"Alright…this is it." Frosta said as they made it to a snowy city surrounded by lit candles.
"This place has a very eerie feel to it." Meitenkun said.
"Its Gym Leader does use Ghost Type Pokémon. And it's close to a burial site I hear." Perfuma said.
"Ghost-types? Sounds like the perfect chance for Ceruledge to show his power." Shun'ei said.
"Anyway there's the Gym. So let's…" Mari said as some loud music was soon playing from the stage nearby it.
"Hey, guys!" a voice said as David descended from below with Miraidon. "Ugh… You're listening to this, too, are you?"
"Oh, David! What a surprise!" E. Constance said.
"What brings you to Montenevera away from Herb Gathering?" Frosta asked.
"I'm just curious about Shun'ei's progress, is all." David said.
"Oh, he's on a roll! He just came off a win against Larry in Medali, and now he's here to challenge the Gym in Montenevera." Frosta said.
"That's not really saying much, Frosta." David said.
"Then I'll say it for her. I have 5 Gym Badges now." Shun'ei said.
"5 Badges? That's quite impressive. There's no denying you're a skilled battler with those." David said. "Of course, you are aware of the Gym's gimmick here, yes?"
"What's with this frosted fool trying to step on my beat? He's begging for a beating. Better kick the street!" a voice called out as a dark skinned woman stood on stage.
"What the? What's with…" Shun'ei said.
"She must be the Gym Leader here. I heard she was a rap star." Mari said.
"No…like the ice cube was about to tell, before he tried to get me to rattle. The fighting here will be two on two, in short, a double battle!" she said.
"Double Battle?" Shun'ei asked.
"That's right." David said. "And you have said you wanted to participate in the Perfect Link Tournament, correct?"
"Yeah, that's right." Shun'ei said.
"Like I said, I am not denying your skill." David said. "However, if you want to participate in the Perfect Link Tournament, I'll need to see for myself if you can handle Double Battles."
"Wait, you want to face Shun in a Double Battle?" Meitenkun asked.
"Of course. After all, Double Battles have been a bit of a mainstay since Hoenn was discovered." David said. "Same for Triple and Rotation Battles in Unova, however those two aren't as prevalent now."
"Alright then, game on." Shun'ei said. "I'll take your challenge."
"Shun'ei, think about who you are facing here. This guy is very strong." Mari said.
"Don't worry. I won't make it too hard for you." David said. "You still need to face the Gym Leader afterward, after all."
"You should probably do so away from the stage, I don't think the Gym Leader likes being upstaged." Perfuma said.
"Don't like being upstaged? How do you think you are talking down like that, little weed?" she said. "If those two wanna fight, they fight on this stage. Nowhere else."
"Well, guess that settles that. If it's getting the crowd pumping you want, I'm the guy for the job. So you better brace yourself." David said as he and Shun'ei pounded each other's fists before heading to the stage.
"Looks like these two are raring to go! DJ, start that track!" the gym leader said.
(Cue- Ryu's Theme- Street Fighter IV)
"Let's start this off with Dustox and Mightyena!" David said.
"You're up, Garchomp, Quaquaval!" Shun'ei said.
Both trainers sent out their two Pokémon.
"You better get this crowd fired up, or else you can forget about challenging me." she said.
"You heard her. Don't slip up now, Shun'ei." David said. "Dustox, start things off with Silver Wind!"
Dustox fired off the Bug type attack, hitting both Pokémon at once.
"That's gotta go. Garchomp, Rock Slide! Quaquaval, Low Sweep!" Shun'ei said.
Shun'ei's Pokemon went on the attack, Garchomp damaging both Pokemon with Rock Slide, and Quaquaval taking the initiative against Mightyena with Low Sweep. This got both Pokémon knocked out, but not before Mightyena got a Crunch in.
"Taken the initiative and beaten two of my Pokémon already, huh? Impressive." David said as he returned both Pokémon. "But it's time I turned up the heat!" he said as he sent out Vulpix and Skarmory. "Skarmory, Steel Wing. Vulpix, Dark Pulse!"
Both of David's Pokémon struck back. Skarmory attacked Garchomp while Vulpix takes a chance with Quaquaval. The Dark Pulse ended up taking Quaquaval out.
"As I expected, he's not making things easy." Shun'ei said as he swapped out Quaquaval for Ceruledge.
