Chapter 55:
Return of the Dragon
The very next day, the group plus Vitor and Natalie decided to continue their journey towards Snowbank Town, which according to Serena, it would take them a day and a half, give or take a couple hours.
Thankfully the weather was kind to them, which allowed them to move at a brisk pace, and shortly before noon of the second day, they finally arrived at their destination.
"Look, over there! Houses!" Bonnie pointed out.
"That must be Snowbank Town. At last!" Ash said.
"Thank goodness we weren't caught in a blizzard or something. The area around Mount Lanthanite is among the most dangerous routes of Tandor," Vitor pointed out.
"You always have to see the bright side of everything, don't you little bro?" Natalie deadpanned, rolling her eyes.
As it was usual when they entered a new town of city, a sign was there to greet them:
Welcome to Snowbank Town
A village wreathed in powdery snow.
Bonnie looked around the forest of pine trees covered in snow, snow piling on top of the houses' roofs and people shoveling snow away from the roads. "Yep, snow is a thing here."
"Come on, let's go to the Pokemon Center so we can get our Pokemon checked," Ash suggested, taking a step into the town. "I can't wait to challenge the Gym Leader!"
"Me too!" Natalie agreed.
"By the way, Natalie, this Gym Leader has a special requirement: you have to be considered a Mega Evolution master in order to be able to challenge him," Clemont reminded her. "Are you sure you qualify for that? Because I don't remember seeing you using Mega Evolution."
"Neither her nor I have Keystones nor Mega Stones," Vitor intervened. "However, Vaeryn gives challengers a way to prove they're worthy of Mega Evolution."
"Yep! A series of grueling challenges designed to test the bonds between trainer and Pokemon, one challenge per day! Complete them all and Vaeryn will reward you with a Keystone, a common Mega Stone, and a match for his Gym Badge!" Natalie finished the explanation with gusto.
"Ah, I see. I was wondering how could a trainer prove Vaeryn that they're a 'Mega Evolution master'," Serena said, making air quotes for the title in question.
As they walked through the town, Serena took a moment to appreciate the sights: Snowbank Town looked quaint and rural, with houses made of hard stone and solid wood, probably designed to withstand cold, snow and wind. Unlike Vinoville Town, there was no Contest Hall that clashed against the décor of the place, the Pokemon Center being the only building with such 'honor'.
While there was a lot of snow, the people of the town were rather diligent in keeping the paths snow-free, making their trek through the place all the easier.
"Whoa, look at that castle!" Bonnie suddenly shouted.
Serena looked in the direction Bonnie was pointing, and indeed, there was a large, ancient looking castle of black stone on top of a small hill about half a kilometer from the town. The path from the town to the castle was flanked by lit torches.
"Such a beautiful place," Serena said, admiring the sight. She then turned towards Ash and said, "Hey Ash, how about if we go and take a look at it once you're done with your Gym Battle? Maybe they will even let us inside!"
"Oh, don't worry Serena, we're going to see that castle soon enough," it wasn't Ash, but Vitor the one who answered. "Because that's Snowbank Town's very own Pokemon Gym!"
"Wow! That's a Gym?" Ash asked, amazed. "First Tiko's ancient temple, then Rosalind's theater, now this castle... Tandor has the coolest Pokemon Gyms!"
"Ahem," Clemont cleared his throat, sounding a bit annoyed. "Kalos Gyms have nothing to be jealous of. Prism Tower is a pretty impressive Gym too."
Before an argument could form regarding which region had the coolest Pokemon Gyms, they arrived at the Pokemon Center. As the automatic doors slid open, the group entered the building, leaving the cold outside as they basked in the warmth provided by the Center's central heating.
"Hey, look at that, it's Nat and Vitor! And Ash and his friends!" a familiar voice said. "Coming here all together. What are the chances?"
They saw a boy getting up from a table and waving at them. A boy with red hair that all of them knew very well, even if he was sporting a different look.
"No way... Theo?" Vitor asked.
"Haha, yep, me, Theo!" Theo replied.
Natalie looked at him from head to toe. "So, you got a new look, huh?"
Because Theo no longer looked the way he used to: he had grown his hair a little, the yellow stripe now falling down his face. He had traded his shirt for a white hoodie with long red sleeves, red pockets, and a yellow five pointed star in the middle, and his blue shorts for long black pants with a single red stripe on the knees.
