Hello everybody, it's Nuttybuddy792 again, here with another chapter for my friend Bumblebee2448. The gang has just gotten to KC and this chapter will kick off a series of exciting events to come!
Kansas City Airport
"I can't believe we were finally able to make it here to Kansas City after the storm prevented us from leaving yesterday!" Brady said as the group walked towards the Pokémon Center, "Now we can set our sights on getting our 10th Gym badge."
"That may be what's on your mind Brady, but I have other reasons for being here," Katie said, thinking back to her earlier conversation with her boyfriend.
Zac glanced at her in surprise. "What else could be more important than earning a Gym badge?"
"I need answers," Katie replied, "I want to know what's going on with my Absol and with any luck the person who has those answers is here in Kansas City."
"Oh really?" Zac asked, raising an eyebrow, "And who could that be?"
"The guy we watched battle Andrew in Cincinnati." Katie glanced at her belt, more specifically Absol's Pokéball. She cared for her Pokémon and wanted to help Absol however she could, but she had to understand the problem first. "Daniel. Andrew said once he gets here tomorrow he'll introduce me to him and we can talk about Absol. I don't want a repeat of what happened in Boston. I need help controlling it." She didn't miss Emma narrowing her eyes at the mention of what happened in Boston.
"How can a scrub like him help you?" Zac demanded, stepping in front of her and halting the group's progress. "Andrew's been kicking his tail all across the States."
Brady decided to intervene before Katie could reply, as he saw that dangerous look in her eye. "Enough you two, we're in public. This is no time for fighting." Katie nodded, not saying a word, though the glare she gave Zac told Brady that it wasn't over. It was a short walk from the airport to the Pokémon Center and soon they were checked in and given rooms for the night. The girls excused themselves to use the bathroom as Brady and Zac took in the view from their room after setting down their backpacks. It was a decent view, as they could see a good chunk of the city. Movement below caught their eye and they looked down. There was a modest training field behind the Center and it happened to be occupied by the two Trainers Zac and Katie were talking about not too long ago.
"Are his Pokémon fighting each other?" Zac asked, watching a Lucario and Gallade duke it out in close quarters. They appeared to be evenly matched.
"It's one way to train," Brady pointed out, "You aren't going to get stronger by standing around."
Zac grunted before an idea came into his head. He'd show Katie and Andrew what for by beating that Trainer down below. "I'll be right back."
Brady caught his tone and shook his head. "Trust me Zac, you don't want to do that."
"I can take a loser like him," came the confident response. With that, Zac was gone just as the girls returned from the bathroom.
"Where's Zac?" Emma asked, looking around.
"Doing something he'll regret," Brady replied, nodding out the window. The girls looked down, saw the situation, and soon the whole group was headed outside.
Training Area
"Alright guys, great Close Combat training," Daniel called to his two Pokémon, halting them immediately. They were breathing hard but looking very satisfied with their work. He was certain that if worst came to worst he could take that Mega Steelix he had been warned about by the guru. "It's almost time for lunch, so we'll go through one more bout and get something to eat. How does that sound?" Both Fighting types smiled and nodded, taking up a combat stance. "Begin!" He turned to Caitlynn, who was playing with her Plusle and Minun, laughing as they chased each other around. "Having fun?"
"Might as well," she responded, scooping up her Electric types playfully. "We're here for a Contest in a few days, I need to try and relax before the big event."
"True," Daniel agreed, "Better relaxed than stressed. I should know."
"Are you saying my electro-therapy saved you during the state tourney?" Caitlynn asked teasingly, tickling Plusle under his chin.
"It certainly helped," Daniel answered with a grin. "Do you remember where we ate last time we were here? I know the name, Jack Stack Barbecue, I just don't remember how to get there."
"Probably because you were in a food coma after eating so much," Caitlynn pointed out, smiling at the memory, "I needed your Lucario's help to get you back to the Center you were so out of it."
"But it was so good!" Daniel said, mock despair in his tone despite his teasing smile. The moment they shared was broken when someone's voice rang out across the battlefield.
"Hey you!" Gallade and Lucario stopped sparring immediately, turning with Daniel to greet the newcomer. He was a young man in jeans and a plaid shirt, the light breeze stirring his messy black hair.
"Can I help you?" Daniel asked politely.
"You're the scrub Andrew beat in Cincy, right?" he demanded, coming to a stop a few feet away from Daniel. His brown eyes glared at Daniel, as if daring him to say otherwise.
"He's no scrub!" Caitlynn answered angrily, surprised by his audacity. "I'd like to see you take down three of the Champion's best Pokémon." Her Plusle and Minun chorused their agreement with her.
"Please, I can do better than that," he scoffed. "I can beat him."
Daniel raised an eyebrow at that. "Really. You? Who are you exactly?"
"My name is Zac and I'm going to take you down!" Zac challenged.
"You don't know what you're getting into Zac!" a new voice called. Daniel looked over Zac's shoulder to see three more people joining the party, two girls and a guy. The speaker, a young man, came forward and put a hand on Zac's shoulder, trying to steer him away from Daniel. "I'm sorry about my friend's rudeness. We'll just leave you two alone."
"Not until I've had my battle Brady!" Zac said, shrugging off Brady's arm, "Unless you're too scared!"
Daniel laughed at that. "Me? Scared? I never back down from a challenge! If it's a battle you want, it's a battle you'll get!"
"You only have nine badges," the blonde with glasses pointed out to her companion, though her tone told Daniel that she didn't like him very much. "I'll be surprised if you take down one of his Pokémon." She looked familiar to Daniel, the valuable necklace around her neck glittering in the sunlight.
"Just you watch Katie!" Zac shot back hotly. The name finally brought recognition to Daniel, her being the Champion's new girlfriend if the rumors were true. "I'll show you how a real champion will battle!"
"While I don't like the idea of judging a Trainer's strength based on the badges they've earned," Daniel commented as he recalled his two Fighting types in preparation for the battle, "I am going to warn you, Zac, was it? While it's nice to have confidence, it's also good to know your limits."
"That means not challenging people way out of your league," Caitlynn pointed out.
"I don't need some Coordinator telling me how to battle," Zac retorted, "Especially since they don't do real battles."
"I'll show you a better battle than most competitive Trainers," Caitlynn shot back, obviously aggravated. "Take him down Daniel!" She stomped over to the modest bleachers and sat down in a huff, eyes watching the battlefield expectantly.
