Time passed in a blur for Zorua, Unlike a flesh and blood Maiju, her body never experienced fatigue or weariness. She could experience pain, especially overwhelming pain, but it never lingered for her, always fading within a few hours. As a result, she only slept when she wanted to. But how could she rest, when she needed to see results? She had theories to test, hypotheses to validate.
"Remember, daughter, you will never achieve anything if you do not grasp it with your paws. Study hard, learn all you can, perform an attempt, then improve yourself. Correct your errors and proceed," her father's imaginary voice instructed her. It was about the only lesson of his that she knew how to apply. After all, it was how her Master instructed her as well. She yearned for the day where she could best her father.
The spirit fox spent her time in a cycle. First, she would navigate the Hall of Memories and observe others and see how they fought. Next, she would then attempt to apply her observations, usually, by attempting to replicate something she saw, usually a move or a technique. Then, she determined the feasibility of applying what she learned before either moving on or researching further.
Between the recorded duels of historical figures like the Seven Warriors or the defeating of infamous bandits like Sandslash the Underminer, she had plenty to work with.
So far, she was sure that she had made her Swift more potent and was in the process of finally learning how to enact a Curse. Shadow Ball or Hex were looking like they were perfectly within reason, too, but those moves drained her in a way nothing else did, but she was certain that it would be worth the effort, especially against her-
"Hey, Zorua!" A Riolu's voice called out to her.
Zorua had been startled and almost turned into a bird to fly away, before realizing it was Ash. "Oh, uh, hello, Ash?"
The Riolu smiled at him. "What are you doing up so late? Or I guess, early… it's almost morning I think?"
Zorua looked up at the sky and noticed that Riolu had been indeed correct. The sky was still dark, but it was slowly brightening. "You appear to be correct. Maybe an hour or so before we see the Sun?"
"Yeah, I stayed up late again." Ash gave a nervous chuckle. "Pikachu will be so mad."
Zorua determined it might have been an internal joke. Perhaps about how Pikachu would always shock him awake? Though, as she studied the Riolu, she noted that his arms were no longer covered by bandages. Was Chansey's healing magic that potent? The fox pointed at his wrists. "When did you remove your bandages?"
"Uh, a day or so ago?" Ash said. "Why do you ask?"
"...Days ago?" Zorua stammered and looked at her paws; they looked almost see through. Had she really spent that long on a project… yet again?
She felt very, very weak.
She collapsed onto the ground and made a pained wince, suddenly realizing how drained she was.
"Zorua!" Ash ran over to her.
"Hnng…" she groaned and clutched her belly. Her stomach made a rumbling noise. While she could ignore the need for sleep if she so desired, both her physical and spiritual halves needed sustenance. "I'll be fine… I'm just starving."
"Oh!" Ash made an awkward smile. He reached into his backpack and threw some fruits and berries he had kept. "Here, eat some."
"Thank you," Zorua murmured as she took a bite from an apple. "This has always been a bad habit of mine. I get so focused on something that I neglect myself."
"Yeah, I know the feeling," Ash said. "Sometimes, I get so wrapped up in something I forget nearly everything unless I fall asleep."
"I feel oddly jealous. It would save me so much trouble if my body forced me to sleep," Zorua continued to eat her apple, mixing in some berries for an extra flavor. She immediately felt her stomach cease its rumbling, but it was not enough. She still felt faint, weakened. The flesh part of her was sated, but not her spiritual side. She wondered how to pose this question. "Ash, do you mind if I feed off of your emotions?"
The Riolu blinked, at a loss for words. "What?"
Zorua winced, afraid that she may have done something I mean wrong. "I mean…. Uh you can forget that."
"I mean, I heard it, it's just… not what I expected," Ash replied. "You eat emotions?"
Zorua nodded. "Many Ghost-types and some Maiju like Indeedee feed off of emotional and psychic energy cast off by living creatures. Whenever someone experiences strong emotions or strong feelings, like fear, love, hatred, joy, we can consume it and use it for our needs." There was also the fact that some nastier sorts could draw on it more directly, but that did not need to be mentioned.
"Oh, that explains a lot!" Ash said. "Back home, Ghost-types sometimes haunt an abandoned place and trick people who wander too close! That's sort of how we met Haunter."
"Huh, usually, they just go into the theater here and feed off of the audience," Zorua mused. It was strange to hear how Maiju in Kanto acted, how they would often take steps to take food instead of paying for it like a normal person. "Either way, I… am still starved. It won't be painful, nor will it harm you."
"It's okay!" The Riolu stepped forwards. "If you need to eat, I'll do whatever it is you want me to do."
Somehow, having the Riolu's complete willingness to help made the fox more nervous.
"I just need to be close to you… and for you to experience a strong emotion," Zorua said as she weakly rose onto her legs. Though as she had said that, it occurred to her that she had no idea what to do to elicit that kind of response. She was not particularly humorous like others of her kind, nor did she like to scare others. "...I'm not quite sure how to do that on short notice."
"I don't know either, but I think I have an idea." Ash let out a shrug. He walked over to Zorua and grabbed her paw. "You need a strong emotion, right?"
"...Yes, that is correct," the fox stated.
Ash smiled at her, locking contact with her eyes.
Zorua felt a small surge, a power flowing inside of her. It was a small trickle, but swelled rapidly.
Soon, a torrent of feelings came filled her, emotions ranging from joy and compassion, but also mixed in with a hint of fear and sorrow. "What is this?"
"I don't actually know," Ash said. Faint blue flames covered Ash's paws. "Ever since I became a Riolu, I always thought it was weird I could feel other people's emotions, their feelings. I don't exactly have a lot of control over it, but sometime recently, I guess I learned how to share my feelings with others."
"...What makes you feel this way?" Zorua questioned.
"Well, you," Ash laughed.
Zorua blinked, surprised.
"I'm happy to see you," Ash said, his tone every bit as jovial. "We haven't spoken much lately, and it's good to talk to you. I'm also worried and a little scared for you, since you collapsed."
Zorua withdrew her paw from the Riolu's grip. She hadn't expected anyone to feel that way about her before. Intellectually, she knew that Ash had gone out of his way to save her from Silver, but… feeding on those feelings was something else. How could one pup have such a big heart?
"I feel better. Thank you," she managed to say. The fox felt sated, her belly filled.
Ash smiled, his tail wagging excitedly. "No problem!"
Zorua stared at her benefactor… and friend. To think that if she hadn't been walking along the beaches that one day, she might still be in her Master's house. She was glad to have literally ran into the Riolu, as much as it hurt at the time.
"... Hey, Ash, mind if I ask you a few questions?"
"Go ahead!" Ash then turned to the sky. It was starting to brighten. "We might need to walk back to the camp soon though."
"How does one be-" Zorau shook her head. Asking that question, ironically, scared her. Maybe she needed to try something simpler, and equally just as important to her. "What's it like being human?"
The Riolu blinked.
"I mean, the way you talk of us Maiju, you make it sound like it's… very different," she clarified. "And Pikachu often says we aren't how he expects us to act."
"Well, I… don't actually feel any different, I don't think?" Ash said. "Brock has the rougher time, but that's because for him, he's on all fours and maybe it's because he's sure he's about to evolve."
"Everyone seems to have their own difficulties. You have trouble learning techniques in general, though I don't recall Misty's difficulty." Zorua said and shook her head. "But I mean something else. Both in Citrine and outside, we think of humans as separate from Maiju. I want to understand why."
"Well, when I was human, I couldn't understand anything my Pokémon said to me. Pikachu would always say parts of his species name, which I now know to be words, but I couldn't understand what they meant." Ash said.
Zorua just stared. "How… could you not understand that? Isn't it obvious? Don't the inflections and tones make themselves obvious to you?"
