When Maura met up with the others back in the contestant room, Davin immediately ran over and hugged her. "You were just awesome out there, Maura! You've really been practicing!"
A little shocked from the sudden action, Maura blushed. "Oh... well... I guess I have..."
"I agree with Davin. You battled really great!" Edric said.
"I never thought you had it in you." Haro added with a grin.
"Thanks, guys. To be honest, I was a little surprised myself. I never expected the battle to go like that."
Davin released her from the hug. "I just have one question: Where'd you get that Cloyster? Last time I checked, there aren't that many of them in the Hoenn region."
Maura giggled. "That's because I caught it when I was in Johto." She got out the Poke ball and held it in her hand. "I figured that the battle was going to be tough, so I called my friend Demeta and told her to send Cloyster over."
"Demeta? " Davin asked.
"She's a childhood friend of mine who's a Pokemon breeder. Her family owns a Pokemon daycare outside of Cherrygrove City and she lets me keep my other Pokemon there so that they'll have a place to be where I can get them if I need to. Just the other day, I sent some of the Pokemon that I had with me to her in exchange for some others."
"Excellent planning." commented Edric.
"Now, the second Elite Four battle will begin!" The announcer said.
"That means I'm up! And I'm going to win for sure!" Davin ran towards the stadium entrance.
"Good luck, Davin!" Maura shouted to him.
"And now… we have Davin from Blazehill Town," The boy entered upon his name being said. "Against the Ghost type user herself, Phoebe!" The Hawaiian dressed girl walked out casually at the mention of her name.
"For this battle, the trainers will be battling on a rock battlefield." The normal battlefield sunk in from view as it was substituted for another one with various rocks and boulders on a rocky surface. "If both trainers are ready, then let the battle begin!"
As expected, Phoebe went first. "Dusclops, let's go!" A black creature with a single eye appeared on the field. "There's no way you'll be able to defeat the bond I have with my Ghost Pokemon."
"We'll just see about that. Ira, I choose you!" Davin's Carvanha emerged from its Poke ball and on to the ground. "Start off with Aqua Jet!"
"Dusclops, Protect!" It held its hands out to produce a dome-shaped barrier around itself, which blocked the arriving Aqua Jet and sent Ira skidding across the field on its back. "It'll take a lot more than just force to defeat me. Now, Dusclops, Confuse Ray!" It waved its hands as its eye fired a purple beam of light that hit Ira and made it confused.
"Oh, great" Davin groaned. He recalled Ira to her Poke ball and threw out another one. "Ferro, you take over!"
"Aggron!" It shouted when it came out.
"That won't do you any good. Dusclops, use Curse!" Waving its hands again, a blackish-purple fog was released from them and it spread all across the field, making Ferro get down on one of its knees.
"What's Curse?" Davin asked in confusion.
Phoebe chuckled. "Normally, it's a move that lowers the user's speed and raises its attack and defense. But when used by a Ghost type, it causes the opponent to constantly take damage in exchange for half of the user's health. Pretty cool, huh?"
Davin grunted. "Well, I refuse to let that stop me. Ferro, use Iron Head!"
"Protect!" The dome-shaped barrier prevented the Iron Head from hitting successfully. "Now, Shadow Punch!" Black shadow fists fired from its normal fists and they each punched Ferro in the face while Curse took effect and caused it to shout in pain.
"Return, Ferro!" Davin reluctantly retrieved it from the field. "This is crazy. As long as she keeps using Protect, Confuse Ray and Shadow Punch, there's no way we can beat it." Just then, a light bulb went off in his head. "Unless..."
Maura frowned. "Davin's not looking too good right now."
"Phoebe obviously trained Dusclops to try and psych out her opponents with its status effecting moves." Edric said. "If he doesn't figure out something, it's going to be bad."
His third Poke ball was thrown. "Let's do it, Luck!" The big brown Slaking materialized on to the field lying on its side with its eyes closed.
Haro spoke when he saw it. "What is he thinking? Luck's Normal and Fighting type moves won't work on a Ghost type!"
"An interesting choice." Phoebe said. "Let's see what you're up to. Dusclops, Confuse Ray!"
"Luck, use Protect!" The Slaking's own dome-shaped barrier shielded it from the beam.
"Use Curse!" The fog spread across the field again, both Pokemon taking damage. "Follow with Confuse Ray!" This time, the beam of light was successful in making contact and the Normal type was confused.
Davin grinned. "Just as I thought. Since Luck is a Normal type, Dusclops can't use Shadow Punch and it can only use Protect, Confuse Ray, and Curse." He looked at Dusclops and saw it panting. "And since it used Curse a second time, half of the health that was already taken away from the first one is reduced to another half. If this works, Dusclops will fall in no time."
Luck shifted his mouth slightly due to the confusion. "Listen, Luck! Try using Thunder!" Attempting to get its head straight, it put its hand out as electricity shot out of it.
