With a surprising evolution from one of his pokemon, Ian has claimed a small advantage over Chloe! But will that advantage be enough to ensure he wins? Or will Chloe be able to defeat him thanks to her extensive knowledge of his strategies and battling record? We'll have to see which one emerges victorious in this fight for Chloe's soul! Remember to review!
KedharS: We can only hope.
Sugar daddy: Can't help you there, sorry.
Just a Bad Writer for Fun: A very insightful look into the trainers and their pokemon matchups, as well as the relationship between the three of them. I wonder where we'll go from this point? I suppose we'll have to see just what Donoma could have meant.
Hyphenman: Interesting that you want longer battles. I seem to recall you not finding battles that engaging, way back when.
Arbiter8991: She's using it. Just not as clearly. You'll see more of it.
Tambry96bj: I don't know, is there a limit to how many friends you can make?
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 1142
Chloe wasn't going to let herself be distracted. So Ian used double team again, so what? She still new the habits of his pokemon. Fluorite was shy and reserved, so she had no doubt that the real him was hiding in the back, behind all the decoys. She just needed to change Paiea's focus towards the Trevenants in the rear.
"Paiea, use psyshock on the Trevenants in the back!" She ordered.
"Raichu!" Paiea gathered up electricity in his cheek pouches, and released it in a shockwave targeting the rear trees. The electricity zapped them… but the copies all disappeared! The real Fluorite wasn't among them!
"No way!" Chloe gasped.
Ian smiled. "The reason you targeted the back row is because of how well you know my strategies, isn't that right?" He asked.
"Stalker," Donoma coughed.
Ian ignored the comment. "And you aren't wrong to do that," he assured her. "But you see… Fluorite used to be shy, and a bit of a crybaby. But now that he's evolved, it seems like he's grown to be more mature. He isn't hiding in the back anymore, Chloe, now he's right up front and ready to fight like the rest of my team!"
Chloe realized what that meant a second too late.
"Paiea, get-"
She didn't have time to finish that sentence because one of the Trevenants, the one standing right in front of Paiea, raised his hand and ghostly energy began to surge through it in the shape of a wicked claw. He brought the shadow claw down on Paiea's chest before the Raichu could respond.
"RAICHU!" Paiea wailed in pain, tumbling back and falling off of his tail.
"He didn't hide at all, he stood right at the front!" Chloe couldn't believe it. Such a shy and scared little pokemon, throwing himself into the heat of danger like that? It didn't seem possible.
Does that mean… even I could…? She wondered briefly, but pushed those thoughts aside. It didn't matter if she didn't have the courage to say what she really felt all the time. She had Samarra now, and her new friend knew what she was feeling without her having to say a word. There would be no misunderstandings or awkward moments of doubt. Just a bond of absolute faith shared between the two of them!
"You know the old saying, right?" Ian laughed as the copies of Fluorite faded into the air. "'To hide a tree, use a forest'? Well, that's just what we did!"
"Rrrgh…" Thanks to Samarra, Chloe had a newfound bond with her pokemon. And it was because of that bond she could tell that Paiea was in pretty rough shape. Ian's Trevenant had really thrown a Mankey wrench in her plans.
"Paiea, volt switch," she said, calling back her Raichu before he took anymore damage. Paiea nodded and released a burst of electricity that scored a light hit on Fluorite before retreating back to his pokeball.
"Now who's the one switching out for a better matchup?" Donoma smirked. Chloe's eye twitched in frustration. That stupid girl! She kept needling at her, making fun of her, and she'd been doing it since before they even left for the Battle Frontier! What was her problem?!
And why did Ian seem to like her so much?! Couldn't he see what an awful girl she was?! Chloe thought he'd have a better judge of character than that!
"Focus," Samarra reminded her friend. "You have a tendency to let your emotions get away from you, Chloe, and you can't give into that."
"I know," Chloe replied. "You don't have to worry. I'm thinking clearly right now. That's why I'm going to rely on Phenex!"
