{Approx. 8 years ago}
The six of us trained in private the next few days. Our plan was to train until Oshawott caught on and ambushed us like before. We told nobody else of what we were doing, with the exception of Sensei. He went along with my plan and adjusted our regular training during this period. But he cautioned us not to go overboard with the impending fight. Sherry was very concerned for us, Sherwood most of all. She wanted to watch us train and be there when the fight happened. But Sherwood kindly convinced her otherwise.
Knave, Sherwood, Bravado, Primrose, and Gardna shared what moves and fighting styles they knew with each other, so we could all be on the same page. It was then that I knew Sherwood's moveset to consist of Pound, Quick Attack, Synthesis, and Magical Leaf. He was learning new moves as he grew stronger, but he didn't find the draining moves that useful when he had access to Synthesis. Gardna could also learn Protect, but he felt more at ease with Withdraw, which was fine with me. Bravado wanted to learn Nasty Plot, much to Primrose's chagrin. I figured Taunt would be important, and Ember and Flame Charge complemented his type. So he insisted on forgetting Fury Swipes. Primrose learned Fire Spin in replacement of Flame Charge. Don't know how Pokémon 'forget' things so quickly, but none of us were really in a position to question that.
Given how strong they were, I questioned why they didn't evolve yet. All four of them gave me uneasy looks. Sherwood shrugged. [Who knows? Someday, perhaps….] I scratched my head, but didn't probe any further.
Instead, I focused on anticipating Oshawott's battle style. Although she hadn't shared much with the others these days, they did know a lot. Last they knew, Oshawott knew Razor Shell, Copycat, Air Slash, and Focus Energy. She tended to relentlessly, but also methodically. She preferred to strike first, but be on guard for counterattacks. Razor Shell capitalized on her close-quarters swordswoman-ship, while Air Slash kept opponents at bay from afar. If she felt overwhelmed, she'd sometimes focus her energy and wait for an opportune moment for the critical blow. But her apparent weakness was her insistence on showing her strength. It usually didn't take a lot of goading to get through her short-temper. Though her combat experience throughout her life backed her fierce exterior. Even if the opponent knew moves that would overwhelm her, that was when she would bust out her Copycat, and give her opponent a taste of their own medicine.
I asked about her second scalchop. That was another dodgy question for her friends to answer, but they assured me that she'd only use it as a last resort. They only ever saw her use both scalchop during their escape from the poacher. Her Copycat and dual scalchop were my main worry when facing her. Fortunately, Knave had an idea for the former.
While on patrol, Nightraider discretely kept an eye out for Oshawott. If he spotted her or the usual flying Pokémon, too close to where we were training, he'd mentally let me know and we'd relocate. This continued for a week seemingly without a hitch.
Then, during our seventh day of secret training, the hour arrived. Nightraider's panic screeched through my mind. [Ack! She ambushed me! Hey, Will. Seems like she's OW catching on! If you're ready come…OW!]
[Nightraider?] Our mind link was straining from his end. Likely occupied entirely with battling Oshawott himself. I faced the five in the middle of their training. [Time's up,] I interrupted through their minds. [Our crucial battle is at hand.]
They immediately stopped what they were doing a came to my side. There was an uneasy feeling over all of us. But our expressions exuded the contrary. Ready or not, we had to be.
Thanks to my training with Sensei, I got better at sensing out those I had a mental connection with. This allowed us to run straight to Nightraider. Just as we caught up, Oshawott made a direct hit on Nightraider with Air Slash. He slammed against a tree and groaned on the ground.
I growled, "Oshawott!" I rushed out of the bushes with my five companions.
She turned to me, her scalchop blade at the ready. There was nothing in her expression to express any surprise at our sudden appearance.
I looked to Nightraider, frowned, and looked back to her. "You were expecting us. I take it you wanted to set the time and place for the battle you preferred?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"This is getting out of hand. I challenge you to…a Horde Battle!" I lowered to Primrose. "That's what this would be called, right?" I whispered.
[You got it, Will,] she beamed.
Knave stepped forward to Oshawott and bared his claws. [I may have lost our last fight alone. But with your friends, I will show you how I really shine.]
Chimchar grinned, [We're ready to do this. We'll show you the REAL SUPER POWER of TEAM WORK!] He finished his statement with an exaggerated idle pose.
Primrose rolled her eyes. [Idiot,] she thought to herself.