"Yeah! Let's say that I've been doing some thinking, and realized that if I'm going to be the best trainer who came out of this region, I needed to change," Theo explained, looking at Ash as he said this. "And I felt that a change on the outside would be a good way to match the change on the inside!"
Serena nodded, remembering that time on Coumarine, after her first disastrous Performance, when she cut her hair short and changed her usual clothes in order to reflect her newfound determination.
"What are you doing here, Theo? Are you going to challenge the Gym Leader?" Clemont asked.
"Yeah! And not just that, since I also want to learn and obtain Mega Evolution," Theo said. "After Ash showed me how Metalynx could Mega Evolve and how he and his friends got their Keystones and Mega Stones, I had to come to this place!"
"Heh, it seems like Vaeryn is going to have his hands full with so many challengers," Serena giggled.
"Given that besides the usual badge, Vaeryn also rewards challengers with Keystones and Mega Stones, it's only natural that plenty of trainers flock to him, even with his level of difficulty and how hard to reach his home town is," Clemont observed, pushing his glasses up.
"In that case, I propose we go to the Gym as soon as we eat, before other people get ahead of us!" Natalie suggested.
"If it's so urgent, why don't we go now?" Vitor asked.
"Because you can't take grueling challenges on an empty stomach, duh!" Natalie replied, placing her hands on her hips, while shooting her brother a disapproving stare.
"I can agree with that!" Ash said with a chuckle.
…
An hour later, once Ash, his friends and the Moki Trio had a good lunch and their Pokemon were cleared as ready for battle, they headed out of the Pokemon Center and followed the path flanked by torches that lead to the fortress. Once they got close, they could see there was a flag hanging above the main gate with the symbol of the Pokemon League, identifying the building as an official Pokemon Gym.
Guarding the door were two people: a middle aged man with a thick gray mustache and a slightly younger woman with dark red hair, both wearing dark blue hooded robes with tabards over them, the man's light blue, the woman's red, both of them displaying the same symbol: the Mega Evolution Helix. They looked a bit bored, but once they saw the approaching group, they immediately tensed up.
"Halt, youngsters! You're approaching the home of the Acolytes of the Dragon!" the man stated in a bombastic manner.
"Identify yourselves and state your intentions!" the woman added.
"Uh, hello," Ash awkwardly began. "My name's Ash Ketchum. These are Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, Natalie, Vitor and Theo. We came here to challenge Vaeryn for a Gym badge and to tackle the Mega Evolution challenges."
"Pi, pika," Pikachu greeted them as well.
The woman raised an eyebrow. "All of you?"
"Not all of us. Only Natalie, Theo and myself want to challenge Vaeryn," Ash explained, and the two Tandorian teens nodded. "Vitor's only interested in the Mega Evolution challenges."
"I see. Follow me inside," the man said, as he and his companion led the group into the castle. "Lyanna, go and tell Lord Vaeryn that we have a new batch of challengers."
"Aye," the woman replied, disappearing behind a nearby door.
The inside of the castle was nothing like other elegant castles or luxurious palaces Ash had been in; this one was austere, yet imposing. It was illuminated not by electric lamps, but by candles and torches. There were many flags with the Mega Evolution helix hanging from above, and the walls were decorated with tapestries that depicted ancient battles.
After almost ten minutes of walking and climbing stairs, the mustachioed man led them to a large room behind a hard ironwood door.
"Wait here," was all the man said. And once they all entered, he closed the door and left.
This waiting area looked much cozier than the rest of the castle. There was a red carpet covering the hard, cold ground, comfortable looking armchairs and couches, and an already lit fireplace.
Theo plopped on one of the armchairs. "Well, if they're going to make us wait, at least we will be comfortable."
Everybody else also sat as well. Everybody except Ash, who kept pacing around the room. The teen boy was probably too excited for his upcoming rematch with Vaeryn to stay still, the energy inside his body building up and itching to be released.
"Acolytes of the Dragon," Ash suddenly said. "They called themselves that. That name rings a bell but now I can't remember when I heard it before..."
Now that he mentioned that, the name was also familiar to Serena. The honey blonde began to dig through her memories, but unlike Ash, she was able to remember.
"Ash, that church in Vinoville Town," Serena reminded him. "That priest told us that there was a group named like that in East Tandor that still follows the so-called 'old religion', remember?"
"Oh right!" Ash said, snapping his finger. "I knew that I had heard that name sometime!"
"Huh. I didn't know that there were still people worshiping Actan and Lanthan," Natalie stated.