"So how do you want to battle?" Daniel asked as he walked over to his side of the small battleground, grabbing a green Pokeball off his belt and tossing it in the air a couple of times.
"I want a full battle!" Zac said eagerly, jogging to his side, "Six on six with free substitutions, just like a league tournament!"
"Do you need me to be referee?" Zac's friend Brady asked, walking to the middle.
6 on 6 Battle: Daniel vs Zac
Daniel shook his head. "I don't think we'll need one. If Zac here is as good as he claims, then he'll know when the round is over just like any good Trainer." He threw the Pokeball he'd been tossing. "Sceptile, time for battle!"
Zac smirked as the Forest Pokémon appeared, looking fresh and ready for battle. "Really? A Grass type? I know how to deal with those. Zweilous, I choose you!" The two-headed black and dark-blue dragon roared upon materializing out of the Pokeball.
"Didn't you just catch that Pokémon?" the blonde in a denim skirt asked.
"So what if I did?" Zac countered, "He's strong, so I use him. Plain and simple Emma"
Daniel shared a glance with Caitlynn at that piece of information. "You'd be better off raising your Pokémon yourself than catching the strongest Pokémon you find in the wild."
Zac glared at him. "I don't need advice from a loser like you! Zweilous, use Dragon Pulse!" Both heads stopped nipping at each other and charged up a blue-green ball of energy in each mouth.
"Dodge it," Daniel said simply. His Sceptile was already moving by the time the Hostile Pokémon fired the Dragon Pulse, merely darting to the side as the Dragon Pulse hit the ground in front of Daniel.
Zac frowned at Sceptile's speed. "Try Dark Pulse!" The Dark/Dragon type roared and while one head sent a beam of dark purple circles at Sceptile, the other head sent another Dragon Pulse in Sceptile's direction.
"Circle around," Daniel ordered. Sceptile darted to the right, avoiding the Dark Pulse and jumping over the Dragon Pulse, using his natural agility to evade the attacks with ease.
"Earth Power!" Zac shouted. Zweilous roared, glowing yellow with energy as he reared up onto his hindquarters. The Hostile Pokémon slammed down onto the ground, sending a series of glowing gold cracks towards the Grass type.
"Jump and use Leaf Blade," Daniel said, sensing an opening. The leaves on Sceptile's arms began glowing bright green, morphing together into a single blade as Sceptile leaped over the incoming Earth Power, the energy of the Ground type move erupting harmlessly below Sceptile. The Forest Pokémon spun in the air, adding rotational energy to his attack as he slashed Zweilous' body. Zweilous snarled at the attack and snapped at Sceptile, who darted away just as quickly as he had darted in.
"Why'd he use a Grass type move?" Emma asked to nobody in particular, "They aren't very effective against Dragon types."
"I think Daniel's testing Zac," Katie answered as Sceptile dodged another Dragon Pulse with ease, "Trying to get a feel for how he works.
"Use Crunch!" Zac shouted, getting frustrated.
"Block it with Night Slash!" Daniel commanded quickly. Sceptile's leaves turned black this time with Dark energy and he used the Night Slash to catch both snapping heads of Zweilous on his right blade. Zweilous growled as he tried to get past the attack, but Sceptile held firm. "Use Dragon Claw!"
"What?!" Zac wasn't fast enough as Sceptile's left arm blade turned a brilliant red, draconic energy emanating from the blade as the Grass type slashed at Zweilous' wide open belly, scoring two direct hits before Zweilous slumped, out cold.
"Looks like round one goes to Daniel," Katie commented. She was watching Daniel intently, finally getting to witness him with the upper hand in a battle and was curious as to how he would handle the situation.
"You shouldn't have used Zweilous," Daniel told Zac as he returned his fallen Dark/Dragon type.
"What are you talking about?" Zac asked, confused.
"You just caught that Pokémon, you haven't gotten used to him yet," Daniel explained, "I noticed when you ordered him to use Dark Pulse, one of the heads used Dragon Pulse instead. That's a sign of a poorly trained Pokémon. You should've waited a bit before using him in battle, in order to know what to expect from him. A Trainer needs to be in sync with his or her Pokémon so they can battle at their best."
"I do what I want!" Zac retorted, which prompted Daniel to shake his head in equal parts amusement and amazement. Zac grabbed another Pokeball and threw it. "Skarmory take him down!"
"So he's going for the type advantage here," Brady commented as the Armor Bird Pokémon appeared. "Despite the fact that he just got that one recently too."
"Are there any Pokémon he has that aren't fresh out of the wild?" Caitlynn asked.
"I think the rest of his team has been with him for a long time," Katie answered, "Though he doesn't travel with us too often so I can't be sure."
Daniel gestured to Zac. "I'm not switching. You may have the first move again."
Zac glared at him. "Big mistake. Skarmory, use Agility!" Skarmory cawed and took off, gaining speed rapidly, appearing to disappear and reappear elsewhere at high speeds.
"Looks like he's trying to match your speed," Daniel warned his Sceptile, "Hit him with an Energy Ball!" The Grass type nodded and tracked the Steel/Flying type, a blue-green ball of natural energy forming in his mouth. Sceptile fired the Energy Ball, which zoomed forward and hit Skarmory in the wing. Due to the type matchup, Skarmory barely seemed affected.
"Use Aerial Ace!" Zac ordered.
"Leaf Blade!" Daniel countered. Skarmory cawed again and dove, white streaks of energy surrounding his body in the process. Simultaneously, Sceptile formed another Leaf Blade, the glowing green blades pulsing with energy. Sceptile slashed just as Skarmory arrived, the two attacks struggling to overwhelm the other. With one final push, both Pokémon separated, Skarmory going high while Sceptile landed lightly on the ground.
"An even clash despite the type advantage," Katie noted.
Daniel held up Sceptile's Pokeball. "Sceptile, return!"
Zac looked surprised as Sceptile disappeared back into the Pokeball. "Why're you switching?"
"Because this is a bad matchup for Sceptile," Daniel explained, "There's nothing wrong in knowing when to fight and when to use another Pokémon." He took a blue and brown Pokeball off his belt. "Like this one. Swampert, time for battle!"
"A Ground type?" Zac asked as the Mud Fish Pokémon appeared, crouched on all fours. "You know they can't affect Flying types."
