Well, most of you already figured out that Anabel is going to battle from the previous chapter. You are correct. And her opponent also mentioned very briefly last chapter is Gym Leader Byron, if you had caught that as well. Now let's see how that'll go down.
Again, another note, this time concerning my general author notes before and after on a chapter: they're not exactly set in stone, though I did promise this battle. Most other ideas and suggestions I throw out there are for you to consider and give me feedback on for later chapters. While I do know how this will end, the journey along the way makes things all the more… interesting. I'm still very grateful for your reviews and feedback and couldn't wish for awesome readers like you.
Also, are you all sure there isn't anything I've been missing out or been making an error of in my writing? I'm not going to leave out mistakes on purpose for you to spot as even I know I'm not going to be perfect. I'm bound to drop the ball somewhere. We'll see.
"Ladies and gentleman, especially all you Pokémon fans out there, the Pokémon League hopes that you are all enjoying the ongoing festivities and battles so far," the voice of the commentator of the rock field announced enthusiastically.
"YEAH!" the audience roared back along with other cheers mixed in.
"We're still early in the second week, but things are just heating up! We have to applaud the competitors of the previous round in the rock field for an incredible battle and remember the great victory that Gym Leader Forrest of Pewter City pulled out with his Rhyperior."
Once more, various spectators around the rock field stadium went up with loud cheers following the last statement.
"Now with the rock field cleaned up and refreshed during the thirty-minute intermission, we can get on the way with the next scheduled battle!"
As if on cue, the competing Trainers entered in from the sides within the arena and took up their prospective place at the mountainous battlefield. Both stood tall, poised with steadfast confidence to enter into battle. The spectators gave another roaring applause and wave of cheers for the new competitors and with good reason for it considering who's now taking the field.
"Folks, it looks like we have another celebrity battle for this round," the commentator spoke up. "Representing the left side of the field is the man with a steel body who's not afraid to speak his mind, Gym Leader Byron of Canalave City. Though like Gym Leader Roark, his son who's still ongoing in the Champions League now, he is really from Oreburgh City!" Cheers erupted once again, more specifically for the fans for the Sinnoh Steel Gym Leader.
"Kanto's a mighty fine place to visit explore!" Byron shouted in the air, swinging his trademark shovel around proudly as to wave back to his fans. "Though I have to say, my most favorite feature here in this region is Grampa Canyon, having been reopened up for more fossil exploration. I love fossils!" *Boom* "And now… I love Grampa Canyon!" *Boom*
"Oh, Dad…" Roark sighed, watching his father show off from the front row. He was starting to wish that his earlier battle lasted after the start of his father's.
"Now introducing Byron's opponent, she is quite the notable and formidable figure in the Kanto region as a Frontier Brain, now this is a treat for today," the commentator continued. "Born and raised in Verdanturf Town of the Hoenn region, placed in charge of the Kanto Battle Tower in Tohjo Falls, and having an older brother in the Sinnoh Elite Four in the figure of the great Lucian, give it up for the fair Salon Maiden, Anabel!"
An equally loud wave of cheers erupted after her big introduction. Anabel stood firmly, not undaunted with the excessive amount of people surrounding and watching her. The only thing that did seem to bother her somewhat was the constant repetition of her relation with her superstar of an older brother; it felt like it was mentioned over a hundred times to her since the whole thing began. It got old really quickly for her, but apparently not for the crowd.
Sitting at the second-to-front row behind the referee's side were Brock, May, and Max, out of their whole group, to watch Anabel's match.
"I've wanted to see Anabel's battle last week, but I forgot when and where it was," May mumbled apologetically.
"It was at the grass field Wednesday afternoon last week against a Trainer named Dino," Max said, adjusting his glasses with an arrogant flair. May started to frown; Max was being a know-it-all with her again. "Supposedly, Dino was the runner-up from the Unova Vertress Conference a couple years back, same time when Ash competed. But Anabel completely led him along on a leash with her unreadable style in their battle, barely having to use her whole team for the job."
"I get it, Max!" May hissed back. "Just because you were able to watch her battle when I couldn't doesn't mean that you have the right to rub it in at every waking moment."
"Actually, it wasn't just Anabel's battle you missed, sister dear," Max continued snidely with a huge grin. "You also missed Forrest's battle, both last week and today, Cilan's last week battle, not to mention Sabrina's match back then, and don't forget, there's also−."
"I said that's enough!"
"Calm down, children," Brock intervened, placing his arms between the siblings and keeping them at a distance. "What's done is done now. Let's just see how Anabel handles this battle against Byron since he'll probably be quite a challenge with his powerful defense."
"Brock, you watched Ash battle him in Sinnoh," May said, having cooled down quickly from her sibling tiff. "What's Byron like?"
"He specializes in Steel-type Pokémon and uses their incredible defensive powers to wear out his opponents before striking back hard," Brock explained, facing the battlefield. "Against Anabel's ability to relay her commands telepathically, I can already tell that this battle's going to be very interesting."
"All I found interesting was how Anabel's related to Lucian of the Elite Four," Max added. "I never would've guessed the family resemblance."
"You could probably see more of it once you meet him."
"Wait… You met Lucian? Where? When?!"
"Guys, shush!" May scolded. "They're about to begin!"
"This match will be a three-on-three battle with no time limit," the referee began. "Substitutions are allowed for both Trainers. The first to knock out all three of his or her opponent's Pokémon will move on to the next round. Trainers, please select your first Pokémon!"
"This is going to be fun," Byron commented gruffly, winding his arm back for the throw. "I'm not going easy on you just because you appear to be a little girl, especially since I know how much you love to battle, Frontier Brain. Almost as much as I… love Bastiodon!"
Byron's first Pokémon landed on the rocky terrain with a loud thump, causing some debris to rise up inches from the ground. Bastiodon appeared as sturdy and impassive as ever, particularly towards Anabel's direction. The Salon Maiden made no expression in regards to the Shield Pokémon, but smiled back once her first Poké Ball was on hand.
"At least someone knows that I'm a girl," Anabel muttered, ready to release her Pokémon into the battlefield. "While you may have some… gentlemanly qualities to you, they're not going to give you an edge in this battle. Go, my friend!"
Anabel lobbed her Poké Ball high in the air, releasing in a brilliant light the Mysterious Pokémon that took form in a large violet sea star with a second star attached to its back. Its most notable feature was the bright red jewel located at the core of its body held in place by a sort of golden piece, shining brightly with the sunlight of the afternoon sun reflecting off of it.
"I didn't know Anabel had a Starmie," May commented from the side, pulling out her Pokédex to look up Starmie's recorded information for herself.
"I figured that my usual Pokémon won't put much of a dent in your ultimate defenses so a nice changeup in my lineup should throw you into a loop," Anabel said with a smirk, to which Byron grinned back.
"It looks like the first match will be Bastiodon versus Starmie," the commentator announced. "I find it questionable for Byron to already send out one of his signature Pokémon at the beginning of a match, but it looks like he doesn't plan on holding back. Let's see if Anabel can pierce through his powerful Steel defense."
