Episode 7: A Frosty Confrontation
The weekend was over and it was back to training again for Salma. She and Antonio were back in the Savannah Biome fine-tuning their Pokémon's moves and getting in shape for the BB League. Salma had declared she would begin the League at last at the end of the week and she intended to keep that promise. Her term at the academy wouldn't end for a long time yet, but it was still a good idea to get started. She had decided to spend the whole week training the Pokémon she was going to use specifically to battle Crispin with. Her chosen party consisted of Garganacl, Palafin, Ursaluna, Vibrava, Skeledirge and Baxcalibur. The first four were because they had a type-advantage over Fire-types such as Rock, Ground or Water and the last two were chosen as back-up and because they could take advantage of Crispin's Fire-types. Skeledirge knew Scorching Sands, which was super-effective against Fire-types, and Baxcalibur had the Thermal Exchange ability, an ability that gave her a power boost whenever she got hit by a Fire attack and prevented her from getting burned. It would come in handy in case Crispin's Pokémon tried to use Will-O-Wisp on Baxcalibur. Vibrava was mostly there in the hopes that he would eventually evolve into Flygon before it was time to battle Crispin. Antonio was surprised Salma wasn't using Ceruledge as his Flash Fire ability would at least render all Fire attacks on him useless, but Salma said that Ceruledge would be no good in a battle against a Fire-type specialist. He didn't have any super-effective moves against Fire-types and Will-O-Wisp couldn't burn Fire-types, so Ceruledge had very little options aside from just spamming Phantom Force. She'd also long since learned a valuable lesson that she couldn't just rely on Ceruledge all the time in battle and had to be able to construct teams without him.
The morning had been spent with Salma's anti-Fire team practicing their moves and showing off what they could do. Vibrava and Ursaluna showed off a powerful Earth Power attack each, Baxcalibur demonstrated the power of her Outrage attack, Skeledirge whipped up some Scorching Sands, Palafin showcases his devastating Liquidations and Garganacl showed what a terrifying force of nature he could be with his sharp Stone Edge and bone-shaking Earthquakes. Salma also had a strategy in mind for Crispin to further exploit his Fire-type speciality. Her Garganacl knew Stealth Rock, so she thought that starting the battle with Garganacl would put in her an advantageous position. She practiced this by sending out Garganacl and Palafin first. She ordered the Salt Pokémon to set up Stealth Rock and Palafin to use Flip Turn so he could return to his Pokéball and exchange himself for another, setting himself up for his superhero transformation for later. Salma chose to send out Ursaluna next. The Bloodmoon Beast roared with anticipation. There may be no opponent, but she imagined there was. Salma nodded with approval.
"Yes, that'll be the perfect opener to my battle with Crispin!" she declared, "Set up Stealth Rock, swap out Palafin and send out Ursaluna. Crispin will really be in a tough spot with this set up!"
"Don't get too cocky sis." Antonio warned, "Remember, you don't even know what Pokémon Crispin uses. It's all fine and dandy having a strategy and all, but just don't expect it to work."
"I know Toni." Salma acknowledged, "Crispin could have a strategy of his own to throw me off for all I know. I best make sure I have some counter strategies."
"Yeah, that'll be for the best." Antonio concurred, "For example: what if he has Pokémon that can dodge Ground moves like Earthquake?"
"Then I use Palafin and I get Garganacl to use Stone Edge. Easy!" Salma declared.
"OK…what if his Pokémon use Sunny Day to weaken Water moves?" Antonio suggested.
"Then I don't use Palafin." Salma said as if the answer were obvious, "Once the sun goes away, I can bring him back out again."
"But what if his Pokémon can cover Water types?" Antonio said cautiously.
"Then I use any of my other Pokémon." Salma insisted, "I'm gonna rely on the whole team to win each of these battles. Only a fool goes in thinking just one Pokémon can ace the whole fight."
"And you're certainly no fool." Antonio complimented.
Salma grinned in gratitude. She was about to continue until a voice suddenly boomed out from the school's intercom systems:
"Attention all Blueberry Academy Students. Any and all students currently hanging out in the Terarium are to report to their assigned classrooms immediately for their new assignments. All students in the Terarium to report to their classrooms immediately."
