{Approx. 7 years ago}
In my hesitation, Joules made the first move. [You don't scare me!] she said as she charged at Behemoth the Rhydon with her scalchop sword by her side.
Nightraider, Sherwood, Gardna, Crest, Knave, and Bub were all standing near her before she ran ahead. But they just stayed put.
I shook my head in disbelief. "Shoot, what are they doing? What is Joules thinking, attacking on her own?"
[Taking the initiative without your leader's permission?] said Behemoth, subtly taking a jab at me, too. He responded with a Stone Edge attack, summoning large rocks to hurl at Joules before she reached halfway toward her.
As soon as the rocks were flung, she jumped. She leapt off one rock, then another, and slashing away a third before it hit her straight on. Then, she yelled back at us, [Now!]
The Pokémon at the front lines with her acted almost immediately. Nightraider used Razor Leaf, Sherwood used Magical Leaf, Gardna used Water Pulse, and Knave used Icy Wind. Their combined special attacks partly made it through the volley of rocks and dealt blows to Behemoth.
A feeling of ease washed through me. "I see. Joules forced Behemoth to attack her. She definitely has a good eye for oncoming moves. And while Behemoth was still winding down on his attack, the others who could hit from afar took the opportunity to land super-effective hits!"
Joules stepped back toward her front line companions. Then she flashed a look back at me. [See?] she telepathically grumbled toward me.
I returned a somewhat sheepish glance. [Well, I do have you leading the front for a reason.]
She scoffed and focused back on her opponent. [Better not be a lesson in holding hands.]
As the smoke cleared from the attacks, I expected Behemoth to be visibly damaged. Possibly about to charge. But he hardly seemed deterred. He sneered, [Got an attack in. That's nice.]
That daunting feeling crept back inside me. "He must have taken damage. But…if he's shrugging those super-effective hits off…then are we that underpowered?"
"Power isn't everything…" In this moment, I remembered one of my sessions with Sensei. So vividly, I could hear his voice in my head. "How you use power? When? Where? Even if your raw strength is lacking, focus instead on your other talents. Other exploits."
"Other exploits…" I repeated to myself.
Behemoth let out a distinct cry. One of the Sandile on the sidelines strides next to him.
"So Sandile will be joining in," I thought. "Additional power? Defense support? Should I advise an immediate attack?"
"When facing an unknown foe, always observe," said Sensei's voice. "Even in the heat of battle, it is wiser to let your opponent show their hand, so that you may find a precise counterstrategy. Act, and react."
"Act…react…" I repeated again. I narrowed my focus, and watched.
Joules brandished her Razor Shell sword and charged again. Behemoth wound back, preparing another Stone Edge. But then the Sandile stomped his feet and shouted. I couldn't tell what was happening at first, but all my ally Pokémon flinched a bit. Even Wooper, resting on my shoulder, shuttered a bit. And Joules, begrudgingly, re-sheathed her scalchop sword.
[…what just happened?] I thought out loud.
[Erk, that was Torment,] Primrose grunted. She stayed by my side, as did Bravado, Astra, and Sherry. [That Sandile directed the attack to all of us. Now, we can't use the same move twice in a row!]
[Oh, shoot!] I looked out to Joules, nervously. [Maybe I should lend support now…? No…it's too early…]
Behemoth unleashed his Stone Edge attack, as Joules appeared startled by the Torment. But she shook it off and shouted back, [Sherwood, flank me!]
Sherwood the Treecko nodded and ran by her side. At the moment the rain of rocks bared down on them, they changed course. Sherwood's eyes flashed and he seamlessly dodged the first rock with Detect. Then he switched to Slam the next rock. Joules, on the other hand, had water envelop her body. Her speed drastically increased as she zigzagged passed the thrown rocks with Aqua Jet.
Once she dodged the attack, she made a beeline for the Sandile. She made a direct hit, knocking the Desert Croc Pokémon. Meanwhile, Sherwood proceeded to attack Behemoth with Magical Leaf at a closer range. But our large opponent kicked up rock debris with a swish of his tail, neutralizing the multicolored leaves. One of the smashed rocks almost hit Sherwood, but he dodged and fell back to the rest of the front line.
[Sherwood…] Sherry the Bounsweet gasped nervously.
Joules stood in front of her front line teammates, with her scalchop sword brandished again.
[…yeah, too early,] I thought out loud. [I trust Joules can see the front line through.]
[Quit the backseat driving!] she snapped. [Hard enough to think while keeping my mind open to a peanut gallery.]
Behemoth looked between me and Joules. [So, you're acting independently? Let's see how long that'll last.] He gave a distinct roar, prompting one Geodude and one Rhyhorn from the sidelines to step to his side.
Crest the Jangmo-o stomped his feet, mirroring the Rhyhorn showing off and daring a challenge. [Oh, you think you're stronger than me? I'll…!]
But Joules placed her scalchop sword directly in front of Crest and shook her head. [Not now!] Then she pointed at Gardna and Nightraider. [You two. With me.]
[Alright!] said Nightraider.
[O-Okay!] Gardna replied nervously as he followed the two after Behemoth.
[But…] Crest tried to rebut.
[Give it time,] Knave grunted to him. [Joules is our assigned leader, after all.]
Behemoth motioned and spoke instructions to the Geodude and Rhyhorn. My telepathic connection to Behemoth was blocked on his end; I wasn't going to get anymore cues from him the rest of this fight.
"Just like Sensei…" I thought.
Joules and Gardna ran at Behemoth, while Nightraider prepared to dive from above. The Geodude and Rhyhorn summoned rocks that scattered about the battlefield. Nightraider wearily kept away, while Joules and Gardna remained side-by-side. The water-type pair didn't need to dodge many of the rocks thrown, which speared into the rocky battlefield on our opponents' side. The Rhyhorn charged at them with Horn Attack, while the Geodude used Rollout.
