POKEMON HEART SOUL ADVENTURES
And the chapter a lot of people have been waiting for is finally here!
This is a special chapter for my Pokemon story - not only does it mark the 20-chapter mark, which I definitely hope will only be the start of a longer and more successful carreer as a fanfiction writer; it is also the chapter where an important battle takes place. Once again, Ash challenges an Elite Four in battle, and this will be an excellent time to see how much better our hero has gotten since his Sinnoh days. And the Elite Four in question is none other than Phoebe, Hoenn's resident spirit-talker and Ghost-type user. Are you expecting a marathon battle yet? You'd better, because Charizard will be taking part in it, too!
Alright, so this chapter will mostly cover this battle... but after that, our friends' journey through Sevii Islands will continue in earnest, and they will have more problems to face and new challenges to meet! So, for the moment, just sit tight and enjoy the match! Of course, I'd appreciate it if you could tell me how well I did... so don't be shy and send me your reviews!
See you later!
oooooooooo
Chapter 20 - Ash vs. Phoebe
"Weavile, use Ice Shard."
The Dark / Ice weasel-like Pokemon obeyed, jumping up in the air in a dizzying spin, and then swooping down on his opponent, a particulary large and sturdy Graveler who had attacked Weavile and his purple-haired trainer, mistaking them for easy targets. Unfortunately for him, Paul and his team were showing him how appearances can be deceiving... and when Weavile's ice-covered, razor-sharp claw struck true, the Rock Pokemon got the picture just one moment too late. Weavile's Ice Shard struck him, sending a terrifying chill into his body and forming a thin layer of ice all around him. His eyes turned into swirls and, after swaying from side to side for a few seconds, Graveler fell to the ground with an heavy thud, just as Weavile nimbly backflipped through the air and landed on his feet in front of his trainer. Paul stood there, watching the results of Weavile's training, and nodded, never losing his stoic expression. He had to admit, Weavile had really given it his best, and had gotten a lot better...
"Hm. That will do, Weavile. Enough for today." Paul said, recalling his Dark / Ice Pokemon. The weasel-like Pokemon bowed elegantly and grinned in satisfaction before being reabsorbed by the Pokeball, and Paul put him back with the others, before stopping to think which Pokemon he should train next...
oooooooooo
Just as this was happening in Kanto, another important challenge was about to take place in Knot Island: high atop a rather desolate plateau, with only Misty, Dawn, Brock and Gary to act as an audience, Ash and Phoebe were about to face each other in battle!
"Alright then, I've chosen the team with which I'm going to face you... I think we have nothing left to do but to start!" Phoebe commented, playfully twirling the first of her Pokeballs on the tip of an index finger, then flinging it in the air and catching it on the way down. "I suppose you have already chosen who you will use, right, Ash?"
"You bet I am!" Ash answered with his trademark grin, before turning to Pikachu. "What do you say, Pikachu? You ready to mix it up with misss Phoebe's Ghost-types?"
"Pikachu!" the cute electric mouse sprayed a few sparks from his cheeks and stood ready for battle, jumping down from Ash's shoulder and getting ready to begin. The young trainer nodded and turned to his travelling companions, who were all sitting on the sidelines, cheering him on.
"Hey, Ash! Pikachu! Give her your best shot!" Misty called out from the side.
Brock nodded. "Just keep your cool, and I'm sure you can do well!"
"Just try not to embarass yourself, okay?" Gary snarked.
"Ash, Pikachu! You can do this, I know that!" Dawn called out enthusiastically.
Ash nodded, silently thanking his friends, and both he and Pikachu stood ready to face Hoenn's Ghost master. "Right, then... we have nothing more to say! We can start right now!"
"Good, because my Banette was getting restless here!" Phoebe told him, just a split second before tossing her Pokeball in the air. "And that's exactly who I will send to face you! Go, Banette, show them what you've got!"
In a flash, a strange Ghost-type Pokemon appeared in front of the electric mouse: it looked like a small black humanoid doll, with three short spikes on top of her head, large purple-red eyes which shone with cruelty, and a zigzag-shaped ribbon hanging behind her head. Her mouth looked like a zipper and was contorted in a mischievous grin, and her long arms ended in three claw-like fingers, while her legs were short and stubby. A short yellow tail, looking somewhat like a brush, was slowly wagging behind the Pokemon, who quickly assumed a fighting stance. It was a Pokemon Ash was not too familiar with, but he did remember seeing one in Harley's team during Hoenn's Grand Festival - a Banette, the spirit of a discarded doll.
However, Dawn didn't remember ever seeing such a Pokemon, and consulted her Pokedex to get more information about it. "Banette, the Marionette Pokemon. A doll that became a Pokemon over its grudge at being junked. It is seen in dark alleys, and whenever it opens its mouth, cursed energy escapes." the electronic encyclopaedia droned.
"Creepy..." Dawn commented with a slight shiver. "I wouldn't like to be the one facing that Pokemon..."
However, it took more than just that to daunt Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu, and the young boy quickly set his hat on his head before the battle started in earnest. "A Banette, huh? It won't be enough to frighten us! Pikachu, we'll start this one! Start off with Agility and run rings around that Pokemon!"
