Red was thoroughly impressed. He'd set off from the summit of Mt. Silver in search of a wild Pokemon battle to train his team with, only to be met with bitter empty handedness. Nothing flew, fired, flayed, or any other F word-ed at his team. At first, he'd been incredibly confused. Even the Tyranitar, Hariyama, Bronzong, and Absol which normally provided him and his team with the greatest of labors hadn't appeared. He suddenly remembered all of the rumbling and shaking he'd heard earlier in the day. He'd completely ignored it at the time, thinking it was only just Mt. Silver's Pokemon cleaning out the trash again. But to think that this had been the source of the commotion. Red looked around in disbelief at the sight before him and his team. Massive craters, a 5 cm thick layer of ice, several Pokemon-shaped indentations in the ground, and other battle debris lay strewn around the chamber that stood between challengers and him. It looked as if an army had marched through.
Mewtwo's voice spoke in his head. If only you were able to realize the irony in that statement.
Explain, Red demanded. But all he received in reply was silence. He sighed inwardly, and continued to examine the venerable, ancient battlefield from his vantage point atop the stairs to the summit. Deciding that today was not going to yield any worthwhile opponents, he turned to go return to the peak of Mt. Silver again, not even realizing for a second just how wrong he was.
He dreamed a dream... The Enigma Atop the Silver Mountain had descended, just for a moment, and had seen the results of the day's siege. For the first time in a long time, he'd been genuinely shocked out of his blase face as he regarded the wasteland. Then he'd disappeared right back up from whence he came. Haha, what a silly dream~ As if the Kanto Champion could ever be surprised about anything.
Black was shaken awake by his Zekrom just as his dreams started to shift. He rubbed his head, wincing at just how much it hurt. Geezes, he couldn't wait to return to a normal bed and pillow. Forget what he'd said about sleeping outdoors; rocks sucked. Zekrom made a rumbling noise in its throat. Black looked up at it. "Hm? Check the time?" He instinctively held up his wrist and did as the dragon had told him to. 4:58 P.M. A string of unsavory curses ran through Black's mind as he realized he was almost late to his appointment. "Thanks, Zekrom," he said as he threw the remaining Pokeballs into the air. His team slowly opened their eyes as they realized where they were and what time it was. Each Pokemon stretched slowly, cracking several stiff bones as they savored the luxury of complete recovery. Black faced his team, all 6 Pokemon and Mew. "Okay, everyone. Within a minute's time, we'll be facing arguably our greatest challenge yet. I just want to thank you all for being such great friends—no, family to me. Now, let's go bring a Champion home!" His team cheered its approval as he recalled them all into their Pokeballs. Black turned toward the dark flight of stairs. They somehow looked rather daunting now that he was without any company. A light smack on the back of his head from the free-range Mew quickly shot that thought down. He did have someone behind him... No, not just one. A plethora of people. Professor Oak, Scott, Blue, Hanako, Professor Juniper, Cheren, Bianca, his mom... N. All of them were with him in spirit, supporting him. And now was the time for him to repay them back.
He ascended the stairs, the faint lake green light emitted by the crystals in the rocks turning the experience into more of a surreal one than was necessary. His footsteps echoed loudly in the closed corridor that seemed to go on without end. Black was just pulling out his water bottle for a drink when he saw light up ahead. He paused to take a swig, wiping his mouth on his sleeve when he'd finished before taking a deep breath. Now or nothing. It was time to enact a battle of myths.
Black walked up the remaining amount of stairs and passed through the threshold of the cavern. The cerulean lighting of the interior of the summit surprised him. It was a stark contrast to first the cobalt blue of the floor below them and then the lake green of the stairs. Black continued his examination of the place, approving of it more and more. The floor was incredibly flat and even, with no rocks jutting out of the ground. This meant no shelter from any omni-directional attacks. He stored that in his mind for later. A single, small opening in the mountainside at approximately 2 o'clock was the only thing that served as a reminder of the outside world. Black realized with a start that that was the artificial window from which he had first discovered Red. Which meant that everything that had occurred was thanks to it. He smiled warmly at the thought for several instants, before turning to face the far side of the room again.
Sure enough, standing before him as silently as the rumors about him had so claimed, was the Kanto Champion, Red. The teenager before him couldn't have been more than his age, with pale brown hair, astonishingly crimson eyes, and a slightly gaunt face (from what could be seen of it, anyway). On his head rested a red and white cap, which shielded much of his facial features. A tattered, red, sleeveless jacket with a white stripe and collar hugged his surprisingly well-built form, carefully concealing the black undershirt he wore below. The baggy, blue jeans he wore were ripped from countless experiences, past and present, leading down to equally battered red, black, and white running shoes. The yellow backpack Black had heard about had mysteriously disappeared, for some odd reason or other.
"..." Red said nothing as he pulled his hat down closer to his eyes, peering at his opponent from beneath the cover of darkness. Though he couldn't see them, Black knew full well that Red's Pokemon were around the area somewhere, watching over them. He felt the intensity of Red's gaze as the buried myth stood there silently, waiting. Black nodded in understanding, pulling out his first Pokemon. He held it out in front of him, palm facing the ceiling in a gesture of invitation. A Pikachu—no, the Pikachu—charged out from nowhere and scurried up to its favorite spot in all the world: Red's shoulder. Red continued to look at the mysterious "nature enthusiast" who had been hanging around Mt. Silver for the past 5 weeks, and nodded. Black's lips curled into a small smile for a brief moment as he drew his hand back, before turning into that intense death glare that had unsettled Red the first time they'd met.
"..." Following Red's example, Black didn't say a word as he called out his first Pokemon. A stage worthy of you has been set, my friend. Let us fight well, and enact a titanic battle of myths, he whispered mentally, knowing that the intuitive bond shared between him and his Pokemon was strong enough that they would all know what he thought. This meant he'd be able to give them wordless orders like this, which would allow a level playing field against Red. Most excellent.
