December 31st, X16. Late Afternoon. Pallet Town.
The sound of turbines approaching caught Red's ears. His hand instinctively froze in mid-air as he concentrated on detecting the source of the odd sound, which hummed like a swarm of Beedrill collectively screaming bloody murder. Beside him, Pikachu cocked its head in confusion as it too tried to locate the source of the odd sound. They both turned to their left and right, watching for a moment while the waving grass suddenly began to whip violently around and about as though it were in the middle of a great storm. The two of them exchanged apprehensive glances with each other before looking up together.
Red's control of his jaw failed him for a moment, causing it to drop in wonder as the looming shadow of an enormous pyramid passed by overhead. Despite the mystery surrounding it, there was surprisingly little in the way of elaborate decorations adorning the pyramid; its square base was split at the corners into four turbines, with a behemoth one in the center, and it could have easily flattened the entirety of his mom's property if it so chose to land. Grayed blue stones ran up its sides, which, when combined with the sapphire strip that ran around the perimeter of its upper portion, provided the only source of color to it. He was just beginning to process the sheer magnitude of the structure when Black unexpectedly burst out of the back door, panting.
"What's—?" His shocked eyes followed Red's gaze, widening further and further as he watched the strange building fly off into the distance. "It's the Battle Pyramid," breathed Black incredulously.
Battle Pyramid? wondered Red. The name left him with a sense of déjà vu, but it wasn't until Black spoke up that he realized.
"I bet Scott's here," he said excitedly. "It's about time, too. Tomorrow's the New Year!" Without another word, he rushed back inside the house, leaving Red to stare blankly at the shuddering door. He reappeared a few moments later with a slight bounce in his step and all twelve of their Pokeballs in his hands. "I'm going on ahead to see him. I've told your mom where I'm going if you want to join me," he said, tossing him his six team members.
He didn't wait for a reply as he inhaled deeply and let out an earsplitting whistle that caused Red to wince and rub his ear. Black's call was answered by a booming roar, which caused even Charizard, who was sleeping nearby under the shade of a birch tree, to open one eye. A flash of blue lightning soon followed and briefly blinded Red, clouding his vision in dark spots. When he could see again, Black had already climbed on top of Zekrom and was preparing to take off. "You coming or what?" he asked, watching him expectantly.
Red gave Black a small smirk in response. "Sure." He hurried over to Charizard and nodded. With a mighty flap from both draconian Pokemon, the two of them took to the skies. It seemed like no time had passed before the uniform, green paddies of Pallet Town were broken by the sudden appearance of a slate blue apex, whose sharp lines caused it stand out incongruously against the rolling landscape. As they got closer, Red could see that it was connected to the larger body of the Battle Pyramid.
The battle facility was unlike anything Red had ever seen before, towering clear above the hills below which it was situated. It was as if the structure was leering at them with its shadow as they began their descent, and although he realized the thought was absurd, Red couldn't help but think back to the time he'd stormed the Lavender Tower. With the extra proximity, he could make out the indistinct shapes of three figures who were watching them closely.
He hopped off of Charizard's back when they'd landed and, casting it an apologetic glance, recalled it. He took a moment to observe the area where they had landed, having never been to this part of Pallet Town before. They were standing atop a hill, which gradually dipped down into the valley where the Battle Pyramid rested. Wildflowers of every kind and color dotted the landscape as far as the eyes could see, ranging from the richest red to the most vibrant violet. Red looked down and shifted his foot back and forth across the lush grass out of curiosity. Sure enough, the grassland would make for a battlefield of the highest caliber should they choose to do battle outside.
"Shall we get ourselves down there then?" asked Black, absently rubbing Zekrom's snout. "I can see Scott and two of the Frontier Brains waiting for us." He recalled the Legendary Dragon type, much to Red's confusion, and shoved his hands into his pants' pockets, waiting. Red glanced down at the base of the valley and shrugged. At the sight of Red's response, Black began to casually stroll downhill. "Let's get to it, then."