[Shield!] Joules shouted. She sidestepped around the Rhyhorn's attack, and slashed him with Razor Shell. The Rhyhorn screamed in pain, while Joules skid to a stop. This exposed her to a direct hit by the Geodude. But Gardna curled into his shell and intercepted the Rollout attack. Following up with Rapid Spin, the Tiny Turtle Pokémon knocked the Geodude upward, then counterattacked with Water Pulse while the opponent was helpless midair. The Geodude crashed to the ground and fainted.
I smiled, "Good. Gardna's using the protective maneuvers we used against Joules the first time."
Nightraider came down on the Rhyhorn and finished it off with Razor Leaf. [Go! Got you covered,] he told Joules.
She nodded and turned to Behemoth. But a wave of sand suddenly forced her and Gardna to step a few paces back. Gardna whimpered about sand in his eyes and self-squirted them.
A Sandygast materialized in front of Behemoth, spraying a wide-reaching Sand Attack toward us.
I put up my arms to slightly protect my face, and Wooper on my shoulder. But Primrose stepped in front of me. [Don't worry, Will. I won't let a speck of sand touch you!]
I put my arms down. [Right. Your Magic Coat. Thanks.]
She wagged her tail happily. [Just say the word!] Fortunately, the sand wasn't reaching my backline partners.
Joules backed up with the rest of her frontline peers, also avoiding the Sand Attack. She shifted her eyes from the Sandygast to the scattered thrown rocks. [Was that Rock Slide or Stealth Rock? Looks like Stealth Rock.] Without shifting her head, she telepathically directed to me, [Will, tell Gardna telepathically to be on standby with Rapid Spin.]
[Ok…] I didn't know what Stealth Rock was, but it seemed like Joules knew. [Gardna, prepare a Rapid Spin when Joules next tells you to.] As I passed the message, Joules gave Gardna a look that gave him the commanding impression she was aiming for.
With that said, Joules turned to Knave. [Keep up,] she commanded sternly as she began to charge at the Sandygast.
A huge grin spread across his face. [Yes!] Knave prepared a Metal Claw attack as he kept behind her.
The Sandygast didn't seem fazed by the oncoming attack. In fact, he didn't need to. Before Joules could strike at the Sandygast with Aqua Jet, one of the thrown rocks exploded at her. She swerved into the ground, partially hit and cutting off Knave's advance.
She got to her feet and spat, [Knew it! Gardna, now!]
Gardna tucked into his shell and used Rapid Spin. But rather than aiming for one of the opponents, he struck as many of the thrown rocks as he could reach without getting too close to Behemoth.
[I never knew that Rapid Spin could do that,] I thought out loud.
[Some specific moves interact in such interesting ways,] Astra the Ralts commented. [Some negate each other, and some lead to more powerful attacks.]
[…and some just look cool!] Bravado exclaimed, then shouted to Joules. [Do that icicle thing!]
[Shut up, Bravado,] she grumbled to herself. Then she mumbled to Knave, [Let's do that combo.]
He nodded. Joules brandished her scalchop sword and came at the Sandygast. In response, the Sandygast tried to blow her away with a Sand Attack. [Now!] cried Joules.
Knave sucked in as much air as he could, then blew an Icy Wind. The attack neutralized the Sand Attack. At the same time, Joules twirled round and round, like a top with a scalchop sword sticking out. The Icy Wind safely blew around her as she struck the Sandygast with Razor Shell. The opponent fainted from the blow.
[Woah!] Bravado cried excitedly. [Her sword is so cool!]
Joules hung her sword low. It was covered in ice! "Her move became an ice-type attack; still super-effective against that ground-type!" I thought. "It worked. Our practice is paying off!"
As Joules and Knave directed their attention to Behemoth, the Totem Pokémon already called over a Roggenrola and a Nosspass. Almost immediately, the Roggenrola threw Stealth Rocks onto the field, in conjunction with Behemoth's Stone Edge.
Joules gritted her teeth. [Sherwood, knock away the stray rocks. Gardna, get rid of the Stealth Rocks. Crest…charge!]
[Finally!] Crest roared before he went into a Headbutt attack. Joules ran behind him, keeping an eye on her opponents. Sherwood kept his guard, but fortunately, the Stone Edge attack didn't reach him or his other allies. Instead, Crest took the brunt of the Rock-type attack head on. Crest even switched to Bide as he got closer. Gardna used Withdraw first.
"Right, we can't use the same move twice in a row because of Torment," I thought. Then I remembered how Sensei taught Gardna to use Withdraw before Rapid Spin to make it stronger. "Another combination to note…" Suddenly, a little cursor mark appeared on his shell. Took me a couple of seconds to realize it came from the Nosspass. "What's that Pokémon doing?"
Gardna switched to Rapid Spin and knocked away the Stealth Rocks again. But as he finished, Nosspass shot a wave of electricity at him. [Ack!] He popped out of his shell and slid across the gravely ground. Although he was on his stomach, he couldn't get up. [I can't move!]
[Shit, he's paralyzed,] said Joules as she and Crest closed in on their opponents.
The Roggenrola used Tackle against Crest. [Oh yeah? Take this!] Crest unleashed his Bide, knocking the Roggenrola off his feet. The Nosspass came charging at the two, but Joules knocked the Pokemon out with Aqua Jet. Then Crest finished the Roggenrola with Dragon Tail.
Behemoth sent another Stone Edge attack their way. Crest used Protect to shield himself and Joules, and the two backed away. Sherwood and Knave helped Gardna back on his feet.
