The fun and casual battle between the Commander and Anabel continues! This is the kind of fight that really shows just what a fun non-serious battle between two trainers who respect themselves as equals and enjoy the thrill of the fight entails!
KedharS: Gets even lighter in a minute.
Rowlets and Oshawotts: Oh, trust me, you haven't seen "lighthearted battle" until you've seen these two. How does a battle between two battle maniacs who don't care about winning end? It doesn't, that's how.
Aquahaze675: That's the joy of this, I can make moves that are useless in the games really stand out by taking their abilities and applying them in creative ways that the game can't program.
Just a Bad Writer for Fun: Yup. You're going to see even more of them in this chapter, since the joy of the battle is more important to these two than necessarily winning.
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 604
Alden was already starting to work his head around what that Mismagius was capable of. He knew she had sealed shadow ball, and unfortunately Corin probably wouldn't be able to use her dark pulse, either. But that didn't mean they were out of potential moves.
"Corin! Use shadow claw!" He ordered.
"Lucario!" Corin held her paw up, and ghostly energy began to swirl around it, forming into a sharp set of ghostly claws. She charged forward with her enhanced speed and leapt into the air, swinging her claw and striking Margie in the chest.
"Mismagius!" Margie howled in pain, tumbling backwards through the air.
"Not bad," Anabel winced, clutching their chest. "Looks like a bad matchup. Fine, you can have at it, Margie, return!"
Anabel recalled their Mismagius before Corin could get another hit in, breaking the imprison.
"Nice! He got through!" Cynthia cheered. Maddi glanced her way and smiled a little bit. There was a much clearer light in her eyes now.
Corin forced the Mismagius out, ending the imprison, Alden acknowledged. But if I send Eifa back out, then they'll just send her out again and we'll be in the same situation. So right now my best course of action would be…
Alden stroked his chin.
"Corin, let's wait and see," he decided.
"That's what I like to hear!" Anabel nodded in agreement. "This is one you're gonna love, Commander! Come out, Casey!"
Anabel threw their next pokeball into the air.
"Alakazam!" The golden pokemon emerged from the pokeball with a growl, landing gently on the ground. He held two large spoons in his hands and leered at Corin, yellow ribbons of psychic energy emanating from his body.
"…So, first a Ghost, now a Psychic type," Alden grinned. "That scared of Corin's Fighting type moves, Anabel?"
"We aren't scared of anything," Anabel smiled back. "This just happens to be the best choice we can make right now!"
"Fine then," Alden nodded. "Corin! If they want to use a Psychic type with such a weak defense, then let's use shadow claw again!"
"Lucario!" Corin nodded, raising her paw.
"Not so fast," Anabel snapped. "Casey!"
"Alakazam!" Casey raised his spoons, a bright gold aura aura emanating from them. Corin began to glow with yellow light, and she gasped in surprise, unable to use shadow claw.
"Corin?!" Alden cried.
"Have a taste of our disable!" Anabel winked. "You didn't think I'd just let you get away with spamming those shadow claws, did you? Now, Casey! Psywave!"
"Alakazam!" Casey swung his spoon, sending a blade of psychic energy flying towards Corin.
"That won't work on us," Alden snapped. "Extremespeed, Corin!"
"Lucario!" Corin disappeared from sight, the psychic blade traveling harmlessly through the air where she'd been standing. She reappeared behind Casey and raised her paw, striking the Alakazam in the back.
"Ala!" Casey groaned in pain. Even with the boost from harmonia, he was still an Alakazam with pitiful physical defenses.
"Quite a powerful punch you've got there," Anabel said, rubbing their shoulder. "I'm so jealous! Casey, use psychic!"
"Alakazam!" Casey's eyes began glowing gold and he raised his shimmering spoons, a golden psychic aura wrapping around Corin and lifting her into the air.
"Lucario!" Corin struggled against the psychic power, but Casey's special attacking ability was way too high.
"Corin! If they're gonna use their psychic powers against us, then we'll fight psychic with psychic!" Alden decided.
"Lucario!" Corin nodded, her eyes glowing blue. She released a shockwave of psychic energy boosted by her aura, countering Casey's psychic with her own. Landing on the ground, she immediately lunged for Casey, raising her fist.
"Nope," Anabel chirped, shaking their head. Casey's eyes flashed gold and he raised his spoons, a large golden barrier appearing in front of him. Corin's fist struck the barrier, bouncing off of it.
"First light screen, now reflect," Alden laughed. "It looks pretty familiar to me!"
"Isn't it just?" Anabel giggled. "Nothing like a strong defense to really let us battle with nothing held back!"
"Only one problem with that assessment!" Alden called. "Even reflect can only do so much, you know!"