"Makes sense that if there were somebody still worshiping those Pokemon, it would be people living around this area," Vitor explained. "After all, according to the legends Lanthan himself lives inside Mount Lanthanite, which is named after him."
"There's a Legendary Pokemon inside Mount Lanthan?" Theo asked in shock, before frowning. "Aw damn! If I knew that I would have explored that place when I passed there! Oh well, I can always do it on the way back. Catching a Legendary Pokemon will be easier with Mega Evolution."
"That might be a bit too much for you, Theo," Clemont advised. "The strength of Legendary Pokemon cannot be understated."
"Take it from me. I have fought against Legendary Pokemon before," Ash interjected. "Two of them in this region alone."
"Wait, really!?" Theo asked.
"Yeah. Ash and another guy named Alain fought against a Garlikid," Vitor told the redhead. "You should have been there. That battle was simply not of this world."
Before the conversation could follow any further, the room's door opened again, revealing that same woman who had led them there, the one named Lyanna.
"Lord Vaeryn has given his approval to your requests. You three will begin the first of the five trials immediately. As for the challenger, Lord Vaeryn is ready to meet your challenge, and will be waiting for you in the main courtyard," Lyanna stated.
"Well, that was quick. So nice of them not to keep us waiting for long," Ash earnestly said.
"We take pride in the way we treat our honored guests. Now if you're so kind as to follow me..." Lyanna said, exiting the room.
Lyanna led the group of seven through several hallways, taking a few turns here and there and going down a flight of stairs. When she reached a hallway that split in two, she stopped.
"If you follow this corridor, you'll reach the main courtyard," Lyanna told Ash. "You better not keep Lord Vaeryn waiting for long."
"I see. Thank you," Ash said, before turning at the Moki trio. "Well, it seems that I won't get to see your trials, so I wish you plenty of luck!"
"Same goes to you, Ash," Vitor said.
"Show that Gym Leader who's boss!" Natalie added.
"I'd wish you luck too, but after seeing you in action, I know you won't need it," Theo said.
With that, Ash, Serena, Clemont and Bonnie took the indicated corridor and opened the heavy double door at the end, reaching the courtyard.
Said place was a large grassy field, though the grass was almost entirely covered in snow. There were many Acolytes scattered around the battlefield, with a single man at the end of it.
"Ah, Ash Ketchum! At last, our paths finally cross again! So, are you ready to face me one more time?"
Said man was no other than Vaeryn, the Gym Leader and head of the acolytes. He was no longer wearing that dark cloak from the first time Serena met him, but a long, brown fur coat with a white ruff with blue spots around his necks and shoulders. On his head there was a helmet with a pair of large antlers sticking out of it. On his right hand was the same black metallic staff ending on a dragon head.
Vaeryn now looked like a barbarian king from ancient times. A fitting look for the leader of a rough and rugged people with costumes that went way back in time.
"You bet I am!" Ash excitedly stated. "You have no idea how much stronger my Pokemon and I are since the last time we met!"
"Pi, pika!" Pikachu agreed.
"Good to hear that, my boy. I'm burning to see what you can do with the gift I granted to you," Vaeryn said. Even if his voice was much more even, Serena could sense that the old man was just as excited on the inside as Ash."Shall we begin, then?"
"Sure!"
"Good. Take your position on the battlefield, then," Vaeryn instructed. "Your friends can take a seat on the benches to the sides."
Ash nodded, before quickly turning towards Serena and handing her Pikachu.
"Take care of Pikachu in the meantime, okay?" Ash asked.
"Of course," the honey blonde replied, taking the rodent between her arms. She then leaned towards Ash and gave him a small peck on the lips. "Good luck."
Ash blushed a little and chuckled, before rushing to take his position on the battlefield, while Serena, Bonnie and Clemont took a seat on one of the stone benches around the battleground. Despite being made of cold rock, the Acolytes had the foresight of covering them with woolen sheets in order to avoid freezing their behinds.
Once Ash was ready, Vaeryn nodded to the referee, a young man a couple years older than Ash, who was also dressed in the same robes as the Acolytes.
The referee raised both his flags. "This is an official Gym Battle between Lord Vaeryn, the Gym Leader, and Ash Ketchum, the challenger. The battle will be doubles format with no time limit, and each trainer will use up to four Pokemon. The battle will be over when one side has no more Pokemon remaining. Only the challenger may make substitutions. Trainers, select your first two Pokemon."