"Santa Maria, we best get a move on!" Salma exclaimed quickly, "I wonder what we're gonna be doing today…"
She returned all her Pokémon and the siblings quickly rode on Miraidon and Koraidon back to the Terarium entrance to take the lift back up into the academy. Thankfully, they had time to spare so once the lift arrived back up and they filed into their assigned classroom, they weren't late for lessons. The two took their seats and the sat up straight and neat as they waited for the lesson to begin. Anytime they were in class, they always sat near each other. The classrooms nearly all looked the same with only the colour of the carpeted floors being different in each room. The classrooms had rows of desks and chairs, a huge electronic rectangular board on the wall and holographic projectors that once again stimulated the look of a window with the sky outside. As usual, Salma and Antonio had to remind themselves they were still underwater. The teacher started off with a biology lesson and then to finish off, he handed out assignments to the students. Most of the time, the assignments involved having to study or catch a certain Pokémon. He handed a piece of paper each to the Paldean teens.
"Mr. and Miss Noceda, your assignment for today is to study an Alolan variant of the Vulpix species over in the Polar Biome." the teacher informed, "Take plenty of photographs and videos, and remember to take notes of what you observe. You will fail the assignment if you don't fill in all of the criteria I've given you and will be given double the work to do the next day."
"I can't have that cutting into my training for the BB League, so I won't fail sir!" Salma declared with confidence.
"Do we have to catch the Vulpix as well?" Antonio asked.
"No Mr. Noceda, catching it isn't required to pass the assignment." the teacher said bluntly, "The assignment requires you to observe and record a WILD Alolan Vulpix. Using a trainer's Alolan Vulpix or one you caught yourself will not count towards the assignment."
"When do we begin sir?" Salma asked.
"After lunch." the teacher answered, "Don't worry if you don't find any Alolan Vulpix today. You can always try again throughout the week. But I do expect your reports before this week is done. Understand?"
"Yes sir!" the Nocedas said in unison.
With no time to waste, Salma and Antonio dressed up warmly and set off for the Polar Biome the moment lunchtime came and went. They'd had to purchase a winter coat, some cloves and some warm trousers to wear from the student shop as they hadn't bought any winter clothes with them. As they set off, one particularly rude student couldn't resist making fun of the duo.
"Hey Paldeans, don't freeze to death out there!" the student sneered, "With how hot Paldea is, I bet you two don't even know what snow is!"
"For your information, jackass, at least TWO Gyms over in Paldea are stationed in mountain tops where it's always snowing, so yes we DO know what snow is, actually!" Salma retorted, "One of our Gym Leaders is an ICE-TYPE specialist for crying out loud! And we Paldeans are just as adaptable to the cold as anyone else is, so shut your racist mouth and get a life, asshole!" she shouted angrily.
That got everyone laughing at the rude student. The student was so embarrassed at being put on the spot and humiliated like so that he just sauntered away without another word. A few students were quick to apologize for the boy's behaviour.
"Don't sweat it. We get that a lot from foreigners." Salma dismissed, "It's really funny putting them in their place like that, so I can handle it."
"It was still uncalled for." one student said apologetically, "We promise we won't make fun of you as well."
"You two get out there and ace that assignment!" encouraged another student, "The cold won't stop you, no way!"
"Of course it won't." Salma agreed, "Thanks for the words of encouragement. Me and my brother will definitely ace this assignment."
And the two set off on the Raidons straight for the Polar Biome. They had to pass through the Savannah Biome and go to the Central Plaza before they could enter the Polar Biome. Once they arrived at Central Plaza, they put their coats and gloves on, readying themselves for the moment things would turn cold. They entered through an archway and into the Polar Biome. True to its name, it was the coldest biome in the Terarium. There was snow, ice and chilly rivers all around, the artificial winds that blew were as frigid as could be to proper represent an actual arctic environment and much to the Noceda's surprise, they were able to stimulate actual snow that sprinkled down from the ceiling occasionally. They could feel the chill even through their thick coats and gloves, but they were still amazed by how brilliantly the Terarium had captured the frosty beauty of a polar environment. There were a mixture of Water and Ice-type Pokémon occupying this biome from Horsea to Seel and there were other types of Pokémon too such as Duraludon, Beldum and Milcery. The cold certainly didn't bother any of the Pokémon living here. Salma took a photo of the scene before her, her breath frosting in the frigid air.
"I may be more used to the warmth, but cold environments like this never cease to amaze me…" she murmured.
"I know. Snow and ice just look so…beautiful." Antonio whispered in awe.
"I should've bought my Cetitan. He'd love it here." Salma said wistfully, "Maybe another day. For now, let's find that Alolan Vulpix."
"Should be easy enough. "Antonio said eagerly, "Just look for a white Vulpix!"
"Not gonna be that easy when the whole biome's mostly white…" Salma muttered.
