A Battle to Remember
Hey everyone! I am back with a new chapter of Legend Awakened!
First of all, I'd like to apologize for the long wait. Yes, I know it's been very long. And I know that I put up an Author's note during Christmas saying that I'll get a new chapter up in a few days. But, I just couldn't get the words out at the time. I hadn't written in so long, that I was just unable to move anywhere with the chapter. I tried writing a couple times after that, but didn't really get anywhere.
Luckily, I found some free time(even though I am in the middle of my exams) and was able to write this chapter. I'm really hopeful that I'll be able to continue and get some chapters in quicker than what I've done with this chapter.
Finally, I thank all of you who've stuck with the story, even after such a massive hiatus. Really appreciate you guys sticking around. Anyway, I won't make this note too big.
Enjoy the chapter!
The claws of the two Pokemon clashed in mid-air, causing sparks to fly around throughout the battlefield. The two roared as they tried to force the other, but after a few seconds of struggle, neither of them could overpower the other. They landed in front of their trainers', still glaring at one another. One attack was all it took for them to realize that they wouldn't be friends; not until the battle was over anyway.
"They are evenly matched in physical attack power?!" Ash couldn't help but almost yell, completely astounded.
His Gabite's strongest suites were his attack and speed. But what concerned him was the fact that Tobias' Latios was able to fend off one of Gabite's strongest physical attack without too much trouble. He'd read that Latios' were way better in terms of their special attack than they were while attacking physically. If this was the extent of Latios' physical ability, he shuddered to think how strong the Legendary Eon Pokemon's special attack would be.
Tobias, meanwhile, simply chuckled. "Did you really think that Latios would be so easy to take down?" he shook his head in jest. "Seems like you've underestimated me. Latios, Dragon Pulse!"
"Dig," Ash calmly uttered.
By the time Latios charged the circling dragon energy in his mouth and shot it towards Gabite, the land shark had already made his way under the ground. Tobias keenly eyed the battlefield, trying to get even the slightest bit of hint as to where Gabite might emerge from, and so did Latios.
This was his chance. He reckoned that Tobias wouldn't allow Gabite to escape underground once again, and hence, Ash had to make sure that he capitalized. "Now Gabite, Dragon Claw! As strong as you can!"
As soon as those words left Ash's lips, the earth beneath Latios shook ferociously and Gabite, with his enlarged claws that were powered with all of the blue draconic energy that he could gather, surfaced.
Tobias smirked. "Dodge it," And just as he'd called, Latios comfortably glided out of the way of Gabite's Dragon Claw, much to the surprise of Ash and everyone else present in the stadium. "Let's finish this! Dragon Pulse!"
Ash gritted his teeth, still unable to comprehend how Latios had managed to evade Gabite at such a close distance. He didn't have any time to be surprised though. With no time to think of his next move, he hastily yelled. "Intercept with your own Dragon Pulse!"
In the very next instant. Dragon Pulse from Latios headed straight towards Gabite. He'd attempted to shoot out his own Dragon Pulse as fast as he could, but Gabite simply didn't have enough time; not enough to get out of the way, nor to counter with his own attack. A loud shriek of pain escaped as the pulsating energy landed right on Gabite's chest. His body rammed on the ground, amplifying the pain that he felt.
"Gabite," Ash murmured. Somehow, Gabite managed to pick himself up and shakily stand up straight. However, it was evident that this battle wouldn't last long at this rate. Ash had expected Tobias' Pokemon other than Darkrai to be strong, but this was still far too much.
At the sight of Gabite still seemingly able to fight, Tobias' eyes widened. "It can still get up?!" He exclaimed, before a smiled covered his features. "I must commend you for raising such a fine Pokemon, Ash. Most Dragon-type Pokemon at the level of your Gabite wouldn't be able to move after taking a direct hit from Latios' Dragon Pulse, let alone stand up." He slowly lifted his hand, his index finger pointing at Ash and Gabite. "You've certainly got a determined Gabite. But that won't win you this fight." His tone suddenly changed to a more serious one for the first time. "This time it'll be over, Luster Purge!"
Latios opened his jaws wide as white sparks formed and gathered in his mouth. In just a second or two, a pink energy ball had taken shape.
On the other side of the field, Gabite turned to look at Ash. His eyes narrowed as soon as Ash made eye contact with him, and the dragon roared mildly. Ash raised an eyebrow at the gesture, unaware of what it meant. It didn't take long for him to understand though; Gabite's body had begun to sparkle, a shiny light engulfing him.
As the entire stadium watched in awe and surprise, Gabite's shape started to change; his head, arms and tails going through the most significant changes. The light that had surrounded evolving Gabite hadn't died down yet, but the changes that his body had gone through due to the evolution weren't hidden.
Meanwhile, Latios didn't care if Gabite was evolving. The Legendary Pokemon didn't show any surprise or hesitance even though his opponent was going through such a prominent change. He carried on his attack, the orb that had formed in his mouth changing into a pink beam, which he aimed at his opponent.
"Gabite's evolving!" Barry clenched his fists. He jumped out of his seat in excitement and stared at the ground in amazement, just like a lot of spectators.
Dawn, meanwhile, clutched tighter onto Piplup, unable to move as she gazed at the Pokemon which she'd observed from the time he was a Gible evolve into his final form.
