Chapter 24 – Rematch
Today on "Which Monster Hunter Fight Theme I Thought Best for This Chapter", what else could I have used but Rise's Lava Caverns theme? It's got just the right feeling of heroic triumph for Round 2 of the Ultra Guardians versus Rathalos!
On any other day, Blush Mountain's geothermal power plant would have been as peaceful as ever. Today, though, it was nothing short of a warzone.
"Incineroar, Blast Burn!" Kukui yelled, sweat pouring down his face from the toll this battle was already taking on him.
"Cena!" the red-and-black feline snarled, thrusting its hips to launch a blazing flood of blue flame from its fiery navel. The attack hit, fire and smoke exploding outwards around its victim, but all it seemed to accomplish was to aggravate the Ultra Beast further.
"Use Shadow Ball!" Faba ordered beside him, and his Hypno flung several Ghost-type orbs with a swing of its trademark pendulum.
Bzzzz-zzzur-zzzur-zzzurrrrrk! The octopoid monstrosity that had been dubbed "Xurkitree" flailed its rubbery limbs in rage and then snapped them forward, lightning bolts flying from its copper fingers in a deadly web. Kukui and Faba told their Pokemon to dodge, which they were only barely able to do as the area around them was smote by merciless blasts that turned the stones to charred ash. The faceless Ultra Beast wriggled and blinked its lights in apparent displeasure from atop its perch on the sparking power lines.
"Aim for the tentacle it's using to prop itself up!" Kukui said, his next command already on his tongue. "Pull it down with Darkest Lariat!"
"What do you think I'm trying to do?!" Faba squawked. "Hypno, Psychic!"
The Psychic-type swung its pendulum, eyes burning with unearthly power, and Incineroar took the direct approach by spinning straight for the power lines, hands flickering with dark flames and ready to grab. But Xurkitree looped out of the way, using its five limbs like a Mankey swinging from vines to bounce across the cables. It snaked one limb around another and dangled upside-down, its four free tendrils already crackling and ready to retaliate.
"Get down!" Kukui shouted, and without waiting for an answer, snatched Faba's arm and dove behind a nearby dumpster. They pressed their backs against the steel just as the electricity struck with a sizzling BANG-SCREEEEEEEE that drove nails into their ears.
Wait, that's not the sound lightning makes, Kukui thought. He turned his eyes to the sky just in time to catch a shower of multicolored sparks rain down from behind the mountains, followed by a spindly form with a frilly ruff, upon which bounced a speckled sphere.
Bleeheeheeheehee! The resonant giggle sounded like something from beyond the grave, heralding the Ultra Beast's – Blacephalon's – next attack, another firecracker-like explosion launched straight into Xurkitree's core, which threw light upon the battlefield and the Pokemon that cowered on the ground.
"The other one's here, too?!" Faba shrilled. "Hypno, get out of there! We must retreat, Kukui! It won't do the Aether Foundation any good if we end up dead!"
"They're both focused on the bigger threat – each other," Kukui observed grimly, peeking out from behind their shield to see Xurkitree and Blacephalon pelting each other with elemental moves. "So long as they're ignoring us, we can wait until they weaken each other, then snag them in the Beast B–"
He stopped talking when he realized that his companion was no longer looking at him, rather absorbed in the tablet he'd pulled from out of his coat. He was about to reprimand him when he caught sight of the other man's expression – wide-eyed horror.
Oh, this can't be good.
Without needing a prompt, Faba stared at him like he'd seen a Ghost-type and handed him the tablet. "It's from Wicke," he squeaked. "The F-Foundation detected th-th-three more W-Wormholes opening on the o-other islands."
An explosion punctuated the former Branch Chief's words, and a terrible chill slithered down Kukui's spine as he took the tablet and scrutinized the screen, hoping with all his might that Wicke was mistaken. But no, the footage being displayed was unmistakable – there were Ultra Beasts invading Melemele, Akala, and Poni Islands. Amongst the blooms of Melemele Meadow, a gossamer insect glowed in the sunlight; on Brooklet Hill, a colony of living stones crept and shifted in a formless mass; in Vast Poni Canyon, a papery swordsman tore through everything in its path.
Kukui drew a shaky breath through his nose and let it out through his mouth, steadying himself with the professional ease of a seasoned Trainer. "Contact Wicke back," he told Faba, "and tell her to notify the Island Kahunas. Hala and Olivia can handle themselves while we clean up this mess and move on to Poni."
