Chapter 8 - Shrines and Elite Battles Part 1
"The Elite Four gauntlet! It's a trial that only a few Pokémon trainers ever get the honor to challenge. The Indigo Elite Four: Siba, Koga, Itsuki, and Karen, are the strongest trainers in all of Kanto and Johto. All of them are world-traveled and experts in battle. They train all year in preparation for their challengers, the winners of the Indigo and Silver Conferences.
This year, two trainers from Unova have stepped forward.
Luna Devons is an ace trainer from Nuvema Town. She's participated in multiple conferences, always coming close to the top, but it wasn't until she took on Johto that she became a champion. Her record against the Elite Four is an outstanding three wins and one loss, falling victim to one of the newest members, Karen. With this record, she's already proven herself worthy of the title of ace trainer, and she also is now in contention to become an Elite Four member herself.
On the other side of this coin is Logan Stephenson. Born in the White Forest of Unova but billed from Nuvema Town, Logan is considered one of the strongest trainers to ever come out of Unova. Yet to challenge Karen, he holds three consecutive wins over the other Elite Four members. If he wins, and only if, he will be granted a battle against the Indigo Plateau's champion!"
Logan turned down the radio and sighed. He looked out at his fishing line, hoping that something would bite. He had cast it in hopes of finding himself a red Gyarados, but it was beginning to look hopeless.
Two and a half months had passed since Logan's battle with Siba, and it was now spring in Johto. Johto wasn't as hot as Hoenn, but it still got much hotter than Unova and much faster. Logan now opted to wear a black tank top and white shorts. His hair had grown considerably long, but he simply pulled it back into a bun, which often brought comparisons to sumo wrestlers from the Johto locals.
The stretch of time from when he first came to Johto to now was the longest that Logan had been alone. He didn't mind traveling alone, but every time he opened his bag to find dozens of letters, he missed his friends.
Recently, he had spent a lot of his time near the Lake of Rage. Despite its name, it was a beautiful place surrounded by a forest. He'd often go on hikes with his Pokémon to find areas to train. Scattered throughout the forest were ancient shrines. He had done his best to study the language of Hoenn, Kanto, and Johto, but he couldn't get a grasp on what any of the ancient shrines had engraved in them.
He knew that when he walked past them, it was common to pray. He was never sure what to pray for, but he always wished for health for his friends. Before he had cast his reel, his asked for the gods to watch over him and help him snag a red Gyarados, potentially a selfish prayer.
He looked at the line on his fishing pole, and his eyes widened. The pole started to move, and he quickly reached out for it. He didn't want to panic, but he could see a large red figure in the water. He couldn't quite make out what it was just yet, but he was prepared to battle with Wooper just in case.
But then, his Pokédex started to ring. Logan paused, and he stared wide-eyed at the Pokédex. The longer that he let it ring, the more likely whatever was pulling on his fishing rod would get scared and run. But if he reached for it, then he could potentially lose another rod to the depths. He weighed his options, but it was too late. His rod stopped moving, and the red figure from below the water disappeared.
Logan sighed, picked up his Pokédex, and answered. "Hello."
"Logan! I hope you're doing well!"
"Yeah."
"How was Sinnoh?"
Logan cocked his head. He didn't tell Mr. Goodshow that he went to Sinnoh. "It was fun."
"That's great! Are you prepared for your final battle?" Mr. Goodshow asked. "You're not too far off from Mahogany Town. We can borrow the gym for your battle!"
"I'll be there," Logan said.
"It'll be in three days! It's your last battle! Be excited! No pressure, but if you win, you get to fight the champion! Exciting, right?"
Logan nodded, not realizing that Mr. Goodshow couldn't see him. He had always wanted to battle a champion, and he had studied most of the champions of every region. He wasn't sure how he'd fare, but he knew that he couldn't get too excited just yet. After all, Karen defeated Luna.