Brock's narrow eyes narrowed even more, a proud smile masking his face. "Gabite was already strong enough to evolve before this match," he stated, the people around him listening intently while also paying attention on the field. "All he needed was wanting to desire a power stronger than what he could achieve as a Gabite."
A nod of agreement from Professor Oak followed. Perched up on Oak's head, Pikachu's attention never wavered from the field. He was far too excited to see one of his teammates evolve to do anything else. Ever since he was a Gible, Pikachu had been the closest to him of all of Ash's Pokemon.
"Gabite knew that it wasn't gonna win as it was," Alder grinned in the commentary box. He always liked comebacks and also, he knew that a Garchomp evolved from a Gabite as strong as Ash's would definitely give even Tobias' Latios a tough time.
"No matter how many times I see it, the evolution of a Pokemon is so fascinating!" Wallace commented, taken in by the grit that the land shark Pokemon had displayed.
Lance agreed. "There's just something different about a Pokemon evolving in the midst of a battle like this."
"It does require courage for a Pokemon to keep going," Cynthia said, reminiscing about the time her own Gabite had evolved into a powerful Garchomp. "All the while knowing that your adversary is as strong as Latios."
Ash smiled. No matter how this battle ended, he couldn't be a prouder trainer. All odds stacked against him, Gabite didn't give in. His opponent was a Legendary Dragon-type Pokemon, a Pokemon which was much stronger than Gabite himself, however Gabite's determination didn't waver. If anything, he'd gotten even more determined to defeat his enemy. Gabite had evolved for him, and Ash realized that he couldn't let his Pokemon down. The trainer from Pallet Town clenched his fists, his resolve stronger than it was before.
"Go, Garchomp!" A spirited Ash exclaimed to his newly evolved Pokemon.
Garchomp roared, showing speed that far exceeded that of his previous form. He didn't flinch in the face of the Luster Purge headed at him, almost effortlessly slicing through the pink energy beam with his claws. He wasn't done yet though. There were attacks that certain Pokemon learnt as soon as they evolved and Garchomp was one of them. He lunged forward in the air, the injuries that he'd taken as a Gabite not causing him any hindrance.
For the first time, Tobias appeared unnerved. "Ice Beam quickly!" he shouted, a tinge of worry in his voice.
Before Latios could carry it out though, Garchomp was already far too close. His enlarged fangs shone and he dug them in, as deep as he could, as viciously as he could into Latios' arm. The suffering Pokemon cried out, flailing in the air helplessly. After a few seconds of struggling, Garchomp eventually let Latios off and leapt backwards, right in front of his trainer.
Even Ash couldn't believe how strong Garchomp had become after evolution. It was almost as if the evolution had tapped into some form of hidden power inside of Garchomp. Evolution did make Pokemon stronger, some more than others, but this was almost unbelievable. A power up like this; of all his Pokemon, only one had gone through such a transformation after evolving. That moment made him chuckle; it was nostalgic. He still fondly remembered how much his Charizard had changed after evolution. Charizard's attitude remained the same as it was when he was a Charmeleon, though that was the only evolution that he'd witnessed where his Pokemon had gained this sort of overwhelming boost in power.
"Garchomp," Ash called warmly. "You've gotten so strong. You even learned Crunch," If he was in his younger days as a trainer, he was almost sure he'd cry of joy and wouldn't be able to control his emotions.
Although Crunch had caused Latios a fair amount of damage, being a super-effecting attack against Latios' secondary Psychic type, Tobias' Pokemon still managed to shake off the stinging throbbing from his body. He cooed to declare that he wasn't going down so easily. Although Tobias never suspected that Latios would be able to sustain the damage, he would be wary of Ash's Pokemon now.
"That's quite a Pokemon you've got there, Ash," said Tobias from across the battlefield. "There is no doubt that you've trained hard with your Garchomp to get it to that level." He chuckled as he said those words; even as he appeared to be in awe of the way Ash and his Garchomp had battled thus far, there was a certain amount of confidence that bloomed from his face. "Yet," he sighed before his look sharpened. "My Latios is far too strong!"
Ash frowned the moment Tobias declared his opinions. For a moment, he even ventured into his thoughts wondering if what Tobias said was true. But soon enough, he realized that this wasn't the time to have doubts about himself and his Pokemon. It didn't matter if Tobias' Latios was indeed stronger than his Garchomp. What mattered at this moment was if his Pokemon were able to overcome everything else that was stacked against them and give it their best.
A deep breath was all Ash needed to get his focus back to the battle. At this moment, there was only one obstacle in the form of the Eon Pokemon that floated against his Garchomp. His own Dragon had become so engrossed in this battle that the Land Shark had evolved. And Ash knew the reason that'd happened in the middle of this match. Garchomp wanted to defeat this Latios more than anything. This wasn't simply a battle Garchomp fought for his trainer; he also fought to announce himself as a Pokemon to be feared.
After all, that's what all dragons wanted: to be perceived as the dominant force that the species was known for.
"How about not looking down on us, Tobias, huh?" Ash raised an eyebrow as his next move came out of his mouth. "Dragon Claw!"
Tobias was quick to counter. "To the skies, Latios!"