Gardna was the most off to the side. [I'd rather it didn't come to this. But I'll protect you all the best I can.]
Sherwood crossed his arms. [This is going to be close, but we have a shot. You're ready, Master Will?]
Everybody took a battle stance. Oshawott gripped her scalchop tighter, holding it out in front of her.
"We have to weaken Oshawott enough for her to listen to reason," I thought to myself. "And I will not use my 'persuasion' for this!" I patted my pocket, satisfied the Proteanium-Z was still there. Then I nodded, [Ready…] I extended my right hand, pointing at Oshawott. "The battle will be over when all on a side surrender. Begin!"
Oshawott shouted something back to me that sounded something like an agreement. She held her ground with the scalchop blade diagonally held in front of her.
For our battle plan, I maintained telepathic communication exclusively, to reduce Oshawott's reaction time. [Everyone surround her, but not too close. Bravado, use your Flame Charge. Gardna, follow him with Rapid Spin. Primrose, cover them with Psybeam.] With those first commands out of the way, I rushed to Nightraider's side.
The five scattered. The area Oshawott cornered Nightraider in was more spacious. Which meant we wouldn't be able to use the trees to safely sneak in close to her. But we didn't mind. Knave and Sherwood rushed passed the Sea Otter Pokemon, while Primrose positioned herself to her opponent's right. Bravado surrounded himself in flames as he charged head-on to the opponent.
Oshawott scoffed and ran at Bravado likewise. She kept the pointy end of her sword straight at Bravado, intending to pierce his flaming attack like a balloon.
[Now, block and split!] I thought to Bravado and Gardna.
Gardna used Rapid Spin to keep pace behind Bravado. When he and Oshawott were close to connecting, Bravado changed course and dashed diagonally to his right. Oshawott eyed Bravado's feet, picking up the cue on his direction change. So she swung to her left. However, Gardna stayed straight and made his shell jump between her and Bravado. At the last moment, he used Withdraw to increase his defenses and further soften the not very effective Razor Shell. While Bravado got out of Oshawott's swing range, Gardna was whacked into the canopy layer. Oshawott looked to Bravado, but then saw a column of psychic energy off the corner of her eye. It was Primrose with her Psybeam. Oshawott rolled out of the way of the attack, grumbling to herself.
I crouched down to Nightraider. He seemed pretty battered, but relatively okay considering worse fights we've gone through. [Knave, join in with Icy Wind. Sherwood, you too with Magical Leaf. You two and Primrose need to keep up the pressure. Bravado and Gardna, have another go-around a few more times.] Then I briefly turned my attention to Nightraider. "You okay?"
He coughed. [Probably. She hits like a truck for her size. Just feed me a crummy berry, and I'll be fine.]
Meanwhile, the five were going to town against Oshawott. They were not landing a hit yet on Oshawott, but would I hate to be in her position. She had to contend with three special attacks at once. To my surprise, she was able to take them on well. She consistently dodged Psybeam, which was the easiest to do of the onslaught. Icy Wind was a wide-spread move, so she used Air Slash to counter. Magical Leaf was like Razor Leaf, but homed in on its target. And Sherwood shot eight leaves at a time. With those, Oshawott had to cut each and every one of them down with Razor Shell. In the middle of this chaos, Bravado dashed around the battlefield with Flame Charge. If he got too close to Oshawott, Gardna would use Rapid Spin and Withdraw to protect him.
I scooped Nightaider into my arms. He watched the battle while I held him. [Huh. This is similar to your evasion training with Sensei.]
I nodded. [Took some cues from it. Quite a different perspective when you are not the one experiencing the onslaught. I know Oshawott is really good, but I can't even last a minute under this level of pressure. I wonder when she'll break…]
Three minutes into the battle, Oshawott was getting really irritated. She was ranting between oncoming attacks, particularly at Knave, Sherwood, Primrose, and I.
[She's wondering when you'll actually come at her,] Nightraider translated.
[I'm waiting for her to lower her guard. Right now these guys are keeping her on her toes, preventing her from having time to use Focus Energy. And their attacks some so quick between each other, she has almost no way to Copycat one move, without risking it turn into the following move by mistake.] I grinned. [Sherwood and the others knew a lot about her. Which should give us enough edge to defeat her!]
[You're enjoying yourself a little prematurely.]
[Well, everything is playing out as we planned. And we still got three moves waiting in the wings to throw her off-guard.]