As the battle progressed, the stage lit up as the crowd was cheering.
"I hope you can handle this, Garchomp. Ceruledge, Lava Plume!" Shun'ei said.
Ceruledge unleashed a plume of lava as it hit Skarmory dead on, taking it out in one shot.
"Not bad, Shun'ei. Seems like you can utilize Double Battle strategies quite well." David said as he swapped out Skarmory for Swampert.
"He's got his Swampert out. That's probably gonna be the toughest thing to take out." Shun'ei said. "I could swap one of them out for Lurantis, but I still have Vulpix to contend with. Guess I'll just have to run with it. Ceruledge, Protect. Garchomp, Earthquake!"
"Not so fast. Ceruledge just had an attack. Swampert, Hydro Pump him before he gets his defense up!" David said.
Swampert blasted Ceruledge as he went down, but that only cleared Garchomp up to attack as he unleashed the full power of the powerful Ground-type attack without worry about harming any allies. This got Vulpix down and Swampert barely holding on as the two return their Fire-types.
"Hoo… You really know your Double Battles there, Shun'ei. I didn't even know strategies like yours can be used." David said as he got out a Pokéball. "There's only one Pokémon left. And if you know me, you know who it is. Are you ready?"
"Yeah. Bring it!" Shun'ei complied as the two sent out their next Pokémon, Shun'ei sending out Isla, and David sending out Froslass.
"Froslass, get that Garchomp out of here with Ice Punch!" David said.
David's partner nailed the Mach Pokémon with the move it was weakest against, knocking it out with one blow.
"Yikes… He's got me good. I'm risking it!" Shun'ei said as he swapped out Garchomp for Lurantis.
"Shun is taking a big risk now. All of his remaining Pokémon are weak to Ice attacks. And that's a pretty dangerous situation to be in with a Pokémon like Froslass on the field." Meitenkun said.
"Still, Isla's pretty reslilent, and Lurantis has shown to be surprisingly fast." Frosta said. "This could go both ways."
"It all depends on skill." Mari said.
"Lurantis, take out that Swampert with Leaf Blade. Isla, go for Froslass with Poison Fang!" Shun'ei said.
Lurantis headed towards Swampert, sickle ready. As Swampert was a Water and Ground type, her attack would deal a very devastating blow to him, knocking him right out.
As for Isla, she went at Froslass and bit right into her.
"Well. If I'm gonna lose, I may as well go out with a bang. Froslass, Frost Breath!" David said.
"Rush her! Isla, Poison Jab! Lurantis, X-Scissor!" Shun'ei said.
Nodding to each other, Isla and Lurantis charged. Lurantis blocked Froslass' Frost Breath as Isla leaped over her shoulders and jabbed the Ice/Ghost type directly with her poison tipped fingers. This was followed up by a cross-slash from Lurantis. This brought Froslass down, cementing Shun'ei's win.
(end song)
"Hoo… I'm beat. I gotta admit, your team is really strong, Shun'ei." David said.
"Same with yours." Shun'ei said.
"Looks like the strange young kid brought the ice cube low, got the crowd cheering, really going with the flow. You've passed the challenge and now it's close to time. You'll now face it with me…Gym Leader Ryme." she said.
"Looks like the Gym Leader is ready to go. Let me heal up your Pokémon first." David said.
As Shun'ei's team was getting patched up, they started conversing among themselves about the battle they just went through.
"(Guh… That battle was just hardcore, wasn't it?)" Isla asked.
"(No wonder David's a Co-Champion of the Hoenn region, with skills like that.)" Ceruledge mentioned.
"(You knew about that?)" Lurantis asked.
"(When we were picnicking, I heard all about it through Frosta talking a storm about it. And it's true, now that we've seen it.)" Ceruledge mentioned.
"(It certainly lit your eyes up, dear Ceruledge.)" Quaquaval said. "(You'll be wanting to face him again in this Perfect Link Tournament, I am sure.)"
"(We're really gonna enter it, then. Are we?)" Isla asked.
"(Yeah, I'm sure. But I think Shun'ei's gonna wait until he's able to call himself a champion too.)" Ceruledge said.
"(And that means clearing the Pokémon League.)" Isla said. "(But the three of us together, plus any others we can find, that will be no problem!)"
"(Yep. That's right!)" Lurantis said. "(I'm sure the three of you together will work well against any others that will be there.)"