Antonio quickly realized his sister was right. Alolan Vulpix were white and that made it easy for them to camouflage into the snow like so. They'd have to look exceptionally hard in order to find one. Salma looked to Miraidon. The Electric/Dragon Pokémon nuzzled her as if asking what she wanted it to do. Salma patted it on the head.
"You and Koraidon can help us look for Alolan Vulpix." Salma offered, "The two of you have excellent eyesight. You'll be of big help to us!"
The Raidons let out a growl of delight, pleased they were going to be of some use. The Paradox Pokémon went off ahead, sniffing at the ground and watching out for any signs of an Alolan Vulpix. The Nocedas showed them a picture of the particular Vulpix they wanted so they knew what to look for. Luckily for the Nocedas and their Pokémon, Kantonian Vulpix didn't live in the Terarium as well, only the Alolan variant. There was no chance of them finding the wrong Vulpix. The Raidons shivered, not caring much for the cold. Both were weak against Ice-types, so a dislike of the cold was a given. But they didn't let it stop them. Miraidon and Koraidon trekked slowly through the snow. Salma and Antonio followed them closely. Just for fun, they stepped onto each and every footprint their Pokémon left in the snow as they walked. On their travels, they saw Alolan Sandshrew and Alolan Sandslash playing and digging in the snow together. Antonio fought that Alolan Sandshrew looked like a living igloo and seeing the species made him and Salma think back to their Kitakami trip. They'd seen Kantonian Sandshrew and Sandslash whilst visiting. They'd also seen Kantonian Vulpix and Ninetales there too, so it seemed appropriate they'd find both Alolan variants in the same biome. They also saw Pokémon they'd seen back in Paldea such as Snover, Abomasnow, Cubchoo, Beartic, Magnemite, Magneton and even the Axew line. It seemed strange that a Dragon-type Pokémon would want to live in a frigid environment like this. Salma and Antonio stopped for a moment as they were suddenly greeted by the incredible sight of a Lapras swimming through one of the rivers. It cruised effortlessly through the chilly waters, the only movement it displayed being the occasional flick of its large flippers to push itself along. Salma got a few photos of the Water/Ice Pokémon. Lapras had a reputation for being beautiful and eye-catching and seeing it for real nearly took Salma's breath away. Antonio wondered what it would be like to ride on one. The two wished their report could've been on Lapras instead. But they'd been given Alolan Vulpix, so they had to keep looking for one.
The duo kept up their search with the Raidons providing additional support. Miraidon and Koraidon would look in places their trainers wouldn't have been able to on account of those places being too high up or too dangerous for them to climb to. They still came out empty handed. Finding an Alolan Vulpix wasn't going to be easy at all. Salma stopped for a minute to think about her task and how she could make it easier.
"Let's see…what's an Alolan Vulpix's usual habitat?" she wondered, "I bet if we looked in a place they'd usually make their homes in, we might find some."
"If it was registered in our Pokédex, we'd be able to ask it." Antonio acknowledged, "Though given it's an Ice-type, I'd assume it'll live in places Ice-types normally live in."
"We could try a summit or a cave." Salma agreed, "Lots of Ice-types live in those places. I think we're near a summit now…"
But she was cut off before she could point up to it. Miraidon called out to the two teens and gestured with its head. Salma and Antonio ran up to Miraidon and looked in the direction it was gazing at. The two gasped as they saw something miraculous up ahead. Down at the bottom of the frosty hill they were on…was an Alolan Vulpix! The snowy fox Pokémon was near a cave mouth, seemingly double-checking to make sure that it was safe to come out. Miraidon had been looking in the right direction to spot it, and now Salma and Antonio could see it too. Their eyes lit up with excitement.
"You found it! Well done Miraidon!" Salma exclaimed, hugging the iron serpent Pokémon.
"Let's get some photos and film it quick!" Antonio cried, frantically digging into his pocket for his Rotom phone.
Salma fished her's out and had it zoom in as far as it could go in order to get a good picture of Vulpix. She found herself spellbound by its beautiful, graceful appearance. Kantonian Vulpix already looked insanely cute, but somehow this Vulpix looked even more so. Its snowy white fur just made it look so elegant and serene. Salma took a few photos, as did Antonio. They tried to get a video of it but just as they were about to press record, Vulpix suddenly stood up and trotted back into the cave. Salma frowned in annoyance.
"It's gone back in. Hopefully, we can still get a video of it before we lose it." she said, climbing onto Miraidon's back.