Garchomp vaulted up in pursuit of Latios who'd taken to the air, where his true maneuverability laid. Latios zipped through the air, ascending effortlessly, with Garchomp sharp on his tail. The flight went on for almost a minute, with neither of the Pokemon showing any signs of landing without their trainer's word.
Tobias simply gazed into the sky where the two dragons flew. He didn't look in the least bit of hurry to diverge from his plan. His Pokemon was stronger and he had no reason to make the first move. This battle might not have gone exactly like he'd thought it would, but he still believed that he could end it whenever he wanted.
As the two Pokemon raced through the air, causing air currents, Ash tried to discern what would be the best way to defeat Latios. He could tell just by a glance that Latios had the advantage in the air. Even though Garchomp could fly, or rather maintain their form in the air, it wasn't as natural to the species compared to Latios. His best chance would be when Latios was closer to the ground.
"Garchomp," Ash called out to his Pokemon, loud enough that he would be able to at least hear some of it. It was time to use Garchomp's best attack. The longer the battle went on in the air, the better it would be for Tobias and Latios. "Draco Meteor!"
An earthshattering roar could be heard by all as Garchomp prepared for the strongest Dragon-type move he had at this disposal. He stopped chasing Latios, but instead, he landed back on the field, his body glowing with orange light. Soon enough, an orange ball concentrated with condensed draconic energy began to form in front of his mouth.
His Pokemon might be strong but Tobias understood that even his Latios wouldn't be able to go on after taking a good hit from an attack as strong as Draco Meteor. "Don't let it hit you, Latios!"
It wasn't long before Garchomp fired the orange ball high up towards the sky. It almost disappeared from sight and soon, multiple balls with raging energy erupted from it. The spheres, almost identical to meteors began to lash towards Latios.
Ash and Garchomp could sense victory as the orbs neared Latios, their ferocity multiplying with the force of gravity. It was at that moment that Tobias grinned, and Latios vanished from his position just a foot away from the Draco Meteor. Right in the next instant, Latios came into sight again, hovering in front of his trainer. There was no doubt that he'd completely evaded the Draco Meteor.
"My Goodness!" There weren't too many things that surprised Wallace but that certainly did. "I didn't expect Latios to know Teleport,"
Cynthia nodded. "That was quite the move." She narrowed her eyes. "Tobias sure knows how to unsettle his opponent,"
"He kept his trump card right until the end," Lance said. "Teleport is a move that takes time to prepare. It isn't always the best option in battle, but here, it worked just as Tobias wanted."
Alder leaned back on the couch. "Now Ash can't use Draco Meteor anymore. No matter how strong an attack is, it's useless unless it hits."
"Damn it!" Ash howled, absolutely astounded. He could count the number of times he'd faced teleport in battle on his fingers. That Teleport of Latios' was much faster than any he'd ever come across. The move needs the user to fully distribute its energy throughout its body, and then concentrate to the place it wants to teleport to. The first step itself took long enough that it would be useless in battles.
Tobias simply grinned. He enjoyed such situations. He liked seeing his opponent's expressions when they were put in a spot like this. "Dragon Pulse!" It was clear that Tobias had enough messing around.
Ash shook himself out of his stupor, just in time to make his own move. "Dragon Claw with all you've got, Garchomp!"
Latios launched the Dragon Pulse in an instant followed by Garchomp's forward charge with his arms crossed and claws powered with dragon energy. The Dragon Pulse struck Garchomp first, and the attack clearly slowed down Garchomp. But he didn't stop. Even though he was covered in cuts and burns, Garchomp gave it all he had and slashed Latios with his claws.
Both the Pokemon had taken severe damage; the wounds on their bodies suggesting the same. It was all down to who had the better endurance. And in that case, one Pokemon clearly stood ahead of the other.
"Let's get this over with," Tobias shrieked. "Ice Beam!"
Ash couldn't do anything but cry out in terror. "Get back, Garchomp!"
There was no doubt that Latios currently fared better than Garchomp. The Land Shark Pokemon was on his last legs, however the Legendary Eon Pokemon still had quite a bit of gas left. Latios' jaw widened and an icy ball formed in front of it. He fired the beam at Garchomp, who couldn't retreat fast enough and took the Ice Beam bang on his head.
A loud cry followed the impact of the attack on Garchomp; his entire body trembling as the chilly beam froze his limbs. Ash closed his eyes, his teeth grinding against one another. By the time he opened his eyes, his Pokemon laid on the ground, unable to move an inch.
The referee took a few moments to check if there was any life remaining in this battle. He concluded, there wasn't. "Garchomp is unable to battle," he raised the blue flag in the direction of Tobias. "Latios wins!"
The crowd remained silent for a couple of seconds but after that, the roars were deafening. The first match up was already enthralling enough for them to be satisfied but they realized that the match had just begun. If this first round was anything to go by, they would've witnessed a few of such bouts before the Sinnoh League was over.
Ash sighed. "We couldn't win, after all," he mumbled under his breath and raised Garchomp's Pokeball forward. "You were too good, Garchomp. I'll make sure to not let your efforts go to waste."