"Y-Yes, of course," Faba complied, for once without argument.
Hissing under his breath, Kukui fought down his frustration and again peeked around their cover, waiting for an opening. Ash, Kiawe, the rest of you… I hope you're having a better time with Ultra Space than we are here!
As it happened, no, Ash and Kiawe were not having an easy time.
"Quick Attack and Bite!"
"Dragon Tail!"
When the Rathalos had landed in front of them, Ash, Kiawe, and Venator didn't hesitate to initiate the battle, the former two snapping out orders and the latter charging forward without announcement. Pikachu was fastest as he speared ahead in a flicker of white, Barioth and Turtonator were hot on the Electric-type's heels with fangs and tail at the ready, and Venator kept pace alongside them with his shield held in front and his lance tucked close, prepared to stab. The four of them converged on the Rathalos with a unified war cry, only for the wyvern to take to the air with a single thrust of its wings, soaring free while its attackers passed underneath it and skidded uselessly to a halt.
Ash was already sprinting for Barioth and climbing onto its saddle by the time the Rathalos began to wheel back around for its counterattack, Pikachu leaping onto his shoulder less than a second after. "Let's ride, Barioth! If it's gonna fly above us, we'll meet it head-to-head!"
Or at least that had been his plan. As soon as Barioth took to the air, avoiding the fireball their enemy had aimed in the time it took them to join forces, the Rathalos gave a challenging shriek and changed its course to follow them higher in the sky. Ash glanced behind him to see it right on Barioth's tail, its jaws in an open snarl as it alternated gnashing its teeth and spitting fire, trying to catch them. Shouts came from Kiawe and Venator below, and Flamethrowers began to scour the Rathalos' wings and underside, but it ignored the harmless jets washing over its scales without so much as flinching. Ash steered Barioth on a wild, twisting course above the plateau, gritting his teeth and focusing so hard on escape that the ice wyvern was practically reading his mind as it dipped and swerved with his thoughts.
A hiss from between the Rathalos' teeth warned him of an incoming fireball. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
"CHUUUUUU!" Pikachu sprang off his shoulder and cried out with the release of his built-up electricity, striking the fireball dead-on and bursting it in a shower of embers. But they had no time to feel relieved – the Rathalos wasn't slowing down, blowing through the cloud of smoke with more fire already crackling in its mouth.
Ash swung around and felt his heart climb into his throat at the sight of the Rathalos' needle-sharp gaze pinned directly on him… or, was it him and Barioth? Was he right to assume it was targeting him specifically, or was it just because they were challenging it in the air? Was it fixated on revenge, or removing a threat from its territory?
Barioth automatically dipped in flight, a fireball sailing over their heads close enough for Ash to feel his scalp prickle with heat. Stop thinking about it – it doesn't matter, he reminded himself, every muscle clenching and senses sharpening as he shifted back into battle mode. We gotta outsmart this thing and defeat it!
"Pikachu, defend us from behind! Block its fireballs and hit it with electric attacks when you see an opening!" he barked.
"Pika–" his partner started to confirm, but a furious cry from their pursuer and the hissing of incoming fire left no time for talking. A Thunderbolt snapped forward to destroy one blast, then a second one exploding close enough to jostle Ash, who winced at the noise and the hot gust on his cheek. Two more fireballs closed in, sizzling, but Pikachu swung his tail to launch an Electro Web which opened wide to block both. The web closed on impact, its buzzing tendrils wrapping the fireballs in a tight, glowing bundle that detonated in an explosion that rattled the sky.
The Rathalos swooped through the lingering smoke, appearing disoriented by the conflagration, though not so much that it had given up its pursuit. That was where Pikachu came in, pausing only long enough to recover from the explosion before sending out a flurry of Thunderbolts, lacking in power but making up for it in quantity. The bolts peppered the Rathalos' wings and back in bursts of electrical sparks, slowing it down, before one Thunderbolt struck it directly on the snout with a crack. Finally, the monster reacted, stopping its advance altogether as it shook its head and growled derisively.
That did it! Ash thought, and with a flare of resolve that made his Kinship Stone twinkle, he swung Barioth completely around for a full-force counterattack. "Now, Barioth! Tail Whip right into Icy Wind!"