"The battle may begin now!" the referee declared, raising one flag in the air with the other in the Salon Maiden's direction. "Anabel gets the first move."
"Let's see how sturdy Bastiodon really is. Starmie, use Psyshock!"
Starmie immediately reacted, indicated by its radiating jewel, by conjuring up a large and bright fiery mass of shades varying under blue and violet in front of its body. With a peculiar chirping noise echoing from it, the Mysterious Pokémon released the potent Psyshock after aiming into the center of Bastiodon's face.
"Bastiodon, Iron Defense!"
The Shield Pokémon stayed in its place firmly, bracing for the coming Psychic attack. With a guttural growl, Bastiodon raised its defenses up. Its entire body illuminated with a light blue color before being coated in what appeared to be iron, complimented with a lustrous metallic sheen. The Iron Defense maneuver was prominent with Bastiodon's large head as the Psyshock broke apart and dissolved away completely upon colliding with it. Anabel frowned at the ineffectual attempt.
"Folks, what else can be said about Byron's Bastiodon?" the commentator brought up. "That's one absolute defense, for sure! But don't count Anabel out just yet! The first turn is over and now we'll see their true powers in battle."
At another part of the rock field stadium…
"That first move was pathetic and a waste," Paul remarked darkly before sitting up straight. "It didn't even properly gauge Bastiodon's defense."
"Don't make such brutal assumptions just because you know all the technicalities of the moves used in the first turn," Sabrina advised. "While it's true that Psyshock is a special Psychic move that contrasts against the opposing Pokémon's regular defense instead of its special defense, that display was only part the first turn."
Paul turned away, eyes closed and smirking rather coolly.
"If you're trying to tell me that she's trying to lure Byron into a false sense of security, then she'll have to do better than that. This is Byron she's dealing with, a man that's practically nuts with defense. I'll admit that even I had a rough challenge against him for my eighth Sinnoh Badge. But even the 'absolute defense' would come down after a good number of powerful strikes and blows to the side. He was certainly tougher than his son, I'll give him that."
"Once Anabel gets into the battle more, you'll be surprised on how she fights," Sabrina said with a cryptic smile. "She can probably even give you a run for your money at this stage."
Paul glared at her and scowled again.
"She's no Brandon, but she does deserve some respect to a degree," he admitted before glancing back to the battle. "Why she even wants to get involved with Ash, I'm not going to bother understanding. I doubt anything's going to change from it." The Veilstone City Trainer then felt a soft hand on his shoulder; he immediately knew it was Sabrina… this time.
"Your unbelief… it continues to cloud your mind and interfere with your judgment," Sabrina surmised sagaciously. "I find it amusing on how every time the topic of Anabel comes up, it always goes back to Brandon for you."
"What's it to you?"
"I promise to help remove your stumbling blocks once you complete your second round battle as part of my gratitude to you for helping me with my ongoing dissertation."
"Hmph…" Paul grunted in response, several things coming to mind after Sabrina spoke.
"I have nothing else to say to you aside from the truth that was already spoken from my mouth," Sabrina continued calmly. Paul's scowl deepened as he knew she was reading his mind again. "You claim that I have ulterior motives for helping you, Anabel, and Ash at an indirect stance… but all I have to say now is that it's up to time to vindicate the truth."
"Whatever that means," Paul added in a low whisper.
Though she left her hand on his shoulder, Sabrina suddenly felt the impulse to search around from her seat, noticing something was amiss.
"Where'd Haunter go now?"
"What'd I tell ya!" Byron chuckled. "It'll be fun watching you try and get around Bastiodon. The best defense makes the perfect offense!"
"While I have to agree with you at that aspect, I'm afraid that I cannot let you win this match," Anabel replied determinedly, to which the Canalave City Gym Leader grinned back.
"Your steely resolve is admirable. Bastiodon is one considered a pride and joy on my team, so I'm not going to make this easier for you. I love Bastiodon!" *Boom* "And… I love defense!" *BOOM*
"Oh my…" Anabel gasped, covering her mouth with her hands completely while notably blinking in succession as response to Byron's ham confidence.
What not even she could catch was that in a secluded corner at their arena, a Haunter wearing a yellow hard hat eagerly held up a small dynamite plunger box, ready to push the lever down when the moments came around.
"These two are just getting started, folks!" the commentator went on, amidst the cheers of various spectators. "How will Anabel respond to Bastiodon's Iron Defense?"
"Let's try this again," Anabel mumbled to herself, having formulated a new plan of attack on mind. "Starmie, into the air and use Psyshock again!"
Starmie spun and floated into the air with use of the second star attached on its back. It gained a few meters above the ground. With its vibrant red jewel facing Bastiodon once more, Starmie formed its attack. However, this time, the Mysterious Pokémon conjured five fiery masses of psychic energy over each tip of its body that circulated around its core. This new tactic seemingly caught Byron and Bastiodon off guard as Starmie released its Psyshock, this time scattering the attack instead of one big attack to defend against.
"Bastiodon, Iron Defense again!"
Bastiodon tensed up and increased its defensive power into a higher level, once more coated in a metallic shine for a moment. It raised its head up to block the oncoming Psyshock blasts, successfully stopping three of them. One managed slip past Bastiodon's face and struck its less armored back. The last Psyshock blob strayed away and struck the ground in front, which created a big explosion of dust and debris that shrouded a good portion on Anabel's side from its vision.
"Good job, Bastiodon! Now it's time to counterattack with Iron Head!"
The Shield Pokémon had then crouched on its legs, preparing to leap up to where it last saw Starmie. At the same time, its entire head only illuminated that familiar metallic sheen. With a fierce roar, it leapt high into the air and through the cloud of debris from the previous attack. Bastiodon's eyes had then widened in astonishment upon discovering Starmie's disappearance on the other side. Byron also noticed it as well.
Bastiodon then heard that peculiar chirping noise coming from behind it in midair.
Now use Scald!
Starmie straightened itself vertically in the air, pointing the top appendage of its body towards Bastiodon. A source of water, notably with scorching steam, formed from the tip and was pressurized into a large, but narrowed stream. The Scald struck Bastiodon from behind, to which the Shield Pokémon roared in great pain from the super effective hit. The burning Water attack pushed it back to the battlefield, more specifically at a miniature rock peak.
"What just happened?!" Byron shouted. "Was that Scald?"
Much of the watching audience was caught off guard from the sudden attack. Brock, May, and Max were still in awe on how Anabel managed to maneuver Bastiodon the way she wanted it to. Paul didn't bother looking in Sabrina's direction as he certainly did not want to see her smug satisfaction of being right over him again. And everyone else simply watched on, pretty much riled up for Anabel's counterattack at this point.
"The trick's out of the bag now, folks, as Anabel's revealed her Starmie's Scald attack without even vocally commanding it," the commentator noted. "She's getting into the battle now, just like her first preliminary match with Dino. We're witnessing once again her unique ability to relay commands to her Pokémon telepathically. What we see from the normally sweet Salon Maiden is truly a devious mastermind."
Anabel felt the heat of embarrassment rising into her face from the commentator's words.
"Bastiodon, get up!" Byron called out. "I know that you can withstand a small attack like that!"