"Latios was just too strong for Ash's Garchomp," Lance smiled wryly. Being a Dragon Master, the battle that he'd just witnessed and the way the two dragons fought, he remembered that this was the reason he'd chosen to specialize in Dragon-type Pokemon. Their tenacity and drive to be the conquering forces paired with the strength they possessed, it was no wonder most Dragon-type Pokemon were considered naturally stronger than other types. "Regardless, what we got to see was fantastic."
Being the character that he was, Alder took this chance to have a hit on Lance. "Ahh, two dragons matching themselves hit for hit," he turned towards Lance and much to the Dragon Master's annoyance, wrapped his arm around his fellow Champion's neck. "You may look calm right now but I'm sure your heart's totally throbbing right now, isn't it?"
Wallace let out a snicker. "A fight like that would have anyone's heart racing, not least that of a Dragon Master like Lance's."
Cynthia couldn't help but shake his head at the antics of the men besides her. She cleared her throat, getting the attention of the other three and tried to get back to the match. "It'll be interesting to see what Ash does now. He can't let himself fall behind in this battle," Her eyes narrowed as she continued. "The lack of information about Tobias' other Pokemon just makes this match even more heavily favored towards Tobias."
"Indeed," Wallace nodded. "Ash has his work cut out."
Ash gazed at the Pokeball that he'd just taken out of his belt, his expression completely different from the one that he wore through the battle between Garchomp and Latios. There would be no longer a need for him to be the one to think inventive moves to make up for difference in level, as it was between Garchomp and Latios.
Moreover, Latios' injuries meant that he had the opportunity to even the score quickly. He wouldn't let this go to waste; not after Garchomp had put every ounce of his power and spirit into getting his opponent in the shape that he was in now.
"I never thought that my Latios would be brought in a condition like this," Tobias shouted from the opposite side of the field, a smug grin on his face. "not by another Pokemon of yours other than Darkrai."
Ash let out a chuckle. Tobias was in for a surprise if he thought that Darkrai was his only Pokemon with that kind of power. He didn't bother replying to his opponent's taunt, instead just waiting for the referee to give the signal. As soon as he did, Ash lifted the Pokeball in his hand.
As the Pokeball snapped open, the red light formed the shape of another Dragon, one much taller than Garchomp. As the light died down the next second, Ash's first Fire-type Pokemon was on display. His sharp eyes instantly sighted the floating Latios and he gave his opponent the deadliest glare. Upon the return of a stare from Latios, Charizard flapped his wings, cutting through the breeze. The stadium was already enveloped in heat, just through the simple effect of Charizard waving his wings.
Charizard wouldn't let another Pokemon, not least a Dragon, look down on him. Not unless it could give him a tough fight. From what he saw of Latios, he was already injured and he didn't think that the dual Dragon and Psychic-type was capable of giving one to him. Not in the condition that he was in at that moment.
From the moment he laid eyes on Charizard, Tobias could tell that he was strong. Perhaps even stronger than Garchomp? Either way, this time he was the one who couldn't let the battle drag on. Latios wasn't exactly struggling to be out there but he was tired. Regardless of that, he had enough stamina and endurance to keep going; till the end of this battle, at the minimum. He'd decided to call Latios back after this match.
The referee had already given the signal to start but Ash hadn't made a move. Tobias didn't mind going first this time. "Luster Purge!" Latios shrugged off the staring match with Charizard and began to charge the orb of pink psychic energy in his mouth before firing his attack in the form of a beam.
"Flamethrower!" Ash commanded. He was calm. He knew just how strong his Charizard was, and also that Tobias was underestimating him. There was no way that Latios could defeat his Charizard in the condition he was in.
As the Luster Purge closed in on him, Charizard called forth his fire energy and launched a fiery stream at his foe. As the two attacks met, the attacks tried to overpower each other. However, it didn't take long for one of it to cut through the other.
Much to the surprise of Tobias and almost everyone present, Charizard effortlessly overpowered Latios' Luster Purge. There wasn't any time for a stunned Tobias to counter, nor there was any for Latios to do anything himself. The flames hit Latios and engulfed his body as he screeched out.
Ash wouldn't give his opponent any time to recover. "Now Charizard," he called sternly. "Dragon Claw!" Charizard roared, took flight and headed right at the moaning Latios, who still hadn't completely snapped out of the Flamethrower.
Tobias' eyes widened at the sound of Ash's voice. All this was happening too quickly. His best bet would be to call Latios back, and save him for another battle. The mystery trainer raised Latios' Pokeball.
But before Latios could be safe again inside his Pokeball, Charizard had already slammed his Dragon Claw into the Eon Pokemon. Latios thudded into the rough field, crying out in anguish, the Dragon Claw dealing super-effective damage to him.
Tobias couldn't believe his eyes; his Latios had been knocked out. Surely the damage from Garchomp wasn't enough to push him so far that he couldn't counter his enemy. No, that wasn't it. Tobias shifted his gaze to Charizard who just stood his ground in front of Ash, ready for anything that he could throw at the fire dragon.
Meanwhile, the referee judged the battle over. "Latios is unable to battle," He raised the red flag in Ash's direction. "Charizard wins!"
The crowd was stunned silent; the battle had ended far too quickly. They could hardly breathe. It seemed as if time had almost stopped since the match between Charizard and Latios had begun. It hadn't lasted long at all; a minute or two at most. But the intensity of the fight and the one-sidedness made it feel like it'd happened in just a matter of seconds.
