Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon and am in no way affiliated with Nintendo or Gamefreak, or other companies that write or produce pokemon. Now that that legal stuff is out of the way, on to the story!
Pokemon Legends: Kanto Saga
Chapter Forty Nine
Finding Jessica
After their previous adventures, Ashley and Melany spent the rest of the day getting caught up on what they had each been up to. Melany also had to explain to Ashley who Jessica was. The next morning, at breakfast in the hotel restaurant, they discussed their next move.
"Well, we've got one of the dragons, but we still haven't found out what those pokemon thieves are up to here." Melany said to Ashley, taking a quick sip from her cup of tea. Both girls had stuck to a relatively simple breakfast consisting of a bowl of cereal each and Melany's usual cup of tea.
"The only way we're going to find out anything is if we can get Jessica to talk somehow." Ashley replied. She looked down at the bowl of cereal that was in front of her, idly swirling her spoon through it.
"Well, Latias wants me to take her to some island to get some gem or something. So I guess I'll be doing that..."
"So that's it, huh? Some pretty red head comes by dressed like a waitress and I get dropped like a bad habit?"
"Not this again..." Melany thought, rolling her eyes. "Well two can play at that game..."
"She's also much cuter, better hairstyle, and has a larger bust." Melany shot back.
"WHAT?!" Ashley cried out. Melany's response had caught her completely by surprise.
"Wow, she got you pretty good there." Aisha said to Ashley. "I have to admit, there certainly is something...endearing about the new Latias."
"Mine might not be big, but they're still a modest size!" Ashley shot back, getting up from the table. However, rather than looking mad, she had a sly grin on her face. "Oh, just you wait, mister! Tonight, I'll change your mind for sure!" Ashley then walked away from the table without another word and left the hotel.
"Great...something else to look forward to. She never did say what she plans to do today though." Melany thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. "Whatever, we've both done our fair share of slacking off so I'm sure she'll figure out something. I'll just worry about getting that gem for Latias..."
Melany quickly finished off her tea. When she set the cup back down she noticed that Ashley still had some cereal left in her bowl. Deciding Ashley probably wasn't coming back for the rest, Melany got up and left the restaurant as well.
"So, you think Jessica will show up here?"
"I think she'll show up at whatever facility I go to, so I'm just choosing something simple." Ashley replied, looking up at the tower that stood before her. "The Battle Tower is just one battle after another, with my pokemon getting healed after each battle. Kind of a tournament-style setup. I figure I can battle my way through it pretty easily."
"Hmm...makes sense. She didn't exactly get to finish that last battle with you, so she's probably going to be looking for another match." Aisha said in agreement. "By the way, about what happened back there between you and Melany..."
"I know she was just trying to get back at me for the teasing, no harm done." Ashley thought in response, shrugging.
"I already know that much." Aisha said. "I'm more concerned with how you plan to get back at her."
"Oh? I suppose you peeked." Ashley thought, grinning slightly.
"Don't you think that's going a bit far?" Aisha asked her.
"Hmm? I don't see what the problem is..."
"No, I suppose you wouldn't." Aisha sighed, or at least a sound like a sigh echoed through Ashley's head. "Nevermind then. Let's go."
Ashley shrugged to herself and continued into the Battle Tower, then went up to the front desk to speak with the receptionist.
"Hi! I'd like to challenge the Battle Tower!" Ashley said to the receptionist.
"Fine. Give me the three pokemon you want to register." The receptionist replied in a bored-sounding tone.
"Well she certainly sounds friendly." Ashley thought. She took three pokeballs from her belt, then handed them over to the receptionist. The receptionist quickly scanned the three, handed them back to Ashley, and pressed a few buttons on the keyboard in front of her. The distinct ding of an elevator arriving sounded and the door behind the receptionist's desk opened.
"Go through that door, the elevator will take you to your designated battle room." The receptionist said to Ashley. Ashley nodded and hurried through the door and into the elevator, eager to move away from the receptionist. Once Ashley was inside, the doors shut and the elevator whirred to life and began to move through the tower.