I bit my lip. [This isn't going anywhere. We're both holding back, waiting for the other to make a mistake.]
Behemoth roared again. An Alolan Graveler and a Boldore came to his aid, then charged at our frontline.
[Sherwood, Crest, with me!] said Joules as she waved her scalchop sword. Crest led the other two in their charge.
Before they got anywhere close, both the Graveler and Boldore unleashed a wave of Stealth Rocks. I looked to Gardna, who was still slightly paralyzed. [Gardna got rid of those Stealth Rocks with Rapid Spin, so if he can't do it right now…] I turned to Sherry. [Sherry, you know Rapid Spin. I need you to clear the way for the front line.]
[M-Me?] Sherry gulped. [O-Okay!] She cautiously approached the heart of the battle. Joules, Nightraider, and Gardna teamed up against the Graveler. The latter was trying to use Thunderpunch on the much slower Gardna. But Joules held the opponent's attention, while Nightraider used Razor Leaf from above to keep the Graveler off-balanced. On the other hand, the Boldore was equally dividing his attention between Sherwood, Knave, and Crest. It was nearby this group that Sherry chose to wipe away the Stealth Rocks first. Though she glanced toward Sherwood constantly as she did her task. [Wow, Sherwood is so good at battling. Solo or in a team, he makes it look so easy and cool…]
The Boldore noticed what Sherry was doing. After taking a hit from Crest's Dragon Tail, he used Rock Blast in Sherry's direction.
[Watch out!] I telepathically shouted to her.
Sherry froze. She would have taken a direct hit, had Sherwood not noticed. He took a couple of hits for her as he dashed to her. Before Sherry could fully process what was happening, Sherwood seamlessly scooped her up in his hands and continued to run out of the line of fire. Fortunately, his Synthesis recovered the damage he willingly took.
[Wha-wha-wha…] Neither her thoughts nor her own words were coherent.
Sherwood tried to assure her he would help. But the coaxing was cut short. The two crossed too close to Behemoth as Sherwood carried Sherry to the Stealth Rocks on the opposite side of the field. Behemoth used Stone Edge. In response, Sherwood used Detect. Under great stress, Sherry spun the leaves in a Rapid Spin as she screamed. Sherwood impressively maneuvered around the Stone Edge and carried Sherry around to repel the remaining Stealth Rocks at the same time.
Meanwhile, I felt Astra nudge my leg. [Does our morale feel kind of…odd to you?] she asked.
I took the moment to look away from the action. [What do you mean?]
[Well, I'm getting mixed competing emotions. On one hand, there's a rising positivity of hope and excitement. On the other hand, there's a rising sense of uneasiness and dread. Especially from you, Will. How can you feel both opposites at the same time?]
[Um, both?] I puzzled. [I guess I do? Things are going relatively well for us in this battle, and that feels good. But this has happened before. The flying Pokemon ambush, for instance…] I took a look back above the forest. I could see some Pokemon circling in the sky in the distance. But it didn't seem like they noticed us yet somehow. […the unexpected, as Sensei would put it.] I looked back to Astra. [There's a…rhythm of sorts to this battle right now. But that's stalling. Stalling for a purposeful break to the balance…]
Primrose's ears suddenly perked up. As she whipped around she barked, [Will, look out!] She jumped behind me. I turned around to see a Drilbur and Wimpod lunging at me. The Wimpod attacked first, using Sand Attack. But Primrose had jumped between me and the Turn Tail Pokemon, using Magic Coat to reflect the sand back. The Wimpod screeched as he flipped on his back helplessly. The Drilbur was about to strike at Primrose with Fury Swipes. But Astra teleported between them and took a swipe before knocking him away with Disarming Voice.
[Good ear,] Astra muttered to Primrose. She proceeded to lock into combat with the Drilbur.
[Thanks fo the save,] I added.
Primrose yipped and wagged her tail. [Aw, thanks you guys!] Then she narrowed her eyes on the Wimpod. [Now, what would you like me to do to him for such an offense?]
I looked around. [Where did they sneak from?]
The Wimpod managed to get back on his feet, though there was still sand in his eyes. He seemed to be using Struggle Bug…or something like that. But he ran aimlessly in circles toward Primrose and I.
That's when I noticed a hole in the ground not that far away from me. [That Drilbur must have snuck himself and Wimpod underground from the sidelines. Likely by Behemoth's direction.] I pointed at the Wimpod and declared, "Primrose, use Psyshock on Wimpod!"
[Will do!] she replied proudly. Odd psychic energy transmitted from her eyes at the flailing Wimpod. When he took the hit, he reeled back for another Sand Attack, more precisely at Primrose this time.
Bravado stepped in and taunted, [Nuh-uh-uh! That's no way to treat a "lady"!]
The Wimpod immediately stopped attacking and whimpered.
He put his hands at his hips. [What's the matter, whimp? You gonna cry?]
[Hey!] Primrose gave Bravado one of her annoyed looks. [I was in the middle of something!] Then she blasted the Wimpod with Psybeam, causing him to faint before he could retreat. [I would've been fine.]
[A little "thank you" would've sufficed,] he said, raising his hands.
[I have Mirror Coat,] she said unamused.
[My Taunt prevents status moves altogether.]
While they bickered, I turned to Astra. She was using Double Team to avoid the Drilbur's Metal Claw. Frustrated, he stopped chasing and sharpened his claws.
[Oh shoot, that's Hone Claws,] Astra gasped.
Bravado took notice as well. He taunted at the Drilbur, [Hey, you, too! Leave the lady alone! You gotta be sneaking in trouble again? 'Cause only I can have "trouble" as my middle name around here.]
