Michael:
•Jolteon (Nick) – Level 97
•Gardevoir (Alicia) – Level 97
•Houndoom (Erebus) – Level 96
•Walrein (Boreas) – Level 95
•Breloom (Ceres) – Level 95
•Flygon (Sarah) – Level 95
Liz:
•Sylveon (Titania) – Level 94
•Ursaring (Artemis) – Level 94
•Ampharos (Voltaire) – Level 94
•Ninetales (Vixen) – Level 93
•Roserade (Lilith) – Level 93
•Togekiss (Faye) – Level 93
The Storm Brews
Earlier
Eldes stood on the summit of Citadark Isle, holding a canister from his personal laboratory. "Seems it is time for the final battle to begin," he muttered, seeing Michael, Liz, and Alicia entering the mountain base. "I know Liz isn't as powerful as Michael…perhaps I can help her get to the level needed, even if only a little." He looked at the canister, which held an item he had once found while traveling the Sinnoh region. It looked like a square block of coal, but Eldes has found writings from the ancient days of Sinnoh's history. While they may have been mere legends, Eldes was willing to take the gamble. If any lava or acids hit the block, the chance would be lost. He found a soft spot near the center of the rock, burying it slightly into the ground. "If things go according to Grand Master's plan, Snattle will battle close to this location. If those two are skilled enough, it will tip the scales," he said softly before brushing his hands and clothes and heading back into the massive dome. "Stay alive."
Present
Snattle was quick to react to Liz's commands, calmly snapping his fingers to issue his own orders.
Vixen was the first on the field to move, shooting a jet of fire directly at the Metagross. The mech reacted quickly by putting up a Protect, nullifying the attack.
At the same time, Lilith shot an orb of green floral energy at the Quagsire. The water type was slow to move, but he still shot an enormous stream of water at Vixen. The Energy Ball may have hit him hard, but he was determined to do as much damage as possible to his enemies. He even managed to stay up despite taking a lot of damage.
Vixen had managed to dodge the water in time, but she couldn't dodge the incoming Metagross as it flew across the battlefield, slamming his legs into Lilith before following up with a Zen Headbutt. The impact sent the grass-type skidding across the ground, but Lilith showed her resilience by standing up again.
"You've improved, girl," Snattle said. "When I heard about your battle with Gorigan, I knew I could have killed you in Phenac. I still think it was a mistake to allow you both to make it this far."
"Snattle, shut your mouth!" Ardos said. "The Grand Master is not to be questioned by the likes of you."
Liz just ignored them, using the opening to her advantage. "Vixen, use another Flamethrower on Metagross. Lilith, use another Energy Ball on Quagsire!"
Snattle looked at Liz, more offended than worried about the attacks. "Metagross, Protect. Quagsire, use Rain Dance."
Quagsire started doing a strange waving motion while a sky blue aura surrounded him, his energy causing rain clouds to form over the battlefield. This would likely slow Liz's strategies, but Michael knew that she had beaten stronger tactics at Mt. Battle.
As rain began to fall, Quagsire was struck hard by the incoming Energy Ball, knocking him out of the battle. Snattle merely shrugged and recalled the Quagsire as Vixen's Flamethrower ineffectively hit Metagross's shield. "Castform, you're next."
The Pokémon that came out was a cute ball of what looked like white vapor. That form, however, changed almost immediately to have a gray cloud base and a water droplet on his head. Michael remembered facing a trainer who used a Castform on Mt. Battle. The battle had been quite fun, since they had utilized the unconventional Sandstorm.
"Vixen, use a Shadow Ball on the Metagross. Lilith, Toxic on Castform!" Liz spoke confidently.
"Metagross, Meteor Mash! Castform, use Weather Ball on the Ninetales," Snattle said with a snap.
Lilith was the first to move, throwing a ball of sludge from her flowers, grazing the Castform as he whimsically floated out of the way. While the graze was enough to set the poison, it would be slower to take effect. Vixen was next, gathering ectoplasm with her tails, menacingly curling them inward like a clawed hand. Once it formed, she whipped the orb at the steel mech, which had just leapt into the air. During his descent, Metagross's limbs began to shine and shimmer like polished steel as he crashed through the Shadow Ball, taking damage in the process. He slammed into Lilith, making a small crater around her. Liz saw Lilith's health hit 0, and quickly recalled her. "Great work, Lilith. I promise we will win this." The brunette grabbed her next Pokéball. "Voltaire, you're up!" The Ampharos appeared, looking energized as small sparks flew out from the jewel on her head.
That was when Castform fired a ball of what looked like a cloud into the sky. It passed above the smaller rain clouds before coming back down onto Vixen, looking significantly bluer than earlier. Vixen leapt to the side, narrowly dodging as the ball hit the ground, water flying out from the impact site.
"Voltaire, Thunderbolt, get Castform out of the battle! Vixen, use Will-O-Wisp on Metagross!" Liz said, wanting to reduce the threat that Metagross posed.