Alder wasn't in any less shock than others. "What…." He stuttered, dumbfounded. "How did it end so quickly?!" There weren't too many times when Alder spoke with a tone as sober as that.
Cynthia wasn't astounded any less. "I didn't know Ash had a Pokemon like that," she adjusted back in her seat to sit back in a comfortable position. "apart from Darkrai,"
"Latios is a legendary Pokemon," Wallace began. "to take it out so easily, even if Latios was already injured, is some feat."
"Maybe," Lance said. "We were wrong in thinking that Tobias was the only trainer on the field with mystery."
"That was scary!" Dawn bellowed from her seat in the stadium. The fact that Ash owned a Charaizard wasn't unknown to Dawn and she'd even seen him up close after Ash had gathered most of the Pokemon he'd be using in the Lily of the Valley Conference. Though she couldn't imagine that he was this kind of a monster when it came to Pokemon battles.
"Hey, I didn't know Ash even had a Charizard!" Barry leapt from his seat and exclaimed at Dawn. "And such a strong one!" he sprung excitedly around his seat, clearly causing the others who sat around him to give him strange looks.
"You might not know Barry," Brock began to explain, arms folded. "But Ash's Charizard is one of the Pokemon he caught when he was traveling through the Kanto region a few years ago. His Charizard was already strong as it was then, but he's just become something else since he began training at the Charicific Valley,"
Barry turned his head. "Charicific Valley?"
"Charicific Valley has some of the strongest and deadliest Charizard in the world," Oak agreed with Brock while clearing Barry's doubts at the same time. "It's no wonder Ash's Charizard has gotten so strong while training there," He smiled as he glanced at Ash and Charizard on the battlefield before he turned back to face the youngsters around him. "Although even I am surprised at how much stronger he's gotten since the last time I saw him."
"So," Dawn interrupted. "Is Charizard as strong as Darkrai?"
Professor Oak shook his head and shrugged. "I can't answer that until we see how strong Darkrai is."
Tobias uttered a few words to Latios' Pokeball after he'd recalled him. He'd finally come to terms with the fact that his Latios was nearly powerless against Charizard. He still believed it would've different had Latios been fresh, but there wasn't anything that thinking about it would do now.
Much to the surprise of everyone, Ash raised Charizard's Pokeball and the Flame Pokemon was sucked inside. "I'll surely need you later on, Charizard,"
"I see," Tobias smiled as he removed the Pokeball which held his second Pokemon. "You're saving Charizard for another situation like this. Not a bad idea."
Ash shook his head. "That's not it, exactly but you can think that if you want."
Both of them let out their next Pokemon as the crowd waited with bated breaths to find out which Pokemon the two would use. On Tobias' side materialized a four-legged, metallic Pokemon with a big silver cross on its metallic face while Ash had chosen to go with his Sceptile.
"Meteor Mash!" Tobias ordered his Metagross straightaway. His Pokemon responded as it charged towards its opponent, one of its hands glowing silver and the energy took the shape of a star.
Ash could tell that Tobias would be on his guard now. "Dodge, Sceptile!"
Just before Metagross was about to thrust his Meteor Mash into Sceptile, the Grass-type took into the air, using the strength in his legs. Metagross changed its course and tried to chase Sceptile but it was far too slow to catch him.
"Now Bullet Punch!" Tobias called out.
"Use Quick Attack!" Ash shouted immediately in response to Tobias. It would be almost impossible to dodge Bullet Punch; it would be better if he concentrated on intercepting and minimizing the damage and dealing some damage to Metagross in the process.
The two Pokemon both used their quickest attacks, disappearing from sight of almost everyone from a brief moment and then appearing again. The Bullet Punch and Quick Attack clashed, Sceptile hitting Metagross with his arms while Metagross too landed some quick-fire metal-clad punches on its foe. After a few more clashes, the two Pokemon landed back towards their trainers' sides.
"I'm impressed again, Ash," Tobias complimented his final opponent. "To fight like that against my Metagross, your Sceptile's strong."
Ash grinned. "You haven't seen what Sceptile can do yet! Leaf Blade!" On Ash's command, Sceptile rushed forwards, the leaves on either of his arms growing as sharp as blade and shining with green energy around it.
"Iron Defense!" Tobias countered.
Metagross prepared itself to brace the impact of Leaf Blade. Its entire body glowed silver and a metallic sound followed. Sceptile slashed right onto Metagross' face with his Leaf Blade but with the effects of Iron Defense strengthening its already strong defensive abilities, Metagross remained unfazed.
'Damn it!' Ash cursed in his mind. He realized that now he'll need Sceptile to land multiple blows to deal the same amount of damage that he'd have done with one hit before Metagross had used Iron Defense. Sceptile had a huge advantage in speed to counter it though. "Brick Break on its head!"
Even as Sceptile charged in with his palms glowing silver and brought his Brick Break down on Metagross' head, Tobias didn't really seem to be too worried. A couple more strikes later, Sceptile retreated back.
"That isn't doing too much," Ash thought out loud. "But the damage will add up," he breathed in and shouted. "Leaf Blade!"
Again, Tobias just let Sceptile close in on Metagross and land blows with his Leaf Blade. This time though, Metagross let out a grunt; it surely felt that hit. It had used Iron Defense but it still took damage from attacks. And these were strong attacks from a strong Pokemon.