"No," Ash shook his head, which just served to make Zorua wonder how anyone could not understand Pikachu's words.
"I mean, I learned some of what Pikachu said, especially when he wanted to talk to me," Ash raised up his paws. "But I had to learn it instead of just knowing everything he said. Even then, I only understood, maybe the general idea. It was actually the best part of being a Riolu; I could talk to my best buddy without having to guess. It's like I got to meet him for real!"
Zorua nodded her head. It … bothered her to think that that was a part of the reality humans and Maiju lived in. Maiju could listen to what humans said, but humans could not return the favor. At least, Ash's testimony meant that the barrier was not insurmountable, but why couldn't humans understand Maiju like they could understand each other?
Her curiosity demanded more. "And you say that you don't feel any different when you became a Riolu?"
"Nope! I even didn't notice I was one until my Pokémon- my friends told me," Ash corrected himself and frowned.
"Is something wrong?"
"I'm not sure," he admitted. "Back when I was human, it was much easier to think of Pokémon as belonging to me, but I don't know if that's how I should think." Ash then made a face. "See, back home: a trainer owns the Pokémon they capture. There's a bunch of paperwork and records about it. But anything your… a Pokémon does, the trainer is held responsible for. Because in a way, Pokémon are regarded as belonging to a human."
"And that bothers you?" Zorua questioned. She did not feel comfortable about Maiju being owned. It brought up ideas of how she imagined humans were supposed to be, before she actually met some. None of the group actually treated the Maiju under them poorly, but she did suppose there was an expectation of deference.
"A little." Ash nodded. "But, I'd rather Pokémon were my friends instead of just being mine." He then pointed at Zorua. "Like, you. You're a friend, but you aren't my Pokémon…. If that makes any sense."
Zorua was startled, though not scared. It was simply a surprise, even though Ash had just shown her how he felt about her. Perhaps in a way, she couldn't believe it was real. "I… thank you, again, Ash."
The Riolu smiled.
It was a very odd concept to think about, but it made sense. Humans thought of Maiju as being different from themselves, because there were factors that reinforced that notion. For Maiju to never be understood by humans was a major factor on its own. Thankfully, transformed humans could communicate with Maiju just fine.
Sighing, Zorua felt that the topic had given her much to think about. She instead went back to her original question. It was an embarrassing question, yet she felt she could trust the Riolu."How does one be brave?"
Ash stopped in place, he seemed surprised. "Brave?"
"I heard stories from the others," Zorua explained. She hoped she was saying this right.0 "That whole thing with Silver wasn't unusual for you. You went to save me, running into danger." She then made a frown. "I could never be brave, like you can so easily."
"Brave? No, I was scared!" Ash said, his tone indicating a sense of disbelief.
"Scared? You? But… you went to face an opponent like that Sneasel!" Zorua shouted.
"And I was scared of doing that. I was scared you and Squirtle would be hurt… or worse! I was scared when Charizard disappeared. And I was scared when Sneasel was beating us up." Ash said. He then rubbed the back of his head. "Though, I guess you can say I was brave, maybe?"
"How?" Zorua stared. The Riolu in front of her had been scared? It sounded crazy, but Ash was not a good liar.
"I think I was more scared of… failing to save my friends," Ash thought aloud. "I am used to Pikachu being captured all of the time, but I'm always worried that one day I'll fail and I'll never see him again. The same applies to everyone; I don't want them to be really hurt or to lose them."
He then raised his paws up to his face. "And now, I can help them. I can fight by their side. It's scary, really, but it's less scary than not being able to do anything."
And that was that answer. Ash used his fear to become brave, instead of letting them paralyze him.
"Daughter," she imagined her father saying, a lesson from so long ago, that she could barely remember it. "Bravery is not the absence of fear, it is the acknowledgment of it. Being scared is normal, there is no shame in that."
Zorua frowned. It almost did not sound like it belonged to him, now that she thought about it. Her father loathed the fearful. Still, there was value in the words, but how did she apply it to herself?
"Gah!"
Zorua found herself drawn from her thoughts.
Ash fell onto his knees. A ripple of electricity traced over him as a Thunder Wave immobilized him.
The fox was worried they were being attacked, but then she noticed Pikachu walk over to them.
"Pikachu!" Ash called out to the Electric-type, his tone annoyed.
"What did I tell you about late night training!?" Pikachu started his trainer in the eye.
"Hey, I'm better now! And I'm bored all the time because I can't sleep!" Ash said defensively.
"Hm, maybe we should get some sleep powder," Pikachu said. He then grabbed the former human by the legs and started dragging him. "Did you even sleep?"
Ash grumbled something intelligible. "...For an hour."
"That's it! We're taking you for a nap before Misty goes to the Dojo!
"Zorua! Save me!" Ash called out.
"Uh, sorry, Ash, but I'm not nearly brave enough to face Pikachu…" Zorua said, though there were a few giggles escaping her lips.
Maybe she was a bad friend for not trying to save Ash, but to be fair, it was unhealthy to stay up so late that it became morning. After all, she had the same problem.
… Wait, Misty was going to the Dojo today? No wonder Zorua collapsed.
It was noon when Misty led the group into the Dojo. As much as she wanted more time to train everyone, she had an appointment setup.
In contrast to the ancient Galarian Castle, the Dojo itself was simply a humble cave that led into a small mountain with the barest of furnishings.
There were no shelves full of ancient texts, no trophies and statues depicting scenes from ancient history. No, the Dojo was fairly Spartan, with only essential training equipment and weaponry on display - everything had a very utilitarian purpose for existing.
It definitely emphasized the gap in priorities between the Curator and his brother.
"I think this is a lava tube, or used to be one. Look at how smooth the walls are… and it smells so much of basalt!" Brock called out, his tail wagging at the sight.
"Huh, it just smells… dusty," Ash shrugged. "Hey, Misty, how are you feeling?"
"Not sure." Admittedly, Misty did not like her chances, yet she was also very eager to see how far she had come. This was practically her first Gym Battle from the trainer's side rather than as the Gym Leader; something that because of who her parents were, she was never allowed to do. "I think we have a shot. We only have the Quartz Emera, so it's basically a two badge challenge.
"It's going to be so weird getting an Emera for not doing anything," Ash then yawned. Despite having an hour or two of rest before lunch, the Riolu's poor sleep schedule took its toll.
"You better not fall asleep, Ash Ketchum!" Misty barked. She had put in so much work and training into getting her team ready for this, Ash could at least stay up to watch it.
"Wouldn't miss it." Ash stretched.
Pikachu gave him a disapproving look, muttering about how his trainer needed to make a consistent sleep schedule instead of training all night when no one was around to stop him only to crash midday.
"Besides, it's the second badge challenge!" Ash said. "And you were my second badge!"
Misty hadn't realized the irony of her situation until Ash pointed it out. Her's was the second badge Ash earned and now she was fighting for the second Emera; granted, Ash only got the badge because Team Rocket interrupted the battle and her sisters gave it to him, but the Cascade badge was still hers. The comparisons were going to be inevitable. Oh, if she failed on her first attempt, Ash would rub in her face. And she even had a massive type advantage, too!
The group walked further in, until they were in a large round room that almost resembled the smooth button of a clay pot. A large circular opening in the ceiling became a skylight. In the center of the room was a circular chalk outline. And within that area where the Cubone and his brother, the Marowak, both sparring with one another, using wooden poles to fight the other.
A group of over a dozen Pokémon were watching the duo as they sparred, some of them recognizable from their time in the Hall of Memories, such as the Gigalith greeter. At first, none had watched Misty or her group as they approached, but once one noticed, the others turned their heads. This caused the two brothers to stop fighting as they regarded the Buizel and her companions.
