Chapter 20 – Ambush
As is usual for battle chapters, I listened to the Monster Hunter Rise version of the Sandy Plains theme as background. There's also a second track I used that Monster Hunter fans should be able to instantly identify what it is and when it kicks in. ;)
Ash was so stunned by the appearance of the monster in the oasis that he, at first, didn't react as it made its first move. Nor did anyone else, everybody rooted to the spot in shock while the Almudron breached from its pool, its serpentine body soaring into the air before plunging into the ground in a spectacular dive. In a splatter of golden fluid, it plunged through solid earth and disappeared, leaving nothing but a mud puddle that closed over its tail. The ground shuddered as it no doubt burrowed closer – only then did they recover in time to act.
"Hold on!" Venator shouted, and spurred the Aptonoth cart into a dash with his most violent snap of the reins yet. The cart clattered forward all at once, just in time to avoid a wall of mud that exploded upwards where it had been standing. Ash and Barioth were close enough to be showered with mud flecks, and Ash was almost knocked aside as his Monstie staggered backwards, startled.
"Hang tight, Pikachu!" he warned even as he struggled to remain seated. The Electric-type clung to him and gave a strained reply in his ear, and slid down to grab hold of the saddle's handles instead as they regained their balance. Seeing that Pikachu was safe, Ash narrowed his eyes and shifted into battle mode, yelling, "Let's get after them, Barioth!"
The feline wyvern took off with a howl, after the cart in which Ash could see Kiawe, Sophocles, and their Pokemon holding on for dear life. Though the hunters drove fast, they weren't faster than the Almudron, whose rising mud barriers checked them at every turn. They were running in a big circle, totally at the mercy of their foe which was swiftly enclosing them in a cage of earthen sludge with each passing second.
We've gotta get to them! Over the wall and outta there before they can become trapped! Ash thought desperately, and his thought was Barioth's deed – connected as they were through the Kinship Stone, it vaulted itself skyward and sailed over the mud wall. As soon as it had been cleared, Barioth closed its wings again and landed hard enough to smash pawprints into the hard-packed dirt, then took off at a run without missing a beat.
They were fast approaching the cart, and would reach it any second. Barioth didn't slow down, and with a shout made all the louder by his zeal, Ash called out, "We're coming, guys! Everybody hold on!"
Barioth slammed into the back of the cart, giving it a massive jolt forward that threatened to upend it. The Trainers, Pokemon, and even hunters yelled out in shock as the wheels touched naught but air before crashing back down, but the last-minute boost was just what they needed to squeeze through the narrow gap between mud walls – a fact that was proven when the Almudron itself burst from the ground in front of Ash a half second later, its entire bulk shooting up and then landing with a force that would've flattened anything underneath it.
Now Ash found himself its target, and he gripped the saddle with white knuckles as its long neck curved to needle him with its burning gaze. "Come on, bring it!" he challenged it, and Pikachu and Barioth backed him up with sparking cheeks and brandished saber teeth.
GRRRMMMMASSSHASSSHAAAA! The water-dragon opened its mouth in a hissing roar, but Ash didn't hear it so much as feel it: it vibrated through Barioth's body and into his own, so low and so deep he could feel his bones tremble. He gritted his teeth and braced for impact, the curled end of its powerful tail hurtling toward him…
Laela darted in like an orange blur, sunlight flashing over her steel blades as she carved through the tail's tough shell. The Almudron flinched, pulling back instinctively on its attack, and Venator shoved himself between it and Ash with shield raised, deflecting what was left of the blow. Ash glanced over the mud that was already beginning to lose consistency and ooze outwards to cover the ground – indeed, his friends were safe and the cart driverless, parked close by and facing the only escape route still open to them.
"Ash, Teris, you two get out of here with the cart," Venator ordered, and Ash turned in surprise to see Ozzy and Crimson approaching to stand at Barioth's side, Teris and a wide-eyed Mallow still aboard the former. "Laela and I will keep this guy at bay while you go and keep everyone safe."
"What? No!" Ash's rebuttal was loud and indignant. "Barioth, Pikachu and me can help! Besides, you said yourself you've never fought one of these things before! You're gonna need backup!"
"We're the only people equipped to take on a monster this dangerous!" Laela snarled at him. "You want to be useful, you do as we say and get your defenseless friends out of here!"
"And, if worse comes to worse," Venator added, his voice becoming grave, "take them to the Lava Caverns without us. You kids getting home and fixing the disturbance is the priority, remember?"
"But…!" Ash bit off the harsh reply, a frustrated shake of the head all he could do to protest. Were they really going to sacrifice themselves if it came down to it? What kind of crazy talk was that?! They were all gonna make it to the Lava Caverns and find the Ultra Wormhole together, and see each other off with the promise to see each other again one day! That was how it always went: they would go their separate ways to continue their journeys separately, the possibility always there of their paths crossing again. And Venator and Laela were okay with throwing that away?!
But Teris nodded, and with a wordless gesture to Ash turned his Monstie around, back toward the cart. Mallow caught Ash's eye – her expression was fearful and helpless and full of questions. What are we gonna do? Can we let them do it? Is it right to stand back and save ourselves?
Barioth snorted, tossing its head in the direction of the cart, the movement enough to jostle Ash in his seat. His mouth set in a tight line, Ash cast one last look back at the hunters before urging Barioth after Ozzy. The Kulu Ya-Ku stopped just long enough for Mallow to hop into the cart, Teris holding her hand all the while, while Kiawe clambered into the front seat and took the reins for himself. Teris looked back to Ash, a reluctant understanding passing between their eyes – focus, protect them – and then took off like a shot on his Monstie's hasty strides, intending to lead.
After a couple of attempts from Kiawe, who initially lashed the reins too gently to get a response from the Aptonoth, he finally got the cart started at a quick pace, the spike-tailed reptile loping up toward higher ground where the rocky terrain offered protection. Ash realized that he was to bring up the rear, and Barioth set off after them. Sophocles, Mallow, Togedemaru, and Steenee were sitting, huddled together, right there in front of him, a unanimous uncertainty clearly visible on their faces. They were thinking about the hunters, Ash knew, the idea of leaving them to their possible deaths as sobering and unnerving to them as it was for him.