Right at that moment, Tobias finally spoke. "Now, Zen Headbutt!"
As Sceptile landed another blow with his Leaf Blade, Metagross quickly formed a purple orb of psychic energy in front of its forehead. Sceptile sensed the danger even before Ash called out for him to escape. And he would've been able to with his speed, had his leg not been held by one of Metagross' legs. Metagross wasn't holding Ash's Grass-type physically, rather it was doing it using psychic energy.
As the purple orb became powerful enough, Metagross brought down his head and slammed the Zen Headbutt right on Sceptile's chest. Sceptile grunted, before the force of the attack sent Sceptile flying and only stopped when his body crashed into the boundary walls of the battlefield.
"I fell right into his trap!" Ash cussed. He now realized that he was playing right into Tobias' hand since the moment Metagross had used Iron Defense. Tobias predicted that Ash would try to pool up damage with close range attacks. He simply had to wait for the perfect moment to catch Sceptile and land a powerful blow.
"Meteor Mash!" Tobias gushed. This was a chance for him to get ahead and finish this match.
Sceptile held his head with the palm of his hand as he got back into position and dodged the Meteor Mash. He'd crashed head-first on the cemented boundary and it certainly hurt. Add to that the damage caused by that extremely strong Zen Headbutt and there wouldn't be many Pokemon left standing. But Sceptile wasn't done yet. This was far from over.
There was no other choice. Ash was better off using another Pokemon to fight this Metagross.
"Mean Lock." Tobias snickered as he called for that move.
Ash quickly pointed Sceptile's Pokeball towards him. However, he was a little too late. Metagross' eyes glowed purplish and the glare caught Sceptile in it. Now, Sceptile couldn't escape.
"Tobias guessed exactly what Ash was about to do," Cynthia gasped from the commentary box. She fidgeted in her seat a little, worried for her friend.
"He might not have been a frequent challenger to the Pokemon League competitions but Tobias must have a huge amount of battle experience," Wallace stated, amazed at how quickly Tobias had read the situation.
Lance frowned. "The experience of fighting lots of trainers as well as lots of wild Pokemon."
"He's been one step ahead of me all the time!" Ash screeched, the frustration had started to creep in. Suddenly, a grin spread across his face; one which nearly seemed evil. "I guess this is the perfect chance though. It's not like Sceptile can't defeat your Metagross!"
Tobias scowled. "We'll see about that. Flash Cannon!"
Ash countered instantly. "Energy Ball!"
Metagross formed a shining ball of metallic energy in between the claws while Sceptile formed a sphere of grass energy sparkling throughout. The two fired their attacks, which met in mid-air and formed a dust cloud.
"Use Quick Attack to get close and then Leaf Blade!" Ash shouted.
"Wait for it and," Tobias sternly voiced. "use Meteor Mash!"
The dust hadn't completely cleared yet and Sceptile flew from one corner to another with his Quick Attack, closing in the distance between the two. Metagross could sense Sceptile at moments but his speed still caused a problem for the Iron Pokemon to completely determine where he was in this dust.
As Sceptile was just a few feet away from Metagross, he readied his leaves and turned them into blades. Metagross' arm glowed silver too as he prepared to intercept. However, Sceptile managed to use his speed to land a blow, all the while escaping the area without Metagross being able to land its attack.
"Now X-Scissor!" Ash yelled at the top of his lungs, seeing this as the best chance to attack while Metagross still remained dazed. The attacks had finally managed to cause more trouble to Metagross as the effects of Iron Defense began to wear out. The dust too had cleared and everything was visible.
Tobias sensed the danger. There wasn't enough time to use Iron Defense again and land an attack on Sceptile. "Bullet Punch!"
His arms crossed, Sceptile's leaves grew and shone again, this time for the Bug-type move X-Scissor which he'd recently learned. Metagross crossed the field with excess speed and prepared to launch multiple punches on his foe. The two came into touching distance and landed their blows head on.
The cries of anguish could be heard by everyone present in the stadium. Both of them pushed the other on the opposite sides with their attacks. Neither looked in too good shape and neither would last too long. It was an even battle and the victor could be anyone's guess.
Ash and Tobias too realized it.
"Leaf Storm!"
"Hyper Beam!"
Struggling, but not showing any signs of giving in, Sceptile and Metagross began to charge for their strongest attacks. Leaves surrounded Sceptile, the seeds on his back glowed green and a tornado of leaves headed towards his foe. Metagross too fired the orange beam of overwhelming power from the front of its face.
The two attacks met and after a stalemate, both of them went past each other. Metagross was surrounded in the whirlwind of leaves which cur against its metallic skin and slammed it on the field. Sceptile flew back at the impact of the Hyper Beam and he crashed into the ground.
A few seconds passed as both of them tried their best to get up. Though neither of them could muster enough strength. First Metagross stopped moving and Sceptile couldn't keep up either. Both of them laid on the ground and showed no signs of movements. The battle was over and there was no doubt over the result of this round.
"Sceptile and Metagross are unable to continue to battle!" The referee announced. "Therefore, this round is a draw!"