Cubone Clay handed a bejeweled staff to a Nosepass and walked over.
"You came," he said, his tone even as he looked Misty in the eye. "I assume you're ready to face us."
"Yes." Misty nodded and gestured to the Pokémon closest to her. "I've been appointed the team leader."
"A logical choice," said the Marowak as he approached from behind his brother. "Water is the element by which most of this Dojo is susceptible to."
"Say, why are you here, by the way?" Misty questioned. She did after all get the feeling that the Marowak had little interest in being the local equivalent of a Gym Leader.
Curator Dust turned a glance to the Cubone. "My brother insisted," he said with a tone Misty had usually heard from her sisters.
"Because you need remedial lessons!" said Clay, his tone very insistent. Misty hoped she didn't sound like that. "Why, you're evolved and yet, I could tell you're getting sloppy."
"I was never a duelist, you know this," Dust defended himself. "Besides, I am better with my magic than with most others… which you neglect!"
"Which I am actively learning to account for!" Clay shot back.
On second thought, maybe this was a sign that her team would have better luck than anticipated. On the other hand, that was like admitting that she'd only got a badge because her opponent was incompetent. "... I'll go check on my team and see if they're ready, is that alright?"
The Cubone and Marowak duo constantly shot back insults at one another, only stopping to address her.
"Sure, go ahead! We'll be sorting out this dispute," Curator Dust said. "But as it so happens, the rules are simple enough that even a fool could understand: five combatants in a team, with two on the field at once. Should one fall, another takes his place, until all of the Maiju on one team are defeated. Withdrawal from the field of battle is considered a loss, leaving the central circle is also loss, and everytime a combatant is defeated, it shall be the priority to remove the fallen from the fighting area."
"And what my neglectful brother forgets to mention is that our Dojo emphasizes the use of items," added Clay. "Namely, many of the Maiju here are in favor of using weapons or armor."
"... What? Nevermind." Misty shook her head. Oh, it was obvious now that she thought of it, Marowak and Cubone used their bone clubs in Kanto! In here, she'd seen several Pokémon carrying actual weapons, as well as seen a whole museum of them. "I'll see my friends."
Neither Clay nor Dust addressed her as they went back to jabbing at one another.
Before she went to her team, Togepi ran towards her. "Will Mommy okay?" she asked so innocently.
Misty leaned down and gently patted her little Egg Pokémon. "I'll be fine. I have a type advantage."
Togepi didn't seem too convinced.
"Go, run along and stay with your uncles. They'll keep you company, okay? Mommy has to fight."
"Okay…" Togepi pouted, but thankfully, she was mature enough now to understand.
With that taken care went over to the team of Pokémon selected for the battle, each of them ready as she could make them. "Okay, looks like we got a good minute or so," she addressed them. "How's everyone feeling?"
"... Nervous…" Psyduck spoke, clutching his head. It was the most coherent he had been in a while.
"We have more of an advantage, Mistress," Goldeen announced. Then her tone reduced. "But we have our disadvantages as well."
Namely numbers. Misty turned a short glance towards Psyduck. Though it was technically five versus five, Psyduck was… more of a natural disaster than a Pokémon. She turned towards Staryu and asked a question. "... Are you sure you want to sit this one out?"
"I would prefer to let someone else have a chance to fight, Misty!" Staryu spun in place and struck a pose. "Besides, I went last time and I'm thinking that it might be better for us if I went with you to the next Dojo."
"Please… Otherwise, we'll have to use Psyduck," Misty frowned. "None of Brock's Pokémon want a go." On the other hand, Zorua had outright said that the next Gym would be tough.
Staryu shook his top most limb. "I'm afraid not. Besides, Psyduck is a powerful Pokémon in his own right. You have to believe in that."
"Power is exactly what I am afraid of," Misty muttered.
Psyduck tilted his head. "...What are we doing?"
Misty sighed. She had been counting on Staryu to take the last slot on the team; she had originally been training up Psyduck as a replacement in case Squirtle had not fully recovered, yet her own starter had said at the last minute he had a sudden change of plans. Of the others she wanted to ask, Zorua was too weak from apparent starvation, Ash was Ash, and none of Brock's Pokémon felt certain. She'd have taken Charizard even with his issues if it meant not using Psyduck, but the dragon refused.
Accepting there was little she could do now, she turned to the others. "Okay, so, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, you're our opener. You have the best type coverage and know each other well enough!" she told them.
"Got that right!" Squirtle cocked a grin. The turtle had recovered enough that he was able to fight, though it was hard to say if his recovery was complete.
"Don't be overconfident," Bulbasaur frowned.
Squirtle patted him on the back. "Well, someone's gotta be confident for the both of us."
Misty turned towards Goldeen. "If either of them drop, you're next."
"I will perform to the best of my ability, Mistress!" said the fish, her mood eager.
"Then, I'll go whenever someone else goes down," Misty said to them. "Got it?"
"Why am I last?" Psyduck asked.
"Because if it comes to, we're that desperate," Misty answered directly. She was under no mood to sugar coat her words, not when victory here might have been the difference between going home or not.
Psyduck, to his credit, didn't seem too upset… or really react beyond spouting. "Oh, okay!"
"Good luck, everyone!" Ash called out.
"Yeah, it seems they're setting up!" Brock spoke to her as well. "Take them down!"
Misty waved a paw. "We'll see you in the winner's circle!"
For Squirtle, going back to what was essentially a Gym Battle was a hint of much needed normalcy after everything that had happened so far. He hated that his capture resulted in his trainer, his Boss, getting hurt for his sake, but he accepted that it was simply the tax for serving under a guy who had a heart as big as Ash.
At the very least, he could work out his frustrations in a nice, friendly bout.
"Hey, are you really up for this?" Bulbasaur said to him as he walked by his side.
"I'm fine, old chum, just a little sore." Squirtle said. His injuries had mostly faded, only leaving behind phantom pains. It wasn't to go to him down, not one bit. Besides, he needed a win, just as much as Charizard did. "I can take whatever they send my way."
"Stubborn as always," his closest friend commented, the one guy who knew everything about him. "Try not to get hurt."
Squirtle smirked. "No promises."
"Good luck, Squirtle! You, too, Bulbasaur!" Ash called out, waving his paws like the excited pup he looked like. "Have fun!"
Squirtle raised his own hand and gave him a wave. He cocked a smile. He was going to the Boss proud, one way or the other.
"Remember, Ace, Ash cares more about you, that he does winning," Bulbsaur spoke to him, his tone low, but not a whisper.
"Hey, I told you not to call me that," Squirtle smirked. His old trainer, the one who abandoned him, gave him that name; really, the only one who called him these days were the rest of his old gang… and Bulbasaur and only because he won a bet. The toad only brought it up whenever he wanted Squirtle to pay attention.
"Besides, I know what he wants." Squirtle said, remembering the day they met. It was always clear cut to him what Ash really valued. Sure, he talked alot about winning, but there was a reason the then-boy was heartbroken about trading away Butterfree enough to reverse while the ship was sinking, and why he let the kind Bug-type go no matter how much it depressed him afterwards. If only some people recognized that.
The duo walked into the center of the arena, just under the skylight.
Opposite them, stood Monferno and Sandshrew. Both of them bowed their heads.
Squirtle cocked his head down a step, giving them a nod of acknowledgement.
"Challengers!" said the Curator Marowak. "Before we begin, I must first demonstrate the history of this Dojo."
"Come on, Dust, do we really have to bring up the history lesson?" complained the Cubone.
"Clay, this is as important a duty to your Dojo as is your fighting!"
"You're one to talk…." Cubone Clay spat.
Squirtle inwardly chuckled. The two fighting brought back memories of earlier times with his posse. Oh, how his mates would bicker over the stupidest things.