Antonio called to Koraidon and the Dragon/Fighting Pokémon ran over to him. He climbed onto its back and the Nocedas rode their Pokémon quickly down the hill with Miraidon using its wheels and Koraidon sprinting at top speed. The two reached the cave in a matter of seconds and the Nocedas climbed off the Paradox Pokémon. They returned the two to their balls and ran off after Vulpix. They thought if their Pokémon were away in their balls, they'd be less likely to scare it. They could see Vulpix trotting off up ahead, seemingly unaware of their presence. Salma and Antonio followed it closely, keeping as quiet as they could. The cave path was clear with no loose rocks lying around, making it easier for them to tread carefully without the risk of accidentally kicking any rocks and giving themselves away. The cave was also surprisingly light so they could still see where they were going. Was this where the Vulpix lived? Seeing it in its natural habitat would be great for their report. But to Salma and Antonio's surprise, there was someone else in the cave as well. Their eyes widened in shock as a Pokéball suddenly came in out of nowhere and hit the Vulpix. Vulpix was absorbed inside the ball and it closed shut. It pinged loudly, marking a successful capture. Salma and Antonio ran up to the captured Vulpix just in time to see someone pick up the ball and bring it close to their face so they could admire their latest catch. Their jaws dropped as they found themselves staring at Carmine. The black-and-red haired girl grinned with satisfaction.
"I thought I'd find you in here you little beauty!" she crowed, "Now I can have an Alolan Ninetales to go with my Kantonian one. I bet she'll be pleased to have her frosty cousin on the team."
Salma and Antonio gazed in dismay at Carmine. They'd finally found an Alolan Vulpix for their report and she went and captured it! Now they'd have to start searching all over again! Carmine was about to leave until she caught sight of the Paldeans and her yellow eyes widened in alarm.
"Whoa, when did you two get here?!" she blurted.
"Oh, don't mind us, we just got here." Salma explained, "We were following that Vulpix you just caught."
Carmine put her hands to her mouth in horror. It didn't take her long to realize what she'd unintentionally done.
"You mean you were…oh no, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to ruin your report!" she shrieked, "Here, I'll release it so it can be wild again and be legit for your report."
"No, no, you keep it!" Antonio insisted, "It's not fair on you if you release it just for us. We'll find another one."
"Well Nocedas, you're lucky you ran into your old pal Carmine, then!" the Kitakami girl sneered, "I'm an expert on Alolan Vulpix and where to find them. I know all the best spots to go looking for them in this biome."
"You do?" Salma asked in surprise, "Then please, show us where to find any!"
Carmine flashed a dark smile to the Paldean siblings.
"Ah, that information won't come free." she crooned, "You must battle me first, then I'll show you. And because I'm feeling generous, I'll show you even if you lose."
Salma rolled her eyes irritably.
"You just want an excuse to fight me again, don't you?" she muttered.
"Am I really that obvious?" Carmine sneered, "Accept my challenge, or I won't help you pass your report. What do you say?"
"We shouldn't do it." Antonio said cautiously, "We're wasting time if we do this. We should go and find another Alolan Vulpix."
Salma shook her head.
"No. Carmine can help us, so I say we accept her challenge." the Champion ranked student insisted, "Besides, it gives us an excuse to train some more, so we both get something out of this."
"There you go! Glad you're seeing the upside to all this!" Carmine preened, "OK, just so we don't eat up too much time, we'll make it two-on-two." she declared, "I'll use two Pokémon but you two use one each. The battle ends if at least one side loses a Pokémon. Is that alright?"
"As long as it saves us time, then yes." Salma agreed, "If either me or Toni lose a Pokémon, we lose but if you lose at least one of yours, we win. And I know just what I'll be using…"
She sent out Vibrava and Antonio sent out Braixen. The two hope that a battle with Carmine might finally get them to evolve into their final forms. Carmine nodded, finding this an interesting competition she was presented with.
"Using your new mons. Sure, why not?" she acknowledged, "I have an old favourite, but a new favourite to play with. Sinistcha, Toucannon, take the field!"
Her two Pokémon materialized onto the battlefield. Sinistcha was a Ghost/Grass Pokémon resembling a teacup full of matcha tea and appeared to be a distant relative of Polteageist from the Galar region. Salma wasn't surprised to see it at all as that was Carmine's signature Pokémon. Toucannon was new, she and Antonio had never seen her use that back in Kitakami. Toucannon were native to the Alola region and resembled toucans complete with large, curved beaks and black feathers. Their whole evolution line was also living wild in the Terarium and the Nocedas had seen some flying about during their time in the Academy. They were interested to see how they battled now they saw Carmine owned one.
"This should be interesting." Salma declared eagerly, "Sinistcha, we know well, but Toucannon's new. I bet it's full of surprises."