"Pikaaaaa…" Pikachu moaned, and scampered around Ash to stand on the back of the saddle. His ears drooped as he gazed down at the lakebed shrinking behind them.
The forlorn sound from his partner made Ash pause, and Barioth automatically stopped, turning itself to give them all a view of the battlefield they'd been instructed to flee. It was weird to look upon the battle from afar, to see the combatants so small and distant and to hear the din of combat so faintly. But even so far removed from the action, Ash could see that Venator and Laela were far out of their depth – even on dry land, the Almudron was swift and agile for its size, using wide strokes of its lengthy tail to push the hunters away. Venator backed up mid-strike to avoid being swatted aside, and though Laela managed to duck underneath and approach the leviathan's body with blades at the ready, the Almudron simply plunged its head into the mud it was standing in and vanished underground with a splash of gold and brown. Laela's axes slashed at the empty space left behind even as the Almudron's upper body reappeared behind Venator, its tail surging out of the muck to pummel him. He brought his shield to bear against it, but his heavy armor slowed him down, dragging his feet deeper into the bog that the battlefield was becoming. A shout from Laela alerted him that she was coming… only to stumble and fall to the ground, her own feet and hands claimed by the greedy mire.
A myriad of emotions surged through the Kinship Stone: fear, loyalty, determination, and an intense desire to protect. Whether it originated from Ash or from Barioth was irrelevant – it was theirs now, shared between them as equals and bringing clarity to their minds. They knew what needed to be done, and a single glance at Pikachu was enough to bring the Electric-type on board with equal fervor.
Barioth pounced forward, its deep howl reverberating out over the dry plains as it rushed toward the battle. Ash might have heard an indignant shout from Kiawe, but the sound was already fading into the distance and to mix unintelligibly with the wind in his ears. He leaned forward in the saddle, blood boiling as the battle drew closer and closer, eyes locked on the two figures that struggled helplessly in the mud.
"Fly, Barioth, and grab them!"
"Pi-KAAAAA!"
With an enormous lurch, Barioth was no longer earthbound and soaring swiftly toward the monster that was rising from the mire to claim its exhausted victims. But Barioth was faster, its hind legs snapping out to seize Venator and Laela in its toes. For the briefest, most terrifying millisecond, they stopped, and Ash thought they might not make it. And then Barioth's strength and momentum won out, and with a terrific SQUELCH they tore the hunters free from their sticky prison just as the Almudron's body crashed down, its claws stomping harmlessly into the recently vacated mud.
We did it! Joy burst through Ash's head while Barioth let out a victory roar, and they landed at the edge of the lakebed-turned-swamp. They deposited their unwilling passengers onto the ground before setting their weight down again.
"Kid! We told you specifically to take care of the others!" Venator stood up, the usually easygoing warrior sounding angrier than Ash had ever heard him. "We don't need you risking your life for our sakes – it's our duty to risk ours, so you and your friends can get home safely!"
Ash shook his head, glaring back at Venator's lenses. "Look, I might not be a hunter like you guys, but I am a Rider!" he declared. "With Pikachu and Barioth sharin' kinship with me, we can fight together on the same level as this thing! We're gonna get you guys outta here to live another day!"
"Pikapi!" Pikachu squeaked urgently, and Ash looked up just in time to duck a mud projectile that sailed over him. Gold-brown flecks speckled his cheek and back, and he winced at the slight burning sensation that flared up on contact.
It's targeting us now…! he realized as he steered Barioth up and away from the prone hunters, keeping the Almudron in sight as it, too, tracked their flight path with its neck. It quickly dipped its tail into the mud and stirred, using it like a paintbrush, then gave it a strong flick to send a wave of mud flying forward. The crest of the wave slapped Barioth's side and stained its fur and scales with brown, a painful-sounding snarl curling from the Monstie's jaws as the acid seared it. Ash grimaced at the way Barioth rocked in flight, tightening his hold. Gotta watch out for that tail, looks like it's this monster's main weapon…
"Use Icy Wind!" he ordered. Barioth swooped low, ice projectiles flying from its mouth to detonate against the Almudron's thick scales, spreading bitter cold over its mud-slicked form. Their foe cringed and curled in on itself to protect against the wind and frost, and Ash steered Barioth over its head and upwards, already planning his next atta–
Suddenly, a mud wall shot up into their flight path in a spray of liquid, too close and too wide to dodge. Eyelids flying wide open at the obstacle's interference, Ash pulled hard on the saddle, hoping to at least stall enough to reduce their impact… no, it was too late, they were going to crash. He braced himself…
… only for Barioth to grab hold of the semisolid wall and sit there, clinging to it like a Treecko. Ash's eyes widened for a different reason, marveling at how the Monstie's claws and spiny wings dug deep into the mud, preventing them from slipping even on the oozing surface.
"You… saved us! You're awesome, Barioth!" he half-cheered, half-gasped. "Come on, the battle isn't over yet!"
Barioth pushed itself from the wall, wings spreading wide to embrace the air once again – then, WHAM. Its entire body lurched as the Almudron's tail smashed into its belly, Ash's rear temporarily leaving the saddle with the impact. A shout left his mouth and Pikachu shrieked in his ear as they fell, slamming into the mire below in a jarring crash that almost threw them from Barioth's back entirely. Groaning, his whole body aching, Ash sat up and shook his head to clear the stars from his vision, then noticed immediately that Barioth's left wing was sealed by a heavy coat of mud, its corresponding paw sinking that much deeper. It snarled as it pulled, but the bog wouldn't let it go.
"Come on, Barioth, try to get your wing free!" Ash pleaded. He shuffled over awkwardly to reach down and pull a hand-sized globule off, but a guttural growl stopped him, alerting him to the Almudron which approached with tail sweeping threateningly over its surroundings. His reaction was immediate – "Pikachu, stall it! Give it a Thunderbolt!"