"Samur!" cried Black's first choice. Black noticed Red falter for a second, confused. Though he'd never seen Samurott's kind before, he could obviously tell it was a Water type due to its build. And, of course, Black knew that Red always led with Pikachu. However, this was all part of the plan to win Red over. He quietly hurt for his faithful starter as he realized what it would have to endure in order for the objective to be met.
Red's eyes turned to Pikachu, motioning to the battlefield before them, noiselessly choosing it. The Pikachu leaped from Red's shoulder and landed some 15 feet away from its original starting point. Red held out his hand to Black, giving him the first move.
Like it had been doing all day, Black's mind split into 2 layers as it entered a more focused mindset. Swords Dance, thought Black. Samurott started to move in place, waving its arms around and about as it upped its attack power. Professor Oak and Scott had been very clear about battling with Red: no moves were to be wasted, not an instant spared. Scout first, retreat, and then attack. Red's eyes gave nothing away as his Pikachu began to race around the field, gradually becoming nothing more than a yellow blur as Agility pushed its speed stat to the very limits. Focus Energy indefinitely until I tell you to move otherwise.
Samurott closed its eyes, concentrating. Black knew exactly what Red was seeing and thinking—the way his left index finger twitched just the slightest bit at the sight of the Water type closing its eyes said as much. Red thought that, like countless trainers before him, Samurott was "trusting" Black to be his eyes and ears as it focused more on not making mistakes than trying to follow Pikachu. And that's where he was wrong. Red's Pikachu switched modes impossibly fast as it went from abusing the power of Agility to charging forward with a small Quick Attack. It was almost like a flash of light zooming through the room. But, unfortunately for Red, light was meant to be reflected by mirrors.
Two seconds and you'll be able to slam it to the right with Knock Off. It was exactly as predicted: Pikachu was sent flying with a cry of pain as the Swords Dance enhanced Knock Off hit true. From the sound of the resulting impact, Black would have said it was a critical hit, too. Impressively enough, though, Pikachu was still up when the dust settled. Its fur was bristling in agitation as both it and Red realized just how redoubtable of an opponent Black and his Samurott truly were. Both Pokemon paced the ground, sizing each other up once again. This time, Samurott made the first move as it spewed forth an Icy Wind. The glittery blue wind enveloped the entire area, doing even less damage than normal to Pikachu on account of the fact that it was more widespread. However, it had the desired effect. Pikachu slowed down considerably at the hands of the weak Ice attack. Though it would never make up for the amount of speed buffing Pikachu had gained using those Agilities, it at least gave Samurott's eyes a fighting chance. As if sensing Black's thoughts, Pikachu closed the distance between it and Samurott as it swung an Iron Tail around at the Water type. Black made the split-second decision then and there to initiate an actual, powerful attack. And, in order to do that, he'd have to take a huge risk, one with potentially game-changing consequences.
Hit the ground and use Rain Dance. The steely gray wrath of Pikachu's Iron Tail missed Samurott's head by mere inches as the Formidable Pokemon dropped all of its weight on the ground. An orb of white formed in front of Samurott's mouth. It shot it straight at the landing Pikachu, who gave a shout of surprise. Of course, it didn't suffer any damage. But it would soon. As storm clouds began to circle around Pikachu, blocking the confused mouse from sight, Black gave Samurott a second order.
Get in close and use Ice Beam. The white mist began to darken as it slowly transformed into rain clouds. They would have only a few seconds to pull the blindside off before their cover vanished. Pikachu moved its head back and forth warily, unable to rely upon Red to help it see. Samurott took that opportunity to appear from behind it and fire an Ice Beam. The Electric type turned to face its opponent... but it was already too late. The Ice Beam attack hit home, right on Pikachu's chest. Pikachu gave another cry, this one of pain, as the clouds rose, revealing the battlefield.
Pikachu was still up, though it had been forced onto all fours by the force of the attack. Samurott, meanwhile, had retreated, using Aqua Jet as a means of fast escape. All around them, rain poured down in sheets, reducing the visibility to the barest minimum. At least, for the non aquatic lifeforms. Can you still see? asked Black. The yes he'd been expecting made his spirits soar, if only by little. Trainer and Pokemon looked on as a yellow glow in the distance became brighter. Here comes Thunder, warned Black. Of course, Red would take advantage of the increased accuracy of the attack in rainy weather. He'd been expecting as much when he'd ordered Rain Dance. Blue was right about one thing: one really did have to be three steps ahead of Red to win; The Champion was incredibly adept at question-answer type situations. A wicked bolt of lightning tore into the air, effectively scattering the thunderclouds as it made its way toward Samurott. Wait for it, thought Black, watching the clouds closely. The stray clouds that had remained began to crackle as the electricity started to build up. Black's eyes vaguely caught Pikachu running forward in the distance. Change of plans, Samurott. Protect, and then Dig instead. Black's order came not a moment too late, as Pikachu's Volt Tackle landed right when Samurott had finished throwing up the barrier. It then managed to dive underground just as the Thunder attack crashed on the floor with a resounding boom! That was far too close for comfort.
Pikachu's head turned this way and that as it stayed on the alert for any signs of Samurott popping up. Black was a little irritated at his luck. Despite this battle having gone (almost) exactly according to plan thus far, he still couldn't use his other Dig strategy on account of the fact that he might very well collapse the entire place. He was still mentally cursing his situation when he noticed how thoroughly soaked the ground was. Uh oh. Electricity conducted wonderfully through water. That would not be good, no sir. Samurott, remember the freeze escape thing we did with Blue? Do that again, would you. And make it your strongest Blizzard yet.