"There's more to battling than type matchups," Daniel retorted. "Now come at me!"
"With pleasure. Skarmory, use Drill Peck!" The Armor Bird Pokémon flew up higher before spinning, his beak glowing white with power as he dove.
"Block it," Daniel ordered. Swampert brought her arms up and took the blow, skidding back a little as Skarmory gained altitude to get away from a possible counterstrike.
Zac grinned at the success of that attack. "Use Steel Wing!"
"Block that too!" Daniel ordered as the Steel/Flying type's wings began glowing silver. Skarmory dived again and hit Swampert's raised arms, again sending the Water/Ground type backwards a foot or two.
"Why doesn't he order Swampert to attack?" Katie wondered aloud.
"He's got a plan," Caitlynn responded, a confident grin on her face as she watched. Her Plusle and Minun hopped down from her shoulders and into her lap, throwing occasional sparks into the air to cheer on Daniel.
"Use Sky Drop!" Zac ordered with the air of one who thought this particular battle over. Skarmory cawed and flew towards Swampert, talons extended to grab her, exposing his body in a manner unlike the last two attacks.
Daniel smirked. "Hammer Tail." Swampert nodded and concentrated, a white glow appearing on her arms as she prepared a Hammer Arm. At the same time, her tail was surrounded by a couple streams of water with the essence of an Aqua Tail attack. Skarmory saw this and hesitated, which was a huge mistake. Swampert swatted him out of the air with a Hammer Arm, striking twice more with the Fighting type attack before spinning and whacking the Steel/Flying type with her Aqua Tail, sending Skarmory back in front of his Trainer.
"No way!" Zac said in shock as Skarmory struggled back to his feet. "Use Roost!"
"Hydro Pump!" Daniel ordered quickly. Skarmory had just began to glow with the power of the healing move when Swampert blasted him with a high pressured stream of water, which was enough to knock the Armor Bird Pokémon to the ground once more. There was a brief pause after the Hydro Pump ended, which ended with Zac slumping his shoulders in defeat and recalling the knocked out Skarmory.
"Two wins for Daniel already," Brady noted, "Zac's in trouble."
"So," Caitlynn began conversationally, turning to the quiet Emma. "You guys are here to battle the Gym, right?" All she got from Emma was a nod, so she continued. "You think you're ready for it?" The cold glare she got from Emma surprised Caitlynn. The fiery Coordinator turned back to the battle. "Well fine then. Don't talk to me."
"Don't mind her," Brady said reassuringly, "Emma just doesn't like talking to people she doesn't know."
"I can deal with people well enough," Emma said coldly.
Zac, meanwhile, was getting frustrated. "You got lucky, that's all."
"Was it really luck?" Daniel asked rhetorically. "I know my Swampert has pretty good defenses, so even though she couldn't keep up with your speed boost from the earlier Agility, I was still able to wait until the right opening was available to strike back. You can't beat me at close range combat Zac."
Zac paused for a moment before grinning. "Fine then. Go Shellos!" A little blue slug-like Pokémon with little wing-like structures on its back appeared. He took one look at Swampert, looked back at Zac with an 'are you freakin kidding me' face, shivered, and faced forward again.
"An eastern Shellos," Daniel commented knowingly, "Is this a recent catch as well?"
"I've had Shellos for a while now," Zac answered hotly, "And I know just how to use him. Shellos, use Water Pulse!" The little Water type created a glowing blue ball of water and shot it at Swampert.
"Block it!" Daniel ordered. Once again, Swampert used her arms to take the attack head on, looking fine.
"Use Scald!" Zac commanded. Shellos inhaled deeply, concentrating on superheating the water.
Daniel didn't want to risk a burn, so he yelled "Protect!" The Mud Fish Pokémon crouched onto all fours and created a glowing green shield that blocked the incoming blast of scalding hot water. Steam erupted everywhere briefly before dissipating into the atmosphere.
Zac frowned. He'd hoped to get a status condition on that Swampert to take Daniel down a notch or two. "Use Mud Bomb!"
"Looks like you're gonna play at long range this time," Daniel said, nodding in approval as the Sea Slug Pokémon created a glowing brown ball of energy, "I can do that too. Swampert, use Mud Shot!" Swampert opened her mouth and fired several balls of mud at Shellos just as the Water type launched his own attack. Due to the difference in power between the two, it only took one ball from Swampert's Mud Shot to counter Shellos' Mud Bomb and the rest of the Mud Shot scored a direct hit on Shellos. The Sea Slug Pokémon was launched backwards, but surprised Daniel by getting back up.
"Come on Shellos, I know you can do better!" Zac said encouragingly. Shellos seemed to agree with him, letting out a loud cry before being engulfed by a brilliant white light.
"Well I'll be," Daniel said with a grin, "It's evolving." Shellos grew larger, bulkier, retaining the same slug-like shape but larger on the back area. With a loud cry, the light faded and revealed Gastrodon in all its glory, the blue and green Sea Slug Pokémon ready for round two.
"Well that's good for Zac," Emma noted, "Maybe this is what he needed to turn this battle around."
"Even with that happening, I doubt Zac's going to be able to do much with it," Katie pointed out, "Daniel's just too good for him."
Zac was full of confidence now. "All right Gastrodon, use Earth Power!" The newly evolved Water/Ground type began glowing yellow, touching his head to the ground, sending a series of golden cracks towards Swampert.
"Protect!" Daniel shouted. Swampert barely got the shield up in time, the Earth Power erupting all around her but didn't penetrate the Protect. "Now use Ice Beam!" As soon as the Earth Power ended, Swampert dropped her Protect and fired a jagged blue beam of energy that struck Gastrodon, dealing damage and encasing the Sea Slug Pokémon in a block of ice.
Zac was taken aback. "What the, use Mud Bomb to break free!"
"Finish this with Hammer Arm!" Daniel ordered, crossing his arms. The Mud Fish Pokémon ran forward, arms glowing white with power as Zac waited, hoping Gastrodon could get free. In a way, he was freed, though not in the way Zac was expecting. Swampert swung both arms and with a mighty crash shattered the block of ice, sending Gastrodon crashing to the ground.
"Come on Gastrodon, get up!" Zac demanded, but Gastrodon lay motionless. "Get up!"