As they made their way toward the entrance of the Battle Pyramid, Red was able to more clearly make out the features of the three men waiting for them at its base. The tallest and oldest of the triumvirate was the first to acknowledge their arrival, greeting them with a small nod and a warm smile. Dressed in two sets of wraps—a sapphire one that left his right shoulder exposed and a mustard yellow one that covered his lower half, he looked like an ancient monk of some order, especially when one considered the peculiar blue staff he was carrying.
Scott noticed the man's movement and followed his eyes, catching sight of Black and Red as they came to a stop in front of him. The owner of the Battle Frontier grinned widely at the two of them. "Well well, if it isn't the Brains-to-be. How are you two?"
"Good," replied Black. "And you, Scott?"
Scott gave him a thumbs up in response. "Couldn't be better. You remember Spenser and Brandon, don't you, Black?" The addressed nodded, his eyes lighting up as realization dawned on him. "They'll be Red's and your opponents today. If you two would please introduce yourselves to our new friend, Red."
The old man stepped forward first, offering Red his right hand and the same genial expression he'd had earlier. "So you must be the Red that everyone's been raving about. My name is Spenser, and I serve as the Palace Maven of Scott's Battle Frontier. It's a pleasure to be doing battle with you today." Red gave him a polite nod and obliged the man, opting to remain silent.
He then looked toward the last of the group, who he assumed to be Brandon, and did a quick once-over of him. The Pyramid King, who had finally stepped out of the shadows to join them, had a scowl set on his face that could have put Mewtwo to shame. His olive green jacket and matching trousers gave him the appearance of a man of travel and archeology, an image which the black belt and gray pack hanging on his left side only further reinforced.
Red discreetly watched as his small dark eyes sized him up, the flash within them briefly betraying the man's sharp mind. The calloused hand that Brandon extended to Red had none of the bonhomie that Spenser had greeted him with. "I've heard much about you, young man," he said. "I am Brandon, the King of the Battle Pyramid. I'm looking forward to what you have to show me today."
Before any of them could get in another word, a voice from afar interrupted them. "Make way! The cheerleaders have arrived!"
Red whirled around at the remark to see Blue, Leaf, Professor Oak, and Hanako rapidly approaching them in a ruby red convertible. The extravagant sports car, which must've cost a fortune based on the scintillating light that kept winking off its polished surface, came to a stop beside Red, bringing with it a light cloud of dust. He waved his hand in front of his face to clear his vision and squinted hard. "What?" asked Blue as he got out from behind the driver's seat. "We came to see your match against the Frontier Brains. It's no thanks to Black that we're here either. Some communicator he is."
Red glanced over at Black and arched his eyebrows, causing him to flush scarlet. "I didn't think anyone would care one way or the other," he muttered defiantly, earning himself an exaggerated sigh from Blue, who shook his head in mock disappointment.
"Enough about Black..." interrupted Leaf, who looked eager to steer the conversation back to the situation at hand. "I believe he and Red have a match to complete?"
Scott hummed in agreement. "I figured since we were already in such a fantastic location anyway, we could just go ahead and have your battle outside. If it's alright with you two, of course."
"I don't see a problem with that," Black replied. "The open air gives us some new options, anyway."
Red gave a shrug to indicate his indifference. "I don't mind," he said.
Scott beamed. "That's great! Then the rules will be as follows: the battle will take place in this valley, with no field limits. It will be a one-on-one tag-team battle and will be over when both Pokemon from either side are unable to battle. Are there any objections to these terms?" Red and Black shook their heads no, with the Frontier Brains following their example. "In that case, I'll serve as referee."
Red stole one last glance of the two Frontier Brains before following Black toward their side of the field on Scott's right. He wondered to himself what Pokemon he would use, seeing as to how he and Black had been training with various combinations in preparation for this battle. After considerable deliberation, he made up his mind and turned around to face his opponents. A slight breeze blew through the battlefield, ruffling his hair as Scott raised his arms. "Let the battle begin!"
"Regice, I need your assistance!" called Brandon.
"Shiftry, by my side!" shouted Spenser.
"Lucario, let us reenact a battle out of myths!" yelled Black.
"Venusaur," said Red.
