the two released their next Pokémon—and Sam smiled.
Golem; Bertha had chosen a Golem.
Sure, it was a Ground Type, but it was also a Rock Type as well, and Lucario had two types that were super effective against the Rock Type.
Even better was that Golem was a primary Rock Type, secondary Ground Type.
Bertha's face tried to revert back to her stone-faced ways, but it was futile.
Her mask was cracked, and her true feelings visible.
She was concerned for the same reason Sam was excited—Sam now held the advantage in this battle, and by the look on her face, he would with her final Pokémon as well.
Her last Pokémon was likely another dual-Rock and Ground Type.
Sam smirked. He had Bertha where he wanted her.
"He shattered Bertha," whistled Palmer in amazement, "That was some serious power."
Cynthia smirked. "He discovered her weakness," she noted, "Just like I had to."
"What do you mean?" asked Alyssandra.
"Palmer and I could never get to Bertha like that when we battled together," explained Cynthia, "She would always be what put an end to our run at the Elite Four…"
Palmer's face went flush as he remembered; and as he remembered how it had broken him long ago.
Rowan put a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder.
"When I came back to challenge alone, I figured it out," smiled Cynthia, "And I finally was able to break her and get past her mask."
Cynthia brushed her hair out of her eyes as she continued to explain.
"Bertha is clever," she explained, "During my time as Champion, she was the cleverest when it came to strategy—save for Lucian perhaps. Fancy strategy doesn't faze her, because she's capable of it herself. But overwhelming power…Bertha hits her opponent slowly, bit by bit. If I had to guess, Sam's display of Hydro Cannon, combined with his skill, his age, his ability to communicate non-verbally with his Pokémon, it's starting to get to Bertha, and it's throwing her off."
Niya smiled. "I trained him well," she smirked.
Rowan raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like Aurelio's training coming through," he protested, "But I wouldn't be surprised if he's adapted what you've both taught him and made his own style out of it."
"Those moves are definitely reminiscent of Aurelio," smiled Nancy, "A little of Niya thrown in for certain but…Rowan is right, wholly its own thing."
Sam examined the Golem and thought through his next steps.
Lucario had the advantage of speed, typing and size.
Golem could hit like a truck, but didn't move fast unless it was rolling, and as long as it didn't unleash any Ground attacks that weren't easy to dodge, Lucario would be fine.
"Golem, Sandstorm!" cried Bertha.
She still hadn't learned.
In her haste to hide her Golem—realizing the same things Sam had—she had forgotten that Lucario could easily see through the sand using his Aura powers.
"Lucario, get in close and hit Golem with a Force Palm," stated Sam through their mental link.
He wanted to surprise Bertha and remind her that Lucario had no issues seeing Golem.
An Aura Sphere would be too easy.
Lucario charged towards Golem, cutting through the flying sand and wind that once again obscured the view of the battle.
"I'm getting tired of these sandstorms," grumbled Palmer, "I can't see a thing!"
"Patience, Palmer," chided Cynthia, "It'll be over soon enough."
"Yeah, but I'd at least like to see how it ends!" he complained.
Lucario dashed towards Golem.
But Bertha, it seemed, had not forgotten about Lucario's ability, and was drawing Sam into a trap.
She unleashed an Earthquake as Lucario ran across the field.
Once more the field churned like it was being tossed in a mixing bowl.
But Lucario was fast and didn't need Sam to tell him how to dodge and avoid being sucked into the swirling, churning ground and taking damage.
Golem was surprised as Lucario burst forth from the sandstorm and slammed his glowing fist in Golem's chest.
Golem cried out and rolled back across the field.
Sam wasn't letting up.
A Metal Claw while Golem was down wounded the Pokémon further, causing it to cry out in pain.
But Bertha wasn't done.
Golem's fist glowed red and began to give off heat.
She was going for a Fire Punch, now that Lucario was close by.
This time, Lucario couldn't dodge in time, getting clipped in the side by Golem's fist, and being knocked back.
Lucario growled, pain searing through his side, as Golem rolled forward and righted itself, staring hungrily, eager to win, at Lucario.
Sam could feel the pain across their mental link and gritted his teeth.
He wasn't giving up though.
"How much more do you have in you?" asked Sam.
"I'll be fine. It shall pass soon," snorted Lucario, "I can sense Golem's aura…he's worse off than I am. I can finish this."
"Aura Sphere?" asked Sam.
Lucario confirmed Sam's suspicions of his plan.
Growling, Lucario prepared an Aura Sphere, shooting the giant sphere of energy straight at Golem.