"Bahst…!" Bastiodon grunted back, getting back on all fours.
Starmie landed on a different rock peak safely, seeming to stare at its struggling foe with its core jewel. It would be an intimidating, if not already eerie sight to consider being stared down by a Pokémon with no noticeable face and by it being completely immobile at the moment. After all, there have been stories and rumors passed down the Pokémon community considering that its kind had originated from outer space.
Starmie, finish it off with another Scald!
The Mysterious Pokémon formed the Scald again from its top appendage. Byron, however, was prepared for it this time around. With a frightening grin, he twirled his shovel about mightily to begin his quick counterattack.
"Fool me once, shame on me, but fool me twice, shame on you! Bastiodon, turn around and use Metal Burst!"
At the command, Bastiodon leapt up and faced down Starmie as the latter released its powerful Scald. The blistering stream of water struck Bastiodon squarely in the face, but it stood immovable on its feet despite the large amount of steam that appeared to be evaporating from contact. Anabel looked on worriedly as Bastiodon's entire body gave off the familiar lustrous coating of iron once more.
The Shield Pokémon then opened its mouth and formed a sizeable white orb that seemed to also absorb part of the ongoing Scald. The orb grew large enough to block off the rest of the Scald before being fired off. The Metal Burst was shown to be easily slicing through the hot water stream and was heading towards Starmie at a critical rate.
Starmie, get out of there now!
The Scald was put to a halt from receiving the telepathic command, but it only proved futile as the Metal Burst struck Starmie at its center almost immediately after stopping its attack. The Scald was what held it back momentarily. Now as a result, an explosion occurred upon contact and Starmie was seen flung into another small rock peak, crumbling it completely upon collision and thus wound up buried by the remains.
"Starmie! My friend! Are you alright?" Anabel called aloud.
Bastiodon seemed to grin from watching its opponent fall to the rocks, but not before experiencing a very painful sensation as its entire body lit up strikingly in red, complemented with occasional sparks of what appeared to be flames erupting from its body. It cringed under the sensation, losing its footing and collapsing on its stomach.
"Bastiodon! What's this?!"
"Folks, it's pretty obvious between you and me that Bastiodon has finally suffered a burn from all those exposures to Starmie's Scald," the commentator stated. "But what of Starmie?"
The pile of gravel and rocks that Starmie was seen buried under started to tremble slightly. Starmie then emerged out its previous predicament swiftly and back to its side of the battlefield, close to where Bastiodon was. It appeared worn out and even the color of its jewel was flickering on and off from bright to dull, indicating its weakened and vulnerable state.
Bastiodon, on the other hand, started to lose the redness that glowered from its body as a result of its burn. Once the Shield Pokémon started to cool down, its face revealed it to be knocked-out with spiraled eyes. It was clear that the burn completely finished it off. Upon confirming its immobile state, the referee raised a flag up and made the decision.
"Bastiodon is unable to battle!" the referee declared. "Starmie wins!"
"Well, folks, Byron is down one Pokémon while Anabel still has her three left to battle," the commentator surmised amidst the loud cheering. "Starmie doesn't look too great, however. Can Byron turn this around?"
"Argh, no fair!" Byron cried out as he recalled his fainted Bastiodon. "I loved my Bastiodon!" *Boom* The Canalave City Gym Leader glared back at the demolition Haunter in the background. "Hey! That was the wrong moment to do that!"
"Haun-ta," Haunter mumbled and waved apologetically, to which Byron growled and faced back into battle.
"Anabel, I have to admit that not many Trainers are able to handle Bastiodon at the first go," Byron spoke out. "But now you're really pushing me to go all out. My remaining Pokémon have been trained up to Bastiodon's level. This next one will definitely give you a greater challenge."
"I'm sticking with Starmie, so there's no way you can get the jump on us now that we know your battle style," Anabel replied back.
"Let's see if you're expecting this Pokémon! Another mighty Steel-type that I love… Aggron!"
Byron's second Pokémon appeared to be more fearsome than its predecessor. Landing on the rocky terrain with a greater thud and standing even taller, Aggron roared and flexed its arms out as part of its entrance into battle. Anabel slightly recoiled from reading into its incredible ferocity, no doubt that the Iron Armor Pokémon was at a high level.
"And Byron's Aggron takes to the field!" the commentator proclaimed. "Though Anabel's Starmie may still have the type advantage over Aggron, it still appears to be severely weakened from its previous battle with Bastiodon. What's Anabel planning to do now?"
"Starmie's not going to last any longer," May said, worriedly covering her mouth with both hands.
"Anabel needs to bide some more time for Starmie to regain some strength," Max added.
"It's not going to be that easy though," Brock pointed out. "Aggron appears to be at a higher level than Bastiodon. If Starmie's to recover some of its energy to fight back, it has to keep its distance and avoid all attacks."
"Let the second battle begin!" the referee announced.
"We'll make the first move this time," Byron declared. "Aggron, Metal Claw! Let's go!"
Aggron held its right arm up, storing up power into the sharp claws of its hand. They extended out slightly and gave off a particularly bright metallic shine similar to Bastiodon's previous Steel-type moves, distinguishing them from the rest of its body. The Iron Armor Pokémon then charged forward, causing miniature tremors with each quick stampeding stomp it took.
Starmie, get to a safe distance! Then use Recover!
Though clearly worn out, Starmie managed to muster enough strength to leap away from Aggron's range. It floated rather guardedly as its second star was unable to rotate as quickly as before to get away. Aggron slid to a stop when Starmie got away, glaring up in the air behind it to where the Mysterious Pokémon escaped to.
Starmie's jewel started to glow brightly, releasing an aura mixture of its jewel's color with pink and purple that covered its entire body. The Recover had just begun, to which Byron smirked.
"Let's see ya dodge this one! Now use Thunderbolt!"
"Ah!" Anabel gasped in dismay.
Aggron generated electrical sparks around its large body, ultimately culminating enough for a potent Thunderbolt to finish off Starmie. It then released the bright bolt of lightning at the direction of the Mysterious Pokémon that was still recovering lost energy.
Quick! Sidestep!
Starmie manage to react in time, inching away to its right just as the Thunderbolt passed through where it previously floated. Unfortunately, it didn't get away in time as part of its left appendage was caught in the vicious Electric attack, in which a number of electrical sparks snuck onto the rest of its body. As a result, Starmie lost equilibrium in the air and fell while bits of static crackled around its body.
"No!" Anabel cried, immediately holding up a Poké Ball. "Starmie, return!" The red beam from the Poké Ball caught the falling Starmie before it had landed on the ground.
"What a twist!" the commentator exclaimed. "Byron's Aggron was prepared with a Thunderbolt attack. Had Starmie taken a direct hit from that super effective move, it would have been done for. Let's see which Pokémon Anabel will send out next."
"Starmie's reached its limit," Paul muttered grimly. "It's not going to be much use for her later if she doesn't take care of Byron's remaining Pokémon."
"You just want to see her lose, don't you?" Sabrina teased.
"I'm just stating what I'm watching right now."