Then, a Magical Leaf finally hit her. As she flinched, Knave grazed her with Icy Wind. Her right foot and tail were covered in tiny ice crystals.
I started to get excited. [Bravado, this is your chance! Get in close with Flame Charge, and be prepared. Gardna, follow him again. Everyone else, hold back.]
Knave, Sherwood, and Primrose stopped attacking at once, while Bravado surrounded himself in flames. His speed was at least triply faster than his standard running speed, thanks to all the Flame Charge use. Gardna had a hard time keeping up using Rapid Spin this time. But with less pressure, Oshawott was given free reign.
Bravado came in fast, so she had to act accordingly. She used Air Slash first. The attack missed Bravado on purpose, and hit Gardna. The Tiny Turtle Pokémon tanked the hit, but was kept back. Now Bravado had no wingman to defend him. But that was okay, because he was going to hit her in a second. So she flashed her eyes, indicating her attempt to Copycat Bravado's Flame Charge.
My mind processed faster than either of their movements, and thankfully my thoughts could, too. "She thinks she can't make the parry with a Razor Shell with her speed reduced by Icy Wind. So she's going to use Copycat to dodge and increase her speed. But that's not going to happen!" [Bravado, Taunt her!]
Just before impact, Bravado halted his Flame Charge attack. Flames started to flicker around Oshawott as she prepared to dodge an attack she anticipated. But when she glanced back at him, he gave her a mischievous grin and wagged his finger. [Ha! Gotcha!]
The embers around her vanished instantly. There was utter shock plastered on her face for a second. Fortunately for her, those flames were enough to melt the ice on her body. But now she couldn't use Copycat or Focus Energy. And that pissed. Her. Off!
She bellowed and swung her scalchop blade out. Bravado used his extra speed to dodge the swings. [Not so tough now without your secret weapon!]
[Careful, Bravado,] I said. [It's fine to taunt, but she's still got two moves at her disposal. Knave, join in and help him out with your Metal Claw. Sherwood, use your Quick Attack and Pound combo.]
[Finally!] Knave smiled.
[As you command,] said Sherwood.
The two rushed behind Oshawott with Agility and Quick Attack respectively. This forced her to stop chasing Bravado and turn around. Knave dashed to the side, while Sherwood came at her head-on. Using his momentum, he whacked her with a Pound attack of his tail. Although she successfully guarded herself with her scalchop sword, the impact pushed her a few inches across the ground. As she regained her balance, she just barely had time to defend against Knave's Metal Claw.
My heart started racing. [Gardna, get in there with Rapid Spin, and keep in tandem with Knave and Sherwood. Primrose, keep holding back and wait for my cue. Bravado, hang back a bit and use Nasty Plot while her Copycat is cancelled.]
[Will do!] Primrose replied.
Gardna hesitantly rushed in as Knave fenced his Metal Claws against Oshawott's Razor Shell. Knave saw him coming, and backed off as Gardna used Rapid Spin. She angrily whacked him away like before. But this strike was more wild than precise, allowing Gardna to quickly return for another close hit.
But Sherwood held his hand out. [Take a turn. Keep a rhythm. The point isn't to strike her hard.] He used his tail to Pound at Oshawott, with his attack connecting with her scalchop sword.
Then Knave came in with Metal Claw as Sherwood jumped back timely. [We're showing you our potential strength. We instead strike fast and wear you down.] He continued, directing his words more to Oshawott.
[Oh. Well, I can get behind that…] With more gusto, Gardna directed another Rapid Spin at Oshawott when Knave indicated he had his turn.
The three traded sides to strike at Oshawott. To keep up with them and prevent getting hit, she had to spin around at almost dizzying speed. She kept shouting fits of rage I could not understand.
Meanwhile, Bravado had a devilish grin on his face as his Special Attack power sharply rose. [Yes. Yes! I can see it now! Oh, how she'll see the power!] In relation to our battlefield, he stood facing opposite to where I stood.
I kept encouraging the three to keep up their attacks. All but Oshawott seemed to be enjoying themselves. Then, he eyes flashed. She had a moment of renewed focus.
[Quick, back off!] I telepathically shouted to the three. [Bravado, use Ember!]
Knave and Sherwood easily backed a few steps away. Gardna was slower, thus an easier target for Oshawott when in retreat. She used what looked like a Pound attack on Gardna. Although he took a little more damage than her Razor Shells prior, his Withdraw cushioned some of the hit, and he was pushed back on impact anyway.
