Here's another chapter, where we come to the conclusion of the battle between Caelia and Sylvia!
Superblal: Things certainly look to be turning around for her.
Jay Hayden: Indeed, ghost types are quite sneaky.
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 54
"Sally," Caelia said, holding up her Salazzle's pokeball, "return for now."
"I won't allow that," Sylvia interrupted. "Magia, go!" A violet rift in space tore open behind Sally, Magia striking her with a blast of ghostly energy, knocking her forwards.
"Magia, use mean look to keep Sally right where she is," Sylvia smirked. Magia's eyes began glowing with a golden mystical energy, transferring into Sally's eyes. She reacted in fear, leaping away from the red light of Caelia's pokeball, refusing to return even as the curse began to drain her strength.
"And now that you're frozen in place, Magia, use psybeam!" Magia floated up into the air, her necklace glowing red and a beam of rainbow energy shooting out at Sally.
"Sally, dodge," Caelia ordered, Sally leaping from the ground and avoiding the attack. She opened her mouth, and released a powerful blast of flames at Magia. Magia ducked away from the attack, shimmering stones manifesting around her body. She flung them at Sally, who tried to avoid them, but the stones followed after the lizard pokemon, shattering against her scales. Sally cried out in pain, slumping down, Magia floating over her.
"Now, hit her with shadow ball," Sylvia ordered. A sphere of shadowy energy manifested in front of Magia, and she fired it at Sally, the ground exploding beneath her claws, sending the fire pokemon airborne.
Sally struggled to rise up, but the curse sent another wave of pain through her body, causing her to lose her concentration, collapsing to the ground again.
"Salazzle is trying to fight back, but it seems she's too worn down by the curse," Lila cried.
"Not only that, but Mismagius is doing a good job of keeping outside of Salazzle's range," Darla noted. "It's like a total 180 of her fight with Golett. With the curse's damage keeping her from taking advantage of her speed, things aren't looking good for her."
"Sally, flamethrower," Caelia ordered. Sally raised her head and fired a massive blast of crimson flames at the ghost pokemon. Magia barely dodged the flames, which singed her dress-tails, Magia wincing in pain as the flames licked up her body. She turned intangible, slipping through the ground to extinguish the flames.
Magia emerged behind Sally and hit her in the back with another shadow ball, Sally skidding across the ground until she stopped at Caelia's feet.
"Sal…" Sally wheezed, struggling to rise to her feet.
"Don't worry," Caelia said, kneeling down, her gloved hand rubbing the side of Sally's scaled face. "Rest now."
Sally coughed, nodding, and lost consciousness. Caelia returned Sally to her pokeball and rose to her feet, staring at Sylvia.
"…Go, Darma," Caelia said, throwing out a pokeball, which a large crimson baboon-like pokemon emerged from. Fire shot from her eyebrows and she rose up onto her hind legs, beating her chest.
"Caelia's last pokemon is a Darmanitan," Darla announced.
"Ooh, that's a powerful one!" Lila whistled.
"Magia, use psybeam on that thing," Darla ordered. Psychic energy gathered in Magia's necklace, which she fired out in a beam of concentrated light at the fire pokemon.
"Flame charge," Caelia ordered. Fire coated Darma's body, and she leapt into the air, dodging the psychic beam, increasing in speed as she charged at Magia. Magia floated up into the air to avoid the flame-covered pokemon, firing another psybeam at the ground. But Darma quickly jumped out of the way, dodging Magia's psychic attacks.
"Strange," Darla said, frowning.
"What?" Lila asked, looking to her partner.
"Normally one wouldn't put the move flame charge on a Darmanitan, because their ability, sheer force, negates any additional effects of moves they use in exchange for boosting their power. But this one… It seems her speed is increasing anyway! Strange…"
"Darma… is special," Caelia said sharply. "And now that we've picked up speed…"
The flames dancing around Darma's body increased in intensity, until they engulfed her completely in an infernal wreathe.
"Flare blitz," Caelia ordered. Darma shot forward like a bullet, lunging at Magia, wrapping her massive arms around the ghost pokemon's waist. Magia cried out in pain as the flames engulfed her, Darma slamming her into the ground. But Magia sunk through the ground, appearing behind Darma, her body singed but ultimately looking no worse for wear.
"Sorry, Magia, I know she's fast," Sylvia said, frowning. "But we still need to take her down."
If I can beat this Darmanitan, then I can have Magia use her perish song on Charizard. With that, they'll both faint, but I'll still have one pokemon left. It'll be my win. I just need to get through this one, and my victory is assured.
