Here's another chapter! I streamlined this one, so it concludes Elaina's battle with Naya! It's a pretty fierce battle! Don't forget to review! Reviews make the chapters come out faster!
Darkhammer: Which one of them?
LegacyReturns: The Zabuza/Haku comparison is apt, because that was one of the inspirations that I based the relationship on, particularly the mask and meeting Blake without it. But hopefully, things will take a different turn than they did there, I don't want Elaina to die, after all.
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 69
"Naya's Ferrothorn has trapped Elaina's Noivern in a powerful grass knot," Darla commented.
"Those thorns look agonizing," Lila sympathized. "And by struggling like that, Noivern is just doing more damage to itself!"
"In her previous matches, Elaina was able to overwhelm her opponents with the pure power of her pokemon," Darla added, "but if her pokemon can't release that power then there's not much she can do about it!"
"Yes, just like that, Rey," Naya crooned, hiding her warped smile with her sleeve. "Not too tight now… we can't have the poor girl passing out on us. No, slowly, delicately, we must let her savor it."
"Fer." Rey's body nodded up and down, the thorny vines constricting tighter around Noctre. The bat pokemon's wings were held open at her sides and wrapped so tightly they couldn't even be flapped. Vines held her legs to the ground, preventing her from stepping forward, and more vines wrapped around her neck, forcing her head down. Restrained as she was, Noctre could do nothing but helplessly flex against the thorns that fettered her.
"Aaaah!" Elaina cried, falling to her knees as agony of the Ferrothorn's attacks ran through her body. I can't… I can't lose here… I'm stronger than her… this pain… this is nothing! The pain… of losing… of failing him… the pain of being alone!
"I won't… go back to those days!" Elaina shouted, rising to her feet. She took a shaky step forward, her arms out as though she was bracing against invisible chains.
"Oh?" Naya's eyes widened as Noctre struggled against the thorns, digging them deeper into her flesh. Rivers of blood washed down his sides as she stepped forward in mimicry of her master, forcing her head up.
"Noivern!" Noctre howled, sending a shockwave of sonic energy across the battlefield, so loud and so high-pitched that it completely stunned Rey, the pokemon's tight coils weakening for just a fraction of a second.
That sliver was all Noctre and Elaina needed.
Noctre's mouth opened wide and crimson flames danced within her jaws, erupting in a wave of fire that washed over the battlefield. The powerful flamethrower burst outwards and engulfed Rey and the field itself, the plants burning in a sickening crackle as Rey let out a cry of agony.
"Return!" Naya cried, returning the unconscious pokemon to his pokeball as the flames spread closer to her. The bushes burned well, and the entire stage was lit by flame, forcing Naya to take several steps back or risk being consumed herself. Lit by the burning field was Noctre, eyes glowing, standing with her wings spread in front of Elaina, the shadows of flames dancing across her porcelain face.
"Oh man, I knew that this was gonna happen," Darla said, frowning.
"The battlefield is a sea of fire," Lila said worriedly. "Forget winning, this isn't even a situation that Naya can send out a pokemon into!"
"Noctre!" Elaina commanded. Noctre spread her wings open and let loose a powerful gust of air that launched her into the sky, smothering the flames with the force of her wings.
"How considerate," Naya said. "But I must say, it's quite a pity. Look at what you've done to such a beautiful garden…"
All that remained of the previously lush field was a smoldering crater and the scent of burning roses, trails of plant remains piled into noxious black chunks littering the scorched earth.
"Furthermore, I would advise you… do not do anymore flying with that Noivern of yours. The damage it has taken is extensive…" Naya smirked. "Unless, of course, you enjoy inflicting pain upon your own pokemon, as much as you enjoy inflicting it on your opponents."
"Shut up!" Elaina shouted. She knew that the woman was right, though, Noctre was barely staying airborn. Major lacerations and cuts were etched into Noctre's flesh, and her wings were particularly damaged. But if you don't have much energy, then I'll give you mine… as much as you need!
"Well, if you choose to disregard my benevolence, there's nothing I can do about that. I'll just have to fight you on your terms, then." Naya said. "Wata, if you would so kindly?"