In an instant, they were directly in front of the Rathalos, and a small part of Ash that wasn't laser-focused on battle marveled at how enormous it was – its wingspan almost blotted out his view of the overcast sky entirely. Barioth pulled up sharply the instant before they collided, its tail swinging upwards like a spiked club to smack the Rathalos across the jaw. It reeled from the blow, head flung to the side, and Barioth used that moment to release the icy breath it had prepared. Wind and driving hail pushed the Rathalos back, roaring, as patches of frost formed along its head and the edges of its wings to make the red-black scales there glisten.
"Good job, Barioth! But we can't let up!" Ash declared. "Hit it with another Icy –"
Fire suddenly jetted from the Rathalos' jaws in a powerful stream, filling Ash's eyes and ears with the roar of raging flames. Barioth reeled backwards with strength fueled by terror, desperate to get away, and Ash was nearly torn from the saddle with its wild bucking. He felt the Monstie's fear as surely as it was his own; by the time he had pulled himself back into a proper riding position, he noticed that he was shaking uncontrollably.
Sorry, Barioth, he said to himself, reaching out to place the palm of his Kinship Stone hand against the Monstie's neck. I almost forgot about your fire weakness. It has the advantage in the air and in terms of type matchup. Even with our kinship, we can't fight it alone…
The fleeting hints of ice damage having disappeared, evaporated from its body, the Rathalos surged forward anew, its wingbeats slashing the air with vigor borne from pain and rage. It sailed past Barioth, teeth closing on thin air as Ash yanked on the saddle to steer his mount out of the way, and came back at them with a vengeance, embers streaming from the sides of its mouth and clawed legs swinging forth to slash. It was coming down on them like a Staraptor on a tiny Fletchling.
"Pikachu!" Ash yelled as a second chase began, Barioth's wings only keeping them ahead of the descending wyvern's talons by inches.
"Chu-PI!" Pikachu's Iron Tail clashed against the Rathalos' next strike, enough to stop it from reaching Barioth, but not enough to save Pikachu from being tossed aside by the force of his opponent's weight. The electric mouse cried out as his body sailed helplessly over Ash's head and toward the unforgiving ground. A bolt of panic flashed through him at the sight of the falling Pokemon…
…but before he could so much call Pikachu's name, Turtonator jumped into his line of sight, glowing with the telltale light of Shell Smash as he snagged Pikachu in his stumpy arms and landed safely on his feet. Seeing his partner nestled safely in the chelonian's grasp brought Ash some peace of mind.
"Ash!" A voice called out for him, and he looked away from Turtonator to spot the gleam of Venator's spear and Kiawe's waving arms. Immediately, Ash knew what they wanted him to do, and urged Barioth to dive closer to the ground – not aiming directly at his friends, but rather to pass them by.
Predictably, the Rathalos followed, a screech tearing from its beaked maw, and underneath its rage Ash heard someone bark: "Close your eyes!"
He did, slamming them shut without thinking twice, and behind him something exploded with a flare of light that seeped through his lids. Another screech, then a tremendous thud as a great weight struck the ground. The Rathalos had crash-landed, its sensitive eyes overwhelmed by the flash bomb that Venator had tossed. The sight that greeted Ash was one of the Rathalos crouched on the ground, wings tucked in and head shaking rapidly as it tried to readjust its vision, a surprisingly pitiful contrast to the might it had displayed mere seconds ago.
"Now, Turtonator! Dragon Tail!" Kiawe ordered.
"Turtonatoooooooor!" the Fire-and-Dragon-type bellowed, his Shell Smash boost granting him such speed that he was able to lift into the air just by spinning. He became a hovering disc with a glowing edge that shot toward the Rathalos' stationary form.
But the instant Kiawe's command hit the air, Ash watched with a stab of fear to his stomach the Rathalos' head whip toward the source – whether it recognized the voice itself, or just the intent behind it, he couldn't say. Whatever the case, it was ready for Turtonator's attack, making a swift turn that made its thick tail whip out with lightning speed. The long, sturdy limb clashed with the rotating Turtonator for little more than a moment before ultimately overpowering him, sending him flying backwards into the cliff in a rain of rock dust and rubble.
Ash yelled out for Turtonator, and he was sure Kiawe did too, but the Rathalos' roar drowned them out as it rushed blindly towards them, no doubt hoping to finish off its unseen assailants. That was when Venator made his move, thrusting his shield in between the Rathalos and Kiawe and holding his ground when its head smashed into him. A few glancing strikes from his lance fended the Rathalos off, and Turtonator emerged from the settling dust to shoot a Shell Smash-enhanced Flamethrower that left light scorch marks on the Rathalos' flank. The Rathalos blinked, shaking its head, and let out a guttural growl – even from the air, Ash could see plainly that its sight was restored.