"Use power gem," Sylvia ordered. Magia opened her mouth, stones of mystical energy floating around her body. She fired them at Darma, who raised her hands, punching the rocks with blazing fists, the crystalized stones shattering on impact.
"You'll need better than that," Caelia said. "Again."
Massive flames engulfed Darma's body and she charged at Magia, raising her fist, punching the air and releasing a blast of flames so powerful that the backlash caused her to wince in pain. The flames burned through the air and hit Magia, who just barely disappeared into a rift in space before she was completely engulfed.
"Darma's doing a lot of damage to that Mismagius, but she's also doing a lot of damage to herself," Lila said worriedly.
"Indeed," Darla said, nodding. "Flare blitz is a powerful technique, but if that Darmanitan doesn't have sheer force then it comes at a really steep cost."
"She's trying to turn this into a war of attrition," Sylvia said, frowning. If Magia faints before that Darmanitan, or if she's too weak to use perish song, then things could be bad… Worst comes to worst, I might have to use perish song and mean look now to take this thing down with Magia… which leaves me in a tight situation… If I knew she'd be using fire types I would have prepared in advance, but how things are now, Sparks is just in his normal form… I don't know if they're ready to fight that Charizard in a head-on fight.
Sylvia looked behind her, up into the stands, a rueful smile crossing her face. I need to put on a good show. The boss is watching, after all.
"Magia, no more holding back! We're gonna take her on with full strength!"
"Magius!" Magia said, nodding. She created several shadow balls that floated in a ring around her, launching them one after another at Darma.
"Plow through," Caelia ordered. Darma readied another flare blitz, charging head-on into the ghost attacks, wincing with each blow.
"She's colliding with them instead of dodging?!" Sylvia exclaimed. "Magia, use phantom force to escape!"
"Darrr!" Darma roared, leaping at Magia, hitting her, sending her tumbling backwards away from the portal she'd tried to escape through. Darma stood on her hind legs and beat her chest, flames erupting from her mouth as she charged after the ghost pokemon.
"Flame charge for more speed," Caelia said. Darma's speed increased and she leapt into the air, raising her fist and swinging a fiery punch at Magia.
"Psybeam," Sylvia ordered. Magia whirled around and fired a beam of psychic energy at Darma, hitting her in the face, knocking her backwards. Darma hit the ground and rolled to a stop, panting, her flames dying down.
"Tough thing," Sylvia muttered. "Just go down already… how much more energy could she have left?"
"Mismagius has taken a few blows, but it seems to me like Darmanitan has taken even more damage," Lila said.
"True, I don't think Caelia's risky gamble is really being pulled off," Darla said, frowning.
"So? Your Darmanitan is looking pretty roughed up," Sylvia said, smiling. "You think she can hold out much longer? Because I don't. She looks like she can barely stand."
"True," Caelia nodded. "Darma. How about you sit for a while?"
"What?" Sylvia said, tilting her head to the side in confusion. Darma sat on the ground, her flames dying down as her body began giving out smoke.
"What the heck?" Lila gasped.
"What's going on?!" Darla coughed, smoke covering the battlefield.
The smoke died down, Sylvia's eyes widening in surprise as she stared at the pokemon sitting in front of Caelia.
Darma's appearance had changed completely. Gone was the wild and fiery Darmanitan, and in its place was a small, dark blue pokemon sitting still as a statue.
"Well, this is quite a surprise," Sylvia said, frowning.
"You aren't the only one who had some tricks prepared…" Caelia said, glaring at Sylvia. "Darma. Use psychic."
Darma's body began glowing with psychic energy, releasing a concussive bolt of psychic energy that struck Magia, knocking her back.
"Somehow, Darmanitan has completely transformed, and instead of using her physical moves, she's attacking with powerful psychic attacks!" Darla said.
"So she's made a switch from physical to special?" Lila asked. "That's so cool!"
Well, that's quite a surprise… Sylvia thought, frowning. But nothing we can't handle.
"Magia, she's using psychic moves now, and that one had a lot of power. We'll have to counter it with a psychic attack of our own," Sylvia said. "Plus, I think she might part psychic type with that power boost she just got… so our ghost moves will be super effective now."
"Mag," Magia said, nodding. She began glowing blue, and released a psychic attack of her own, the two pokemon's mind moves colliding with each other in a wave of psionic force.
"It seems their psychic powers are an even match!" Darla exclaimed.
"Whoa!" Lila gasped.