"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked, before darting towards Banette, speeding up so much that Ash and Phoebe had trouble following his movements. Phoebe's Banette floated upwards a little and tried to keep her eyes on Pikachu, never losing that disquieting grin on her phantom-like features. Then, before Banette could try for a counter, Pikachu darted towards her and began sparkling, as if he was about to unleash his trademark Volt Tackle on the phantom doll... but, all of a sudden, it turned out that Ash and Pikachu were just faking the attack, and the electric mouse nimbly slid under Banette's body and landed on the other side, surprising both the marionette and her trainer.
"Wow, now that was good thinking!" Misty said. "And here I thought Pikachu was going to go for a Volt Tackle!"
"Ash and Pikachu seem to have learned to fake out their opponents..." Brock stated. "With all their experience, they now have an idea of what their opponents expect of them, and they know enough to counter them. Yeah, it had to be said... the journey in Sinnoh did wonders for their battle tactics!"
"Well done, Pikachu! And now... hit Banette with a Thunder Wave!" Ash ordered. Pikachu smiled and began charging up for his paralyzing attack... but unexpectedly, Banette turned in his direction with blinding speed and swung her arm around, her short claws prolonging to the length of human fingers!
"Shadow Claw, Banette! Now!" Phoebe ordered. The marionette Pokemon brought her arm down, trying to hit Pikachu with her sharp claws... and the electric mouse only dodged the blow thanks to his speedy reflexes: he jumped sideways just as Banette's claws sunk into the ground, carving out a few peebles from it! However, the sudden dodge caused Pikachu to lose concentration and his Thunder Wave to fizzle out harmlessly. The two Pokemon quickly squared off again, and this time, Banette and her trainer seemed to want to take the initiative.
"Quick, Banette... attack that Pikachu with Sucker Punch!" Phoebe ordered, anticipating an attack from Ash's main Pokemon. Her prediction proved correct, and in a flash, Banette dashed towards Pikachu and caught him off guard, hitting him with a quick and powerful backhand slap that threw the Electric Pokemon on the ground. Luckily, Pikachu rolled back to his feet, apparently none the worse for wear, and kept on with the attack!
"Okay, Pikachu, let's try another way... use a Growl attack!" Ash ordered, causing all of his four friends to slightly widen their eyes in surprise - they definitely weren't expecting Ash and Pikachu to use such a basic, yet still effective, move. Pikachu, however, had no hesitation and, after taking some breath, let out a cute, squeaky growl that seemed to actually rattle Banette somewhat, causing the Ghost Pokemon to back away a few paces.
"Hmm... so, you're using some status-changing moves in order to weaken my Banette's offensive abilities, huh? That's quite a good tactic, I have to say!" Phoebe commented. "It is not important which moves you know, but the way you use them... and you seem to know that!"
"We're not halfway through yet!" Ash declared. "Now, Pikachu... attack with Iron Tail!"
"Pika pika chu!" Pikachu's tail began glowing with power, and the electric mouse gracefully pirouetted around itself a couple of times before bring his now iron-hard tail down on Banette's head! The surprised Ghost Pokemon managed to barely dodge the blow, which still hit her on the arm, numbing it for a few seconds, and Banette shrieked in anger and pain as she backed away some more. However, before Pikachu could press the attack, Phoebe quickly gave another order...
"Don't let that Pikachu follow up... use Shadow Sneak, now!" the island girl ordered. Banette grinned again, and the shadow she was projecting on the ground suddently grew and literally emerged from the ground, slamming the unprepared Pikachu on the face and causing him to fall to the ground once again!
"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed. He was just as surprised as his friend was, and neither he nor his friends had ever seen that kind of move. "What... what was that move? Shadow Sneak, you said?"
"Shadow Sneak?" Gary asked. "Hey, Brock, do you happen to know anything about this move? That's the first time I hear of it..."
"Sadly, it just happens to be the first time I hear of this move as well." Brock answered. "However, it does seem to be an high-priority move, just like Quick Attack or Aqua Jet..."
"Indeed, that's the case! Shadow Sneak is the Ghost-type equivalent to those attacks!" Phoebe explained as Pikachu picked himself up from the ground, and Banette floated down with her claws unsheathed. "Not a really powerful move, but enough so to mess with opponents who can't resist Ghost-type attacks. And now, Banette... attack with Will-O-Wisp!"
The marionette Pokemon grinned even more widely and summoned a few spheres of glowing spectral fire which surrounded her body, before throwing them at Pikachu, one at the time. Luckily, the electric mouse was more than ready for that, and managed to quickly dodge the assault: each and every flaming sphere impacted on the ground, exploding harmlessly upèon impact. Quickly, Pikachu turned to Banette and unleashed another attack, this time going for direct damage!
"Pikachu... attack with Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered. The Electric Pokemon used another one of his trademark attacks, surrounding himself with a crackling electric aura for one second, and then unleashing it all on the ghost puppet, hitting her head-on! Banette scrunched her eyes and grit her teeth in pain as hundreds of volts coursed through her body, causing her to lose altitude. Cheering from Misty and Dawn brought a small smile on Ash's face - this was the first time he and Pikachu ever managed to last so long against an Elite Four, and it seemed that the battle was not going to be decided soon, either!