Drilbur's Hone Claws stopped. Reading the situation, he ran to Wimpod and pulled them back into the hole.
Astra cancelled her Double Team as Bravado approached her. [Thanks…]
Bravado put an arm around her shoulders and gave a smug look to Primrose. [See? See? This is how a girl shows her gratitude to a guy!]
Primrose just sighed. Astra looked uncomfortable this close to Bravado. [I am instantly regretting my kind words,] she thought to herself.
Wooper mumbled something to herself, still on my shoulder.
With the immediate danger out of the way, I brought my attention back to the main battle. All this time, I maintained my telepathic link to Joules, so I could sense when she might feel more overwhelmed. But that didn't happen. Nightraider dealt the finishing blow to the Alolan Graveler, while Joules and Gardna distracted him. Knave defeated the Nosepass with a few Metal Claw attacks. Sherry finished removing the Stealth Rocks, so Sherwood brought her back to me.
Sherry appeared in a confused daze, until Sherwood placed her down. That's when the events of the battle seemed to finally catch up to her. [He held me…] She repeated to herself in her head.
I glanced toward our opponent. Behemoth returned a stoned expression. Unlike Sensei, I couldn't tell what he was feeling toward me. He was purposefully keeping his judgements to himself. But his allies on the sidelines were increasingly antsy. Their glares could stun if they were moves. Like any second they'd be ready to attack us.
"We still haven't dealt a major blow to Behemoth since Joules' first strike. If Behemoth has been calling upon stronger allies and sneak attacks now, he'll surely be willing to straight up overwhelm us in numbers." I glanced at Gardna, who still felt slightly paralyzed. "One of our more effective fighters is hurt. While Joules and the rest of the frontline could still bring on the pressure, Gardna also handled the Stealth Rocks they're constantly flinging. Sherry won't be a great substitute for long. So how can we, the backup, help…?"
"Every move is a tool, and an expression, for yourself to wield. An extension of yourself," I remembered Sensei telling me once. "And if you are a leader, every follower's moves is thus your moves. They are extensions of yourself."
"Every move…" I repeated to myself. An idea spun in my mind as I remembered Drilbur's ambush attempt. I looked to Primrose and Bravado. [You two. I have a plan against Behemoth's allies' interference. You will be most important.]
[I will make you proud!] Primrose yipped happily.
Bravado replied exclusively through our telepathic link. [Will it be fun?]
[It will be very fun for you,] I thought. Bravado picked that up and gave a wicked grin. I also told Astra and Sherry to be ready. Then I messaged Joules telepathically, [When you feel ready to go all out, I…we got your back.]
She was just rounding up her frontline teammates. [I don't take your orders…] she began harshly, more out of impatient stress than anything else.
[This isn't an order,] I snapped back, then continued in a calmer tone, [I'm just letting you know, if you want to, I can help from the outside. No objections. Just you and your direction. Please?] That last plea I didn't mean to say, but it came through my thoughts anyway.
[My direction?] There was a hesitation in her thoughts. [Well, if you intend to avoid interference…fine,] she finished emphatically. With renewed focus, she raised her scalchop sword toward Behemoth. But this time, her inner thoughts surfaced in her mind more readily. [Behemoth has only used Stone Edge, a long-ranged move. So he's likely more close-range oriented. If one of us can make multiple clear super-effective shots from afar, he's sure to go down! Which one of us? Gardna is paralyzed. Knave, Crest, and I are more close-ranged fighters. So Sherwood or Nightraider should be the one…]
Even though I already knew Joules was a good analytical fighter, I was still taken aback by how similar our trains of thought were. Like hearing an echo.
Behemoth roared once again. The Makuhita came to his aid, standing directly in front of him. The Guts Pokemon began flexing his muscles.
Joules grumbled, [He's getting stronger with Bulk Up. We have to take him down now!] Turning to her frontline peers, she commanded, [ Nightraider, take point above. Gardna, hold the rear. Sherwood, you're going to take any opening on Behemoth you can get to attack. Crest and Knave, you and I are making those openings. Onwards!]
The five affirmed and joined her in a straight charge. The Makuhita remained steadfast, blocking their way. [Circle him!] said Joules. Gardna remained face-to-face with the Makuhita, while Joules, Knave, and Crest took different points around him. The Guts Pokemon still held his ground, but was a tad weary from what direction he would be attacked first.
Sherwood stood close to Crest. From where he stood, he released a steady stream of Magical Leaf toward Behemoth. That's when the latter gave an intimidating roar. All the Geodude and Roggenrola on the sidelines shot Stealth Rocks onto the battlefield. Some of these rocks entrenched in front of Behemoth, helping to create a semi-wall against the Magical Leaf. But most planted near the Makuhita.
When Knave dashed at the Makuhita, one of these Stealth Rocks exploded, knocking him back. [Drat! They're not making it any easier.]
Sherwood kept up his Magical Leaf attack, even though it was being blocked. [Gardna, can you get these Stealth Rocks out of the way? With the Torment still up, I can't afford to stop.]
[I'll try,] he groaned as he tucked into his shell. The good news: he mustered the strength to use Rapid Spin. The bad news: he was much too slow. With the Graveler and Boldore joining in, Stealth Rocks were tossed in faster that Gardna could remove them.
To compensate the distance, Joules used Air Slash to deal a major blow to the Makuhita. For that, the Guts Pokemon faces her and put up his dukes.
She grimaced, [He knows I can't use it twice in a row. If these Stealth Rocks weren't in the way…]
[Then we'll make it happen,] I said.
[Huh!?]
I smiled, [Like I said: you have a direction, we make it happen.] Then I directed my telepathic message to the four I spoke with earlier. [Astra, relay time! Sherry, you first with Rapid Spin!]