"(Don't forget, Lurantis. We'll be counting on you and the others to get us through as well.)" Quaquaval said. "(Well, Isla, Ceruledge, shall we get to it, then?)"
"(I'm ready. Let's get Shun'ei his Sixth Badge.)" Ceruledge said.
"(Yeah, let's do it!)" Isla said.
As soon as Shun'ei's team is fully head, they heard another commotion on stage.
"Seems like Ryme is putting on one of her shows." Shun'ei said.
They headed to the Stage to see Ryme in a rap battle with an opponent of hers.
"This is MY time, and this is MY day! You're not gonna stand in my way! Listen up, Ryme– your reign ends here! You're gonna get rung up by this pro cashier!"
"Pro cashier? Well, I'm about to check out. Musta got your rhymes on deep discount!" Ryme rapped back. "Please—you think you can step to my game? Fool, I got "rhyme" right there in my name! I'm a specter from which there is no protector, and victory unto me you will render when the crowd sees you're a mere pretender! You wanna end my reign? Yeah—keep dreamin'. Buy a book of rhymes, kid, and start readin'!"
"Wow, she's good." Frosta said.
The cashier was so unnerved, he turned tail and ran. "I'm done- you won, my rhyme's totally whiffed! But I'll be back- maybe after my next shift!"
"Hold up! Where you goin'? That's all you got?! "After my next shift"? Seriously? Bars over jokes, come on!" Ryme sighed. "That was over way too fast. It gets boring wearin' the crown if no one makes me fight to keep it."
The MC of RIP
Ryme
As Shun'ei walked up to the stage, Ryme noticed him.
"Hey, now look who's back! You look all ready to go, kid. You here for a rap battle, or a gym battle? Although, we both know whatcha really here for." Ryme asid.
"Yep. Gym Battle." Shun'ei said.
"You were captivated by that show I put on, huh? I rap what's in my soul, baby. Weavin' words into a symphony of poetry." Ryme said before the rapped another line. "Don't try it with me—you won't last one round. I'm like Sableye: my Mean Look'll lock you down! Like that! You feel me?"
"Yep, I definitely feel you." Shun'ei said.
"Heh. Well, let's get to it—you're a Pokémon Trainer. So battle me, and show me who you are! My music's not all that tops the charts—my skills with Ghost types are the best around!" Ryme said as they took their positions. "In case y'forgot, the name is Ryme, and I'm known as the MC of RIP! Dead or alive, let's make this a vibe!"
"Right, let's do it!" Shun'ei said.
(Cue: Liberty- King of Fighters XV)
"Lemme introduce ya to my crew! Banette, Mimikyu, the stage is all you!" Ryme said, sending out the two Pokémon in question.
"Garchomp, Lurantis, time to get started!" Shun'ei said as he sent out his two Pokémon.
"Why do I feel unnerved by that one?" E. Constance asked about the Mimikyu.
"Trust me, Constance. You are not the only one. Many people have been, once the rumors started." David said. "And well… We saw why for ourselves."
"Okay, Mimikyu's got that disguise up, so it will take a hit. In that case, I'll need to think carefully here. Lurantis, Razor Leaf! Garchomp, Rock Slide!" Shun'ei said.
Lurantis launched her attack at both opponents, damaging Banette and dismantling Mimikyu's diguise. After which, Garchomp unleashed his attack, which also damaged both Mimikyu and Banette.
"I see you're pretty good with Double Battles, now. Guess you're not scared." Ryme said. "Let's see how y'handle this though. Mimikyu, set up a Light Screen! Banette, use Icy Wind!"
Mimikyu set up the Special Attack barrier, which was then followed up by Banette blasting Garchomp and Lurantis with Icy Wind that hit for super effective damage on both of them. Doubly so for Garchomp.
"Yikes. That looked like that hit hard. Hang in there!" Shun'ei said. "Lurantis, cut Banette down to size with Leaf Blade, while Garchomp, rush at Mimikyu with Dragon Claw!"
Lurantis managed to cut down Banette as Garchomp's attack did nothing.
"Huh?" Shun'ei said.
"Right. Mimikyu's a Fairy Type. Dragon type moves won't effect it." Frosta said.
"Oh right. Almost forgot about that." Shun'ei said.
"Don't worry, Shun'ei. You're still good." David said.