Naya sent out her next pokemon, her Jumpluff.
"We'll blow that puffball away, Noctre!" Elaina shouted, Noctre echoing her feelings with a loud howl.
Noctre flapped her wings and released a powerful blast of wind at the grass pokemon, the air carving up in a massive tornado.
"Wata, acrobatics," Naya ordered. Wata leapt forward and bounced up into the air, jumping into the winds head-first.
"Naya's Jumpluff has leapt into Noivern's hurricane!" Lila cried.
"Is she crazy?!" Darla exclaimed.
"Not at all," Naya smirked. "Jumpluff ride the winds. No matter how you strike at her, if wind is your weapon, it will only be to her advantage!"
"Jump!" Wata cheered, a powerful updraft launching her from the maelstrom and sending her flying toward Noctre.
With a swipe of her hand, Elaina urged Noctre to conjure a blade of air in her wing, and sent it slicing at Wata. The cotton on Wata's hands and head twitched as she sensed the displacement of air as the attack shot toward her, and with a twist of her body the attack harmlessly passed her by.
"And now we strike back." At Naya's word, Wata leaped over Noctre and struck down on the pokemon's shoulder, Noctre crying out in pain as Wata gleefully struck her prior injuries to maximize the effect of the attack.
"That acrobatics was a critical hit!" Darla noted.
"Noivern is falling out of the air!" Lila cheered.
"Noctre!" Elaina cried out to the pokemon plummeting toward the ground. Noctre spread her wings at the last moment, cutting her fall, wincing in pain as she did so. Elaina felt a surge of pain run through her shoulder, and flinched.
"That will do for now, Wata," Naya purred. "U-Turn!" Wata kicked off the sky and hit Noctre in the face, jumping back and returning to Naya's pokeball.
"In spite of her advantage in this battle, Naya has returned her Jumpluff!" Darla said, surprised.
"Why would she do that?" Lila asked.
"Well now, let's try something new," Naya said. "Masha, let's begin the strategy, shall we? Elaina, I picked this one out specially for you!"
Naya sent out her next pokemon, a Shiinotic. The pale, slender white pokemon had a large pink and purple mushroom growing out of her head, spores shaking off of it and drifting into the air.
"A fairy type!" Darla said.
"That should take down that dragon!" Lila cheered.
"Noctre!"
Noctre flapped her wings, creating a powerful blast of wind that sent the Shiinotic flying backwards.
"Those winds of yours are quite powerful," Naya frowned. "A powerful offense and a powerful defense, all rolled into one. But I… I shall have to temper that strength of yours. Masha! Confuse ray!"
Masha held her hands up, a sphere of eerily glowing light manifesting in front of them. The orb floated haphazardly toward Noctre, who grew entranced by the light, Elaina holding her head as she felt a fierce onset of vertigo.
"Noivern has been confused, and Elaina seems to be confused right alongside her!" Lila said.
"It seems that Noivern's wind is no match for an attack on the mind," Darla noted.
"Noctre, just shake it off, a little confusion is nothing," Elaina instructed her pokemon through the confusion, using her harmonia to force her connection through to the dizzied Noivern, snapping her out of confusion.
"Not fast enough!" Naya called out. "Masha, use spore!"
Masha ran toward Noctre, lowering her head, the mushroom growing from it flexing and clenching, spraying a blast of green spores at the bat pokemon. Noctre stumbled back, panting, feeling their soothing effects.
"Noctre!" Elaina cried, the bat pokemon struggling to stay awake as the pollen's sleep-inducing effects began to wash over her. Elaina began to feel her own eyes grow heavy.
"What is… this…" Elaina gasped, fighting off the urge to fall asleep.
"Feeling tired?" Naya asked. "You share your sensations with your Noivern, right? Normally, you would swap out a sleeping pokemon, or wait for it to wake up, but I wonder… So now that you're falling asleep… can you manage to do either of those things?"
Elaina slumped over as Noctre lost consciousness, Naya smirking.
"Not… done… yet…" Elaina murmured, struggling to stay awake.
"You're still conscious?" Naya asked, her eyes widening in surprise. "That's surprising. Now… before you have the strength to fight back… Masha! Use moonblast!"