"Shell Trap!" Kiawe cried at the same time the Rathalos charged. It was an impressive move, one that Ash marveled at privately – his friend had predicted that it'd attack again, and with Shell Smash, Turtonator could set his trap near-instantly. Whatever move it tried, Turtonator's carapace would take minimal damage even as it blew up in the monster's face.
That was how it was supposed to go, anyway – Turtonator was fast to arm himself, true, but the Rathalos was still faster. It needed only a single pace to get airborne, and before anyone could react, it had maneuvered around the Blast Turtle Pokemon's defense and lashed out to devastating effect. Venomous talons jabbed at Turtonator's vulnerable frontside, bringing him down in a single strike.
"No!" Kiawe's cry was filled with anguish, and he ran forward recklessly, too consumed with panic for his Pokemon partner to heed the danger. Only when the Rathalos turned its snarling snout toward him did he backpedal, becoming aware of his imminent demise too late.
Though not too late for Ash to do something about it. "Barioth, Icy Wind! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" he commanded, loud enough to crack his voice.
The Thunderbolt jittered along the Rathalos' armored back and the Icy Wind painted frost over its wings, not enough to hurt it but certainly enough to draw its ire. Ash yelled for Barioth to get moving again, already aware of the thunderous wingbeats starting behind them. But as he did, he heard something else – a call from below, its tinny quality spoiling who it was.
"Ash, keep it distracted!" Venator implored. "Keep it off our backs, just for a couple of seconds!"
In the thick of battle, his life on the line, fiery death hot on Barioth's metaphorical heels, Ash didn't bother with questions like why or how. He simply did, an idea manifesting in his mind as a clear image, one that Barioth was already prepared to execute.
"Dodge its next fireball!" he snapped. Obediently, Barioth dipped left, leaving the crackling projectile to sail right past them. "Now turn and fly straight at it! Gimme all you got!"
The sabertoothed wyvern swung around, the motion so violent that Ash was jolted even with his hands locked tight around the handlebars. In a literal and metaphorical one-eighty, Barioth abandoned all pretense of self-preservation and rushed its larger foe, a white arrow with amber tips that belted out a roar carrying the uncompromising fury of a raging blizzard. Incredibly, it was the Rathalos that backpedaled this time, intimidated by its prey's show of suicidal boldness.
"Good, Ash! Now, this way!"
Barioth zoomed past the Rathalos' head without slowing down, barely missing its scales, and Ash's eyes flicked in the direction of Venator's shout. A gigantic grey cloud had bloomed up from nowhere, obscuring the entrance to the Lava Caverns completely – a smokescreen! No sooner had Ash realized their way out than Barioth took it, angling itself into a dive that took them straight through and out the other side. One instant, there was nothing but fog, and the next, Barioth was slamming into the cave floor at an angle that made them skid toward their hidden allies.
"Here!" Kiawe said, gesturing for Ash to join. Him and Venator were crouched behind an outcrop that jutted from the cave mouth's wall, a temporary escape from the Rathalos' vengeance. The unconscious Turtonator was with them, being fed a lavender-colored liquid from the bottle in Venator's hand.
Ash slid off Barioth and ran over to join them, suddenly aware of an ache in his shoulders and limbs and how much sweat had soaked into his Ultra Guardian uniform. He ignored his own issues, though, as he knelt into position behind the alcove. "What was that just now? How'd you make that big cloud poof outta thin air?"
"Smoke bombs, dumped all at once," Venator answered, breathing a sigh that rattled his helmet. "Had to use all the ones Laela left me with, since I didn't know how much we needed to hide the cave."
"And Turtonator?" he pressed.
"Poisoned by the Rathalos' venom, but luckily Teris had an antidote as part of his medicine kit," the hunter assured him. "Unfortunately, I was only able to take what supplies I could carry, so I only have a couple more and a few potions left."
He turned his head toward Ash, his red lenses enhancing what Ash was sure was a scrutinizing gaze. "What about you? You had a few close calls up there – any injuries? Pikachu and Barioth, too?"
