Epilogue, Part 8: Weather the Storm

Mel stepped onto the arena, and silently stared down Bruiser.

"Mel vs. Bruiser. Begin."

Mel dropped into her ready stance, but before she could move, Bruise said, "Whatsa matter, lad? No words ta say?"

Mel just stared back.

"Ye think that, jes cos yer a Grass an' Fightin' type, ye automatically won? Think yer better than me? Well yer not! I've got jes the thing for ye, laddie! Ice-"

Mel sped forward and hit him with Mach Punch before he could even finish calling out his attack, instantly knocking him out. I could feel slight traces of anger in her aura from being called a boy twice.

Fenrir growled and said, "Bruiser is… unable to battle. Mel is the winner."

"So it's finally my turn, Fenrir?" the Cacturne, Thorn, said "C'mon, it's been so long since I've gotten to cut loose."

Fenrir gave an uncaring grunt before saying, "Do what you want."

Thorn laughed with malicious glee before jumping into the arena, already wearing a sandy-colored sash. I grimaced as I felt a similar aura to Mirage's, but far more turbulent. I tried reading her thoughts, but all I got was garbled messages of violence, cutting and bloodlust.

I called out, "Mel, be careful with this one. She's far more unstable than the others."

Thorn turned to me, and I didn't flinch as Thorn grinned, "Why, thank you for the compliment! I've heard it from several others; particularly my targets."

After Fenrir called out the start of the fight, Mel rushed forward with another Mach Punch. It hit its mark, but Cacturne just giggled, "No quick finish for you." She raised her arms, and I recognized the pose from James' Cacturne.

A sandstorm flew in, forming around the arena. Thorn's sash glowed white before the sandstorm thickened and Thorn disappeared, the glow becoming muted until it, too, vanished. (AN: Desert Sash, increases speed in a sandstorm.)

With all of us only able to see Mel in the center of the sandstorm, I could see where this was heading, and I didn't like it at all. As evidenced by Mel looking around, it was impossible to get any read on Thorn's location from her twisted, sadistic mind.

The only warning that Mel had was the sound of a Pin Missile firing, and she immediately set up Counter. She took the hit and reflected the attack back towards where it had been fired. A laugh echoed all around.

"Hee-ha-heh-hee, too slow!" A shadow appeared behind Mel, and it had long spikes on one arm. Thorn used Cut on Mel's side, making a gash and drawing a silent scream. Thorn stopped short, "No scream…? That's no fun… Wait…" Before Mel could capitalize on Thorn's pause, the Cacturne moved back into the swirling sands and disappeared again.

"I thought that you were just being tough and stubborn, but you really can't speak, can you? That means no screaming…"

For a while the only sounds from the arena were the swirling sands. Mel, being unnerved by the absence of Thorn's voice, started looking around quicker.

"Heh… ha-hee-hee-heh-HA-HEE-HA-HA!" Thorn's maniacal laugh echoed all around. "Oh, you may not be able to speak, but you're eyes say so much more. How much pain you're in, what you're feeling, and that you've realized what this means. With no voice, you can't surrender! Oh, this will be so much fun! How much pain can you take before you lose consciousness?"

Vlad twitched next to me.

Mel tried to fight back, and even landed a Counter once when Thorn came in close to use Cut. But, before long, she was covered in scratches and was bleeding profusely, but she was still conscious. Her aura was already fading.

Thorn's shadow appeared again with long spikes poised, and Thorn slashed towards Mel's neck, but another figure appeared between them.

"Huh?!" The sandstorm thinned out, and Vlad was standing between Mel and Thorn, with a scratch across his face. But, being a ghost, it started closing up since he didn't have any physical flesh.

Thorn pointed accusingly, "Hey, he already lost! He can't participate! That means the team is disqualified!"

"Do you see me participating?" Vlad challenged with a glare, "I just happened to be standing right here. I haven't raised a single fist or made any move to attack, yet. After the tournament, however…" he finished cryptically.

Thorn growled, but Pyro said, "He is correct. As per regulations, since he's interfered, but not fought back, Mel is disqualified."

Mel immediately fell over, and Vlad was at her side as we rushed forward. He called out, "Get another Reviver Seed; she'll bleed to death!"

Damus shook his head, "We're all out. Savage used them both. All we have is Oran and Sitrus Berries. She needs to get to Chimecho."

I could only see a faint wisp of her aura, "Rose teleport Mel to Chimecho; but I'm not so sure that Mel will pull through."

Vlad stayed with Mel as Rose ran forward and he said, "Take me with you, and let me worry about her pulling through."

