Both trainers are giving it their all, and they've both lost a decent chunk of their pokemon. Now we're heading towards the climax of the battle; who will win? Anabel or Alden? And does winning even matter, in the end? Well, either way, it's been an incredibly exciting battle so far, and hopefully the battle will only get better from this point on!
KedharS: No, not really. Not unless I decide to have that be the case. He's not a very good trainer, after all. Man never wins when it counts.
Rowlets and Oshawotts: I'm not so sure if they're really going to be a couple or not, but my money is on "no". Anabel doesn't really do the whole "romance" thing, they're asexual.
Just a Bad Writer For Fun: …Yeah, that was absolutely what I was going for. You got it right on the head, indeed, planned everything to go that way because I'm an excellent writer and certainly it didn't end up that way out of the needs of the narrative, no sirree. That was always the intended dynamic, absolutely, yup.
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 609
"Eava, let's start things up with you again!" Anabel said, throwing their pokeball into the air with a flourish.
"Weavile!" Eava cackled, emerging from the pokeball and scraping her claws together, narrowing her eyes at the Commander. She was wide awake and ready to keep going, the effects from her previous fight a distant memory now that she was reinvigorated.
"Well, quite an intimidating lead," Alden said, shrugging his shoulders and sighing. "Considering Tracey wasn't able to keep up with her last time, I think I'll have to rely on a different method, then. Jaune, let's see how you can match up!" Alden threw Jaune's pokeball into the air, the Vikavolt taking to the sky as electricity crackled through his mandibles.
"Vikavolt!" Jaune buzzed, flying towards Eava.
"Since speed didn't work, you decided to go with your slowest pokemon, huh?" Anabel grinned. "Quite a bold strategy! Eava, fake out!"
"Weavile!" Eava shot forward, leaping into the air. She landed on Jaune's mandibles and dashed down it like a track, raising her claws and smacking Jaune in the face, causing the Bug type pokemon to flinch in pain. As Jaune's flight was interfered, Eava leaped off of him and landed gracefully on the ground, Jaune spinning through the air.
"Jaune!" Alden shouted. Jaune quickly righted himself, turning towards Eava and preparing to attack, but he didn't have a chance. Chunks of ice hit him in the face before he could make a move, Eava's speed a little too much for him.
"Come on, Alden!" Anabel shouted. "I know Jaune can do better than that! Eava's speed is certainly amazing, but come on! With my harmonia at this point, I won't settle for less than your best! So let's feel it!"
As if to punctuate their statement, Anabel surged their harmonia outwards, and if one looked closely they could see a lilac aura light up around Anabel's body. It was a faint glow, but it was there, and they directed the harmonia into Eava, who sped up even more, running towards Jaune and using agility to prepare for her next attack.
"Not a problem," Alden assured them. "Jaune has more tricks up his sleeve than you might think! To start, use iron defense!"
"Vika," Jaune nodded, his scales shimmering a bright silver as they hardened up to be as strong as steel, boosting his defense in anticipation of Eava's next attack.
"Oh, that's your plan? Boosting defenses," Anabel said. They almost sounded disappointed. "Well, sorry to break it to you, but with our attacking strength, that won't be nearly enough! Let's go, Eava! Use night slash!"
Anabel switched the focus of their harmonia from boosting Eava's speed to directing it towards her attacking strength. Eava leapt into the air and raised her claw, darkness surging through it. She brought it up in a wicked slash across Jaune's belly, but the pokemon resisted quite well, much to Anabel's surprise.
"Well, I stand corrected," they grinned. "Seems Jaune's defenses were a little tougher than I had thought! That's just perfect! Now Eava, use swords dance!"
"Weavile!" Eava raised her claws and spun towards Jaune, boosting her attack and leaping off the ground, moving for another slash.
"Jaune, thunder wave!" Alden quickly ordered. Eava was fast, but Jaune was ready. He sent an electrical current through his mandibles and discharged it in a shockwave that crashed into Eava, electrocuting her and forcing her to fall back.
"Oof, there are those tingles again!" Anabel said, shaking their head and twitching slightly. "Eava, you okay?"
"Weav…" Eava panted, nodded her head and standing up, glaring angrily at Jaune. She was still moving well, even with the current running through her. "Weavile!" Eava raised her claws, creating chunks of ice that she flung at Jaune, striking the pokemon again before he could capitalize on Eava's reduction in speed from the paralysis.