"Nice bit of battling, kid! Banette and I haven't had such a stimulating fight in a while!" Phoebe complimented her opponent, far from being worried. "But don't worry, you still haven't seen the last of us! Use Payback, Banette! Show them what you're made of!"
The Ghost Pokemon let out a low, spooky laugh and, turning the pain from the earlier attack into pure rage, flung herself at Pikachu and struck him with all of her strength. The yellow mouse squeaked again and fell to the side in a small cloud of dust... but Banette's expression quickly turned into a frown as her movement son grew sluggish and awkward, and she felt a jolt of electricity coursing through her ethereal body. Phoebe wrinkled her nose, mentally slapping herself for letting herself be suckered into committing such a silly mistake - using too many contact moves on Pikachu had caused the Electric Pokemon's Static ability to activate, causing Banette to be paralyzed.
Pikachu climbed to his feet again and smiled in relief, thinking that the battle was about to get a little easier now that his opponent was at least a little impaired... and even Ash had begun to think that, this time, they might actually stand a chance at defeating a Pokemon belonging to one of the Elite Four! However, despite everything, Phoebe knew that her Banette was not down for the count yet, and there was still something she could have done...
"Alright, then... let's see how you like that!" she murmured to herself. "Banette, we're going for broke here!"
"Don't let her attack again, Pikachu! Use a Thunderbolt again!" Ash exclaimed. Again, with a self-assured grin, Pikachu charged up and shot a powerful globular bolt against Banette, thinking he could do some real damage to it...
"Protect!" Phoebe quickly ordered, and the marionette Pokemon rapidly put up a semi-transparent shield around her body, causing the electric attack to harmlessly bounce off of her and disperse! Ash grit his teeth, seeing this one chance getting wasted like that, and tried to think of another strategy to even the odds... but this time, Phoebe and her Banette were faster!
"Alright... and now, Banette, let's wrap this up! Use Curse!" the girl ordered. Banette narrowed her eyes, and a large nail appeared in one of her clawed hands, before she pointed it at herself and plunged the tip in her own smoky chest, letting out a small grunt of pain as she did so. However, the self-attack move quickly took its toll on Pikachu as well - before the electric mouse could charge up for another Volt Tackle, his eyes widened in surprise and pain, and he put an hand on his chest, feeling a stinging sensation inside of himself! Ash called out his name in alarm, and the yellow mouse grit his teeth and tried to stand up again... but the effects of the Curse attack were inescapable, and Pikachu was soon forced to slump on the ground in exhaustion, giving the first round to Phoebe and Banette.
"Pikachu is unable to continue!" Brock declared. "Banette wins this round!"
"Phew... it's been a rather near shave, I have to say..." Phoebe commented, before recalling her Banette. "Anyway, great job, Banette! You did well like always! And good job to you as well, Ash Ketchum! Your Pikachu is well-trained, it doesn't happen often that my Banette is forced to go all-out like that!"
"Well, I was rather hoping we'd get to last a little longer, but still... thanks!" Ash thanked the Ghost user, before picking up Pikachu and gently placing him far enough from the battlefield. "Alright, then... guess I have no choice but to bring out the big guns! I choose you... Charizard!"
With a mighty roar, the Fire / Flying dragon-like Pokemon materialized on the battlefield and spread his wings, issuing a challenge to Phoebe, who nodded and recalled her weary Banette. "Well, well... but just because you are able to do that, doesn't mean I can't fight seriously as well. Time to use my own strongest Pokemon... your turn, Dusknoir!"
"NOOOOIR!" the monstrous spectre howled eerily, his single eye lighting up with a disquieting green aura. The zigzagging mouth in his stomach opened wide, showing the inside of the Ghost Pokemon as a pitch-black, hollow hole, before Dusknoir floated down and stood ready for the battle. Charizard frowned, already feeling the pressure from the mighty phantom's massive frame... he could feel he was facing a very tough opponent, and he had to go all out if he was to win the fight!
This time, Ash decided to wait it out and see what Phoebe could have pulled as a first move... and the island girl wasted no time to show that she really meant business! "Let's start this off with a Shadow Punch! Go for it, Dusknoir!" she ordered. The phantom Pokemon raised his arms and, much to Ash's surprise, the mouth on Dusknoir's stomach opened wide, and a glowing fist made of purple energy materialized inside of it before flying at top speed towards its target! Charizard, with a grunt of surprise, took to the air in order to avoid the hit, but Dusknoir's Shadow Punch automatically readjusted its own position and struck true anyway, causing the fire lizard to lose his balance for a short while and flap helplessly his wings in the air. He quickly recovered, though, and was soon ready for another go!
"Shadow Punch never misses its intended target!" Phoebe explained with a small smile. "Looks like your Charizard didn't know about this..."
On the sidelines, Ash's friends were beginning to look worried. While Charizard had obviously grown a lot more powerful from his training in Charicific Valley, he was now facing Phoebe's strongest Pokemon, and he appeared to be at a disadvantage already. "Well, one thing has to be said for sure, Phoebe has done one heck of a good job training that Dusknoir..." Gary commented. "Guess Ashy-boy has his work cut out for him, huh?"
