Chapter 7 - Titanic Rush - Part 2
"Aegislash, go!" Liliane called while throwing her Poké Ball forward. A Ghost-type Pokémon that had taken the form of a sword materialized and immediately placed its shield in front of itself defensively.
"Inteleon!" Henry shouted. He turned and threw his Poké Ball behind him, allowing for his Pokémon to appear and observe the situation from afar.
Seamus grinned and threw his ball into the air. It exploded open, and a Pokémon that most of the trainers were familiar with emerged. It mooed as it bounced up and down rhythmically. Henry had used the same Pokémon, but Seamus' was dark blue in colour.
"Hey, I have a Miltank!" Henry exclaimed. "But, not one that looks like that."
"When you grow up on a farm and breed Pokémon, you run into one or two shiny Pokémon every month," Seamus responded.
"Now's not the time to marvel at the cowboy's Miltank, Henry," Liliane muttered.
"Marvel away, ma'am."
Coalossal stomped his way back to Finn. He eyed his trainer and turned to Regirock, ready for battle.
Regirock remained still, seemingly waiting for an attack. The gems that made up its face glowed randomly, as though it was trying to communicate with something.
"Do we attack or do we wait to be attacked?" Ethan wondered. He looked back to Inteleon who was preparing to strike as soon as it became necessary.
"Well, we can't leave," Henry responded. "But, I'd feel guilty striking without being provoked."
Regirock turned to face Henry. Suddenly, five stone pillars ripped up around its body. The stone pillars began to spin, and they targeted the five Pokémon. Coalossal and Aegislash positioned themselves to remain in front of their trainers, protecting them from the strike. Magmar, Miltank, and Inteleon all jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding the pillars.
"Officially provoked," Liliane muttered.
Finn looked at Henry. "I know this sounds crazy, but I need your Magmar to attack my Coalossal with a Fire-type attack. Any attack will be fine, but hit us with something!"
Henry glared at him. "Are you mad? Are you trying to get us killed? Magmar, serve up a Hyper Beam on Regirock!"
Magmar reeled back as a ball of white energy formed before his snout. He unleashed the attack, seemingly sucking all of the sound out of the chamber momentarily. The beam blasted into Regirock, almost knocking it over, but the Legendary quickly found its balance.
"Snipe Shot!" Ethan shouted.
"Zen Headbutt!" Seamus called.
Liliane calmly looked at Finn and then at Aegislash. "We fight. Autotomize!"
Inteleon put his hands together and aimed. He released a thin stream of water from his mouth that flew through the air like a bullet. It connected with Regirock, knocking it off balance once more.
Miltank followed by ramming her body into the Rock-type as hard as she could. Kinetic energy exploded off her body, and to everyone's surprise, Regirock collapsed.
Aegislash surged with power, and its steel coating began to shine brightly. It flew in closely to prepare for Liliane's next command.
Finn eyed Regirock in its weakened state. He sighed and pointed at it. "Scorching Sands!"
Coalossal roared. He stomped his feet, kicking up dirt and sand from the temple ground. He managed to bend it and toss it forward. When it was in the air, he blew fire, heating up the sands. Then, with one more roar, the sand blasted forward, raining down on Regirock.
"Doot-doot," Regirock chimed as it took damage. It used its large arms to brace it back up. It eyed all of the Pokémon, looking for who it deemed the most dangerous. Then, orange chi surrounded its body. It let out a cry and rocketed toward Aegislash. However, instead of connecting with the Ghost-type, it instead phased through as though Aegislash didn't exist. This didn't stop its momentum, and it crashed into Seamus' blue Miltank. Miltank was thrown back, smacking against the chamber's walls.
"No!" Seamus shouted.
Regirock slowly turned, regarding the remaining four Pokémon. It stopped when it saw Magmar, who remained still from the power that he had used for Hyper Beam. Once again, Regirock was surrounded by chi.