"Thanks for hanging in there, friend," Anabel whispered kindly to Starmie's Poké Ball before putting it away. "You'll be needed later when things get rough."
"I'm itching to see who you'll send out next, Frontier Brain," Byron said, bearing a rugged grin. "Know that whatever attack you decide to throw at us, we'll send it right back. I love defense!" *BOOM*
"I was hoping to save this Pokémon for later, but I think it'll make a nice debut in the Champions League in this particular battle," Anabel mused with a new Poké Ball on hand. "Go, my friend!"
The Salon Maiden's new Pokémon took form upon being released as something that not many people in the audience were entirely familiar with, granted that they never traveled out of Kanto. The sight even caught Paul and Sabrina off guard. It stood on two feet at a reasonable, but still short height. The fur color scheme of this Pokémon nearly matched Anabel's usual attire with the color white over most of its body and a shade of violet from the torso down. Its most notable features, however, were its long split end whiskers and the fur on its arms resembling large flowing sleeves of a traditional robe.
"Meen…" it exhaled calmly.
"And Anabel's second Pokémon is Mienshao, a Pokémon native to the Unova region!" the commentator announced up as an image of the Martial Arts Pokémon was displayed in the second slot on Anabel's side upon the battle monitor. "This will certainly be a twist of events if you take into account the preference of Pokémon Anabel has been seen using throughout her career as a Trainer."
"What's a Mienshao?" May mumbled as she took out her Pokédex once more to look up the registered information.
The Pokédex lit up and began relaying the information on Mienshao, as well as loading up with several images of it in different views and poses.
"Mienshao, the Martial Arts Pokémon. The attacks of Mienshao involving its arms are swift enough to be considered invisible. In addition, it can use the long fur on both arms as whips for combo attacks against its opponents."
"I don't think I'd ever imagine Anabel having a Mienshao," Max remarked.
"Now Max, with it being known that Anabel frequently specializes in Psychic-type Pokémon, having an additional odd-one-out would help her in getting the jump on opponents that have otherwise prepared to counter Psychic-types," Brock explained.
"Like Dark-types."
"Exactly."
"But what about handling Ghost-types? What does she have to counter them?"
"Well…"
"Guys, one step at a time," May interrupted, placing both hands on their heads and pulling them back to watch the battle.
"I befriended Mienshao during a brief trip in Unova the past year," Anabel admitted modestly. "It found me training my Pokémon one day and wanted to test itself against my Psychic Pokémon. Since then, it wanted to come along as it saw me worthy to help it become stronger, even though I offered it to train with Greta instead, a friend and colleague of mine that's better in training Fighting-types than I."
"Quite the fantastic tale to hear," Byron commented, seeming to titter with excitement from being touched by the story of Anabel and Mienshao while briefly shedding what appeared to be manly tears. "Humans and Pokémon, working and fighting together under one cause… It's these iron bonds that we form with one another that truly brings out true inner strength." He swung his shovel over his back, eager to continue their battle. "I love friendship!" *Boom*
"Let the battle resume!" the referee announced, raising both flags in the air.
"We weren't done attacking! Aggron, Thunderbolt again!"
"Mienshao, use Calm Mind!"
As Aggron generated another Thunderbolt, Mienshao appeared to have chosen to sit down cross-legged and clasped its hidden hands together. It also appeared to have closed its eyes and was mentally concentrating on something.
"What's this?" the commentator voiced out. "Mienshao is sitting down and appears to be meditating despite the fact that Aggron's about to unleash an attack. Talk about staying calm in the face of adversity! Is this the power of Calm Mind?"
"Aaaahhhg-graaaaahhhhn!" Aggron roared, releasing the Thunderbolt squarely upon Mienshao's location.
Mienshao didn't make an effort to evade the oncoming Electric attack. Rather, its body had briefly illuminated in a light blue aura as it stayed in its meditative stance. The Thunderbolt struck the Martial Arts Pokémon as expected, but Mienshao made no indication of pain from being zapped with over a hundred thousand volts of electricity.
Instead, it simply broke out of its Calm Mind meditation by opening its eyes and standing up while still being struck by Thunderbolt. With a sharp yell and flex of its arms, Mienshao easily caused the Thunderbolt to break apart, earning much incredulous stares from everyone watching the spectacle.
"Oh, no!" Byron growled.
"I'm afraid that won't be enough to take down Mienshao," Anabel taunted. "With Calm Mind increasing both special attack and special defense, it also allows me better access into commanding it telepathically as with my Psychic-types."
"Oh, yeah? Let's see ya handle this one! Aggron, use Metal Claw!"
Counter with Hi Jump Kick!
Both Pokémon prepared for their respective attacks before charging forward into their destined clash. Aggron stampeded forward with sharp and shining metallic claws while Mienshao leapt high into the air with style complementing its nature as the Martial Arts Pokémon, right knee glowing purple with its fighting power. The moment came and the two of them exchanged attacks to counter the other, resulting in a minor explosion that threw both Pokémon back to their sides. However, Aggron appeared to have received the greater blunt of damage from the collision.
"Now use Stone Edge, Aggron!"
Block them all! And then use Calm Mind once more!
Aggron quickly stomped up to bat as two bright elliptical rings of energy formed around it, breaking them into sharp, pointed gray rocks and firing them almost individually. Mienshao took a stance, arms spread wide. With incredible reflexes, Mienshao swatted down the oncoming Stone Edge while its entire body stayed in place. It certainly also made use of its extended arm fur to knock away multiple sharp stones.
When the Stone Edge ended, Mienshao sat back down in its meditative position and glowed light blue as before. Byron was able to deduce Mienshao utilizing Calm Mind again even without having to hear Anabel give out the command vocally.
"Aggron, while Mienshao's down, use Head Smash!"
The Iron Armor Pokémon began to power up, uttering a guttural roar as its huge body was then blazing brightly in an aura of a monochromatic mixture of gray and white. Its own body outline was barely visible, save it for certain parts of its steel hide being highlighted in the aura. Once Aggron got ready, it charged off with its feet somehow sliding and scraping through the ground towards the sitting Mienshao, head first.
Mienshao, strike back with Hi Jump Kick!
"Meen," Mienshao grunted, swiftly jumping to its feet and leaping high in the air.
Once more, the Martial Arts Pokémon dove down with a Hi Jump Kick and attempted to take on Aggron's Head Smash. Unfortunately, the Head Smash proved to be even stronger than anticipated, easily knocking away Mienshao while Aggron still kept its charging speed. Mienshao escaped with minor scratches, but it certainly knew that it won't be able to handle another Head Smash the next round.
Aggron, on the other hand, ended its attack and turned around to face its opponent. It appeared to have gone through Head Smash with virtually no damage at all, which could only lead to one thing.
Aggron must have the Ability, Rock Head, Anabel quickly deduced in her mind. No recoil damage after a vicious attack like Head Smash, this is going to be tough for Mienshao if this continues. I've got to end this now.
"There's no stopping Aggron's steely fury!" Byron bellowed. "Aggron, let's finish this with another Head Smash!"
Dodge and use Aura Sphere!