"Nah, not a scratch on us," Ash replied, but it came out more subdued than he intended. One look at his partner and his Monstie, too, made it obvious how tired they were. "That Rathalos is somethin' else, though. Wasn't smart, goin' up to fight it directly – we should've stayed on the ground with you guys, maybe lured it down somehow. That way all of us could fight."
Venator rummaged in his pouch and pulled out some leftover rations for the three of them, plus a cool drink for Barioth. Ash bit into his and handed the rest off – Barioth snapped the snack up immediately, while Pikachu sniffed cautiously before starting to nibble at it. The simple act of eating was already relaxing them, a fact that brought a fond smile back to Ash's face.
An impact rocked the ground with a startling boom. Ash and the others winced as more explosions went off outside, punctuated by an incensed roar. By now, their smokescreen was gone as well – blown away by the Rathalos' wings, as though it had figured out where its prey had gone, and was now trying to flush them out with blasts aimed at their hiding place.
"We can't stay here forever," Kiawe said, tense with worry and frustration as he bent over Turtonator. "And we can't run with Turtonator out of it like this. We need a better plan."
"We probably couldn't run anyway," Venator shook his head. "If it really does have it out for you two, then it won't give up the hunt so easily. If we fled into the Lava Caverns, it'd probably chase after us, and we can't risk fighting it in an enclosed space where our movement is restricted."
"So we just gotta battle it again – as a team, this time!" Ash concluded. He stood up and raised his clenched fists, resolve coursing through his veins and boiling his blood.
"Pika pi-KA!" Pikachu agreed emphatically, Ash's determination stoking his own. Barioth, too, raised its head and growled in a show of renewed strength.
More fireballs struck the rock, pebbles crumbling over them as they ducked. "Okay, I have little left in the way of supplies," Venator told them, "so the three of us are going to have to finish this quickly. If we're going to defeat it, Ash will need to pin it to the ground long enough for me to reach it. Then, I'll finish it off before it can break free."
He hefted his golden lance and set it down firmly, its handle hitting the stone with a clank. Ash started, the sound striking a chord in him: a grave, final sort of chord that disturbed his resolve with ripples of uncertainty. Only now did the reality that they were there to kill the monster rear its head. It was a bitter pill to swallow.
"Ash," Venator spoke up, and the boy hastily set aside his discomfort to pay attention to the hunter's request. "Will you and your Barioth be able to pull off that Kinship Skill again?"
Surprised, Ash glanced reflexively down at the amulet bound to his hand, eyes drawn to its steady blue glow. Strangely, the light calmed him, as though just seeing it was enough to remind him of what it represented. It was a reminder that him and Barioth were still inseparable, still linked by a bond they shared in their hearts.
That's right, Teris explained it to us, he remembered, eyes widening and never leaving the reassuring light. That big move happens when we get really into a battle and our minds become one. He said somethin' like… it's a manifestation of power that appears because our kinship is strong. The Rider and the Monstie gotta be totally united.
He looked toward Barioth to find the feline wyvern already meeting his gaze. Its deep blue eyes were as unwavering as ever, the stalwart desire to protect and fight beside its Rider ever-present in their fierce glare. Ash nodded once, and his stoic Monstie dipped its head in a barely perceptible nod in return.
"We can do it," he told Venator, the promise absolute.
"Perfect," the warrior answered. "Now… Kiawe, if you could take my pouch? I'll explain…"
A mystified expression on his face, Kiawe upended the offered bag and allowed the contents to clatter over the floor – bottles of medicine, a couple of spherical objects with faint light flickering through their slits, and an odd metal cylinder with a conical knob at one end.
"Kiawe will be in charge of setting things up," Venator elaborated. "I'll run out first and provoke the Rathalos, and you'll toss one of these flash bombs while its eyes are on me. From there, you take this pitfall trap" – he rolled the cylinder into Kiawe's knee – "and get it set up according to my instructions. I'll be protecting you in case the Rathalos ends up attacking us. It shouldn't, though, because that's where Ash comes in. Ash, you and your Monstie keep it off us for as long as we need, then fall back so we can lure it into the pitfall. Stay on the ground as much as possible, even if it starts flying."
"You got it!" Ash replied. "Then what?"
"With luck, it'll stumble into the pitfall and become helpless," Venator continued. "It won't take more than a few seconds for it to figure out how to escape, so Ash, take that time to hit it with your Kinship Skill. Once it's truly stuck, I'll take it out."