"Either way," the Curator coughed. "You know that the first Bearer, gifted our ancestor with writing and through him, our bloodline adopted the practice of gathering knowledge. While this is true, the first Bearer also taught our ancestor how to protect himself. For you see, in ages past, Cubone and Marowak have always used the bones of their ancestors as tools and weapons, but the Shadow Queen desecrated our family's ancient graves and destroyed the remains of our forebearers.
"As a Luxio at the time, the first Bearer could not wield weapons normally, but he did tell the First Curator of how to wield wood, shape stone, harness the earth, and to conjure fire. While our ancestor could never replace what was taken from our family, the first Bearer gave him the strength to stand against the Queen of Tanzanite."
Monferno took out a long wooden pole from his back and swung it into a fighting position, meanwhile Sandshrew drew small spheres and pulled them from his pouch.
The Curator continued. "We carry these lessons, even today, inheriting the knowledge of how to create weapons and utilize items to their best extent."
Squirtle put up his dukes and really wished he had his Lucky Shades. Sneasel not only broke them, but now the pieces were long gone.
Bulbasaur backed him up, standing by his side, ready to move. He swallowed his Black Sludge and put one foot forward.
The Curator stepped away, approaching his brother. "You may begin," said the Cubone as he took a weapon and rapidly swung it down, hitting the early with a thud.
That was the bell.
Monferno was the first to try to close the distance, making his way towards Bulbasaur.
"Rapid Water Gun!" Squirtle inhaled his breath and spat out several Water Guns at the approaching ape.
Monferno rolled back, flipping to the side to avoid the flurry.
Tracking his motions, Bulbasaur lopped an explosive Seed Bomb right at the monkey despite the type disadvantage. "Seed Bomb!"
In turn, Monferno batted it away with his pole. "Not bad! But aren't you forgetting someone?"
Squirtle blinked for a moment, but then saw the attack coming. He braced himself just as Sandshrew erupted from underneath him, claws extended.
His arms took most of the blow, but Squirtle found himself pushed back.
Pulling his limbs and head into his shell, he let the blow send him further away as he began to roll.
With a controlled Water Gun, he angled the spin and rocketed right back into his opponent, sending the Sandshrew flying.
Squirtle blasted more water to shape another attack, but Monferno came from nowhere and sent him flying like he was a baseball, his pole as a bat.
For a moment, Squirtle wondered if he would be knocked out, but suddenly the momentum on his shell came ao abrupt halt.
He extended himself out of his shell and noted Bulbasaur's vines wrapping around him. "Thanks, buddy!" He gave the toad a thumbs up.
Suddenly, Sandshrew threw several spheres around them. A thick smoke burst forth.
"Thank me later!" Bulbasaur declared.
"Backs together!" Squirtle rose to his feet and kept his eyes open, his back towards his closest friend.
A Flamethrower burst from the smoke, Monferno came charging forward.
Squirtle walked run front, taking the heat. His scales blistered as an intense burn set in, but he braced himself to the take attack for his buddy. "Now!" he said, as he fell to one knee. Ow, his body ached.
Bulbasaur lunged with a Tackle, hitting Monferno squarely on the jaw. The flaming monkey staggered backwards and suddenly his fist charged up with electrical power. It might have been silly to think he was going to use an electrical attack onto a Grass-type, but it was obvious that was not his goal.
Monferno batted aside Bulbasaur using his staff and went charging forward.
Squirtle went to evade the attack, but as he went to take a step, he felt a sudden pain on his leg. He could not escape. Time for Plan B.
Squirtle raised up his arms and pulled what strength he had left and turned it into ice.
Monferno's Thunder Punch went straight at him, but it failed to connect.
A thin barrier of frost intercepted the blow, a Protect shield blocking the attack at the last moment before shattering into pieces.
Squirtle laughed like a maniac as he then used the last of his strength to push himself forward as the barrier shattered. "Eat Skull Bash!" he shouted and then rammed his head against Monferno's.
Monferno fell backwards and rolled. He then went to stand himself up, only for Bulbasaur to lob a ball of sludge.
Monferno kept himself standing, gritting his teeth as he did, but his movements were slow, sluggish. That meant he was an easy target.
Squirtle decided to finish him off. He sent a Water Gun Monferno's way, washing off the Sludge, but knocking the fiery monkey down. Monferno's eyes spun.
Squirtle laughed in triumph…. And then suddenly found a force sweeping him off his legs from behind. He didn't have time to comprehend what happened before a flash of claws went against his body.
Still not willing to count himself out, he tried to push himself off the ground, only for whoever attacked him to continue the assault from behind. Again. And again, until he stopped moving.
"Squirtle!" Ash dashed forward to the collapsed turtle. The smoke in the arena started to dissipate and when it did, he saw the turtle Pokémon getting hit by a relentless barrage of slashes and stabs
Ash almost went to grab his Pokéball to recall his friend, but remembered that he didn't have his belt with him.
Thankfully, he didn't need to do that.
"Cease the fighting! Remove the fallen!" ordered the Cubone.
Sandshrew and Bulbasaur stopped where they stood and turned to each other. Two burly Rock-types then took the fallen Pokémon out of the arena, dragging them to their respective sides.
Ash winced. "That Sandshrew is vicious…"
Pikachu put a paw on his back, reminding him he was there.
"Squirtle left himself wide open and Sandshrew took advantage of that." Brock answered. "It wouldn't work on tougher or larger Pokémon, but it's clear that he's a specialist of this kind of fighting. If his allies distract an opponent, he'll take advantage if he can."
"Used Swords Dance," Onix declared. "Repeatedly."
"You can tell?" Ash questioned.
"Tremorsense. Sandshrew danced. While Monferno fought."
Ash frowned, but hoped Misty and the others could pull a victory
Bulbasaur let out a sigh as Squirtle was taken away towards Zorua. The bulbed toad hoped that Squirtle would have been more on the defensive, but he had to admit, the turtle at least managed to make sure the score was tied for now.
Goldeen hovered over. "It appears it is now my turn. I wish you well, Bulbasaur."
"I know we don't spend much time together, but I wish you the same." Bulbasaur nodded his head and turned the opponent's side of the field. Replacing Monferno was a large Graveler with coppery orange spots on various spots on her body. They did not look like a standard Graveler. Even more concerning was the large wooden shield she had strapped to one of her larger arms. It was as big as Squirtle.
"What is our tactical situation?" Goldeen inquired, as Graveler and Sandshrew whispered to one another.
"Right now, Sandshrew is our biggest threat. See those claws, they're emanating a faint glow because he's gathered power into them,"
Goldeen's head bobbed. "I can see that. And the Graveler?"
"Unknown," Bulbasaur admitted. "Never seen one of those in my life, but maybe it's a region specific subspecies?"
"That seems likely," Goldeen answered.
"Hey!" Graveler's voice boomed out. "Nice work out there, taking out Wu!"
"Wu?" Bulbasaur answered back. "You mean the Monferno?"
"Yeah!" Graveler said back. "You clearly aren't your average first Emera team!"
"Let's just say we have some experience," Bulbasaur replied.
"Likewise," Goldeen muttered. "Wait, where's-"
On hearing that, Bulbasaur immediately leapt out of the way, just in time to avoid Sandshrew launching another subterranean assault. The Ground-type burst from the ground, narrowly attacking Goldeen with his claws.
Graveler chuckled and with a motion of her arms was suddenly surrounded by a sphere of high stones.
Bulbasaur had no context for what was happening, but knew he was in for trouble when Graveler curled her body and rolled herself forth, those stones in tow.
Thinking quickly, he scattered Seed Bombs in Graveler's direction, hoping to score a hit that would knock her of course.
Graveler was not stopping.