"You took out my Banette. Now you gotta mess with the big dog. Go, Houndstone!" Ryme said as she sent out a large skeletal dog with a headstone on its head.
"Let's see…" Mari said. "Houndstone, the Ghost Dog Pokémon and the evolved form of Greavard! A Ghost Type! A lovingly mourned Pokémon was reborn as Houndstone. It doesn't like anyone touching the protuberance atop its head."
"I feel like this thing is gonna be a pain if we don't take it out quickly." Shun'ei said. "Okay, let's switch targets." he said as the two did the same attacks as before, except Lurantis was attacking Mimikyu while Garchomp was attacking Houndstone.
"Let's have some fun! Mimikyu, use Shadow Sneak on Lurantis. And Houndstone, use Play Rough on Garchomp!" Ryme said.
"Oof, that's got to sting." Shun'ei said as he returned both of his Pokémon and swapped in Quaquaval and Ceruledge. "Okay… Quaquaval, Aqua Step on Mimikyu. Ceruledge, nail Houndstone with Shadow Claw."
Mimikyu was dealt normal damage by the Water Type move while Houndstone was dealt effective damage by the Ghost Type move.
"That Mimikyu is so resilient." Shun'ei said.
"Mimikyu, use Slash on Quaquaval! And Houndstone, Phantom Force on Ceruledge." Ryme said as Houndstone disappeared as Mimikyu slashed at Quaquaval.
"Oh, that's not good. Ceruledge, get ready." Shun'ei said. "Quaquaval, just a little more. Use a Water Pulse on Mimikyu!"
Quaquaval landed a water pulse on Mimikyu as the raggedy ghost finally fell.
"Hmm…well…that's that…" Ryme said. "We're gonna have to bust it into overtime!" she said. "My last! Go…Toxtricity!" she said sending out Low Key Toxtricity.
"Her last Pokémon. We know what this means." David said.
"And Toxtricity is an Electric and Poison type. Many chances for causing ailments." Frosta said.
"Now…let's kick things into high gear!" Ryme said as she tossed a Tera Orb at Toxtricity as it Terastallized with a crystal-like ghost appearing on its head.
"This could be our big chance. Quaquaval, Water Pulse! Ceruledge, Shadow Claw! Double Team that thing before Houndstone comes back!" Shun'ei said.
"Toxtricity, use Discharge!" Ryme said as Toxtricity unleashed a wave of electricity on both of them, causing some paralysis. "Now follow it with Hex."
"Hex? Isn't that the move that does more damage if you're suffering from a status condition?" Perfuma asked.
"She had this whole thing planned. She really is good." David said.
Toxtricity blasted the Hex and nailed the Terastal-powered move on both of Shun'ei's Pokemon, Houndtsone coming out of the shadows and attacking Ceruledge for a big chunk of damage.
"Come on, you can fight through this." Shun'ei said. "If the paralysis is the problem, we'll just have to mitigate it somehow. Aqua Step and Flame Charge!"
Quaquaval and Ceruledge attacked with their respective moves, hitting both targets and raising their Speed stats. Both moves concentrated on Houndstone, taking the dog down.
"Nice! One more to go!" Meitenkun said.
"Let's finish this up with a Water Pulse/Shadow Claw combo!" Shun'ei said.
"You ain't beatin' me that easy! Hyper Voice!" Ryme said.
Toxtricity let loose a powerful shout that clashed with the combo attack that Quaquaval and Ceruledge were pulling off, however, because it was a Normal-type attack, it didn't affect Ceruledge in the slightest. He pushed through with no effort, and with the added power assisted by Quaquaval's Water Pulse, sliced through Toxitricity. Both attacks finally felled Toxtricity as it fell flat on its back.
"Whoa, he nailed it!" David said.
"Awesome!" Frosta said.
(End Song)
Ryme laughed, impressed with the performance. "Hah! Great battle—chilling AND thrilling! You've got spirit, kid. You earned the Ghost Badge, all right!" she said.
"And that makes six. Only 2 left." Frosta said.
"Here kid, take this Shadow Ball TM too, in case y'wanna teach it to yer Ceruledge." Ryme said, handing a copy over.
"Thanks. Now, if I remember right, someone would be showing up right about…now." Shun'ei said.
"What, are you timing me now?" Rinkah quipped as she walked into view.