"Protect, Dusclops!" Due to Curse taking most of its health, Dusclops couldn't use the move in time and was hit by the powerful electric discharge. Afterwards, it fell on its back and passed out.
"Dusclops is unable to battle! Slaking wins!"
"Yes! I knew it would work!" Davin cheered to himself. "Great work, Luck!"
"Slak, Slak." It responded dizzily.
"So that's what he was planning." Edric figured out. "Not bad, Davin. Not bad at all."
"That was so smart, Davin! Way to go!" Maura cheered.
Phoebe recalled her Pokemon. "You may have been able to beat my first Dusclops, but let's see how you do against my second!" She lobbed a Poke ball and the same Pokemon appeared from it.
"As if one wasn't bad enough." Davin groaned. He recalled Luck and sent Ira back out. "All right, use Aqua Jet!"
"Dusclops, Ice Beam!" Light-blue beams shot out of its eye and Ira was frozen solid in mid-attack. "Earthquake!" It hopped into the air and slammed down on the ground to send shockwaves through the field and on to Ira, making the chunk of ice that held her at the bottom break loose and fly into the air.
"That Dusclops is way more different than her other one." Maura noted.
"Instead of focusing on status effects, this Dusclops focuses on using offensive attacks." Edric said. "I have to admit that Phoebe has appealing ways of training her Pokemon."
When Ira landed, the ice that was containing her shattered into pieces and she was free once again. "You okay?" Davin asked. She shook herself and stared at Dusclops with anger. "All right. Use Dark Pulse!" Ira opened her mouth and a beam of dark circles was released, hitting Dusclops directly.
"All right!" Maura cheered. "Since Dusclops is a Ghost type, that Dark Pulse was super effective!" She turned to Haro. "Good thing you had your Vulpix teach it that move during last night's training."
"It was nothing." he shrugged. "I just knew that Phoebe used Ghost types and I knew that Davin's Carvanha would have the advantage. Of course, since it didn't know any Dark type moves, I'd figure I lend him a helping hand."
"Dusclops, use Rock Slide!" It went to a nearby boulder and destroyed it with its fist, causing the remaining pieces to fly out at the Carvanha.
"Use Aqua Jet and go past them!" Cloaking itself in water, it rocketed towards Dusclops while zigzagging around the flying rocks. Eventually, she made contact with the center of its body. "Quick! Use Swagger!" The piranha's eyes glowed red as they gave off an intimidation glare and Dusclops became confused.
"Use Shadow Ball!" It managed to form a black and purple ball in its hands and it was fired.
"Dodge and use Dark Pulse!" Jumping away from Shadow Ball's path, it released the dark circles that struck the confused Requiem Pokemon.
"Earthquake!" With its eye closed, it jumped into the air and slammed the ground only to have it backfire and send a shockwave under its own feet.
"Aqua Jet! Now! " Like a gun bullet, Ira shot herself towards Dusclops and struck its body, sending it into a boulder and having it faint.
"Dusclops is unable to battle! Carvanha wins!"
Phoebe recalled Dusclops. "You're doing well so far, Davin. I like that." She threw her next Poke ball. "Go, Banette!" The black doll levitated in the air upon its release.
"From what I've seen, there's no way it'll be like Maura's." Davin said to himself. "Ira, Dark Pulse!"
"Dodge and use Thunderbolt!" It calmly went out of the way of the attack and it fired a beam of electricity from its body, electrocuting the Water-type Pokemon. "Now, use Facade!" Banette's body became surrounded in an orange aura and it tackled Ira, sending it into a boulder and having it faint.
"Carvanha is unable to battle! Banette wins! "
"I guess the combination of Thunderbolt and the damage it had taken before that was what made it lose." Maura said.
"He'd better be careful. Who knows what kind of tricks she has up her sleeve?" Edric said.
Davin called Ira to her Poke ball. "You did great. Take a good rest." He threw the next ball. "Ros, let's go!" The Swampert came out on to the rock surface.
"Hmph. Another easy one. Banette, use Thunderbolt!" The electric beam was released, but Ros took it without a problem. "What? Why isn't it working?"
Davin chuckled. "You're forgetting that Swampert is also a Ground type, which makes your Thunderbolt useless. Ros, use Hydro Pump!" A powerful jet of water blasted Banette in the face. "Now, Mud Shot!"
"Repel it with Psychic!" Banette's eyes glowed light blue as well as the bullets of mud that were fired. The mud shifted direction and Ros was pelted by them. "Use Shadow Ball!"
"Muddy Water!" The brown tidal wave of water rose up from the ground while it blocked the incoming Shadow Ball at the same. The wave then advanced forward and splashed Banette with its water. "Now! One more Mud Shot!" Instead of multiple globs, a stream of mud ejected from its mouth. Banette was struck by it and fell to the ground, unconscious.
"Banette is unable to battle! Swampert wins!"