"It looks pretty mean…" Antonio mumbled, wincing at the toucan Pokémon's angry expression.
"She's a mean fighter on the battlefield, and you better believe it!" Carmine crowed, "She and Sinistcha are going to score my first ever victory against you two!"
"Dream on, big head!" Salma retorted, "If anyone's winning this, it's us! Vibrava, use Dragon Rush on Toucannon!"
"Braixen, use Flamethrower on Sinistcha!" Antonio commanded.
Vibrava surrounded himself with blue energy that formed into a dragon shape and Braixen pointed her stick at Sinistcha, firing a torrent of flames at the teacup Pokémon. Vibrava whooshed towards Toucannon, moving much too fast for her to dodge. Vibrava scored a direct hit on Toucannon, slamming so hard into her that she flew backwards into a nearby wall. Sinistcha was luckier, being able to counter Braixen's Flamethrower with Scald. The teacup Pokémon blasted at Flamethrower with burning hot water that stopped the attack dead in its tracks. Antonio frowned, annoyed with himself for forgetting Sinistcha could do that. Carmine then ordered Sinistcha to use Stun Spore on Braixen. The Matcha Pokémon fired a cloud of spores at the fox Pokémon and upon contact, the spores paralyzed Braixen. Antonio was well familiar with that particular strategy. Carmine liked to paralyze her foes with Stun Spore and then use Hex to take advantage of her opponent's status condition. As expected, she did just that and Braixen wailed in anguish as purple energy surrounded her and sapped away her health. Seeing her brother was in trouble, Salma ordered Vibrava to use Dragon Rush on Sinistcha. Vibrava charged straight into Sinistcha, moving at the speed of a runaway train and he hit his opponent with enough force to shatter boulders. Sinistcha was a very tiny Pokémon so the powerful blow was enough to throw it pretty far through the cave. Carmine watched, worried that her signature Pokémon might already be out for the count. Impressively, Sinistcha was able to get back up again. Seeing an opportunity to get back in the fight, Carmine ordered Sinistcha to use Matcha Gotcha on both opponents. The Grass/Ghost Pokémon blasted both Vibrava and Braixen with boiling hot tea that not only did damage to it, but replenished some of Sinistcha's health. Sinistcha wasn't going to make it easy for itself to be knocked out.
"I always forgot how annoying that Matcha Gotcha move can be." Salma muttered, "But it won't stop us!"
She guessed that Toucannon likely didn't have health replenishing moves, so she felt it would be best to focus on taking her down and not bothering with Sinistcha. Toucannon had been out of the battle for a while thanks to Dragon Rush making her flinch earlier, but she'd recovered and was ready to fight again. Carmine ordered Toucannon to use Flame Charge on Vibrava. The toucan Pokémon surrounded herself in flames and rushed towards Vibrava. Toucannon were slow Pokémon by nature, but Flame Charge boosted the user's speed, so Toucannon would move a little faster than before thanks to that. She was still too slow to land a hit as Vibrava flew out of her way, but Carmine ordered Toucannon to use another Flame Charge. Salma guessed that Carmine was intending to use it as much as possible just to keep boosting Toucannon's speed. Toucannon flew towards Vibrava again, moving faster than before. Salma retaliated by ordering another Dragon Rush. Both attacks collided and Vibrava and Toucannon were knocked back from the impact of their moves. Salma and Carmine grimaced, feeling the pain of their Pokémon. For a moment, both opponents were stunned, leaving Braixen and Sinistcha to keep up the fight for now. Braixen tried to use Flamethrower again on Sinistcha, but the Matcha Pokémon countered with Scald. Then it used Hex again, draining away more of Braixen's health. Antonio clenched his fists with worry. If Braixen kept taking damage like this, he and Salma would lose the battle! He knew there were no real stakes to losing, but he didn't want to feel as if he was a deadweight that was going to cost his sister the fight. He had to show he was strong too.
"I bet this'll stop that pesky Scald attack!" Antonio declared, "Braixen, use Sunny Day!"
Braixen pointed her stick up at the ceiling and illuminated the cave with a bright ray of sunlight. All at once, the frigid cave began to grow warm, making it feel as if everyone was suddenly back in the Savannah Biome. Carmine frowned in annoyance. Trust Antonio to have a tricky strategy like that! Now Braixen's Fire attacks would get a boost and Sinistcha's Scald attack would be weakened!