"Defend him!" Finn shouted.
As Regirock bounded forward, so did Coalossal. The Fire-type took a defensive position before Magmar and was battered by the super-effective attack. Regirock bounced back a few feet, and although it showed no expression, it was still impressed by Coalossal's defensive prowess.
Henry looked at Finn, taken aback. "You didn't have to do that."
"No, I didn't," Finn said. "Now, hit Coalossal with a Fire-type attack! Trust me!"
Henry bit his lip and looked at the two Fire-type Pokémon, unsure of what to do.
"Do it!" Liliane screamed.
Henry's eyes went wide. It wasn't very often that Liliane shouted, let alone at him. He nodded and pointed at Coalossal. "If we get killed, it's on you. Orders up! Use Fire Blast!"
Magmar wasted no time. He unleashed a burst of flames upon Coalossal's back. The flames were instantly absorbed by Finn's Pokémon, and steam emitted from the coals that he was made up of. Coalossal started to rock from side to side, much more limber than he was before.
"Thank you. Now, we can get started," Finn exclaimed. "Tar Shot!"
Coalossal whipped around Regirock at an unimaginable speed, getting behind the Legendary Pokémon before it could turn. Coalossal opened his mouth and belched, unleashing black tar onto the Rock-type. Regirock tried to turn, but the tar had made his movements even slower.
"Yo, one of the secondary effects of Tar Shot is that Fire-type attacks now do more damage," Finn informed Henry.
Henry grinned. "Oh, yeah? In that case, use Fire Blast!"
"Flamethrower!"
Magmar and Coalossal unleashed their powerful fire attacks. Regirock was engulfed by the flames, and it recoiled from the damage. It groaned while the gemstones that made up its eyes flashed hysterically.
Then, the chamber began to rumble. Five stone pillars erupted around Regirock's body, immediately extinguishing the flames. The stones then blasted outward, prepared to strike the two Fire-types.
"Sacred Sword!" Liliane called.
Aegislash flew through the air, and it used its body to slice through the five stone pillars in rapid succession. Each pillar collapsed to the ground, and once the attack had been stopped, Regirock turned its attention to Aegislash. All of its gemstones started to glow white, and it followed Aegislash's movements down to the centimetre. If Aegislash floated left, Regirock turned with it. If Aegislash ascended, Regirock looked up.
"Giga Impact!" Seamus shouted.
Suddenly, Miltank came from the side, crashing into Regirock with explosive energy. Regirock's stance faltered, but when it found its balance, its attention returned to Aegislash. Miltank was now stuck standing still.
Electric sparks began to emit from Regirock's gems. The sparks focused and formed a ball of pure electricity. Regirock reeled back and prepared to launch it directly for Aegislash.
"King's Shield!"
Phantom powers emitted from Aegislash, forming a multitude of interconnected hexagonal shapes. Regirock's attack connected with a violent blast, but Aegislash was protected from any potential damage.
But, Regirock did not appear too perturbed by Aegislash's manoeuvre. Instead, it turned and looked at Miltank. Chi immediately started to swirl around its body as it prepared to lunge.
"Protect!" Ethan called.
As soon as Regirock took a step forward, Inteleon placed himself between the Rock-type and blue Miltank. A blue barrier formed in front of him, and Regirock recoiled off of the protective wall.
"Thanks, bud!" Seamus exclaimed joyfully.
"Now, Whirlpool!"
Inteleon lowered his defensive barrier and put his hands together. He quickly jutted them out, and aquatic energy blasted from his body. The energy swirled around Regirock, seemingly trapping it in place.
"Now or never!" Ethan shouted. "Sniper Shot!"
"Zen Headbutt!"
"Flamethrower!"
"Fire Blast!"
"Sacred Sword!"
Coalossal, Magmar, and Inteleon all unleashed their long-distance strikes. Coalossal and Magmar's flames mixed, making for a titan-sized fireball. Inteleon's attack was swift, hitting in the middle of Regirock's orange gemstones.