"So, this Latias, you said she was 'new'. Why's that?" Ashley asked Aisha, figuring she had time to talk before the elevator arrived.
"I am not sure why, but I can tell from my brief encounter with her that she is certainly not the same Latias from my time." Aisha explained. "The Latias I knew wasn't so childish. I wouldn't say she was shy either, though perhaps a bit reclusive. She only revealed herself to Melany. Latias and Latios, as I recall, were near opposites in attitude. Latias chose to work alongside humans, while Latios regarded us as inferior."
"Wonder if Latios has changed any then. He sure doesn't sound pleasant to be around otherwise." Ashley thought.
The elevator soon came to a stop, and the doors opened with their distinct *ding*. Ashley stepped through the door to find herself in a battle arena, set up much like one in a gym. There was a dirt floor set up to withstand attacks such as Earthquake or Dig, giving trainers freedom to use whatever attack then wanted despite being indoors. Ashley quickly took her position at one end of the field, and found she already had an opponent waiting at the other side of the field.
"It's about time!" An impatient young girl said to her, holding a pokeball in her hand. "Let's get this over already! Breloom, I choose you!" The girl held out a pokeball and released Breloom, a grass pokemon with stubby arms, a long tail, and a mushroom-like head.
"If you say so." Ashley replied, drawing a pokeball from her belt. "Gengar, go!" The pokeball opened in Ashley's hand, releasing Gengar out onto the battlefield.
"This one will be a piece of cake! Breloom, start off with Spore!"
"Gengar, use Hypnosis!"
Breloom started to swing its tail around, but was caught by Gengar's Hypnosis attack in midswing. Breloom found itself drawn toward Gengar's eyes, which had the appearance of black and white spirals as the hypnotic energy waves took effect on Breloom. Soon, the grass pokemon fell over and collapsed into a deep sleep.
"Ok, a lot of grass pokemon are usually poison-type too. So maybe I can get some extra punch from Dream Eater." Ashley thought. "Not that it matters, we're going with that anyway!"
"Gengar, attack Breloom with Dream Eater!" Gengar opened her mouth and gathered a purple orb within, which was formed from dreams being stolen from Breloom to inflict damage on it. Gengar then closed her mouth, chomping down on the dreams and absorbing them for energy.
"Grr! You're just lucky that Hypnosis attack didn't miss, or my Breloom would be kicking your Gengar's butt right now!" The girl shouted at Ashley.
"Yeah, right..." Ashley muttered under her breath. She could tell her opponent's pokemon was decently strong, but the trainer herself wasn't too skilled. "Gengar, attack with Shadow Ball!"
Gengar drew her hands back, cupping them together, and formed a ball of shadowstuff. She then brought her hands forward, firing the Shadow Ball attack at the sleeping Breloom. The ball smashed into Breloom and exploded, causing the grass pokemon to cry out in pain and then faint. In only two hits, Ashley had taken out the girl's first pokemon.
"Just you wait! My next pokemon will get you back!" The girl said to Ashley as she recalled her Breloom.
"I'm sure it will..." Ashley thought, rolling her eyes. "Somehow, I don't think I'll find much competition here..."
Meanwhile, after leaving the restaurant, Melany found a secludded area where she could let Latias out of its pokeball. In pokemon form, Latias was able to carry Melany on her back as she flew toward the small island she wanted Melany to accompany her to. Even though Latias couldn't fly very fast with a passenger, it only took her around ten minutes to arrive at the island and set down.
"So this is where you and Latios live?" Melany asked, looking around the barren island. There was little there but sand, a few trees, and a hole in the ground. The island looked as though it could be a typical deserted island out of a movie.
"Yep! We live in an underground cave in that hole!" Latias replied telepathically. "We usually have the hole blocked but we were kinda...umm..."
"I know, you were collared." Melany said, glancing over at Latias. "So is..." She stopped and blinked as she saw Latias begin to shift forms, changing from her dragon-type pokemon form into a waitress with crazy red hair. Once the transformation was complete, she noticed Melany looking at her and smiled sheepishly.
"Why did you change forms?" Melany asked her.
"I prefer walking around like this." Latias replied.