"It's too late for Gastrodon," Daniel pointed out, "He did well, all things considered. Congratulations on the evolution by the way." He recalled Swampert at the same time Zac recalled Gastrodon. "Excellent job Swampert, take a good rest." He looked up at Zac, who was growing ever more frustrated. "Do you want to take a break, or would you rather back down now while you're behind?"
Zac glared at him. "I'm ready to keep on going, I've saved my best for last!"
Daniel shrugged as he grabbed the green Pokéball off his belt. "It's your funeral. Sceptile, I need you again!"
"Him again?" Zac asked as the Forest Pokémon appeared once more. "Fine. Go Drapion!"
Daniel nodded approvingly as the Ogre Scorp Pokémon appeared, claws twitching in anticipation. "That one looks well trained. That, and you're playing the type matchups again. That won't stop me though. Sceptile, use Leaf Blade!" The Grass type charged, arm blades extending and glowing bright green once more.
"Use Protect!" Zac ordered. The Poison/Dark type barely managed to get the green barrier up in time, so great was Sceptile's speed. The Leaf Blade bounced off the shield and sent Sceptile skidding backwards a little. "Now use Acupressure!" Drapion used his large tail to quickly jab at several pressure points, letting the Protect drop as a red aura suffused his frame. Drapion shouted to the heavens and flexed his claws a couple of times, eager to get the bout going in earnest.
"Looks like Drapion got an Attack boost from that Acupressure," Daniel noted, "We're gonna have to watch out when we close in. Sceptile, use Energy Ball!" Sceptile nodded and fired a green-blue ball of energy at Drapion, who deflected the attack with his arms, the power boost substantial enough to send the Energy Ball skywards where it exploded harmlessly. Daniel uncrossed his arms, getting back into the battle despite the huge lead.
"Use Earthquake!" Zac ordered. Drapion pounded the ground, sending several shock waves towards Sceptile and shaking the entire complex.
"Jump!" Daniel barked quickly, "Then come down using Iron Tail!" Sceptile ran forward, stumbled briefly when the first shock wave hit from the Earthquake, managed to recover and leapt high into the air, avoiding the rest of the Earthquake. His tail began glowing silver with the energy of the Iron Tail as Sceptile flipped, coming down hard with the attack right on Drapion's back.
"Use Poison Jab!" Zac yelled. To Daniel's surprise, Drapion wasn't crippled by pain like he'd expected and was already lashing out, claws glowing purple
"Iron Claw!" Daniel shouted. Sceptile back flipped over the Poison Jab, Iron Tail still active. He dodged two more Poison Jabs from Drapion, including a sneaky one from the tail and formed a Dragon Claw on each of his arms. Sceptile then began a whirlwind of attacks, deftly avoiding each desperate Poison Jab with ease and striking back twice as hard with his attacks. Sceptile then finished the Close Combat combo by flipping into the air and slamming his Iron Tail onto the Ogre Scorp Pokémon's head, flooring the Poison/Dark type. The Forest Pokémon walked away calmly, even as Drapion struggled back to his feet.
"Way to hang in there!" Zac cheered, "Now use Cross Poison!" Sceptile glanced back at Drapion, who panted for a moment longer before falling forward, unconscious before he hit the ground. "No way!"
"Nicely done," Daniel complimented his Pokémon.
"Still think he's a scrub?" Caitlynn asked Zac teasingly. This lopsided battle had put her back in a good mood. Her Plusle and Minun were darting around the bleachers, sniffing at the new people. Katie noticed Plusle sniffing her leg and gave the Cheering Pokémon a little rub on the head. The little Electric type smiled at her and returned to Caitlynn.
"They're cute," she commented as she repeated the process with Minun.
"Thanks," Caitlynn said, "I'm waiting for a Contest with double appeals, so I can use these two together, or even just a double battle. They work great together."
"Why'd you decide to go into Contests?" Katie asked, genuinely curious as Zac recalled his fallen Drapion. "You're so good at battling."
"That, I think is a result of me hanging out with that guy for so long," Caitlynn answered, indicating Daniel with a thumb. "I never really saw the appeal of brute force battles all the time. I'll admit they have their moments, but I always preferred a little flair to the battle. Of course, with battles being a part of the Contest circuit, it seemed like a clear career choice to me." She looked at Daniel with a look that Emma recognized with a start. "Of course, when Daniel offered to help me with battling, I couldn't say no, because winning by knockout works just as well as winning by style."
Emma finally decided to speak up, seeing the look Caitlynn gave Daniel being near identical to the looks Katie gave Andrew. "So how long have you two been together?"
Her hidden implication flew over Caitlynn's head. "We've been Trainers since we were 10, though we've only been seriously traveling the States for a couple of years now. We've been friends since middle school, ever since Daniel stopped those girls from bullying me."
Emma sighed. "I meant as a couple." She almost laughed as Caitlynn flushed a deep red that would have rivaled a Scizor.
"We actually aren't dating," she admitted, taking a moment to compose herself, "I mean, just because he's a guy and I'm a girl doesn't mean we have to start going out, right?" She gave Emma a smile that did nothing to convince her, but she just leaned back with a knowing smirk.
"If you say so."
"Sceptile, return!" Daniel said, recalling the Grass type as he watched Zac. He was standing there, shaking with silent fury. "You sure you want to continue? You've battled well for someone at your level, but you just can't beat me. You claimed you can beat the Champion, but from what I've seen from you today, that was nothing but a false claim to get my attention. Unless you have some hidden legendary Pokémon you've been saving for last, I don't see you coming back."
"Why don't you bring out that big bad Blaziken of yours out," Zac taunted as he grabbed a Pokéball, "Let's see if he lives up to the hype. Go Magneton!"
"You're down four Pokémon to none and you still want me to use my best Pokémon?" Daniel asked incredulously as the Steel/Electric type appeared, grabbing a red and brown Pokéball off his belt regardless. "Very well then. But remember, you asked for this! Blaziken, time for battle!" Zac's Magneton looked hesitant as the Fire/Fighting type appeared. Blaziken stood, glaring at his opponents, body half turned towards Magneton, wrist flames igniting in preparation for battle.
"I know he looks strong," Zac told the Magnet Pokémon, "But we can take him, I know it! Use Thunderbolt!" Inspired by his Trainer's confidence, Magneton fired a stream of electricity towards Blaziken.