Responding to his command instantly, Pikachu leapt off Barioth's head, sailing high before releasing his devastating charge with a ferocious "CHUUUUUUU!" The Almudron's body, slick with moisture and surrounded by wet earth, lit up like a beacon and crackled with electricity, its head and tail thrashing and a low roar making the ground tremble in its throes. When Pikachu landed, the flow of electricity spent, the monster was bent with exhaustion, its skin steaming.
"Pull, Barioth, open your wing!" Ash said through gritted teeth, stretching his body to its limit as he used his hands, now sticky with mud, to fling dollops off his companion's scales. "Just… a little more! Don't… give up…!"
All too quickly, the Almudron was on the move again, its neck arcing high to spear them in its burning glare and its tail stirring the mud into a writhing frenzy. It pulled itself forward in a strange gallop and then rose up on its hind legs to eclipse the sun. Trapped in the mire underneath its shadow, Barioth snarled defiantly, and Ash opened his mouth, a command for Pikachu at the tip of his tongue.
Before the Almudron could fall and crush them, however, a stifling-hot blast of flame roared over Ash's head to strike the enemy in its exposed chest. Pushed backwards by hissing, snapping heat, it staggered, its claws waving uselessly in the air for balance. A moment later, the Flamethrower won out, shoving the Almudron onto its back with an explosion of mud, its salmon-colored underbelly now scorched brown.
Already knowing what he would see, Ash twisted himself around to cast the grin already spreading across his face toward Kiawe and Turtonator. They were standing at the edge of the giant mud puddle, the latter's nose still smoking. The dark-skinned Trainer pulled his eyes away from the Almudron, their severe glare landing squarely on Ash. He held his gaze, long enough to make Ash a little indignant, his grin fading. If he was going to get shouted at for no reason again…
"You know, you're just about the most stubborn, reckless person I've ever known!" Kiawe yelled over. There was a pause, and then his face eased into an exasperated smile. "I guess that's part of the reason you're such a great rival for me, huh?"
It took Ash a moment to process the unexpected compliment, but soon his grin was back threefold, pride and gratitude for his friend swelling in his chest. Another Flamethrower from Turtonator dried the mud on Barioth's wing, allowing it to shatter it with a flex of its leg, and Ash gave them a gleeful thumbs-up.
"Thanks, Kiawe!" he said, a tone of heartfelt earnestness charged with excitement. As the Almudron rolled to its feet and shook itself with an enraged roar, he raised a clenched fist, the Kinship Stone shining blue. "Pikachu! Barioth! Let's win this!"
Mallow hadn't known she'd been holding her breath when Teris and Kiawe left the group to aid Ash and the hunters, but she let it all out at once when she saw the Rider's Kulu Ya-Ku coming back up the path, Laela draped over its back and Venator clutched securely in its talons. The hunters' armored forms were partially covered by drying mud and they sounded exhausted, judging from their rasping breaths. Mallow's heart was hammering as she joined Teris in carefully sliding Laela off Ozzy's back while the Monstie deposited Venator in the cart with notable dexterity.
"Ow, ow, ow," Laela hissed in Mallow's ear as they led her toward the cart, taking limping steps. When she collapsed into the cart, she growled in such pain that it made Mallow wince. "Damn, that burns."
Togedemaru and Steenee hovered over the reclined, aching hunters, eyes swimming with concern. On Mallow's swift command, Steenee spread out her sepals and began to use Sweet Scent in short bursts, intending to relax them and ease their pain. It wasn't Aromatherapy, but Mallow hoped it'd help in some small way.
"Mallow, help me go through the hunters' supplies," Teris ordered, seriously. "They'll need potions and cleansing solution to wash off the remnants of that thing's acid."
With nothing but a silent nod, Mallow reached into the cart and riffled through its contents. Her well-practiced hands quickly found the jars she needed, grabbing two filled with green fluid and two that were relatively clear. She tossed one of the clear ones to Teris, who caught it one-handed while he pried Laela's armor off with the other. The healing potions went to both the hunters, and she herself began to pour the cleanser carefully onto Venator, watching the gold-stained mud slide off as though by magic.
"That feels better," the man sighed. He flung the emptied potion bottle aside with a clatter, then flinched at his own movement and relaxed his arms gingerly, hands falling limp in his lap. "It still hurts to move, though. I knew Almudrons were tricky, but I wasn't expecting it to turn the ground into such a death trap. The mud got under my armor and it's burning everywhere…"
"I-It's not too bad, right?" Mallow asked, voice coming out small with worry.
"No, it isn't. You're a big help, Mallow," he assured her. "Another potion should be enough to get me back up to full strength once it kicks in…"
On that request, Mallow poured out the rest of the cleanser and went looking for another bottle, only to run into a beaked snout that prodded her roughly in the chest. She yelped at Crimson's sudden appearance, but calmed down when she saw that the scarlet bird-beast was holding the potion she needed between its teeth. She held out her hands and Crimson obediently dropped it, pulling itself up to full height with a cheerful warble.
"Um… th-thanks a lot," she told it, then hurried back to Venator, who downed the second bottle in just a gulp.
"WATCH IT!" Laela bellowed, and Mallow jumped at the volume, glancing at the woman who pulled her now-bare arms away from Teris' bandages. "I swear, brat, touch these burns again and I'll shove Venator's lance up your –"
As Teris stammered out a frantic apology, Mallow noticed that Sophocles wasn't there. It took only a second to find him, though – crouched behind a nearby rock only a few paces away, staring down at the lakebed where the Almudron continued to rage. Distracted now, she noticed that Ash and Kiawe were working as a team, Barioth flying circles around it while Pikachu shot Thunderbolts, and Turtonator distracting it with Flamethrowers whenever it came close to hitting them. Their elemental moves didn't seem to do much visible damage, but the much larger beast was reacting with visible pain, and the few attacks it was able to fit in between assaults weren't landing.
"Ash and Kiawe really are an amazing team when they're not butting heads," she commented, admiringly. "Look, Pikachu and Turtonator are actually holding their own this time."