"Double battle again, huh?" Clemont said, placing a finger under his chin. "Well, at least it's better than another triple battle."
"Alright, let's do this! Dunseraph, Metalynx, I choose you!" Ash shouted.
The two pokeball hit the ground and opened, releasing the angelic dragon and the jungle feline.
"Dun, dunse!" Dunseraph cried, spreading his wings and blowing some wind.
"Lynx!" Metalynx growled, her body tensing up.
"Hmmmm. Those Pokemon look quite mighty, yes. And one of them is carrying one of my gifts," Vaeryn observed, stroking his beard with one hand, before pulling a pair of pokeballs from his belt. "Let's see if they can provide a suitable challenge for my first two warriors. Dunseraph, Luxelong, show your worth!"
The capture devices opened upon hitting the ground, the first one releasing another Dunseraph, and the second a Pokemon that neither Serena nor her friends had seen before, despite looking vaguely familiar.
"Whoa! Vaeryn has a Dunseraph too!" Bonnie excitedly said. "And that other Pokemon! So cuuuute!"
The second Pokemon, Luxelong, was a canine-looking Pokemon almost as big as an Arcanine. It had a chalk gray face, legs and underbelly, with a green back and flanks. The top of its head was the same green with golden trims, and had a pair of green long wing-like ears with golden tassels. Two smaller yellow wings also extend from the Pokémon's torso. Lastly, it had a thick, long, dark green tail that curled at the end.
Both Ash and Serena took out their Pokedex to scan this new Pokemon.
"Luxelong, the Fortune Pokemon, Luxor's evolution and Luxi's final form. Dragon/Fairy. A Pokémon so rare and gentle, simply seeing one is said to bless someone with good fortune for a whole year."
Oh, right. Serena remembered that Sayaka had a Luxi that evolved into a Luxor. So the next time she faced the ninja, it could well be a Luxelong.
Better pay attention to it.
The referee then raised both flags. "Let the battle begin!"
~Challenger Ash (Dunseraph & Metalynx, ?, ?) VS Gym Leader Vaeryn (Dunseraph & Luxelong, ?, ?)~
"Alright, let's start! Dunseraph, Dragon Pulse on the other Dunseraph! And Metalynx, Iron Tail on Luxelong!" Ash ordered.
"Dun!"
"Lynx!"
Wasting no time, the two Pokemon attacked, Dunseraph exhaling a purple and amethyst colored dragon-shaped energy blast towards his enemy counterpart, while Metalynx sprinted towards Luxelong, her tail glowing with a silvery sheen.
Vaeryn smirked under his beard. "Luxelong, intercept that Dragon Pulse! And Dunseraph, Shadow Ball on Metalynx!"
"Lu, luxi!" Luxelong cried, its voice sounding like a bark, as it sprinted a little before leaping towards the Dragon-type move, blocking it with its body without suffering any damage.
"Duuun-SE!" Vaeryn's Dunseraph opened its mouth, forming a dark purple sphere of otherworldly energy before launching it towards Metalynx.
Seeing the projectile barreling towards her, Metalynx tried to sidestep it. It only graced her, but the explosion it caused when it hit the ground sent the Armored Pokemon tumbling sideways, forcing her to cancel the nascent Iron Tail.
"Now Dunseraph, Flamethrower on that Metalynx! And Luxelong, boost Dunserpah's attack with Helping Hand!" Vaeryn commanded.
"Dunseraph, quickly, Dig! And Metalynx, follow him into the hole!" Ash quickly ordered.
"Luuuu...!" Luxelong chanted, its body glowing with a silver blue aura, before said aura flowed into Dunseraph, surrounding its body and empowering it.
"SERAAAAAAPH!" Dunseraph roared as it expelled a terrifying torrent of flames from its open mouth towards Metalynx.
However, Ash's own Dunseraph quickly dived into the snowy floor while spinning like a drill, burrowing underground. Metalynx quickly jumped inside the freshly made hole just as a sea of flames washed over it.
A couple seconds later, the ground under Luxelong started to tremble, and Dunseraph burst from below, smashing against the Fortune Pokemon's underbelly with the force of a speeding train.
"Luxelong, quickly, Caustic Breath!" Vaeryn ordered, slamming the bottom of his staff into the ground.
Caustic Breath? What kind of attack was that? Serena had never heard of it before, and judging by his expression, neither did Ash.