Anabel's quick thinking mobilized Mienshao into the perfect position for a counterattack. Easily sidestepping Aggron's Head Smash instead of trying to take it head on, Mienshao waved up its arm fur to reveal its hands forming the famous blue ball made of powerful spiritual energy, its own aura. With a mighty thrust, the Aura Sphere was flung into Aggron's right shoulder from behind, eliciting a loud explosion.
Aggron was broken out of its Head Smash and was seen scraping against the ground on its front side out of the smoke and smashing into a couple of rock peaks on the field. It was able to stop itself by placing its hands out to slow it down, but it was unable to stand up from its knees. It didn't help that it wound up partially buried in rocks.
"Aggron, no! Get up!"
"Mienshao, finish it off with Aura Sphere!"
There was no point to hide her attacks at that point. Mienshao dutifully obeyed and tossed another Aura Sphere at Aggron's location. The attack exploded upon colliding with Aggron's back, causing the Iron Armor Pokémon to ultimately collapse on its chest. The Aura Sphere also blew away much of the debris that covered Aggron, revealing its entire body along with its dazed expression and spiraled eyes.
"Aggron is unable to battle!" the referee declared, raising a flag to Anabel. "Mienshao wins!"
"What a fantastic battle between strength and iron wills!" the commentator exclaimed. "And now Byron is down to his last Pokémon while Anabel's maintaining a good lead with all three of her Pokémon still able to battle. But it looks like Mienshao has taken quite an amount of damage the past round. What will happen now?"
"Aggron, return," Byron said, recalling his fainted Aggron back into its Poké Ball. "You fought hard and well. Rest now."
"This still can be anyone's battle at this rate," Brock remarked. "Both Anabel's Starmie and Mienshao have sustained damage from their previous fights while Byron's last Pokémon is going to be fresh."
"Well, I never would've imagined that two of my prized Pokémon would be taken down early on in the match," Byron mused, taking out his third Poké Ball. "I guess that only means that I should learn to value the rest of my Pokémon just as much!"
"What's his third Pokémon?" May questioned, practically sitting at the edge of her seat to see.
"I cherish everything they've been through for me, so I really shouldn't play favorites," Byron continued, looking upon the new Poké Ball in his hand. He leered back at Anabel with a wild grin, preparing to unleash his final Pokémon. "I guess it's your time now. No matter what, I value all of your strengths equally, especially your unique abilities. I love… Bronzong!"
Byron's last Pokémon appeared out of the light of its Poké Ball as a large blue-green bell with arms with a strange face pattern similar to a totem pole, hovering ominously over Mienshao from where it was released. Anabel took a step back, visibly blanching from seeing Bronzong floating in all its sturdy, mysterious glory.
"… B… B-Bronzong?!" Anabel repeated in a strained whisper.
Over Four Years Ago…
"Metagross, no!"
The Metagross fell from the air and landed with a great thud on the battlefield. Its legs were unable to support the rest of its body. It was over once its red dazed and spiraled eyes were seen from the dust cloud that erupted from its fall.
"Metagross is unable to battle!" Maron declared, looking remorsefully at Metagross's Trainer before making the final judgment. "Bronzong wins and the victor of this six-on-six battle is Lucian!"
Said Trainer that won merely smiled from the call. Brushing away a few strands of his long light-purple hair from his face, he walked into the battlefield where Metagross was being comforted and treated.
"I had a lot of fun battling with you, Sister dearest," Lucian said, his Bronzong following him from behind. "It's sad that it had to end already."
His sister said nothing, but continued to comfort her fallen Metagross. Lucian tried again to reach out to her.
"I was really impressed when your Metang finally evolved into Metagross during our battle. It nearly took out my Bronzong at that last bout."
"… Then I would be facing five more Pokémon from there, wouldn't I?" she replied darkly. Lucian frowned.
"Listen, Anabel, you may have been recently called to be in charge of the Battle Tower, but even you recognize that you still have a long way to go."
"And I suppose that being book smart is the way to go in order to be admitted into the Elite Four."
"Look, stop comparing us like this," Lucian warned. He was definitely losing patience with his younger sister. "We each have our own ways of making it to the top. Mine just happened to be the way it is while you have yours… You should be grateful for that special ability you have with Pokémon. Many would kill to have that skill."
Anabel merely gave him a look before tending back to her Metagross. Lucian gave off a worn exhale.
"Maybe if you'd just let me help you with-."
"I don't need your help," Anabel interrupted dourly. Lucian stepped back from the sudden bite. "It's as you said, you have your way and I have mine. My Pokémon and I will learn from each other and grow stronger together. The last thing I want to be known as in the Pokémon world is some imitator in your shadow, just to flatter your ego."
"Anabel…"
"Please leave… Brother…"
Anabel's eyes went down to Bronzong, the single Pokémon that managed to annihilate her entire team without sustaining much damage itself. After burning its haunting image into her brain, she turned away completely and recalled Metagross. She got up and mechanically left the battlefield, her back still turned towards Lucian. The Sinnoh Elite Four member silently complied with her wish and prepared for his leave, but not before meeting up with Maron the referee.
"Please watch over her," Lucian requested, gripping the battle judge by the shoulder. "I know what she's going through, but she's just being stubborn right now."
"I understand, Lucian sir," Maron said with a nod. "But know that she doesn't really mean her hostility. She does love and admire you deep down. She just…"
"I know. She's still very young and has a lot more going for her than I did at her age. It's sad though. The world can be a cruel place."
No! Not this time, Anabel told herself, keeping her emotions in check.
Despite the avid crowd activity going on around the arena, things felt eerily silent on the Salon Maiden's end. Her fatigued Mienshao was left against a freshly released Bronzong, reminiscent of her first battle against her Elite Four brother. One of her first devastating losses and against her own brother, it certainly left a lasting impact on her since then. She's handled losses well in the past, given her position, but when the topic fell on comparing her with her brother, it often got on her nerves to the point that things become really unpleasant afterward.
"Are both Trainers ready to resume battle?" the referee asked.
"Ready!" Anabel and Byron answered back.
"Then let the round continue!" the referee announced, flags up in the air.
Mienshao, strike down Bronzong with Aura Sphere!
The Martial Arts Pokémon was quick to respond in forming the bright blue aura ball despite sensing a bit of snippy tension from its Trainer. Mienshao then leapt up and flung the Aura Sphere straight on towards Bronzong.
"Speed's not going to save you this time!" Byron called out, grinning madly. "Check this out! Bronzong, use Trick Room!"
Bronzong rung out an unnerving chime as its whole body glowed light blue. In a split second, time seemed to freeze. The Aura Sphere was flying in midair, gaining no distance towards its target whatsoever. At that moment, what appeared to be a transparent blue ceiling, along with walls, covered the entire battlefield like a small building. The Trainers and their Pokémon were trapped inside the Trick Room from the view of the spectators.
Anabel gaped from witnessing the Trick Room take effect. Though the walls and ceiling had soon disappeared from sight, she was able to see how Bronzong was able to evade the Aura Sphere due to the bizarre physics concerning the Trick Room and now had taken control of the battle by instantaneously appearing behind Mienshao. It was getting harder for her to not panic at this stage.