She was about to continue her assault on Gardna, but Bravado yelled, [I have the power!] She turned to his war cry. He had gotten closer to her before shooting a huge ball of fire from his mouth. For a moment, she had a look of panic. Then, she swung her scalchop sword, releasing an Air Slash. Her move halted the powered Ember, preventing it from directly hitting her. But the resulting explosion blasted mainly toward her. This sent her flying into the air.
I pointed at Oshawott. [Now's your chance, Primrose! Use Fire Spin!]
She twirled happily before stylishly shooting a spiral column of flame. It hit her opponent before she hit the ground. The Sea Otter Pokémon screamed in pain as the effects of the Fire Spin took hold.
Bravado had a huge smile on his face, mesmerized by the flaming destruction. [Magnificent!]
I held a hand up high. [Everyone, hold your fire!] I sweatdropped at the unintended pun, noticing Bravado's smirk from the opposite side of the field. [Gardna, douse the scattered flames with Brine before it lights up the forest.]
[Yes, of course!] Gardna sprayed a wave of salt water from his mouth. He had any uncontrolled flames around us smothered in seconds.
I watched as Oshawott got to her feet. She looked at me first. Her eyes irately stared through me, like she was trying to grasp something elusive about me in her thoughts. Then she turned to the others. [Is this it? You rely on each other to make you stronger now? You sicken me!]
My eyes widened. [So it finally happened,] I reached out telepathically to her. I could feel a slight headache coming on, but I shook it off. [We hear our thoughts like your friends.]
Her head whipped back to my attention. Her eyes grew wide with shock and anger. [You! How DARE you!] She started walking toward me and raised her hand with the scalchop blade. [I didn't ask for this!]
Gardna rushed back to stand between me and Oshawott. His arms and legs were outstretched. [I don't wish to harm you any further. But my friends and I will protect our new friends.] Knave, Bravado, Primrose, and Sherwood joined him, standing in a circle formation around Oshawott.
She stood bewildered at them. [You…you…you traitors! You just get 'wowed' by his and Sensei's telepathy, and you just roll over? You think he's made you stronger? Who broke you guys out of the poacher's truck? Who trudged you through the expansive Unova desert? Who had your back against dangerous thugs and wild Pokémon in the Castelia sewers?]
There were guilty looks all around the four Pokémon that knew her as their friend.
She slightly gripped the chipped scalchop necklace. [I thought I could inspire you to rise up and defend yourselves like me. But some human trainer and his Ice-type patsy whisper sweet nothings to you about ways to cover your weaknesses. But guess what? That will help you squat about how to better yourselves!] A fire erupted momentarily around her, but she shrugged off the burns. She braced her scalchop sword harder. [So come on! Show me your true power!]
Knave took a step forward. [Very well,] he said sternly, cracking his neck. [Let me show you what a real fighting team looks like!] He glanced to me and telepathically asked, [Shall I?]
I quickly looked to Oshawott, who was still eager to fight. Then I affirmed with my eyes. [Yes. Use your new move.]
He gave a mischievous grin. A dark aura surrounded him.
Oshawott scoffed, [Bring it! Any move you dish out I can hit backer harder.]
[Oh really?] said Knave. Just then, the same dark aura surrounded Bravado, Primrose, Gardna, and Sherwood.
Oshawott flinched. [Wha…what is the meaning of this?]
I grinned. [Use Beat Up!]
All at once, the five jumped at their opponent. Oshawott tried to strike them down with just her Razor Shell, doing a sort of spin attack. But it did nothing to prevent them from swarming her. The five practically dogpiled her. Arms and legs flew everywhere as they pummeled Oshawott with their hands, claws, and feet.
[You…cheaters!] Oshawott seethed, wincing through the pain. [You still…don't…get it…]
[Wow. Now she's on the ropes!] Nightraider amused.
[Yep. And even if she tried to Copycat the move, Beat Up's power relies on the number of allies. Making it totally worthless to copy,] I replied.
[So…this will have us win the battle?]
I shook my head. [No. We'll looking for a different outcome…]
The five continued to jab and swat her in quick succession. Only when the side-effects of Fire Spin singed the Sea Otter Pokemon did they relent. Oshawott was so overwhelmed, her good scalchop slipped out of her hands. She desperately tried to reach down for it, but Knave stopped her by decking her jaw. [Not gonna happen! How's it feel to be on the receiving end of an awesome force?]