Astra put a hand on Sherry and used Teleport. The two appeared close to the Makuhita. [Okay, Sherry, time for us to take the spotlight!] said Astra.
Sherry was not thrilled. [Oh, this is too much pressure! Too many eyes…and I used Rapid Spin last time! I can't do it…]
The Makuhita was not thrilled either. He prepared to Arm Thrust the two intruders.
But Astra used Disarming Voice to knock him off-balanced. [Hey, calm down. I feel you, but it isn't healthy to be like that,] she calmly spoke to Sherry. [Just believe in yourself, and unleash your inner power.]
She seemed to calm down a bit. [O-Okay.] She tapped Astra. When she did, the spot she touched glowed for a moment. Astra perked up a bit more , just in time for the Makuhita's oncoming Arm Thrust. She dodged the attack, with slightly more speed than I usually saw her.
[Thanks for the Acupressure! Lucky me with the speed boost!] said Astra.
[Yeah, lucky…] Weary of the Makuhita, Sherry dashed away. [I-I'll be getting rid of the Stealth Rock now.] And she did, running in a spiral path away from Makuhita. With Gardna and Sherry using Rapid Spin, they made quick work of removing the Stealth Rocks. As soon as the rocks cleared near the Makuhita, Joules rushed him with Aqua Jet. Knave followed up with his own Icy Wind before the Makuhita could respond. That attack finally made the Guts Pokemon faint.
The sideline rock-type Pokemon grew angry and threw more Stealth Rocks.
Irritated, Joules shouted back toward me, [Bravado, I know you know Torment! Use it now…]
[No,] I interjected. [Not yet. Astra, second relay! Primrose, counter them!]
[What?!] Joules stood there with a stunned expression while Astra brought Primrose to the center with Teleport.
[Take this!] Primrose cried gleefully. She jumped into the air, intercepting the fresh oncoming Stealth Rocks. Then, she used Magic Coat. A force field surrounded her. When the Stealth Rocks hit the force field, they harmlessly bounced off and fell idle around the battlefield. But the opponents kept trying.
Sherry used Rapid Spin to clear the Stealth Rocks that Primrose missed. Meanwhile, Gardna focused his Rapid Spin to clear the Stealth Rocks guarding Behemoth. Sherwood continued the stream of Magical Leaf, now with a clearer shot. Behemoth once again resorted to using Stone Edge as a buffer.
[They're still using the same annoying moves,] I thought out loud, [But now it's time to even the playing field. Astra, final relay! Bravado, use Taunt!]
Astra teleported back to me and brought Bravado to the frontlines. He proceeded to Taunt the opponents on the sidelines. [You blockheads haven't made a single one of us faint! You rock? More like you…stick! I hope Behemoth "grounds" you all after this!]
Astra teleported back to me. [Not sticking next to him when he's like that,] she muttered.
Bravado also Taunted Behemoth, wagging his fiery butt. [Show me your moves, big guy!]
[The idea is to Taunt them, not us,] Primrose chided.
But it worked. The sideline opponents stopped using Stealth Rock. They returned peeved looks toward Bravado and I
[Now, use Torment,] I told Bravado. Then I looked to Joules. [That be enough, Joules?]
She seemed half distracted by my directions. [Hm? Oh, right!] She regained her serious composure, but her inner thoughts still leaked to me. [Wow, Will got the others to not only close off their more annoying status moves…but redirected their Stealth Rock back at them. Now they can't get physically into the fight without getting hurt, like we were. Clever…] She ran up to Sherwood, who was still trying to hit his Magical Leaf through Behemoth's Stone Edge. [How's he taking this?]
He remained fairly calm despite the hints of exhaustion on his body. I chose to keep my telepathic connection to Sherwood closed, to conserve my stamina. But that meant I couldn't quite tell what he was saying.
*tsk* [Dammit! That isn't enough time,] Joules eventually responded to him. [His Stone Edge should've reached his limit.]
[Is Sherwood's Magical Leaf running low on power soon?] I queried.
[Yeah. In like a few seconds.]
I looked up into the sky. Nightraider was circling high above Behemoth. [He can't seem to break through either, with the rocks Behemoth smashes up around him. And Gardna's too slow, and busy with ridding the Stealth Rocks near Behemoth. If we could bait Behemoth into a different move…]
[Done!] Having listened to my open thoughts, Bravado ran up to Behemoth. [Hey, big man! You gonna stop being a one-trick-Ponyta or not?]
[Torment, that should do it for sure, but…]
[Geez, warm us first!] Joules grumbled in her own thoughts.
But it worked. Behemoth stopped using Sone Edge. As a result, Sherwood's Magical Leaf finally broke through for a direct hit…for about two seconds. A stutter later, Sherwood ceased his attack.
[Fine, I think I've seen enough, anyway…] I was caught off guard when Behemoth opened his thoughts to me after this long. He roared, then barreled forward. His horn bore low to the ground in his charge. Gardna was the closest to him, just finished clearing his Stealth Rocks. The Tiny Turtle Pokemon shrieked and tucked his head and appendages into his shell to Withdraw.
It happened so fast. Joules was briefly checking on Sherwood, who's Magical Leaf had run out. Nightraider dove down to scoop Bravado out of Behemoth's line of charge, presumably on Joules' instruction.. Knave and Crest each held a sideline back, as Graveler and Boldore attempted to trigger the brunt of the reflected Stealth Rocks. Primrose joined Sherry,Astra,and Wooper by my side. At worst, we expected Gardna to be hit far across the battlefield.
Before striking him, Behemoth's horn spun like a power drill. His attack connected dead center of Gardna's shell top. The whirring sound met a crackling snap, like a tree branch violently snapped. We watched Gardna's limp body fly several meters before he laid out cold on the edge of the battlefield.