"Mienshao, Hi Jump Kick!"
"Use Zen Headbutt, Bronzong!"
Bronzong struck first, slamming into Mienshao first before the Martial Arts Pokémon could react with the handle-like structure on top, which at the time emanated its psychic energy. Mienshao was thrown across the field and skidded to a stop after crashing into a rock peak. The referee was able to see its fainted expression with spiraled eyes in spite of the stones covering it.
"Mienshao is unable to battle!" the referee declared, raising the flag to Byron. "Bronzong wins!"
"Quite the sudden turnaround we have here, folks!" the commentator narrated. "Anabel is down one Pokémon and left with Starmie and an unknown Pokémon while Byron's Bronzong is just getting started. To top it off, Trick Room is still in effect, meaning that slower Pokémon get to attack first!"
"I should've known he'd pull a trap like this," Anabel berated herself before recalling her fallen Mienshao. "Thank you, my friend. Please take a long rest."
"That's a new tactic that I'd never guess Byron would use, taking his typical defensive style into account," Sabrina remarked offhandedly. "This will certainly present a new challenge for Anabel to overcome."
"Her chances have just gotten lower with Trick Room in play," Paul brought up. "Bronzong are notoriously slow with high defensive and special defensive power. With Trick Room active, the tables have turned on her."
"Come now. You know that there's one Trainer you can think of having conquered this kind of trial before."
Paul merely sneered at her attempt at lightening his mood, which ironically Sabrina held no particular expression for herself either.
"She's not him."
"Doesn't mean that he's the only one allowed to defeat a Pokémon using Trick Room."
"Hmph."
Paul's gaze lingered for a bit on the Saffron City Gym Leader before looking back at the battle.
"Go, my friend! Starmie!"
Starmie was rereleased back into the battle. It still sustained the heavy damage from its struggle against Bastiodon and had narrowly escaped from Aggron's grip. Though it was free of electrical static from being briefly touched by Aggron's Thunderbolt, Starmie was still scuffed up from previous bouts. The light from its core jewel was still slowly flickering on and off, indicating its currently low stamina.
At the same time, the bizarre structure of Trick Room materialized for a moment, much to Anabel's irritation. It was sadly still in effect.
"And Anabel is using her Starmie for this round!" the commentator announced. "Can Starmie outlast Bronzong in this battle or will Bronzong get the upper hand once again?"
Within the cheers of the spectators and the tension of the battle, Anabel took the time of preparing a suitable strategy to relay to Starmie before the referee resumed the battle. Byron appeared confident, but then again he was always passionate over certain things, battling, fossils, and defense being major items. The referee noted that the Pokémon were in position and thus commenced the round to continue.
Starmie, I know that you're running low on steam, but I'm really going to need your help now more than ever. I'm sorry to say that chances are that you won't be able to last long against Bronzong, but I do know that you'll be able to endure long enough to turn the tides back on our favor.
Anabel felt an emotion of consensus from Starmie, also noticing the movement of the Mysterious Pokémon on the field, though back turned, was similar to a nod.
Right! Use Recover to get back some strength to fight!
Starmie's jewel began to glow and the familiar power of Recover slowly overtook its body as a result of Trick Room's power.
"Sorry to say, but can't let you do that, Starmie!" Byron chuckled gruffly. "Bronzong, take it down with Gyro Ball!"
Bronzong practically teleported to the other side of the field upon receiving the order. If Starmie could express its emotions outwardly, it would felt like a long time that it's ever seen a bulky Pokémon like Bronzong move so fast. Regardless, Anabel's enemy was its enemy, that's what it believed in.
The arms of the Bronze Bell Pokémon seemed to have extended out a bit as the ends of them started to glow a bright blue color. Bronzong then spun swiftly enough that a luminescent ring around its rapidly rotating form was made in effect from the bright ends of its arms. It started to move towards the recovering Starmie while keeping its high spin in effect. Remarkably, it still moved in its notably slow speed at attacking, but Trick Room's properties have prevented Starmie from moving faster as it was already faster than the Bronze Bell Pokémon.
Bronzong tackled into Starmie, effectively disrupting a full recovery and flinging the Mysterious Pokémon into a vulnerable state flying in the air.
"Finish it with Zen Headbutt!"
Use Scald!
Once more, Bronzong took advantage of the power of Trick Room and appeared ahead of where Starmie was thrown. However, Starmie still had enough stamina to stabilize itself in the air and release a potent stream of Scald right as Bronzong prepared to ram into it again. The top section of Bronzong glowed light blue, right where the Scald was pushing back against it.
"Go, Bronzong! Defense! Defense!"
"Don't let up, Starmie!"
The power struggle continued on. Starmie continued the pressure by continuously dousing its opponent with sweltering hot water. A bit of heat redness seemed to linger in places on Bronzong's ancient body where Scald washed over before cooling down. All the while, Bronzong continued its advances towards Starmie while the latter did its best at keeping distance.
"This is quite the battle we're seeing now!" the commentator relayed. "These two battlers refuse to cease their attacks. The pressure's on now! Which will be the first to fall from this excitement?"
Starmie, douse Bronzong's entire body with Scald! With any luck, we might be able to burn Bronzong!
"I'm afraid that playtime ends here," Byron growled, having grown bored with the ongoing scuffle. "Bronzong, Gyro Ball!"
With Trick Room still in effect, Bronzong spun rapidly and seemingly repelled the streams of Scald while managing to negate any probable damage from Starmie's attack. It skillfully used Trick Room's power to edge closer to Starmie to ultimately knock it out for good.
Stop it with Signal Beam! Quick!
Before Starmie had a chance to retaliate, Bronzong managed to take advantage of its momentary weakness once it ceased the Scald. The Bronze Bell Pokémon swiftly materialized before Starmie before viciously ramming it at its core jewel. The ring of energy around Bronzong's spinning body grinded into Starmie's core, noticeably cracking it before forcing the Mysterious Pokémon crashing into the ground on its back with its jewel completely lifeless and partially shattered.
"Starmie is unable to battle!" the referee called out, raising Byron's flag. "Bronzong wins!"
"No…" Anabel whispered in dread, trembling slightly with realization dawning upon her. She also never felt her eyes to be as wide as they are now, gazing blankly over to where her Starmie was defeated.
"And Starmie is down for the count!" the commentator roused, mixed along with varying shouts from the active spectators. "Now both Anabel and Byron are down to one Pokémon each! But with Bronzong having to consecutively deal with Mienshao and Starmie, will Anabel's last Pokémon have the upper hand? Or will that Steel-type steal away victory from under her nose?"
"This is when the real battle's starting," Brock mentioned, watching Anabel recalled her Pokémon and thanking it. "Anabel needs to straighten herself out if she still hopes to win."
"Why? What's wrong with her?" May asked.
"Thing is that since Bronzong appeared, I noticed that her body language changed. It just seemed different than when she faced Bastiodon and Aggron."
"Maybe it's because she got overconfident with Byron being on his last Pokémon?" Max suggested lightheartedly.