"Guess he's gotten a knack for it at this point." David said. "I know that feeling."
"Surprised to see you here." Rinkah mused with folded arms. "I thought you were with the Titan squad."
"Well, I wanted to see if Shun'ei could handle Double Battles for the Perfect Link Tournament." David said.
"Double Battles, hm? Where you fight with two Pokémon at the same time?" Rinkah asked. "Sounds interesting enough. I'd be willing to give that a try this time around." Rinkah added with a smile.
"Say, since we're here in Montenevera, why don't we make this match a Double Battle as well? What do you say, Ryme? Think you've got time for an encore?" David asked.
"Oh so the little ice cube thinks he's a big dog now, huh? Well…I'll only let it happen cause the kid won his battle and all." Ryme said.
"Heh, alright then." Rinkah smiled as she looked at Shun'ei. "You ready to go?"
"Just need to get my team healed up, and I'll be good to go." Shun'ei said as the process only took a few seconds.
"This time, Rinkah's gonna pull no punches. She'll definitely use Reazah for sure." Frosta noted.
"She's right." Rinkah smiled. "So let's give this crowd a proper encore, Shun'ei!"
Cue: Rinkah's Rival Theme
Shun'ei is challenged by Flame Warlord Rinkah!
"Coalossal! Salazzle! Light up the field!" Rinkah exclaimed, sending out the duo of the Fire/Rock and Fire/Poison types.
"I won't go for the obvious here. Isla, Cyclizar, let's get ready to rock!" Shun'ei said, sending out the Normal/Poison and Dragon/Normal type.
"Let's not waste time with strategy here. Coalossal, lay down Stealth Rock! Salazzle, Dragon Claw on Cyclizar!" Rinkah said as Coalossal shot out small pointed stones, as the attack surprisingly meshed well with Salazzle, as she charged while using the rocks for cover from attacks as the rocks began burying into Shun'ei's field, while Cyclizar would have it tough finding Salazzle's attack angle.
"Using Stealth Rock to put the pressure on me already, hm? Well, that's just the way I like it." Shun'ei said. "Isla, use Poison Fang on Coalossal, Cyclizar, use Rapid Spin!"
Salazzle saw the Rapid Spin coming, as she managed to land Dragon Claw on Cyclizar, at the price of taking a hit off Rapid Spin, as Coalossal took the fangs worse than Rinkah anticipated, poison coursing through its body.
"Tch. You managed to poison Coalossal. Well then, I'll have to make his time on the field worthwhile. DIG, COALOSSAL!" Rinkah said as the same tactic used on Nemona's Lycanroc was now being used on Isla. "Salazzle, pressure Cyclizar with Dragon Pulse!" Rinkah ordered.
"Don't let your nerves get to you. Use Breaking Swipe!" Shun'ei said. "Isla, help him out with Fury Swipes!"
"Coalossal, rise up underneath Isla!" Rinkah commanded. "Salazzle, get out of that attack range and fire Dragon Pulse midair!"
Salazzle avoided the erupting ground as Coalossal rammed into Isla from the ground as Salazzle fired Dragon Pulse at Cyclizar from above.
Isla managed to hold on from the attack, but Cyclizar was down as Shun'ei swapped him out for Donphan, who felt a bit of a sting from the Stealth Rock.
Just then, Coalossal was affected more by the poison than Rinkah expected as it collapsed, as she nodded solemnly and returned it. "Alright, let's go Talonflame!" Rinkah called, sending out Talonflame. "Salazzle, finish Isla with Fire Lash!"
Isla was down for the count as Shun'ei swapped her out for Quaquaval, who was stung by the Stealth Rock. "Okay, let's turn this around. Quaquaval, use Aqua Step on Salazzle, and Donphan, use Rollout on Talonflame!"
"Talonflame, take to the skies and use Fire Blast from above on Donphan! Salazzle, try to dodge Quaquaval!" Rinkah ordered.
As Donphan curled up into a ball and rolled out, Talonflame avoided it by taking to the skies and shot a Fire Blast down at Donphan, while Salazzle tried evading Quaquaval, only to fail in doing so as Rinkah recalled her.
"Alright, Armarouge, let's go!" Rinkah said as her Armarouge came out, ready to fight.
"Okay, let's switch targets. Quaquaval, use Water Pulse on Talonflame, and Donphan uses Rollout on Armarouge!" Shun'ei said.