Masha created a sphere of light in her hands, releasing it in a blast of moonlight that struck Noctre, Elaina crying out in pain as she fell over, a mixture of drowsiness and pain threatening to crawl up to the corners of her eyes. She lifted her head up to look weerily at the battlefield, and she saw… Gerard, standing before her.
"Gerard…" Elaina murmured.
"What are you doing, Elaina?" Gerard asked, frowning. "I thought you were better than this?"
"I'm trying my best, but I…"
"Obviously not," Gerard said, shaking his head. "You're afraid, aren't you? Afraid of hurting those around you. Afraid of turning into the monster everyone thinks you are. Afraid that what Blake told you is true. You're holding back your powers, when you should be letting them loose."
"But I don't want to hurt anyone!" Elaine cried out.
"If you're so afraid to fight back," Gerard sighed, turning away from her, shaking his head, "then I guess this was as far as you were ever going to go."
Elaina's eyes snapped open and she stood up, shaking her head.
Noctre! Elaina sent a powerful call out to Noctre using her harmonia, jolting the dragon pokemon awake. Noctre swiped her wing, sending a blast of wind that pushed Masha backwards, Noctre rising to her feet, panting.
"Elaina's managed to wake up, and her Noivern has also shaken herself awake!" Darla said.
"But Noivern has still taken some serious damage," Lila reminded her.
"Indeed, it seems spore is no longer of use if you can simply force yourself awake like that," Naya sighed. She glanced at her Shiinotic, who rose to her feet in front of her.
That air slash took a lot out of you," Naya said. "Time for some recovery, wouldn't you agree, Masha?"
"Shii!" Masha nodded, smiling.
"Excellent. Use sap strength."
Masha began glowing, light drawing into the mushroom on her head. Noctre began glowing as well.
"What… is this?" Elaina asked, confused. "I feel like… my strength… is being sucked away from me…"
"That's Masha's special technique," Naya giggled. "Unlike other draining moves, sap strength does not steal your pokemon's health. Rather… it drains away their power."
"What?!" Elaina exclaimed.
"I must say, Masha is fully healed now," Naya said. "That harmonia of yours is quite something, strengthening your pokemon that much. But I will draw everything away from you, and leave you with nothing."
"There's more strength where that came from!" Elaina shouted, energy surging through her body and into Noctre's body, Noctre flapping her wings and creating several blades of wind that she sent flying toward Masha. The blades cut into the mushroom pokemon and sending her flying through the air. Noctre leapt off the ground and lunged at Masha, opening her mouth, creating flames that she sent in a stream, engulfing the fairy pokemon.
"With a powerful flamethrower attack, Noivern has taken out another one of Naya's pokemon!" Darla announced.
"Shiinotic is unable to battle, things aren't looking good for Naya!" Lila added.
"I beg to differ," Naya smiled. "This is going remarkably well."
"Oh, really?" Elaina asked, panting. "Because where I'm standing it looks like you've lost two pokemon now, and I haven't lost any!"
"Pokemon? I don't care how many pokemon you have remaining," Naya said, shaking her head. "I'm fighting you, remember? I wonder, how much of that strange power of yours have you used? How much energy do you have left? It can't be a whole lot. Soon enough, you'll succumb, and when you do, I'll get to enjoy the experience of using you as my precious little punching bag…"
Naya threw her hands out, laughing. "So go ahead! Keep fighting! Use all of that power of yours! Take out your anger and your frustration on my body! It's what freaks like us do, after all! Come on, Elaina, let's revel in each other's pain and suffering some more!"
"You… are sick…" Elaina hissed.
"Maybe," Naya said, shrugging, reaching into her sleeve and withdrawing another pokeball. "But I'm not as sick as you are, little monster girl. Kirei! Go!"
Naya sent out another new pokemon, this time a Bellossom. The small green pokemon danced, her flower skirt shaking as she smiled cutely up at Noctre.
Elaina held her hand up, Noctre conjuring flames into her mouth, releasing a powerful flamethrower at the grass pokemon.
"Quiver dance," Naya ordered. Kirei skillfully danced to the side, avoiding the sweeping flames, her skirt glowing with energy as light danced around her.