It was a plan Ash could get behind. He shoved aside the shadow of doubt that crept through his mind and nodded emphatically, needing no words to express his commitment to the task. Kiawe, though, hesitated, his apprehension easy to see.
"Is this really the right course of action?" he murmured, looking imploringly to Ash for guidance.
For a second, Ash could see all the pain and defeat his friend had gone through ever since being torn from Alola, and the vehement things he'd spat at him days ago ran fresh through his head. Realizing the source of Kiawe's sudden doubt, Ash's face split into a grin and he stuck out his hand with a jaunty thumbs-up.
"We can do it, Kiawe!" he said. "We'll win as long as we believe in our kinship!"
Kiawe blinked, blank-faced, before easing into a similar smile. "You're right," he responded, belief lifting his voice. "Venator, you can leave it to me."
The hunter nodded in approval and groaned to his full height, hefting his spear and shield – then, without warning, took off at a run, abandoning their cover in favor of the open air. His great, clanking strides drew the Rathalos' attention instantly, a roar pealing from its jaws as it zeroed in on Venator's fleeing form. Even without all that armor weighing him down, there was no way he could outrun it.
But that was what Kiawe was there for, jumping out of cover with a yell and hurling with all his might the flash bomb that'd been gripped in his fist. At the apex of its flight, it burst, Ash barely shielding himself in time as the light flooded the plateau. Just like that, the Rathalos was on the ground again, moaning as it once again found its eyesight seared.
"Now!" Ash exclaimed, seizing his chance to vault onto Barioth and charge forth on foot. The Monstie raced forward, wind whipping in Ash and Pikachu's faces as they bounded around the Rathalos without losing speed. It flailed its tail and jaws alternately, turning this way and that as it tried to hit something in its blindness, and Barioth weaved in and out of its fruitless strikes without needing an ounce of input from its Rider.
A fireball flew from the Rathalos' mouth in its desperation, detonating with an uprising of smoke close to where Venator had been standing. Ash froze (and Barioth's movements stumbled) at the sight of the conflagration, fearing his friends had been hit – and indeed they had, Venator's indominable shield gleaming gold through the thinning smoke as if it hadn't just weathered such a mighty blast of flame. Kiawe was visible behind the hunter's sturdy stance, bent low as he prepared the pitfall.
"Tail Whip!" Ash commanded, focus shifting back to the battle. Barioth pounced in a zigzagging fashion around and under the spiked tail of their opponent, reaching its leg, and whipped its tail mercilessly into the limb. The greater size of the Rathalos didn't matter with surprise on their side – it toppled with a shocked, yelping cry, its head swinging around as it went down in a last-ditch attempt at retaliating.
Its teeth raked across Barioth's retreating tail, earning a snarl from the Monstie as it leapt aside. Ash grunted – they'd taken damage, but they couldn't let up, not with the Rathalos climbing to its feet and its eyelids beginning to lift. "Icy Wind and Thunderbolt, keep it from flying!"
The whirlwind of ice spiraled along the ground and whipped at the Rathalos' underside, causing it to flinch, but as its wings opened, Pikachu's Thunderbolt struck its wing membrane and traced along its leading edge. Its wings closing again by reflex, the Rathalos reared its head and screeched, its rage restored and fueling its legs in a furious charge forward. Flames licked at the contours of its jaws from the back of its glowing throat.
"Barioth, back!" Ash yelled, and felt his rear bounce painfully in the saddle as Barioth flexed its four legs and leapt backwards with wings spread, adding distance to their retreat. They landed, Ash once again taking the impact with a rough bump, avoiding the teeth that closed with a hissing snap on nothing.
The fire visible between the gaps in its snarl didn't fade, though, and Ash knew what was coming. "Bari–"
The order to dodge was only halfway off his tongue and his Monstie, sensing his desire before he spoke, was only just pushing itself off the ground in a sideways spring, when the Rathalos opened its maw to let the fireball fly. It blasted apart the volcanic rock that had been under Barioth's front left paw, but the flames that spiked outward with the shockwave licked over its wing and arm. The incensed howl that came from between Barioth's fangs wrenched Ash's stomach more than the crashlanding did; they hit the ground awkwardly with Barioth's injured paw unable to take their weight, rolling to the side such that Ash lost his grip on the saddle and grabbed Pikachu as they toppled.
"Good job!" Venator hollered from strangely close by – then Ash noticed as he sat up that they'd ended up right beside the hunter, who held his shield high and braced against the fire blasts that the Rathalos now focused on him. "Get your Barioth behind Kiawe and I! The trap's all set up – only thing left is to spring it!"