"Phenex, go," she said, throwing out a luxury ball. The fancy pokeball opened up to reveal a Fletchling. The small bird pokemon didn't look all that menacing, even with the red and black ribbon tied around his neck. Perhaps if it was his evolved form, Talonflame, or even a Fletchinder, but Fletchling wasn't even a Fire type.
But Ian knew better than to take things lightly, given the fact he'd previously had a Phantump on his team. Chloe was a smart girl. If this was the pokemon she chose to replace her Raichu, then he was definitely up to the task.
"Phenex, use tailwind," Chloe ordered. The tailwind that Lazuli had set up had just petered out, and now the winds were turning. Soon Fluorite found himself as the one with a powerful gust ahead of him, and withstood it as best as he could.
It's actually good for her that her Fletchling hasn't evolved, Ian noted. As a Normal/Flying type, he's immune to Ghost type moves. Which means all we have to rely on are Grass type moves, which aren't a good matchup…
He was about to recall Fluorite to his pokeball, when Phenex surprised them both. The bird pokemon shot forward at blinding speed, spreading his wings. He landed a powerful wing attack before Fluorite could respond, knocking the tree pokemon over.
"Fluorite!" Ian shouted. "Return!" He hastily recalled his pokemon, surprised at the Fletchling's speed. Even factoring in that Fluorite was paralyzed, that was still far too swift of a wing attack. The bird was even faster than Paiea!
That's when he realized what her Fletchling's ability was.
"Your Fletchling has Gale Wings, isn't that right?" Ian asked.
Chloe was only moderately surprised, answering with a sharp nod.
He knew it. Gale Wings was an ability that turned any Flying type move into a priority move. It was quite a powerful ability, and one that a slow pokemon like Fluorite couldn't hope to fight against. He wasn't even sure if his other fast pokemon could deal with the bird.
I could send out Lazuli again to counter her… with ice beam, she'd do some serious damage. …But no, even if she could land a hit, Chloe could just switch to her Raichu again… and that would lead to me sending Fluorite back out… Ian was having a hard time puzzling out what to do, thanks to how well Chloe knew his team.
It was a clear loop of the two trainers swapping around their pokemon, and that wasn't a situation Ian wanted to find himself in. Not only would it be hard to land a decisive blow without a lot of luck, it would also be catastrophic due to the fact that she'd set up stealth rocks on his side of the field. That strategy was out of the question.
So there was only one tactic he could think of for taking down that Fletchling.
The problem was, Chloe was thinking that herself.
He saw how powerful Gale Wings is firsthand, so he knows that he probably can't match us in speed. In that case, he'll use a pokemon that's likely to wall Phenex completely in the hope that I'll switch out, she reasoned, narrowing her eyes. And I know just the one that he's thinking of using.
It was a good thing that Chloe was so taciturn, because it helped suppress the instinct to smile. She just knew that Ian was planning on sending out his prized Aggron. The Steel/Rock type pokemon was Ian's ace, and easily had the defenses to withstand Phenex's attacks. Even his Fire type moves would have little effect. Knowing Ian and his party, she was sure that he'd rely on his ace again.
And that was exactly what she was hoping for. This wasn't just a pokemon battle, it was a war of information. And Ian didn't know half the things about Chloe and her pokemon that she knew about him. He couldn't begin to guess that she'd taught her Fletchling will-o-wisp. The Fire type move would leave his Aggron with a nasty burn, and when that happened, his offensive power would be cut in half. She could cripple his trump card without breaking a sweat!
But she couldn't give away her plan. She stared at him without a trace of emotion on her face and waited for him to make the choice that would ensure her reclaiming her lead over the flow of the pokemon battle.
Ian smiled. "Sapphire, go!"
Chloe was stunned. He was using his Crobat?!
"Cro!" Sapphire emerged from her pokeball with a flap of her wings, fighting off the painful stones digging into her to join Phenex in the sky.
Chloe's eyes shot over to Ian. He was still smiling, and staring right at her.
"What's wrong?" He asked innocently. "You look surprised. Sapphire isn't the pokemon you thought I'd send out?"
"No," Chloe replied.
"Did you think I'd use Iron?" Ian asked, referring to his Aggron. "Well, that's reasonable. After all, Iron's my strongest pokemon, and has an edge over your Fletchling."