"You won't avoid this one!" Elaina shouted, Noctre spreading her wings out and releasing a powerful hurricane attack, creating a massive blast of wind that swept over the battlefield, sending charcoal and ash flying at Naya and her Bellossom.
"Sap strength," Naya ordered. Kirei began glowing and once more, Elaina felt Noctre's strength being drawn from her as Kirei was easily restored to full health.
"Naya is exploiting Elaina's powerful pokemon to strengthen her own!" Darla explained.
"Wow, that's a really interesting idea," Lila said.
"I told you, I've been looking forward this fight," Naya said, smiling. "Pokemon that specialize in close combat like Fia are not much use against someone like you. So I've decided to employ… other methods to take you down. Kirei!"
"Bellossom!" Kirei said, spinning and holding her hands up. A sphere of moonlight grew above her head, swirling with fairy energy. She fired the moonblast in a powerful wave at Noctre, swirling quickly toward the injured pokemon.
"Noctre! Knock it aside!" Elaina ordered. Noctre raised her wing and conjured a wave of wind, swinging it at the attack in an attempt to divert its path. But Kirei's strengthened moonblast was not so easily pushed aside, especially not by the already weakened flying pokemon. The fairy attack pushed through the wind like it was, well, air, and struck Noctre in chest. Elaina groaned and clutched her breast, as Noctre collapsed into a heap on the ground.
"Noivern is unable to battle!" Lila announced.
"It took some doing, but Naya was able to take down Elaina's first pokemon!" Darla said.
"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" Someone in the audience shouted.
"Take that bitch down!"
"She doesn't belong here!"
"She's a monster!"
'We don't want freaks at this school!"
"Witch!"
"If this keeps up, we'll have a riot on our hands…" Sango said, glancing at the crowd around them, invigorated by the first sign of weakness in Elaina.
"They're just saying whatever they want because they can," Julia said, frowning.
"It is how human beings are," Ryoko solemnly muttered. "They think of only their own security. They care not for how their cruel words may hurt those around them."
"It's not fair…!" Kitty cried, clutching her head. "It's not… it's not! Elaina… she's… but they…"
"H-hey, Kitty, are you okay?" Julia asked, cradling the trembling girl.
"No…" Kitty said, shaking her head. "I can feel it… Elaina's pain… it's overwhelming, she… she…"
A small trickle of blood began to fall from Kitty's nose as she collapsed against Julia.
"Kitty!" Julia cried, desperately trying to shake the girl awake. "Someone! We need to get a doctor, or-"
"Allow me." Ryoko rose from her seat and walked over to Kitty's side. "I have seen this before. Do not worry. I can correct the disruption. It will only be temporary, but she should stabilize. You will need to seek further medical attention soon."
"Stabilize? What?" Julia asked, confused. Her eyes widened. Ryoko held her hand up, and it began glowing with a soft green light. She reached over and placed it on Kitty's forehead, the pale girl's complexion brightening she softly opened her eyes, glancing at Ryoko and then at Julia.
"Wh-what just happened?" Kitty asked, confused.
"I have temporarily reversed your symptoms," Ryoko explained, smiling kindly. "You will be fine."
"Th-thanks…" Kitty said, rubbing her head, which no longer was throbbing. She wiped the blood off from under her nose.
"Ryoko…" Sango said, narrowing her eyes. "Who are you?"
Ryoko glanced at Sango and smiled ruefully.
"Raiver, go!" Elaina shouted, sending out her Braviary.
"As expected," Naya smiled.
Raiver flapped his wings and sent a powerful blast of wind across the battlefield, taking to the air. He soared overhead, staring down at Kirei, preparing to strike.
"Oh, caution?" Naya noted, tilting her head up. "I didn't expect that from you. Though I must say, now is not the time for it. Kirei, let's begin draining that Braviary's power!"
"Bell!" Kirei nodded, and she began glowing, readying a strength sap attack.
"We won't let you!" Elaina said. Raiver shot down toward Kirei, spreading his wings open and raising his claws, preparing a crush claw strike.
"Blow him away, Kirei," Naya ordered. "Moonblast!"