Mahogany's gym was slightly different than Logan had anticipated. It was cool, and the field had dozens of large boulders placed throughout. The gym leader usually had the field frozen, including the rocks, but they tried to make it as standard as possible for the Elite Four battle.
Logan didn't mind the chill or the large boulders. It was nice to battle on something different than a standard flat field.
"The following battle will be a single-style full battle between! No substitutions are allowed! Trainers, are you ready?" the referee asked. She held black and white flags in her hands and eyed both of the trainers.
Logan's last opponent was a girl in her late teens. She wore a yellow crop top and tan capri pants. She had long hair that was dyed grey, something that Logan had seen from a lot of teenagers her age. She nodded and smirked at Logan.
"Begin!"
Karen lifted a Poké Ball from her belt and then held it out in front of her. "Are you ready, Logan Stephenson? I'm as skilled as Itsuki, as wicked as Koga, and as intense as Siba."
"Oh?" Logan wondered. "Those people that I defeated?"
Karen couldn't help but laugh to herself. "Touche. Go, Umbreon!"
A quadruped Pokémon with perfect golden circles imprinted on his body appeared and let out a howl.
"We came prepared! Crabominable, let's go!"
Crabominable exploded from his Poké Ball and clapped his large claws together. He stuck his tongue out at Umbreon and started to make random noises, hoping to get some sort of reaction, but the Dark-type was cool and collected.
Logan pointed at the field. "We're not going to give you any chances! Use Toxic!"
Crabominable scuttled down the field as quickly as he could, holding out his long arms to make himself look wide. When he was on Karen's side of the field, he clapped his arms together and unleashed a liquid ooze into the air. The ooze doused Umbreon, making him wince instantly.
"Alright!" Logan cheered, but his smile soon faded.
Crabominable let out a groan, and he slowly backed away from Umbreon. The same purple aura that now surrounded Umbreon also took over Crabominable's body.
"Wait, what?"
Karen shrugged. "Synchronize, Logan. Now, it's only a matter of who can outlast this poison. Umbreon, use Confuse Ray!"
Umbreon's eyes started to glow blue, and he lunged forward. He released a mist from his body, which wafted over Crabominable. The Fighting-type started to wobble from side to side, and the effects of poison began to set in.
Logan balled his fist. "We won't give in! Close Combat! Let's go!"
Crabominable was already well within the range of Umbreon. He raised his right arm and screeched. He then brought his arm down, but instead of hitting Umbreon, he instead punched himself in the mouth. He groaned and turned around and made eye contact with his trainer, pleading with Logan to save him.
"Use Curse!" Karen commanded.
A violent black aura surrounded Umbreon's feet. He howled, sending the aura wafting outward. Nothing seemingly happened, but Logan knew that the Pokémon was now stronger.
Then suddenly, both of the Pokémon let out pained groans as the purple poisonous aura made its return.
"Crabominable, we can win this!" Logan exclaimed. "Use Ice Hammer!"
"Keep them back with Psychic!"
Crabominable waved his arm over his head and then scuttled forward. As soon as the ice started to collect, kinetic energy surrounded his body. He was lifted into the air and then thrown backward. He landed hard against the ground, but he immediately got back up and let out an angry battle cry.
Logan could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Every attack that he made, Karen had an immediate response.
"Rock Slide!" he shouted.
Crabominable hammered both of his fists into the ground, ripping up some stones from the field. He then let out another battle cry and tried to send the rocks forward. But instead, they all piled on Crabominable.
"Crabominable, no!" Logan shouted.
Umbreon started to walk closer. The poisonous aura surrounded his body, but he simply kept moving through the pain.
Logan looked at Crabominable. The Pokémon weakly flailed about as he tried to move the rocks off of him. He huffed heavily as he got back to a standing position.
"We can do this! We need one strong hit! Use Close Combat!"
"Sucker Punch!"
Crabominable stored chi in his fists, and he started to scuttle forward. However, Umbreon was engulfed in black energy. He darted down the field and leaped into the air. With one swift strike from his paw, he hit Crabominable, knocking him backward.