"Looooong!" Luxelong cried, as it righted itself in order to face Dunseraph, before expelling a stream of blue and green flames at the God Snake Pokemon.
"Duuuun! Dunse!" Dunseraph wailed in pain.
Judging by his reaction, that attack looked to be super effective. Perhaps a Dragon-type?
"Metalynx, Iron Tail again!" Ash quickly ordered. "It won't be able to dodge mid air!"
"Stop her, Dunseraph! Shadow Ball!" Vaeryn ordered.
Metalynx jumped out of the hole in the ground and shot towards the airborne Luxelong, her tail glowing with a silvery sheen. Once she was close enough, she twisted her body, slamming her sickle-like tail into the enemy Pokemon, making it wail in pain.
"SERAPH!"
Unfortunately, it didn't take long for her turn to be in pain to arrive as she was hit by a sphere of necrotic energy fired by Vaeryn's Dunseraph, blasting her back towards the ground.
"Metalynx!" Ash cried.
Fortunately, the feline was able to jump back to her feet in no time, with Ash's Dunseraph hovering around her. However, Metalynx winced a little as a red light briefly flashed over her body.
"Uh oh. That was Shadow Ball's special effect, making the target more vulnerable to special moves," Clemont observed. "The effect's chance to trigger is usually minimal, but if it did after just two uses..."
"That Dunseraph must have Serene Grace as well," Bonnie concluded.
"And that's not all," Serena intervened, Pokedex in hand. "That Caustic Breath move... as I guessed, it's a Dragon-type move. It's not too powerful, but it always lowers the defense of the target for both physical and special moves."
"Pika?" Pikachu asked, looking at Serena with some apprehension.
"I see. So that's Vaeryn's strategy," Clemont said, as he fixed a stare on the elderly Gym Leader. "To wear down Ash's Pokemon first so he can knock them out in one swift move."
"Come on Ash! Come on, Metalynx and Dunseraph! You can do it!" Bonnie cheered.
"Pi-pika!"
"Nenene!"
Vaeryn chuckled upon seeing Bonnie, Pikachu and Dedenne's display, before looking at Ash. "Your friends seem to have a lot of faith in your abilities, don't they? However, you're going to need a little more than faith to beat my flight of dragons. Dunseraph, Air Slash! Luxelong, Helping Hand!"
"Lu, lux!" Luxelong cried, its body flaring with a silvery blue aura, which quickly flowed into Dunseraph.
As the empowering aura transferred to it, Vaeryn's Dunseraph started to flap its wings, raising a wind so powerful, even the people around the battlefield needed to shield themselves from it.
"Dunseraph, Dig! And Metalynx, go after him!" Ash commanded again.
However, before Dunseraph could escape underground, both he and Metalynx were assaulted by a barrage of blades of compressed air, making them flinch and unable to move.
"Dunseraph! Metalynx!" Ash cried.
"Excellent! Now time to finish them off! Luxelong, Moonblast on Dunseraph, and Dunseraph, Flamethrower on Metalynx!" Vaeryn ordered, his voice without mercy.
"Luuuuu...!" Luxelong opened its jaws, conjuring an orb of swirly white and pink power between them, before firing it at Dunseraph. "LONG!"
"Seraaaa...!" Vaeryn's Dunseraph cried, as it took a deep breath and exhaled a torrent of flames towards Metalynx.
"This isn't over yet! Dunseraph, block that Flamethrower with Ancient Power! And Metalynx, counter that Moonblast with Energy Ball!" Ash shouted, making a sudden arm motion.
"Meta!" Metalynx growled, opening her jaws and mimicking Luxelong, with the exception that the orb of energy she fired was green and yellow golden.
"Dunseee!" Dunseraph cried, summoning a circle of spinning golden rocks around him.
As the two energy spheres collided and exploded, producing a shower of green yellow, white and pink sparkles, Dunseraph launched all the golden boulders he had summoned at once towards the incoming Flamethrower, acting as a makeshift barrier and stopping the attack. Then, a golden aura flashed over Dunseraph, revealing that Ancient Power's hidden effect has been triggered.
"Yes! Now Metalynx, Night Slash on the enemy Dunseraph, and Dunseraph, get close to Luxelong with Steel Wing!" Ash ordered, his voice growing more confident.
Dunseraph flapped his wings a couple times before spreading them and barreling towards Luxelong, his feathered limbs glowing with a bright silvery light, while Metalynx sprinted towards Vaeryn's own Dunseraph, her tail coated in a black and purple aura.