"No, it wasn't overconfidence. It was more… on the opposite end."
"How much different did you see?"
"If I could put into words how she was feeling and how her Pokémon moved about in conjunction to those emotions…"
"I sense a particular history between her and the Pokémon, Bronzong," Sabrina surmised. "She's particularly determined to take it down as soon as she can, but she's gotten a bit careless because of her surfacing anxiety."
"So she's got a personal vendetta against Bronzong?" Paul reworded, looking on sternly. "I wonder why… Wait, the announcer doing all the play-by-plays, didn't he mention her relation to Elite Four Lucian before the battle began?"
"He did," Sabrina confirmed with a nod, a bit of enthusiasm shimmering from her normally monotonous eyes. "Lucian is a master Psychic-type specialist and her older brother. Aside from being one of the strongest Trainers in the Sinnoh region, he's also a role model for many Psychic Trainers despite not having any inherit psychic abilities himself. Although, they say that his ability to read and digest books and literature in a timely matter is second-to-none."
"Other than that, I know that Bronzong happens to be a signature Pokémon of his, used in many battles… and winning them," Paul continued, smirking roughly as the answer became clearer. "I know I'm right about this one when I say that I thought I had issues with my older brother."
Sabrina casually tried to look away, shamefully trying to hide her own rising smile from his scathing wit and humor.
"Bronzong or not… I'm not going to lose," Anabel muttered under her breath, last Poké Ball on hand. "We haven't battled much together recently nor have we had much practice in coordinating our attacks, but all the more of a reason for us to fight under this cause. Go, my friend!"
Steady in her determination to win the match regardless of her opposition, the Salon Maiden released her final Pokémon with victory in her mind. It materialized out of the light of the Poké Ball and landed with tremendous girth. In spite of its size, though, it carried an easygoing and lax personality.
"Snohre-lahx," the Pokémon rumbled, standing awake and tall.
The transparent dimensions of Trick Room materialized once again before fading out of sight.
"And Anabel's third and final Pokémon is Snorlax!" the commentator announced. The audience cheered loudly for the last match. "It all comes down to this, Snorlax against Bronzong! Folks, sit tight and this match is going to be one for the ages!"
"Let the final battle begin!" the referee immediately declared.
"It's not going to matter how much bigger you get if you can't get pass our Steel defense, much less the speed-warping power of Trick Room," Byron boasted. "I love defense!" *Boom* "And… I love Trick Room!" *BOOM*
"If that's so, why don't you go ahead and attack?" Anabel incited, hiding a sneaky smile from view.
"Alrighty then, Frontier Brain. Have it your way! Bronzong, use Zen Headbutt!"
Bronzong hovered into action, front plate and top handle pointed forward in Snorlax's direction and covered with shimmering blue psychic power. Snorlax, on the other hand, stood rather calmly with an unreadable expression. Only until they were meters apart that a smile appeared on Snorlax's face, much to Byron's surprise.
The Sleeping Pokémon suddenly disappeared from Bronzong's range, only to appear closer to it than before. Snorlax then grabbed Bronzong by its arms and held it off, rendering the Zen Headbutt unable to land a hit.
Throw it down and use Body Slam!
Snorlax made a few good rounds of rotating while still holding onto Bronzong before leaping remarkably high in the air and throwing the Bronze Bell Pokémon hard into a rock peak. Snorlax then leaned its body in the direction where it threw Bronzong and landed with its full weight on top. The impact caused a huge cloud of dust and debris to fly up around them.
"What the happy little hole just happened?!" Byron demanded.
"It was a long shot, but I figured that I might have a chance of using Trick Room's power to my advantage if my Pokémon was slower than yours," Anabel explained with a quick wink. "Snorlax is considered one of the strongest Pokémon I own, but it tends to have a mind of its own at times. Fortunately, we were on the same mental wavelength for this battle. Otherwise, we might have not been able to pull this little stunt."
"Very clever, very clever indeed," Byron commented, grinning wildly. "Well-played using my own field advantage against me now, but what are you going to do now?"
"You'll see fairly soon, but you know what? I think I'm starting to like Trick Room now. Maybe… I think I actually love Trick Room." *Boom* "Huh?!"
The Salon Maiden restlessly looked around her, confused on why a sudden cloud of haze exploded from behind her. The instigator of the explosions found itself caught in psychic power; its Psychic Gym Leader friend had enough of its shenanigans and was reeling the Gas Pokémon out of the inner arena inconspicuously.
Back on the rock battlefield, Snorlax swiftly leapt out from the crater its trembling Body Slam created while Bronzong hovered out of the rocks arbitrarily. The damage turned out worse than originally conceived as mysterious yellow sparks of energy crackled at sporadic moments around its ancient body and causing it pain, indicating one thing.
"Oh, my! Folks, it appears that Bronzong is suffering the ailment of paralysis as a result of that grand Body Slam!" the commentator remarked while the spectators fell into silence, holding their breaths as the outcome seemed to appear more unpredictable now.
Snorlax, now use Brick Break!
"Bronzong, don't let that stop you! Use Zen Headbutt!"
Snorlax lumbered forward with astounding speed, powered and white-glowing fist held up over its head. Just as it was about to slam down its Brick Break on the paralyzed Bronzong, it disappeared from sight just as Snorlax did prior. Surprised, the Sleeping Pokémon slid to a halt in front of the crater its last Body Slam on Bronzong caused.
Bronzong then somehow appeared right behind Snorlax and rammed into its back with a sheer Zen Headbutt, shoving Snorlax into the crater. Snorlax tumbled onto its bottom, glancing back disgustfully at the Bronze Bell Pokémon.
"What happened?!" Anabel cried out.
"Because of paralysis, my Bronzong's speed dropped even lower, surpassing Snorlax's own sluggishness," Byron guffawed. "Now Trick Room's serving me as it should once more! Now Bronzong, use Hypnosis!"
Bronzong vibrated an ominous chime as the round red eyes at the bottom of its body started to glow light blue with its odd psychic power. Two blue spheres of light emerged from its eyes and flew straight into Snorlax's face, particularly into its closed eyes. The Hypnosis spheres disappeared upon contact, though their influence was evident when Snorlax's eyes momentarily flashed their light before the Sleeping Pokémon ultimately collapsed on its back into a sleeplike trance.
"Now's our chance for victory, Bronzong! Gyro Ball!"
Sleep Talk!
Bronzong spun into Gyro Ball, building up power with its reduced speed from the paralysis while ominously hovering over the slumbering Snorlax. Though the paralysis sparks continued to crackle around its body, the Bronze Bell Pokémon wasn't put into a complete body bind. However, just as it was about to strike, Snorlax inexplicably jumped back on its feet, sending a Brick Break in the form on a chop to knock it back into a small rock peak on the side before falling on its back to sleep.
"The surprises and tricks are getting ridiculous, folks!" the commentator exclaimed. "Despite Snorlax having been put to sleep by Hypnosis, it was able to land a Brick Break just as Bronzong was about to strike with Gyro Ball! Was that the work of Sleep Talk?"