Samurott didn't say a word as it randomly popped up in different parts of the field, with no method or law behind it. Red's body language slowly changed to that of perplexity when he realized the Samurott wasn't after his Pikachu with that super effective Ground attack. What in Arceus was going on? He received his answer a few holes later.
You may initiate Blizzard. Black saw Red look up as he felt the temperature slowly change. Wind rustled the area as Samurott slowly readied its Blizzard attack underground. When Red saw his icy breath in front of his face, it clicked.
For the first time since their battle had started, Red's demeanor changed, if only in the slightest. He smiled a little at the joys of fighting such a talented challenger, while also cursing silently in disbelief and helplessness. There was absolutely no way to stop Samurott, not when it had covered all of its tracks like that. The location it had taken to hiding in had guaranteed that Pikachu wouldn't come after it, not if it didn't want to be met by a huge punishment. And the fact that the battlefield was bare of any rocks or other natural formations practically ensured that the charging Blizzard would land. Not that it would have mattered, seeing as to how his opponent had created openings scattered all throughout the arena. All he could do now was hope Pikachu forgave him for putting it in such a dire pinch.
Fire away, Samurott, toasted Black in his head. Goosebumps erupted all along his clothed arms as he tried to put his hands in his jacket's pockets as casually as possible. This was, without doubt, Samurott's most powerful Blizzard to date. The attack was its own independent snowstorm, on par or even surpassing the might of the winter storms he'd seen in Icirrus and Snowpoint. Black clung on to his hat as aged rock eroded by the powerful gales flew past him. He tried extending one hand in front of himself to test the visibility and found that he couldn't even see his fingers beyond the howling snow. I understand you're spent but try to locate Pikachu and attack as well, said Black. This was a truly impressive attack. No wonder it had taken forever to prepare. Through the wind and snow buffeting his face, Black thought he heard a Pika! of agony as Samurott dug itself out of the ground.
It took about 2 more minutes for the Blizzard attack to finally clear. The sight that was revealed to Black when that happened took his breath away. The interior of Mt. Silver had been completely frozen over. Icicles hung from the vast ceiling of the cave, reminding Black and, he assumed, Red of the Seafoam Islands. Much to his pleasure, Black saw that the puddles created by Rain Dance had been completely iced thanks to Blizzard. That was good. One less thing for Red to take advantage of. A small groan caught his attention.
Red's Pikachu struggled to lift its weight as the damage from all of Samurott's attacks started to do their job. Black had to hand it to him, he'd raised Pikachu to an extraordinary level. To be able to keep on after getting slammed into the epicenter of Samurott's most powerful Blizzard to date while simultaneously being hit by Dig was something else. Red passively looked on despite his current predicament, watching Pikachu closely.
Black and Samurott waited as Pikachu struggled to regain the strength to lift itself. A fair (Black questioned the appropriateness of the word when comparing it to his strategy) and honorable (how laughable) battle was what he had came here for, and he would see it through. While he waited, Black started doing the math, trying to calculate just how much of Agility's effects he'd managed to counter. He understood that Ice Beam and Blizzard were technically not slowing attacks. However, it's what they left behind that he was really praying for. He looked toward Pikachu, who had finally managed to get up. There were small ice crystals trying to form all along its body. Oh goodio, thought Black. The advantage is mine then. Pikachu began to run, barreling towards Black's Samurott with increasing speed. But, despite the reduced friction granted by an icy surface, it appeared as though Pikachu had slowed down considerably, much more than first indicated. But that wasn't right... The amount of verglas growing on it should not be weighing it down that much, even if one factored in fatigue. So where was the—ah. On its stomach.
Pikachu continued with its Volt Tackle, now little more than 15 feet away. Draw seamitars, ordered Black. Samurott turned to him for a moment, confused. Black nodded in reassurance. The seamitars' Electric resistance were to be their secret weapon. So why was Black having him draw them out now? There was no time to hesitate as Pikachu leaped the last 5 feet. And... Razor Shell! Samurott drew its radiant seamitar just as Pikachu was the blade's distance away. The timing was impeccable: Pikachu collided with the right side of the glowing sword, struggling against the force of the swing. A cracking noise caught Black's attention. No way... the seamitar was... breaking?! Samurott was struggling against the powerful push despite Pikachu's smaller mass. Black decided now was as good a time as ever to play his trump. Hydro Cannon. We're ending it, he said silently. There was a brief, blue, star-shaped flash in front of Samurott's mouth, which was followed by the appearance of a watery orb. Without giving Pikachu or Red any chance to react, it fired.
The Water type version of Hyper Beam impacted, sending Pikachu flying with a massive shockwave. It landed somewhere at 1 o'clock, a swirling fog of dirt obscuring it from sight. However, the Electric type did not go quietly. The stress created by Pikachu's Volt Tackle had been too much for Samurott's seamitar, it appeared, because the blade broke clean in half. The shard went flying, impaling itself onto the ground several feet away. Black looked on in amazement. In all his time battling, no one had even managed to single handedly cause Samurott's precious seamitars to chip, much less snap apart. He prayed to almighty Arceus that that Pikachu was down for the count, because the potential backlash for using such a bold move would cost him.
The rolling cloud cleared to reveal Red's Pikachu, which moved no more. Black let out an undetectable sigh of relief at the sight. Praise the sun and stars that was over with. As he waited for Red to go and recover Pikachu, he decided to check and make sure Samurott was fine. Can you keep going, Samurott? asked Black. A swirl of cool colors flashed through his mind. He sighed internally, while keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead. You know I can't understand colors very well, dufus. Especially not in the middle of a battle. If you're not prepared to say "Samur" in your head, at least give me a physical cue. Samurott turned around and flashed him a wide smile. Black didn't know what he'd done to deserve such troublemakers for Pokemon; he was certain he'd raised them correctly, after all.