"Acrobatics to avoid it! Armarouge, roll to the side to avoid Donphan and set up Sunny Day!" Rinkah ordered.
Talonflame began to acrobatically avoid Quaquaval's pulses of water, as it dove down to strike with its talons, while Armarouge rolled out of Donphan's line of rolling, and shot up a massive flame ball, turning the sunlight harsh!
"Okay, Rollout isn't working. Let's try something else like Mud Shot." Shun'ei said. "Quaquaval, use Water Pulse on Talonflame!"
Talonflame was still in use of Acrobatics, as it managed to only be grazed by one Water Pulse as it dove in, digging its Talons deep into Quaquaval to land the super-effective move, as Rinkah smiled.
"Armarouge, SOLAR BEAM!" Rinkah called out as Armarouge fired the sun's rays into a beam that tore through Mud Shot!
"Uh oh, Donphan's in trouble!" Meitenkun said.
"Now, switch targets again!" Shun'ei said. "Donphan, use Thunder Fang on Talonflame! Quaquazal, use Aqua Step on Armarouge!"
"Right back at you! Talonflame, fly high and get ready for Brave Bird Ace! Armarouge, you know what to do!" Rinkah ordered as Armarouge looked at Quaquaval, gathering the harsh sun rays for another Solar Beam, firing right at Quaquaval! However, being faster than Donphan, Quaquaval was able to narrowly avoid the Solar Beam and kept going.
Quaquaval hit its attack, however, Armarouge locked eyes with it and used its armor to grapple Quaquaval, intending for both to go down as Armarouge redirected Solar Beam point blank into Quaquaval! And to put the cherry on top, Brave Bird Ace was aimed at Quaquaval as well, as Talonflame sacrificially dove into Quaquaval, as all three Pokémon went down from the exchange!
"I must admit. Your starter is tough." Rinkah said. "It took both of my near the top members to take it out. Impressive."
"It has to be if it'll help me out in the Gym Challenge." Shun'ei said. "There's only two Pokémon left on your side, and I'm pretty sure everyone here knows who they are."
"And I have confidence, even if you have three left including your Donphan, that they'll more than give you a run for their money. Ceruledge! Reazah! Let's do this!" Rinkah said as she brought out Ceruledge, and at long last, everyone got to witness her Hisuian Arcanine. Now what made this Arcanine so unique?
There was a scar on Reazah, right across her left eye, burning with the fires of a warrior and determination, as Rinkah pounded her fists together.
"Time to go beyond the limits of myself and my Pokémon, I've been training for this…" Rinkah said, steadying her body for the pressure it was about to undergo, her blue flames flaring as she looked at her most trusted partners. "Are you two ready!?"
"(Let's do it, partner! You and me, fighting valiantly to the end!)" Reazah growled.
"(With honor and valiance, my blades are yours, Rinkah.)" Her Ceruledge remarked as Rinkah powered up, as did Reazah and Ceruledge, as Ceruledge returned to Rinkah-Ceruledge form.
Meanwhile, Rinkah's Arcanine began to flourish in brilliant flames as the white hair atop its head gained many wild streaks of red, from the mane to the tail, as the armor piece on its head looked more like an Oni Chieftain piece, as Reazah roared valiantly.
Rinkah-Ceruledge
Rinkah-H. Arcanine
"She's able to pull of two Battle Bonds at once?!" Frosta asked. "How is her mind not fried?!"
"Trust me…" Rinkah said with slight strain as she stood her ground and clenched her fist, her eyes opening, showing the colors of Ceruledge in one, and Reazah in the other, but still retaining Rinkah's eye color. "It took me a lot of training to endure this… and to master it. But in the end, when a bond forged by battles grows this strong, the burden is shared by all parties. My Pokémon fight as I do, and in turn, they need no commands for what to do! They'll use moves never seen before, anything it takes to honorably finish any fight!" Rinkah declared. "So, Shun'ei! Let's see if you can break through my willpower! Nemona couldn't with only Ceruledge, now you have Ceruledge and Reazah!" Rinkah declared with a wide grin.
"Challenge accepted. Ceruledge, time to meet your idol!" Shun'ei said as he sent his own Ceruledge out, stung a bit by the Stealth Rock.