"What!?" I immediately responded out loud. As did some of my other Pokemon allies similarly.
Knave immediately charged at Behemoth, claws bared. [How dare you!]
[Dare? Dare?!] Behemoth roared. He unleashed another Stone Edge attack. Knave dodged some of the rocks, just trying to rush in close. But one of these rocks nearly hit him, had Joules not intervened and sliced it up with Razor Shell.
Then she shoved Knave back from Behemoth's lunge. [Focus! You want to end up like Gardna so fast?] she yelled at Knave.
[I am focused!] he barked back. [He's got a one-hit KO move. So we need to take him down now!]
[A one-hit KO move?] I thought, trying to wrap my mind around the changing developments.
[There are a few moves known by a few Pokemon that can defeat others in one shot,] Primrose answered. She leaned against my left leg, feeling slightly uneasy. [The moves are hard to execute. But if they hit…] she shivered, […results can be deadly! Good thing Gardna was in his shell when it hit…]
[…go back to the sidelines!] I heard Joules still bickered with Knave. But Knave still refused, using Icy Wind against Behemoth's Stone Edge while dodging. She growled, but turned to Sherwood. [You take point then. Nightraider, help keep the Rhydon distracted!]
Nightraider affirmed and flew over Behemoth. Bravado stayed near me, giving uneasy glances all around. Knave switched to Agility, increasing his speed to dodge Behemoth's attacks more easily. He also continued his comments with Joules.
[I gotta admit, Knave's dedicated to a team,] she thought to herself. [But he's placing too much concern for his allies. I should know…] She used Air Slash to knock away a stone. Behemoth tried to use Horn Drill on Knave, but he missed and took a Metal Claw. Joules shook her head. [Right. The time to take down Behemoth is now! Will! It's time for a Z-move.]
[Oh?] I was slightly surprised by how direct she was speaking to me telepathically. [You think Behemoth's weak enough?]
[…I will make it so. On my cue, execute the Z-move with Nightraider.]
[Wait. Why him? Why not..]
[Gardna is down, Crest is occupied, Knave is weak, and Sherwood is low on power.]
[But what about you?]
[I can keep Behemoth occupied on me at close range. You and Nightraider can pull off a long-ranged Z-move and blast him from a safe distance.]
I had a gut feeling. Like something wasn't so convincing with that statement. Very unlike her. I glanced at her necklace of the chipped scalchop, still hung on her neck. [I think…your strength would be best suited for the Z-move…]
[Dammit, Will!] she growled. [Don't you trust me?]
I paused. […yeah. I do.]
[Then just get ready!] She readied her own scalchop blade. Held upright between her eyes, she took a deep breath. [My strength…] Then she charged at Behemoth and yelled, [My strength!]
Behemoth knocked Knave away with a stronger, focused Stone Edge. At this moment of distraction, Joules got close enough to him to slash him with Razor Shell. He winced a bit, but stood upright to face her like he wasn't fazed. [That tickles,] he remarked indifferently. [You plan on tickling those flying Pokemon to submission? Here; let me show you…] He lunged at her with both arms.
But she leaped out of the way. [Knave, run interference. I got him!]
[What about me?] said Nightraider, still flying above.
[Apparently, you're with me now,] I replied. [Joules wants you to do the Z-move when the opening comes.]
[But, isn't she much stronger than me?]
"Yeah, she is. If it were up to me, I'd have her do a Z-move. But, she's in charge of the front line. She must see something I don't…"
Knave used Icy Wind on Behemoth from behind. In response, he slashed his tail across the ground, ripping a cloud of gravel to cover him. Joules used Aqua Jet as a frontal assault. Behemoth squatted and tried to pierce her with Horn Drill. [I would have expected your human to call for a full-on charge. Maybe try to overwhelm me with numbers and attacks while my allies are blocked off. But you want it one-on-one? What are you trying to prove?]
Joules spun to the side and smacked her attack along Behemoth's right side. [Prove? You seem to think us to be weak?] Knocking off Behemoth, she pushed herself up into the air. [True, you are powerful. But you are slow and large.] Her Aqua Jet dissipated at the peak of her jump. She was positioned to fall directly on Behemoth. [What we offer is speed…] Her eyes flashed. […and the element of surprise!] A small, glowing digit grew on her forehead. [And now you will fall by my power!] Her glowing horn turned into Horn Drill as she fell upon Behemoth.
[Yes! She got him!] We all thought.
[Your power?] Behemoth scoffed. [Please…] He leapt from his crouched position. With his tail timed to slam the ground, he gave extra speed and height to his jump. Enough to dodge Joules' attack. She would have face-planted into the gravel, had she not used Aqua Jet to twist her trajectory. [You seem to mistaken my lack of speed for lack of maneuverability,] he continued as Joules roughly skid to a stop.
[Joules?] I telepathically called out. [You okay?]
[I…I don't need your help…] she snapped as she stood back up. [I can do…with my own power…]
[What are you trying to prove?] Behemoth charged at her, looking to grab her again. Joules darted out of the way, but her opponent chose this moment to use Stone Edge. She was able to slash the rocks out of the way, but her reaction was more manic than focused. Nightraider and Knave also had to dodge the Stone Edge. Behemoth continued, keeping me telepathically in the loop. [You guys have guts, I'll give you that. But I've been watching you since the beginning of this S.O.S. Battle. And based on the tactics I've seen the flying Pokemon use, you guys won't stand a chance!]
[What?!] Joules and I exclaimed as the former dodged another lunging maneuver by Behemoth. [I can't tell what that move is he's trying to do,] I openly thought.