The crowd erupted at the declaration of the draw by the referee. No matter which one of the trainers they were supporting, the battle was enough to get them pumping. In most league matches, you'd see this kind of intense fighting of high level Pokemon once or twice if it was a full battle. But this was a final and it couldn't be any more evenly matched.
"How about that?!" Wallace exclaimed in the commentary box. "The perfect result, wouldn't you agree?"
Alder frowned and sniggered a second later. "Neither of those two Pokemon deserved to lose."
"You were amazing, Sceptile," Ash muttered with a proud smile. He removed another Pokeball from his belt after putting Sceptile's Pokeball inside. "It's time,"
"Wow!" Barry shouted in amazement.
"So," Dawn said. "They were equally strong?"
Brock smiled. "They probably were," he said. "But a battle isn't always decided by who is the stronger Pokemon."
As the two readied their Pokeballs, the referee signaled to begin the next round. Again, the two of them tossed their Pokeballs together on the field. And when the two balls opened, there was nothing but cheers at the appearance of the two Pokemon the finalists had chosen.
Tobias had chosen a bird Pokemon that was predominantly covered in yellow, spiky feathers. It had a thin, long orange beak and black feathers on the back of its body and tail. Its sharp eyes were encircled in black and electricity zapped throughout the spiky body of the flying creature. It buzzed creakily and took flight, sparks crackling around it as it took to the air and freed its wings.
Ash's choice of Pokemon wasn't any less spectacular. He'd chosen his Fire-type with metal on parts of its body. The Lava Dome Pokemon relaxed himself into his surrounding and let out a roar. The wait for his debut was over.
The two Legendary Pokemon – Zapdos and Heatran – glared at one another, neither of them blinking even once.
"Who would've thought?!" Tobias chuckled, half-surprised. He wasn't totally baffled because of the previous two rounds where things hadn't gone exactly as he'd planned or hoped. "At this point, I don't even know if your Darkrai is the Pokemon that I should be waiting to battle."
The magnificent form of the Legendary Electric-type Pokemon Zapdos had caught Ash in its awe. He had briefly come across a Zapdos long ago, but it had been a long time. It was still a Legendary Pokemon and this amount of respect was only natural.
Ash shook himself out of his daze and grinned. He was loving every moment of this battle. He had come expecting to fight Pokemon like this but fighting against them was another thing entirely. He felt thrilled; there was no fear of losing.
"Heatran," Ash hollered, exhilarated. "Start with Lava Plume!"
Heatran bellowed once as his body began to glow, concentrating immense flames inside himself. Once enough fiery power had been collected, he let out multiple lava-like puffs of flames from his mouth that flew in the air, making their way towards their target.
And what Tobias did in response was the biggest shock. Ash never expected it; no one did. The cloaked man simply raised his Pokeball towards Zapdos and the Thunder Pokemon was sucked into it, a moment before the Lava Plume would've reached it.
"What the hell?!" Ash shouted in utter disbelief. It would've been different had Tobias recalled his Zapdos as soon as he saw Ash's Pokemon. But he waited until Ash made his move to call his Pokemon back.
This was all planned the moment Ash's Heatran was revealed. It wasn't that Tobias didn't intend to use Zapdos against Ash's Pokemon when he sent it out. But he did not want it to fight against Heatran. There was no such disadvantage that Zapdos was particularly in against Heatran. The plan was to save Zapdos to fight against some of Ash's other Pokemon, particularly one that Zapdos would have a clear advantage against.
Tobias laughed out at the reaction he got from his opponent. He liked it. "Ash," he called. "I'm sure you'll enjoy battling this one more," As he said that, he tossed his next Pokeball. And the Pokemon that was the face of the year's Lily of the Valley Conference made its appearance.
Eventually, Ash composed himself. There was no rule against changing Pokemon during battle. Either of them could make as many substitutions as they desired. He smiled at his fellow finalist. "It's finally your Darkrai, huh?" he asked and got a smirk in reply. "Magma Storm!"
"Dodge," was the only word Tobias called, so confident was he in his Darkrai's abilities.
Heatran didn't budge from his spot on the ground as he widened his mouth and formed a spiraling magma inside of it. The stream of magma headed right towards Darkrai who stayed still in front of Tobias before finally making a move to the left to evade. As the Magma Storm spiraled around him and surrounded him, Darkrai made use of his superb maneuverability and managed to escape the signature move of Heatran.
Ash had seen enough. He didn't hesitate to raise Heatran's Pokeball and recall him. Clearly, Darkrai would be at an advantage against long ranged moves at Heatran's speed. Long ranged moves were the Lava Dome Pokemon's specialty, after all. Moreover, he'd chosen a Pokemon specifically with a battle against Darkrai in mind. He wasn't sure if the Pokemon would be able to defeat Darkrai, but he would give Tobias' Dark-type a run for its money.
The fifth Pokemon of Ash's was revealed when he tossed up his Pokeball. "Infernape, Mach Punch, go!"
"Dark Pulse!" Tobias said to his Pokemon.
As soon as he materialized, Infernape knew what he had to do. He vaulted forward and almost became impossible to follow with the human eye. Darkrai could see Infernape coming though, and it had already made a chain of dark energy in between the palm of its hands. Mach Punch was too quick, even for Darkrai though. It hit him right in the middle of its belly, a cry followed and the Dark Pulse simply went awry.
