AN: Few, now we're back to it. It's been a hot minute. I just get busier and busier, but fear not, I'll still be keeping on despite that! Now onto the reviews.
RHatch89: What's up champ! Glad to have you like each chapter.
Hong-Meirin: Sorry to make you wait so long to see some Crasher Wake stuff! I hope you enjoy how I portrayed him! The fights I tried to make as engaging as possible, but it's inevitable that some skip them. Looks like you're enjoying them though!
Decode Talker: I've been keeping it vague on purpose. It'll be cleared up in the future.
I don't think it'll take as long for the next update, but who knows. There will definitely be one out before the new year though. Fingers crossed for November!
Beta:XenoTime39 Discord: [discord . gg / yARsw4UtaC]
Please review so that I can hear your thoughts! I got some stuff that should be paying off story-wise so hopefully, y'all will enjoy it! Til next time!
"Paul Shinji, I've been expecting you," cryptically announced the shirtless middle-aged man.
"I've heard that you're always one for dramatics," I replied, "Crasher Wake." The man himself was a sight to behold. His mask looked more like hair than the little bit on the top, even counting his beard. His contrasting yellow and ice-blue also were very eye-catching. His muscle form was stocky but not chunky. That man has undergone serious training not just with his Pokémon.
"Hahaha!" Crasher laughed boisterously at the claim. "Someone told you right! I, the Torrential Masked Master, will show you just how much of a flare for dramatics I have. Let's see if you can handle my tidal wave of power!" he said with a rough yell.
The stadium was as colorful as his personality as the small waterfalls flowed off the sides, giving it a cool airy atmosphere, albeit a little loud. The gym was perfect for a water trainer to use their Pokémon to their greatest strength, water maneuverability. The stadium itself was mostly water, but has large lily pad like areas.
Crasher signaled to the gym employee who looked surprisingly normal in comparison to Crasher, that is fully clothed.
"The Pastoria city gym battle between Paul, the challenger, and Crasher, the gym leader is about to begin! The battle will be a 4 on 4 double battle and as soon as all 4 Pokémon are unable to continue, the battle is over. Only the challenger can substitute Pokémon. Release your Pokémon!" Huh, you know what? With how passionate that guy was, I think he fits right in with the gym.
"Wash them away, Poliwrath, Sharpedo!" The intimating appearances of the slick dark water Pokémon and the tough as nails water fighting Pokémon truly needed no introduction. I didn't need to be a breeder to see that these two Pokémon are truly amazing. I'd have to pull no punches if I'd want to get anywhere.
"Scyther, Murkrow, stand by for battle!" Both of them materialized a little unsteady due to the stadium itself being mostly water, but they were ready. Besides both of them having a Pokémon on the other side to pick off with their type advantage, having one of my old and experienced Pokémon combined with a newer one should show me where I'm at with training them.
"Now, show me your power!" Crash shouted. I assume this is his way of saying I can make the first move.
"Scyther, Vacuum Wave to Sharpedo! Murkrow, Foul Play to Poliwrath!" I don't see a particular path to victory just yet without brute forcing my way through it, so for now, scoping out their moves will be key.
"Rain Dance, Agility," the man declared with zero hesitation behind it, not even deliberating which one does what.
It became apparent which move was directed to who when Sharpedo instantly moved, completely avoiding the tornado made by Scyther's twin scythes. Poliwhirl on the other hand had some interesting footwork in place before drenching the entire stadium in light rain. Murkrow was very close in approaching Poliwrath with foul play in play before the rain started. Once the first droplet fell, Poliwhirl easily dodged Murkrow's impressive flying.
Hmm, that must've been Swift Swim on Poliwrath for him to prioritize the rain. That hurts me both with limiting Murkrow and Scyther's mobility while raising Poliwrath's. Murkrow should be fine for the time being, but he won't be able to fly the best, Scyther on the other hand, will need to rely on his battle sense even more than his speed.
Crasher is a cunning trainer behind his meathead appearance. This won't be easy.
"Scyther, Double Team. Murkrow, Haze!" They knew their targets now. Scyther's form spread across the pads on the field while Murkrow emitted a mirage of itself that appeared before Poliwrath.
"Use Round to compensate and Aqua Jet to destroy!" Sharpedo sped off first, bashing through, in a torrent of water, each and every Scyther on the field. Poliwrath weirdly stayed still even while being attacked by the mirage while it played a song. Surprisingly, it didn't seem as if Murkrow was being affected by round… or-
"Scyther, get out of there! Murkrow, stop the Night Shade and use Tailwind!" They were ganging up on Scyther! Murkrow, with practiced motions, canceled his attack and flapped a whirlwind, clearing away the rain just for a moment.