Kirei held up her hands and fired a sphere of fairy energy at Raiver.
"Raiver!" Elaina sent a silent order to her partner, and the pokemon changed his position, tucking his wings in and diving beak-first at the grass type pokemon, and the fairy attack was between them.
"She's diving in headfirst!" Darla noted.
"Whoa!" Lila gasped.
"Magnificent," Naya purred. Raiver collided with the attack and barreled through it, hitting Kirei directly with a powerful brave bird attack. The collision sent a shockwave through the stadium, Kirei flying through the air and crashing to the ground as Raiver picked himself up, shaking his head and flapping his wings to regain balance, flying into the air.
"Naya's Bellossom is unable to battle," Lila announced, the response to this declaration being a new chorus of boos and jeers.
"It must be miserable," Naya said, shaking her head, returning Kirei to her pokeball. "To be so greatly hated by everyone…"
"You would never understand," Elaina hissed.
"Oh? You think not? I'm not normal either, girl," Naya said. "But unlike you… I've learned to embrace who I am. That's why I'm all smiles even in the face of the rejection of others. But you… you're just a weak little girl who can only hide behind a mask."
Elaina remained silent, and lowered her head.
"You know I'm right," Naya continued. "You see how they treat you? Right now, someone as twisted as me is being hailed as a hero just because my opponent is you. They'll never understand you. They'll never support you. They'll never cheer your name! So why do you try so hard for them? Why do you keep holding yourself back from who you're supposed to be?"
"I'm not… I don't…"
"You don't want to hurt anyone? What a load of crap!" Naya harshly chastised her. "If you really didn't want to hurt anyone, then you'd run off to some mountain somewhere, and never battle anyone again! But you don't do that, do you? No, you'd rather use your powers to hurt others, while telling yourself that you don't like it so you can keep feeling like the hero. But you're not a hero. You're a monster looking for any excuse she can find to hurt people."
A wicked smile crossed Naya's face.
"You're just like me."
"NO!" Elaina shouted, a gale of wind rising up around her. "I'm not like you! I'm not!"
A blast of wind hit Naya in the face, blowing her hair wildly as she reached for her next pokeball.
"Certainly. We'll see. Sabo, come out to play!" Naya threw out a pokeball, which her Cacturne emerged from.
"Naya's next pokemon is a Cacturne!" Darla noted.
"Cacturne's spiky body should be a good counter to Braviary's contact moves," Lila said.
"Raiver, we'll have to force through it," Elaina said. "Push him off guard!"
"Bra!" Raiver nodded, flapping his wings and sending a powerful blast of wind at the Cacturne to knock him off balance.
"There is no sense in laying spikes when you can just blow them away," Naya noted. "So I shall resort to close combat measures." As Raiver charged at Sabo, gathering energy to prepare for a superpower attack, dark energy swirled in Sabo's needle-covered hand.
Before Raiver could launch his attack, Sabo shot forward, catching the bird pokemon in the face with a powerful sucker punch, sending him skidding into the ground.
"Next, beat on him with needle arm," Naya ordered. Sabo charged forward, green energy surging into his arm as he readied a punch.
"Get back!" Elaina shouted, swatting her hand as Raiver swung his wing, sending an air slash that Sabo jumped aside to dodge. Raiver flapped his wings and dodged Sabo's punch by a few scant inches, taking to the sky to avoid the grass type.
"Naya's attacks are actually forcing Elaina onto the defensive!" Darla said.
"Wow, she's really being pushed hard!" Lila cheered.
"Yeah, get her!"
"Take that monster down!"
Maximize your speed, Elaina told Raiver. We'll go with an aerial ace to strike him as fast as possible, before he can counter.
"Bra," Raiver replied, nodding.
I know your strength has been weakened… but we'll have to do the best we can.
Raiver shot forward at high speed, practically disappearing as he began his aerial ace attack.
"That's some amazing speed!" Lila gasped.
"Whoa!" Darla exclaimed.
"Spiky shield," Naya ordered. Sabo crouched down, a barrier appearing around his body, large spikes shooting out of the barrier.