She dodged Primrose's tail, but got punched in the gut by Gardna. Then she spat at Knave's feet. [One's power is not determined by who they're with. It's by the number of abilities one is capable of, and how well one can achieve each of them.] I couldn't tell if she was exclusively thinking this, or also saying it out loud. She took a couple more jabs from Sherwood and Bravado before almost losing her balance. Her hand brushed against the chipped scalchop hanging from her neck. [A team can easily fall when just one of their members isn't up for the task.] She eyed the good scalchop on the ground. Knave stood over it. [But a one-Pokémon army will have no such burden. No distractions from giving it their all!]
She whipped the necklace over her head and had the chipped scalchop at her side. She dodged Sherwood's fist and lunged at Knave. The Sharp Claw Pokemon made an overhead swipe with his right claws. Oshawott raised her chip scalchop to parry the attack. When the water blade unsheathed, it wasn't a single straight line. The chipped portion was incapable of ejecting water, so the water coming out on either end of the crack made the blade look more like a two-pronged dagger. The shape was perfect for halting Knave's arm swing at his wrist. In his moment of shock, she bent down to pick up her good scalchop. Bravado snuck a hit in from behind as she got back up. In response, she swung wildly with the pronged scalchop, then extended the water blade from the good scalchop.
The five froze. They stood close around her, but kept their distance. Now she wielded two scalchop weapons at once. Her breath was slightly staggered, and she sustained a lot of damage that was visible all over her body. But her eyes still lit with vitality. For a couple of seconds, she seemed poised to strike back, analyzing which of the five to strike first. Even the Fire Spin effect that sprang up didn't faze her. But then she looked down at her two scalchop. [Oshy…] she said to herself. With a look of surprise, shock, and embarrassment, she retracted her pronged blade. [No! I won't use his power!] She said to herself again.
I raised my hand again. [Stand down,] I said to the five. [I think I can reach her now.] I stepped a little closer to them. "Oshawott. I understand the importance of one's own strength from your own merits. I strive to get stronger so I don't become a weak link…"
Oshawott snapped, [Through them!] She pointed at me and Nightraider. [You get overwhelmed by the enemies of this island on too many occasions! You rely too much on Pokémon like us to keep you safe. You may be a human with minimal combat prowess compared to Pokémon, but that doesn't change the fact that you'll always be the liability! And look at this wimpy bird! I took him down myself, even with the type disadvantage. You've been with him for two years and he hasn't evolved yet for some dumbfounded reason.]
[Hey! My level isn't as high as yours,] Nightraider protested. [This would be a whole different story if we're the same level.]
The Sea Otter Pokémon slung the necklace of the broken scalchop back around her neck. She grumbled and faced the others. [And you guys! You put your lot with a frail human? You think he'll make you stronger?]
[He's…got a Z-Crystal,] Primrose squeaked. [That can give us a power boost.]
[Only when he is around you! That's no substitute for our handicap. And no amount of training with him will ever give you your evolutionary potential back.]
[But we had to drink from that oasis,] Gardna retorted. [We would have died of thirst in that desert otherwise! How were we supposed to know that it was laced with Everstone dust?]
[Argh! Don't you get it?] she exasperated. [We. Can't. Evolve! We can never rely on gaining stronger stages of evolution to obtain our strength. The onus is on ourselves to train extra hard if we're to ever stand a chance against any opponent.] She pointed back at me. [His "work together" mantra is only going to hold you back from reaching your true potential. He is not reliable enough to be a part of our team. What will happen if he is gone? You think he will protect you? You think he will be there for you anymore?] Tears started to well up in her eyes.
[This…isn't about me anymore…is it?] I interjected.
Her nostrils flared. [I can come to a mutual understanding with Sensei for what he's gone through to his leadership status. But he seems to have grown quite a liking to you. Like he's pegged you for succession.]
[What? What's that supposed to mean?]
[I don't know what he sees in you that's so revolutionary. All I see is a scrawny kid who lost his former life and leisurely waits for things to be handed to him to replace what he lost. I'll tell you from experience; you'll never…get it…back! And you'll never have me!]
As she finished her words, the Fire Spin damage sprang up for the final time. But through the flames her eyes gave off a fiery glow. She sprang into the air and toward Bravado. Her scalchop blade raised over her head with one hand.