"Don't let him get you to, Luxelong! If he wants to get close, then let him feel the power of your Caustic Breath!" Vaeryn ordered, slamming the bottom of his staff on the ground. "And Dunseraph, Flamethrower again!"
Ash smirked. "Just as expected! Dunseraph, shield yourself with your wings and keep forward! Metalynx, use that Night Slash to split the Flamethrower in two!"
"What!?" Vaeryn loudly asked.
As Dunseraph exhaled yet another wave of flames, Metalynx jumped into the air before bringing her tail down in a vertical motion, the dark slash bifurcating the coming blazing torrent.
"Hey, I remember that! Greninja used it against Alain's Charizard in the Kalos League!" Bonnie excitedly said while pointing at the clash of moves.
Meanwhile, Dunseraph folded his Steel-empowered wings over his head and upper body without stopping his movement. The blue and green flames exhaled by Luxelong washed over him, but the Steel Wing managed to shield him from the worst of the move. Once it was in melee distance, the God Snake Pokemon spread his wings outwards, loudly slapping Luxelong with them and pushing the Fortune Pokemon backwards.
"Luuuu!" it whined.
"Now follow up with Poison Jab!" Ash shouted, sounding as if he could savor victory.
"Luxelong, move!" Vaeryn urged.
Dunseraph's drill-tipped tail was coated in a sickly purple aura before jabbing it towards Luxelong. The venomous drill sunk into the Dragon and Fairy-type's soft flesh, making it wail loudly in pain.
Luxelong stood rigid for a few seconds, before letting out a soft gasp and falling to the ground on its side.
For a few seconds, silence reigned supreme. Then, the referee raised a flag in Ash's direction. "Luxelong is unable to battle!" he declared, prompting Ash's friends to cheer. He then looked at Vaeryn with an apologetic expression. "Sorry, grandpa."
"Don't be sorry for doing your job, my boy. It's me who should be sorry for not being up to the challenge," Vaeryn regretfully said as he recalled his fallen Luxelong. "Well fought, Ash. The first victory of this match goes to you."
"Thanks! Though, it wasn't easy. Your Pokemon are quite the tough nuts to crack!" Ash replied.
"I'm glad you think so. Because you'll find cracking this one nut even harder," Vaeryn said, pokeball already on hand. "Fafninter, show your worth!"
The pokeball opened upon hitting the ground, releasing yet another Pokemon neither Serena nor her friends had never seen before.
It was another four legged dragon Pokemon, around the same size as Luxelong. It had navy blue skin, and a coat of white fur with light blue spots that covered the top of its head (eyes included), its back, tail and legs. A pair of huge brown antlers protruded from its head.
Both Ash and Serena took out their Pokedex to identify Vaeryn's latest pick.
"Fafninter, the Snow Guardian Pokemon, and Fafurr's evolution. Ice/Dragon. A gentle guardian of the mountains, this Pokémon will often escort lost travelers and Pokémon to safety by giving them a ride on its back." The Pokedex droned.
"Oh. That's so nice of them," Bonnie said upon hearing the description.
"Though, I have the feeling that this one isn't going to be too nice to Ash's Pokemon," Serena said. That Fafninter looked really strong and healthy.
"Well observed, lass. Because while Fafninter are naturally kind and protective with those weaker than them, few Pokemon are able to match their sheer power and ferocity in battle," Vaeryn boasted.
"You are looking at two Pokemon that can do that right now!" Ash boasted back, making his two Pokemon puff out their chests in pride.
"The battle continues!" the referee declared.
"In that case, I hope you don't mind if I hold you to that boast, son," Vaeryn calmly said, smiling under his gray beard. "Fanfninter, show them your Avalanche!"
"Faaaaa...!" Fafninter let out a low pitched growl as it summoned multiple large chunks of ice over Ash's Pokemon.
Ash gritted his teeth. The number of ice blocks and their size made dodging them next to impossible. "Dunseraph, counter them with Steel Wing! Use Iron Tail, Metalynx!"
As gravity took hold of the ice chunks, Dunseraph's wings and Metalynx's sickle tail began to glow once again with a metallic sheen, swinging them at the ice boulders coming at them from above and shattering them to tiny bits of ice.
"Avalanche is a move whose power doubles if the user has been harmed just before, yet despite the fact that Fafninter is unharmed, that Avalanche was so powerful!" Clemont observed with no small amount of fright.