"Vikavolt," Jaune winced in anticipation, but the ice shards broke against his scales without causing a scratch. Invigorated by this, he spread his mandibles and flapped his wings, flying right for Eava. He began focusing light in the center of the long jaw, preparing to fire a powerful flash cannon. The beam of light spit out, a powerful laser aimed right at Eava.
"Weavile!" Eava still managed to dodge the attack, though, even with her speed reduced. It seemed that even though she was paralyzed, she was still too fast for Jaune to get in a good hit. Alden recognized this too, and quickly changed his plans.
"Jaune, use charge, we want this next one to be brutal," Alden ordered. Jaune nodded and picked himself up, flying higher into the air out of the reach of Eava's claws. He circled above the Dark type, electricity surging through his body as he charged up.
"Careful, Eava," Anabel warned their partner, keeping their eyes on Jaune as they began focusing on defenses instead. "…Use psycho cut!"
Eava was tracking Jaune too, and could see when the right time to strike was. She raised her hand, her entire right arm glowing with an aurora of light. With a swing of her claw she sent a blade of psychic energy flying towards the flying Vikavolt, hitting at just the right spot, where the cut from her earlier night slash was.
"VIKAVOLT!" Jaune cried in pain, the attack scoring a critical hit against him. But it wasn't enough to shake his resolve, or stop his attack. He turned towards Eava and flapped his wings, flying right towards her.
"Volt switch, Jaune!" Alden ordered. Jaune released the electricity he had stored in a powerful blast, doubled in power from the use of charge. The lightning crashed down upon Eava, the small pokemon letting out a moan of pain as Anabel cried out, electricity shocking them too. Jaune pulled back, returning to his pokeball as Eava crumpled and fell.
"Weav…" Eava rose to her feet, shaking, just in time to see a familiar face replace her previous opponent.
"Cinderace!" Tracey growled, emerging from her pokeball and running straight for Eava, flames burning across her legs as she used flame charge, charging forward.
"Eava, our old friend is back!" Anabel called out. "But even paralyzed, you've still got some speed! Go for it!"
"Weavile!" Eava shot forward, hitting Tracey in the jaw with a powerful sucker punch, Tracey stumbling back and letting out a cry of pain, wiping her jaw angrily. She swung her leg and kicked Eava in the side, sending the Weavile tumbling backwards.
"Oof, that was a powerful one alright," Anabel winced, clutching their side. "But don't worry, Eava, we've got it all under control! Just trust me, alright?"
Weavile didn't even need to look back to her trainer as she stood up. She trusted Anabel completely, after all. With a nod of her head, she glared at Tracey, ready to fight.
Anabel smiled, feeling the trust rolling off of their pokemon, reassuring them. They took a deep breath and closed their eyes, focusing their harmonia. This was going to be tricky to pull off, but if it worked, it would be perfect.
"Come on now, Alden!" Anabel called to their opponent, turning in Alden's direction even though they couldn't see him. "We're ready for you! Give us Tracey's best!"
Alden was cautious though. Anabel said that they had it "under control" but they weren't making any moves to fight. They obviously wanted he and Tracey to do something, but what that was Alden couldn't be sure of. In this situation, he would have used Tracey's agility to pick up speed and knock out the Weavile decisively, but as she was a Dark type he couldn't be sure that would work out. Clearly, the two of them were preparing to attack the minute Tracey let her guard down. Or, he could have her just attack head-on, and take the sucker punch that Anabel would no-doubt have coming their way. Neither seemed like a particularly compelling decision from where he was sitting.
"Cinder?" Tracey looked back at him for instruction, just as unsure as her trainer about what her next move should be. Alden reassured her with a smile.
"Don't worry about it, Tracey," he said, having finally come to a decision. The only correct decision, in the end. "Let's just do what we always do! Charge straight in and attack with everything we have! That's the only respectful way to meet a foe with the caliber of our opponent!"
"Cinderace!" Tracey nodded, energized. She turned and ran towards Eava, preparing her strongest move to strike. She began dribbling a large fireball in front of her, passing it between her feet as she prepared to strike with a strong pyro ball.
"Yes," Vic cheered. "That's the way, Commander! Take her down!"
"Cinderace!" Tracey pulled her leg back and delivered a powerful kick right into the heart of the fireball, sending the orb of flame flying forward through the air, right at the motionless pokemon. Both Alden and Tracey were surprised, they had expected Eava to strike with sucker punch first, before Tracey fired the attack!