[I don't think she's finished fighting,] Nightraider said nervously.
[Bravado, use Ember before she hits the ground. Gardna, follow that up with Brine while she'll be off-balance.]
Bravado shot another large fireball, still strengthened by his Nasty Plot. Given how well the last attack went, I expected her to be overwhelmed and at best be knocked away in her attempts to deflect it. But instead, she maneuvered her body in a manner than exposed her left side to the flames. She screamed as that side of her body passed through the flames on her way down. With the burned arm, she wound back, like she was going to go for a punch.
"Is she crazy?" I gasped. "What's she trying to do."
With the same crazed eyes she bared as she came out of the flames, she punched Bravado in the head. The blow struck so hard that it knocked Bravado out cold.
The rest of us gasped. [What move was that?] I thought out loud.
Sherwood had a grim expression. [Revenge.]
She yelled again and ran toward the remaining four.
[Sherwood. S-stop her with Magical Leaf!] I panicked. Big mistake.
Sherwood shot out a Magical Leaf attack. He meant for most of them to miss on purpose, just to contain her in one spot. But Oshawott cut through the few leaves that went for her with her Razor Shell and pivoted to Gardna. Her eyes flashed, and her Copycat turned into Magical Leaf. In a panic, the Tiny Turtle Pokemon used Brine to wall off as much of the leaves as possible. But his aim was off, allowing some of the attack to pass straight to him. He, too, was knocked out.
I stood baffled like an idiot as she continued her assault at Primrose next.
[I'll contain her, Will!] the Fox Pokémon said. She shot out a Fire Spin attack. But Oshawott overpowered her with a Copycat Brine. Primrose almost chocked on the water attack, and got slammed into a tree. [I…I'm so sorry…] she gasped as she fell to the ground.
I shook my head and ran into the battlefield. [To me! To me!] I stepped next to Bravado and Gardna, who were closer. I gentle threw Nightraider into the air. [You got some strength left? I need you to get Primrose to me.]
His flapping was a little weak, but he mustered a determined expression. [I can manage.]
Knave ran toward me, but Oshawott cut him off. [Where's your team now?] she hollered. She used Copycat again and bared her teeth.
[Oh shit!] Knave braced for the Fire Spin. But Sherwood dashed next to him, pushed him out of the way, and took the attack instead. Knave fell on his side and got up, but he froze in anguish at the hit that was taken for him. [No!]
[Weak. Weak. Weak!] Oshawott shrieked. She turned to Knave and I, but stopped running. All but her eyes seemed to be screaming in pain, and she was almost out of breath.
I gritted my teeth. [Oshawott, I get it! You are afraid I won't be able to protect your friends, or help them be as strong as any other Pokémon. You are afraid that they'll be 'gone'…and it will be my fault.]
[Damn straight!] She growled in between haggard breaths. [You…are not…our equal.]
Nightraider flew Primrose over to me, then lay flat on his stomach out of exhaustion. He, Primrose, Gardna, and Bravado lay injured at my feet. I sighed, "Okay, you may have a point right now. But I'm learning new things. Every day. Every week. Every year. Someday, I will become a well-rounded guy with experiences gained from each of you. That's why I want to open up to all of you. Including you."
[But…you don't even want to be a Pokemon trainer!]
[From what I understand, a Pokemon trainer trains their Pokemon to get stronger so they can be the very best. That is not my aim. Strength will come naturally through training. But my goal through training with you guys is to understand.]
She scoffed, [That's ridiculous! Strength is the goal of your training! Or you'll never protect the ones you care about.]
I narrowed my eyes. "Then let me show you what I mean." [Knave, want to use a Z-Move?]
He half-grinned, half-sweatdropped. [You sure? I'd hate to make her faint in her current state.]
[We'll use the Steel-type move. It's not very effective against her Water-type, and I'm sure she'll find a way to out-maneuver enough of the attack.]
[Then it'll be my pleasure!]
I took a deep breath, then extended both my arms straight in front of me. "Oshawott, let me demonstrate what strength you can obtain from a bond." I slowly made each pose like Sensei suggested. I punched my fists together twice, then spread them back out. My headache felt worse, but I continued to ignore it. I focused on Knave's thoughts of leading this team of four newcomers, possibly five if this day goes well.
Knave mimicked my movements. [I will show you our worth as a leader!] We both thought simultaneously.
The Proteanium-Z in my pocket glowed gray. The same colored aura spread through my body, then transferred to Knave.