Golem tried to roll away, dodging the move…but the move homed in on its target, and shook the stadium as it collided with its mark.
Golem flew into the air, with hunks of the stadium and dust, and slammed back down, completely unable to battle.
Bertha recalled her Pokémon, while Lucario returned to his part of the field, still nursing his wound.
"You're burned," noted Sam, realizing Lucario's pain across their mental link.
"I'm fine," shrugged Lucario, "Pain is temporary. I'll be okay."
"You need to heal," persisted Sam, "I'll send you down a Full Restore when the round begins. I can't heal you until the other Pokémon is out on the field, or unless they call a recess."
Lucario tried to refuse, but Sam would have none of it.
Lucario wasn't going through this fight a cripple.
Sam still needed Lucario going forward, and regardless, to ignore his pain would be cruel, regardless of how tough the Pokémon tried to act.
Bertha seemed slow to release her final Pokémon.
"I've never seen Bertha doubt herself this much," whispered Aurelio, "You've got her shook up."
"It ain't over until it's over," warned Sam, not willing to count this as a victory for himself just yet.
Bertha, sighed, tried to calm herself down, and unleashed her Rhyperior onto the field.
The round began and Sam tossed Lucario a Full Restore.
The Pokémon caught the item, and sprayed the healing spray onto his wounds, causing instant relief and healing.
Lucario still felt a little tired and sore, but the Full Restore had healed his burn, and had restored some of his vitality. It all helped.
Rhyperior started off strong, forming a massive boulder from the holes in its hands, and lobbing the massive grey rock at Lucario.
Rock Wrecker.
It wouldn't harm Lucario too much in terms of type advantages, but it was still a giant rock.
Lucario was able to parry the rock, and using its skills with aura, redirected the rock off to the side of the field, where it shook the ground as it landed.
Lucario rushed in to strike at Rhyperior.
Earthquake.
Predictable.
Lucario had turned dodging this attack into an art form.
What hadn't been predictable had been Rhyperior moving with the earth to strike at Lucario.
Rhyperior's horn spun like a drill, glowing green as he readied his Megahorn.
Lucario's palm glowed with a Metal Claw attack, blocking Megahorn as horn attack grinded against Lucario's hardened steel palm.
Rhyperior tried to force Lucario back, to no avail.
The battlefield was slanted and deformed from the earthquake, and Rhyperior chose to attack Lucario while the Pokémon was coming down a slope of earth.
Lucario had the high ground.
But Rhyperior had Avalanche.
A dark cloud formed over the battlefield, and large chunks of rock and ice tumbled from the cloud down the sides of sloping field towards Lucario.
While Lucario wouldn't take much damage, being immobilized or buried by Avalanche wasn't going to help in the long run.
Sam called Lucario back, having the Pokémon attempt to dodge the falling rocks and chunks of ice that rumbled down the side of the sloping landscape.
Bertha had been shaken, but not defeated.
She still had the will to fight and fight she did.
She was crafty, smart, and calculating.
As Lucario retreated, narrowly avoiding the Avalanche, Rhyperior proceeded to charge a Megahorn again.
Rhyperior was pressing the attack, and Lucario was perched precariously atop the edge of the raised sloping landscape.
"Can you get behind Rhyperior?" asked Sam.
"I have the high ground," replied Lucario, "It shouldn't be an issue."
Sam left Lucario to his devices, and watched as the Pokémon leapt into the air, twirling with grace, landing behind the charging Rhyperior.
Rhyperior tried to spin, but the Pokémon was too slow.
Lucario slammed a Force Palm into Rhyperior's back, shooting the Pokémon forward and into the sloping landscape.
As Rhyperior shot through the landscape, the artificial slope collapsed, crushing Rhyperior beneath an avalanche of Lucario's own making.
Rock, dust, and dirt fell, and settled.
Rhyperior was still in the wreckage, unable to move, unable to battle.
Bertha frowned.
Valentina raised an eyebrow in interest.
Even Cynthia seemed impressed.
The Elite Four shifted nervously in their seats as the referee called the match in favour of Sam, declaring him the victor of the second battle of his challenge.
Lucario was breathing heavy, exhaustion growing.
Sam recalled his Pokémon thankfully, and put the Poké Ball back on his belt.
Aurelio clapped his grandson on the back, and his friends and allies cheered on from the stadiums below.
Sam smiled across the stadium at Bertha, who, surprisingly, smiled back.
The two exchanged a knowing glance.
He was halfway there.
Two more, and he would reach Valentina.
Then the real fight would begin.
But first, a small break.