"But...you..." Melany sighed and shook her head. "Nevermind, is that crystal or whatever in the hole then?"
"IT'S CALLED THE SOUL DEW!" Latias furiously corrected her.
"Right...Soul Dew..." Melany scratched the back of her head. "What an odd name for a gem..."
"It's stored at the far end of the cave." Latias then explained in a more calm manner.
"Why did you two choose this island anyway? I mean, it looks like it could get washed away at any minute." Melany asked her, shivering at the thought of a giant wave crashing over the island while she was still there.
"I never thought about that...but we've always been here." Latias replied, grinning widely. "It's got the best beaches!"
"It's ALL beach!" Melany thought, her eye twitching slightly.
"Come on, let's go see the Soul Dew!" Latias said impatiently. She grabbed Melany's hand and dragged her off toward the hole in the ground, down the sloped entrance that lead into the island's underground. Neither of them noticed that someone else had followed them to the island and was observing from a distance.
Inside the cave, there was a short walk further down to a level tunnel. The cave was dark, there was no light at all save for a soft purple glow straight ahead of them. The glow came from an orb up ahead, half purple and half pale pink. Latias lead Melany to the orb and stopped in front of it.
"So this is the Soul Dew?" Melany asked Latias as she observed the orb.
"That's right! This is it!" Latias made a dramatic gesture toward the Soul Dew. "The Soul Dew!"
"I don't see what's so great about it." Melany thought.
Latias stared at the Soul Dew for a moment then looked back at Melany. "You have the Emerald with you, right? The Soul Dew wants to see it."
"I wasn't aware a crystal orb could..." Melany paused midsentence, remembering her own crystal, then shook her head. "Nevermind..." Melany reached back, grabbing the Emerald out of a side pouch on her backpack. The Emerald's green color was noticeably faded even in the dim light.
"OH NO! WHAT DID YOU DO TO IT?!" Latias shrieked, grabbing and pulling on her hair.
"Err...well..." Melany rubbed the back of her neck in embarassment. "Its power kinda got stolen from me by an enslaved Rayquaza..."
"EEK! Not good! NOT GOOD AT ALL!" Latias shrieked and started running around in circles. "Whatarewegonnadowhatarewegonna-" Not looking where she was going, Latias ran straight into the wall of the cave. "Owie..." She mumbled, then dropped to the ground with a thud.
"Of all the legendary pokemon to be working with..." Melany shook her head sadly.
Latias quickly jumped back onto her feet and grabbed Melany by the shoulders. "We have to get that power back somehow!"
"Well if you have any ideas, I'm open to suggestion."
Latias thought for a moment then grinned. "I bet the Soul Dew will know something!" She turned to the Soul Dew briefly, then stepped to the side. "The Soul Dew said to hold the Emerald close to it."
"...Alright." Melany hesitantly replied before doing so. "First a childish legendary pokemon, now a talking crystal orb that only Latias can hear. What next?" Melany wondered while she held the emerald near the Soul Dew. The Emerald soon began to emit a soft glow and some of its color was returned to it. It wasn't nearly as bright green or shiny as it used to be, but it wasn't faded now either. Once the glowing stopped, Melany retracted her hand and examined the Emerald closely.
"What was that about?" Melany wondered. "Odari? Hello? Anyone home?" She asked in her mind, expecting Odari might pick up on it and reply if she could speak again.
"She won't be able to speak to you. Not until Rayquaza's power has been returned to the Emerald." Melany heard a soft, almost angelic voice. It was difficult to tell if the source was male or female. She looked around the dimly lit cave, but there was no one else around.
"Oh! You can hear it now too, can't you?" Latias asked Melany, grinning from ear to ear.
"It?" Melany blinked.
"The Soul Dew of course!"
"Melany, if you wish to regain Rayquaza's power, you must either defeat Rayquaza and steal it back or free Rayquaza from their control so it may return the power willingly." The Soul Dew said to Melany, her Emerald blinking with each word.
"Wait...are you talking to me through the Emerald somehow?" Melany asked it.