Abandoning his position, Bulbasaur leapt out of the way, avoiding getting flattened, but several stones dug into his flesh.
He tumbled out of the field of stones and landed on ground nearby, injured but still standing. In the time that it would take for Graveler to change direction, Bulbasaur drew on the Sludge he ingested to mend his wounds and took stock of the situation.
He could see Goldeen chasing after Sandshrew, stopping him from getting a back attack like he did for Squirtle. The fish was surprisingly fast in the air, using her fins to deftly chase after the Ground-type, making attempts to ram at him with a Horn Attack. It was obvious that Sandshrew was not meant to be exposed and suffered greatly out in the open.
At one point, Sandshrew made an attempt to Dig his way to safety, but Goldeen blasted a Water Gun down the hole, forcing the Ground-type to avoid getting drowned.
It was here that Bulbasaur noted that Graveler had turned her body just enough to make another go at him.
Bulbasaur did not bother using Seed Bomb this time and instead opted to run at a sharp angle towards the Graveler.
This time, the toad managed to make it through the Rock-types field of stones, but he knew that with Graveler building speed, it would only be a matter of time before he got flattened.
What could he do? He was not that used to acting on his own in these tense battles, having come to rely on Ash to provide a creative solution to the problem at hand.
"You can win this!" Ash cheered for him.
"Go, Goldeen!" Misty did the same for Goldeen.
Bulbasaur smirked. Obviously, if he didn't have a trainer, he just had to be one himself. And Ash was prone to being a bit reckless.
"Goldeen!" he shouted.
The hovering fish lobbed a Horn Attack into Sandshrew's side, knocking the Sandshrew back.
She said nothing, but turned an eye over towards the toad.
"Give me a Smokescreen!" Bulbasaur shouted.
"But I don't- I see!" Goldeen then went to attack Sandshrew again with her horn.
Sandshrew made a side step to avoid getting hit by the Horn Attack, but instead Goldeen aimed for something else. Her horn smashed against the bag containing those smoke bombs Sandshrew held, covering the two of them… and eventually everyone else in a veil of smoke.
"Sandshrew tunneled away!" Goldeen shouted as she flew in his direction.
"I know, but that's the gamble," Bulbasaur defended his actions. He understood Sandshrew was a big threat, but so was a Rollout using Graveler with that tornado of flying stones around her. At the very least, this denied that Sandshrew could use those smoke bombs in the future. "Keep your voice down, your eyes peeled, and keep moving."
"Will do," Goldeen replied as she swam forward.
Bulbasaur narrowed his eyes, seeing a whirl in the smoke that was heading… right off course. While for most Pokémon, the concealment would have been perfectly obscuring, Bulbasaur realized that those swirling stones would have had alot of motion around them and that displaced the smoke enough that it was noticeable .
The bulbed toad lobbed Seed Bombs where Graveler was. Meanwhile, Goldeen shot a Water Gun.
Gravel howled in pain and landed with a large thud.
"Did we get her?" Goldeen questioned.
A Thunderbolt sailed right past Goldeen, narrowly missing her.
"That's a no!" So, Graveler was Rock and Electric. Joy. At least, Bulbasaur resisted that secondary typing, but that meant that Gravler was a danger to the rest of the team, perhaps more so than Sandshrew.
In turn, Sandshrew hadn't made himself known in a bit, perhaps preparing to strike.
Bulbasaur knew that Graveler was a big danger and that he was the only one that could resist her. Further, he knew that Sandshrew and Graveler also knew this and that Sandshrew preferred attacking a vulnerable target.
They needed to lure one of them into a position to be finished off.
"We may need to take a risk," Bulbasaur inquired of his partner."
"I love gambling," Goldeen said back. "You have my support, no matter how dangerous it is."
Bulbasaur nodded. "Razor Leaf!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, sending razor sharp leaves at the Graveler's direction as the toad charged.
Graveler raised an arm to block the leaves, his shield absorbing the blow.
"Bulbasaur?" Goldeen shouted.
Bulbasaur would have complained about how unfair using a shield was, but he had his Black Sludge keeping him going even as the orbiting stones dug into his skin and tore scales. He pressed towards at Graveler, shouting, "Vine Whip!"
Graveler recoiled as vines struck her rock hard shell, but she still held firm. She dug her feet in and her fists became charged in electrical power. She threw her fists right at the toad.
Bulbasaur used Vine Whip to swing out of the way of one attack, only for his face to sting as a second struck him. He rolled out and went in for another lunge, moving around the Rock-type's legs. Thankfully, his typing dispersed most of the blows he took.
Bulbasaur noted that most of the smoke had cleared by now and decided to make his last play. The skylight above poured sunlight into the room, enough that he could draw on its strength. The toad glowered faintly..
"Sandshrew!" Graveler shouted, throwing electrically charged fists repeatedly at the toad, but this time, Bulbasaur was quick on his feet, evading the large Rock-types attacks.
And that was when Bulbasaur put his plan in motion. "Goldeen, fly up into the air and Water Gun on Graveler!"
The fish Pokémon gave him a look that she had no idea what this plan even was, but she did it anyway, hovering over the high head of Graveler and throwing a water gun over her.
Graveler went to shield herself from the Water Gun, blocking it with her shield, maintaining herself even under the torrent, but now she was immobilized, unable to strike as Bulbasaur charged up his attack.
This was a bit of a sadistic choice, Bulbasaur had to admit, but there were two choices, Sandshrew had to either stop the Water Gun or stop the Solar Beam.
And only one of those options was groundbound.
Then, as expected, Sandshrew burst out of the ground right under Bulbasaur.
"Solar Beam!" Based on previous attacks, the toad saw this coming. Bulbasaur turned his bulb downwards and let his Solar Beam loose preemptively, cutting through the ground and causing an eruption as it swept towards the Ground-type. Sandshrew was struck by the full force of the light and was knocked back into his tunnel.
Graveler, abandoning defense, dropped her shield and slammed Bulbasaur into the dirt, knocking him away.
The Grass-type staggered to his feet, just as Goldeen hovered nearby to check on him. "Are you okay? Goldeen asked.
"Ow…" The toad groaned as he shook the dirt off of his body. "I'll be fine…"
Unfortunately for him, he noted that his wounds weren't sealing like they should have. Then again, it was likely he had used up his dose of Black Sludge. Nothing lasts forever.
"Get Sandshrew to safety!" he heard someone say, though Bulbasaur didn't pay attention to who. Probably one of the Sensei.
Instead, he turned towards where he fought. A large tear in the ground had formed where his Solar Beam cut through. "... Did I do that?"
"Yes. Though I would hazard a guess you can't do that again in this battle."
Bulbasaur nodded his head. He felt exhausted, his footsteps sluggish. If he didn't get knocked out by his opponents, then he would knock himself out at this rate.
The toad raised his vision to see Cubone step onto the arena, a wooden mallet in his hands. He turned towards Graveler and gave him a nod of his head. "It will be an honor to fight by your side."
Gravel tilted her whole body forwards slightly. She was no longer covered in a swarm of flying stones. "Yes, Sensei."
Clay, the Cubone, aimed his mallet towards Bulbasaur and Goldeen. "I hope you are ready."
Bulbasaur knew he wasn't, not when fatigue was setting in. He was not going to last much longer; the best he could hope now was to take down Graveler with him. "Ready, Goldeen?"
"Always."
Both sides of Pokémon rushed the other.
Bulbasaur threw out the last of his Seed Bombs, covering the opposing side in pollen.
With one arm, Graveler's shield blocked most of the explosions and using her other, she threw a javelin of lightning back.
Bulbasaur leapt out of the way as the floor behind him exploded. Golden lunged downward and made an attempt to go at Cubone, just as the Ground-type ran to meet her.