A rumbling sound reminded him to stay focused. Red had set Pikachu down on the ground at his side, and was standing still, with his hands in his pockets. The rumbling continued as something large approached them. In the corner opposite of the spot where Pikachu had landed, emerging from a previously unnoticed and well-concealed entrance, was a Venusaur. The Grass type was massive in comparison to its brethren. It was probably a foot taller than the average Venusaur's height, and the flower on its back looked like it had had a heaping helping of mulch every now and then, having grown a second layer of smaller petals beneath the first. Its battle prowess was illustrated all over its body in the form of battle scars and bruises, which decorated it like the lights on a Christmas tree. Its calloused skin was a darker teal than most Venusaur, which was odd. Then again, other Venusaur did not endure the frigid airs of Mt. Silver for years on end. Black knew that this was going to be a close and difficult battle, given the hulking green monster's slight speed advantage on top of its superior typing. He would have to try and land the first move.
Aqua Jet in and switch to point-blank Ice Beam, he told Samurott. Samurott cloaked itself in a veil of water before flying through the air toward Venusaur. In response to the Water type's charge, its opponent unleashed a storm of leaves in order to try and stop it. Black knew it wasn't a Leaf Storm attack, given that they weren't glowing with any special properties. The Razor Leaf spam narrowly missed Samurott several times, who rammed its side against the Venusaur's head, interrupting the stream of Grass attacks. It bounced back due to the recoil of the attack, and readied an Ice Beam. A blue orb appeared in front of Samurott's mouth as it fired the super effective technique in mid-air. In response, a green hemisphere suddenly erupted into existence around Venusaur as its Protect shielded it from the devastating freeze rays. Aerial Ace, responded Black, and switch into Icy Wind on contact. Samurott landed on the ground, opposite the smirking Venusaur. A dozen vines soared from Venusaur's back, making their way towards the Water type. It was like each one had a mind of its own, independently seeking out its target with incredible precision.
Draw your seamitar and charge, ordered Black. If they could at least get Venusaur out, it might make the rest of the battle easier. But that was not to be. Withdrawing all of its vines, Venusaur hurled its front half into the air as its body was surrounded by a green aura, before stomping back onto the ground. The earth shook as light brown roots shot out, each one lined with numerous spikes all along its length. Samurott never even got a chance to escape. The roots caused by Frenzy Plant grabbed the Formidable Pokemon, who yelped in pain, before hurling it mercilessly into the ground. Black knew Samurott's run was over well before he even saw its fainted form. He sighed, pulling out his loyal friend's Pokeball, and recalled it. Thank you for all your hard work, Samurott. Now take a good long break and let Zekrom take care of the rest.
Black pulled out said Legendary's Pokeball, and threw it into the air. "Zekrom, my old friend, a stage worthy of you has been set. Let's finish what Samurott started." The Legendary let loose a violent roar as it appeared from its Pokeball. Zekrom coldly regarded the Venusaur that was staring up at it in bewilderment, its awe-inspiring visage directing death at the Grass type. A whirlpool of dark warm colors swam through Black's mind as Zekrom's anger spoke for itself.
So this is the one who did in my close friend's first, it seemed to say. Lightning crackled through the air as Zekrom's tail began to hum.
We'll have to restrain ourselves a bit, Zekrom, cautioned Black. This interior is probably very delicate. The black dragon nodded its head, indicating that it had heard the word of advice. Alright. They're obviously waiting for us, so let's start with a Dragon Claw. Zekrom was nothing more than a dark blur as it sped clear across the arena to Venusaur. The Grass type barely managed to throw up a Protect in time. A Cheshire grin worked its way across Black's face as his feint succeeded.
Get back and use Dragonbreath. The Deep Black Pokemon levitated back about 10 feet, before opening its jaws wide. An indigo cyclone escaped its mouth, making its way toward Venusaur. Red's second Pokemon was helpless against the Dragon type technique, which took it out with a single shot. Black hated having to resort to this sort of tactic where he hurled some of the most powerful Legendary Pokemon at Red, but it was arguably the least evil way to get to him.
Samurott's job had been to show and convince Red that his opponent was a competent and caring trainer, and not some power-hungry Legendary sweeper. Black had spent ages preparing it for the battle against Pikachu, helping it hone attacks and perfect countermeasures against its weakness. Now that his starter safely rested in its Pokeball, all that remained was to demonstrate to Red just how much he was missing out on the world by staying on Mt. Silver... and just how far ahead someone could get compared to him. The use of Legendaries had been what Black had ultimately implied to Scott when he'd discussed his odds of victory against the Kan-Joh Champion all those days ago. A smile tugged at his lips as the words came back to him. "Who said I couldn't cheat?" The underhanded tactics were a little below him, but he'd rationalized it by using the age-old "ends justifies the means" lecture.
Red returned Venusaur back inside its Pokeball and whispered some words of praise to it, grudgingly admitting to himself that the battle was getting to be rather enjoyable, one-sided slaughter though it was starting to become. He'd never seen the Pokemon (was it a Legendary, perhaps?) before, so it was difficult to get a hold of its typing. But, judging by its anatomy, he assumed one of its types had to be Dragon. And, based on the large amounts of electricity he'd seen the dragon demonstrate, he guessed the other type was Electric. What a strange combination nature had dreamed up. Red briefly considered using Blastoise or Charizard, but then banished the thought. It would be rather obvious that he was trying to expose the Dragon type's disdain for Ice moves or its own kind. That dragon looked heavy. Perhaps...
Black watched as Red stood still for a moment, obviously deep in thought. "That's fine," he thought. He amused himself by examining the current state of the cave. The ice had begun to melt, though not by a lot. There were numerous craters and indents in the ground where the Pokemon had smashed each other. Oops. That wasn't ever going to recover. He became so lost in thought that Zekrom had to send him an epilepsy-inducing barrage of colors before he snapped out of his daydream. Black turned back as he saw an Espeon sitting in front of Red.