"Yes. I can speak with the spirit contained within it as well, though she cannot speak to you. Rather unfortunate, as she seems to have a lot to say."
"I'm sure she does." Melany thought, rolling her eyes.
"Regardless, it seems the final events dictated in the Sky Pillar prophecies will soon come to pass. I have full confidence in your victory in the final battle, but we cannot be lax all the same. For that reason, Latias and I shall accompany you as one."
"WHAAAAAAAAAAA!!" Latias yelled, stepping back from the shock but then tripping and landing on her butt. "Owie..." She mumbled, rubbing her sore backside.
"I guess Latias could hear all this too then..." Melany thought.
"But...but...is that really alright?" Latias asked the Soul Dew, whimpering timidly.
"It will be fine, I assure you. It is not permanent, and so long as we are joined your power will be increased."
"Hold up, just what do you know about this prophecy anyway?" Melany asked it. She already knew all about it, having seen the drawings on the Sky Pillar walls for herself. However, there was one thing about them that had always bugged her.
"Ah, you want to know what the significance of it all is? Why such a conflict between trainers and those whom you see as only common criminals would be so important?"
"...More or less, yeah. I don't suppose you know, do you?"
"I have had some time to ponder this, yes." The Soul Dew replied. "I believe the significance of the events portrayed is not evident in the prophecies themselves. Rather, those who originally wrote them knew these events were of some significance but didn't know to what extent."
"W-wait...what prophecies are you two talking about?" Latias asked, looking back and forth between the two.
"The ones depicted in the Sky Pillar. So far each and every image depicted there has come true." Melany replied. "Which means that pretty soon me, Ashley, and May are going to go up against three evil individuals united under a fourth. Vito and Jessica seem to make up two of the lackeys, and whoever's ordering them around makes number four."
"Precisely." The Soul Dew said. "As to what these events mean, I believe it has more to do with the pokemon themselves that will be involved. The pokemon they are after, and the pokemon you have caught as well."
"So then...it has something to do with the legendary pokemon?" Melany asked.
"Yes. Never before have so many legendary pokemon been gathered in one place. Even when Odari, Aisha, and Haruka confronted Kyogre and Groudon in the past. Further, there is the issue of what you have been planning."
"What I have been planning?" Melany blinked. "Wait! You don't mean..."
"Yes. Odari has explained to me what you have been planning." The Soul Dew replied. "I believe this gathering of trainers and pokemon will quite conveniently drop the necessary tools into your lap to follow through with your plans as well."
Latias looked at Melany, tilting her head to the side. "Plans? What plans?" She asked her.
"Would you like to explain them to her?" The Soul Dew asked.
Melany sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, I guess I was going to have to talk about them eventually..."
"Witness the awesome power of my water pokemon!" A young male trainer, dressed in a blue shirt and jeans, called out to Ashley. "Gyarados, attack with Hydro Pump!"
A large Gyarados, coiled on the battlefield like a snake, opened its mouth and sprayed a powerful stream of water at Ashley's Gengar. Gengar staggered back as the water struck her, but was still on her feet when Gyarados was finished.
"-Tsk. That was pretty weak, deary.-" Gengar said, snickering at it.
"All water pokemon, huh? Ok then! Gengar, return!" Ashley held out Gengar's pokeball and recalled her, then took another pokeball in her hand. "Witness the awesome power of a single electric pokemon! Jolteon, go!" She then called out, releasing Jolteon onto the field. "Jolteon, attack Gyarados with Thunderbolt!"
"-This won't take long.-" Jolteon said confidently as he gathered electricity across his fur. He fired it all in a single bolt, striking the towering serpent with a Thunderbolt attack. Gyarados cried out in pain and then collapsed, taken down in only a single attack. The trainer growled as he recalled his pokemon and took another pokeball in his hand.
"I won't stand for this insult to my beloved water pokemon! Take this! Cloyster!" The trainer called out, releasing a giant clamshell pokemon with spikes covering its body. It landed flat on the field and opened up, revealing a black sphere inside that served as its face.
"This definitely isn't going to take long..." Ashley thought.
"On the bright side, this means it'll be easier to find Jessica if she's here." Aisha said.