"Dodge it." Daniel said calmly. Blaziken merely leaned out of the way, letting the Thunderbolt fly past him harmlessly.
Zac growled. "Use Zap Cannon!" Magneton created a glowing yellow ball of electrical energy, aiming carefully at Blaziken.
"Dodge it." Daniel repeated, crossing his arms. Not wanting to be paralyzed by the Electric type attack, Blaziken leaped to the side just as Magneton fired, allowing the Zap Cannon to crash into the ground when he once stood.
"Why doesn't he strike back?" Brady wondered, "He's got the type advantage, he's just dodging Zac's attacks. Why doesn't he end it?"
"I think he's trying to show Zac just how far out of his league he is," Katie answered, enjoying the results of this battle so far thoroughly.
"Fine, we'll use an attack he can't dodge!" Zac shouted, frustration in his tone, "Use Magnet Bomb!"
"Deflect it," Daniel ordered as Magneton created several glowing orbs of steel. His first Pokémon nodded and took a wider stance, ready to spring into motion. When Magneton fired the Magnet Bomb at Blaziken, the Blaze Pokémon activated a Sky Uppercut, using his fists to strike at each chunk of metal, knocking the Magnet Bomb away and avoiding any damage from the normally can't-miss attack, finishing with a roundhouse kick that launched the final part of the Magnet Bomb back at Magneton, who narrowly avoided getting struck by his own move.
"No way!" Zac breathed, surprised by the failure of that attack. He glared at Daniel. "Will you stop holding back and attack?"
"You want me to stop holding back?" Daniel asked. He locked eyes with his Blaziken, who nodded in response, sparing a glance at the Blazikenite on his arm before turning his attention back to Magneton. When Zac nodded as well, Daniel smirked. "Fine then. I'll stop holding back." He held up his right arm and touched the Keystone on his Mega Ring, which began flashing with power. Tendrils of energy extended out from the stone, linking up with the tendrils leaking from the Blazikenite.
"No way!" Katie breathed, surprised Daniel was resorting to Mega Evolution. The process always fascinated her, no matter how many times she saw replays of Andrew's battles or even when Andrew rescued her from Team Darkness when they kidnapped her. She wanted to harness the power of Mega Evolution, if only so she could be stronger.
"Let's do this partner!" Daniel shouted as Blaziken's frame was covered in an orange light, "Mega Evolve!" Fire swirled around Blaziken, not enough to obscure the fact that his frame became sleeker, his feathery "hairs' pointing upwards in a wing-like shape. With a war cry, Blaziken unleashed a wave of power and the orange light faded, revealing that his yellow feathers on his legs had turned red while his red feathers had gained black markings. Blaziken's wrist flames ignited, extending outwards several feet and waved in the breeze. The Mega Evolution symbol flashed above his head briefly, disappearing as briefly as it had appeared.
"What power!" Zac exclaimed, buffeting by the shock wave. Mega Blaziken seemed to glare right at his soul. "Magneton, use Tri Attack and don't hold back!" The Magnet Pokémon hesitated, unsure about the wisdom of attacking such a powerful Pokémon. "Do it!" Each of Magneton's three eyes began glowing red, yellow, and blue, firing triple lasers towards the Blaze Pokémon.
"Blaze Uppercut," Daniel said, letting the excitement of the battle flow through him. He enjoyed the adrenaline rush of a battle, despite the arrogance of the Trainer he was battling. Blaziken ducked under the Tri Attack and ran forward, fists glowing bright with the essence of a Sky Uppercut. Blue flames erupted from his feet as Blaziken punched Magneton with the force of a runaway 18-wheeler. A small shockwave emanated from the blow as Magneton was launched skywards. Blaziken leaped up after him, using his powerful legs to quickly catch up to the stunned Magnet Pokémon. Upon reaching the Steel/Electric type, Blaziken flipped and executed a perfect axe-Blaze Kick that rocketed Magneton downwards even quicker than it was sent flying. Blue flames trailed after Magneton, giving the appearance of a comet as Magneton slammed into the ground. Blaziken landed lightly a few seconds after, wrist flames swirling about him like ribbons.
"Mega Evolution is no joke," Caitlynn quipped, smirking as Zac recalled his unconscious Magneton wordlessly.
"Zac's down to his last Pokémon," Katie murmured, "It's going to take everything he's got to avoid being swept."
"Come on Zac, I thought you wanted to beat me!" Daniel teased.
"I will defeat you," Zac answered, grabbing his last Pokéball. "I'll use the Pokémon that's been with me since the beginning of my journey. Come on Infernape, I'm counting on you!" As the Flame Pokémon appeared in front of Zac, hopping on his feet in anticipation of the combat he had been sensing from his Pokéball, Daniel couldn't help but laugh.
"How fitting that your first Pokémon is going up against my first Pokémon," he noted, "Now then, show me the bonds you have formed on your journey!"
"Infernape use Thunder Punch!" Zac yelled. Electricity crackled around Infernape's fist as the Sinnoh starter charged, a yellow glow briefly appearing around Blaziken as its Speed Boost activated. Infernape lashed out, then blinked as his punch hit only air. He looked to his left to see Blaziken standing a few yards away, glaring at him.
"Whoa it's fast!" Brady exclaimed.
"Use Close Combat!" Zac ordered, throwing his fist into the air.
"Guard yourself!" Daniel countered, "It's like practice!" Blaziken crouched down as Infernape approached. The Flame Pokémon shouted a battle cry and began a series of punches and kicks that left him wide open for a counterstrike, if the opponent had time for a counterattack. Blaziken remained calm, the Mega Evolved Pokémon coolly using his arms and legs to defend himself against each and every one of Infernape's attacks. Infernape finished the attack with a roundhouse kick, but Blaziken merely ducked under it and extended an arm, catching Infernape in his stomach and pushing the Flame Pokémon back several feet. Infernape was shocked by the force behind that little push.
"Use Dig!" Zac yelled, undaunted by the prospect. Infernape disappeared underground, a hole the only indication where he'd went. A yellow glow appeared briefly as Speed Boost activated again, Blaziken taking a deep breath.
"Dodge him as soon as he comes up," Daniel said, placing a hand on the ground in an effort to feel Infernape. There was a tense pause as everybody waited, the only movement being Blaziken's wrist flames in the breeze. A sudden rumble came from Blaziken's right. Infernape burst from the ground and lashed out at Blaziken, only to once again only hit air as Blaziken deftly moved out of the way.