"I guess so... but you know how our friend is! I'm sure he can find a way around that!" Brock commented, just as the two Pokemon squared off again. Dusknoir tried to attack again, and this time, his right fist was enveloped in a crackling electricity aura, which warned Ash of an incoming Thunder Punch!
"Alright, Ash, keep your hair on..." the young boy told himself. "I've already faced a Dusknoir before, when I went up again Conway in the Sinnoh tournament... this is the same, only it's a fair bit stronger... let's see how I can take out this guy... alright, I think I got it!"
"Right, Charizard! Stop that guy on his tracks with Scary Face!" Ash ordered, and the dragon was all too eager to comply, distorting his reptilian face into a frightening scowl, and lighting up his eyes in a scarlet glow that made him look almost demonic! Dusknoir, who was about to punch Charizard with his electrified fist, stopped dead and hesitated in front of the Fire / Flying Pokemon's determination, which gave Charizard all the time he needed to attack again! "Excellent job, Charizard! Follow it up with Shadow Claw!"
Phoebe's eyes widened slightly as she heard the name of the move, knowing all too well that Ghost Pokemon were particularly weak to their own type. And in fact, when Charizard's front claws began glowing in a purple aura, and the dragon viciously slashed his opponent with both of them, Dusknoir was thrown backwards with an eerie howl of pain, showing that the move had taken its toll on the otherwise robust phantom. As an added bonus, the sparks surrounding Dusknoir's clenched fist fizzled out and disappeared, foiling his attempt at a Thunder Punch attack!
"Awesome!" Dawn cheered. "Ash and Charizard managed to stop that Thunder Punch attack! Way to go, Ash!"
"It was nice thinking on Ash's part indeed!" Misty exclaimed, feeling secretly proud of Ash's progresses. "But the battle has only just begun, so let's wait before we call it a win for Ash and Charizard..."
Dusknoir shook his head to stop the dizziness and tried to get his act together and regain what advantage he had lost. Phoebe herself had to admit that she had not expected Ash's Charizard to be able to pull off such an effective combination of moves. It appeared that she was not mistakn, then, when she had sensed the potential for greatness in the young boy! However, she was not going to make things easier on him...
"Fine, then... Dusknoir, I think it's time to name our own terms for this fight! Use Disable to take out Charizard's Shadow Claw!" the island girl said. Dusknoir nodded, and his bigger eye, the one in the center of his head, shone with a sinister green glow, and Charizard, who was about to attack again with the same move, looked quizzically at his own claws right when the purple light surrounding them faded. Annoyed, the dragon grunted and tried to turn to another attack...
"It's no problem, Charizard, we have other ways to deal with him!" Ash assured him. "For instance... why don't you give him a nice Fire Blast, for a change?"
Charizard grinned, then opened his mouth wide and charged up a large kanji-shaped blast of flames, which exploded out of the dragon's maw and flew towards Dusknoir! The grisly-looking spectre could do nothing but glare in surprise and anger as he tried to brace himself for impact, using his strong arms to lessen the effect of the blow as much as he could. But even he was not strong enough to completely contain the huge Fire-type attack, which blasted him several feet away from his position and left him sprawling, battered and ignoble, on the hard, unforgiving stone. Ash's friends cheered from the sidelines, and even the tired Pikachu managed to smile and give his trainer a thumbs-up!
"Nicely done, Charizard... and now, keep up the assault! Use a Fly attack!" Ash told his strongest Pokemon, who roared in defiance and took to the air with a single clap of his mighty wings. The flame on the tip of his tail grew stronger as Charizard eyed the rising Dusknoir with a predatory look, about ready to swoop down and put a quick end to the battle...
But Phoebe had a different opinion about it, and she showed.
"Not so fast, boy... Dusknoir, let's even the playing field! Use Gravity!" the island girl exclaimed. As Charizard grunted in alarm and Ash frowned, Dusknoir brought both his arms up, his body starting to glow eerily, and quickly brought them down! All of a sudden, Charizard felt like an enormous weight had been placed on his back, and he scrunched his face in fatigue as he tried to beat his wings more and more rapidly... but he felt like his body weighed hundreds of tons, and he could not keep up for much longer. A few seconds later, the Fire / Flying Pokemon landed with an heavy thud and began panting... and Ash and Pikachu themselves were feeling like the air itself had gotten thicker around them!
"Uuugh... what's... what's this about?" Ash asked. "Charizard, what's the matter? Are you feeling okay?"
"Charrrrrr..." the dragon grunted in frustration. Dusknoir was now standing only a few feet in front of him, his spectral hands raised and his body still stuck in that position...
"I can explain that!" Phoebe said with a slight smirk. "You see... Dusknoir can learn the move Gravity, which causes the gravity in the area to increase manifold, and denies any opponent the privilege of flight! Which, in your Charizard's case, also means that he gets to be vulnerable to moves like... this one! Dusknoir, use Earthquake!"