"These theatrics are no match for our defense, no matter how many you pull out of your fancy sleeves, Frontier Brain," Byron growled back. "Bronzong, Zen Headbutt back to back!"
Keep using Sleep Talk while you're still asleep!
While still under paralyisis, Bronzong was given the chance to move first, freeing itself from the rubble and floating at high speed with a fully-charged Zen Headbutt. Snorlax tumbled to its feet; it was really difficult to tell if it was actually asleep or awake from its face alone. Regardless, Snorlax leapt forward with its entire bulk to counter Bronzong's attacks. Basically, the two titans entered the classic clash where they continuously rammed into each other, Zen Headbutt against Body Slam induced by Sleep Talk. Occasionally, Snorlax mixed it up by throwing in Brick Break to throw off Bronzong.
"These two powerhouses are giving it their all despite their current status ailments! What a show!" the commentator remarked, accompanied by the roused cheers of spectators rooting for either side. "How long can they keep this up?"
"… Snohr?" Snorlax grunted in question, coming to a sudden halt in attacking.
"Oh dear!" Anabel cried, pressing a hand over her mouth. "Snorlax's now awake. Sleep Talk doesn't have an effect now."
"Ha! Now Bronzong, finish it Gyro Ball!" Byron hollered.
Bronzong suddenly stopped as well as it appeared to be shaking in midair, slowly coming to the ground. Byron, Anabel, and everyone else watching saw the paralysis taking a complete hold on the Bronze Bell Pokémon. It's now completely paralyzed.
"Folks, it looks like both Pokémon have reached their limits with all those attacks!" the commentator pointed out. "The next attack might finally settle this power struggle once and for all and determine who'll move on to the next round."
Snorlax, use Brick Break to send Bronzong flying!
Being the only one out of the two unhindered by an ailment, Snorlax leapt forward with a heavy step and threw a Brick Break in the form of an uppercut to send the paralyzed Bronzong flying and spiraling in the air, just as the Salon Maiden wanted.
"Bronzong, no!" Byron yelled desperately.
Finish with Giga Impact!
Snorlax took the stance of powering itself up. Energy surged and consumed its body, evident as the debris of gravel was blown away from a fair radius from where it stood. The Sleeping Pokémon then leapt up remarkably high in the air as though it suddenly learned how to fly. Its huge round body was encapsulated in a transparent energy orb tinted light purple. The nose of the Giga Impact was lead with yellow light with streaks decorating over the body. The Giga Impact maneuvered towards and struck the vulnerable Bronzong overhead, eliciting a massive explosion with aftershocks that blew over the suddenly frightened audience.
Out from the explosion's haze ultimately fell Bronzong, straight into the center of the rock battlefield. It landed front first into the unforgiving hard ground, creating a sizeable crater upon impact. It became obvious for everyone that it no longer had the strength to move or fight for that matter. The referee confirmed his judgment and raised the flag.
"Bronzong is unable to battle!" the referee announced. "Snorlax wins! And the victory of this match goes to Salon Maiden Anabel!"
The crowd was wild with loud cheers and accolades for the Salon Maiden that narrowly claimed victory over a powerful Gym Leader. Brock, May, and Max stood and applauded for a fantastic job well done along with the rest of their row. Everyone else naturally followed, at least those that were into the battle. While the commentator went on about the epic match that was just witnessed in the rock field at this time, the concluding competitors gathered together at the center of the field for their own conversation.
"Anabel, that was a fierce and ironclad battle we had, thank you," Byron commended, firmly gripping Anabel's delicate hand for a sportsman handshake.
"That means a lot to me, Byron," Anabel replied sweetly, suddenly looking rather sheepish. "I apologize if I was a bit rough with your Bronzong. That Giga Impact may have been a bit too much."
"Nah, don't worry about it! Our defensive power is everlasting, so that Giga Impact won't have any lasting consequences on us. Speaking of lasting, you better last all the way this tournament, ya hear?"
"I hear you," Anabel said with a soft laugh and eyes closed momentarily. "Byron?"
Anabel noticed that Byron had disappeared, though it didn't take her long to find him at where Roark and his wife were sitting. He appeared really animated while his son seemed anything but. Byron's wife merely sat in her seat next to her son, smiling at their vigorous interaction.
"But Dad, I'm still competing in the Champions League," Roark argued. "I have to continue training."
"What?! Are you trying to say that you're too old to visit Grampa Canyon with your mother and me?" Byron retorted. "And I thought you loved digging for fossils!"
"Now that's a low blow! I thought you'd be supporting me for being stronger and lasting longer than you have in this tournament."
"You've had your match for the week already. And competitors are allowed to leave New Island as long as they return for their scheduled matches the coming week."
"Dad, some sacrifices needed to be made. Rampardos barely lasted the first match, and that was against a roaming Pokémon Trainer."
"Ha! I guess that only proves it."
"Proves what?"
"That I love fossils more than you!"
"You're really pushing me now, Dad!"
Anabel kept a light giggle to herself as she watched one notable case of father-son bonding. In amidst of all the excitement taking place around her, from Byron and Roark's little quarrel to every spectator in the rock field stadium applauding and showering the field with praises, the Salon Maiden suddenly felt a sensation peer through her back. In other words, she had the impression to look behind her into the stands where a particular young man with the red cap and Pikachu stood.
Everything and everyone else seemed to fade away, leaving the two of them staring at one another. Anabel looked on with uncertainty while he stood as unreadable as ever, regardless of the fact that the visor of his cap concealed his eyes. Yet within the casted shadow of the visor, Anabel was able to see part of his left eye. Her will was strong, tempered against even the most hardheaded as witnessed from her battle with the Steel Gym Leader; strong enough to brave the seeming mask he wore and was able to see a dull ray of light from the eye that was free from the shadow.
It stood out like a call for help.
Longest… chapter… at this point. That's my written out battle chapter for you. I do have a bundle of things I like to point out and clarify.
I planned for this battle to happen since the primary stages of this fic… I thoroughly enjoyed writing it… Probably mentioned already in past chapters, I made Lucian as part of the development in Anabel's character since she's more or less a blank slate from the anime… Her relation to Verdanturf Town as her home town isn't canon, but a reference to how the Battle Frontier originated in Pokémon Emerald in the Hoenn region, as well as another "borrowed" idea from my brother…
Haunter was a random twist I threw in for this chapter… Before I found out Mienshao was really a Fighting-type, I thought it would've been perfect for Anabel to have, but variety always works, even though I was tempted to give her an Entei or a Raikou like her counterparts from the games and manga, but ultimately decided against it (Despite how Brandon uses Regirock, Regice, and Registeel, Tobias… no explanation, and an inspector Nurse Joy wielding a Latias)… Did any of you catch the (admittedly lame) throwbacks to Star Fox 64 somewhere in the battle?…
And finally, a random quote about Byron I found somewhere which may be inappropriate, but good thing this fic's rating is T: And I quote…
'Imagine how Roark must have been conceived.'
"I LOVE MY WIFE!" *explosion*
Close quote. (I wouldn't put it past him, but I'm not going any further into this now.)
And now it's time to measure up how my writing skills are. I love reviews! *BOOM*
L-ater!