The Espeon before Black contrasted heavily with the others that he had seen on his travels. This one had a vaguely visible scar on its left ear, in the form of an X, and the purple fur of the Psychic type looked like it could use some pampering. Espeon patiently waved its tail back and forth as it waited for its Trainer's orders. Red gave a small smile when he saw that Black had returned to reality, catching the latter by surprise. Did Red just smile at him? Black decided to repay the first move favor from earlier, and held out his hand in much the same way Red had at the beginning to indicate as such. The Kan-Joh Champion nodded at him and looked to his Espeon, who was carefully watching him. It too nodded, then closed its eyes in an exact imitation of Samurott from earlier. Black could only hope the battle wouldn't end with the same results as earlier.
Zekrom, get in close, using Substitute as you're moving, and slash at Espeon with Dragon Claw, said Black, knowing that the eye closing was Espeon's first move. The dragon's tail's humming began to grow in intensity as it lifted off the ground. It rushed the entire distance of the battlefield, one second only a few feet from Black, the next raising its arm as it prepared to dice Espeon like a cabbage. Just then, Red's Espeon decided that now was a good time as any to make an attack.
Black groaned in dread as he saw a faint, blue flash appear in front of Espeon's eyes. The red orb on its head glowed as its Psychic attack activated. Zekrom was stopped in mid-swing, at the complete mercy of the move. Espeon lobbed it into the cave wall near Black. He didn't so much as flinch, hair whipping in front of his face. Simply hurling Zekrom repeatedly into the cave's surface might theoretically work as a simple strategy to attempt to beat it, but, given the level that Black had raised it to, it would have been a tedious task.
Zekrom's Substitute picked itself up, shaking off the negligible damage it had suffered. Black put on his thinking cap as he tried to devise a way to get at Espeon. Psychic types were, without doubt, the greatest bother he had ever had the misfortune of knowing. One would assume that, given his battling experience, he'd have found a fool-proof method to ending them, but that was not to be. Even if he had a good idea, Red and his Espeon would probably shut it down more quickly than it could manifest. He looked around, trying to think of anything from the battlefield he could use. Those melting ice crystals hanging from the ceiling suddenly looked like a mighty fine godsend right about then...
Echoed Voice, said Black. We're going to start a revolution. Zekrom's maw opened wide as it inhaled a lungful of air. Black nonchalantly pulled some League-certified noise canceling headphones from his bag as Zekrom began to screech. The amplitude was incredible; even with the powerful technology behind the League headphones, Black could still get a vague impression of Zekrom's Echoed Voice. The entire floor shook and quivered with the intensity of the attack as Espeon and Red tried their hardest to resist the earsplitting cry. Black gave the ceiling a quick, casual glance as he pretended to relax in the midst of the battle. Good. The crystals hanging from the cave were starting to crack under the sound attack. Alright, Zekrom. You may take a breath and then repeat. The Electric type stopped for a minute, inhaling several times, before using Echoed Voice once more. Due to the nature of the attack, the power behind Echoed Voice had increased, thus freeing the weakened icicles from their spot. The spears of frozen water fell, slamming into the ground with enough force to rival one of Samurott's sword swings. Espeon moved to dodge the crashing lances, lest they trap it inside. Black smirked, eyes still passively focused on the roof of the chamber.
There's our opening, cheered Black. Get behind it and use Dragonbreath. Zekrom disappeared in a flash of darkness, reappearing behind the surprised Espeon. The Sun Pokemon wheeled around, a Zap Cannon at the ready. Zekrom's indigo twister collided with Espeon's yellow-green ball, creating a blinding explosion. Espeon used the cover provided by the smoke to escape from Zekrom, who flew after it mere moments later. Black watched as the Pokemon ran circles around each other, in a game of cat and mouse. Star-shaped projectiles began to manifest around Espeon as it ran, launching themselves at Zekrom, who was right behind Espeon. Plow right through with Fusion Bolt. I'm through playing games, as I'm sure Red is. Zekrom wrapped its body in a sapphire ball of electricity, effortlessly flying through the Swift attack with ease as it continued to close in on Espeon. The Psychic type suddenly stopped, dropped, and rolled, narrowly avoiding a knockout. Its fur steamed from the brief exposure to the heat of the attack.
Zekrom merely turned around, curving gracefully through the air. Okay. Let's show Red just how diverse your learnset can be. Use Psychic and then finish it. Zekrom's red scleras turned as blue as the clear summer skies as it forced Espeon to stay still. Black's eyes darted to Red's face, watching as he realized the absolute certainty of the round's outcome. The attack shook all of Mt. Silver as it landed true. Espeon was soon recalled to rest alongside its fallen comrades. Black watched as Red whispered something to its Pokeball before tucking it into his belt. Reaching into his side, he pulled out the ball that contained his fourth Pokemon, as opposed to waiting for it to make an appearance. He tossed it boldly into the air, defiantly refusing to throw in the towel despite the overwhelming odds against him.
Mt. Silver moaned loudly in outrage at the sudden spike in weight on it as Snorlax appeared. Black failed to suppress a sensation of unease as the gargantuan devourer of foodstuffs took form. Red's Snorlax was unlike any he'd ever met. In fact, it looked almost outlandish in comparison to the docile, hungry-but-cuddly ones he knew of. This particular one was firmly standing on its own two feet, had a glare that clearly said I'll fight you and win, and its body language easily voiced its unspoken threat: If Red ordered it to bash a fruit truck in, by Arceus it would do so, and devour the whole entire thing while it was at it too. Zekrom's foot shifted uneasily as it assessed the colossus in front of it. Even with its status as one of Black's strongest, it would still be a feat of strength trying to make short work of Snorlax.