"Not surprised," Laela grunted, significantly strained as Teris wrapped bandages over her wounds. Her light, fur-lined armor must not have guarded against the acid as well as Venator's bulkier plating. Sounding as though she wanted to bite someone's head off, the swordswoman continued, "An Almudron is most comfortable when it's cool and wet. Lightning and fire are its two greatest weaknesses."
"Fire is?" Mallow was shocked to hear that. "I thought it was a Water-type! Fire should have a disadvantage against… Sophocles?"
He shushed her again, not even turning his head slightly away from the distant battle. It was odd, Mallow thought – normally her studious friend would be a prominent talker in a discussion about Pokemon battle strategy. Yet there he was, totally disinterested, fixated to an unusual degree on the action. She approached him, only to blink in surprise. Sophocles' face was… intense, twisted into a thoughtful scowl. It looked like he was wracking his brain, on the cusp of figuring out something incredibly important.
"What is it?" she asked, shaking his shoulder. "What are you thinking?"
He turned to her, and the others, at last, though reluctant to meet anyone's eyes, his face cleared to reveal an uncertain expression. "I-I don't know," he started. "I-It might be n-nothing… but what L-Laela just said g-gave me an idea. Using fire against a w-water monster sounds like a bad strategy, but based on what I-I've already s-seen of this world, I th-think… I think we should give it a shot."
"Really?" Mallow asked. "Not Pikachu and Togedemaru? With it constantly surrounded by water…"
"I-It sounds c-crazy even to me, but just l-listen!" Sophocles said. His voice was as wavering with doubt as ever, but there was a spark in his eyes that Mallow hardly ever saw from him. He was rarely this passionate or convinced of something. "L-Look, being close to water is what m-makes the A-Almudron so dangerous – it can d-dive underground and make b-barriers instantly as long as it has mud. B-But if fire is a weakness for it, then that means it must get weaker if it dries out. We m-might be able to beat it if we draw it away from the water, a-and once we do, we can pass through safely!"
A pregnant pause followed as everyone considered his idea. While they did, the confidence left Sophocles and he waved his hands nervously, backpedaling, "N-No, f-forget it! I h-have no clue if it'll w-work at all, w-without any data there's n-no way of knowing f-for sure…"
"No," Venator suddenly interrupted, cutting Sophocles' babbling short. "What you're saying makes sense, Soph. You're thinking like a hunter should."
"Can't believe I didn't think of it – I literally gave him the idea, it was right there in front of me," Laela muttered. "Take the water monster out of the water. One problem… I'm still having trouble moving with these stupid burns."
"The healing will take a bit longer to fully set in," Venator agreed. "Until then, our bodies will keep aching and it'll be difficult to fight. Teris, can you go in our stead to join the battle, and bring Ash and Kiawe up to speed?"
"I will," the Rider answered. He was back on Ozzy in no time at all, peering down at Mallow from atop his mount. She hesitated when she saw the look he gave her, so wary and full of conflict. "Mallow… will you and Crimson come with me? I don't want to put you in any danger, but Ash and Kiawe might need the extra help. Your Crimson Qurupeco is especially skilled in distraction."
Reflexively, she swung her head toward Crimson, who loomed over her as tall as a Mudsdale. It tilted its head and let out an eager trill, yet despite its docile image, she still felt a bolt of fear at the thought of actually riding it. She was very aware of the Kinship Stone pressing against the back of her hand, deceptively heavy, its jewel dull aside from a glint that might've been a trick of the light.
You promised him you would try harder, she reminded herself. Curling her fingers into a fist, she thought she saw a slightly stronger glow light the Kinship Stone. Will this really work? Can I be a Rider like him and Chief Silva expect me to?
The bond is there, Teris had said. Embrace it instead of running from it, and you'll find that Crimson can be as reliable a companion as Steenee is.
Okay. Okay, I'll trust you.
"Steenee, stay here, a-alright?" she asked the Grass-type, approaching Crimson. The Qurupeco sensed what she was about to do and lowered its neck, allowing her to climb aboard and sit just in front of its wing joint. "I'm gonna help our friends. A-And I'm gonna try to do it as a Rider."
It was a little uplifting how enthused Steenee looked when she said that, the Fruit Pokemon bouncing up and down and singing a cheery note, an encouraging farewell. Mallow smiled at her beloved partner's support, then faced forward, gripping Crimson's neck for stability. Her hands were out in front of her, the Kinship Stone visible – it had a definite sparkle to it now, small but a promising sign, nonetheless.
"O-Okay," she said, drawing a long, steadying breath. "Teris, I… I'm ready, I think."
He looked back at her with the affection of a proud brother, or something else she couldn't put her finger on. "Just follow our lead, Mallow. Let's go, Ozzy!"
Squawking, the Kulu Ya-Ku took off down the slope, and Mallow let out a little squawk of her own when Crimson scrambled forward as well. She wrapped her arms around its neck, hugging herself close to it so its frenzied pace wouldn't throw her off. The colorful bird monster's strong legs took long, leaping strides while its wings flapped for balance on either side of her, causing her to bounce in place atop its back. First thing after we get out of this mess, I'm asking Teris to lend me his saddle…!
So preoccupied was she on the bumpy ride, she didn't see how close they were to the waterlogged battlefield until they were suddenly in the middle of it. Ash and Kiawe were there, frantically backing away as they shouted orders to their Pokemon to halt the charging Almudron. Pikachu's tail spun an Electroweb that snared its claw, and Turtonator's Flamethrower scorched its head and neck, but something was different this time. Mallow's already hammering pulse began to absolutely race with anxiety as the leviathan pushed its way through the elemental attacks and bowled Pikachu and Turtonator over with a flick of its tail – it was as if it had figured out that its foes were already fighting with all their strength and that the pain wouldn't get any worse. It loosed a roar that shook Mallow's bones and sent its tail ramming forward like a colossal fist, and even though Turtonator's hasty Shell Trap ignited with a deafening BANG, the punch sent the Fire-and-Dragon-type spinning off its feet, knocking Ash and Kiawe aside.
Mallow almost stopped breathing. "Teris!" she gasped. "They need help!"