"That's..." Latias blinked. "C-can you really do something like that?!"
"Theoretically...the Soul Dew seems to agree that it's possible too." Melany replied, grinning sheepishly. "I'm not even sure where to start though. I mean, my dad definitely isn't going to be willing to lend me any money at this point. Especially that much..."
"How ARE you going to do it then?" Latias asked.
Melany shrugged. "It'll work out somehow I guess. Anyway, we should probably get going now if we're done here."
"Yes. But be careful, I sense there is danger nearby." The Soul Dew cautioned them.
Latias carefully took the Soul Dew in her hand. She yelped in surprise as it suddenly melded into her and vanished. She could feel the Soul Dew's energy running through her, strengthening her. "Ooo..."
"Let's go, but stay behind me." Melany said to Latias. "The last thing we need is for someone to be waiting outside with a slave collar right now." Latias nodded in agreement and followed behind Melany as the two left the cave.
"Melany...I can sense Latios nearby..." Latias whispered to her as they neared the hole.
"Jessica's probably here too then. That figures." Melany muttered. They moved forward at a quicker pace toward the light at the end of the tunnel. Once they were out of the hole and standing on the island again, Melany found herself face to face with Jessica while Latios was behind them. Latias quickly turned to face her enslaved brother, keeping her back to Melany's.
"I knew I'd find something interesting if I followed you here." Jessica said to Melany with a malevolent grin.
"Just what are you talking about?"
"The Soul Dew." Jessica replied. "Latios here was quite willing to tell me all about it when we followed you here."
"It's because of that stupid collar!" Latias growled.
"Hmph. Well, too bad you left yourself open." Melany said to Jessica with a slight grin. Before Jessica could respond, Melany quickly grabbed a pokeball from her belt. "Armaldo, go!" Melany called out, releasing her prehistoric pokemon. Armaldo waved its claw-like arms around menacingly when it emerged, looking ready for a fight.
"I did nothing of the sort." Jessica replied, calmly adjusting her glasses. "Observe." Jessica brought her left arm forward, pointing a strange device at Armaldo. She pressed a button, and a collar fired from the device and wrapped around Armaldo's neck. "I was just waiting for you to do something stupid. Like sending out a pokemon."
"Damn it! I walked right into that!" Melany thought, clenching her fists. Armaldo, now under Jessica's command, turned toward Melany with a blank expression. "If Latias were to end up fighting Latios now..."
"Latias, get out of here. Fly straight up into the air and keep your distance." Melany whispered.
"But...but what about you?"
"I can handle this if I don't have to worry about her catching you, now go." Latias gulped nervously and nodded. She quickly shifted into her pokemon form and took off, flying straight up into the air.
Jessica watched Latias fly away, out of range of her collar-launcher, and shook her head. "You must really have a..."
"Metagross! Regirock! Regice! Go!" Melany called out, holding two pokeballs in one hand and one in the other. She released Regice behind her to fend off Latios while Metagross and Regirock materialized between Melany and Armaldo.
"...death wish." Jessica chuckled and took aim at Melany's pokemon with her slave collar. "Suit yourself." Jessica fired two shots, launching a collar at Metagross and Regirock. The collars latched on tightly to each pokemon's head, despite not being big enough to close around them. "Anymore pokemon to give me while we're here? Certainly makes things much easier!" Jessica said with a grin.
"...Sorry, but aside from Armaldo you haven't caught any of my pokemon." Melany said with a smirk. Metagross and Regirock each reached up with one hand, grabbing the collars and tearing them off easily.
"Wh-what?! That's impossible!" Jessica growled. "No pokemon can resist the slave collars! They were even upgraded to make sure of that!"
"Seems that upgrade failed to account for one thing, since the collars still don't work on artificial pokemon." Melany said to Jessica. "You're not the first one to try to enslave Regirock and fail, seems he never saw fit to explain that little detail to you."
"D...damn it..." Jessica muttered. "Well I still have Latios and your Armaldo in addition to my own pokemon, we still have you outnumbered!"