"YAAH!" the Cubone howled a warcry as he raised his mallet and slammed it down into the floor.
Goldeen narrowly avoided getting flattened. Instead, Cubone smashed the stones under her, creating an obvious dent.
Bulbasaur could tell that it was a powerful move, though he couldn't tell what it was beyond Painful-type. But before he could think on it further, Graveler used Rock Throw.
Bulbasaur felt very dizzy afterwards.
"Bulbasaur!" Ash shouted out as Graveler knocked out his other Pokémon.
Though, he didn't have to wait long before the fighting was paused so he would be removed from the field. Zorua and other Pokémon went to tending him.
"Hey, wait, didn't Misty used to have a mallet like that?" Pikachu said. "You know, only larger because… you know."
Ash blinked for a second, before vaguely remembering being chased around by Misty a few times, especially when she said they did something stupid. "Oh, right. She hasn't used that in a while… I wonder what happened to it…."
"It's kind of ironic, really," Pikachu laughed. "Let's just hope it doesn't mean Cubone can use Wood Hammer."
"But it's literally a wooden hammer?" Ash felt like that was obvious to say.
"Ash, that's not how it works." Brock shook his head.
Before he could explain, Dexter chimed in. Hammers use heavy materials like metal and have dense heads. A mallet tends to be made of softer materials and have very wide heads.
Ash slowly nodded, though he failed to understand the point. It was strange how Dexter's knowledge now included things that aren't Pokémon or Pokémon trainer related topics; then again, maybe Wood Hammer was a common question? "But it's still Wood?"
Brock shook his head. "Ash, do you hurt yourself whenever you swing a wooden hammer?"
"...Yes…"
Everyone, including Dexter, radiated a sense of embarrassment to that.
Misty walked onto the arena, feeling anxious about the whole affair. The score was basically tied, but the only other Pokémon on her team was Psyduck. And the results of what he could pull off if sufficiently could have just as easily resulted in disqualification instead of victory.
"Do not fear, Mistress," Goldeen reassured her.
"You say that, but I'm not eager to lose," the Buizel responded.
"Why? The only penalty to defeat means that we have to try again," Goldeen said back. She then brought herself over to the former-human's ear and whispered. "You're concerned about how it makes you look."
Misty frowned. "A little." She had belittled Ash once or twice, okay, maybe more times on his poor showings while traveling around Kanto, so now the burden was on her to prove that she could do better. Was it wrong for her to do that? In retrospect, probably.
"Then, if you lose here, you will learn from it," Goldeen promised. "Come, we have a battle to fight."
Misty felt relief at her Pokémon's words. She was right. She turned to face her opponents.
"Are you ready?" said Clay the Cubone.
"Because we… are going… to rock you!" Graveler said, her fists sparking with electricity, yet her voice strained from obvious fatigue.
Misty turned a glance towards her Pokémon and simply flicked a glance on the obvious target. Graveler was both the most dangerous Pokémon, but also the Pokémon with obvious electrical attacks; she needed to be taken down. Plus, as far as she could tell, Clay did not have Lightning Rod.
Goldeen nodded in affirmation.
There was no bell, as the two sides went at each other once again.
Misty spat out a gout of Water Guns as she approached, bounding on her short legs for added speed.
Graveler saw the attacks coming and protected herself with her shield.
Goldeen, meanwhile, went on the other flank and peppered her with her own Water Guns.
"YAaaagh!" Graveler howled in pain as high speed water knocked the Rock-type back one step at a time.
Clay lunged at Misty, mallet in hand. He swung it, narrowly tagging the Buizel and winding her for a second.
Misty spun on her feet and formed Aqua Jet to give her the speed to avoid the next strike, Clay destroying the floor even further.
In that instant, Misty socked the Cubone in the back of his fancy clay mask, a Double Hit landing.
Clay staggered away from Misty spinning wildly, his mallet crashing down and shattering more floor.
"You're ridiculously strong!" Misty shouted as she leapt away and went towards her target. "Is that Brick Break?"
"Yes!" Clay laughed, raising his mallet once again as he went to chase after the Buizel.
Graveler threw a rock at Goldeen, a big one, though the floating fish still levitated forwards.
"You'll have to do better than that!" Goldeen taunted.
"I'll give you better!" Graveler shouted and prepared to launch a counter attack, electrical power building up for one final strike.
She was too slow.
Misty formed an Aqua Jet and aimed it right at the enormous Rock-type's face.
Graveler turned her body, too little, too late to stop it.
Misty rammed into the Graveler and sent her flying out of the ring. Dust and mud scattered everywhere, blinding the room
"Hold!" Clay shouted. "Gravel is out of the ring, but we may need to determine her status!"
Misty's shoulders fell, feeling her lungs ache.
"Are you okay?" Goldeen questioned.
"I'll recover. I just need to catch my breath." When she had been human, she had never had such a work out before. Sure, she exercised like most good trainers did, but being a Pokémon was a lot of effort. It really brought in perspective how much effort training and fighting from the Pokémon's side of things was compared to an ordinary human.
At that moment, Curator Dust went into the field. He held his ornate staff with blue fire in one hand. He flexed in his neck as he spoke. "It's been a long while since I fought like this… I admit, I am very intrigued now by your situation, outsider," He eyed Misty. "Tell me, is your situation really that similar to our own?"
Misty nodded. "I told you that my sisters and I inherited our parent's land and responsibilities, yes. And we never got along with them."
"I assume you left them behind when you came to Citrine."
Misty nodded, seeing no shame in replying to that.
"Then, I regret that you will never be able to mend the divide between you and your kin then, barring an act of divine intervention," Marrowak stated "You will likely never seem them again."
Misty sighed, knowing he was right. There was only a chance for her to return home, not a guarantee.
"Tell me, what would you do if you met them again?" the Curator inquired.
That was a question Misty had no idea to answer.
Misty was about to respond, but Clay pounded the floor with his mallet. "Come on, we can chatter later!"
"Fine, fine!" Dust said, as he lifted his staff and the blue flame on its top blazed intensely. "Fireball!" He then swung the staff forward, a sphere of blue flames flew from the burning end and raced towards Misty and Goldeen.
"Scatter!" Misty gave an order.
The two Water-types moved in separate directions.
Misty had managed to run away far enough that the sphere failed to hit her. But Goldeen was not so fortunate.
The fish Pokémon was covered by an explosion of blue flame.
Goldeen flew out of the explosion, burned, but intact. "That hurts! I don't think it's entirely fire based!"
"That's unfortunate, but we have to keep going." Misty responded, just as Clay raced towards her.
The Buizel leapt out of the way of his charge, narrowly avoiding him as he pulverized more of the floor. In response, she lunged and made a kick towards the Ground-type and knocked him down.
Cubone pounded the floor, his closed fist shattering more of the rocky floor as he rose. "You're just like me, you know that?" Cubone laughed.
Misty didn't let him talk and instead shot a concentrated Water Gun at his direction.
Cubone took the hit, but then batted threw his mallet right at Misty, hitting her square in the chest.
The Buizel recoiled, dropping her Water Gun and backed away.
She leveled a steady gaze and quickly went to withdraw her breath. At least, it wasn't Wood Hammer.
"You're a bit of a brute, you know? Do you know any non-offensive moves?"
Misty gritted her teeth, really wishing she had opted to learn more.
"Pity then!" Clay flexed his biceps and was surrounded by a faint red glow. "Focus!"
Realizing that he had become more dangerous, Misty opted to use Aqua Jet to quickly leave her position, only to find that Clay was suddenly able to keep up.
Without his mallet, Clay instead tried to punch her, wind swirling his fists and his lungs screaming. "YAAAAA!"
Aerial Ace, it had to be what he was doing!