Black's repositories of knowledge rushed to recall as much information as he could about the Normal type. It had an extraordinary resistance to Special Attacks but had little in terms of Defense. That was fine; it just so happened that Zekrom specialized in Attack, anyway. And he could afford to attempt to make a move; the Substitute still hadn't been destroyed yet. No time like the present to get things done, he told Zekrom. Get in close with a Fusion Bolt and then Rock Smash. Have a Slash attack at the ready, just in case. Zekrom shrouded itself in electricity once again as it made its way towards Snorlax. The Sleeping Pokemon drew its arm back, which began to glow white, as it waited for Zekrom to approach. Veer to the right two seconds before you hit it and you should be fine. But, that was what Red wanted him to think.
Zekrom managed to avoid the Focus Punch, just as Black had predicted. However, that left it wide open to Snorlax's previously-unseen Ice Punch. The super effective attack hit its mark, destroying the Substitute in a puff of gray smoke. Snorlax stepped back, confused, as the real Zekrom headbutted it with a Bolt Strike attack. Black hadn't exactly called the attack, but he wasn't about to argue with the act of autonomy, not when it benefitted them. The Normal type boomed in excruciating pain as it rolled back into the wall behind Red. Its eyes twitched once, before becoming motionless. Puzzling enough, however, was the fact that Red didn't recall Snorlax but, rather, just left it there. Black mulled over the anomaly in wonder when an urgent series of yellow, black, and orange flashes swept through his mind. The parts clicked: "Snorlax is using Rest," he thought to himself.
Quick, we need to end it now! Earth Power, then Draco Meteor! Zekrom's body took on a golden hue as it stomped its right leg on the ground. The floor shook as cracks raced along its length toward the sleeping Normal type. They split, revealing aureolin-colored energy, which obscured Snorlax from sight. Zekrom then moved to get in range, narrowly avoiding a Hyper Beam selected by Sleep Talk, and then fired a shower of fiery comets at Snorlax. Black felt his heart plummet into arctic waters when Snorlax showed the first signs of stirring. But, despite that fact, Zekrom's Draco Meteor still managed to make contact with the slower Sleeping Pokemon, effectively ending its short-lived reign as a terrifying battlefield presence. Red returned it back into its Pokeball, also whispering something to it like he had done for Espeon and Venusaur earlier. Zekrom took the opportunity to gently land on the ground, trying to regain some of its strength, having expended so much energy on costly moves. Black realized he needed to end this battle soon, or his friend wouldn't make it. Stalwart or not, attacks needed fuel to back them up. And shifting such a large mass around could not have been any easier on Zekrom's body.
Red's fifth Pokemon made its entrance by landing in front of the trainers after jumping from Arceus knows how far up. It was his Blastoise. Black scratched his imaginary self's head in wonder. "How did something as heavy as Blastoise make its up an almost vertical surface without wings?" He sighed internally. There would be time to mull it over later. Like the other Pokemon before it, Red's Blastoise was an oddity. Its shell had an almost ghastly amount of scratches and gashes on it from all the fighting it did. Its skin looked like someone had melted it down and laced it with steel, gleaming in the cavern's glow. Black was immediately on the alert. A Water type starter also happened to equal Ice type attacks. The long barrels staring at him were like the endless depths of the Underworld itself, dark and impersonal. Black's mind scurried to find a quick and innovative winning strategy that he hadn't used on Red yet. He'd used weather properties, move properties in conjunction with the battlefield, what else could he use?
"C'mon, Black, think!" he scolded himself. His mind quickly pulled out all the facts that it could about Blastoise in a massive brain dump. Lighter in the weight department; at its basic, slower than Zekrom; strong preference for the defensive. Its shell maintained a great level of notoriety as an excellent source of protection, even amongst some of the strongest attack-users. Black looked at the shape of the Blastoise's shell for a minute, wondering if that was perhaps an option to exploit.
Red's Blastoise took aim with its dreaded cannons as Red gave it the all-clear to attack. A Hydro Pump attack narrowly missed Black and Zekrom by, well, not-really-enough-to-be-quantified amounts. Despite the move being fluid based, he could still feel the force with which the water had grazed him; the wind seemed to punch him in the face as it sailed past. Several strands of his sliced hair fluttered to the ground beneath his feet. Black stared at them, stunned. What tremendous pressure...
"Pika!" Black turned to the source of the sound. Red's (slightly recovered) Pikachu voiced its trainer's concern for him. Red tipped his hat in apology. So it had been an accident. Black smiled, giving a thumbs up to signal that it was all fine and good. He returned to the battle with renewed vigor. Cheating death by mere hairs tended to do weird things to people. Okay, Zekrom. I'm ready. Use Psychic and expose Blastoise's stomach. The statistics may be in his favor but he needed more than that if he wanted to win.
Blastoise looked around in confusion as it was suddenly flipped into the air like a coin. Due to Zekrom's use of Draco Meteor earlier, the attack didn't have nearly as much umph behind it as it would have. But, it still managed to accomplish its job wonderfully. As Blastoise struggled to regain its bearings, Black went ahead and gave Zekrom some more instructions. Now, while it's disoriented, use Thunder Fang. Zekrom crossed the distance between it and Blastoise with a single bound, causing Mt. Silver to give a small shudder. Sparks flew out of its mouth as it prepared to chomp down. Good, he'd timed it correctly so that Blastoise was still spinning when the attack happened, which left it unable to counterattack and defend itself. Zekrom put its own spin on the attack (literally, surprising Black), biting Blastoise while also flipping once in a complete revolution in order to conserve the energy of the rotation, before letting go, hurling it onto the ground. Black winced in sympathy as the sound reached him. That could not have been fun.