"True enough." Melany replied with a shrug. "You do have eight pokemon, compared to my...seven." Melany smirked and held up her pokenav for Jessica to see. "That's an interesting device you have on your arm there, I wonder how it works?"
"...Don't think for a second that you've actually won." Jessica said to Melany, placing a hand on her collar-launcher. "Afterall..." Jessica smirked. "You're still down a pokemon." Jessica pressed a button on the device causing her, Latios, and Armaldo to vanish into thin air.
"...Things just go from bad to worse for me." Melany muttered to herself.
"Melany! You did it!" Latias cheered telepathically, smiling as she dropped down from the sky next to her. Her smile faded when she saw the serious look on Melany's face. "Melany?"
"Well, it's true I chased her away but...now I'm down to five pokemon." Melany replied with a sigh. "Where'd she get that launcher-thing from anyway? I don't remember Vito having one."
"Can't you just switch your..." Latias blinked. "Oh..."
"Right." Melany nodded, chuckling lightly. "Can't switch out Armaldo if I don't have Armaldo with me." Melany shrugged and turned to face Latias. "Well, I've got Metagross and the Regi's anyway, and they're all thankfully immune to those collars. Though this is going to be troublesome, as they could enslave a large number of pokemon very easily with those."
"What do we do now?" Latias asked.
Melany shrugged. "Nothing left to do but to head back to the Battle Frontier I guess."
"No way! How did you beat my Tyranitar so easily!" The boy Ashley recently defeated growled.
"Cripping fighting-type weakness obviously." Ashley replied. Primeape was standing in front of her, pumping its arms and looking agitated in spite of it's recent victory. The boy kicked at the ground and took off out of Ashley's battle room.
"Why do I get all the sore losers?" Ashley wondered with a sigh. "Primeape, good job. Return." Ashley recalled Primeape and handed over her three pokeballs to an attendant. The attendant then placed her pokeballs in a machine on the wall to heal them.
"Still no sign of Jessica, it seems." Aisha noted.
"Wonder how many rounds we have left anyway?"
"Your next and final match will be against the Salon Maiden Anabel herself." The attendant said to Ashley as she handed her pokeballs back to her. "Good luck." The attendant then took up her position on the side of the battlefield to watch the upcoming battle.
"So much for finding Jessica then." Ashley thought with a sigh. "Oh well."
Ashley waited patiently until finally a girl with purple hair walked through and took her place at the opposite side of the battlefield.
"Greetings. You must be Ashley." The woman said to her. "I'm Anabel, I'm the Salon Maiden and I am in charge of running the Battle Tower."
"Well I hope you're a lot better than the rest of the trainers I faced to get here." Ashley said to her.
"Yes, I've heard the rumors about you." Anabel replied. "That you made it this far fighting only weak competition. But that is why I am here. I will test your abilities for myself."
"Don't you dare think for a second that I only got here because I fought weak trainers!" Ashley shot back, grabbing a pokeball from her belt. "I'm one of the strongest trainers in Kanto!"
"Is that so? Well, we'll see what you can do then." Anabel replied casually, taking a pokeball in her hand as well. "Alakazam, go!"
"Gengar, go!" Ashley and Anabel sent out their first pokemon, with a seemingly even match. On her side of the field, the ghost pokemon Gengar emerged. Gengar had the type advantage over the Alakazam that appeared on Anabel's side of the field, but being a poison type meant Alakazam could score strong attacks against Gengar as well.
"Gengar, start with Hypnosis!"
"Alakazam, attack Gengar with Psychic!"
Alakazam's eyes flashed as it focused its psychic power on Gengar, but its concentration wavered as Gengar started attacking with Hypnosis. The Alakazam, having expected to be able to attack faster than the ghost pokemon, fell victim to the attack and dropped to the ground fast asleep before it could even finish its own attack.
"Her Gengar was faster than my Alakazam?" Anabel thought in disbelief. "It must be quite strong then. Its no wonder she would breeze through those opponents so easily..."
"Off to a good start! Didn't even take a hit!" Ashley thought with a smirk. "Ok, Gengar, follow it up with a Curse!" Gengar brought her hands together, causing shadows to form around her. The shadows turned into a pin, which stabbed her through the chest and cut her health in half. The shadows then descended around the sleeping Alakazam, laying a powerful curse on it.