Misty narrowed avoided getting hit and charged through the Cubone, knocking him down once again. She fell back as far as possible and caught a glimpse of Goldeen's fight.
Goldeen struggled to even get close to Dust. He was nearly completely immobile, instead opting to pelt his opponent from afar.
The Marrowak surrounded himself in a ring of fire, whilst throwing stars and fireballs at Goldeen's direction.
At one point, Goldeen had managed to close distance and rammed in with a Drill Peck, but at that point, the Marowak summoned several illusory copies of himself, preventing Goldeen from landing a hit while he kept throwing attacks her way.
Misty gritted her teeth. She had to back up Goldeen, especially since she was doing poorly. She mustered another Aqua Jet and dove into the ring of fire. The water ilsulated her from the heat and she dove straight at the Marowak.
Surprised, Dust was knocked to the ground as several dozens of water crashed into his body.
"Goldeen, with me!" Misty shouted. "We'll finish this! Water Gun, as many as you can make!"
"On it!" Goldeen said back.
Dust saw the attack coming and he narrowly avoided getting a direct hit with the first barrages by conjuring more illusions. However, Misty knew that he could only use Double Team so many times and Water Gun was far less taxing on its user.
As the last of the Marowak's clones disappeared, Misty saw an opening as she and Goldeen prepared one last salvo.
Bones impacted Misty's side before hammering against Goldeen's belly.
Misty turned her head just quickly enough to spot a second Marowak walking over to her, this one brown and his sparkling bones in his hands.
"Clay!" The darker skinned Marowak said. "You evolved!"
"I can't let you …be beaten…so easily!" Caly responded, breathing heavily. He threw the bones in his hands and conjured more at the same time, sending a massive swell of bones at the two Water-types.
Misty, knowing exactly where this was going ducked out of the way and narrowly avoided getting pelted with a mass of Bone Rush. Goldeen, on the other hand, was not fast enough.
Goldeen went down.
"Goldeen!" Misty shouted as she stepped over to her fallen friend.
Goldeen was hurt. She opened an eye, turning to Misty with what passed for a grin.
"Goldeen…" Misty spoke solemnly. "Are you okay?"
"I'll live," the fish coughed. "I'm glad to fight by your side, Misty." And then her eyes closed as she fell unconscious.
Misty smiled at her. "Same here." Despite the pain and injuries that she had taken, she honestly felt better for herself.
"Remove the fallen!" cried the new Marowak, causing two large Pokémon to haul the fish away.
Staryu filled a large tub with water for Goldeen to lay in.
And, much to Misty's annoyance, Psyduck waddled up to her. The Buizel felt her chances for victory dwindling. Please let there be another mid-battle evolution… either me or Psyduck.
"What was all that?" Ash said as Misty comforted her knocked out Goldeen. "Were all of those moves? I didn't recognize them."
Marowak Dust appears to have used a combination of Shadow Ball and an unknown fire attack to create a special dual-type move. Dexter answered for him, buzzing in his hands.
"Really, there are moves like that?"
Hawlucha can learn a move called Flying Press, which can be counted as Flying-type and Fighting-type, as the situation demands. Dexter chimed.
"I never even heard of a Hawlucha!" Ash beamed. "You're incredible Dexter."
"...Why does Dexter even know so much?" Brock asked, the Rockruff's eyes narrowed. "Like, I'm pretty sure that that's a Kalosian Pokémon."
Ash frowned, but decided it was probably the same reason Dexter had all of these strange new features he had never heard about. And so far, he had no reason to distrust Dexter. "What about the other moves?"
Marowak Dust also possesses a fairly standard interpretation of Swift, whilst his Double Team copies are more lively than usual. Then Cubone Clay was simply using Brick Break over and over again. Dexter answered.
"Will Mommy be okay?" Togepi's voice interrupted.
Ash leaned down and gave Misty's adopted daughter a pat on the head. "Misty's tough. And she's a strong fighter."
"I… don't want Mommy to be hurt…" Togepi frowned. "And you got hurt badly, too Uncle Ash, I didn't like it."
"Togepi, I don't like others getting hurt either," he told the baby Pokémon. "But this isn't a real fight."
Togepi's expression turned to one of mild confusion.
"A real fight is one where people fight to hurt each other," Ash smiled. "This is a Gym Battle, like Gym leaders have. People get hurt in them all of the time, but they actually have fun together while doing it."
"Yeah, you have to hurt a little to grow stronger," Pikachu added. "
Togepi looked lost in thought. "So, Mommy is having fun?"
"That's right!" Ash felt proud of himself for getting a good answer that the little egg could understand.
Misty eyed Psyduck and mentally prepared herself for the final showdown. It was here that they would decide who won the battle. Both sides were down to their last Pokémon.
Clay, Dust, and herself were all heavily beaten up from previous fighting, whilst Psyduck was still uninjured. On the other hand, Psyduck had very few offensive moves of his own that did not involve him getting a massive headache beforehand.
Her best efforts at training Psyduck managed to get the duck to at least be aware of his surroundings enough to evade… and maybe spit a Water Gun here and there, but beyond that, Misty was at a loss.
"Misty?" the duck spoke.
Misty sighed. "Okay, Psyduck, it's just you and me. Got it?"
Psyduck tilted his head. Not a good sign.
The Buizel wanted to scream and beat the duck's head in, but that was not going to help her and she knew it. She was really starting to regret offering up her whole team. So, she did the one thing she had left. She spoke to the constantly addled Pokémon. "Look, Psyduck, everyone is counting on us. We're the only ones left. I know you have that headache that makes things hard for you to understand, but… can you say you'll give it your best? I'll give it mine."
Psyduck gave her a blank stare, his eyes focusing on hers. For a moment, she wondered if she broke the Pokémon's mind or something. Then, the yellow Pokémon answered. "Okay."
That was probably the best she would get, barring an evolution.
Misty turned to the two brothers, who had been waiting for her.
"It is likely that this will be the last bout, for if anyone falls, their side will be at a distinct disadvantage,"said Dust.
"Are you ready?" said Clay.
Misty nodded her head. Psyduck tilted his head.
And at that, the two Marowak flung bones and stars at their opponents.
Misty, having seen this before, used her Water Gun to create a cushion of water and leaned her body flat against the floor. In short, she made an impromptu waterslide.
In turn, Psyduck flailed about, running in a random direction away from the projectiles thrown at him. Even Dust's Swift failed to land a direct hit.
Seeing this, Misty broke out of her slide and leapt forward and dove right towards Dust, forming another Aqua Jet as she did.
It was funny how that worked, Curator Dust was a Ghost-type, yet as long as Misty maintained the curtain of water that made up an Aqua Jet, she could tackle right into him and through him at the same time.
The fiery Marowak reeled back, stunned by the sudden attack.
In response, Clay leapt forward, his hands extended. "YAAAAAAGGGH!" he shouted at the top of his lungs as she drove a fist into Misty's chest.
The Buizel was flung backwards at intense speed, rolling on the ground and tumbling. She groaned as she felt aches spring up all over her torso.
"AAAAGH!" Clay jumped again, his new powerful legs giving him the strength to make tremendous leaps. He crossed the distance he sent Misty in a single bound, a fist clenched as he made another attack.
Misty staggered and rose, but found one her legs ache as she tried to stand. She knew she didn't have the power to move as quickly as she did before.
Clay came crashing down…
On Psyduck's head.
The duck fell backwards as the blow knocked him to the ground.
"Psyduck!" Misty blinked, surprised that the yellow duck was suddenly there. Psyduck took a hit meant for her. She had to do something.
The Buizel drew breath and mustered her water, even as her lungs ached from the torso injuries. A Water Gun sprang from her mouth as she slammed it into Clay's chest.
She crawled over to the injured Psyduck and brought herself face to face. "Are you okay?"