Oshawott raised her scalchop sword. [Nothing you do will dissuade me from my goal. I will be the strongest Pokemon in the world! Even if it takes going it alone!]
The gray aura successfully surrounded Knave. "Go! Corkscrew Crash!" I shouted.
Knave ran at Oshawott with a blistering speed. Then he jumped and turned his body just as quickly. A cone-shaped trail of energy surrounded him.
Oshawott flinched for a split second. Then, to my utter shock, she ran straight at Knave. [You forget! Anything you can do…] Her eyes flashed, using Copycat. […I will do BETTER!] Her speed increased. She leapt and turned her body, making the same spinning move as Knave.
"She can do that?!" I gasped.
The two moves connected head on. The impact sent shockwaves that knocked me to the ground. Trees swayed. The two looked perfectly matched. But while similar in strength, Oshawott had tipped her move just above Knave. This sent her spiraling upward, while Knave dug into the ground. He made a small hole before his energy dissipated. But Oshawott wasn't finished. She flew straight up, turned around, and came straight down on Knave. He screamed just before the move smashed him further into his hole.
I got back to my feet. "Knave! Oshawott!"
After the dust settled, Oshawott lugged Knave out of the hole and threw him aside. He looked just as beat-up as her, and appeared unconscious. She made one more step toward me. Had she not used her scalchop blade as a crutch, she would have fallen on her front. She squinted at me with one eye and said weakly, [Are…you…happy now? Do you see…and feel…what happens when you have others fight for you?]
I felt drained. Oshawott terrified me…and impressed me. "Amazing. You are filled with so much…energy. Your will to fight on knows no bounds." I reached a hand out to her. "Please. Teach me. I want to understand how you do so…"
[Never!] She hobbled toward me. Suddenly, Sherwood stood between us. He looked fully healed, thanks to his Synthesis.
[Apologies for the delay,] Sherwood said to me. [Not enough direct sunlight under this canopy forest.] Then he narrowed his eyes on Oshawott, who stood less than a meter away from both of us. He had a hand stretched out in a 'halt' gesture. [Please, Oshawott. You must know that this battle cannot continue.]
[I'm…still…standing!] Oshawott strained.
[And I've got a recovery move. You'll only make this worse. Must you continue to prove your reliance on only yourself?]
[It's…the only way…to force out…the strength within,] she growled.
[I know you see us as a burden, given our grueling traveling together. But we came here for you to show you how we've improved. We can hold our own enough to have each other's backs when the odds are against us.]
[With this kid? What's he done for you? What makes him so special?]
He paused. [He fills a hole in my life. He fills a hole in our lives. Primrose has a human to…care for and be cared back. Gardna has a friend who has similar values of self-preservation. Bravado has someone to humor him. I have a new master I can follow like I had before the poacher caught me.] He lowered his hands. [And I'll bet you see something in him. Someone he reminds you of that you lost.]
Tears started to well up in her eyes. [That…that's not true!] She stammered. [I'm whole! I know exactly what I want in my life. And I don't need friends who will just get in my way. You…you guys will just slow me down.] Her body slumped a bit as she talked. Then she shook herself awake and forced a serious face. [I'm fine!]
Sherwood slowly stepped closer to her. He was now inches away. [In our travels, you have turned to me as an equal. You recognized my experience and let me fight alongside you, on way more occasions than the others. And you shared more personal things with me than the others. Now I kept your secrets with me, even to this day. And you know that by my code of 'the way' that I care about anyone who I've got to know. So…please tell me, straight to my face, that you hold no personal grievance. That you are not like the rest of us and have no personal scars.]
I and the others near my feet looked intently at Oshawott with worry. Not just for her, but also for Sherwood. The Sea Otter Pokemon looked like she was about to explode on him. But instead, she reached up to touch her cracked scalchop. [Will is not like him. He can never replace him. Oshy is fucking gone!] She gasped at the mentioning of that name. Then, she collapsed to her knees. Sherwood let her rest her head against his chest as she broke to tears. [He's gone! He's gone! He's gone!] she wailed over and over.
Tears also reached our eyes. [I understand now,] I thought out loud.
For the next two days, we could only rest. Sensei scolded all of us for having our battle go to the lengths it did, and vowed to make the following exercises a living hell. But for now, he managed to recover our health just enough with the bland berries at hand.