Ash winced, understanding that, now that Charizard had temporarily lost his ability to fly, he was vulnerable to Ground-type attack, which usually would be harmless to the mighty dragon. The phantom raised his arms again and brought them down with even more power, striking the ground in fury and causing a miniature shockwave to erupt from the rock and hit Charizard like a truck, knocking the now-flightless lizard off his feet and sending him tumbling on the ground, where he remained for quite a few seconds, long enough for Ash to start worrying that he might have lost this fight. However, Charizard was nothing if not persistent... and even when he had taken considerable damage from the type-dominant move, he still managed to work up enough strength to stand up and get back into a fighting stance, fighting the terrible weight bearing down upon him. Ash tried to think fast - he needed to work out a solution for this predicament, before the increased gravity brought Charizard to his knees...
Suddenly, Ash thought of an idea, just in time before Dusknoir, unaffected by the increased gravity because of his incorporeal nature, dashed towards him with a Shadow Claw attack. Phoebe nodded and complimented his opponent on the fight he had put up. "Well, I have to say I'm quite impressed. Few ever managed to bring my Dusknoir to these extremes." she said. "But sadly, this is as far as you go... Dusknoir, Shadow Claw!"
"I don't think so! Charizard and I still have something left!" Ash defiantly exclaimed. "Charizard! Use Fire Blast again... on the ground this time!"
Misty, Brock, Gary, Dawn and even Phoebe were caught off guard by that. Had Ash lost his mind? What good would it be to have Charizard blast the ground with that attack? However, Brock's wonder soon turned to a knowing look, and the dark-skinned boy smiled in understanding... just as Charizard charged up his Fire Blast and shot it at the ground! Dusknoir halted his attack and stepped back as a deafening, blinding explosion of flames engulfed the ground right in front of him, and the Fire / Flying dragon was propelled upwards by the sheer force of the blast, allowing him to defeat the hold of the increased gravity, even for just a few seconds! Charizard soared high, engulfed in a spectacular aura of red flames, and managed to turn to Dusknoir in midair...
"Amazing! So that's what Ash's plan was!" Misty exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise. "He... he used the sheer explosive force of the Fire Blast to allow Charizard to break the gravitational hold... even for just a few seconds! Just like a spaceship taking off!"
"That's exactly it... and it isn't over here, as you will see... right now!" Brock stated with palpable enthusiasm, just as Charizard, still wreathed in flames, began to descend head-first towards the surprised Dusknoir! Phoebe seemed to flinch as well, understanding that the tables had suddenly turned on her, and Ash was now at an advantage!
"And now, Charizard... this is all or nothing! Use Flare Blitz, NOW!" the young boy exclaimed. His valliant champion roared again, and the flames his body was wrapped in intensified as he swooped down on Dusknoir, his own weight increased manifold by the higher gravity! There was nothing the spectral Pokemon could do to lessen the blow, and sure enough, Charizard's Flame Charge overwhelmed him and struck him with the power of a falling meteor, causing a huge explosion around him and sending flaming debris everywhere! Both Ash and Phoebe were forced to step backwards and protect themselves from the flaming hail, as a huge column of dust and cinder was blown in the air, and the earth shook again underneath their feet! For a few seconds, while the terrible weight on everyone's shoulders was gradually lifted, nothing happened as the two trainers waited for the mess to die down a little... and finally, when things were quiet once again, both of them peeked through the cloud of dust to see what the outcome of the battle was...
And there, in the middle of the battlefield, stood Charizard, battered but unbowed, his wings majestically spread and the flame on his tail burning bright... while Dusknoir was lying helplessly on the ground, the "face" on his rotund belly contorted in a comical expression of pain, and his single eye swirling. There was no doubt as to who the winner was... and Ash himself could scarcely believe that!
As the girls both watched in awe, Brock finally cleared his throat. "And... Dusknoir is unable to continue fighting!" he declared. "This match goes to... Ash and Charizard!"
"Should have seen that one coming, after all..." Gary explained. "The increased gravity meant that attacks based on swooping down on the opponent from a great height have more power to them, as the weight of the falling Pokemon is increased as well. Pretty smart thinking for Ashy-boy here!"
"In other words, he used his opponent's own technique against her!" Dawn correctly resumed. "Hehee, just like Ash to think up these strategies on the fly!"
"Yaaaaay!" Ash cheered happily, running to his Charizard and tightly embracing him. "You did it, Charizard! You defeated a Pokemon belonging to an Elite Four! This is... this is just... man, I just can't find the words to express it! I knew you could make it, Charizard!"
"Pika pi! Pika pika chu!" Pikachu cheered, jumping up and down to celebrate his trainer's newly reached achievement. This was the first time he had ever managed to knock out a Pokemon belonging to a member of the Elite Four, and a powerful one like Dusknoir to boot! For her part, Phoebe remained flabbergasted that her strongest Pokemon had been defeated in such a way... but then, she saw the amusing side of the situation and giggled before recalling her exhausted Dusknoir.
"Well done all the same, Dusknoir, I'm proud of you!" the island girl said before turning to her opponent. "Well, Ash Ketchum... that was brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. I have trouble recalling the last time my Dusknoir was defeated, and you did it thanks to your good thinking... it's been quite a long time since I had such a fulfilling battle!"
"Thanks, miss Phoebe... your Dusknoir was a pretty tough cookie as well!" Ash acknowledged the girl's congratulations, before patting Charizard on the head and allowing him to rest. "That will be enough for this battle, Charizard... you won our second battle, and I'm glad to see how strong you've become! Congratulations!"