Blastoise groggily got up, staggering for a moment from the extreme disorientation. It managed to take aim at Zekrom, who was flying around and about in order to make itself a more difficult target. Watch out for Ice Beam, he told Zekrom. The blue bolts of ice were bound to hit Black's dragon sooner or later. He looked down at his Xtransceiver, curious as to how long the battle had been going. He was a little impressed at the time. 5:45 P.M. They'd been going at it for nearly 45 minutes. Black could have gotten an ideal grasp of Red's merit just by being handed the time; most of his battles were over relatively quickly, especially when he went all out. Something to do with how creative he was or some other jargon. Black's upper brain suddenly flipped. Use Protect, Zekrom, he commanded offhandedly. An Ice Beam attack was stopped by Zekrom's Protect, which absorbed the shots. The semi-autonomous, sensing half of his brain had saved them the campaign. Any more distracted and Black's folly could have caused the entire plan to collapse in on itself. He was risking too much, trying to pity the battle. First understanding, then respect, before friendship reveals itself. He had to finish this swiftly and decisively.
Rock Tomb. Capture Blastoise in it, and then use 2 consecutive Charge Beams. Zekrom threw a number of purple orbs into the ground around Blastoise, causing rocks to erupt and stab into its side and arms, effectively holding it in place. A bright, amber ball of electricity then glowed into existence in front of Zekrom's mouth. It took aim, and then fired it at the trapped Blastoise, who defiantly used Protect to stop the 2 attacks while still struggling against its bonds. Again. Blastoise's left arm broke free as the third Charge Beam was intercepted by a Hydro Pump attack. However, the fourth Charge Beam managed to stop the Shellfish Pokemon in its tracks, having made direct contact. Black hoped that those Charge Beams were enough to power Zekrom's (hopefully) finishing move. Use Rain Dance right in its face, and then Thunder.
Blastoise cried out in surprise as the smoky white ball of mist burst upon contact with its body. Black supposed he'd lost the battle in his own way, having to resort to recycled tactics. The crackle of thunder indicated that Zekrom's attack had started. The wicked bolt of lightning disappeared within the seething mass of cumulonimbus clouds that was forming around Blastoise, who had also become concealed by them. An extended yell of Blas!, and a brief, yellow flash were all that indicated that the attack had connected. Zekrom, if you'd please disperse the clouds now. Zekrom flapped its wings, creating a strong gale that broke the rising clouds. The small whirlwind tore the writhing storm clouds to shreds, revealing a fainted Blastoise.
Red recalled it, whispering to the Pokeball a fifth time. Black waited as he looked around for Charizard, Red's last Pokemon. It all came down to this. Red's last and oldest Pokemon would present a challenge, no doubt about it. If he remembered correctly, Charizard were also capable of learning Dragon type attacks. That couldn't be good. Everyone turned as a roar came from the window of the cave. There, flapping its large wings next to it, was Red's Charizard. It couldn't fit through the window, given that the thing was little more than a narrow, 2 feet slit in the wall, so Black wondered how Red planned to let it in. His question was answered immediately when Red produced Charizard's Pokeball and recalled it. He then turned to Black, tipping his hat to him, before wordlessly calling out Charizard.
It was readily apparent just how difficult this final battle would be. Red's Charizard, even at first glance, exuded with ease its perfect balance of Pikachu's raw power output, who was Red's strongest, and Snorlax's intimidating battlefield presence. Where Venusaur might have been hindered by its large mass, and Blastoise its inability to fly, Charizard had none of that. The orange, dragon-like Pokemon looked much like its fellows: a plethora of battle scars that littered its body, uncharacteristically tough skin, and a unique, distinguishing quality. In this case, a tail that burned blue instead of the characteristic red, which spoke volumes about the Fire type's experience.
Black examined the room once more to make sure that there was enough room for an aerial battle, should things come to it. Though the summit's interior was easily the size of three football fields in diameter, it was a massive stretch of the imagination trying to visualize an air battle taking place in such cramped quarters when compared to the outdoors. "Maybe take this down on at the base?" he considered. But, Red, it appeared, didn't seem to care about it either way. His Charizard took flight, diving at Zekrom from an angle. Rock Tomb on the ground once it gets close to knock it out of the air. One of Charizard's claws began to glow a vague purple-blue color as it closed in on Zekrom. Black had figured he would use a Dragon Claw sooner or later.
A step back, and... fire! Zekrom produced three lilac-colored orbs and hurled them at the ground beneath its feet. It hopped back as three pillars of rocks shot out of the ground, knocked the wind out of Charizard, and then sent it flying. The Fire type landed in a heap on the other side of the battlefield. It painstakingly picked itself up, the Rock type attack to its gut having been super effective. Turning to face its opponent, it unleashed a Dragonbreath, which Zekrom easily blocked with a Protect. Black caught Red's quiet smirk as he realized his folly. The Flame Pokemon took off, seizing advantage of the situation, continuing its Dragonbreath in order to keep Zekrom still. Black had unwittingly driven himself into a corner: the amount of concentration it took to maintain a strong enough Protect increased proportionally to the quality of the attack a Pokemon defended itself from. In other words, Zekrom was completely helpless at the present moment. Any wavering in focus would result in a direct hit from Dragonbreath, which Red had cleverly ordered Charizard to maintain as it sped towards them.
Red's Pokemon paused the Dragon type attack when it was in striking distance, opting instead to ball its claws into a fist and use Mega Punch on Zekrom's Protect, instantly shattering the green hemisphere, which had been worn down from the earlier onslaught. Zekrom lurched back, unbalanced from the attack, only to get hit by the spinning Charizard's Iron Tail. I know you're hurt but try to grab onto its tail. The ever-steadfast Deep Black Pokemon managed to work past its daze of pain, seizing a hold of the tail with a numbing vengeance. Subdue it with Thunder Wave and follow it up with Thunderbolt. A small, momentary, blue surge of sparks surrounded Zekrom, causing the struggling Charizard to stiffen. It was then followed by a more spectacular, yellow discharge of electricity, whose bolts arced this way and that as the attack slowly drained Charizard of its strength. Red's starter squeezed its eyes shut in agony for a second, before they flew open again in response to a command.