"Don't let up! Attack with Shadow Ball!" Ashley commanded. Gengar cupped her hands together again, grinning as she formed a ball of shadowstuff. With Alakazam still asleep, Gengar fired the ball across the gym with the proper angle to strike Alakazam in the chest. Alakazam grunted and slowly began to open its eyes.
"This might be my only chance to attack." Anabel thought, realizing Curse would prevent Alakazam from properly recovering. "Alakazam, get up and attack with Psychic!"
"Gengar, finish this! Shadow Punch!" Alakazam floated back onto its feet, looking pretty exhausted thanks to Curse. It wasn't standing for long, though, before Gengar made a punching motion. An invisible fist smashed Alakazam in the jaw, knocking it flat again. This time, Alakazam wasn't getting back up, and Anabel quickly recalled it.
"Not bad. Your pokemon are quite strong." Anabel said to Ashley, taking another pokeball in her hand. "Let's see how you handle this one, then. Salamence, go!" Anabel called out, thrusting a pokeball toward the field and releasing a pokemon resembling a medieval dragon.
"I'll stay on this one with Gengar." Ashley thought, taking out her pokedex to check Salamence's type while she called out an attack. "Gengar, attack with Hypnosis!"
"Salamence, take it down with a Crunch attack!"
Anabel's Salamence let out a roar and charged toward Gengar on foot. It hesitated briefly as Gengar attacked with Hypnosis, but managed to resist and kept going. Salamence closed in on Gengar and bit down hard on her side with its powerful jaws and then effortlessly threw her to the side. Gengar groaned in pain, barely able to fight after such a powerful attack.
"Damn it...can't risk a Hypnosis with Gengar that weak." Ashley thought. "Ok then, let's go out with a bang!"
"Gengar, attack with Curse!" Shadows swirled around Gengar as she straightened up and brought her hands together. The shadows gathered in front of her, forming into a pin that stabbed through her. She fainted almost instantly, but then more shadows formed around Salamence and laid a powerful curse on it. Ashley then recalled Gengar and took another pokeball in her hand.
"Jolteon, go!" The pokeball opened in Ashley's hand and released Jolteon onto the field. Jolteon materialized only a few feet away from Salamence, giving him a good view of his opponent.
"Well if nothing else, her Gengar is out of the way. Salamence has a surprise up its sleeve for her Jolteon too." Anabel thought. "Salamence, shake things up with an Earthquake!"
"Well, looks like my luck's running low a bit." Ashley thought upon hearing Anabel call out the attack. "Jolteon, attack Salamence with Thunderbolt!"
Salamence rose up on its hind legs, about to unleash a powerful Earthquake attack on Jolteon. A blast of lightning suddenly struck Salamence's underbelly, throwing it back across the field before it could attack. Salamence landed on its back but quickly rolled over, shaking it off despite being very exhausted by this point, and smashed the ground hard with its forelimbs. A shockwave was sent through the battlefield, causing the ground to crack and shake, jostling Jolteon around.
Jolteon took a hard hit from Salamence's Earthquake attack and was knocked flat for a moment, but eventually Jolteon was able to gather his energy and stand up. Salamence, meanwhile, collapsed shortly after. The curse placed on it by Gengar was still taking effect on it and drained the last of its health. Anabel recalled Salamence and placed the pokeball back on her belt, then took her final pokeball in hand.
"So it comes down to this. Snorlax, it is up to you now!" Anabel pressed the button on her pokeball and the heavyweight pokemon materialized in a sitting position on the field. The ground cracked slightly from the pokemon's immense weight.
"Jolteon, good job, but that's enough for now!" Ashley held out Jolteon's pokeball and recalled him. She then placed the pokeball back on her belt and took another one in her hand. "Primeape, this one's all your's! Go!" Ashley released her final pokemon to confront Snorlax, sending the ape-like fighting pokemon Primeape out onto the field.