The dragon smiled proudly and grunted an affirmative before he was recalled in his Pokeball. Now, the two contenders were even, and a tie-breaker match was needed to determine who the victor would be. Right now, Ash and Phoebe were trying to think which of their remaining Pokemon to send on the battlefield.
"Alright then... your turn now, Staraptor! Let's go!" Ash finally chose his third Pokemon, allowing the raptor-like Pokemon to take flight in front of him. Staraptor let out a piercing battle cry and remained in suspension in front of Ash, waiting for Phoebe to make her choice.
"Fine then... guess I'll be fighting Flying with Flying!" the Hoenn Elite Four said with a smile. "It's your time to shine, Drifblim!"
The blimp-like Pokemon emerged from his Pokeball and quietly soared up in the air, vacantly eyeing Staraptor as the huge bird stood ready for the deciding match... which began only split second later, with Staraptor quickly diving towards Drifblim and trying to slap him in the face with his overtaking wings!
"Let's start off with a Wing Attack, Staraptor!" Ash exclaimed, and the raptor-like Pokemon wasted no time hitting the floating ghost with his wings, sending a few feathers scattering around! The blimp-like phantom lost some altitude, but was able to quickly regain it and floated away from danger, as his trainer tried to think of a move to use. Ghost-type moves were out of the question, of course, since they were useless against a Normal-type like Staraptor, but there were ways around it, and Phoebe knew them all!
"As I said, Flying against Flying! Use Air Cutter, Drifblim!" the girl ordered, and Drifblim slashed the air with one of his four limbs and sent a shining energy projectile right at Staraptor, hitting him in the chest right when the huge bird was about to strike again, Staraptor let out a small caw of pain, but was quick to follow up on his attack by using a Double Team attack to further confuse the floating ghost. Phoebe, however, wasn't worried in the least.
"That's an old trick, and I know how to counter it..." the Ghost-type trainer commented. "Go for a Shock Wave, Drifblim!"
The balloon-like Pokemon stopped in midair and quickly charged up, unleashing an arc of electricity that spread from its evanescent body and unerringly struck Staraptor, rendering his Double Team maneuver moot. The large bird Pokemon screeched again and noisily flapped his wings as he shook the electric attack off, then took to the air again and started flying circles around Drifblim.
"Alright, guess I didn't think that one through..." Ash told him, mentally chastitizing himself for the mistake. It seemed that a lot of the opponents he went up against in recent times had a move to counter evasion-enhancing attacks. "Well, no matter... Staraptor, use Agility, and then strike with Aerial Ace!"
"Star!" Staraptor exclaimed, accelerating all of a sudden to become a grey-and-white blur of speed... and then swooping down on Drifblim to hit him with a quick clap of his wings, causing the Ghost / Flying type to sway dangerously in midair!
"Hmm... very interesting! You really did a good job with your Staraptor's training!" Phoebe said. "I guess it would be hazardous, at best, to try and match your Pokemon on the physical plane, so... let's mix things up a little, shall we? Drifblim, attack with Role Play!"
Ash narrowed his eyes, remembering that he had already seen such a trick in his battle against Conway, and had managed to overcome it... however, in this case, the effects were immediate and quite dramatic, as the Ghost / Flying Pokemon had taken Staraptor's Intimidate ability, using it to weaken his opponent's resolve... and Staraptor, who had been rather aggressive until then, seemed to become more subdued, and a shadow of doubt crept in his eagle-like eyes. Before the young boy could think of a way to counter this insidious attack and regain his lost advantage, Drifblim was already setting up a new attack!
"Good job, Drifblim! And now... hold that Staraptor still with a Thunder Wave attack!" she ordered. Again, the balloon-like Pokemon charged up and unleashed a weak static shock, which struck the slowed-down Staraptor and caused him to become stiff, making it more difficult for him to defend himself. Ash grit his teeth, realizing that he was being driven into a corner... but until the final blow had been struck, he and Staraptor had no intention of backing down at all!
"Don't give up, Staraptor! I know you can do it!" the young boy cheered his Pokemon. "You can still win this! Use Brave Bird, now!"
The huge raptor Pokemon, who had seemed to be about to fall to the ground from the paralysis, quickly picked himself up again and darted like a torpedo towards Drifblim, catching the floating Pokemon off guard and reaching him in a flash of black and white feathers, before starting to perform a series of fast, unpredictable attacks in midair, looking like he was simply darting through the Ghost / Flying Pokemon's vaporous body, and smacking him with more and more power each go! For a moment, Phoebe actually began to fear that her Pokemon might not be able to withstand the furious assault, and held her breath as Drifblim began losing altitude... but she managed to breathe out a sigh of relief when the weightless phantom turned upright in mid-fall and regained some altitude, nimbly moving his limbs in the air! Staraptor, who had been hard-pressed to go through with the Brave Bird attack, grit his beak in frustration and tried to turn in his opponent's direction to try again with an Aerial Ace attack, but he was rather slow in doing so, no thanks to the paralysing attack he had been hit with earlier... and this gave Drifblim all the time he needed to aim another attack and shoot!