Nightraider, Primrose, Gardna, Bravado, and Sherwood got back to optimal health within a day. I took a day and a half to feel significantly better. Sensei and I came to the conclusion that my stamina was linked to both my telepathic and Z-Move capacity. Assuming my 'persuasion' worked the same way, I had to balance each of these abilities carefully from now on.
Knave and Oshawott needed the most care. We couldn't afford to pay up the services of Clawitzer's Heal Pulse, so it took a really long time to treat the two. While resistant at first, Oshawott allowed Sensei to treat her wounds and feed her for her. Knave regained consciousness the first day, got similar treatment to her when he was awake enough, then rested for most of the second day.
I sat with Knave resting on my lap. All my friends, whom I could telepathically communicate with, briefly visited us at some point. Nightraider was first so he could go on patrol later. Primrose stuck around the longest, but respectfully let the two of us have some time alone.
The last was Oshawott. She slowly walked up to me while I was sitting on my rock bed with Knave. She sat on the same side as me, but with some space between us. She didn't look at me or utter a word. We remained in silence for at least a few minutes. I didn't really know what to say, and was afraid to ask telepathically.
Then, she muttered something under her breath I couldn't hear. But her thoughts said, [You gave me a good battle.]
[What was that?] I perked up.
She looked away embarrassed. [Shit. I forgot about the mind link. Now I got to work on how to control my telepathic crap with you.]
[You'll get used to it. You're the best of us at everything, after all, so I'm sure you can master it in no time.]
[Don't try to patronize me,] she grumbled. Another minute of silence. Knave still slept on my lap, unaware of your conversation. [But…yeah, the battle you gave me. It was okay.]
"Okay?!" I exclaimed. "A five-on-one battle. All those moves we threw at you and you still remained standing!"
She looked straight ahead. [I know. Pathetic, right? You guys were under my level and made amateur mistakes,] she said flatly. [I've seen many fights in my life. A fight means nothing to me if doesn't have any challenges or surprises. Fortunately for you, you guys had a couple of moves I didn't see coming. And your plans of attack were solid. Pretty telegraph-able, but solid.] Then she added quickly, [Just out the numbskulls I've faced.]
I smiled, "Fair. Though I'd love to see you and Sensei go at it."
[I could beat his hairy ass any day,] she said haughtily.
"So…what now?" I asked nervously.
[What what now?]
"Are we…on good terms now?"
She thought for a moment. [No.]
I sighed. "Geez, I'm still on your bad side? And the others, too?"
[You and the others are not on my bad side. Well, most of you were.]
"So I am on your good side?"
[No.]
"Wait. So, are you open to working together?"
[You and I?] She took another second to think. [Depends on what you're looking for.]
[Like, my goal? Well, I want to understand you, and vice versa. Granted, I know you…have a lot of things on your mind.]
She looked down at her scalchop necklace solemnly.
[And it's fine if you don't want to share your past with me. My past is…still difficult for me to understand, let alone share. So maybe just take it step by step?]
[Step by step. Just like he said…] she said distantly.
Realizing I was intruding on her private thoughts, I cut off my mental link and desperately tried to think of anything to say. Fortunately, I remembered one more thing to ask of her. "Oh! I haven't given you a nickname yet, like the others."
She gave me a scowling look. [Must you stick to tradition?]
"It'd be weird otherwise. Let's see…" Now more than ever I felt pressure to think of a fitting nickname. Didn't help she gave me a death glare as she waited 'patiently'. At least two minutes later, I replied, "How about I name you…Joules."
She gritted her teeth. [You liken me to an accessory?!]
I waved my hands in front of me. "No, no! Not 'jewels'. I mean 'joules', as in the unit of energy. You practically embody somebody with seemingly limitless energy, able to force their will upon anyone who gets in your way. You…inspire me in that way."
Her angry expression slackened. I couldn't tell what she was thinking or feeling in response to her name; she cut me off. Maybe a mix of everything was on her mind. Then she cleared her throat and said matter-of-factly, [It's a start.]
I breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. I'm glad you are on our side."
[Me, too,] she thought to herself. I could have sworn I saw a smile on her face. But Joules jumped off the rock and walked away. She added without turning around, [I expect a leader to give a challenge to their subordinates. Get better, you and Knave. And I don't just mean in health.]
"Promise," I shouted back. Knave adjusted himself on my lap. He seemed more relaxed and content. I smiled to myself. "The team has been assembled."