Behemoth sprayed Stone Edge around himself again. [For one, neither of you are focused…]
[Ack!] I heard Bravado grunt in pain. I was so engrossed in the battle between Joules and Behemoth, I failed to notice the Drilbur returned. He dug beneath Bravado and struck him out of the way. His Dig allowed him to avoid the Stealth Rocks, while also bringing a Sandile, a Roggenrola, and an Alolan Geodude along with him.
[Will!] Primrose immediately jumped between me and the Alolan Geodude. Her Fire Spin collided with the Alolan Geodude's Thundershock. Meanwhile, the Sandile engaged with Astra, and the Roggenrola went after a surprised Sherry. That left the Drilbur…to be after me.
[Shoot!] I stumbled back in such a hurry that I forgot Wooper was still on my shoulder. I caught her in my hand as she slid off. Drilbur was still leaping at me with a Metal Claw attack. Grumpily, Wooper squirted Mud Shot from her mouth. For purely defensive reasons, I gripped Wooper and corrected her aim so that she hit the oncoming Drilbur. This stopped him in his tracks, and he gave me a surprised expression as he tried to shake off the mud covering him.
[Geez, you guys done yet?] I suddenly heard Wooper's thoughts in my mind. [I wanna sleeeeep!]
[Hey, glad to hear your voice at last and all…] I eyed Drilbur making another attempt attack at me. […but you mind taking care of this Drilbur first?] I let go of Wooper, expecting her to land on her feet and ready to finally battle in this dire situation.
Instead, her tail wrapped around her wrist, firmly hanging upside down like a limp pendulum. [I'm tiiiired. How about you just give me a little squeeze when you want something, k?]
I groaned, [Fine!] Re-gripping her, I pointed her at Drilbur like a shooter. [Use Water Gun!] I said as I gave her tummy a light squeeze.
She apathetically opened her mouth and sprayed. Drilbur partly took the hit while dodging. For the next few seconds the two of us darted in circles, trying to hit and dodge. I felt bad that I couldn't do much to help Primrose, Astra, or Sherry, but I had to trust that they could handle themselves. We had honed our agility for weeks, so we'd be able to outrun our opponents. But I still had low running stamina. Very soon, Drilbur's attacks would make more consecutive hits.
[Okay, Wooper, switch to Mud Shot, then back to Water Gun,] I said. After ducking a lobbed Mud Shot, I gave Wooper a squeeze to signal her. She complied, but the Water came out more muddy, and at a very wide spray. Drilbur was completely shocked, taking the brunt of the attack.
[Woah, that was…Muddy Water?] I just stood there, facing a weakened Drilbur. He gave me an impressed look. Then, he turned to the comrades he brought. The Alolan Geodude, Sandile, and Roggenrola lay fainted, while Primrose, Astra, Sherry, and Bravado remained standing…albeit with some visible damage. Drilbur gave me one last pleased look, then dug his way out.
[So…now what?] asked Primrose. The four were looking up to me, determined.
I nodded. [You guys…you really are impressive…]
My thoughts were cut off when I heard Knave give a painful scream. I turned and saw Knave go flying from a Stone Edge Attack, seemingly taking the hit for Joules.
[You…you idiot! Why?!] she screamed, as Knave, also, lay fainted. She bellowed as she used Copycat to throw Stone Edge back at Behemoth.
But he merely shattered them with his Horn Drill. [Your moves. You are merely a child copying what you see. A mere imitation.] Joules appeared stunned by that comment, and that distraction allowed Behemoth to thrash her away with his tail. [Your fighting style. It isn't really your own either…is it?] He then charged at her, bearing his horn.
"Joules?" I called out, both telepathically and verbally.
But she didn't seem to hear me. With fury in her eyes, she charged head on in kind. [You…you know nothing about what I been through!] Coming close, she jumped to reach Behemoth's head, intending to strike with her scalchop blade. In response, Behemoth jerked his head to the left, hard enough to knock the blade right out of her hand. Despite that, she thought, [Now your right flank is exposed for me to…!] She was reaching for the chipped spare scalchop handing on her chest, when she paused the moment she touched it. […but…]
In her moment of hesitation, Behemoth whacked her away with his right arm. [A fool-hardy attempt! Even with an opportunity, you are too caught up with your own limitations! Too weak in body and in spirit.]
Joules has her face buried in the gravel. I couldn't tell by looking at her, but in her mind, her thoughts were a storm of broken sentences. She was losing her composure.
Still above and hesitant, Nightraider was trying to analyze the situation as much as me. [Shoot! I should've struck him like when Joules was going to.]
[Strike him…] My strategy was stalling, literally and figuratively. Behemoth was still standing strong, beating down Joules casually. I still had a Z-Move saved to finish him off, and he had taken some hits. But, was it enough? With most of my teammates either battered or busy with Behemoth's allies, only Joules and Nightraider seemed capable enough to pull such a major blow off. [Who to strike him…?]
With each stomp, Behemoth got closer and closer to Joules, like he was casually threatening to outright step all his weight on her. [I offered you guys the chance to convince me of what you got. I am not impressed.]
[Will?] murmured Nightraider. [We got to do something…]
I thought back to more of Sensei's advice. [Skills and experience are incredibly important, more so than type advantage. But to forget type advantage in the first place will become your greatest weakness.] I looked at Behemoth, keeping my thoughts momentarily to myself. "Behemoth is a Ground and Rock dual type. So his greatest weaknesses are Grass and Water." I looked above to Nightraider, who looked almost ready to dive. "He has Grass type moves, and is definitely open to make a huge blow to Behemoth right now…" I looked back down to Joules. "…especially since she has Behemoth's attention. But…" My mind raced. "Nightraider is a Flying Pokémon, so he'd be very weak to a single Stone Edge. And he has less experience and strength than Joules. It's…it's got to be her…" I opened my mind again to Nightraider first. [Nightraider, strike down on Behemoth as swiftly as you can, on my signal! It's going to be risky, but I think it's our best shot…]
[I trust you, Will! You can count on me!] He sounded slightly relieved he could be participating again.