But a moment was all that Scyther needed.
Sharpedo and Poliwrath were aware of which Scyther was the real one and were fast approaching with their added speed. Sharpedo with Aqua Jet was truly terrifying to see fly over the field and Poliwrath seemed more than comfortable jumping across the pads with the gained speed through Swift Swim. Scyther though, against their expectations, had his wings buzzing in a second, flowing straight towards Murkrow in a second.
Sharpedo sharply approached while in the sky but had seemingly missed by a hair. Scyther landed, however, a little harder than expected. His side was damaged.
Damn it, so Sharpedo hadn't missed. It's hard to gauge these things in the rain, but it's better that Scyther isn't injured further. Any attack could spell the end of the battle since Crasher's Pokémon are probably especially powerful while on the attack.
I might have the speed advantage just barely, so I should make the most of that.
"Murkrow, Fly now! Scyther, keep them busy!" I commanded. Scyther was going to have trouble with dodging all the attacks that might come, but I have faith in his speed and defense. In training, he's taken a lot of good hits. Murkrow ascends above the rain out of sight while Scyther prepares his wings.
"Ice Fang, tear him up! Ice Beam, give yourself a path!" Crasher yelled. Geez, this is like battling a psychic trainer except I'm allowed to know the moves used. I can sorta guess the plan here, so my best course of action is to wait for my chance.
While Sharpedo rushed through the waters with its jaws readied and Poliwrath made an icy path straight towards Scyther, I gave my order. "Agility! You can't allow them to hurt you."
His speed would not be the only key here. Having the fighting sense of cutting his own optimal path would be just as important as there's only so much ground he can go on.
Scyther disappeared from his position among his pad, flowing through the raining air towards other pads. Sharpedo and Poliwrath weren't far around. Their mobility in water is simply exceptional.
Thankfully, I was fully prepared for this situation. I'll have to thank Gastrodon later for that fact.
As Scyther seemed to slow a little due to the moisture build up in his wings from the rain, I knew I had to act fast. "Ready your scythes, Scyther." Poliwrath was approaching fast with its ice beam setting its sights on Scyther. Sharpedo was closer, quickly maneuvering through the water around the ice with its fangs ready to chew Scyther and spit him out.
Now
"Catch Sharpedo with X-Scissor! Murkrow, now!" Once I finished my words, my Pokémon acted. Murkrow bursted through the rainy clouds and closed his wings so he could dive faster, cutting the air. Scyther stood his ground and with determination deep in his eyes, waited for Sharpedo to collide with his scythes.
Crasher tried to react fast and minimize the damage, "Switch target to Murkrow. Agility!" Poliwrath quickly reacted, attempting to shoot Murkrow out of the sky. Sharpedo on the other hand, had his speed greatly improve in such a short time while in the air. So, Crasher was testing my Pokémons' training.
He is going to suffer greatly for that.
I had no orders to give as my Pokémon knew what they had to do. As Sharpedo flew through the air with its burst of speed and fangs raring to bite, it was suddenly stopped while in the air. Scyther's X-Scissor had found its mark. Quickly following after this event, Poliwrath aimed its ice beam up high, letting loose a powerful beam. Ice Beam required some precise concentration and wasn't the type of attack that could be fired rapidly so easily. Murkrow knew how to react to this though.
Murkrow's trajectory was impossible to change unless he canceled his attack, so I had to get creative.
"Now!" I commanded. Murkrow submitted and with a slight shift in his wings, he twisted his body, spiraling next to the ice beam. He had dodged it completely. I could hear a grunt from Crasher as Murkrow's attack went through and crashed right into Poliwrath, knocking him back into the water.
I had to rip off Ash to do it, but for flying types, it's essential while we're still growing. Maybe I'll thank him later… not.
Scyther collapsed his scythes over Sharpedo, sending super effective damage right to Sharpedo. That wouldn't be enough to knock it out though.
It seemed as if Poliwrath had enough though. It was floating face up, knocked out.
"Poliwrath is unable to battle! Gym Leader Crasher, please call out your next Pokémon," the referee called out.
Crasher returned Poliwrath, saying, "I never expected such a low amount of hits to be able to do so much to Poliwrath. Alright then! From here on out, I'm not going to go so easy on you!" His eyes widening, making for a fearsome sight. "Wash them away, Empoleon!"