"Do another Shock Wave, Drifblim!" Phoebe ordered, and her Pokemon flawlessly repeated the same attack from before, unleashing a stream of electricity and striking Staraptor head-on! The bird Pokemon let out another shriek... and this time, it was too exhausted to go on, and quietly lowered itself to the ground before passing out, his feathers ruffled and his eyes swirling dizzily. Ash clenched his fist, both in worry for his Pokemon and disappointment in himself... he had hoped he could let Staraptor either win or, at least, hold his own for a little longer, but it seemed that this was not to be the case.
"And... Staraptor is unable to continue fighting." Brock finally decreed, putting an end to the battle. "With a final score of 2 to 1, Phoebe of the Hoenn Elite Fou is the winner of this match."
Drifblim panted heavily for a short while, the battle having tired him more than he had expected, and lowered himself to his trainer's level. Phoebe, for her part, simply smiled and patted Drifblim on his head, as Ash came to pick up Staraptor and confort him over his loss. Pikachu was able to stand up as well, and followed his trainer.
"I'm sorry, Staraptor, I should have thought faster than that..." the boy apologized to his Pokemon. "I was sure that we could take that Drifblim, but it seems we still have a long way to go..."
"Staraptor..." the Flying Pokemon said, shaking his head with a small smile.
"Thanks, that's good to hear..." Ash answered, managing to smile himself before turning to Phoebe and her Drifblim. "Congratulations, miss Phoebe... I guess I still need to train my Pokemon a lot more, before I can stand a chance, right?"
"Hey, don't be too hard on yourself, kiddo! You did a great job, I have to say... don't forget that you managed to take down my Dusknoir, and that's not an accomplishment anyone can achieve! Actually, I'd say that you managed to drive me into a corner more than once, so... I think you should feel proud of yourself!" Phoebe commented, winking casually as she congratulated the young boy on his battle. "You're definitely not your run-of-the-mill trainer that comes to challenge me and ends up getting his butt kicked in two seconds flat!"
"She's right, you know..." Dawn chimed in, her Piplup in her arms. "After all, this is the first time you manage to knock out a Pokemon of the Elite Four, and that shows just how strong you've grown! You and your Charizard both, at any rate!"
"I agree, Ashy-boy, that was one really great fight you put up!" Gary added. "I have to say, you surprised me, and your Charizard was really awesome!"
Ash rubbed the back of his head as he recalled Staraptor into his Pokeball for a well-deserved rest. "Hehehee... really, guys, I'm getting embarassed here! Anyway... it was a great battle, miss Phoebe, and I hope we'll get a chance to have a rematch later on! Of course, that's when I'll have trained my Pokemon better..."
"I will be looking forward to that, kiddo!" Phoebe answered cheerily, before recalling Drifblim as well. "And again, thanks for the battle! It's been some time since I fought an opponent as strong as you are! Well then... I guess it's off to the Pokemon Center now, our Pokemon deserve some rest after this... and then, are you heading to Boon Island, in the southeast?"
"Yes, we'll be taking the first ship tomorrow morning..." Brock explained. "We still have some questions we'd like to clarify... and then again, there is this Pokemon I'd like to consult an expert about."
Phoebe blinked in curiosity. "A Pokemon you'd like to ask an expert about? Would you mind showing him to me, please? Maybe I can give some pointers, though Ghosts are my field of expertise..."
"It's actually a Dragon-type, miss Phoebe..." Misty said as Brock nodded and let his Gible out of his Pokeball. The mercurial little landshark appeared in front of the Rock-type expert and opened his mouth wide, showing several rows of small, pointed teeth which seemed strong enough to bite through iron or stone, and the island girl whistled in admiration, recognizing the species.
"Wow... that's a Gible, you don't see many of those around!" Phoebe commented, as she regarded the small Ground / Dragon type with curiosity. Gible's small eyes followed her, probably expecting the girl to hand him a snack or something like that. "Still... other than the fact that it's a rare Pokemon, I don't see how different he is from the rest of his species."
"In fact, there's nothing different about him, miss Phoebe..." Brock answered. "What perplexes me... and everyone who's seen my Gible, in fact... is that he seems to know a strange attack that has gotten us out of a tight spot in several cases, and has caused trouble in others. We have no idea what this attack might be, as we've never seen anything like that before."
Phoebe nodded and rubbed her slender chin, deep in thought. "Oh, I see..." she commented, keeping silent for a short while as she mused about what Brock had just told her. "Hmmm... that's a tough one alright... and I'm afraid I am not the most qualified person for asking such questions. However, I do know a place where you can ask for more help, and it's right on Boon Island. Which is where you're going anyway, right?"
"Exactly... what about Boon Island, miss Phoebe? Do you know someone who lives there and can give us some pointers?" Misty asked hopefully... to which, luckily enough, the Ghost-type expert nodded.
"Indeed I do... there's this old lady who lives in a small house in the wilderness, on the highest peak of the island, and she's notorious for being rather eccentric, and for teaching some pretty powerful moves to the Pokemon she considers worthy of her help." the Hoenn Elite Four answered. "I think she will be able to tell you whatever you need to know... and even if she can't, she can at least point you to someone who does!"
Brock smiled gratefully, happy to know that at least one mystery was going to be solved. "That's good to know, miss Phoebe, I'll definitely look into it!" he answered, before turning to Ash and Gary. "And by the way, that might be a good place for you to train your Pokemon, right?"