Logan balled his fist. "Crabominable, it's okay to be confused! Go wild! Thrash with Close Combat!"
Crabominable vision had been blurred and he couldn't see his trainer, but he could hear him. He grinned and then started to flail about. One of his large fists connected with Umbreon on the right. Then, he turned and jabbed forward again, hitting the Dark-type a second time. Umbreon was thrown backward, but he managed to land on his feet.
"Finish this with Psychic!" Karen ordered.
Umbreon's eyes began to glow purple. He focused, and the air around Crabominable shifted. Using kinetic energy, he lifted Crabominable upward, and before Logan could make a command, he brought the Fighting-type down. Crabominable crashed into the field, and his legs and arms went limp. Umbreon then tried to take a step backward, but the poisonous aura surrounded him yet again, leaving him weak.
The referee raised her white flag. "Crabominable is unable to battle! Umbreon is the winner!"
"Karen takes the first victory of the match!" the announcer said. "It looks like Logan is already in a panic! This is how Karen wins though, folks! She'll overwhelm opponents with almost impossible-to-overcome defense from the get-go! How will Logan respond?"
Logan used his Poké Ball to gather Crabominable. He then contemplated his next few options, unsure of how to approach the Umbreon. "Impossible to overcome defense? We'll see about that! Haxorus, use Dragon Dance!"
As soon as Logan's next Pokémon came to the field, he roared, and arcane flames swirled around his body. Karen appeared unbothered.
"Curse," she said simply.
Umbreon howled, and the black aura from before spun around his feet. It swirled and then wafted away, preparing him for Haxorus' offense.
"Dragon Claw! Let's go!" Logan ordered.
Haxorus moved down the field as though he was skating. His long claws increased in size, fueled with arcane power.
"Sucker Punch!"
But before Haxorus could use his powerful claws, Umbreon bounded forward. He reeled back and violently pawed at Haxorus in the chest. The Dragon-type was taken by surprise, but he did not falter. He hammered his arm down, sending Umbreon to the ground. Umbreon tried to escape, but he was now slow, and the poisonous aura worked its way around his body. He suddenly froze and grimaced.
"X-Scissor!" Logan shouted.
Haxorus let out a battle cry as his red tusks turned dark green. He quickly shifted, ramming his head into Umbreon and then slicing away with his natural weapon. Umbreon was lifted into the air and blasted backward. The attack was much stronger than he had anticipated, and he landed in a heap, unable to recover.
The referee's black flag went into the air. "Umbreon is unable to battle! Haxorus is the winner!"
"I may have spoken too soon!" the announcer called. "Logan makes a swift comeback with Haxorus! Can he maintain this momentum?"
Karen withdrew Umbreon and then sighed. "Umbreon is my strongest Pokémon defensively. He's how I test trainers. You've passed, which unfortunately means that I'm now going to begin my all-out assault. Are you prepared, Logan?"
"Do your worst!"
Karen chuckled. "You'll regret those words. Go, Weavile!"
Her next Pokémon was small and had midnight blue fur. On its head was a small headdress of red feathers, and its most intimidating feature was its sharp white claws. It growled at Haxorus upon coming to the field.
"That thing is gonna be fast," Logan said. "Use another Dragon Dance!"
"Ice Shard!"
Arcane flames swirled around Haxorus as he roared once again. Weavile made a headlong dash down the field, creating ice around his sharp claws. She jabbed, shooting shards of ice forward. The shards phased through the arcane flames before they pelted Haxorus, sending him into a frenzy.
"Iron Head! Go!" Logan ordered.
Haxorus ducked his head, and the entirety of his cranium became enveloped with silver energy. He bounded forward, bashing his skull into Weavile. The Ice-type was thrown backward, but he managed to land on his feet.
"Keep it going with Dragon Claw!"
"Block with Ice Punch!"