An orb of ghastly flames flew at Metagross, who promptly swung at it, unintentionally causing a burn on his leg, which seemed to spread with a ghostly aura. Liz smirked confidently, but she was quickly bothered by Metagross leaping between Castform and Voltaire's spiraling Thunderbolt. That told her that Castform was part of Snattle's strategy.
"Vixen, one more Shadow Ball on Metagross. Voltaire, keep using Thunderbolt. Take out that Castform!" Liz had a hunch about what Castform's role was to be, and she didn't want to find out if she was correct.
"Metagross, defend. Castform, another Weather Ball," Snattle said, seeming apathetic about the wellbeing of his Pokémon. Metagross remained in front of Castform, gathering green energy around himself and the Castform beside him, letting the shot of lightning bounce off harmlessly, and stopping the Shadow Ball before it could make contact. The little water droplet Pokémon then fired another misty orb into the sky, where it spun for a short time to gather water. It then fell fast, hitting Vixen before she could manage to dodge. The impact made her stumble, but she stayed in the fight, refusing to lose to rain.
"Vixen, Sunny Day!" Liz called, deciding to give herself an advantage in any way. "Voltaire, use Thunder on Metagross, use this rain to your advantage." Snattle just sneered before snapping his fingers. Metagross leapt forward at Vixen, his head lowered as it began to shine like it was newly polished. Voltaire fired a massive stream of electricity into the air. It crackled overhead, gathering more charge from the air before crashing down in a massive bolt, hitting Metagross moments before he struck, giving Vixen the opening to fire an orb of bright light into the sky, dissipating the rain clouds from the earlier Rain Dance.
The change in weather on the battlefield caused Castform to briefly glow and morph into what looked like a cartoonish sun over the clouds. It didn't come a moment too soon, as Castform had just finished firing a Weather Ball. No doubt, trying to hit Vixen with another water attack. The ball then dropped hard, blazing like fire. Vixen just let it hit her, feeling rejuvenated by the flames thanks to her Flash Fire ability. She then unleashed a jet of fire at Metagross, burning the mech one last time with a Flamethrower. Snattle scowled before recalling his Pokémon.
"Very well…you leave me no choice. Solrock, come out!" The next Pokémon to be released looked like a floating rock in the shape of the sun, his eyes almost looking drawn. Immediately, both Shadow Monitors were alarming, showing the Pokémon's Shadow nature. "Solrock, use Shadow Sky."
Ardos sneered, pulling an umbrella that looked to be made from a more advanced material from his sleeve. "You fool. I'm standing here too," he said. "You're paying for any repairs to my clothes."
"It won't make a difference if I don't win here," Snattle said, grabbing his own umbrella from his sleeve. As the first acidic raindrop fell, the Snag Machines both activated the recently added shielding system. The cover provided to both Michael and Liz was perfect, with Michael's actually being wider for Alicia to stand under. All three were safe from the acidic downpour from hitting their skin. Liz hated seeing her Ninetales and Ampharos wincing at the acid rain, but she knew she could heal them completely once the battle was over. Before the battle continued, the Castform's body morphed back to its usual white and cloudlike appearance. "Castform, Weather Ball. Solrock, Shadow Rave."
Voltaire acted quickly, firing a Thunder Wave at the Solrock, knowing that Liz would be trying to catch the sun-shaped rock-type. The static hit home, paralyzing Solrock. Vixen unleashed an intense Flamethrower, trying to hit Castform before it could launch the Weather Ball.
Castform just floated out of the way, launching the misty orb into the sky. The ball began to swirl and mix with the potent shadow aura in the air. The dark purple orb fell fast, hitting Vixen as she was shooting her Flamethrower at the little cloudlike Pokémon across from her. Both of the attacks hit incredibly hard, with the Weather Ball seeming to do more damage. Vixen stumbled before falling to the ground, defeated. Liz recalled the Ninetales quickly, before Snattle got any ideas to attack a beaten Pokémon. As she did, shadowy spikes erupted from the ground as Solrock's Shadow Rave hit. Voltaire tried to leap away, but knew she was going to get hit. She fired a powerful Thunderbolt at Solrock, but the rock-type dodged. Voltaire took the hit from Shadow Rave, falling to the ground in defeat as well.
"Artemis, Faye, both of you come out and help us end this battle!" Liz called as she sent out both Ursaring and Togekiss. Artemis acted first, lowering her shoulder and crashing into the Castform before it could react, the power of the Giga Impact sending it flying into a boulder. As she did, a large break in the clouds allowed the light of the full moon to shine onto the battlefield. Artemis had to take a breath as she recovered from the exertion, placing a hand on what looked like a soft spot on the ground.
Liz watched briefly as Snattle took out his final Pokéball. "Starmie, get out here." The Pokémon that appeared was a starfish with ten limbs, and a red shell that gleamed like a ruby. Michael and Liz both knew the Pokémon well enough. "You know, you may be interested to know where I got this Starmie." Snattle smirked as he spoke. "I managed to steal from a child outside the Cerulean Gym many years ago. The little red-haired girl tried oh so desperately to stop me, but she could only cry for her parents."