"Hmm?" Anabel raised their eyebrow.
"Corin, use meteor mash!" Alden shouted.
"Lucario!" Corin pulled her fist back and stepped away from Casey, swinging a powerful punch with all the force of a meteor. The punch struck the golden barrier, causing it to shake, cracks forming across its surface.
"Reflect is a powerful move, certainly, but it still factors in the defending pokemon's defenses," Alden reminded them. "Alakazam's physical defense is pitiful. So even with reflect, even with harmonia, I don't think your barrier's gonna hold up long!"
"Not using brick break?" Anabel asked, raising their eyebrow. "I would have thought for sure that you would."
Alden grinned. "Where would the fun be in that? This battle's for enjoyment, remember? And smashing through a barrier with the power of a move isn't half as fun as the thrill that comes from breaking through it with raw power! Isn't that right, Corin?!"
"Lucario!" Corin swung her fist again, unleashing another strong punch. The reflect was only getting weaker and weaker. The cracks spread out wide, covering the entire barrier. Another hit would be enough to smash it.
"Yeah!" Cynthia cheered, jumping out of her seat. "That's the way to do it! Go, Corin!"
"Oh, no!" Anabel gasped. Then their face turned into a coy smile. "…Mind sharing that strength of yours, then?"
Corin began to glow a bright gold, and Casey did the same.
"Lucario?" Corin looked at the light coming off of her with confusion. Then, a ray of light shot from her body and passed through the barrier, hitting Casey, while a matching beam of light left Casey and traveled over to Corin.
"What just happened?" Alden asked.
"That would ruin the surprise," Anabel purred, sending a silent command to their partner using their harmonia. "Now, Casey!"
"Alakazam!" Casey charged forward, raising his hand. Flames leapt up across his fist and he swung it up into Corin's stomach, catching her off-guard with a fire punch.
"Luca-?!" Corin coughed, the fire move knocking the wind out of her. She tumbled back and quickly regained her balance, hopping away from Casey, shocked.
"What was that?!" Cynthia gaped. "Did that Alazakam just use fire punch?!"
"Quite a bold move, don't you think?" Scott murmured, smiling that big dopey smile of his.
"Uwaah?!" Cynthia gasped, nearly throwing herself into Maddi as she sprang away from the older man who she just now realized was sitting next to her. "Where did you come from?"
"I've been here the whole time," Scott laughed. "You actually think I'd miss this amazing match between two of the greatest trainers I've ever seen? Anabel knows just how their pokemon fight, what their strengths and weaknesses are, all because they can connect with their pokemon on a deeper level than most trainers. But at the same time, Alden's instincts as a trainer and his familiarity with his own party due to his experience and the strength of his bonds make for a formidable foe in his own right. Between the two of them, I honestly don't know who would win."
"So what was that move that they just used?" Cynthia asked, turning back to the battle. "Not the fire punch, but… before that."
"It's called guard swap," Scott explained. "Using his psychic power, that Alakazam switched his defensive stats with Alden's Lucario. So basically, Alden's Lucario now has the incredibly low physical defense of Alakazam, and Alakazam has buffed his defenses with Lucario's defensive stat."
"And with low defenses, that means fire punch will do more damage!" Cynthia marveled. "That was really smart!"
"Still, Alazakam's physical attack isn't much to think about," Alden reminded Anabel. "So that might have caught me by surprise, but don't think it'll be enough. You good, Corin?"
"Lucario," Corin nodded. She raised her hands, shimmering water spreading around her and healing her wounds.
"Fair enough," Anabel admitted, scratching their head sheepishly. Then their face shifted into a sharp grin. "But that's a problem we can solve, too, right, Casey?"
And suddenly, Corin's body began glowing golden again, as a yellow aura rose up around Casey as well. The Alakazam raised his spoons, and light shot out from them, hitting Corin, at the same time a ray of light left Corin's body and shifted to Casey's.
"Lucario!" Corin gasped, feeling the strength leaving her. She knew immediately what the issue was, just as Casey was charging towards her.
"Now, Casey! Go!" Anabel ordered, their harmonia flaring up in a veil of lilac aura. Casey raised his fist, flames leaping up around it. He swung it at Corin, who just barely dodged out of the way with her speed, putting more distance between herself and the Alakazam.
"I'm assuming that was power swap, then?" Alden asked.
"You know it!" Anabel nodded eagerly, their eyes shining with excitement. "Like I said, I was feeling a little jealous, with how strong that punch of your Lucario's was! So I thought it would be nice to take your physical stats, how's it feel?"
"Like we've still got our speed!" Alden called back. "Now Corin, use dark pulse!"
"Lucario!" Corin charged forward, raising her paws. She formed an orb of darkness, and released it in a powerful blast towards Casey.