"On it!" he called back. "Ozzy, rock!"
A raucous squawk split the din of combat as Ozzy charged, scooping a large stone up in its talons and hurling it without missing a beat. The rock sailed almost gracefully into the Almudron's head, knocking it to the side as it crumbled into a shower of pebbles and dust. Its tiny eyes blazing with outrage now, the Almudron plowed its tail into the ground with a SLAP that caused a tidal wave of mud. Teris and Mallow were separated, Ozzy jinking expertly to the side while Mallow hung on for dear life as Crimson darted out of the way. It turned to pursue Teris, leaving her free to calm Crimson and turn to Ash and Kiawe, both pulling themselves up out of the mud that now dirtied their uniforms.
"Ash! Kiawe! We have to get it away from the water!" she hollered. "We have to lead it up to –"
She was cut off abruptly. "Mallow, watch out!"
Who the shout came from, she would never know – all she could see in that moment was the Almudron bursting out of the ground in front of her. Crimson reared back, shrieking and flailing its wings, and the harsh movement was enough to fling the unprepared Mallow right off. She screamed in fright when she felt herself torn from the safety of the ground, only to reunite with it an instant later.
Her landing was an explosion of aches throughout her body and the crunching of the dry bush she flattened, being jabbed all over with stiff, sharp branches as she sat up and cradled her head in her hands. Stars briefly danced before her until she shook the dizziness away, her cleared vision coming to rest on the remnants of the desert shrub she'd landed on, and the wrinkly brown lump half-hidden under the crushed twigs whose appearance rung a bell somewhere in her memory.
She quickly forgot about the familiar-looking flora, though, when she climbed to her feet and witnessed the Almudron's tail sweep across the bog to create a second tidal wave. Stirred into a tsunami, the sludge surged toward her, and images of angry acid burns and suffocating mud dragging her under flashed before her frightened eyes. She threw herself prone, curling into herself as she waited for the painful, crushing end…
…yet, after several seconds of listening to her heart beat an erratic rhythm against her ribcage, it didn't come.
A shadow fell over her – Crimson's shadow. The Qurupeco was half-bent under the weight of the mud that clung to its back and wings like an ugly raincoat, long neck drooping and mouth open with silent agony. Gasping at the miserable sight, Mallow began to crawl forward, but her hand grabbed something hard and cool, and she hesitated. It was a glass bottle, and beside it, a small leather pouch. Had Teris dropped it in all the confusion? Peeking out of the open flap was the plant she had seen him grab before; he had said he used it in the cleanser they'd applied to the hunters, right…?
Inspiration illuminated Mallow's mind, and she snatched both the sprig and the bottle in her mud-stained gloves, cramming it inside before shaking thoroughly. Hoping that would prove sufficient mixing, Mallow scurried over to Crimson and splashed the cleanser over it in as wide an arc as she could. The bird-like Monstie nudged the tip of its bill into her, a sad croon curling out of its throat, and she took its muzzle in both hands to comfort it. Her Kinship Stone was shining brightly, and she understood – understood Crimson's pain, its shame, its lingering terror of what might have happened if it hadn't acted. There was devotion, trust even, and for the first time, Mallow looked deep into Crimson's soul without a trace of apprehension.
It saved me, she knew. This Monstie – my Monstie – saved me. Because Teris was right. We're bonded by kinship.
"I'm sorry, Crimson," she told it, a gloomy, regretful smile playing across her lips. "Even after hatching you, and everything I was taught, I wasn't very good to you because I was so scared of trusting a monster. But you were still kind enough to save me, because… you're my Monstie. And I'm your Rider. And I think… I think we need to work together now to save the others and clear our path. Can I depend on your help?"
It may have been her imagination, but she thought she saw a spark light Crimson's eye, and it raised its head with a joyous honk. That was a "yes" if Mallow had ever heard one, so she grinned and climbed aboard once again, snatching Teris' bag up off the ground as she went. Once on Crimson's back, she held onto its neck and squeezed with her knees, thinking of it like a Ride Pokemon. This would be just like riding Flygon as an Ultra Guardian, supporting her teammates on the sidelines however she could.
Supporting from the sidelines… Her expression became considering, something Teris had told her springing to mind.
"What did he say you were best suited for?" she asked, as much to herself as Crimson. "Not direct combat… but support and distraction?"
Crimson hopped on the spot and inflated its throat sac with a dramatic shiver of its wings, answering her with a proud demonstration of its abilities.
"Guess that's a yes," Mallow laughed, and steeled herself for what they were about to do. "That's more than fine with me."
When Kiawe had rushed to Ash's defense, all smiles and guts as he had Turtonator team with Pikachu to push back the Almudron, that bravado wasn't entirely sincere. Sure, it was encouraging to see that Fire-type moves were just as effective as Electric-type ones, and gratifying to watch a beast as huge and mighty as this mud-loving leviathan cower before their onslaught. But with every order Kiawe gave, every Flamethrower that answered, the seed of doubt at his core kept growing, little by little.
Their assault seemed to be working… so far. The Almudron seemed to be driven into a corner. How long would that last, though? Could they keep this up long enough for the hunters to rally… could he keep it up? Him, one Trainer stranded in a ferocious world without his Z-Ring? What could he do, cut off from the power of Alola that made him so strong? How hard could he fight in a world with nothing for him to believe in?
Finally, the Almudron pushed through Turtonator's Shell Trap to send them all sprawling in the muck. That was it, then – they had failed. Turtonator was struggling to rise, his last attack having taken the last of his strength. While the water-dragon busied itself with Teris and Mallow, he was left to wallow, figuratively and literally.
"We're… not done yet! Let's go, Barioth!" Ash huffed out, and took to the sky again despite obviously being as weary as Kiawe. Despite everything, he felt envy stab at him through his fatigue – envy of Ash. Somehow, he'd found a way to believe in this world, letting that belief continue to drive him to fight. How did he do it? Where did he draw his strength, if not from Alola?
Then, the time for questions was over – the Almudron was finishing with Teris and Mallow, its beady eyes swiveling back in his direction. He grimaced, his muscles aching as they tensed, readying for a fight he certainly couldn't win.