The four Pokemon appeared on their respective sides with a cry of their names, tensing as they all faced each other for the first time. Red's eyes lingered on the Pokemon that Brandon had called out, observing it closely while it straightened itself.
As if sensing his puzzlement, Black whispered rapidly, "Regice, the Legendary Iceberg golem of Hoenn. Focus on landing physical attacks on it and we won't have many issues."
Red slowly reexamined the ice golem, working out how best to approach the Frontier Brains' team. The Ice type had a definitive air of having been well cared-for to it that showed that it would not be an easy opponent. With only seven dots arranged in like a plus sign for a face, there was no way to judge what kind of emotions it might have been feeling to exploit. Black had mentioned that the best way to hurt it was with physical attacks, which he was sure his Lucario could take care of. But how did Brandon plan on using a Pokemon that, based on its considerable bulk, would likely be the slowest out of all of the ones present?
A loud voice abruptly cut through his thoughts. "You may have the first move!" offered the Palace Maven as he and his fellow Frontier Brain stood patiently on the other side.
Red shared a glance with Black before nodding. "Hm. Lucario, use Swords Dance," ordered Black, extending a hand.
"Venusaur, Sunny Day," followed Red. A rich, golden energy reminiscent of honey filled the center of Venusaur's pink flower, casting looming shadows about the place as it began to glow. When it had gathered enough energy, it launched it into the air in the form of a solid pillar of light that lanced clear through the firmaments, immediately causing all the clouds within a forty feet radius of it to dissipate like paper set alight. Red could feel a trickle of sweat creep its way down his neck as the sun's rays intensified, forcing him to squint. Beside him, Black's Lucario squared its fists upon the completion of Swords Dance and adjusted its stance to a more balanced position, ready at last to fight.
Brandon didn't waste any time in responding. "Regice: Rock Polish!" he hollered. Regice slammed its hands together with a booming crash, sending out a small shockwave that caused the grass to quiver. The Legendary ice golem's body became cloaked with an irradiant ivory glow, indicating to all present that Rock Polish's effects were beginning to take hold.
Red took a second to search the depths of his mind as he tried to ascertain the move's properties. Black had made an offhanded comment on its utility before, back when he was still on Mt. Silver. What was it he had so dryly quipped once upon a time? "With this Rock-type move, you'll have a real shiner on your team." Yes, that was it.
"Lucario, Extremespeed, then Metal Claw." Black's Lucario took off before Red could answer Brandon's move, becoming nothing more than a jet black blur as it zipped left and right toward Regice. It was then that the Ice type's arms returned to its side: Rock Polish was complete.
"Shiftry, protect Regice with Faint Attack!" At Spenser's prompting, the Wicked Pokemon made a sharp dash to its left and set its course straight for Lucario.
In front of him, Venusaur twitched and glanced back expectantly, obviously waiting for some kind of command for a counterattack. Wait, Red told it telepathically. Ready an Earthquake, but attack only on my command. The Grass type nodded its great green head in response and slightly raised its right foot into the air, watching as its ally and two opponents neared each other and prepared to trade blows.
"Lucario, to your left!" shouted Black. "Aura Sphere!" With astonishing agility, the Fighting type shifted its weight in mid-leap, causing its body to dip back toward the ground. It dug its feet into the ground, sending a spray of dirt in all directions as the last of the energy from its jump dissipated, and brought the palms of its paws within a foot of each other. A cobalt flash winked into existence at the center of the space, swiftly ballooning in size as more energy was fed into it.
Red took a second to trade glances with Black. "Venusaur, Vine Whip support. Then Earthquake." A mass of army green vines shot forth from the base of Venusaur's flower, undulating wildly in the air like sound waves as they headed toward Lucario. The Fighting type jumped skyward, landing on Venusaur's vines just as they reached the apex of their motion. Venusaur raised itself up on its hind legs and gave its whips a particularly emphatic flick, launching Lucario clear into the sky.