"Flamethrower!" Ash said as soon as Infernape had finished his Mach Punch.
Even though Darkrai had taken a direct hit from a super-effective attack, Tobias wasn't bothered; not yet. "Dodge and use Dark Void!"
Infernape fired the Flamethrower as fast as it could, but Darkrai's speed wasn't to be underestimated. It evaded the Flamethrower effortlessly and made a ball of dark energy in its hand. As soon as it was big enough, he let it flow towards Infernape. The Flame Pokemon though was alert enough and managed to avoid it, hence still having his consciousness.
"Dig and then Mach Punch!" He didn't want to use Mach Punch too much. Although it was an extremely agile attack, using it excessively against a Pokemon as sharp as Darkrai wasn't the greatest idea.
"We're not letting it get underground," Tobias said. "Darkrai, Dark Pulse!"
Tobias though had underestimated how fast Infernape was. The Mach Pokemon had already made a path underground before the Dark Pulse reached it.
"Dark Pulse in the hole!" Tobias pointed his finger towards the hole in which Infernape had dug through.
Darkrai followed its instructions without delay as he fired the chain of dark energy inside the hole that Infenape had dug through. The ground beneath Darkrai shook, and right then, Infernape emerged from underground, his fist covered with silver light. And even though Infernape had been wounded on its back because of the Dark Pulse that his foe launched underground, Infernape fought through it to strike Darkrai again with Mach Punch.
Those two strikies from Mach Punch would've taken a toll on Darkrai, Ash reckoned. Mach Punch wasn't too strong in terms of its power but it was still a super-effective move against a Dark-type Pokemon. And Infernape's Mach Punch wasn't weak either. "Close Combat!" Infernape took a boxing stance before he leapt towards Darkrai, focusing solely on attack.
Tobias understood the consequences of a direct barrage from Close Combat. He wouldn't even risk Darkrai getting hit by it. "Psychic before it reaches you,"
As Infernape charged in, Darkrai's eyes glowed pinkish-purple and it caught a hold of Infernape. Infernape found out that he'd lost control over his own body, although he struggled to break free from Darkrai's hold. He hadn't lost total control over his body yet, and managed to still charged forward, albeit struggling to completely break free. Darkrai wasn't about to let Infernape out of its grasp easy though; it strengthened the attack and eventually, got full control over the Fire-type's body.
"Infernape!" Ash cried in worry. He was right to be worried because that was a very effective move against a Fighting-type Pokemon. He breathed a bit easier when Infernape rose up and stood his ground. There wasn't much time that Infernape would hold on though. "Use Flare Blitz with everything you have!"
"Use Psychic again to hold it!" Tobias yelled.
Again, as Infernape charged at his foe with his body covered in orange flames, Darkrai's eyes glowed with psychic power. The flame surrounding Infernape turned light blue in color as he launched himself full throttle. By the time Darkrai managed to get the psychic hold on Infernape though, it was already too close. And this time, Infernape came way better prepared.
With everything he had, Infernape broke free of Psychic and crashed into Darkrai. A second later, red sparks jolted through his body, signifying the recoil that he took.
"Dark Void!" Tobias ordered.
"Dodge it!" came Ash's counter.
Even after having being hit by a powerful attack like Flare Bltiz, Darkrai still showed no signs of being anywhere close to its limit. It had wounds on its body, yes, however, there weren't any signs that it couldn't keep up. Still as agile as when it first started the battle, Darkrai made the black ball of drowsiness inside the palm of his hand. Infernape had already distance himself from Darkrai, however, that didn't prove enough, as this time, the Dark Void completely engulfed Infernape, and as a result, the Fire-type fell on the ground, asleep.
Tobias gave his next command instantly. "Dream Eater!"
Those two words stung Ash as he observed with wide open eyes; Darkrai's eyes glowed red and a shadow-self of Darkrai oozed through the wind and then through the sleeping form of Infernape.
Dream Eater – an attack that didn't only do massive damage to the sleeping Pokemon that were its target, but one which also heals the Pokemon which used the move. It was deadly; and Infernape was at its receiving end this time.
For a brief moment after he was struck with Dream Eater, Infernape stood up, staggered. The next moment, it was on the ground, his conscious failing him. That was all the battle Infernape would do for the day.
The referee realized that the round was again over. He raised the blue flag towards Tobias and announced. "Infernape is unable to continue to battle, Darkrai wins!" As he relaxed his hands, he concluded in the mic. "As three of Ash's Pokemon have been knocked out, there will be a fifteen minutes break."
Ash sighed as he recalled his fallen Infernape back to his Pokeball. He'd done well and although Ash had hoped to do more to Darkrai with his Infernape – he'd chosen Infernape as one of the Pokemon for the final, especially to counter Darkrai with Infernape's type advantage – there wasn't much more Infernape could've done. Tobias had prepared his Darkrai to face Pokemon that were strong against Dark-type. And also, Darkrai was much stronger than what he'd shown in the previous League matches.
How was the chapter? I'd like to read anything you've gotta say in the reviews. It has been a really long time since I last wrote a chapter, so I'd definitely like to know which areas need work.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Sorry for the long wait again. I'll try my best to make sure the next chapter comes out sooner. Life can get in the way though.
Until next chapter!