The three of them vanished and Hogan said, "My turn. I have Foresight. I can see right through that Sandstorm."

Hogan went to get his item, but Dash sped ahead and said, "That Cacturne's too fast for you, Hogan. I'll take her; and I'll beat her in her home weather."

Meowth said, "But, wouldn't it be smarter ta-"

As Dash rooted through the items with his head in the bag, he said, voice muffled, "I'll keep it as an ace. The only one left besides the big boss is that Tyranitar, so I'll need… this!" He pulled his head back out and he had his Protect Mask on. It was brown with gold patterns on it, and it fit over his muzzle, hugging around his eyes.

"I hate how this thing looks, but it'll be good for lasting against that Tyranitar." He ran out onto the battlefield into the center of the sandstorm.

Fenrir called out, "Dash vs. Thorn. Begin."

Dash stood completely still in the eye of the sandstorm, and, as Thorn slipped out from the raging sands behind him and tried to cut him, he dodged and dashed towards Thorn with Quick Attack.

Thorn took a step back and said, "How did you see me coming?! You can't have possibly heard me or seen me!"

Dash grinned, "Who's too slow now? You know what? I'll tell you how when I win."

Thorn growled and slipped back into the sands. This time Dash gave chase and weaved through the sands, seemingly chasing an invisible opponent. He used another Quick Attack and Thorn reappeared as she was knocked to the ground.

Dash shook his head, "Tsk, tsk, tsk, you just love fighting against helpless opponents, but when one can actually fight back, you don't have any natural abilities to fall back on. I'm finishing this." Dash's body started becoming covered in electric sparks as he used Charge.

Thorn surged forward, her sash glowing as she sped towards Dash, "As if I'd just let you charge up your attack!"

Dash stuck out his tongue, "Psyche!" His mouth opened wide, and fire lit in his mouth. Thorn tried to skid to a stop, but Dash lunged forward and bit down with Fire Fang. (AN: One of a Manectric's starting moves. Even without the "Pokémon know all moves they've learned" anime rule, it would be a simple matter of going to the Electivire Link Shop.)

The fire started spreading across Thorn's body, but Dash pulled back after a bit, and the fire receded, leaving her body scorched, but not burnt away. After Thorn fell to her knees, before falling forward, she said, "How…?"

"Thorn is unable to battle. Dash is the winner."

Dash looked down at Thorn as the sandstorm thinned out, "I may not be a good tracker, like Siltram, but I'm familiar with all of my team members' scents, and you're covered in my partner's blood. How could I not smell it?" (AN: Odor Sleuth.)

With little preamble, the Tyranitar, Wrecker, stepped out with a bag around his neck. As he advanced, the sandstorm started thickening again. (AN: Sand Stream, instantly creates a sandstorm.) Thorn's unconscious form was in his path and he unceremoniously picked her up with one hand and tossed her out of the arena.

As the two stared each other down, Rose reappeared among us and said, "Vlad is staying at the infirmary with Mel. Luckily, Savage was taken out of critical condition by the time we got there, but… Chimecho said that it doesn't look good."

Dash stood his ground as Wrecker looked down at him and smirked. Speaking in a deep voice, Wrecker said, "I see you've covered your weakness with your Protect Mask. So you were fully confident that you would win against Thorn?"

Dash crouched, ready to move, "What's it to you?"

"Nothing; I was just curious. But that mask won't do you any good once you tire yourself out." He smiled, "I've defeated an entire outlaw gang all by myself. Sure, I can't use Earthquake in this instance, but I don't usually need to for any battle."

"Dash vs. Wrecker. Begin."

"Well, if you're going to brag, then how about a change of scenery? I'm sick of sandstorms." He tilted his head back and howled toward the sky, and a bolt of blue energy shot up out of his mane into the sky. The sandstorm was swept away, and clouds in the sky started thickening. Before long, rain started falling on the arena.

Wrecker glanced up at the rain before looking back at Dash, "Rain Dance? I suppose you need every edge you can get, but it won't matter."

-Mel's POV-

Everything around me was dark. I couldn't see anything, not even my own hand in front of my face. The only thing that I could tell was that I was floating. I couldn't tell what direction, but I was moving in the same direction the entire time.

I felt like I was moving closer to something, and then I was able to see a bit of light in the distance. Looking around, I noticed that there was still nothing, but I could see a bit clearer. I tried leaning closer to get a look at the distant light, but I felt something grab my hand from behind me. The instant it touched me, I felt pain all over my body.