"A fighting-type pokemon. Seems I am at a disadvantage with my final pokemon." Anabel thought. "My usual Belly Drum tactic likely won't work. My best chance is to go on a straight offensive and hope to overpower her Primeape."
"You know, come to think of it, I've run into a lot of Kanto pokemon. Two out of three of her pokemon alone are from Kanto!" Ashley thought.
"These are 'Kanto' pokemon?" Aisha asked in a slightly confused tone. "I fail to see how myself..."
"Snorlax, strike from a distance with Shadow Ball."
"Primeape, move in and hit it hard with Cross Chop!"
Primeape let out an enraged shriek and charged across the battlefield while Snorlax stood up and cupped its clawed hands together. Snorlax formed a Shadowball and threw it at Primeape, hitting the fighting pokemon square in the face and knocking him over. Primeape quickly got up and closed the remaining gap between itself and Snorlax, then simultaneously made a karate chop with each hand in an x-shaped pattern across the front of Snorlax's body. Snorlax growled and stumbled back, dropping back onto the ground.
"You got too close without thinking! Snorlax, Body Slam!" Snorlax quickly stood up and then crouched down, getting ready to jump.
"I don't think so! Primeape, Seismic Toss!" Snorlax jumped straight up into the air, though barely making it's own height off the ground. Primeape followed suit, grabbing Snorlax while it was still in the air. Primeape then spun around and threw Snorlax across the field while they were falling back to the ground. Primeape landed on its feet, while Snorlax skidded painfully across the cracked field and landed on its stomach.
"Ok, now finish this! Cross Chop!" Primeape quickly turned and moved to attack again. As he approached Snorlax, he jumped clear over it to land near Snorlax's head. He then turned and delivered a powerful Cross Chop attack to the back of Snorlax's head. Snorlax didn't even cry out in pain, the pokemon was simply knocked out immediately. Anabel let out a sigh and recalled her pokemon.
"You greatly outperformed me in that match. I can see you are indeed talented as a trainer." Anabel said to Ashley. "There is not much else to be said. The attendant will provide you with your badge." Anabel then turned and left through the same door she had arrived from earlier.
"Didn't even give me the chance to say anything really. Oh well." Ashley shrugged and took Primeape's pokeball in her hand. "Primeape, good job. You can take a break now." She said, recalling Primeape and placing the pokeball back on her belt. The attendant, who had been standing off to the side, then approached Ashley and held out a badge to her.
"This is the Ability Symbol." The attendant said as Ashley took the badge in her hand. "It shows that you have proven your capabilities in the Battle Tower."
"Thanks." Ashley replied, pocketing the badge.
"So what now?" Aisha asked Ashley.
"I don't know, I guess Jessica wasn't here at all." Ashley replied. "We'll just have to search elsewhere on the island." Ashley then headed for the elevator, making her way out of the Battle Tower.
Meanwhile, off the island's coast, a pair of dragons flew toward the island, carrying Rina and May toward the Battle Frontier.
Author's Notes: Had to change Anabel's team slightly so she wouldn't have any legendary pokemon. Trying to keep each legendary pokemon that appears unique, even if they supposedly exists in herds and such in the wild. Might change that in future sagas, might not. For now though, that's the rule I'm going by.
You know, I have no idea what I'm doing next chapter. Well, I wouldn't say "no" idea, but only vague ideas at most. Will have to do some thinking on this one and figure out what else I want done before we reach the end. Maybe just dedicate the next chapter entirely to May and Rina's visit to the Battle Frontier and either not meeting up with Melany and Ashley until the end or until the next chapter. We'll see...
Also, as an aside, anyone think I should start up a forum? Feel free to PM me with your opinion. Just something I've been thinking about lately. Also, what Melany has been planning will be something that will tie the series together (and future sagas I do) as a whole. It'll start small, but be fairly big and actually have a discernable prescence by the end of the Johto saga. What that is will be revealed in a chapter or two anyway and be fully elaborated on/set up at the end of this saga.
Originally had this chapter called "Scuffle for the Soul Dew", but realized that was essentially naming it for a quick and minor event in the story. Jessica was more of an overall focus this chapter anyway.