Ash's concern for Barioth evaporated as the white wyvern got to its feet as easily as if it hadn't been burned, though it did appear to limp with its injured paw as it retreated past Kiawe and toward the Lava Caverns entrance. Kiawe himself was standing at the perimeter of the pitfall trap – Ash had to squint to see it, only the tip of the metal canister protruding above ground at the center of a large ring of fake green leaves.
"The monster's weight will collapse the trap and bring it down," he informed Ash, clapping him heartily on the back when he approached. His hand plunged into Venator's pouch and drew out a potion, which he offered to Ash with an encouraging smile. "Give this to Barioth and get ready to unleash that kinship of yours. If anyone can do it, Ash, it's you!"
The Rathalos unleashed its loudest, most infuriated screech yet, everyone's hands flying to their ears in response to the din, and hurtled straight for them, talons flying across the ground and covering dozens of meters in only a couple of seconds. Already, it was nearly on top of them, and Ash saw its eyes fixed solidly on them with not so much as a glance down at the ground – it had had more than enough of them, and was simply too enraged to suspect it was walking into a trap.
Venator cast his weapon aside and dove out of the way of the monster's charge, only a hair's breadth away from being trampled. The path was clear for the Rathalos to reach the trap, and any second now, its foot would break the cover and send it plummeting into the pit…
…except that it seemed to have a different plan of attack. Just close enough to Ash and Kiawe for one final lunge, its toes scraping the rock at the edge of the pitfall, the Rathalos spread its wings and pounced. The only part of it to touch the trap was its shadow as it lofted into the air for the finishing blow.
Time seemed to slow down. Ash could scarcely breathe as he watched the wyvern's claws stretching out, ready to rend. Someone or something was shouting, somewhere, but Ash barely heard it – his only thought was to get back to Barioth. He was defenseless, having placed all his faith in the plan without ever thinking what would happen if it went wrong. He began to turn around, heading for Barioth and Pikachu, but even as his legs moved he could still see the Rathalos descending on him, and he squeezed his eyes shut in anticipation of the pain…
KA-THOOOOOM!
The explosion shattered Ash's hearing and filled the air with stinging smoke, his perception of time speeding back to normal all at once. He tripped and hit the ground, coughing, and pushed his aching knees and elbows to lift him back up. As the air cleared, he looked toward the center of the explosion, and the sight that greeted him made his heart both leap with joy and wrench with horror – Turtonator. Somehow, the Blast Turtle Pokemon had woken up and crossed the gap between him and them, his Shell Trap blocking the attack at the last moment.
Turtonator! Ash felt like cheering, but before he could, a roar raged over the sound of shattering stone. Finding itself at the epicenter of the blast, the Rathalos must have been sent reeling back, right into the pitfall it had previously avoided, and now its roar was made in panic as the ground beneath it gave way. Its upper body flailed in vain, wings flapping and head swinging back and forth as it fought to escape.
"DO IT!" Venator's bellow was a shock to Ash's system, his body giving a jolt as everything rushed back to him all at once. "TRAP IT INSIDE! DO IT NOW!"
"R-Right!" he exclaimed. He had, at best, a few seconds before the Rathalos found a foothold and climbed back out. With the window of opportunity closing fast, Ash ran like the Rathalos was breathing down his neck, shouting for Barioth and Pikachu.
They arrived, closing the last of the distance between them, and Ash vaulted into the saddle, Pikachu greeting him with a determined squeak from his perch on the handlebars. Ash took his partner's encouragement to heart – they had only one shot to finish the battle, or else they might not reunite with the others at the Ultra Wormhole. That urgency sharpened his focus, and his Kinship Stone erupted with radiance, sending his Monstie's confidence surging through him to magnify his own.
"Ride on, Barioth!" Ash yelled, punching the air. "Turn our kinship into strength!"
Barioth flew, rising above the plateau until the struggling Rathalos was squarely in their sights, and streams of light poured from the Kinship Stone into the Monstie's mouth – then was released as an enormous Ice Beam that turned the black rock around their target glimmering white. Just as with the Almudron, a great cyclone lanced into the sky at the center of the circle of ice, filling the atmosphere with lashing gusts that left Ash's face numb with cold.