"Use shadow ball," Sylvia ordered. Magia created a massive sphere of ghostly energy that she launched at Darma, the ghost attack colliding with her, but Darma didn't even wince.
"So she didn't dodge it," Sylvia said. "She might not be able to dodge at all. But to think she looks completely unfazed… with that big a boost to her special defenses, this could be tricky.
"Magia, time for a boost. Use nasty plot."
Dark energy began shimmering around Magia's body as her special attack soared.
"Overheat," Caelia said. Darma opened her mouth, a beam of white-hot flames shooting out, hitting Magia head-on as she was buffing her stats. Magia, badly scarred, rose up from the ground, panting.
"Just a little more," Sylvia said. "Just hold on a little more! Use shadow ball!" Magia gathered together a sphere of ghostly power, which multiplied in size several times, hovering above her head as a giant, ominous orb.
"Darma, use psychic," Caelia ordered. Darma began glowing with psychic energy, lifting the flames spread across the battlefield into the air, spinning them into a tornado of psionic fire.
"Using your psychic powers to control fire, huh?" Sylvia cackled. "You're something else, Caelia! I love it! But we won't give in to that! Magia!" As the glowing flames spiraled toward Magia, she launched the shadow ball directly at Darma.
"Whoa!" Lila exclaimed.
"This looks like a big one!" Darla gasped.
The two attacks soared past each other and collided with their intended targets in a massive explosion of ghostly and psychic energy, flames and dust flying through the air and cutting both pokemon off from view.
When the air cleared, the results were clear to see. Both pokemon had taken severe damage, but only one of them remained upright. Magia floated overhead, badly burned, but still conscious, while Darma lay on the ground, having not only returned to her original form, but having fainted.
Yes! Sylvia thought, smiling triumphantly at Caelia. Magia's taken some serious damage, so she won't be able to stay in long against her Charizard. But she'll still be able to set up a perish song. With this, it's my victory!
"Well, I guess that's it then," Darla announced. "Darmanitan is unable to battle!"
"Which means Caelia only has one pokemon left, her Charizard!" Lila added.
Caelia returned Darma to her pokeball and placed it back on her belt, taking Kara's ball off and staring at it in quiet contemplation for a few moments. She looked up at Sylvia, making some sort of decision, and turned to the announcers' table where Darla and Lila were seated, raising her hand.
"I wish to withdraw," Caelia said simply, to the surprise of the audience.
"What? Why?" Cynthia asked, confused. "Her Charizard is, like, super powerful! She can still pull this off!"
"Are you sure?" Lila asked, confused.
"You still have at least one pokemon left, you know!" Darla reminded her.
Caelia glanced back at Sylvia before looking back at Darla and Lila, nodding, raising her hand over the right side of her face.
"I don't want Kara to take any more damage from this fight…" she answered.
Lila looked at Darla, who shrugged and gave a defeated sigh.
"Well, if that's what you want, then I guess that's fine," Darla said, nodding. "With this, the fourth round is over! Sylvia Driscoll is the winner!"
Sylvia sighed in relief, returning Magia to her pokeball, petting it affectionately before returning it to her purse. She looked up at Caelia, who had turned and begun walking off the battlefield.
"Hey, fire girl!" Sylvia called after her, Caelia pausing briefly to look back at her.
"That was a pretty good match," Sylvia said walking across the battlefield and extending a hand out to her opponent. "I was impressed. It's not every day a freshman can press me like that."
She jerked her thumb back to point behind her, smiling conspiratorially.
"I think my boss might want to meet you, too. We're always looking for skilled trainers to fill up our ranks. After this thing is over, I can arrange a personal meeting with the Phantom himself. What do you say?"
"…" Caelia turned her head away, and with a brief shake, refused her offer with a terse "no."
"Hey, wait, are you serious?" Sylvia asked, placing her hand on Caelia's shoulder and turning her back around. "Come on, this is an amazing opportunity! With skills like yours, you could go far with us! Come on, just think about it!"
"I have no interest… in being your soldier…" Caelia muttered, brushing Sylvia's hand away with a swipe of her arm. "I work alone."
"…Fine," Sylvia sighed, shrugging. "Your loss, then. Too bad." As Caelia walked off the battlefield, Sylvia returned to her seat. As the roulette began spinning for the next round, Cynthia was brimming with energy.
"Oh, come on!" Cynthia said excitedly. "I can't wait! After a super-tense battle like that one, I'm all fired up! This next one is going to be me, I just know it!"
"Now, for the fifth round!" Darla declared, the wheels pulling to a stop.