Now it was Joules' turn. [Joukes! You are going to make the finishing blow! Just…]
[N-No!] Her inner voice was still scattered, biting back at us. [Let Nightraider do it!] She remained looking toward the ground, even with Behemoth now standing over her. [I…I got his attention…just…]
"No." Just one word. It came out both in my thoughts and through my own voice. I couldn't stand laying back. I couldn't stand to let Joules beat herself up now. I couldn't stand to let this battle drag on any longer. [Now, Nightraider! Use Razor Leaf as close as you can!]
[Will do!] His sharp descent was more silent than I expected. Like cutting through butter, he dove through the air, ending up right behind Behemoth. The Totem Rhydon was about to smash down with his fists on Joules, but was caught in Nightraider's spray of Razor Leaves upon his back.
He growled in pain. [A sneak attack, huh?! Good…] He swiped his tail to wave back Nightraider, before turning to face him instead.
Joules looked up, utter shock on her telepathically shouted at me, [Wait, no! No! H-He's supposed to do the Z-Move!]
I shook my head. [No, he's the distraction…]
Behemoth tried to grab Nightraider for a Submission attack, tanking through the Razor Leaf. [Despite hitting me with a super-effective move, you are surprisingly weak…]
[Every hit counts. I'm just part of a larger team.] Nightraider dodged and flew back, giving himself some more distance.
I continued talking to Joules. [You are stronger than the rest of us here, Joules. I know it, and you know it too. I don't quite know what you're thinking…but Nightraider and I have made our choice. We are sure this is our best shot at victory. So, can you do it?]
She now turned her head to me. Despite expecting it, it still seemed unusual for her to look the complete opposite of her tougher and confident demeanor. […I…but…]
[Joules…I trust you. Do you trust me…?]
A brief moment of silence between us. She clutches her broken scalchop. Then…her confident smile returned! [Heh…okay, Will…today…I'll trust you!]
Behemoth and Nightraider traded Stone Edge and Razor Leaf, with the latter twisting his body to try to fly closer again. [I think your valiance has reached its end,] the former roared as he looked to wind back a punch.
[This is it. Our last chance to strike!] I stand my ground, my feet a little apart.
Joules gets her whole scalchop in hand. [Ready!]
We never practiced yet before, but based on some experience with Gardna, I knew what I had to do. I crossed my arms first, concentrating on Joules and how I could make her stronger. The Proteanium-Z in my pocket glows a darkish-blue light. Joules got a running start. I stuck my hands out in front of me. The blue aura spread over my body. Joules brandished her water sword from her scalchop. I waved my arms to my left, then to my right. And I shouted, "Hydro Vortex!" The blue aura transferred to Joules, who shouted the same thing. A mass of water began to form around her, almost smothering our end of the battlefield.
Nightraider got in close to his opponent, about to unleash another close-ranged Razor Leaf. But Behemoth embedded his right arm with rocks he would have thrown for his usual Stone Edge attack. Then, in one huge swing, he directly decked the Grass Quill Pokémon.
[Aaaaargh!] He screeched. I instantly knew this wasn't a hit he was coming back from. Our last distraction was down. This was our last shot.
Joules jumped high into the air, pushing off the mass of water that followed her. [Face me!] She shouted.
Behemoth turned around, just as the same mass of water smashed and pinned him. For the first time in our long fight, he was visibly racked with pain. [Over…whelming…!]
The two were now in a column of water together, with Joules high above him from her jump. [Now you'll feel my power!] Both Joules and I thought of that. She pointed her scalchop sword downward upon her descent. A whirlpool enveloped her, allowing her to fall faster. Though, it also caused her to spin. Likely from lack of practice, this slightly through her off, just a second long enough for the broken scalchop she wore as a necklace to snap off her neck!
The Drill Pokemon took note of her brief faltering. [Come on! Hit me with your borrowed power, if you dare!] He groaned against the water pressure. [I've surfed before; a little water is nothing to me!]
I could sense a brief pang of panic as she detected the broken scalchop about to slip away from her. [Grab it! Keep going!] My thoughts reached her own..and she reached out with her free hand. [Borrowed power…? No…] Suddenly, she unsheathed the chipped scalchop's water blade! Due to its broken shape, it came out more like a two-pronged fork than a single point. [It's my power…with a twist!] With both her Razor Shell blades in front of her, she spun in a more controlled manner with the whirlpool. Behemoth's eyes widened, laying bare his helplessness to the oncoming attack.
An explosion of water occurred on impact. Joules let out a victorious roar as she struck him at a diagonal angle. As a result, he went flying, far back, all the way to the side of the hill. I was stunned at how his body bashed a crater on the side, just before a plume of dirt shrouded him from view. It was hard not to look his way, such a hit he took. Everyone from both sides effectively stopped their battle and looked at the gravel cloud where Behemoth fell.
I couldn't help but sneak a smile. "Did…did we win…?"
{Present day}
I walked across the rocky terrain of our island to the hill. Joules, Nightraider, Zemblance, and Knave flanked my sides. Behemoth already stood at our meeting spot. He was observing the crater on the side of the hill, one we never got around to filling up. Once we stood a few meters apart, the Drill Pokémon turned toward us. For a little while, we just stood there, eye to eye.
Finally, I gave a determined nod. "Rematch?"
He nodded back. [Rematch.]