"So why?" Chloe demanded, trying hard not to sound too desperate. But she wanted to know what he was thinking so she could better understand his fighting style.
"Well, I was tempted to use Iron," Ian admitted. "After all, he's a reliable partner of mine. But then I got to thinking. You know my fighting style and my team, isn't that right?"
"Because she's a stalker," Donoma helpfully offered. Chloe shot her a loathsome glare, before wilting under the one Donoma returned.
Ian, thankfully, ignored the comment. "So because I knew that you've been studying my team and my fights, I figured that you would know just what we were capable of. Not to mention that my Aggron is a little famous around the Pokemon Academy, of course."
"Because of the bathroom incident!" Donoma cheerfully added, to Ian's embarrassment. He cleared his throat.
"Yes, for whatever reason. But the point is, you know full well I have an Aggron and how strong he is, and yet you sent out your Fletchling this early regardless. So I have to wonder if you're trying to bait me into using Iron?"
No reaction. Chloe relied on Samarra's cool mind to keep her composed, refusing to show any acknowledgment of Ian's correct assumption.
But either way, Ian didn't really care.
"So with that in mind, there's no way I could bring out Iron into such an obvious trap," he finished. "You should have that in your battle records, right? That I wouldn't fall for something that would so obviously turn out bad for me."
Chloe's eyes turned to Donoma's innocent smiling face. Her records told her exactly the opposite, in fact.
Ian just grinned. "So how about Sapphire and your Phenex have a nice aerial battle while we wait for the electric terrain to wear off?" He suggested.
Chloe frowned. Well, fine. It wasn't exactly what she'd wanted, but she'd show him. Sapphire was one of the pokemon she'd thought it possible for him to send out anyway, so it wasn't like she was caught completely off-guard like with Fluorite. The Crobat loved flying, and was very competitive. Of course she'd like to race against Phenex when she saw how fast Gale Wings made him.
Of course, she'd never have a prayer of winning.
"Let's begin with some speed of our own, Sapphire!" Ian called. "Use aerial ace!"
"Crobat!" Sapphire flapped her wings and shot forward, moving so fast she disappeared from sight. She reappeared behind Phenex and swung sharply at her, but Phenex turned away at the last second so the bat pokemon only barely clipped her feathers.
"You're going to have to try harder than that to catch us!" Chloe promised. "Phenex, use dual wingbeat!"
"Fletch!" Phenex chirped, turning in midair and coming back around for Sapphire. Her wings began to shine and she disappeared, turning into a blur as Gale Wings activated again.
Sapphire was thrilled. A pokemon who could fly this fast?! What a challenge! She tried to avoid the incoming Fletchling, but Phenex was just too quick, striking her twice; one with each wing. The first hit Sapphire in the stomach, knocking the air out of her, and the second struck Sapphire's wing, causing her to spin out.
"Saph, you good?" Ian shouted.
"Crobat!" Sapphire quickly righted herself, turning towards Phenex as the bird pokemon circled back around, flying straight towards her.
Chloe smiled a little, glad that her little Phenex was overpowering such a strong pokemon. "If you thought that was fast, wait until you get a taste of our aerial ace!"
The second the order left her lips Phenex completely disappeared. He was moving so fast he had vanished from sight, only reappearing when he'd already passed Sapphire by. He turned to see the damage he had done, only to squawk in surprise.
"Fletchling?!"
Sapphire was uninjured. Phenex had been traveling so fast, he hadn't even noticed that the hard surface he struck with his wing wasn't the body of a Crobat at all; it was a barrier of light surrounding the pokemon's body.
"That's-!" Chloe immediately recognized the attack, knowing exactly what Sapphire had done.
"It's quick guard," Ian stated, proud of Sapphire's speed. She'd used that move so quickly, and he hadn't even given the order! "With quick guard, any priority move is completely blocked! It normally doesn't work on moves like aerial ace, even though the attack is such a fast one, but thanks to your Fletchling's Gale Wings…"
He didn't need to finish the thought. Chloe knew all too well what he was trying to say, and her only response was a glare. Her face began to heat up with shame. He'd gotten her, no doubt about that! She'd been counting on Phenex's Gale Wings to give her the edge over Sapphire, but quick guard changed all that. Now Sapphire was the fast one, and it was her pokemon who was at a major disadvantage.