Black watched, intrigued, as it opened its jaws, wondering what would come out of it this time. His question was answered in a moment when a billowing plume of black smoke encircled Zekrom, bedimming its vision. It let out a sound of surprise as the smoke got in its face, letting go of Charizard. The Pokemon took flight, not even bothering to try and attack, on account of the possibility that this might be its only chance to escape. Relax and flap your wings to get rid of it. Black's dragon calmed down, following through with the suggestion. The Smokescreen cleared, leaving Zekrom to glare at Charizard. Black quickly reassessed his Zekrom's health, making sure that it had enough energy left to carry on, wondering if he ought to use that move now. Come to think of it, this might be his only chance, seeing as to how reluctant Red was to attack following Black's response to his offensive. Use Roost, he told his tired Legendary.
A pearly, white glow encased Zekrom's body, contrasting heavily with its darker skin tone. The wounds all along its body slowly cleared as the healing move continued to restore its health. Red's Charizard fired another Dragonbreath in an effort to stop Roost, but it was too late. With uncanny speed, Zekrom took off from the ground, avoiding the attack and its resulting burst of smoke and debris with ease. Both winged beasts glared at each other, wondering who would make the next move. Black took the moment to, as always, reevaluate the present situation. The Thunder Wave he'd ordered Zekrom to use should be kicking in soon. Zekrom's Roost, meanwhile, had done it a myriad of miracles, restoring its strength. He needed to understand just how much.
How are you in terms of energy? He asked. A vibrant forest of green answered his question. Right, then. We have the advantage in terms of fuel so let's use it! Use Fusion Bolt! The familiar ball of electricity coated Zekrom's form as it advanced toward the panting Charizard. Though it managed to sidestep (fly?) the worst of the blow, a slide graze on its left wing forced it to land. Charizard's wing twitched oddly despite not getting hit by any part of Zekrom's body. "Probably due to the vast amounts of electricity, especially at the edges of the attack," thought Black to himself. Perhaps it had been a wise idea to reevaluate the way his Pokemon executed their moves. He decided now was a good time as ever to try and finish the battle. Use Rock Slide.
Ripples of energy appeared in the space above Zekrom's head. There were about 14 of them in total, all white, and undulating like someone had dropped a pebble in water and recorded it all in slow motion. The rocky tips of the boulders poked out of the portals ominously, like a silent threat which would soon act on itself. Charizard merely gazed up at the slabs of hardened earth, making no move to escape. Black was actually a little surprised; was the paralysis really working that quickly?
Zekrom released its hold on the Rock Slide, letting the boulders tumble out of their portals and into the world. Charizard still didn't move a muscle, opting instead to flat out blow up the rocks with ranged attacks. Oh, that's why it wasn't moving. Whenever a boulder threatened to fall on it, Charizard would simply unleash a non-physical attack from its arsenal, blowing it up in the process. Black watched on in awe. It was almost effortlessly destroying the rocks with Flamethrower, despite them being a Rock-type-based attack. Eventually though, it had to tire. Black sighed in his head as he rattled off his ideas to Zekrom. I don't suppose you could maintain some Rock Tombs and force Charizard into a Rock Slide? The paralysis is starting to work its way through the system so it should falter soon. He knew that the idea of using a Fusion Bolt to finish the battle was far more appealing, but also less logical. Arceus knew how much fight Red had in him, despite both being aware of where this was going.
For its part, the Fire type Pokemon was doing pretty well. It's energy was running out fast but the fact that it had already destroyed 20 boulders was, on its own, a feat worthy of legends. Charizard was about to destroy another one when a lilac-colored something rushed past it. Its eyes followed the projectile as it lodged itself into the ground, causing a slab of rock to shoot out. It would appear as though Red's instructions were the only thing that saved it, as it once again grazed Zekrom's attack. The rocky outcropping slashed at Charizard's right shoulder, leaving a superficial wound that rapidly stopped bleeding. Black silently swore under his breath as, for a third time that battle, Charizard cheated death. Despite the obvious fact that it was tiring, the Fire starter and its trainer were pouring forth all they had left into resisting the inevitable. Zekrom was forced to stop its Rock Slide attack for a moment to recharge it.
The interior of the cavern was barely recognizable at this point. It was littered with random slabs of rock from the Rock Slide and Rock Tomb attacks Zekrom had used. Patches of ice and water were sporadically scattered all throughout the stadium, as were the few icicles he'd caused to fall earlier. Craters riddled the surface of the floor like a teen with terrible acne (Black winced as he remembered that he was a teen) had gone over it, carefully popping every non-existent pimple there was to find. Now, what was there to use as—he was almost ashamed to have to admit he'd forgotten about such a classic. This game is over, Zekrom, he triumphantly declared. Use Rain Dance. A small downpour watered the chamber for the umpteenth time that day, as realization dawned in Red's eyes. Black was, unfortunately, going to have to resort to the same trick now that Charizard was weakened. Finish it with Thunder. Zekrom roared as a humongous bolt of lightning flew into the clouds, scattering them for a moment before slamming down onto the resigned Charizard, who, fortunately, fainted almost too quickly to register the pain.
A red beam touched Charizard, bringing it safely back inside its Pokeball. Zekrom landed anticlimactically next to Black, who fondly scratched its head and handed it some snacks. He turned to Red, who was watching him intently, a look of amusement on his face, despite the fact that his opponent had technically cheated by using such a strong Legendary. Black gave him a wide smile, which the silent trainer briefly returned. "Well," thought Black. "Here goes nothing."