"Here are our contestants," Lila announced. "Naya Nadeshiko vs. Nick Elwood!"
"Oh, come on!" Cynthia huffed. "When's it my turn, huh?!"
"Calm down and be patient," Blake sighed.
"Screw patience, I want to have a battle already!" Cynthia complained. "My pokemon and I are antsy, damn it!"
As Nick stood up, Naya rose from her seat, walking gracefully over to him.
"Nick Elwood, it is a pleasure to meet you," Naya said, smiling, bowing her head. "Please do me the honor of a worthy battle."
"Oh, um, yeah, sure," Nick said, getting flustered.
Callie, looking over the battlefield, slumped back into her seat in a huff, turning to Alcea.
"Alcea, keep that student of yours on a leash, okay? She better not be seducing my Nick, got it?!"
"Sure, Callie, whatever you say," Alcea said, rolling her eyes.
"So, that girl, Naya, she's a member of Alcea's club, right?" Sango asked Kate. "What's she like?"
"She's a bitch," Kate said tersely.
"No, I meant is she a strong fighter?"
"Just watch," Kate said, sighing. "Let me just say, Nick doesn't have any idea what's coming." She looked out over the battlefield, where Nick and Naya stood on opposite sides, facing each other.
"Okay, guys, let the fifth round begin!" Darla announced.
"Okay, she's a grass trainer, so I shouldn't start with my pokemon that beat grass types right away," Nick said, frowning. "Okay, I got it! Mankey, go!" Nick threw out Mankey's pokeball, which the monkey pokemon emerged from, raising his fists.
"Wata, go," Naya said, withdrawing a pokeball from the sleeve of her kimono, throwing it into the air, which a bright blue Jumpluff emerged from in a flutter of cotton, fluttering her hands.
"So, Nick's pokemon is a Mankey, and Naya has chosen to counter with a Jumpluff!" Lila said.
"This is a good move on Naya's part, the flying typing will help her defeat a fighting type like Mankey," Darla noted.
"Okay, Mankey, this is gonna be tough, but we can still handle it, right?" Nick asked.
"Man!" Mankey said, nodding.
"Wata, attack with an elegant assault of bullet seed," Naya said. Wata leapt into the air, floating on her pom-poms, opening her mouth, firing a swift and succinct stream of glowing seeds at Wata.
"Mankey, counter with seed bomb," Nick ordered. Mankey held his hands in front of his mouth, firing his own barrage of seeds, which struck Wata's, the seeds exploding into several shockwaves. Mankey ran toward Wata and leapt into the air, raising his fist in preparation for a downward chop.
"Jump gracefully and soar, Wata," Naya commanded, Wata striking her pom-poms on the ground and launching herself into the air with a bounce, floating out of Mankey's reach. She spun in the air for a few moments before tucking her hands inward, increasing her weight and dropping down toward Mankey.
"Mankey, counter!" Nick ordered. Mankey's eyes shot upward and he raised his arm, blocking the Jumpluff's kick with his elbow, sweeping his hand to the side and striking her in the body with the palm of his other hand, knocking her backwards.
"Oh, your Mankey is trained quite well," Naya complimented. "It must be that practice you've done training with miss Callie!"
"Yeah, sort of," Nick said, blushing. "Anyway, Mankey! Go, attack!"
Mankey ran forward and prepared another karate chop, Wata preparing a counter of her own.
"Our opponent is quite swift," Naya commented. "Wata, slow him down, please."
"Jump!" Wata said, nodding. With a swipe of her pom-poms, sparkling gold dust emanated from her cotton puffs, sprinkling over the charging Mankey. Mankey froze in place, finding it difficult to move as the paralysis set in.
"In his previous battles, Nick relied on Mankey's agility and powerful moves to get the edge," Darla commented. "But he can't do that now that Jumpluff has paralyzed him with stun spore!"
"Oh no!" Lila gasped. "What's he going to do now, Darla?"
"Your Mankey is quite fierce," Naya said, smiling. "So much so, that even with her type advantage, I'm not sure if Wata will be able to overcome his ferocity. We must bid our retreat! Wata, use u-turn!"
With a turn of her hand, Wata followed her trainer's orders, jumping into the air and shimmering, striking Mankey with a kick to the chest, launching herself backward and returning to Naya's pokeball as Mankey fell backwards.
"Now, how shall I prepare my counter?" Naya asked, her eyes shining as she held the sleeve of her kimono up to her mouth, smiling widely behind it.
So, it seems like Nick is in a bit of trouble right from the beginning! Can he stand up against Naya's elegant grass type moves?