"(Another of my kind.)" Rinkah-Ceruledge said as he saw his own kind. "(Tell me, has your master shown you enlightenment, as mine has?)"
"(Not just him. Isla, Quaquaval, they all showed me what it was like to battle with hearty companions by my side. Even during my days as a Charcadet.)" Shun'ei's Ceruledge said.
"(Then this should be a good challenge.)" Rinkah-Ceruledge said as it brandished its blades. "(Pray your master orders you well to combat my rapid pace, for I know how my own master fights, and I will not show mercy until she declares of it.)"
"(That is fine with me. I shall give my all in this battle.)" Shun'ei's Ceruledge said as he brandished his own blades.
Reazah began by leaping into the air, performing a Heat Crash Impact towards Donphan, while Rinkah-Ceruledge rushed at Shun'ei's Ceruledge with Phantom Bitter Blade.
"This is gonna be nuts." Shun'ei said. "Donphan, use Mud Shot on Reazah, while Ceruledge, get ready with Flame Charge!"
On a dime of the commands, both of Rinkah's Pokémon changed tactics. For Reazah, she ducked under Mud Shot and landed a Flame Headbutt Charge right to Donphan that made it stumble, comboing right into an Ice Crunch, as Rinkah-Ceruledge performed its attack, but gauged the distance and was far enough back to fire a Shadow Ball Sneak, sending multiple Shadow Balls along the Shadows to strike Shun'ei's Ceruledge unsuspectingly.
Shun'ei's Ceruledge was able to dodge Rinkah-Ceruledge's attacks however, and went for a Shadow Ball of his own, which nailed his idol! The impact hit Rinkah as well due to the Battle Bond Link, as she growled a tad bit, shaking her left arm slightly to shake off the pain, as Rinkah-Ceruledge did the same.
"You still got some fight left in you, Donphan? If you do, go for one last Mud Shot!" Shun'ei said.
Reazah reacted and dodged the Mud Shot, as she looked to finish with one final Ice Crunch.
"Got you! Donphan, Rollout!" Shun'ei said.
Donphan balled up and smashed right into Reazah, HARD. This attack will keep doubling in power with each hit until Donphan either misses or is knocked out. Rinkah felt the big hit, as she grimaced before she glared as did Reazah, who managed to PICK UP DONPHAN, while it was rolling, and CHOMPED down with Ice Crunch!
"Yikes, that hurt!" Shun'ei said as he managed to return Donphan. "Only got one left." he said as he sent out Garchomp, who felt the sting from the Stealth Rock.
"The grand finale's here, Shun'ei!" Rinkah smirked. "Give me your all, because I'm not holding back!" Rinkah said through grit teeth, the struggle to hold the Battle Bonds still real, but she was managing.
"Let's give this all we've got! Garchomp, rush Reazah down with Dragon Claw, Ceruledge, run hers down with Shadow Claw!" Shun'ei said.
Reazah reacted by dodging and going for yet another Ice Crunch on Garchomp, as Rinkah-Ceruledge charged with his own Shadow Claw, as the two of them clashed in a Shadow Claw struggle.
"(This power… It's overwhelming.)" Shun'ei's Ceruledge said.
"(This is the power of our Bond!)" Rinkah-Ceruledge exclaimed as he began overpowering Shun'ei's Ceruledge.
"(This power is quite fierce. I always considered you cool when I first saw you, back when I was a starry-eyed Charcadet.)" Shun'ei's Ceruledge said, chuckling at the memory.
"(I'm flattered you look up to me. But never forget to strive to be yourself!)" Rinkah-Ceruledge chuckled as he gained even more power.
"(I will take that lesson to heart. I'm coming at you with full power!)" Shun'ei's Ceruledge said as he started to push Rinkah-Ceruledge back.
The clash between the Ceruledges began glowing brighter and brighter in ghostly flames with each side trying to win against the other.
"Heh, I'm more fired up than I've ever been!" Rinkah said with a wide smile as she saw the glorious battle.
Both Fire Blades Pokémon pushed against each other, both looking to get the advantage over the other. Rinkah seemed to be starting to struggle with holding the Battle Bonds, given the slight damage taken, but the amount of stamina she was expending was to amounts no one had seen before.
"Rinkah, disengage one of your links! At this rate, your body won't be able to handle the strain of two battle bonds at once!" Frosta said, concern on her face.