"... Did not…feel it…" the duck muttered, his tone indicating he felt something. Psyduck was lying about what kind of pain he was in.
Misty did not know how to take that.
What she did know was that Dust threw stars at two of them. The bolts of star-shaped energy struck her body for dissipating into motes of light.
Misty fell to her knees but rose to keep standing. Her legs were starting to buckle.
Psyduck on the other hand appeared fine, despite the scratches and abrasions over his feathers. He must have been too dense to notice.
Dust raised his staff and began preparing for another volley. Clay, too, was getting ready for another strike.
Misty knew she had few options, unless Psyduck suddenly evolved. Her body ached and she had difficulty breathing enough air in to use her best water attacks. She had to think of something, anything that could defeat the duo.
And then she saw it: Clay's discarded mallet.
She took it into her paws and gave Psyduck one hard look. She would have to make it up to him after this. "Sorry, Psyduck!"
And then she hit Psyduck on the head with the mallet.
"GAW! GAW!" the duck quacked in intense pain. His eyes lit up.
Dust threw a Fireball, whilst Clay sent several Bone Rushes their way.
Both attacks stopped dead in the air, before returning back to their sources. Both Marowak reeled back, staggering as their own attacks struck them. Then, Psyduck added insult to injury and threw them into the wall of the chamber.
Misty wanted to laugh, but then she felt a sudden feeling of weightlessness upon her. Looking down, she saw she was being levitated. And then was when she felt a sudden burst of motion force her backwards.
"Aaah!" she screamed, fearing being sent back into a wall.
At the last moment, Ash leapt up and grabbed onto her. The Riolu took the flung Buizel and slowed her down just enough that the only thing Misty was left with was a feeling of lightheadedness.
"... I think I deserved that…" She groaned, her head spinning from the near impact. "Thanks, Ash!"
"No problem!" the Riolu made an awkward grin before setting her down.
"Misty!" Stary floated over to her. "Are you well?"
Misty rose to her feet and took a few steps, so far she could at least walk in a straight line, so that was a good sign. "As good as I can be… is the fight over?"
Brock stepped over. "It looks like it. Everyone is out of the ring, except Psyduck."
"Indeed!" said Curator Dust as he carried his brother on a shoulder carry. Both were beaten and exhausted, their clay masks fractured in places. "I have no idea if Psyduck are meant to be so powerful, but… watch out for your friend whenever he matures into a Golduck."
"He's not… I guess he is," Misty said. That was a weird thought to process, the idea of Psyduck being her friend as opposed to being just her Pokémon. She turned over to the duck Pokémon, who stood where he was when she struck him with that mallet.
Psyduck turned his body around and tilted his head, "What's going on?"
"You won, Psyduck, don't you feel good about that?" Misty asked.
"... Maybe?" Psyduck sounded confused.
Misty let out a sigh. Victor or not, he was still the same old Psyduck.
Dust let out a chuckle. "Perhaps, the lesson of today should be one of patience?" He turned a glance towards his brother. "After all, you evolved for my sake, dear brother. It took you long enough!"
Clay let out a groan and lifted himself off of his elder brother's shoulders. "I simply wanted more power. Nothing more."
"...Sure, you did!"
Misty stared at Clay, sensing a lie in his words. Being in a situation similar enough to the now-Marowak, she could practically feel that he wasn't admitting something…It led to an uncomfortable question. If the situation presented itself, would she evolve for her sisters? Maybe that was just the lightheadedness talking.
She let out a cough.
The two brothers regarded Misty and Psyduck and both nodded their heads.
"I will present the Emera," said Clay. "You get to narrate the victors speech."
"It would be better than the other way; I'm sure I know it more than you," replied Dust, though the tone of his voice was more playful than before.
Clay rolled his eyes. "Bearer, step forward. Though you did not fight in this battle, the Emera is yours by right of conquest."
Ash looked hesitant. Probably because he was so used to fighting for badges with his Pokémon rather than having someone like Misty do the battling instead?
"Remember, Ash, Bulbasaur and Squirtle fought here, too," Misty reminded him.
"Oh…" The Riolu blinked a few times before walking towards the Ground-type. He extended his left wrist, presenting his Looplet.
Misty smirked, feeling she set a good example.
Clay took an orange colored stone and slotted it next to the Quartz Emera.
Curator Dust let out a cough and recited a speech. "The Hyacinth is the Stone of Wisdom, for that is the virtue of learning and knowledge, of acknowledging the past and planning the future, of making mistakes… and growing past them."
Misty could swear that Clay and Dust were looking at each other, though the exact meaning in those words was lost on her.
Ash meanwhile shivered, as if the weight of the words pressed down on him. Hm, maybe Gym Leaders should do speeches like this?.
Dust continued, "The first Bearer and his warriors taught our ancestor this lesson. He gave the dead a voice, so that future generations might listen to their lessons and be better for it and-"
"Enough already," Clay muttered. "You've said quite a bit on our ancestors."
The rest of the Dojo let out sniggers.
Curator Dust shook his head. "Regardless, just know that the only foolish thing there is is refusing to learn. That's a lesson everyone should learn."
Ash nodded head. "I don't know much," Ash said the understatement of the year. "But I'm happy to keep learning!" Which in Misty's opinion did at least put the now-Riolu in higher standing than the average trainer.
Though, she had to wonder. How much of that Lesson applied to her?
As Curator Dust and Clay stepped away, the Riolu struck a pose, raising the looplet in the air. "Alright, we got the next Emera!" he shouted in the air.
Misty thought it looked silly, but Ash at least could make it look endearing.
"You know, Misty…"
The Buizel then turned her head and noticed Staryu standing by her side.
Staryu's gem flickered as he spoke, "Psyduck is pretty powerful."
Misty slowly nodded her head, especially as she noticed that Psyduck was staring at her with that lidless stare of his. She was normally frustrated with him, but now she was wondering if maybe she should start changing things up. After all, he was a Pokémon, a Water-type at that, as much as the others, just constantly suffering a migraine.
And that was when she realized it. "You… wanted me to use Psyduck, didn't you?"
"If Squirtle had not been fighting shape, I would have joined," Staryu admitted. "Otherwise, we could have simply spent another week here to prepare ourselves."
To think, her own Pokémon wanted her to put her faith in Psyduck of all things. She almost laughed if her chest didn't hurt.
Before she could continue that train of thought, Togepi came running at her. The Egg Pokémon ran towards her and gave Misty a hug. "Mommy!"
"Ow!" Misty laughed, pain reverberating in her body, but Togepi made the pain worth it.
"You were so good Mommy!" she said, looking up at her. "And you were so hurt!"
Misty returned the hug and patted her little egg on the head. "I know. I'm glad we won."
"I was so scared! Uncle Ash helped me!" she continued.
Misty smiled, thankful that the Riolu just had a way with Pokémon. "I was a little scared, too."
Togepi smiled. And then she gave Misty the biggest scare of her life. "I want to get hurt, too!" And she said that all with a smile.
Misty stared down at Togepi… and then as Staryu. Staryu froze, also unsure. Neither trainer nor Pokémon knew exactly what to do now about the excited little egg.
So, there's alot of stuff here, most of it wrapped up in fighting, though Zorua has a section on her own progress.
I gave Ash the job of providing perspective for the bystanders this fight.
This Dojo's theme while knowledge based, I drew heavily from D&D classes to define the movesets and fighting styles. I even gave Marowak and well… Marowak moves themed as Wizard-Sorcerer Spells and Barbarian rage respectively. Sandshrew is based on a Rogue with an emphasis on underground sneak attacks, whilst Monferno was based on a monk. The only one that doesn't fit this mold exactly is Graveler, whose closest interpretation would be a cleric, specifically, a Dwarven one.