The two Pokémon quickly closed the distance between them. Haxorus swung his arcane energy-covered claws while Weavile jabbed with crystalized ice forming around her arm. The two Pokémon connected, but the ice quickly extinguished the arcane flames.
"And Ice Shard!" Karen shouted.
With Weavile's free arm, she brought her hand to Haxorus' chest. She grunted and then unleashed a flurry of ice from her claw. The ice tore into Haxorus, forcing him to roll backward.
"And finish with Night Slash!" Karen instructed.
"Head down! Iron Head!"
Haxorus finished his backroll and then immediately lowered his head. Weavile came at him in a zigzag motion as she gathered black energy around her. She slashed, but Haxorus blocked it with his tusk. She then headbutted the Ice-type Pokémon as hard as she could, causing Weavile to spin around.
"Got 'em! X-Scissor!" Logan ordered.
Haxorus' tusks became filled with dark green energy.
"Low Kick!" Karen yelled.
But before Haxorus could try to slash at the Dark-type Pokémon, he was suddenly tripped. Weavile used the momentum she got from being forced into a spin. She stuck out her leg, kicking at Haxorus. The Dragon-type lost his balance and then collapsed to the ground, falling on his back.
Karen slowly extended her arm and then pointed to the field. "Crush! Use Ice Punch!"
Weavile towered over Haxorus. She raised her claw, which became encased with ice. With one swift motion, she hammered down her hand, bringing it down to Haxorus' chest. The wind was knocked out of the Dragon-type's body as cool air exploded from Weavile's claw. Haxorus' limbs went limp, and Weavile stepped off of her opponent.
"Haxorus is unable to battle! Weavile is the winner!" the referee announced.
"And now we're officially starting to see the brutal side of Karen's battling technique! Logan tried to match her speed, but it is nearly impossible to keep up! Most trainers are overwhelmed at this point! Can Logan keep a cool head and defeat Weavile?"
Logan's shoulders lowered as he withdrew Haxorus. He had grown tired of the announcer over the year. He selected a Luxury Ball and then cocked his head. "Slow and steady wins the race. Let's go, Slaking!"
Logan's lethargic Pokémon appeared on the field with no fanfare. She lazily looked out at Weavile and Karen, who knew of the Pokémon's power but felt slightly insulted by Logan's choice.
"This just means that we have to take a slightly different strategy," Karen said. "Ice Shard!"
"Respond with Thunderbolt!" Logan ordered.
Weavile put her claws together, and ice crystalized over her arms. She fired off her attack, sending a multitude of icy shards down the field. Slaking stretched out her arms and legs, allowing herself to make her body look bigger. She took every single one of the shards with her stomach, but she refused to show any pain. Then, she quickly pulled her limbs back in, unleashing a blast of electricity from her body. The electricity shot into the air and then descended in the blink of an eye, crashing down onto Weavile. The Dark-type howled from the pain and winced. She took a few steps backward, and Logan watched on closely. When the sparks faded away, Logan grimaced.
"Unlucky," he thought.
Karen held out her arm. "Slaking won't be moving for a moment. Use Night Slash!"
Weavile rocked her head back and forth and then licked her lips. She dashed down the field and ground her claws against the field. When she reached Slaking, she slashed and scraped her dark energy-enveloped claws across Slaking's body. The large Pokémon remained in her position, but she did recoil slightly.
"Aerial Ace!" Logan ordered, unsure if his Pokémon would even listen.
Slaking eyed Weavile and then a smirk slowly came across her face. Without any warning, she twisted her body and then dove forward. She jabbed at Weavile's chest, and aerial energy exploded from her fist. Weavile was thrown backward, landing on her backside.
"And Hammer Arm!" Logan shouted.
Slaking now stood, but instead of immediately going for an attack, she took in a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders. She grunted and then tilted her head as she contemplated when to take her next nap.
"You've chosen an odd Pokémon," Karen exclaimed. "Low Kick!"