"I'm… not giving in!" Rinkah exclaimed. "I'm fighting to the end!"
"You heard her, Garchomp. Run Reazah down with Bulldoze!" Shun'ei said.
Reazah dodged by leaping up into the air, as it focused all of its energy into one super powered Focus Blast!
"Clash it, Dragon Breath!" Shun'ei said.
Focus Blast and Dragon Breath clashed in glorious splendor, along with the Shadow Claw clash on the other end, as Rinkah began to falter and waver, panting as she was sweating.
"No… I'm not… falling…!" Rinkah huffed as she kept holding on to the Battle Bonds.
"There's no talking her out of it, Frosta. It's a test of endurance for her." David said.
"(Hope you're ready. I'm gonna put my all into this next attack!)" Shun'ei's Ceruledge said as he was charging up a Shadow Ball.
"(Bring it on!)" Rinkah-Ceruledge exclaimed as he prepared a Shadow Ball Sneak to combat it.
"(Here goes!)" Shun'ei's Ceruledge said as he fired the Shadow Ball.
"(Take this!)" Rinkah-Ceruledge exclaimed as he launched Shadow Ball Sneak.
"This battle is going down to the wire." David said.
"Such intense flames, it is unlike anything I have witnessed." E. Constance said.
Back with the final attacks of the two Ceruledges, Shun'ei's Ceruledge sensed Shadow Ball Sneak coming, and dodged out of the way just in time! He then closed in on the Shadow Ball he fired, and used the flat of one of his sword arms like a baseball bat, giving it more force as he launched it with more speed and power right to Rinkah-Ceruledge, hitting its target dead on!
"Homerun!" Mari called.
"GAAAAH!" Rinkah yelled as she stumbled, as did Rinkah-Ceruledge as he barely was on his feet.
"...No… I… can't… go on…" Rinkah said, finally conceding as her Battle Bonds dropped, as her Ceruledge reverted to normal, as did Reazah, both of them collapsing in exhaustion as Rinkah was on her hands and knees trying to catch her breath.
Theme End
"Well…guess that's that." Shun'ei said. "You okay there? You were really pushing yourself to your limit."
"To… be the best…" Rinkah panted as she was now in a seated position. "You have to go beyond your limits… time and time again." Rinkah panted.
"She's got a point there. A lot of us have been there." David said.
Shun'ei's Ceruledge held a blade to Rinkah's as a means of helping him up. "(I would have to agree. What you've been through was unlike anything imaginable.)"
Rinkah's Ceruledge looked up with a weak look, as he simply reclined in a seating position. "(You did well. I dare say you and your master are the first not only to push myself, but to push my master as well. The struggle she had just to keep the Battle Bond this long… she yearns for the day she proclaims victorious over you.)" Rinkah's Ceruledge admitted.
"(Well, she certainly got the makings of it, from what we saw.)" Shun'ei's Ceruledge said. "(That was very intense. I didn't think we were gonna make it out of there.)"
"Hoo! That was a very intense battle! A lot of us were really on edge from start to finish." David said.
"I'll say! I got worried at the end there, but that battle was your best yet!" Frosta said. "I wonder what your next one's gonna be like once Shun'ei gets his 8th badge."
"Before we even get that far, there needs to be a seventh before an eighth." Shun'ei said. "Where to next?"
"Hmm…how about Alfornada in the Southwest?" Perfuma asked.
"Are you sure you want to go there? I mean, the Glaseado Gym is very close by." David said.
"We'd have to trek a large mountain. Besides, looks like some blizzards are gonna be on the way soon anyway. Besides, might be nice to get some warmth instead of freezing snow…least for the moment." Shun'ei said.
"Eh… You're right. Better safe than sorry." David said. "Speaking of which, I gotta get back before the others start thinking I ditched them."
"You guys go for it…" Rinkah said weakly as Reazah soon layed down behind her. "I'm just gonna… Take a nap for a bit, okay…?" Rinkah asked as she leaned back on Reazah as she began to drift to sleep.
"Very well, please tell Yuri and Balthus I said hello, David." E. Constance said.
"Oh don't worry, I'll give the message." David said as he got on Miraidon. "See you guys around!" he said as he sped off before Miraidon leapt and his glider came up..
"Well then, guess its off to Alfornada to challenge their gym." Frosta said.
"Yeah…let's get going." Shun'ei said.