A large cloud of soil and gravel exploded into the air when the Grass type's feet made contact with the ground again, setting off violent tremors all throughout the area. A trail of jagged fissures snaked their way outward from the area of impact, spreading like the branches on a tree to all corners of the battlefield while the earth heaved ferociously to and fro. Red couldn't help but smirk when he saw Spenser's Shiftry, which had just landed again from one of its incredible bounds, lose its footing and its concentration as the ground beneath its feet suddenly shifted upward on one side and downward on the other. Even Brandon's Regice, sturdy behemoth though it appeared to be, seemed to be heavily disoriented by the powerful shockwaves created by Venusaur's Earthquake attack.
Without missing a beat, Red heard Black call out to Lucario, "Now, Aura Sphere on Shiftry while it's distracted!" A second explosion ripped through the area as the overcharged cobalt sphere, which Lucario had been holding on to throughout the entire exchange, was hurled down from the sky at a perfect acute angle and made direct contact with Shiftry.
Brandon's riposte was quick and instantaneous, catching both Red and Black completely by surprise. "Thunder!" A large bolt of electricity arced out from within the thick curtain of debris left behind by the previous attacks and crashed into Black's Lucario in mid-air. Red's mind failed him as Lucario stiffened and spasmed like a shaken marionette. Neither he nor Black could do anything but watch as the latter's Pokémon began to hurtle toward the ground with increasing speed.
The Palace Maven didn't give either of them any time to rest as he moved to issue his own counterattack. "Shiftry, use Leaf Tornado and send Lucario flying!" Red made a grab for his hat as a towering tornado of silvery winds and lime green leaves spun into existence. Through the shifting veil of storm and soil, he could vaguely make out the shape of Spenser's Shiftry as it whipped its arms first left and then right. In response, the cyclone began to lumber its way toward its free falling target with astonishing speed.
Red scrambled to search for a fitting move that would dissipate Shiftry's Leaf Tornado. He needed something with the force and power behind it to completely break the grip that the winds had on those leaves. His immediate thought was Hyper Beam, but that would only leave the team more vulnerable. Frenzy Plant wouldn't fare very well here either, for obvious reasons. But what about?... He directed his gaze skyward, squinting as his eyes climbed higher and higher.
A small grin played at the corners of his lips when he felt the searing heat of the noonday sun answer his call. Perfect. "Venusaur," he said. At the sound of its name, the Seed Pokemon inclined its head so that its left eye was trained on its trainer. Red pointed at the whirlwind. "Solar Beam."
The Grass type turned its attention back to the Leaf Tornado, which was now seconds away from Lucario. The Aura Pokemon had just landed painfully from its fall and was now struggling to get up and away to safety. Small sands of golden light began to flock toward the center of Venusaur's flower as it quickly readied the necessary energy for the Solar Beam attack. Despite the considerably warm weather that the Sunny Day had brought to the battlefield, Red could feel his hands begin to grow clammy with sweat as he impatiently waited for the momentary setup that Solar Beam required. He was just about to go ahead and settle for an impartially charged attack when Venusaur quivered its back to indicate it was ready. There was no hesitation on Red's part as he gave the order to fire.
Venusaur immediately arched its back so that the dangerously glowing flower on its back was pointed straight toward the whirling funnel of leaves. It let out a loud cry of its name as a solid, golden beam of energy erupted into existence, shining with enough strength to dim the surrounding area. The attack easily tore through Shiftry's Leaf Tornado like a sword through a spider's web, leaving a gaping hole at its heart. Red let out a breath he didn't even know he'd been holding as he watched the last of the column of wind's strength fade away, leaving Lucario untouched. However, that didn't mean they were out of the woods yet.
Brandon glowered at the pair of them, the severeness of his face not aided in the slightest by the flashing light from Venusaur's fading Solar Beam. "Regice, use Blizzard."
Beside him, Black gasped. "Lucario! Get out of there!" The Fighting type struggled to raise itself at its trainer's command, obviously more than a little disoriented by the fall it had taken. It staggered a little and winced in a feeble attempt to run away.
Knowing that there was little time left for them, Red moved to intervene. With an apologetic glance to Black, he said, "Venusaur, Vine Whip assist. Then, Protect."
"I won't let you!" responded Spenser. "Shadow Ball!"