Meanwhile, Miltank and Aegislash moved forward. They simultaneously connected with Regirock, effectively sandwiching it between kinetic and chi energy.
When all of the Pokémon ceased their attacks, Regirock slumped over. Its orange gemstones dimmed.
"I got this!" Seamus exclaimed as he held out a silver Poké Ball in his hand. "Go, Timer Ball!"
The silver ball connected with Regirock, opened, and began to absorb it with a bright red light. The ball fell to the ground as the whirlpool faded away, and everyone remained silent while the ball wriggled. It rocked forward and back, moving from its solitary position.
"Really putting up a fight," Henry commented.
The five Pokémon collected. They all exchanged looks. They did not need words. Pokémon bonded over battling with and against one another. They could tell that the battle was having the same effect on their trainers.
Liliane balled her fists. "We need to be ready."
"We'll be fine!" Seamus said as he took a step forward. However, his advance was interrupted by the hinges on his Timer Ball snapping off. Regirock exploded from the ball and roared, shaking the chamber.
"Bollocks," Ethan muttered.
Before any of the trainers could make commands, stone pillars emerged from the ground. This time, they did not target all of the Pokémon. Instead, they were on a direct collision course with Coalossal and Miltank, who had no immediate defence. The two Pokémon were battered and buried under the rocks, their bodies giving in to the onslaught.
"Coalossal!"
"Miltank!"
Finn and Seamus dashed to the pile of stones. Finn never took his eyes off Regirock, who seemingly stared back at him with killer intent. Seamus immediately started to dig the two Pokémon out of stones. Once the two confirmed their Pokémon were done, they withdrew them back into their Poké Balls and exchanged looks.
"Finn?" Henry shouted.
"What?"
"You lead us. What should we do?" Henry asked.
Finn looked around at his fellow trainers. Ethan, Seamus, and Liliane were all staring at him, waiting for instructions.
Finn nodded. "Alright! Inteleon needs to stay with Magmar. He will be his defence if necessary! Aegislash needs to get Regirock's attention. Seamus, get another Timer Ball ready."
"Cheers," Henry said. "Inteleon, stay on Magmar."
At the sight of Inteleon moving, Regirock turned and began to form another ball of electricity in front of its gems.
"Protect!"
As soon as Regirock launched the powerful attack, Inteleon formed his blue forcefield. Regirock's attack exploded against the barrier, shattering it completely. Both attacks were neutralized, and Regirock began to charge up once more.
"Shadow Sneak!" Liliane shouted.
Aegislash changed into a fight stance, dove into its shadow, and quickly emerged. It weakly rammed into Regirock, taking its focus away from Inteleon and Magmar. Regirock's movements were jittery, but it moved to look at Aegislash.
"Doot-doot-doot."
"Now!" Finn ordered.
"Serve up a Fire Blast!"
"Snipe Shot!"
Magmar and Inteleon simultaneously unleashed their attacks, engulfing Regirock in flames. A single blast of concentrated aquatic power was enough to hit Regirock in the back and stun it. All that was left was for the flames to do their worst.
Regirock cried out as the damage from the attacks became too much. And when the flames ceased, Regirock's stone shoulders slumped, allowing its arms to touch the ground.
"This is it!" Finn exclaimed.
"Let's go!" Seamus shouted as he threw another Time Ball forward. It connected with the weakened Regirock and seemingly had an easier time absorbing it. It hit the ground, and all of the trainers watched on closely.
Finn pulled another Poké Ball from his belt, prepared to continue the fight if need be.
The Timer Ball rocked back and forth a few more times. It struggled like none of them had ever seen. Instead of staying in place and rocking, it wriggled from side to side, as though Regirock was pushing and pulling from within. Light from the small opening in the ball pierced through occasionally, but the ball continuously snapped back shut. And then, it came to a stop.
Ding.