Ash and Gary looked at each other, and the young researcher smiled cunningly and nodded. "Tell you what, Ash... that's actually a pretty good idea! It's been quite some time since my Blastoise and I did some serious training, and I think I'd better clear out some cobwebs before we go on with exploring Sevii Islands! What do you say?"
"I suppose it will not hurt to spend some time training our Pokemon..." Ash answered with a small nod. "And what about you, girls? Maybe you could use the time we stay on Boon Island to do some training yourselves!"
Dawn seemed to like the idea. "As long as we don't have Team Vicious to think about, I think we can do that... say, Misty, would it be alright if I asked you to help me out a little with my training?"
Misty nodded, even if she was a little disappointed about missing her chance to see Ash training his Pokemon. Still, she was glad to be of help to her friend from Sinnoh, and she knew she would get other chances to get a little closer to Ash. "Alright, I'm game! But be on your guard, my Water Pokemon are strong, and I'm not going to let your Pokemon slack off... though I maintain that your Piplup is impossibly cute! Hehehee..." Misty giggled, prompting the little penguin Pokemon to flap his wings in mock outrage, and Dawn to let out a girlish giggle. "Fine then... since we've decided our next course of action, I say we go back to the Pokemon Center and get ready for the evening! The first boat to Boon Island will leave rather early tomorrow morning, and we need to be well-rested!"
"You'll get no argument from me, that's for sure!" Ash said as he stretched himself. "What about you, miss Phoebe? Would you like to join us for dinner? That's the least we can do for helping us out so much with J and Team Vicious..."
"I'd really love to, considering that tomorrow I'll have to depart as well..." was the Ghost-type expert's answer. "The Hoenn Pokemon League needs me there soon, after all, and I can't abandon my place as one of the elite Four for long, considering the situation we're in. Still, for this evening, I'll be glad to join you for dinner!"
"We're glad to hear that, miss Phoebe!" Brock commented, as he began leading the group back to the small, lively little town at the foot of Mt. Ember...
oooooooooo
Paul frowned noticeably, as his Torterra looked around in search of a Pokemon who could give him a good opportunity for a fight. Unfortunately, as of then, the two of them had had no luck at all... it seemed that even most of Mt. Silver's inhabitants knew by instinct that the large turtle Pokemon was an opponent beyond their ability to handle, and carefully avoided picking a fight with him. If that kept on, Paul thought, it would be next to impossible for him to train his Torterra the way he wanted to...
Frustrated, Paul was about to order his Torterra to follow him elsewhere, when an eerie sound, coming from some bushes on his right, caught his attention. As he quickly turned to see what was going on, he saw a large Drapion, a Pokemon with the appearence of a purple scorpion covered in sharp blades, with glistening claws and a cruelly pointed stinger on the tip of his tail, scuttling towards him in a gesture of challenge. Even by just looking at him, Paul could tell that it was a particularly strong and warlike specimen, easily one and a half the normal size for such a Pokemon, and his arrogant, aggressive attitude meant that he was itching to prove himself in battle.
Paul seemed to ponder for a second, before smirking to himself, thinking that might have been a good challenge for his Torterra. That Drapion was quite probably one of the strongest predators in that area of Mt. Silver... and, in fact, he might have been a great addition to Paul's team, had he turned out to be strong enough...
"Hmm... so, this Drapion would like to challenge my Torterra? I'm game." he said to himself, as the equally-eager giant tortoise came to his trainer's side. "Alright, Torterra! Show me how you handle yourself against him, and let's see how strong this Pokemon is."
Torterra nodded and advanced towards Drapion, his massive legs shaking the ground as he walked, and the scorpion-like Pokemon scuttled backwards, recognizing that he was facing a dangerous opponent. However, he wasn't daunted for long, and he quickly raised his claws and clicked them in the air with a disquieting metallic noise, waving his stinger back and forth at the same time. Torterra shook the tree on his back, causing some leaves to detach from its branches and fall to the ground.
The fight was about to begin, and both combatants seemed to be psyched up and ready...
oooooooooo
TO BE CONTINUED...
Author's Note: And the battle between Ash and the latest Elite Four ends with the latter's victory... however, Ash did manage to score a point in his favor this time, and even Pikachu and Staraptor put up a good fight before being brought down. Guess Ash did become a much better trainer following his victory in the Sinnoh League, huh?
On the other hand, Paul does seem to be varying his team quite a bit, and after the Tyranitar he caught early on in this story, he seems to want to add a Drapion to his collection as well. However, this will draw some unwelcome attention to him... and you'll soon see what I'm talking about!
Oh, and Paul fans, don't worry - Paul will still get his redemption in my story, but it won't come to him as easily as in the anime (which, I maintain, rather than developing him in a believable way, simply handwaved his nastiness in order to make him look sympathetic).
My vacations will start in the middle of July and, barring a week back home between the 5th and 10th of August, they will continue until the 21st of August. I hope to be able to write one or two more chapters in the meantime, though, and I hope you still enjoyed this chapter... there's more to come soon, and it involves Max's first real battle as a Gym challenger!
See you soon, then!