Zac growled in frustration. "Use Flamethrower!" At point blank range, Infernape knew he couldn't miss and eagerly shot a stream of flames at Blaziken.
"Block it!" Daniel ordered. Blaziken crossed his arms in front of him, wrist flames growing in intensity as the Flamethrower washed over him, though as the attack ended it looked like it didn't do much. Daniel grinned at Zac. "You have anything else for us?"
"Use Close Combat!" Zac roared. Infernape seemed to share that sentiment, launching himself at Blaziken in a fury, punching, kicking, trying anything, even using his tail to try and hit Blaziken, but the Blaze Pokémon dodged them all.
"Blaze Uppercut Combo," Daniel said. Blaziken let Infernape swing at him a couple more times before he seemed to disappear. Infernape looked around frantically, trying to locate his opponent, then the next thing the Flame Pokémon knew was pain. And lack of air in his lungs. Blaziken had reappeared, using his speed to plant his glowing fist firmly in Infernape's stomach. The Mega Evolved Blaze Pokémon then removed his fist and Spartan kicked Infernape with blue flames swirling around his feet. Infernape bounced once, twice before coming crashing to a halt in front of Zac, who was awestruck by the power of Blaziken, especially how puny he made his own starter appear.
"Looks like it's all over," Katie commented, smirking at Zac's feeble attempt to defeat Daniel. A sudden flare got her attention, as well as the attention of everyone else. Daniel was surprised to see Infernape push himself back to his feet, a red glow appearing in his eyes.
Zac laughed, exhilarated. "We're not done yet! Infernape, show them your Blaze!" Infernape screeched out a battle cry, the flame on his head tripling in size. The Flame Pokémon surprised Daniel again by launching a Flamethrower into the sky, a crazed look in his eyes.
"That doesn't look right," Daniel murmured to himself, "Be careful Blaziken, I don't think Infernape's in control!" As if to confirm that statement, Infernape screeched again, pounding his chest and launching powerful Flamethrowers into the sky like a maniac. "Zac, how long ago did your Infernape evolve?"
"A couple of weeks ago in my battle against Adrian when I was earning my ninth badge," Zac answered hesitantly, "Why?"
"And this is the first time Blaze has activated since then?"
"Yeah," Zac looked at his crazed starter, "Come on Infernape! Aim it at the Blaziken!"
Daniel was dead serious. "This is bad. He's at the final stage, so he should be able to control Blaze, but if this is the first time after evolving, then we need to stop him now before he hurts someone! Blaziken, use Blaze Kick!" As the Hoenn starter's feet was surrounded by blue flames, Infernape finally seemed to notice Blaziken. The Flame Pokémon dove towards Blaziken, beginning a massive Flame Wheel attack. Not to be deterred, Mega Blaziken continued with his Blaze Kick, the two attacks creating a massive firestorm in the middle of the battleground. Blaziken leapt away from the explosion, performing a neat handspring before landing on his feet.
"Infernape…" Zac said weakly as the smoke cleared, revealing the still enraged Infernape. He shot another Flamethrower at Blaziken, who deftly leaped out of the way on instinct.
"I'm really sorry about this Zac," Daniel told him, "But I gotta attack! It's the only way to get Infernape to snap out of it! Blaziken, use Flare Blitz!" His Fire/Fighting type dodged another Flamethrower, flames swirling around his body. Blaziken sprinted towards Infernape, who saw him coming and moved to intercept with a Fire Punch. Blaziken once more disappeared, using his speed to vanish. He reappeared on Infernape's left and slammed into Infernape with a fiery explosion. The shock wave buffeted everyone, even as the smoke cleared from the field. Blaziken stood over the fallen Infernape, the flame on Infernape's head back to normal. There was a flash of orange light as the Mega Evolution wore off, the time for battle having past. Zac fell to his knees, unable to comprehend what had just happened. He jumped in surprise when he noticed Daniel standing in front of him, holding out a hand.
"You did alright," Daniel told him honestly, "You have some potential. But you shouldn't have challenged me. I hope you learn from this, if only so your Pokémon don't suffer another beat down like they did today." He waited a moment, trying to allow Zac to shake his hand, but the young man instead recalled his fallen Infernape and glared at him.
"I had an off day, that's all," Zac offered lamely as he ran towards the Pokémon Center. Daniel shook his head and let him go, instead walking over to the bleachers, where he was greeted by Caitlynn.
"Great job Daniel!" Caitlynn said as she gave him a quick hug, "You really showed him!"
"Yeah," he agreed solemnly, watching Zac's retreating back, "It's always nice putting the cocky ones in their place. I hope he learns from this."
"Somehow I doubt it," Katie commented, scorn evident in her tone.
Daniel turned towards the trio, sizing them up. They didn't seem all that concerned about how badly their friend had just been beaten. "Charming friend you have there."
"You don't know the half of it," Brady said knowingly.
"If any of you guys would like a battle as well, I hope you let me rest my Pokémon first," Daniel said, looking each of them in the eyes in turn. When they each shook their heads, he grinned. "Well in that case, I'll be going then. Nice meeting you all. You ready for lunch Caitlynn?"
"Sure am!" she replied, scooping up her Plusle and Minun.
As the two turned to leave, Katie spoke up. "Wait!"
"Yes?" Daniel turned around, looking at the blonde. Brady and Emma were glancing at each other behind Katie, as if they knew what she was going to ask about.
"I want to talk to you about something," Katie continued.
"Can we do it over lunch?" Daniel asked as his stomach rumbled, "I'm starving!"
Jack Stack Barbeque
"So what is it that you wanted to talk about?" Daniel asked as he buttered up one of the complimentary rolls the restaurant provided. The aromas that permeated throughout the building had his mouth watering and he couldn't wait for their orders to arrive. He bit down on the roll, enjoying the freshly baked bread. In a way, he was glad Zac declined the offer to join them, as his arrogance would've detracted from the meal they were about to enjoy.
"An ability that Adrian told me you knew more about than anyone else," Katie answered, "Hypermode." She couldn't help but giggle at Daniel's reaction, as he gagged on the roll he was chewing on. Clearly that was the last thing he'd been expecting.