That… is an unexpected Pokémon for Crasher to call out. Usually, you wouldn't see the starters used at all with gym leaders. I guess him and Gardenia are the exception. I'll adjust to this.
"Swords Dance and then Hydro Pump! Skull Bash!" Crasher was really pulling out all the stops. Sharpedo tucked into the water, out of sight. Empoleon, however, was there raising its attack then preparing one. I had to knock them off balance.
"Night Slash Empoleon, Scyther! Sky Attack, Murkrow!" I'm sure Crasher is not doing everything as straightforward as his commands are, so I'll have to stop them before they get out of hand.
Scyther prepped his wings then in a flash, slashed at the charging Empoleon. He seemingly passed through and disrupted Empoleon. Murkrow was bathed in a white light as he flew to a safe distance up high. The rain had let up a little bit, allowing for easier movement.
But did I miscalculate?
"Get out of there, Scyther!" I shouted. Crasher seemed all too aware of my moves. Scyther stepping near Empoleon was definitely a mistake.
"Do it!" Crasher yelled. Right then and there, Empoleon resumed his Hydro Pump much faster than I could've anticipated and he turned towards Scyther.
Scyther attempted to dash across the pads, shifting in height to throw off the aim. "Behind you!" I warned him. Sharpedo had been a part of a two-pronged attack I wasn't expecting. Scyther was finished.
Scyther was cleanly hit with the skull bash, blasting across the pads on water. Empoleon's Hydro Pump was only a big distraction.
Well, maybe I can have a bit of revenge.
"Murkrow, Sky Attack Sharpedo while you can!" Murkrow in a burst of white light, dived towards the still-airborne water Pokémon. Hydro Pumps from Empoleon attempted to save Sharpedo, but with a little twist, they were of no consequence.
Murkrow let loose a burst of feathers that blocked the view of the attack. After a second or two, a sharp wind blew it all away, revealing a knocked-out Sharpedo. I had also prepared a two-pronged attack.
And with that, the announcer was almost at a loss of words. "U-uh, Sharpedo and Scyther are unable to battle. Both Challenger Paul and Gym Leader Crasher are required to call out their next Pokémon."
"You did well, Scyther. I hope to see how far you can grow further," I whispered, returning him into his Pokéball. Crasher mirrored me by returning Sharpedo in a similar fashion, although he didn't seem too concerned about him being knocked out. Rather, Crasher seemed rather pumped. Maybe I triggered his competitiveness?
Trapinch, who I forgot about, nudged me with her leg, bringing me back to reality. Right, I shouldn't get too lost in thought. I have a Pokémon in mind, so I'll have to be careful to keep Murkrow and him there for as long as possible. Although, with who I have in mind, I think Crasher will have to worry about knocking out any more of my Pokémon.
"Electabuzz, stand by for battle/ Wash them away, Gyarados!" We released our respective Pokémon. Perfect, no electricity immunities.
It was time to truly kick off the turning point of this battle.
"Electabuzz, use Shock Wave! Murkrow, use Fly!" given that the whole field was water, conducting the electricity straight to the target wouldn't be hard. What would be hard is keeping Electabuzz out of the water. Him being in there can be a real danger to him overloading, so I gotta keep Crasher on his toes.
But Crasher sure didn't seem perturbed by my command. "Aerial Ace into the air, Twister." Weirdly enough, Crasher was using Aerial Ace to have a brief mobility in the air, instead of disrupting Electabuzz. I think he wants to stay out of the harm of the electric attacks. Twister neutralized the move quite easily by picking up all of the attack and then subsiding quickly after.
Where Crasher's moves fell off, it was my turn to turn up the heat-er electricity. First off! "Fly, now. Electabuzz, thunderbolt!" They knew who I was targeting, the airborne Empoleon. I wasn't going to leave a chance like this to go by.
Murkrow, like a broken record, dove through the air to get to his target. Electabuzz from the opposite angle, fired off a decently powerful ray of electricity with super-effective damage with Empoleon's name on it.
Crasher was ready for it. "Flash Cannon and Hyper Beam!" Gyarados gathered energy fast and then fired it at the stationary Electabuzz. He really wanted to take care of him in one blow, huh. Flash Canon was being fired on Murkrow, who was already diving towards Empoleon. Empoleon would both be attacking and propelling himself downward and thus, less vulnerable. He was really pulling out all the stops, trying to blindside me. It's too bad though.
I've already got something ready.