"Wait…you stole that Starmie from Misty when she was a kid?" Liz asked, noticing Artemis had crouched to the ground, sniffing by her hand, and she started digging at the spot as if some instinctive force took over. In the meantime, Faye began using Calm Mind steadily. The Shadow Pokémon stayed still, their near robotic nature showing through, as they refused to act until told.
"Indeed," Snattle said, sounding proud as he spoke of his crimes. "Oh, she bawled and ran for her mother, but I was gone before the cops arrived."
"So, you stole from a child, then ran like a bitch from the consequences," Liz said, seeing Artemis grab a small block of what looked like coal from the ground, sniffing it. Everybody around was shocked when the moonlight made the block glow brilliantly, and her body glowed with it too.
Is she…evolving? Alicia asked. Is that even possible?
"I don't know. I thought she had fully evolved," Michael said, wondering just what would emerge from the light. His question was answered as the light faded to reveal a massive bear with a wide body with a mix of brown and gray fur, including nine rectangular spikes of fur forming a mane of sorts, along with a filled golden circle of fur on her forehead. She smirked confidently, nodding at Liz, seeming ready to win easily.
Snattle blinked. "Ardos, do you know what this thing is?"
"It can't be…Ursaluna supposedly went extinct centuries ago…" Ardos said, almost too quietly for the others to hear.
"Artemis, use Body Slam on Starmie. Faye, Air Slash on Solrock. Don't waste the opening!" Liz said. Michael watched as Artemis ran forward, jumping up and crashing down onto the water-type. Faye flew in a loop, generating a scythe of wind before launching it at the Solrock, striking the target perfectly.
"Starmie, Shadow Break!" Snattle said. "Solrock, Shadow Panic." Both of his Pokémon gathered their auras to attack, but they were too slow to act.
Ardos started to chuckle loudly, getting Snattle's attention. "You absolute buffoon. You fell into gloating about a past theft. Had you been paying attention, you wouldn't be about to lose the Grand Master's assets again."
Snattle's eyes went wide as he saw both of his Pokémon incapable of moving, the Starmie from paralysis, and Solrock from losing focus and flinching. His eyes went wide as Liz finished programming a snag. She threw an Ultra Ball at the Solrock first, the glowing hand grabbing the rock-type. Within a couple seconds, the ball snapped shut to seal the snag.
"Starmie, you need to use Shadow Break now!" Snattle said, panic setting in his voice. "I will not lose my position!" Before Starmie could respond from the ground, another Ultra Ball flew from Liz's Snag Machine, grabbing the water-type and bringing it inside.
"What a pity. I had hoped to see an Ursaluna in action for more than one attack. After all, this is the first one in existence in centuries. But…perhaps that will be my pleasure to find out," Ardos said as the Ultra Ball snapped shut.
Snattle started sputtering. "S-Sir, I can make up for my failure…"
"No, you cannot. Unlike Eldes and myself, you failed to eliminate our enemies. Not just once but twice now," Ardos said, sending out his Alakazam, which Michael recognized from their trip to Gateon Port. It was a memory that seemed farther away than it truly was. "Now, begone. You were a useful pawn, but a pawn nonetheless."
"A pawn? I was to be governor of Orre!" Snattle shouted, trying to sound more threatening.
Ardos snapped a finger, and Alakazam's eyes lit up with power. "Fool. Why would a governor be needed? Only the Grand Master's words will matter in the world we plan to make. You're even more useless than Evice was ten years ago."
Before any of them could stop Ardos, the Alakazam had thrown Snattle from the summit, the man's screams echoing until they suddenly went silent.
"Now, girl," Ardos said with a smirk as he recalled his Alakazam. "I am interested in seeing that Ursaluna in a real battle. But I am more interested in killing you both and eliminating the threat you pose to Cipher. Seems the apples didn't fall far from their respective trees in that respect."
Michael had a moment of realization. "Dad was murdered with a gunshot…Liz's mom was killed by a hit-and run truck driver…"
"You realize it by now, of course. I was behind both, though the Grand Master gave the order. We hoped it would send the message to stop your insistence on creating that disgusting Purification Chamber…seems it had the opposite effect."
Michael said nothing as he grabbed the first two Pokéballs he was going to throw. "You should have kept your mouth shut."
Ardos smirked. "I am quite confident that you haven't enough strength to back up that threat."
"I don't care. You aren't going to stop us…and you will be in prison by the end of the night," Michael said menacingly.
Ardos just chuckled before getting a serious expression, taking out two Pokéballs as well. "Then you will join your father tonight."
Well, it is great to be back. Had to take a hiatus for personal reasons. Finally got back to writing for the first time in a while. It feels good to be back into it, especially now that it feels less like a chore than before.
This chapter was a little shorter, but with the next chapter being a battle with one of the big 3 leaders of Cipher, I think it'll be worth it.
Hope you enjoy. Please review to let me know what you think.
Until next time ~jmoul18