"Come on, Turtonator. We need… to keep going," he muttered.
"Turrrrtaaaa…" the Blast Turtle Pokemon groaned. He was slow to act, yet act he did, turning his shell exhaustedly toward the leviathan and attempting to keep his defensive stance rigid. Yet Kiawe could still see the slump in his posture and the dullness in his eyes.
The Almudron charged toward them, its roar like a terrible earthquake. Thunderbolts and Icy Winds rained down around it, but it barely even noticed, its sole focus the boy and Pokemon it had battered into submission and yet still dared defy it.
"We're still in this, Turtonator!" Kiawe insisted… while, in the back of his mind, he despaired. Sorry, Ash, everyone… he thought, shame dragging his heart into his bowels. Without our Z-Move… without Wela Volcano looking out for us… we're nothing.
GRRRMMMMASSSHASSSHAAAA! A second roar abruptly shook the battlefield – a second Almudron?! Had it come to help its fellow demolish what was left of them?!
… No, something was off. The Almudron was stopping, rearing its neck and glancing back and forth, all the fight draining from its posture. It was disoriented – whatever had made that sound wasn't its ally.
"Kiawe!" Ash called from above. "Look at that! Mallow and Crimson!"
Indeed, when Kiawe turned his wide eyes toward the rocks that framed the path up to the hunters' cart, the Crimson Qurupeco with Mallow on its back was standing upon the tallest boulder, flaring its wings and shaking its tail in a mocking dance. He watched it puff up its scarlet breast and blare out another hissing roar, a perfect imitation of the Almudron. And the impersonation infuriated the real deal; the leviathan snarled as it bounded out of the mud and scrabbled across dry rock in single-minded pursuit.
"Mallow!" he shouted, electrifying fear for her life shooting through his every nerve.
"Don't worry about me!" she called back whilst retreating, Crimson hopping across the rocks without letting up its taunting jig. "You and Ash, help us separate it from the water!"
That was her plan?! She was leading it toward the cart, where Sophocles and the injured hunters were still resting! He looked to the sky and made an urgent motion with his arm, telling Ash to follow, and without waiting for confirmation took off at a run after the monster's retreating tail. Motivated by rage, it was moving up the path faster than he and Turtonator could keep up. It was going to reach the cart long before he got there. An image of its tail shattering the vehicle to matchsticks, Sophocles trapped beneath, flashed before him, and he doubled his pace even though it made his legs scream in protest.
As he forced his exhausted, mud-soaked legs uphill, he heard a yell, and for the briefest, most terrifying moment, he thought his fears were becoming a reality. However, the sight of the Almudron retreating backwards, giving way to the glint of sunlight reflecting off gold, put Kiawe's concerns to rest. Venator and Laela were on their feet with weapons drawn, ready for a second round. Teris and Mallow flanked them on their Monsties, while Ash hovered above the lot of them on his own – wherever Sophocles was, he was out of sight and hopefully safe.
The Almudron slammed its tail on the ground – Kiawe ducked with a yell, narrowly avoiding being crushed against the rocks – and dragged it over the path, erecting a mud wall behind it. Kiawe realized instantly that, in trying to trap them in the narrower space, it was cutting itself off from the oasis. And, as if coming to that realization as well, the Almudron drooped with exhaustion, its scales dry and its fur no longer dripping with ooze. It moaned and put its head to the ground, only to find out that it couldn't burrow through solid stone.
A pinprick of hope dawned inside him. Perhaps Mallow had been what they needed. He'd been too weak to handle it alone, but she had turned the tide, and now the others could make the final push.
"Everyone, attack at once!" Venator bellowed. He rushed the monster, stabbing out with his lance while Laela darted around him to slash at its front leg and chest. Kiawe's stomach turned when he saw blood stain its hide, but it wasn't quite enough to dampen his newfound hope.
"Natooooor!" Turtonator growled, but slumped tiredly, only tiny embers spitting from his snout. Placing a hand on Turtonator's side, Kiawe thought fondly, It's okay if we don't have any fight left in us, Turtonator. We aren't strong enough… so let the others pick up the slack in our stead.
"You and me too, Ash! As Riders!" Teris cried.
"Yeah!" Ash shouted in wholehearted agreement, fiery passion burning in his voice. "We're not gonna let this monster stop us from gettin' home!"
They moved to attack – and then everybody stopped in their tracks, dumbstruck by what happened next.
Blinding, cerulean light burst forth to fill the surroundings like the birth of a second sun. Kiawe ducked and raised his arm to shield his eyes, already streaming with tears from the overwhelming radiance. Underneath the sound of his blood rushing in his ears, he heard Sophocles, Mallow, Venator, Laela, and all of the Pokemon crying out in shock from within the dazzling supernova. An inexplicable, tingling rush prickled his skin and sizzled up his spine, the sensation so unexpectedly familiar that his heart almost stopped right then.
Z-Power?! he thought. Behind the shade of his right arm, his squinted gaze flicked toward his left, fixating on his Z-Ring in disbelief. The Firium-Z, though glinting blue as it reflected the light, was unreactive even in the face of this incredible energy, still devoid of its own power. Though it felt uncannily similar, this phenomenon wasn't Z-Power. That could only mean…
It's from those things the Riders wear, he realized, drawing a surprised breath. The… the Kinship Stones. But how are they…?
"Ash! Our Kinship Stones!" Teris shouted from somewhere behind the blinding blue star. "Raise yours high in the air and tell Barioth to attack!"
There was a tiny pause as Ash no doubt struggled to process his words on top of everything else, but otherwise, he didn't hesitate to respond. "Got it, Teris! Barioth, let's make our move!"
"You too, Ozzy!" Teris added.
As if the explosion of light hadn't been enough, the brilliance abruptly vanished as simply as flipping a switch. No, wait… it hadn't vanished, Kiawe realized as he lifted his head and blinked the sunspots from his vision – it had just been repurposed. Barioth's open mouth now shone with intense, ice-blue light, as if the ice energy held deep inside it was threatening to spill forth, and Ozzy's boulder was glowing brilliant orange, the air around it wavering with heat. Kiawe was dumbstruck, speechless, completely swept away by this new development… but the most amazing had yet to come.