"Light Screen, fast! Cancel the Dive and switch to Night Shade!"
Both Pokémon complied with the commands. Electabuzz immediately constructed a screen moments before the hyper beam struck. The screen broke instantly, knocking Electabuzz back, but it was minimal damage. Murkrow, who wasn't at an angle that wasn't hard to cancel out of, flew past the Flash Cannon and summoned a mirage that knocked Empoleon right near Gyarados.
Perfect. It's time.
"Electabuzz, use Thunder! Murkrow, use Assurance!" This was the end! Electabuzz gathered his energy together and then fired electricity up into the sky and in the same light, it flashed right down. Murkrow, at the same time, knocked an Empoleon back when it was trying to escape its position at the sound of the move, Thunder. It wasn't getting away.
The Thunder crashed onto the charging Gyarados and the battered Empoleon. They took the full brunt of the super-powered electric attack. After a full second of feeling the pain of the attack, Electabuzz stopped the attack and the result was obvious. Empoleon and Gyarados were wiped out.
"Empoleon and Gyarados are unable to battle, Electabuzz and Murkrow are the winners, making Paul, the challenger, the winner!"
Crasher returned his Pokémon while I stood there with Trapinch taking in the sight of my Pokémon. My strategy and my synergy with my Pokémon… It truly is a euphoric experience. I'm incredibly proud of them, not only for not being totally uncomfortable with the water, but also adapting to their movement in the water. It is a big change from the usual Pokémon battle movement, so aiming was incredibly important.
"Paul Shinji!" I heard my name called out from the side. It was Crasher. With my Pokémon making their way towards me, I walked to meet Crasher on the side.
"You showed crucial battle sense and a deep understanding of tactics while not being overwhelmed when countered. You truly deserve the Fen Badge! Use it well!" he said cryptically.
While I'm sure Crasher was holding back a lot, it was satisfying to give my all for a fight like that and win. Well, it's not like I should show that. "Thank you, that was a fun battle. I hope my next one is as good." Oops, I think I was too appreciative.
Crasher looked a little surprised by my words before he burst off into laughter. "Hahaha! If you had to fight like that everytime, I don't think your Pokémon would be able to keep up! Train well, Paul, I hope to see the fruits of your labor in the future!" he said to cheer me on.
Alright then, now I should probably get my Pokémon check out at the Center.
(-)
After a quick rest at the Center, my Pokémon were fully healed. They deserved a treat, so the plan is to treat them to some high-end Pokémon food. Hmmm, maybe I should share some with Gastrodon though? Gastrodon was the reason why adjusting to water movement was easier than it would've been going in blind against Crasher.
Being able to make use of observations like the little lagging behind in the beam attacks really helped save us in a few instances. I doubt Murkrow would've been able to turn out of the way if it was more instant.
Before I could decide on what to do, however, a faint explosion sounded off in the distance. It was far enough to where there were no effects from the explosion except some faint embers, but the dangerous thing was that it was close enough that it could be something close. Where did the explosion even come from and who caused it? I gathered myself and saw in the distance, a fire raging on in the distance.
No, that's in the direction of- the marsh.
In a rush, I pulled myself together and ran towards the source of the explosion. There were a lot of Pokémon who could be in danger from that and given how it just happened, Officer Jenny and the police force probably does not have it handled. Maybe this is an idiotic move to make as I'm putting myself in danger, but… I can't just not assist in a situation like this.
Sprinting through the thick smoke in the area, I called out Staraptor to blow away the smoke buildup. Clearing it away, it was now possible to see the true state of the marsh now.
The dead trees seemed even more lifeless while the grass had large areas of burned grass. The water itself was dirty and not in a natural way. It had pieces of burnt wood in there, large piles of dirt almost cutting off sections of the swamp itself.
Catching a glimpse of just who was the cause of it, I saw turquoise hair with grey suits, retreating from the marsh fast.
Team Galactic?! Why would they do this? Just to capture a few Pokémon maybe? Doesn't matter, they have to be stopped!
Rushing after them, I sent out my team. "Everyone, stand by for battle!" Hariyama in the back, Murkrow joined Staraptor in the air, and Electabuzz, Monferno. Luxio, and Scyther in the front. I needed some answers!
"What!? A trainer is here already? Crap!" A grunt yelled.
"Just keep running. Remember that our orders are to get in and get out. This is us getting out," another said.
"You're not going anywhere!" I yelled at them, "Electabuzz, Luxio, Shock 'em!" The marsh might be ruined, but this is still a damp area. This is going to stop them in their tracks.