"Looks like you're about to be the sudden MVP of this match." Carmine acknowledged, "You've gotten a lot better since Kitakami. Guess I'll have to take you out first…"
She ordered Toucannon to attack Braixen with Dual Wingbeat and Sinistcha to use Hex. Sinistcha's attack landed first, sapping away more of Braixen's health and Toucannon flew in next, her wings glowing white as she prepared to hit Braixen twice. But Toucannon wasn't able to land a hit as Vibrava intercepted with Dragon Rush. He slammed into the side of Toucannon and sent her hurling into a wall. Braixen looked up at Vibrava, her eyes twinkling in amazement. She barked in thanks and Vibrava chirped back in response. Salma then ordered Vibrava to use Earth Power. Vibrava slammed the ground with his tail and a shockwave of energy erupted from underneath Sinistcha. The tiny Pokémon grimaced from the hit and was knocked aside. Following up on this, Braixen used Psychic to grab hold of Toucannon and then throw her directly into Sinistcha, sending the two tumbling over one another. Carmine's eyes narrowed. Seeing this wasn't going to be as easy as she thought, she decided instead to prioritize both opponents instead of one or the other. She ordered Toucannon to use Beak Blast and Sinistcha to use Matcha Gotcha. Toucannon stood still and her large, curved beak began to glow orange as the attack powered up. Sinistcha splashed scalding tea on its opponents and replenished some of its health. Undeterred, Vibrava rushed in with Dragon Rush towards Toucannon while Braixen tried to use Flamethrower. Unfortunately, paralysis prevented her from making a move and Vibrava's attack backfired on him as he hit Toucannon and got burned from the charge-up phase of Beak Blast. Once Toucannon had finished charging up, she blasted Vibrava with a beam of orange energy. Salma thought it looked a lot like Hyper Beam, only not as powerful. It was still a very powerful attack and Vibrava was sent reeling back from it. It was lucky Vibrava wasn't weak to Flying attacks or it would've knocked him out completely. Vibrava landed on the ground for a moment to take a quick breather. He was so worn out that he couldn't fly for the time being. Braixen winced, still feeling the sting of paralysis. Salma and Antonio could see that their Pokémon were starting to look like they were approaching the end of their stamina. Should they even keep on going at this point? Carmine said she'd tell them where Alolan Vulpix could be found even if they lost, so there was nothing to lose here.
"This isn't looking good Salma." Antonio acknowledged, "What do you think we should do?"
"Forfeit." Salma decided, "There's no point forcing them to continue like this, especially since there's no actual stakes in this battle. So I say…"
Vibrava turned to Salma and shook his head. He gazed up at her with determined eyes. Salma recoiled in surprise.
"Hold on, you WANT to keep on fighting?" she gasped.
Vibrava chirped in response. Braixen looked to Antonio and yapped at him.
"You want to keep fighting too?" Antonio asked, "Well…I guess we can't deny them their request."
"If they want to keep it up, then we let them!" Salma cried hotly, "Carmine, get ready for this battle ain't over yet!"
"And I'm glad about that!" Carmine said eagerly, "I didn't want this to end with a forfeit as it wouldn't have felt as if I'd truly beaten you! Let's finish this off in the flashiest way possible!"
She grinned slyly as she reached into her coat pocket and took out something the Nocedas hadn't expect to see her in possession of. She now had her own Tera Orb! Maybe her experiences with the two in Kitakami had inspired her to get her own Tera Orb and fight like them. It was also likely that she just wanted to take advantage of the academy making it possible to Terastilize. This was going to be a really interesting battle now.
"Sinistcha, serve us something special!" Carmine chanted as her Tera Orb activated.
The small device filled up with Tera energy and she tossed it over to Sinistcha. The orb activated and Sinistcha was coated in a crystalline coating that powered it up and made it sparkle marvellously. Sinistcha's Tera Type was Grass, meaning it was now a pure Grass-type. Normally this would be a foolish move as it would no longer get a same-type attack bonus on Hex and it was still weak to Fire attacks, but Matcha Gotcha would also get a boost and allow it to replenish more health. The Nocedas knew a Tera-boosted Matcha Gotcha was going to be tricky.
"Antonio, this is your time to shine." Salma declared, "You Terastilize for us!"
"I was thinking the same thing." Antonio agreed, "A Tera-boosted Flamethrower oughta do the trick!"
He whipped out his own Tera Orb.
"Braixen, let's blaze our way to victory!" he yelled as his Tera Orb activated.
He threw his orb at Braixen and the fire fox Pokémon was also coated in crystalline armour. To no one's surprise, her Tera Type was Fire. With a Tera-boosted and Sunny Day boosted Flamethrower, Braixen was going to have no trouble setting the battlefield alight. But there was still the problem of paralysis that could give her trouble, so Antonio had to hope for the best with this next move.