"Raiver!" Elaina cried out, but the flying pokemon was charging far too quickly to stop himself, and he collided headfirst with the shield, the spines dragging into his coat and cutting large gashes into his flesh.
It hurts… Elaina clutched her body as the force of the wounds gouged themselves into her. It's never… hurt this badly before…
"The poor bird seems to be in shock," Naya said with mock concern. "Sabo, why don't you look after him for me?"
"Cact," Sabo nodded, walking toward the collapsed Braviary, raising his arm. He struck Raiver in the neck with a needle arm, dragging his hand down Raiver's side and across one of his wings to draw out the pain, Raiver crying out in pain alongside Elaina.
"It's lovely, isn't it?" Naya asked, her face flushing. "I want to share it with you, my perfect opponent… the feelings… tell me, why are you resisting yourself like this?"
Resisting… I'm not… I'm… Elaina could hear Raiver's cries of pain, and could feel the agony he was in. I have to stop this… I have to stop her from… hurting him, I…
Elaina kept pushing forward, but she felt like she was up against a glass wall. There was nothing she could do to get past it, to fight back.
"Help me…" Raiver's voice echoed from beyond the barrier, and Elaina slammed her fists against it in a rage.
"I need to keep going! I need… to protect him! I need to win! To save him, I need… to get stronger!" Elaina struck the barrier with her fist and shattered. Suddenly, it was like a whole new world had opened up before her. Her body felt unbelievably light, even in Raiver's body, and with a swing she pushed Sabo away and rose up, flapping her wings.
"I see…" Elaina said, looking down. "I need to win. Which means I need to fight you with everything I have."
"Oh?" Naya asked.
"I kept telling myself that I didn't want to hurt anyone. But now… I realize that I was a fool." Elaina's lips curled into a smile that went unseen behind her mask, blood flowing from her nose.
"Someone like you… someone who delights in inflicting pain on other people, in hurting me and my friends… Someone like you needs to be punished. I understand what you were saying, Naya, about the joy of hurting people. I think… I'm going to enjoy repaying you for the hurt you've inflicted on my dear pokemon."
"Excellent!" Naya's smile cut her face in two, and she let out a cackle. "That's what I wanted to see! It's amazing, this feeling of hurting and being hurt in return! Who cares what they think? Who cares what anyone thinks?! All you need to feel good is yourself! Ignore those fools! They'll never understand you! All you need to live in this world is doing the things that you enjoy!"
"Whatever it takes… you'll pay for what you've done. I'll tear you to pieces…" Elaina cried. "Then… then everyone else who has hurt and mocked me! All of them… I'll make them pay for the pain they've caused!"
I've fought and fought… I want to be accepted… but I won't find acceptance here. I know that I'm not wrong. I never wanted this… I'm not wrong! I'm not! The ones who are wrong… it's them! Those people who mock me… who call me a witch, a freak! Who look down on me and treat me like a monster! They're the ones to blame, not me! It's not… it's not my fault!
"If you want a monster, then I'll show you one."
"Elaina…" Blake gasped, staring at the tv in shock and disappointment, shaking his head. "Please… don't…"
That's a good girl, Gerard thought, smiling in amusement. I've been waiting for you to throw aside your pointless empathy. Something like that is unnecessary for a tool like you, Elaina.
"Raiver!" Elaina shouted, her body surging with power. Raiver lunged at Sabo and grabbed onto him with his claws, lifting him up into the air and taking to the sky.
"Sabo!" Naya called out. "Don't let him take hold of you so easily! Fight back!"
Sabo struck at Raiver with a barrage of needle arms, but if it was having any effect on Raiver or Elaina they didn't show it. Once Raiver reached a grand enough height, he turned and flew toward the stadium, increasing in speed.
"Braviary has prepared to use sky drop!" Lila cried.
"From that distance, it looks like things won't go well for that Cacturne," Darla noted.
Raiver held his claws out, holding Sabo in front of him as he dropped toward the ground. He slammed Sabo into the ground, forcing the might of their descent into the grass pokemon's body, while using the force of the impact to launch him back into the air as he released the pokemon.
"Cac…" Sabo coughed, losing consciousness.
"Cacturne is unable to battle!" Lila announced.