Weavile shifted her body and then pushed herself back up. She collected herself and then lunged forward with her leg out. She kicked and then pulled at the back of Slaking's legs, tripping the larger Pokémon.
"Ice Punch!" Karen commanded once Slaking had fallen down.
In a repeat of the maneuver that had finished off Haxorus, Weavile raised her claw, collected her icy energy, and then hammered her arm downward. Slaking grunted as she took the blow to her chest, and her limbs lifted off the ground momentarily. But then, everything went quiet.
Logan examined his Pokémon, and he slowly smirked. "She's angry now. Crush Claw!"
Slaking was enraged. She filled her palm with power and then swiped, but Weavile's reactions were too fast. The Ice-type recoiled and leaped backward, dodging the strike. Slaking wasn't finished though. She quickly got to her feet and then dove, attempting one more strike. Yet again, she missed.
"Ice Shard!"
Weavile bounded into the air and then put her arms together. With one swift blast, she rained down a multitude of sharp icicle shards.
"Hammer Arm!" Logan shouted.
Slaking roared and then thrust her arm upward. Charged with chi, her arm easily tore through the icicle shards. She then continued forward, but with every step toward Weavile, she lost some of her speed. When she reached her target, she moved with the energy of the dead. She tried to lift her arm, but her natural lazy instincts prevented her from doing so.
Karen sighed with relief and then pinched the brim of her nose. "I was genuinely worried for a moment. Ice Shard! Don't let up!"
Now at close-range, Weavile had nowhere to run but also had no way of missing. She placed her claws against Slaking's stomach and then let loose dozens of icicle shards. The shards ripped against Slaking, forcing her to step backward. But no matter how many connected, the larger Pokémon refused to fall back.
Weavile continued her onslaught, forcing Slaking to step back until the two were on Logan's side of the field, and eventually, Slaking fell forward. She caught herself with her massive arms and then cried out from the pain.
"One more attack! It's all we need!" Logan shouted. "Thunderbolt!"
Slaking roared, and the clouds overhead rumbled. She unleashed sparks from her body, which electrified the field. Weavile was zapped, and her attack came to a sudden stop. With another battle cry, Slaking shot more electricity into the air. It came down onto Weavile, making the Pokémon cry out with pain. This time, when Slaking's attack faded, small sparks continued ot emit from Weavile.
Logan snapped his fingers. "Got 'em."
"Ice Punch!" Karen commanded, ignoring her Pokémon's ailment.
Weavile groaned and then used one leg to bound forward. He stuck out his claw and then jabbed, hitting Slaking in the jaw. The larger Pokémon unceremoniously toppled over to the side, and this time, she wasn't loafing around.
The referee waved around her white flag. "Slaking is unable to battle! Weavile is the winner!"
"Logan tries to make a comeback with the powerhouse, Slaking, but it doesn't work! Now, he is down three Pokémon while Karen still has five of her own! Even if Weavile is exhausted, that's a steep mountain for Logan to climb!"
Logan stared, his mouth agape, at his Pokémon. He looked down at his belt and his remaining three Poké Balls before side-eyeing Karen. She stood confidently with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face.
"What's wrong, Logan?" she asked.
Logan slowly withdrew Slaking back to her Luxury Ball. He took in a deep breath through his nose and then blew out his mouth. "Nothing. I have faith in my Pokémon."
"It's a cute sentiment, but it won't be enough."
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
The next chapter is gonna be longer than this one. The way that I've divided the battles up, this is the most consistent. So, Logan is now down three Pokémon and Karen has only lost one! Is he gonna be able to pull through one more time?
REVIEWS:
pokemonking0924 - "Lots of surprises this chapter. Logan's Poliwhirl evolving into a Politoed, Bruno's giant Onix is now a equally big Steelix, and Saiba's Machamp gigantamaxing. I can't remember if Logan's Charizard already had access to a mega stone." - Logan did have the mega stone from before! It's an unfortunate side effect of not posting for so long...