"I think you will!" countered Black. "Dragon Pulse, eleven o'clock!"
A pair of vines snatched Lucario right from where it was standing, pulling it toward Red's Venusaur just as Spenser's Shiftry hurled a dense purple orb toward them. At Black's command, the Aura Pokemon turned so that it was directly facing Shiftry's incoming Shadow Ball attack. It prepared an indigo-violet orb of its own and, without taking much time to ensure proper aim, fired it. To Red's surprise and mild relief, both spheres of energy collided in midair with a resounding boom, canceling each other out. It was the best cover they could've asked for, and, thanks to it, Lucario was safely transported to Venusaur's side without any further complications.
They were given no time to rest, however, as Brandon's Regice signaled the completion of its long overdue Blizzard. "Venusaur," Red said urgently. The Grass type nodded, its gaze hardening with concentration. A forest green hemisphere burst into existence around the two Pokemon, shimmering brilliantly with alternating dark and bright ripples that flowed like water over smooth stones. The Protect attack had arrived not a moment too soon.
Red felt a shiver creep its hollow fingers up his spine as the temperature plummeted all the way into oblivion. Frost slowly covered the tips of the rustling vegetation, staining the surrounding area a dull slate blue. Despite his experience with the cold on Mt. Silver, Red couldn't help but instinctively pulled his fiercely whipping jacket closer to himself as he felt the first snow from Regice's storm pass his face.
His eyes briefly flicked toward his Venusaur and Black's Lucario in concern. You alright? he asked Venusaur telepathically. He received a scoff from the Seed Pokemon in response. Of course, they weren't alright, but it could've been worse.
As if to show him just how true that thought was, Spenser spoke up. "Shiftry, give me another Leaf Tornado!"
Beside him, Red heard Black give a loud groan over the howling winds. "Not this again." A barrage of frozen leaves promptly followed the white sheets of snow that Regice had called forth, crashing with considerable force into the rapidly fading light of Venusaur's Protect. Red silently wondered just how much longer Brandon's Regice could continue its Blizzard attack; he had about forty seconds at best before Venusaur's concentration finally gave out. They needed a shelter from the storm and fast.
"Black," he said, turning to the Unovan trainer, "shelter."
It took his battle partner several precious seconds to process his words before he nodded in understanding. "Lucario." The slightly-recovered Aura Pokemon tilted its head to show that it was listening. "We need some cover from the Blizzard and Leaf Tornado. Can you manage a Rock Tomb?"
By way of answer, Black's Lucario produced two purple orbs within the palms of its paws. It swung its body left and right and threw the balls of energy, aiming for the ground in front of it. A pair of twin pillars jutted out from the spot where the orbs landed, forming a buffer between the two Pokemon and Regice's Blizzard. When it saw that its assistance was no longer required, Red's Venusaur gave an exhausted sigh of relief and lowered its mental concentration, removing the last of its Protect in the process.
Red shuffled over to peek out from the edge of their impromptu storm shelter to assess their current situation. What had once been a complete whiteout was now quickly being replaced by a quieting drift, allowing him to see further than the distance from face to hand. And what a sight it was: the once-waving grass was now as stiff as an army, buried completely underneath a solid inch of ice and snow. The Frontier Brains still looked as impassive and unperturbed as when they had begun, watching everything closely with an unreadable poker face.
"Well?" Black asked as he carefully made his way back. "How bad is it out there?"
"Bad," Red replied. "Grass's frozen." Black raised an eyebrow. "Completely."
His fellow champion took a moment to tap his chin in thought. "That's not good at all," he said with a frown. "Venusaur won't do well under those conditions, and we'll need all the help we can get against those two."
"Any suggestions?" pushed Red with a touch of impatience; they were in the middle of a battle, not sitting at his mother's having a tea party.
At the urging, Black took a moment to lean back, frowning. He hurriedly straightened up again after a few seconds. "Alright," he said at last. "I have a plan that will—hopefully—take out at least Spenser's Shiftry if we do this right." His eyes suddenly took on a mischievous glint as he continued. "Here's how it's going to work..."
Extra
Meanwhile...