"Okay," Daniel said after he'd drunk some of his soda and cleared his throat, "Why do you want to know about that?"
Katie sipped at her own drink before responding. "Because a while ago I caught an Absol and I think he has Hypermode as well."
"An Absol with Hypermode?" Caitlynn repeated, skeptical at the concept, "I thought Daniel's Lucario was the only one."
"It's not out of the question," Daniel said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Still, for it to be among other species of Pokémon…"
"You sure you're the expert on this?" Emma asked dubiously.
Daniel shrugged. "I know I'm the first one to actually own a Pokémon with that sort of an ability." He directed his serious gaze at Katie. "Tell me, what makes you think your Absol has Hypermode?"
Emma glared at him. "You doubt she's telling the truth?"
"Of course not!" Daniel said, holding up his hands defensively. "I just want to compare notes."
Katie glanced at Absol's Pokéball again before responding. "Well, it first happened against Sara, the Gym Leader, her Malamar was beating the snot out of Absol with its Signal Beam attack."
Caitlynn interrupted with a laugh. "That Gym gave Daniel all sorts of trouble, he was lucky his friend Anja was visiting to teach his Blaziken Shadow Claw."
"We get it, Psychic types don't match up well against me," Daniel said sheepishly, "Except for Gallade, but that's because he's part Fighting type. Who knows, maybe I'll open a Fighting type Gym someday. Anyways, Katie please continue."
Before she could, the waitress interrupted. "Here's y'all's food. Do you need anything else?"
"Just a refill," Brady answered as he took his burger. The rest of the food was distributed across the table and a brief silence reigned as everybody dug in.
"Just as good as I remember!" Daniel commented as he bit down on his rack of ribs, savoring the smoky flavor.
"You've been here before?" Emma asked as she drizzled some dressing over her salad.
"Yeah," Caitlynn responded around a mouthful of pulled pork. She swallowed before continuing. "Last time we were here, for both a Contest and a Gym Badge, Daniel found this place getting lost on his way back from the Gym." She gave her Plusle and Minun some fries to nibble on and they happily chowed down.
"In my defense, I was looking for a place to eat before getting back to the Center," Daniel noted with a laugh, "I just wandered a little too far out of the way to find it."
Katie nibbled on her sirloin steak before piping up. "That's nice and all, but can we get back to the topic of Hypermode?"
Daniel chuckled as he downed a few of the steak fries. "Relax Katie, we'll get to Hypermode in a bit, I'd rather enjoy the good food first." The meal continued for a time, simple small talk the only conversation for the time being. The aromas, the conversation of people around them, the general sense of togetherness that came from the restaurant, it made Daniel feel relaxed. The home-style cooking was top notch and the new company, despite the earlier battle with their acquaintance Zac, definitely made for a nice change of pace. With a satisfied smile, he leaned back, wiping the sauce off his cheeks.
"Any dessert for you guys?" the waitress asked sweetly, coming up and collecting the empty plates from the table.
Daniel glanced at the others, receiving shakes of the head before responding. "No thanks, just bring the bill. One bill, if you please."
"Alright, I'll be back in a jiffy," she said and left.
"We can pay for our lunch!" Brady said defensively.
Daniel grinned. "It's on me. I had a good battle and an even better lunch with you guys and I get to talk about something I never get a chance to talk about. The least I can do is pay for lunch."
Caitlynn leaned over. "You have barbeque sauce on your nose." She grabbed one of the little complementary wipes and quickly cleaned off the sauce on his face.
"Then those must have been some pretty good ribs," Daniel chuckled. He missed the knowing smirk of Emma's as he let her fuss over him. He turned to face Katie once Caitlynn was done. "So tell me Katie, before we were interrupted by the food, we were talking about when Absol first entered Hypermode?"
Katie nodded, adjusting her glasses. "Yeah, back at the Gym, he was getting beat up by the Malamar and then he entered Hypermode."
"What happened that made you think it was Hypermode?" Daniel asked, leaning in. He looked very serious now.
"When Absol was knocked down," Katie began, "I was urging him to get back up. When he did, there was this jagged dark aura swirling about him. Sara said his eyes had turned pitch black and when he fired a Dark Pulse, he took out Malamar and half the battlefield in one blow. The power was incredible! Absol collapsed after Malamar did, but he'd won that battle."
Daniel leaned back, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm. That sounds like Hypermode alright. Jagged aura, glowing eyes, it fits the bill. Has this happened any other time?"
Katie winced at the memory. "Yeah, during the Halloween festival up in Boston, I had a battle against Zac and-"
"The same Zac he just battled?" Caitlynn asked, curiously. When Katie nodded, Caitlynn smirked. "I hope that Hypermode wiped out his Infernape. That jerk."
"You're preaching to the choir on that one," Brady commented, "But no, it was only his Skarmory that got wiped out by Absol."
"Here's your bill," the waitress interrupted once more, placing the small paper in front of Daniel, "Y'all have a good one!" With that, she left the quintet to their business.
"The scary part was, it was even stronger than the first Hypermode!" Katie continued, "It could've really hurt somebody!"
"Hold up," Daniel interrupted, "You said it was stronger than the first Hypermode?" When Katie nodded, he continued. "You sure it wasn't a simple effect from training your Pokémon and becoming stronger?"
"Definitely. Somehow, Absol's been getting major power boosts, permanent power boosts each time Hypermode activates," Katie explained. She was dismayed by the surprised look on Daniel's face.
"That's definitely news to me," he murmured, mind swirling with possibilities. "My Lucario hasn't had any noticeable power boosts like that, though I've only seen his Hypermode activate four times, each one of them a year or so apart. If your Absol is having Hypermode activate multiple times within a month or two, hmmm." Daniel rubbed his chin again, trying his best to remember the times after Hypermode had activated with his Lucario.
"Is that…bad?" Emma asked hesitantly. She was scared of that Absol, given his power display last week.
"I honestly don't know," Daniel replied, "It's just a theory, given the limited data I have, but it's possible that because Absol's Hypermode activated multiple times so close to each other, the power he used didn't have time to dissipate naturally. Therefore, when it activated again, the forced power surge made the previous energy bind with Absol's being, giving him that permanent power boost you've described. It would explain why my Lucario hasn't had any sudden jumps in power like your Absol."
"So what can we do to prevent Absol from going out of control when it activates?" Katie asked, "Because he nearly killed Zac's Skarmory last time it happened."