And that disadvantage was one Ian planned to capitalize on immediatey. "Sapphire!" He shouted to his Crobat, "use mean look!"
"Crobat!" Sapphire narrowed her eyes into a fierce glare that sent a shiver through Phenex. He was trapped now, with no hope of escaping.
"Now, cross poison!" Ian followed the mean look with Sapphire's most devastating attack. The Crobat soared through the air, her wings glowing purple with poisonous energy. Even with the tailwind aiding him, Phenex was nowhere near fast enough to evade the bat's attack, and the cross slice that cut into his feathers knocked him out of the sky.
"Phenex!" Chloe shouted, feeling the pain of poison seeping through her own body. She winced and clutched her chest. So this was harmonia…? It was only getting worse.
"Nice work, Sapphire!" Ian smiled. "Now use venoshock!"
"Crobat!" Sapphire opened her mouth wide, spitting a blast of poison into the air. The poison turned into large trails of sharp barbs that arced towards the poisoned Fletchling, threatening to do massive damage to the infected pokemon.
But not if Chloe had anything to do about it.
"Overheat," she snarled.
"FLETCHLING!" Phenex opened his mouth wide, and a blast of white-hot flame shot out from her tiny beak, engulfing the venom and evaporating it instantly. The beam continued on, barely even blunted from the attack it had swallowed, hitting a stunned Sapphire head-on.
"Sapphire!" Ian cried. He never expected a Fire type move that strong to come from a tiny little Fletchling!
"Cro…" Sapphire pulled away from the overheat, and was still capable of fighting, but it was clear that the attack had really injured her.
Chloe smiled. It didn't matter that Phenex wouldn't be able to use an overheat that powerful again, what mattered was that she'd regained the momentum in this fight, and she had the perfect move to ensure she would keep it.
"Now Phenex, use taunt!" She ordered.
"Fletchling!" Phenex nodded, cackling wickedly and circling around Sapphire, daring her to race. Enflamed, Sapphire happily obliged, tucking in her wings and shooting towards the bird pokemon at top speed.
"No, Saph, don't fall for it!" Ian shouted. But his words fell on deaf ears. Now that Sapphire was caught in Phenex's taunt, the only thing she could do was try to catch the little Fletchling, and try to finish her off with an aerial ace. She would catch that little bird no matter what, and would do it without the use of status moves!
Which meant no more quick guard. And with that move off the table…
"Aerial ace," Chloe smirked, and Phenex disappeared just as Sapphire reached him. The Crobat fell from the sky as she felt pain shoot through her wing. The swift Fletchling had targeted the section she'd damaged with overheat, and made it nearly impossible for Sapphire to keep flying. As she plummeted out of the air and tried to right herself, it was clear Phenex wasn't about to give her any room to breathe, either.
"Now, dual wingbeat!" Chloe ordered. Phenex spread his wings and shot after the falling Crobat, battering her as she fell, striking her with Flying type attacks so fast that the Crobat couldn't even see them. Sapphire tried her best to hold on, but it was all rendered moot when she slammed into the ground, losing consciousness immediately.
"Fletchling!" Phenex crowed in triumph, ignoring the pain from his poisoning as he circled the fallen Crobat. She had fainted, but had done so with a smile on her face from having raced against such a fast pokemon, even if she had lost.
Ian sighed and recalled Sapphire to her pokeball. She'd done her best. "Rest up," he said softly. She was the first of his pokemon to faint, but judging by how skilled of a trainer Chloe was, it was doubtful that she'd be the last.
Uh-oh! Ian's at a big disadvantage! He thought he could get the upper hand over Chloe with his Crobat's speed and the use of quick guard, but she managed to think out a way to get around them! And now that he's lost a pokemon, does he have anyone else that can keep up with Phenex's speed? Who's he going to rely on next?