"That's it! That's it! That is it! After one great seesaw of a battle, Maury's Torterra is down for the count! Did you see that, Ted? That has got to be one of the greatest Dynamic Punches the Pokemon League has ever seen!"
"Yes, that was some punch alright; I would definitely put it in the top five in the history of the League, right behind the famous battle that earned the Dome Ace, Tucker, his spot in the Kanto-Hoenn Battle Frontier."
"Whew! That's some high praise, coming from you. Not that it's undeserved. Neither side has given an inch, and it's getting harder to hear myself over the roar of the crowd. It sounds like they're as eager to see Maury's fifth Pokemon as we are. Do you have any thoughts on what it'll be, Ted?"
"Well, whatever it is, it's still going to take quite the miracle for our Hoenn friend to turn the tides against Maury, even with the defeat of his ace."
"You're right as usual, although I don't think it's quite fair to count Mr. Birch out of the running just yet. We've seen any number of upsets over the course of the Hoenn League conference as trainers duke it out for a spot in the championship league, and I'm sure this final battle will turn out to be just as much of a doozy!"
"Mhm. And it looks like Maury's chosen his fifth Pokemon, a—"
"Hey, Silver, is that you out there?" interrupted a groggy voice from behind him. Silver's hand was on the television remote before he knew what he was doing, slamming down on the mute button while his head instinctively snapped toward the source of the question, who was now yawning widely and stretching.
"Ethan? What are you doing?" he asked, choosing to ignore his friend's question.
"I could ask you the same thing," countered Ethan. The fifteen-year-old rubbed at his eyes tiredly, swaying unsteadily. Silver couldn't resist the urge to snort. Behind him, the flatscreen TV, which presently served as the only source of light in the otherwise gloomy living room, blinked on and off rapidly as the battle it was replaying raged on.
"I'm up early like I always am and watching reruns of the various League conferences," Silver answered curtly. He tried not to be too surprised by Ethan's disheveled appearance, but it seemed almost as if the guy was trying to outdo the last time he'd looked like a mess. His black hair, which was usually his highest priority, looked like it had been struck by several healthy bolts of lightning, jutting out in every which way with an absurdity matched only by his humor. The striped pajamas he was wearing had been buttoned with the skill of a twitchy first grader, and its sagging collar seemed to create a Mobius strip, torn between following the urge to stick straight up and the order to bend.
Silver felt a slight sigh escape his lips as he finished his assessment of his rival's condition, mentally noting the bruise-colored bags under his eyes. He got up with a grunt and lazily made his way over to where Ethan stood. "C'mon," he said, taking a hold of his elbow. "It's barely five in the morning, and it isn't going to do us much good if you go and see Professor Elm in this state. You might as well go and catch a few more hours of shut-eye while you still can. I'll wake you up if you sleep for too long."
Without giving him any room to argue, Silver gently guided the New Bark Town trainer back up the stairs where he'd come from. "I came down because of the noise from the TV," mumbled Ethan at last. Silver stumbled.
"Sorry."
"Don't be. Why were you watching the Hoenn League conference anyway?" The question was left hanging in the air as the two of them finally reached Ethan's bedroom at the end of the hallway. Silver reached out and opened the door before stepping aside to let Ethan in. The latter began to obediently step inside but stopped just as he was about to cross the threshold. "Hey, Silver, you never answered my question."
Silver's eyebrows arched at the observation. Maybe Ethan wasn't as sleepy as he let on. "The Pokemon World Tournament will be starting in a few months," he began. "The League has copies of every conference it's ever hosted in the past twenty years; I thought it'd be a good idea to go and get a head start by seeing who will probably be there."
Ethan nodded vaguely, his glazed eyes staring blankly at nothing in particular. He looked like he wanted to ask more questions but couldn't. Silver allowed himself another sigh. So much for Ethan's being more awake than he'd thought. "A light breeze could knock you over at this point," he said. "Go on."
With that, he nudged Ethan inside and resolutely shut the door, wincing slightly at the minor crash that indicated that the New Bark Town trainer had fallen asleep right where he'd fallen. How he managed to do that, he'd never know.