"Weavile!" Eava raised her claws in front of her chest, a meager protection against the powerful fireball headed her way. The flames hit her and she began to burn, crying out in pain as she withstood the attack.
"Just a little more!" Anabel shouted, opening their eyes. "Revenge!"
"WEAVILE!" Pushing her pain forward, she swung her arms out, flinging the fireball back at Tracey, the large orb flying straight back at the pokemon who fired it.
"Cinder-!" Tracey clutched her stomach, the powerful blow knocking the air out of her as she crumpled over, coughing.
"Now Eava! Go!" Anabel shouted. Eava ran forward, claw raised, darkness surging through it as she swung at Tracey. But unfortunately for her, Tracey had not been beaten so easily by the revenge attack. She raised her head and ran forward, hitting Eava in the jaw with a sucker punch of her own.
"Weav-!" Eava coughed out, stumbling back, and that was all she had. Flames burned across Tracey's leg and with a mighty kick she hit Eava in the stomach, kicking her back with a blaze kick that sent Eava flying backwards, lit ablaze, Eava crashing down and rolling across the ground. She let out a choked out gasp of "Weavile…" and then lost consciousness.
"Eava was faster, but that thunder wave really got her," Anabel said, recalling their pokemon. "She just couldn't match up to your Cinderace after that. Good job, Alden, nicely done! But I'm actually almost glad. Now, I have a brand new idea that's certain to be a lot of fun! Casey, come on back out! I think you're going to like this one!"
"Alakazam!" Casey said, emerging from his pokeball and landing on the ground. He was still somewhat worse for wear, having not nearly recovered from all the damage that Corin's attacks had inflicted on him. Why Anabel would send him out under these circumstances, against such a physically powerful pokemon, no one could understand.
"Tracey, hit him with a pyro ball," Alden immediately ordered.
"Not a chance!" Anabel grinned. "Did you forget?"
"Alakazam!" Casey raised his spoons and crossed them, the heads glowing gold. As the light grew brighter Tracey found herself unable to conjure a fireball to fire at the Alakazam, kicking helplessly at the air.
"Cinderace?!" Tracey gasped out in confusion. But Alden knew exactly what it was, he'd seen Casey use it already.
"Disable!" Alden realized.
"That's right!" Anabel nodded. "And that's not all! Casey, use reflect!"
"Ala!" Casey raised his spoons up and circled them around his body, creating a golden dome that covered him, heightening his defenses.
"We've been over this before, Anabel, that barrier won't do anything if your Alakazam's defenses are naturally weak," Alden reminded her. "Tracey, smash through it! Use blaze kick!"
"Cinderace!" Tracey dashed towards Casey, raising her leg. Flames burst around it and she brought it down upon the force field, massive cracks spreading across the reflective barrier. But Anabel wasn't perturbed.
"Naturally, yes," Anabel admitted, shrugging. "But there's something we've been keeping back, you see. Casey, use wonder room!"
"Alakazam!" Casey's eyes began to glow gold as a golden light appeared on his spoons, spreading out and covering the entire battlefield… no, the entire room itself! Like touched by midas, the walls, floor, and ceiling of the battling room were bathed in golden light.
"Wonder room?" Alden's eyes widened. He knew magic room and trick room, but he hadn't faced against wonder room before.
"Ugh," Vic said, rolling her eyes. "What a tacky-looking move. Of course they would use something so gauche as this."
Like the Commander Vic did not actually know what wonder room did, but that didn't stop her from looking down on it.
"Oh," Ross said, leaning forward, intrigued. "That's a special one. Good thinking on their part, perfect choice."
"Why? What does it do?" Cynthia demanded.
"Wonder room is a special move," Anabel piped up, hearing Cynthia's question. "Trick room alters the speed of pokemon, making the slower pokemon faster and the faster pokemon slower. Magic room nullifies the effect of held items. But wonder room has a skill all of its own! It switches the defense and special defense stats of all pokemon that are fighting!"
Alden's eyes widened in surprise.
"So you're saying that your Alakazam…"
"Casey's special defense stat is 95," Anabel explained. "But his physical defense is only 45. Now they've been switched! Now, Casey can defend against your Cinderace's physical attacks with the best of them! Now, Casey, replace your reflect!"