Luxio and Electabuzz fired a straight jolt of electricity over at the grunts, spreading across the other grunts, making a group of them collapse in pain. There wasn't a particular move that Electabuzz and Luxio were ordered to do though, so the moves they chose to attack with should've been weak enough to not permanently injure any of them.
"We can't let this kid ruin our escape," a grunt from another side of the marsh said, noticing the other ones knocked out, "Glameow, use Feint Attack!"
Another grunt backed him up. "Houndour, use bite!"
"Hariyama, Arm thrust them both!" Hariyama jumped into action, holding his position steady while his large hands glowed with a bright light. While Glameow tried to attack with a quick sucker punch-like attack, Houndour tried to bite down in tandem. Hariyama with his left hand, slammed Glameow into the ground and with his right hand, he flinged Houndour into the air.
Hariyama wasn't playing around and neither was I!
"Stunky, Shadow Ball!" Another grunt ordered. How many of these grunts are out there?
"Scyther, Air Slash. Monferno, Fire Punch!" Scyther quickly slashed a burst of air through the sky, neutralizing the Shadow Ball. Monferno quickly jumped over to Stunky, Knocking it back with a fearsome strike.
My Pokémon and I went further and further through the marsh, through the retreating grunts. Staraptor and Murkrow cleared the way for me while the rest of my Pokémon escorted me through. It was all… exhausting. But I had to stop them. If I don't, who will?
"Toxicroak, Sludge Bomb!" A voice called out. A powerful attack towered over my Pokémon. Before I could even give my plan to neutralize it, a wave of mud washed it away. Wait, mud? No, it was more like Muddy Water.
"Gastrooooo!" Gastrodon roared, declaring its intent to fight. Ah, so he's here to get revenge for the marsh' state as well. Well, go on then!"
"Hmph. The Pokémon here are really bothersome. Your physical appearance reminds me of the description of the disturbance Jupiter faced. Heh, so it was you. Jupiter ought to be ashamed. I'll just have to pick up her slack. Toxicroak, Mud Bomb, now!"
Toxicroak fired straight into my team of Pokémon. Hmm, perhaps my attention will be split more, but with a team of Pokémon, defeating one minorly strong Pokémon will be a breeze.
"Luxio, Electabuzz, dodge and use Thunderbolt. Hariyama, slap the Mud Bomb away with Arm Thrust. Staraptor, Murkrow, use Aerial Ace and Wing Attack!" Monferno and Scyther had to stay back just in case.
With that plan in motion, Hariyama took the center stage while Luxio and Electabuzz got off running out from the sides and then firing a Thunderbolt in towards Toxicroak. Staraptor and Murkrow, from the skies, backed up the electric attack by giving their own attack, this time with super effective damage.
Toxicroak was defenseless from the assault but still held out after the attacks finished. "Enough!" Saturn said, "Earthquake to shake them off of you!" No! The marsh can't handle that kind of damage!
Toxicroak gave a little jump into the air before swinging his hand down only to be interrupted by a Water Pulse? Gastrodon must've done it!
"Nice work. Gastrodon. Now let's end this!"
"You may be tough, but that doesn't mean you'll be able to disrupt our plans! It's only a matter of time!" Saturn said before a few large flying devices flew towards his side.
"No, I won't let you escape! Scyther, cut them off with X-Scissor!" I ordered. He was the fastest one who could disable the machines quickly.
"Shadow Ball the ground, now," Saturn ordered and in an instant, the attack went off, making a notable amount of dust pick up in the impact. Scyther swiped at the air, showing that they had escaped.
Hmph, I thought we had Saturn there. Maybe I would've been able to stop Cyrus' plan then since he wouldn't have one of his executives. I can't help, but sigh at this result, but it's fine. I guess what's next is cleanup.
Returning all but Staraptor, I approached Gastrodon and said, "Thanks for your help. I wished we could have caught the people who made a mess out of your home, but at least we put them in their place, right?"
Gastrodon cheered up, surprisingly not too sad by their escape.
"Alright then, let's go handle the mess they mad-"
Turning towards what was a ruined landscape behind me, my words died in my throat. What was a lot of potential work in recreating the marsh with some portions slightly on fire, I now saw a renewed land with only a slight problem in the water.
But… who could've done this?
"Hi there. It seems there was some trouble here that you took care of. Thanks for that. I had my hands full with remaking the marsh so all the Pokémon could live just as they were living!"
First I meet Flint of the Elite Four and now the Champion herself!?