"That is something that's going to have to come from within," Daniel answered solemnly, "Just like how I worked with Blaziken with controlling Blaze and later Mega Evolution, you're going to have to work with Absol to control Hypermode. This is going to be tricky, because Hypermode is very dangerous to both your opponent and yourself."
"To ourselves?" Katie repeated, "How?"
"Well, for starters, it only activates when your Pokémon is really low on health. Lower than what would normally activate abilities like Blaze, Torrent, Overgrow, and Swarm," Daniel began, "So you're putting your Pokémon in peril when it does activate. Second, the amount of power that Absol and Lucario use is enormous! Not only do you risk serious injury to your opponent if you go too far, if they use too much power for say, an Aura Blast or a Dark Blast, well, it could exhaust your Pokémon and that could mean a long time recovering at the Pokémon Center or worse…"
"I would never let that happen to Absol!" Katie said defensively.
Daniel looked her dead in the eye. "You may not have a choice. Depending on your bonds with Absol, either you control Hypermode or Hypermode controls you. It sounds like you need to build up your relationship with Absol so he can hear your commands while that ability is active. Which brings me to my third point; you don't want to rely on Hypermode to win your battles. It puts such a strain on your Pokémon, it's unreliable in its activation, and while the power boost is akin to Mega Evolution, it's still too dangerous."
"But with Team Darkness on the loose, we're going to need every bit of power we can get!" Katie argued.
"That is true," Daniel agreed, "but if you abuse your Absol in order to the get Hypermode boost, then you're no better than Zac."
Katie was taken aback and was about to fire back an angry retort before she realized he was right. Hypermode was a powerful ability and it would certainly ensure victory in many battles, but she didn't like seeing her Absol hurt. Zac was mean and she definitely didn't want to sink down to his level. "So what do you do about Hypermode then?"
"For starters, I try to avoid putting Lucario in scenarios that would enable Hypermode to activate," Daniel answered, "Though I'll admit, battling the Champion isn't the best way to do that. It hasn't happened yet in my battles against Andrew, and I really don't want to rely on it to beat him. I want to beat him without any special gimmicks. But I make sure to rotate my Pokémon in a battle, to keep him from being in too long. It happens so rarely that I don't worry too much about it, but with you, I fear you're going to have to be careful the longer Absol's in a battle. Understand?" Katie nodded, not saying a word. She was digesting the new information and warnings Daniel gave her.
"Just take care of Absol and raise him like any other Pokémon," Caitlynn offered, "It's obvious you care for him and I believe you'll take good care of him. Just don't treat him different because he's special."
"I promise," Katie said firmly, glancing at Absol's Pokéball.
Daniel paid for the bill with cash and stood up, indicating it was time to get going. "Well, you have any other questions for me?" When Katie shook her head, Daniel made to head towards the exit. "Then good luck on your journey guys! When do you plan on battling the Gym Leader? I just might come watch."
"Well first, we gotta find Zac to make sure he's not getting into any more trouble," Emma said, obviously not relishing the prospect. "So it could be a while."
"Fair enough," Daniel replied, grabbing a napkin and a pen. "Here's my number, give me a call, send me a text, whatever, just give me a heads up when you're about to challenge the Gym." He gave Brady the napkin with his cell phone number on it and followed Caitlynn out the door.
"Well, that went well," Katie commented as they left the restaurant.
"Are you going to use Absol against the Gym leader?" Emma asked warily, "You heard Daniel's warning about Hypermode."
"I know," Katie responded, thinking. "I just might give the others a chance, though it depends on the type matchups. Yet battling is a great way to build a bond with a Pokémon. This is tough."
"Well, the way I see it," Brady began, "You can battle with Absol, just don't use him for more than one round at a time."
"Thanks Brady, I just might do that," Katie said with a smile, "Let's get back to the Pokémon Center. I have to let Andrew know about this."
Emma rolled her eyes. "He doesn't have a Pokémon with Hypermode, he doesn't need to know!"
Brady followed the two of them, shaking his head. "Sisters," he muttered to himself.
Kansas City Park
Daniel and Caitlynn sat on a bench in the park together, enjoying the afternoon. They'd gone there to relax some more in preparation for Caitlynn's upcoming contest. After a while, Caitlynn leaned up against Daniel's shoulder.
"Why'd you tell them to invite you to their Gym battle?" she asked out of curiosity.
"I dunno, something about those three," Daniel answered slowly, choosing his words carefully. "I get the feeling we're going to see them in the future. With the Champion's Cup coming up, I wouldn't be surprised if I had to face one of them either."
"So you're scouting them out way ahead of the Cup?" Caitlynn asked teasingly.
"Sort of," Daniel replied, "Just to get a feel of their battling style. Especially that Katie. Part of me wants to see that Absol in Hypermode, but I know that at this point activating Hypermode on her Absol is really dangerous. Perhaps in a few months or so." He trailed off, deep in thought.
"Either way, they're going to be a handful," Caitlynn commented, "Although I wouldn't mind seeing you wipe the floor with that Zac character again. Having an easy first round in the Cup always helps."
Daniel chuckled at that before he remembered something important. "Oh man, I can't believe I forgot!"
Caitlynn said up, looking at him with worry in her chocolate brown eyes. "What?!"
Daniel grabbed his cell phone and began dialing home. "It's November third, my parent's anniversary! It's their 30th, so I gotta give them a call!"
Caitlynn punched his arm. "You idiot, you had me scared for a moment." She laughed as she leaned back against him, the two of them enjoying the fall weather together.
And that's it for this guest chapter, hope you all enjoyed it. If you want to check out more of my battles, I am on here and have the story called Pokémon: Rivals Collide up, four exciting battles on there so far and another one on the way, I am accepting OC's for that particular story, so feel free to check it out!
Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Please leave a review. As an author I'm always looking to improve. Until next time my friends!
From your Nutty Buddy,
The Eagle Nut
Trainer Update:
Zac got his a** handed to him by Daniel. He still won't learn anything from it.
Poke Update:
Katie learned a lot about her Absol and Hypermode.
Zac's Shellos evolved into Gastrodon.
Team Darkness Update:
None
I really appreciate what Nutty Buddy does. He takes time from his days to write this out. So make to thank him for a great chapter I really do appreciate that he dos this for me. Anyway till next time.