"Wait… but what's that?" Darla asked, pointing at Raiver. Raiver was flying unsteadily, and plummeted out of the sky, hitting the ground hard.
"It looks like… Braviary is also unconscious!" Darla said.
"But how is that possible?" Lila asked.
"I kept a little something in reserve," Naya giggled, recalling her Cacturne. "Destiny bond. If Sabo wouldn't win, he'd at least take your Braviary down with him."
Elaina remained silent, returning Raiver to his pokeball.
"Wata, come on back out," Naya sent out her Jumpluff, Wata reappearing with a smile.
"Ayer! Come to my side and rip my foes to pieces!" Elaina called, sending out her Aerodactyl. A wicked, long smile spread across Ayer's jaw, and he howled, flying toward Wata.
"Wata, drain his energy with your giga drain," Naya ordered. Wata began glowing as energy began to get sucked from Ayer, but the pokemon seemed unfazed.
"Take her down!" Elaina ordered. Ayer prepared a powerful stone edge, ripping rocks out of the ground around the stadium, the rocks flying toward Wata.
"Dodge them with acrobatics!" Naya ordered. Wata leapt through the air, skillfully jumping from rock to rock, avoiding the sharp edges and powerful impacts. But as she escaped from the stones, she had failed to account for Ayer himself, who flew close to Wata, opening his massive jaws.
Ayer bit down with a powerful fire fang, Wata crying out in pain. Ayer lifted his head and swung it, flinging Wata into a large rock, the grass pokemon smashing into it, badly injured.
"Now finish it!" Elaina shouted.
"That's enough out of you," Naya said. "Wata! Use strength sap!"
"Again?!" Elaina cried, Ayer's energy weakening as Wata's health recovered to full.
"I told you, I was prepared." Naya hissed, narrowing her eyes. "Now, leech seed!"
Wata launched a large seed that dug itself into Ayer's hide, sprouting out vines that wrapped themselves around the dinosaur's body. The vines began dragging energy out from Ayer's body, the combination of moves draining away his power and his health.
"Like this, there's not much your Aerodactyl can do," Naya said, shrugging. "And you'll only grow weaker alongside it. Wata, move away. We'll focus on maintaining out evasion for now."
Ayer… Elaina thought, a frown crossing her face. This is a bad matchup. With only your brute force… you won't be able to win. Then in that case…
"Return," Elaina said, recalling the powerful Aerodactyl.
"Oh?" Naya perked up in interest.
"Elaina has called her pokemon back!" Darla said.
"What's she going to use instead?" Lila asked, incredibly curious.
"Now, come to me, Mukuro!" Elaina shouted, throwing out a pokeball. From it, yet another bird pokemon emerged, but this one was not like the others. The large brown owl stood on his hind legs, and his head was covered in a long shawl of leaves that resembled a hood, giving him an eerie, spectral appearance.
"I haven't seen that one before!" Lila said.
"It's Decidueye," Darla mentioned. "It's a pokemon from the Alola Region."
"Interesting choice," Naya said. "That's a grass type, yes? Which means leech seed is pointless. But then… I know all about the weaknesses of grass pokemon. Wata! Go!"
Wata leapt off a cushion of air, bouncing quickly around the motionless Decidueye with a combination of bounce and acrobatics, looking for the perfect moment to strike.
"Mukuro!" Elaina called. Mukuro moved for the first time, swinging around with his wing raised, the feathers turning into claws of shadow. He struck Wata head-on and knocked her backwards, lifting his wing back up and forming an arrow of ghostly energy.
"Spirit shackle!" Elaina ordered. Mukuro fired the arrow from his makeshift bow, shooting it past Wata and pinning down her shadow instead.
"Wata, move," Naya ordered. Wata tried to jump off the ground, but she found herself unable to do so.
"Decidueye's arrow has pinned Jumpluff in place!" Darla said.
"Not good," Lila said.
"All that jumping around is a bother," Elaina said, frowning. "So stop it."
Wata trembled as Mukuro towered over her, his body teaming with shadowy energy. The poor Jumpluff was completely immobilized, left a helpless victim to the wrath of Elaina and Mukuro, an irony not lost on Naya or Elaina.