"I was hoping me and Salma would go at it with a Terastilized mon, but you'll do." Carmine said nonchalantly, "Don't think you've got it won because you have a Terastilized Fire-type Antonio! Sinistcha, use Matcha Gotcha! Toucannon, use Beak Blast!" she commanded.
Sinistcha fired off a Tera-boosted Matcha Gotcha and Toucannon charged herself up ready for another Beak Blast. Vibrava dodged by using Dig and Braixen simply used Flamethrower to burn through the matcha. Because the attack had missed, Sinistcha didn't replenish any health. Trying her best fight off the paralysis and launch another attack, Braixen took aim with her stick and fired the biggest Flamethrower Salma and Antonio had ever seen her use. It was so powerful that Braixen nearly blew herself off her feet as it happened. At the last minute, Toucannon finished charging up Blast Beak and tried to protect Sinistcha by blasting at the Flamethrower. But Vibrava suddenly emerged from underground and flew straight up underneath Toucannon, slamming into her and causing her attack to miss as he carried her up to the ceiling. Braixen's Flamethrower went unimpeded and swept over Sinistcha. The Ghost/Grass Pokémon wailed loudly as it was roasted by the searing flames. With Terastilization and Sunny Day boosting her attack, Braixen's Flamethrower was too much for Sinistcha to handle. The teacup Pokémon collapsed onto the floor, scorched, blackened and very much unable to fight on anymore. Toucannon was still active, but that didn't matter. Carmine had still lost the battle. As she'd said, the first side to lose even one Pokémon was the loser. As irritated as Carmine looked to see that she had lost the battle, she sighed heavily and shrugged nonchalantly.
"Well…you beat me. And here I'd hoped Terastilization would've made a difference for me." she muttered.
"Alright! Way to go Toni, you did it!" Salma cheered, "That was the most amazing Flamethrower I've ever seen!"
"That's what happens when you combine Terastilization with Sunny Day, eh?" Antonio chuckled modestly, "You get the mother of all Flamethrowers!"
He hugged Braixen happily. Braixen hugged him back, feeling extremely proud of herself for such an incredible victory. Vibrava buzzed excitedly, circling the air merrily. Even if it was Braixen who had scored the winning blow, he was happy for her and himself for helping her win the battle.
"Well done Braixen! You were incredible out there!" Antonio cheered, "Thanks to you, we won the battle!"
Braixen yapped with delight. Then to everyone's amazement, the fire fox Pokémon suddenly started to glow a bright white! Salma and Antonio gasped and Carmine let out a yell of amazement. Braixen was evolving! In a flash of white, Braixen now stood before her trainer as a mighty, graceful Delphox. Delphox were taller than their predecessors and had long red fur all around their legs that resembled a dress or robe of some kind. Their ears had long, three pointed tufts of fur protruding out of them. Like Braixen, Delphox carried a stick that it would point like a magic wand. This plus the furry "robe" gave Delphox a witch-like appearance, which seemed appropriate as Delphox were also half-Psychic type. Delphox admired herself all over, clearly looking very pleased with her new body. She looked down at the stick and grinned as if thinking "Ooooh, imagine what I can do with this!". Antonio bounced up and down with excitement.
"Santa Maria, you've evolved!" he cheered excitedly, "This is amazing, you're a Delphox now!"
"And a beautiful looking one at that!" Salma cried with admiration, "Sweet merciful crap, that looks so gorgeous!"
Delphox gave a polite curtsey in thanks for the compliments. Vibrava flew down to Delphox and chirped excitedly, happy for his friend that she'd evolved. Delphox beamed and shook one of Vibrava's legs.
"Pity Vibrava still hasn't evolved yet." Antonio said sadly.
"He's part Dragon-type. They always take a while to evolve." Salma noted, "His time will come eventually."
Vibrava chirped happily in agreement. He couldn't wait until it was time for him to evolve again. Meanwhile, Carmine had returned Sinistcha and Toucannon to their Pokéballs. She thanked the two for a good battle and called out to Salma and Antonio. The two stared at her as if they'd forgotten she was still there. Carmine smiled back at them, this one genuine and friendlier than before.
"A deal's a deal. You beat me, so come with me to see some Alolan Vulpix." she said kindly.
"Ah yes, of course! Almost forgot about our reports!" Salma cried in exasperation, "We're coming!"