"Oh! That's right!" Vic cheered. "Since Corin has Alakazam's special attack stat now, her attack will be way more powerful!"
The dark pulse smashed against the light screen, the red barrier shimmering and beginning to crack against the power of Corin's move.
"Casey, role play," Anabel ordered.
"Ala!" Casey nodded. He raised his spoons, and for a brief instant an afterimage of Corin appeared behind him. The dark move smashed through Casey's light screen in a blast that knocked the Psychic type back, Anabel wincing in pain.
"Role play copies the ability of the opponent," Anabel said, wiping their mouth. "Guess what that means?"
"Alakazam!" Casey roared, holding his spoons up as his attack stat rose.
"How dare you copy the amazing Justified ability of the Commander's Lucario?!" Vic demanded. "Trying to steal her resilience against Dark type moves!"
"So it's like I'm fighting myself," Alden grinned. "Any thought of maybe fighting as your own pokemon for once?"
"I can't help myself," Anabel admitted sheepishly. "I'm such a big fan, after all! But don't worry, Commander, I'm still getting fully invested in this fight, and so is Casey! Now, Casey, let's show them what your speed is really like!"
"Alakazam!" Casey nodded, disappearing in a flash of golden light. He reappeared behind Corin, hitting the Lucario in the back with a powerful fire punch.
"Lucario!" Corin roared in pain. She pitched forward and Casey disappeared again, reappearing in front of Corin and preparing another strike.
But Corin wasn't that vulnerable. When Casey threw a punch, she planted her foot to regain her balance, stepping into the arc of the punch. She turned, grabbing the Alakazam by the wrist and giving him a slight tug to help his punch move along its path. Casey flew forward, flipped over by Corin's impressive maneuver.
"You might have taken Corin's strength, but your pokemon's skill with using physical moves still has much to be desired," Alden said, grinning. "Corin's not just strong because of her strength, I'll have you know! She's a fighter who loves to battle!"
"True, Casey prefers strengthening his brain instead of his body," Anabel admitted, scratching their head and letting out a sigh. But quickly their positive attitude returned. "Of course, that's why I'm here. My turn, Casey!"
Anabel closed their eyes.
"Alakazam," Casey nodded, lifting himself up with his psychic power. He turned towards Corin, who saw that his eyes were shining with golden light. Anabel shifted their stance, planting their legs and raising one hand up, resting the other beside their waist. Casey mimicked the same stance.
"What the heck?" Vic gasped.
"What? What is it?" Cynthia asked, suddenly realizing that she was trying to keep a low profile and not get invested. "Er… nevermind."
Vic ignored her. "That… Anabel's linked with their pokemon completely!"
"Uwaaaah!" Anabel cried, bringing the fist at their waist up in a punch.
"Alakazam!" Casey shouted, mimicking the move.
"So, you're using your harmonia to that extent, huh?" Alden grinned. "I see! You want an exchange of martial arts prowess with Corin! Well, that sounds like a blast to me, don't you think, Corin? Awesome! Then use bone rush!"
"Lucario!" Dodging Casey's swing, Corin formed a staff made of blue aura, and swung it at the Psychic type. The bone struck the reflect that protected him, but because of all the damage she'd inflicted on it before, the bone broke through the barrier and hit Casey in the chin. But because he had Corin's defensive stats and Corin was stuck with his attacking stat, the exchange didn't cause much damage.
"Well, darn," Alden said, stroking his chin as he watched Corin skillfully parry the Alakazam's strikes. "This isn't as good as I would have liked. Corin doesn't have many ways to fight back with her martial arts skills, since her attack stat is so low now."
"…Yeah, you're right," Anabel admitted, blinking quickly and breaking the trance. Then, their face brightened. "Oh! I know! Call her back!"
"Hmm?" Alden looked at Anabel, surprised.
"If you call her back to her pokeball, then the stat changes will return to normal," Anabel explained. "If that happens, then you'll be fighting with your Lucario at full strength, and we'll have her strength as well!"
Anabel's bright grin was infectious.
"Doesn't that sound like the best idea ever? I can't wait to exchange moves with your Lucario, Alden!" They cheered.
Alden grinned. "Sounds like a plan! Corin, come back real quick!"
"Lucario," Corin nodded, Alden calling her back. He quickly sent her out again, Corin staring adamantly at the Alakazam, back to her full strength.
"I don't get it," Maddi said, shaking her head. "Why would they tell him that?"
"It's the thrill of the fight, obviously!" Cynthia said, her eyes shining with excitement. "Don't you want to fight against an opponent that's trying their hardest?!"
"…When I fight I want to win," Maddi replied.
"Ready to go, Corin?" Anabel called out to the Lucario.