When the twister faded, leaving only a fine snowfall behind, the Rathalos was revealed stuck in a sheet of ice that pinned its wings to the ground, unable to escape. Its head and neck were still free, but it didn't have the strength to move, only to shiver and breathe ragged breaths.
With the scraping of metal over ice, Venator retrieved his weapon and, wordlessly, dealt the final blow just as promised. An upwards strike with the shield tilted the Rathalos' head just enough to expose its throat, which the lance pierced and sent a spray of blood pattering over the ice. There was no shriek or even a grunt – the monster flopped to the ground, its life extinguished at last.
Ash let out the breath he hadn't known he was holding, an uncomfortable, almost nauseous sense of regret settling over him. He'd known from the start of what hunters did, and made peace with it, but this was his first time seeing the result of their actions for himself. Death wasn't a novel concept to him, but… he looked at the Rathalos' lifeless body, the blood still trickling from its torn neck, and shuddered.
"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked, looking up at him with polished eyes full of questions.
"I'm good, Pikachu," he assured him. "Thanks a ton for your help. You and Barioth were amazing."
He waited for Barioth to land before sliding off to stand beside Kiawe. Their eyes met – Kiawe's were grim and quiet, but also accepting, with no trace of anguish. He's seen it before, Ash recognized, only now realizing what Kiawe must have gone through prior to their reunion. It's because of it that he hated this world so much. I totally get it – he loves Alola and all of life more than anything.
Venator joined them, his panting breaths echoing inside his helmet. "You kids alright?" he rasped. Ash and Kiawe nodded in answer, to which Venator's exhausted tone lightened as he replied, "Glad to hear. You both did great… your companions too. I couldn't have done this hunt without your help."
Unbidden, Ash and Kiawe swiveled their heads in almost magnetic fashion toward the expired corpse, dark against the ice. Ash was sure he spoke for both of them when he uttered, "I didn't want it to end this way. I thought we could… I dunno, knock it out or drive it away or somethin'. But… I get why we had to do it, too. The whole reason you guys heard about this monster is because your Guild wants the Lava Caverns to be safe."
"We did our part to keep nature in balance," Kiawe added, sad yet reflective. "Like the guardian deities of Alola do."
"Well… it's certainly not pretty," Venator admitted, and his red lenses evoked a thoughtful consideration as he gazed at the body. "But getting your hands dirty in the name of protecting others – that's what it means to be a hunter."
That, Ash was fine with.
"Now, Kiawe, get out the rest of those potions," Venator instructed, gesturing toward Barioth and Turtonator. Barioth was mostly fine, nursing only the single burn on his wing while the scratches on his armored back needed no attendance. Turtonator, though, was unconscious again after pushing himself to protect them, poisoned and sporting minor cracks in his shell where the Rathalos had struck him. Pikachu crouched over him, squeaking with well-founded concern.
Kiawe joined the rodent, kneeling beside his beloved companion to lay a fond hand atop his shell. "Thanks, partner," he murmured. "Let's get you healed and back on your feet. We're almost home."
Ash nodded along as he watched his friend gently drip their last antidote and a healing potion into Turtonator's slackened mouth, and turned to do the same to Barioth, feeding the feline monster its own medicine with a placid smile that not at all conveyed the wild anticipation fluttering in his chest.
So much time, adventure, gut-wrenching terror and mind-blowing discovery… it was finally about to end. It almost felt surreal… like something inside Ash was doubting it could be over so soon after all the near-death experiences. But truly, all that remained was to delve into the volcanic depths and meet up with the others, and the journey would be done.
Mallow, Sophocles… Ash thought, wondering if they had finished with their final fight or if they were still in the midst of it. You can do it. We're all goin' home together.
AN:
Looking back at this long battle scene, I think it's safe to say that I did a better job with this Rathalos encounter than that awful movie did.
Not much to say about the battle aside from that, other than that Ash and Kiawe succeeded where they previously failed. Even though Ash and Barioth (and Pikachu to a lesser extent) were front and center here, Kiawe and Turtonator also fared significantly better than their first monster encounter and are a lot more accepting of this universe's ways by now. I wanted to get the point across that they were only able to defeat a monster (mostly) on their own after they'd embraced and become a part of this world.
Also a minor scene with Kukui, showing that Necrozma's influence is much more of a problem now that it's free.
Hope you liked the return to more action-y chapters, because there's a clash between spider and Rider still to come! Live, love, and send reviews, readers!
Next time: Web