I tried to wrench out of its grip, but it grabbed my other hand and started pulling me in the opposite direction I was going.

A voice rang out, "Sorry, but I'm not losing another. Not when I can actually do something this time. Forgive me for the pain you'll endure."

As the pulling sped up, I suddenly opened my eyes from the dream and tried screaming as I felt pain all over my body.

"Shh- It's okay. You were gone for a moment, but your healing is back on track." I closed my mouth and looked around; my eyes squinted from the bright light in the contrast of my dream. On the other bed, Savage was resting with bandages across his chest around his body. Chimecho and Jirachi were floating above me.

Chimecho said, "You were gone for a minute, but, your teammate, Jirachi helped heal your wounds and you woke up. Try not to move around too much; your wounds might re-open."

I took a good look at myself, and saw that I had bandages wrapped around most of my body, even one across my face.

Jirachi huffed and said, "I don't know who exactly challenged our team, but they're going too far to put so many of you in such a state. I heard from Chimecho, you're the third one brought in here, today."

I raised an eyebrow at Jirachi. How did you know to come here and help heal?

As if Jirachi could read my mind, (he grants wishes; what's to say he couldn't?) he said, "Vlad came and got me. He left and came back, saying that he was coming to check on you, and then left again."

I thought on that. He left and came back…? That voice…

Chimecho cut off my train of thought, "Really, it would be best if you got some more sleep. You'll be discharged tomorrow. Penny was discharged earlier today; all she had was some light bruising. Savage will be discharged in two more days." She sweated a little, and murmured as she floated off, "I'll have to get someone to monitor him and keep him asleep…"

Jirachi smiled after Chimecho left, "Don't worry~ I'll be here the rest of the day to make sure anybody else is okay! I think Manaphy is still out on his missions though. Hope Penny can keep him company when he gets back."

Nodding, I made myself as comfortable as I could with my limited mobility, and let my head fall back before going to sleep.

-Dash's POV-

Wrecker roared as another Thunderbolt buzzed across his armor, hurting him slightly, and charged towards me. I jumped out of the way of his Crunch attack, and ran to get some distance. I looked back to make sure that I was keeping ahead of him.

C'mon, Dashie-boy! You've got speed; you just need to keep ahead of him and wear him down.

Using the time that he took to catch up, I started using Charge and got ready to fire another electric attack. But I made the mistake of looking at Wrecker as he got closer. I froze for a bit at the sight of his face, and he knocked me away. (AN: Scary Face.)

I fell hard on my side, and my vision was going fuzzy. I don't have much left… Then that's it. I don't have clearance to use this from Magnezone, but… This guy will probably survive; I'm just trying to wear him down for Hogan.

With my electricity fully charged, and Wrecker running towards me again, I yelled, "Eat this! Thunder!" I fired the huge bolt of electricity into the sky, and it went into the clouds. The electricity skipped around through the clouds a bit before tons of lightning bolts rained down, all going towards Wrecker.

The electricity completely covered him, catching on the water on his body and all around him. He hunched over and grimaced as he tried to endure it. I flopped down, sitting; if this didn't finish him, I had nothing left.

The electricity died down, and Wrecker was still standing. He took a shaky step forward, and then fell. I took a breath to cheer, but the bag around his neck opened, and the cheer died in my throat as a Reviver Seed floated and attached to the side of his head. Almost right after it attached, his eyes snapped open and he pushed himself back to his feet. He stomped towards me, and I couldn't move; I had already used up all of my energy.

As he got closer, I said, "I… I… surrender." I looked back at the rest of my team, "I'm sorry, guys, I don't have anything left."

The rain that I was keeping up started disappearing as I left back to join the others. Hogan patted me on the back as he passed by. "You did great, Dash."

After I got back to the others, I looked at Hogan approaching the arena. He had his old Impish Band on his upper right arm. It'll block any fatal damage, but he can still get hurt.

Damus came up right next to me, also watching for the call to start, "If it's any consolation, you contributed greatly to turning this around by taking out that weather specialist."

I nodded, "I know. I just really thought I'd somehow pull through this, but I wound up surrendering."

"You did what any sane Pokémon would do," Damus corrected. "If you tried to push further, Rio would've most likely just told you to pull out."

The conversation ended when Fenrir called out, "Hogan vs. Wrecker. Begin."

Sorry for a slightly shorter chapter than usual. And even sorrier that I have to put down the writing for a bit, so I can focus on finals. I'll get it done ASAP, and, knowing me, I'll probably wind up writing half or more of the next chapter during exams week for stress relief. See you then!

-AJ203