"Finish it," Elaina snapped. Mukuro raised his wing and struck Wata with a shadow claw, ripping her free from the shadows trapping her. He spun and pushed forward, sending Wata flying backwards, crashing into the ground. With a flap of his wings, Mukuro took to the sky, gathering ghostly energy around his body. In a single swipe, Mukuro sent a torrent of ominous wind across the battlefield, cutting into Wata and Naya, knocking Wata unconscious and sending Naya sprawling onto her back.
"With that, Naya only has one pokemon left!" Lila said.
"Yes, but will it be enough?" Darla asked.
"We'll see," Naya murmured. "Moju, let's see if you can do it!"
Naya sent out her final pokemon, her Tangrowth.
"Meaningless!" Elaina shouted. "Mukuro!"
Power coursed through Mukuro's body as his stats were increased from the power of ominous wind, darkness surging around him.
"Moju, this is as far as we can go, I fear," Naya said, shaking her head. "So let's make this match as agonizing as possible!"
"Taan!" Moju shouted, creating spiritual stones of energy around his body, sending them flying at Mukuro with a swipe of his tendrils.
Mukuro silently raised his wing, pulling back the string on his bow, and sent a barrage of arrows that pierced through the stones, sending them raining harmlessly onto the ground.
"Bind him."
Mukuro fired another arrow, this one piercing through Moju and digging into the ground, pinning him in place.
"That won't work on us again," Naya said. "I love tying up others but I hate being bound myself."
Vines erupted from the ground, pushing the spectral arrow loose, freeing Moju from his shackles and allowing him to swing another ancientpower attack.
"I had Moju sent his vines underground before you could fire your arrows," Naya said. "If it isn't something depicted in the shadows, then it isn't frozen."
Mukuro evaded the stones and fired another barrage of arrows at Moju, but this time the grass pokemon was ready.
Vines shot off of Moju's body and grabbed the arrows out of the sky, flinging them away as he held his arms up, creating a sphere of venomous energy in front of him.
"Sludge bomb," Naya ordered, Moju flinging the toxic gunk at Mukuro, the orb exploding into a wave of sludge.
"You won't catch us." With that, Mukuro disappeared from sight completely.
"What?!" Naya gasped.
"Decidueye has disappeared!" Lila said.
"It's phantom force," Darla said. "So he could reappear anywhere."
Mukuro rose from the ground in front of Moju, solidifying his body moments before striking the grass pokemon in the gut with shadow-infused wing. Moju was flung into the air, and Mukuro shot up after him, wings spread wide.
"Power whip!" Naya ordered. Moju swung his arm, a massive vine swinging right toward Mukuro, but the ghost pokemon disappeared once again. This time, he reappeared behind Moju, swinging at him with another phantom force, letting loose a barrage that kept Moju in the air, unable to counterattack as he was flung through the sky.
"Now!" Elaina shouted, power coursing through her body as wind blew through the stadium. "Finish this!"
Mukuro reappeared in front of Moju, wings spread wide, ghostly power gathering in front of him. He released a powerful blast of ghostly leaves in a tornado of energy that struck Moju, tearing through the stadium and barreling toward Naya. The leaf storm infused with ominous wind hit her head-on, Moju colliding with his master and sending them both sprawling backwards, collapsed in a heap on the ground.
"Quick! Get the medics!" Darla shouted, Lila holding her mouth in shock.
"Uwaah!" Several members of the audience fled and others remained in stunned silence at the havoc that Elaina had once again wreaked.
"I had no idea…" Elaina said, staring at her hand. The rush of energy surging through her was intoxicating. She couldn't believe how good it had felt to just let loose without caring one whit for her opponent. What a rush! It was like nothing else mattered at all…
"Heh…" Naya coughed, as she was helped onto a stretcher, blood trickling down her face as she curled her lips into a crimson smile. "I'll give you the win… it doesn't matter… but I saw it. Now… now you're a real freak like me…"
She gave out a hacking laugh as she was carried off the battlefield, leaving Elaina alone with the high of battle.
Hm, things aren't really looking great for Elaina. She managed to win, but at what cost to her psyche? Hopefully she won't fall completely into the dark side.