With a fearsome squawk and a heave of its talons, Ozzy flung the boulder at the Almudron, the projectile brimming with such energy it was practically a fireball. That turned out to be an appropriate likeness to make; when it sailed past the monster's head and landed square on its back, it exploded like a cannonball with an earsplitting BOOM, curtains of fire and smoke engulfing the Almudron in a steaming black cloud. It writhed and twisted, the movements of its neck and tail clearing the soot, and that was when Barioth's turn came – its head snapping forward, an enormous Ice Beam spewed from between its fangs, striking the ground and sending continuous waves of frost and ice spikes spreading forth, painting the rock and soil white. With one last pulse of energy, the Ice Beam culminated in an orb that hit the ground, detonating…
…into a gigantic tornado of ice and snow, completely swallowing the Almudron with a howling roar and whipping the surrounding air into a frigid storm. Kiawe gasped and cringed, hiding his face from the slicing cold, feet sliding on the frosted ground as the wind pushed him back. For an eternity that spanned several seconds, the cyclone speared into the sky and hid the path entirely before dissipating. It left behind nothing but deafening silence, stunned witnesses, and an Almudron caught up to the base of its neck in thick white ice, smack in the middle of a ring of frost.
Kiawe was utterly flabbergasted, numb with disbelief more than cold at what he had just seen. His brain felt like it, itself, had been iced over, so sluggishly was he able to comprehend what his eyes and ears were telling him. The spectacle, the energy, the incredible expression of pure power… it was almost like… no, exactly like…
Th-That was… a Z-Move! Kiawe would have shouted, were his mouth at all responsive. A Z-Move… without Z-Power… in a world other than Alola…? N-No, it couldn't be! Th-That's impossible! Just wh-what was that immense power?
There was a thump as Barioth landed, and it reared up on its hind legs with a victorious howl. Kiawe shifted his unblinking gaze upwards, where Ash and Pikachu perched on its saddle, both fists raised in a proclamation of victory. In that moment, to Kiawe's discerning eye, they looked one and the same – just like when Ash and Pikachu performed a Gigavolt Havoc. He tried to speak, to ask the million questions racing through his head, but no sound came out.
"It's called a Kinship Skill," Teris explained as his Monstie strode up to join them. There was a knowing smile on the Rider's face as he peered down at Kiawe's uncomprehending expression. "It's the culmination of kinship between Rider and Monstie. We were so focused on the battle, on succeeding for the sake of our goal, our minds and the Monsties' minds momentarily became one. Our feelings were united and thus became strong enough to manifest as an eruption of power."
Kiawe could have been knocked over by a light breeze, so shaken was he by Teris' words. If he hadn't been there to witness it for himself, he never would have believed the Rider – but he had, so the explanation was just the final confirmation of what he'd initially thought.
These Kinship Skills, or whatever they were… they were, indeed, the same as Z-Moves. This terrible world, with its endless cycle of violence and lack of the very essence that made Z-Moves possible, wasn't the antithesis of Alola he'd believed. Z-Power, the guardian deities, even the centuries-old bond between people and nature – they weren't gone, just present in different forms: Kinship Skills, the hunters, and the Riders.
It was a world-shattering revelation.
"Incredible."
The voice prompted Kiawe to look away from his lifeless Z-Ring and toward the rest of the party, who approached with steps made tentative with awe. Laela was the one who'd spoken, all pretense of sarcasm and sourness gone, replaced by genuine, wide-eyed wonder.
"I've only known of Riders for a few days, but I never in a thousand years expected you to have such power," the swordswoman breathed. "The level of control you must have in order to get your monsters to accomplish such things… that's just…"
Teris rolled his eyes. "I told you before, it isn't about control. It's kinship. Our bond, our belief in each other."
A soft noise came from Ash's direction, and Kiawe turned to find his rival staring intently at the exchange, his expression stony and unreadable. "Ash?" he asked. "You say something?"
"Hmm?" the Kantonian blinked, regarding him blankly. "I dunno. Just kinda spaced out, I guess."
Mallow, meanwhile, had a speculative, almost reverent look on her face as she stroked Crimson's neck with shaky fingers. "Could I… we eventually do something like that?"
Crack. The splintering of ice made the party whirl towards the imprisoned Almudron, which was hissing and thrashing as its prison began to weaken under its might, fracture by hairline fracture. Without waiting another moment, Venator and Laela pushed past Kiawe and Teris and rushed for the cart, still sitting where they'd left it further up the path. After exchanging a glance amongst themselves, the Pokemon Trainers quickly followed.
"We should get out of here while the Almudron is locked down," Venator said, his armor and shield making a racket as he climbed into the driver's seat. "And somebody's going to have to break down that wall it made. Any of you Riders feel up to it?"
Staring past the trapped monster, Kiawe saw that, indeed, the mud wall was still there, its base partially frozen due to having been caught in Ash's… whatever that was. He looked to Turtonator, eyebrows knitted in concerned speculation – maybe his tired partner could still muster the firepower to break the barrier down? But as the thought crossed his mind, it was Mallow that stepped up to the task, or Crimson did with Mallow on its back, a peculiar object in her hands.
"Leave it to me!" she claimed, noticeably more confident than she'd been before. "C'mon, Crimson, get me over there!"
The Qurupeco honked and did its odd, flapping dash past the Almudron, sidestepping its thrashing tail, to reach the wall. It stopped just shy of it, and Mallow reached over her head and snapped her arms forward in an overhead throw, shouting "Hah!" as she let the round, brown thing fly. Whatever questions Kiawe had about her intentions were promptly answered when the object burst open in a blast of fire, blowing a smoking hole in the base of the wall before the whole, partially dried thing half-crumbled and half-oozed to the ground.
"Mallow, what did you just do?" Teris asked, echoing Kiawe's thoughts.