She and Antonio returned their Pokémon and followed the Kitakami teen. She lead them back out of the cave, showing the two how she'd gotten in in the first place, and lead them through the Polar Biome up a mountain that had plenty of Snover wandering about. The teens climbed up to the summit together and Carmine pointed ahead to a nearby den that had been made. The den, as promised, was full of Alolan Vulpix. But it didn't just have Vulpix there. There was also an Alolan Ninetales watching over them. Alolan Ninetales looked just as beautiful as its predecessor, sporting a radiant icy blue fur coat and its hair and tail tips were styled differently to their Kantonian counterparts. Alolan Ninetales were half-Fairy type as well. Salma guessed this Ninetales might be the mother of all the Vulpix in the den. It had four of them outside to enjoy the snow fall and to have a groom. Salma and Antonio watched, their faces full of delight as they watched Ninetales grooming each Vulpix. It tenderly licked their faces and hair to keep them clean. Salma got out her Rotom phone and used the Pokédex app. Getting a Pokédex entry on the species would go nicely for the report. It said:
Vulpix, Alolan Variant: The Fox Pokémon. An Ice Type. In hot weather, this Pokémon makes ice shards with its six tails and sprays them around to cool itself off.
Just for the fun of it, she scanned Ninetales as well:
Ninetales, Alolan Variant: The Fox Pokémon. An Ice and Fairy type. It creates drops of ice in its coat and showers them over its enemies. Anyone who angers it will be frozen stiff in an instant.
"How lucky are we Salma?" Antonio whispered, "We got to see both Alolan Vulpix and Ninetales!"
"I know!" Salma whispered back, "The teacher will be quite impressed!"
She looked to Carmine and smiled in appreciation.
"Thanks so much Carmine." the Paldean girl said appreciatively, "You really didn't have to, but thank you anyway."
"I acknowledge my behaviour's been…crummy lately." Carmine said casually, "I haven't been the best friend to you since we got here, so I thought I owed you two one."
She got up and began to walk away.
"Besides, you really think I'd be so petty and let you fail your assignment?" she scoffed, "I'm a bitch sometimes, I admit it, but not THAT kind of bitch!"
Salma just smirked in response. Typical Carmine: one minute she's a jerk, the next she's less of a jerk. She was sure that was never going to change, even if she'd mellowed out since the first time they met. Carmine carefully climbed back down the summit, leaving Salma and Antonio to finish their reports. Salma watched her leave before turning back to the Vulpix family. She and Antonio got out their phones and began to film the Ice Pokémon. They zoomed in far enough so their videos would get a clear enough image of Vulpix and Ninetales. The filmed Ninetales grooming the Vulpix and then filmed the Vulpix playing in the snow together. They lay there filming for a very long time. The two students knew they were compiling together an incredible report for their teacher, and all thanks to Carmine helping them out. Salma made a mental note to try being nicer to her in future, even if she still hated the way she'd treated Kieran and how flippant she was towards his change in behaviour. Maybe Kieran's fall to darkness was causing Carmine to change for the better. Now if only Kieran could do the same…
That was quite a battle, but our heroes beat Carmine and Antonio has a fully evolved Delphox to show for it! :D Salma's still got an unevolved Vibrava, but she's still feeling ready to take on the BB League at the end of the week. Before that can happen, Antonio will find himself facing Kieran's wrath next time in "Antonio vs. Kieran"...
Trivia: The plot of this story was originally titled "Polar Biome Cave-In" and was supposed to see Salma and Antonio having to get out of a cave-in. I scrapped it midway through writing this story and made it a battle against Carmine instead because the cave-in plot just wasn't tenable in the long run. There was just no way I could make the cave-in a real threat to our heroes without ludicrously contriving events to make it so their Pokémon wouldn't be able to help. It would've required me to force things to happen a certain way or dumb Salma and Antonio down just to make the story work, and I don't write Idiot Plots. So it went in this direction instead and all the better for it, I think. :)
Before you ask, no, she doesn't use an Aolan Vulpix or Ninetales in the games, only the Kantonian kind. I just thought it'd be a nice idea to have her catch an Alolan Vulpix so she could have both versions of Ninetales. :)
While obviously, Dig wouldn't have worked on Toucannon if this were the games, I'm once again relying on anime logic as I write these and I think a Vibrava using Dig would be able to hit flying opponents since Vibrava can also fly, hence why I wrote it as such. It really is way more fun to write battles when you write this as if it was the anime and not the games as video-game logic really does hold you back sometimes.
I was also going to make it so Vibrava and Braixen both evolve in this episode, but I thought it'd feel too convenient that they both evolve at the same time again and I feel it'll be more triumphant if I save Vibrava's evolution for later, like say during a BB League battle or something. Salma WILL get a Flygon eventually, believe me. ;)