"Kazam!" Casey raised his spoons, reinforcing his barrier with a new reflect attack, strengthening it up and smashing through the old one with a fresh field that had no cracks. Tracey was stunned by what she had just seen.
"Tracey!" Alden shouted. "You've gotta smash through. Keep pounding at the barrier with your blaze kicks!"
"Cinderace!" Tracey nodded, unleashing a barrage of flame-covered kicks against the golden barrier that protected his target.
"Keep up the good work, Tracey!" Anabel called. "You'll break through eventually! In the meantime, we'll get started on the preparations for a fun little match! Casey, use recover."
"Alakazam," Casey said, golden light washing over him as he began to restore his health, healing up from the wounds that Corin had inflicted on him.
Anabel closed their eyes as well and let their connection to Tracey do its work, feeling their own energy start to recover as they reinvigorated theirself, using their harmonia to boost up Casey. As they were recovering, Tracey was getting closer and closer to breaking through the barrier. But she was still far off from smashing it completely.
"New plan, Tracey!" Alden called. "Use work up to boost your physical attack!"
"Cinder!" Tracey nodded. As Casey worked on recovering himself back to full health, Tracey began to increase her attack and special attack, working herself up and preparing for her next blow at the reflective barrier.
"Now, get back and use flame charge to pick up speed," Alden ordered next. "Then, hit it at full power with high jump kick!"
Alden was planning to take advantage of the fact that Casey couldn't move while he was recovering within that barrier to smash through it once and for all. Tracey dashed back, and then charged at full speed towards the large golden dome, orange flames lighting up around her legs as she approached. She leapt into the air and did a flip, spinning her leg soaring straight into the center of the barrier, smashing through it instantly and hitting Casey in the stomach, knocking the Alakazam backwards. Tracey used his chest as a springboard, flipping back and landing gracefully on the ground.
"Not bad, Alden, didn't expect a Fighting type attack to hurt that much," Anabel said, holding their chest. Their face was a little paler than normal, that one had really stung due to their connection with Casey. "But I'll have you know that the fun's just getting started. Ready, Casey?"
"Alakazam," Casey nodded, standing up and brushing himself off. With his newly-heightened defenses, he was ready to take on the Cinderace.
"Careful, Tracey, he might try and steal your attack stat," Alden warned his Cinderace. That would certainly be an irritant. But he was prepared for Casey to switch back at any time with baton pass, and Anabel knew it.
He was counting on the fact that they wouldn't want him to pass off such a massive boost to Tracey's special attack onto Jaune.
"Not at all," Anabel assured Alden, shaking their head. "No, I had enough fun copying Corin, I promise. No, I have something much more fun in mind."
Anabel's grin made Alden's entire face light up. He wasn't sure what they were planning, but it was definitely intriguing.
"Oh?" Alden asked. "How fun are we talking about?"
"Did you forget one of Casey's best tricks so soon?" Anabel pouted a little in mock disappointment. "Well, let me show it to you! Casey! Use your role play attack to borrow that fabulously exciting ability of hers!"
"Oh!" Maddi gasped, her eyes widening.
"Seriously?!" Cynthia exclaimed, leaning in eagerly, her eyes shining. "No way! They're going to copy Tracey's Libero?!"
"Alakazam," Casey raised his spoon, his eyes flashing gold. An image of Tracey appeared behind him and his body flashed for a second, copying Tracey's ability completely.
"I don't believe it," Alden said, his eyes widening in surprise. Now that was a twist he hadn't expected from Anabel!
"Now THIS is what I call fun," Anabel grinned, feeling the new energies surging through Casey as Casey obtained the edge gained from Tracey's Libero ability. Now, whichever move he used, he would be able to transform into that move's type.
Anabel turned to Alden, their eyes flashing.
"This is what I call an amazing battle concept," Anabel grinned. "We're basically changing up the whole game, aren't we, Alden? Ready to have some real fun?"
Alden couldn't help but smile back. His Sense was exploding, this was going to be an exchange like nothing he'd faced before!
"Ready, Tracey?" He asked his Cinderace. Tracey wore a smile as wide as her trainer's.
Oh yeah, they were going to have some fun with this.
I love the idea of a Libero vs. Libero battle. Both trainers changing their pokemon's typing to defend, while at the same time trying to use moves to counter their opponent's change in typing, both of them trying to get the edge on offense and defense. It should be fun, to say the least.