"Lucario!" Corin said, nodding back to them.
Anabel grinned, and closed their eyes. They synced their harmonia with Casey, taking full control over their pokemon's moves. Casey's eyes began to glow with a bright golden light, as Anabel took their stance again, preparing to strike.
"How about a double fire/thunder punch combo?" Anabel asked, Casey's left hand crackling with electricity as his right hand was set ablaze. Casey lunched forward, preparing to strike with two strong punches in sequence.
"Careful now!" Alden called. "Corin, bullet punch!"
Corin raised her fists and unleashed a quick barrage of bullets that peppered Casey in the face, knocking him off-balance before he could use his attacks.
"Don't forget, those moves might be strong, but speed counts too," Alden reminded them. "Now, Corin, shadow claw!"
"Lucario!" Having access to her shadow claw again, Corin lunged forward, swinging her claw in a strong uppercut aimed at Casey's chin. But Anabel was too quick for her.
"Oh, no you don't!" Anabel grinned, stepping back and placing their hand on the ground in a roll, moving Casey around the shadow claw and bringing Casey's leg up and smashing it into the side of Corin's head, stunning her. Casey hopped back up along with Anabel.
"Don't forget!" Anabel called out, their eyes still closed. "Right now, our stats are almost equal! But Casey is just a smidgeon faster than you are, plus, you know, the attack boost."
"Corin's health is a little higher though," Alden reminded them. "So it all kind of evens out. Plus, we've still got our extremespeed!"
Corin shifted her stance, raising her hand up, and shot forward like a bullet. She stopped in front of Casey, using her left foot to brace at the same time she lifted her right, turning her waist. She took the momentum of her extremespeed and put it all in her leg, spinning into a powerful kick aimed straight at Casey's solar plexus.
"Ho!" Anabel gasped, clutching their waist. Casey was knocked off his feet, but Anabel knew how to fall with the best of them, shifting their weight to displace the damage and turning their fall into a roll, quickly springing back up. Before Corin could react, Casey leaped forward and hit her in the jaw with a powerful uppercut coated in flames, sending her into the air. Corin flipped, landing on her feet, panting and rubbing her jaw.
Anabel, keeping their eyes closed, turned to Corin and let out a wild laugh of excitement. "Wheeew! That was amazing! It's been a long time since I've had a battle that really gets me going like this. Come on, come on! I just had a great idea! You too, Alden!"
"Hmm?" Alden looked at her, surprised.
"Quick, quick, restore her health!" Anabel urged. "I want to try something!"
"What… what are we even watching right now?" Maddi asked, confused. "Are they… really fighting each other? Anabel just asked for the Commander to heal his Lucario, right?"
Cynthia was enjoying what she was watching, but agreed with Maddi that it wasn't making any sense.
"You sure?" Alden asked.
"Yeah, totally!" Anabel nodded eagerly, opening their eyes and severing the connection so Alden could see the sincerity in their eyes. "I don't often get a chance to use this in normal matches, since it's so inconsistent. But you're the perfect opponent for it, I think. Come on, I'll heal up too!"
"Okay then," Alden agreed, cracking a smile. "Sounds like fun, right Corin?"
"Lucario," Corin nodded. She held her hands up and created a veil of shining water that engulfed her, restoring her health with life dew.
"That's the spirit!" Anabel cheered, shutting their eyes again and bonding with Casey. "We'll get in on that, too!" Case began to glow with golden light as he used recover, and in a few seconds both pokemon were back up to full health.
"So, what's this move of yours?" Alden asked.
"Just something I want to test," Anabel said. "Want to see how much your Lucario can withstand? I'm gonna have Casey use his focus punch! Quick, boost Corin's defenses with iron defense. I don't want her to faint, after all. That would be no fun for anybody. Do that while we do this. Then, you can get a free move in too!"
"Focus punch?" Cynthia gasped in shock. That was a move known for being even less consistent than dynamicpunch!
"These two are weird," Maddi said.
"You heard them, Corin!" Alden said. "I've never seen a focus punch be used successfully, so if this works it's gonna be epic! Quick, use iron defense!"
"Lucario!" Corin nodded, her fur beginning to shine a bright silver. Casey stood opposite her, raising his fist with his eyes closed. Both he and Anabel were tightening their focus, building all of their energy into their fist.
"Oh man," Scott grinned. "This is going to be one epic blow."
"Urrraaaaaaaah!" Anabel took a step forward and swung their fist with all their might, and Casey did the same. Using all of the strength that their concentration had built, Casey struck Corin with a powerful blow right in the chest.
Now THIS is what I call a good battle! Neither one gives a damn about winning, they're just going in with everything they've got, using moves that they barely get a chance to in normal situations!