"The exploding coconut I told you about on our gathering trip, remember?" Mallow answered with a mischievous grin. "I found one in the bushes near the oasis and held onto it! I knew it would come in handy!"
Teris, Venator, and Laela exchanged a bewildered look, and Kiawe could honestly agree with them. "There's… no such thing as an exploding coconut," Venator said slowly, the concept apparently new to him. "And a coconut in the bushes? That doesn't make… sense…"
The warrior grew very still, and even though Kiawe couldn't see his face, he could practically feel the dread coming off his armor.
"Laela, the notices you saw! At the Guild!" he exclaimed, suddenly urgent. "You didn't happen to see…?"
The hunter's face Kiawe could see turned completely white. "Damnit, gimme those!" she barked, scrambling to rip the reins from Venator's hands, and gave them a harsh snap. Their Aptonoth moaned and tossed its head, the draft beast unwilling to go near the trapped Almudron even as Laela grew ever more panicked. "Move! Move, damnit! Or we're gonna –"
A shadow passed over the party, the only warning they had before a piercing bellow stabbed through their ears.
BRRAAAAAWWWWWWWWWW!
Something enormous dropped out of the sky and smashed into the Almudron in a mighty conflagration, the explosion drowning out its cry as it was freed from the ice and forced downhill, the two bodies hidden by consecutive blasts as they rolled end-over-end down the slope. Kiawe could only gape as he picked out a massive, winged form partially hidden amidst the smoke and fire, its head and neck ridiculously corpulent and counterbalanced by a bulbous tail of similar thickness. Glimpses of its underside revealed Mallow's "exploding coconuts" gathered en masse, their true identities being organic bombs meant to cook prey alive. For a horrible moment, the whole party was rooted to the ground, unsure how to react to the violent ambush that had the formerly formidable Almudron helpless under its assailant's weight.
"Go!" Teris yelled, snapping them all out of their daze. "Go, while the monsters are occupied!"
Laela gave the reins a final snap, and Kiawe's stomach flip-flopped as the cart finally lurched forward with the creaking of strained timbers. One hand on the cart and the other gripping Turtonator's, he held on for dear life, Sophocles doing the same next to him as they all clattered downhill, back to the oasis they were still attempting to bypass.
"An Almudron and a Bazelgeuse! Your idea turned out worse than I thought!" Venator seethed.
Ignoring him, Laela kept her eyes forward as their bumpy ride over stones turned into a slippery one over the muddy lakebed. "Riders, we're going to need to clear the rocks on the other side of the lakebed!" she shouted at them. "Ash, get Barioth to lift the cart as soon as we turn! Mallow, your oversized mockingbird needs to grab the Aptonoth and lead us over! Teris, keep the cart steady when Ash lifts it!"
"WHAT?!" Sophocles shrieked, an exclamation of pure horror that Kiawe's entire being privately agreed with.
The tussling monsters were dead ahead, jaws gnashing and limbs flailing, and Laela yanked the reins in a dangerously sharp left turn, the cart's wheels sliding freely through the mud. Kiawe's gut was now somewhere in his throat as he clung to the side with eyes screwed shut, praying that their momentum wouldn't throw them out. He opened them again to see ten feet of rock and water getting rapidly closer. As if that didn't fill him with enough horror, another cacophonic call from behind drew his gaze back to the concluded fight, where the giant wyvern now stood atop the burrowing water-dragon's burnt corpse.
"Everyone hold on!" Ash and Mallow screamed.
Two sets of talons descended, clamping down on the cart and its living engine. Any sound the Aptonoth made when Crimson carried it clumsily into the sky was masked by the squealing of Togedemaru, the bellow of Turtonator, the wailing of Sophocles, and whatever terrified noise escaped from Kiawe's own mouth when the entire cart lifted and tipped. Barioth's back legs didn't reach far enough to grab the whole cart, only the left side, and so Kiawe found himself tumbling dangerously close to the edge, Turtonator's crushing weight on one side and empty air on the other.
Some small, still rational part of his mind took notice of Teris and Ozzy directly beneath them, the Kulu Ya-Ku's raised talons holding the cart just steady enough. The rest of him was too busy screaming and praying and trying not to vomit.
And, just like that, they were clear. The cart landed with a tremendous, jarring THUD-SPLASH into shallow water coursing over wet rock, and its occupants tumbled off Kiawe with much gasping and groaning. He crawled back into a sitting position, feeling in rougher shape than he'd ever been. His ribs ached from being sat on and his head pounded like a Marowak had clubbed it, and the adrenalin-fueled high of the past ten minutes was ebbing away, making him increasingly aware of the numbing exhaustion in his limbs and the nausea climbing up from his bowels. He wanted to cheer, to laugh, to shout, to fall unconscious, and to throw up all at once.
And to think that wasn't even the last hurdle, Kiawe remembered, and his exhaustion tripled at the thought. If the Lava Caverns are anything like that… Lusamine won't be too disappointed if I quit the Ultra Guardians completely, right?
AN:
This chapter was dedicated entirely to one battle that represents a turning point in terms of the characters – everybody's arcs got a big push forward here. I'd say Kiawe's and Mallow's are the most significant, but Ash and Sophocles got development as well.
It took me this long to reveal the existence of Kinship Skills – the Z-Moves of Stories – because I wanted Kiawe to be present for their debut. I've brought him down to his lowest point, his beliefs completely shattered because of this world's difference from Alola, and it's time for me to bring him back to the light, show him that maybe this world does have something he can believe in.
That said, I had to make a tweak to Ozzy's Kinship Skill because the canon version involves it being given an exploding egg to throw. Fortunately, it's not too much of a stretch to apply that to the rocks Kulu Ya-Ku loves to wield.
Couldn't resist throwing a surprise Bazelgeuse air raid into the mix, either. It might seem a bit of a random note to end on, but it's consistent with how the "Party Crasher" is shown in the games and was vaguely foreshadowed way back in Chapter 9.
This chapter was a tad chaotic, so the next one is going to be some much-needed downtime, with some additional light thrown on the subtler developments made in this chapter. As always, thank you all for reading and reviewing!
Next time: Reconciliation