"I need to use the loo," Ethan said with a whimper.
"Them's the lemons!" Seamus exclaimed. He grabbed ahold of Ethan and lifted him in the air, giving him a violent and unnecessary hug.
Finn collapsed and took in a deep breath. He looked out at the ball and smiled before wiping sweat from his brow. He tucked his Croconaw's Poké Ball back onto his belt.
Henry walked to Finn and extended his left hand. Finn glanced at the small scar before he took it and let Henry help him up.
"Good job," Henry said. "I'm sorry that I've been difficult. I owe you a meal."
Finn grinned. "No harm. No foul. Maybe I was hypercritical. I'll brew you some coffee, and we'll call it even."
Liliane approached the Timer Ball, looking at it curiously. She picked it up and held it close to her chest. It was warm. "What do we do now?"
"Maybe we should report to Sonia? She'll know what to do," Seamus exclaimed while putting down Ethan.
Finn sighed.
"A Regirock!" Sonia exclaimed as she placed the Timer Ball onto her small machine. It scanned the Pokémon and displayed its details with a small virtual projector. "I was expecting you to come back with Moltres. Not Regirock. Good job, lads!"
"I wonder if this means that there are more Regis in the Crown Tundra," Liliane said. "In a wider sense, they could be all around Galar."
Sonia put her hand to her chin and thought. "Well, I have never seen reports of any Regi being discovered in Galar. This has to be a first!"
"There are supposedly Regis in Hoenn," Finn said. "Come to think of it, there is a Frontier Brain who also managed to catch a few of them. I wonder how he did that."
"I also heard something about a temple in Sinnoh," Ethan added. "It is supposed to hold their leader, Regigigas. Maybe there is a family of them here in the Crown Tundra?"
"This little subregion of yours is kind of amazing, Finn," Henry exclaimed. "I say that we keep looking for the Regis. It could be fun when we're not doing raids."
"But, where do we start?" Seamus wondered.
Finn closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, catching everyone's attention.
"What?" Ethan asked.
Finn sighed. "When we battled with Articuno, I may have discovered another temple. This one was underground."
"What?" the group gasped.
"When you gather the three giants, the door of destiny shall be opened," Finn said, recalling what was written on the stone placard. "I assume that means we need to catch two other Regis?"
"And maybe the door of destiny refers to Regigigas," Liliane exclaimed.
"Can you show us where the temple is?" Sonia asked.
Finn scratched the back of his head and looked at Seamus. "Do you remember where we were fighting?"
Seamus grinned, raised a finger, paused, and a confused look came over his face. "I don't."
"Even if you did remember, it wouldn't matter. We still have two more Regis to acquire before we can get in. And, we're not sure where to start with those," Ethan said with a sigh.
Sonia ran her tongue through her cheek while she thought over a plan. "Alright! Here's what we'll do! We still want to get data on Moltres-"
"You want to get data on Moltres," Finn interjected.
Sonia continued. "And, now we have two Regis to find. I say that we just keep looking and stay alert for anything. Who knows? We might get lucky and find yet another Legendary Pokémon! You found this temple by accident, so who's to say what you'll find if you know what to look for!"
"We're not doing raids every day, so what do you think, Liliane?" Henry asked.
Liliane played with her long braid. She closed her eyes and thought it over. "Today was exciting. I enjoy raids, but coming face to face with a real Legendary Pokémon like we did, is a feeling I hope I never grow tired of. I would like to look for the other Regis and see where our search takes us."
Finn put his hands in his pockets and groaned. "Goodness sakes, min."
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
When I wrote out the notes for the battle, I felt like it could go long. I ended up cutting a few parts out that showed off some unique strategies, which I think that was ultimately the right choice. I also wanted to show off that the Regi's are different from the Legendary Birds and the raid battles. I hope this was enjoyable! It feels like the team is sort of coming together in this chapter.
Next chapter, the hunt for Registeel and Regice begins!