"Ash better be careful then..." Bonnie said, holding Dedenne close to her.
"Dunseraph, Outrage on your counterpart!" Vaeryn ordered.
"Dunseraph, Protect yourself with Ancient Power, quickly!" Ash commanded.
"SEEEEE...!" Vaeryn's Dunseraph let out a loud war cry as its whole body was surrounded by a burning red aura.
The God Snake Pokemon then launched itself towards Ash's very own Dunseraph, who having just destroyed Fafninter's Avalanche, barely had time to summon a ring of golden boulders around his body, this time larger due the previous Ancient Power's empowering effect, and use them as a makeshift shield. Vaeryn's Dunseraph savagely destroyed the mystical rocks the moment one got close to it with either a claw swipe or a wing slap, until it was able to reach its target, delivering a double claw swipe at Ash's Dunseraph.
"Se-Seraaaaaph!" Ash's Dunseraph wailed.
"Dunseraph, hold on!" Ash cried.
As the attack ended, Vaeryn's Dunseraph hovered back while starting to look disoriented.
"Fafninter, Dragon Claw! Finish the other Dunseraph off!" Vaeryn commanded.
"Oh no, you won't! Metalynx, counter that attack with X-Scissors!" Ash replied. "And Dunseraph, get ready! Vaeryn's Dunseraph will be confused after using Outrage, that will be our chance!"
As Ash said that, Fafninter charged forward, a claw-shaped green aura appearing on its front legs, as Metalynx rushed to meet the Snow Guardian Pokemon, her own claws glowing with a greenish-yellow light. Both Pokemon traded claw swipes, struggling to overpower the other and maybe land a hit.
"That would have been a very valid strategy, if it wasn't for the fact that my Pokemon worked hard to overcome the side effects of such attacks," Vaeryn confidently stated. "Dunseraph, snap out of it!"
"DUUUUU!" Dunseraph loudly cried before slapping itself with both arms. "Du, dunse!"
"What!?" Ash asked, taken aback.
"What, you thought I'd simply let my Pokemon suffer through the adverse effect brought by some of their moves without finding a way around it?" Vaeryn asked, as if it was something incredibly obvious. "Fafninter, Rock Tomb on Dunseraph!"
"Fafni, fa!" Fafninter growled, as it summoned several large boulders over Ash's God Snake Pokemon.
Given how much punishment it had taken, especially after that Outrage, a move like that would mean Dunseraph's end, and Ash knew it. "Dunseraph, fly back!"
Dunseraph didn't argue, and hovered back as quickly as he could, avoiding being painfully buried under the falling rocks by mere seconds.
Vaeryn smirked. "Just as expected. Dunseraph, Flamethrower on Metalynx! She can't dodge it now!"
"Why do you think we can't dodge it!?" Ash challenged Vaeryn's statement. He was about to order Metalynx to do just that, but then he realized why the Gym Leader was so confident. "Wait a minute, the rocks...!"
Because the failed Rock Slide had formed a barrier just behind Metalynx, stopping her from moving backwards. And indeed, when Dunseraph unleashed yet another torrent of flames upon Metalynx, the Armored Pokemon could do nothing but take it.
"Metalynx!" Ash cried.
When the wave of flames passed over, Metalynx was lying on the ground, her body covered in burn marks. She didn't make any attempt at getting back to her feet.
The referee raised a flag in Vaeryn's direction. "Metalynx is unable to battle!"
"Aw, what a pity. Ash has lost Metalynx..." Bonnie whined.
"Pikaa..!" Pikachu said, lowering his head.
"Vaeryn might have lost a Pokemon first, but he took no time in closing that gap by taking out one of Ash's without that Fafninter taking any damage," Clemont observed. "And that trap with Rock Tomb in order to limit Metalynx's movement, that was really clever..."
Serena didn't say anything. She already knew that Vaeryn would be Ash's most challenging Gym Leader so far, but she had faith that Ash could beat him.
"You did your best, girl. Take a good rest," Ash said, recalling Metalynx.
"You let your Metalynx be taken out of the battle without even trying to Mega Evolve her," Vaeryn noted. "Why? Mayhaps you think you can defeat me without making use of my gift? I didn't take you for an arrogant person, lad."
"How and when I use Mega Evolution is my choice, and my choice only," Ash declared, another pokeball already in his hand. "And rest assured that both me and my Pokemon are coming at you with everything we have! Frosthra, I choose you!"
From the captured device emerged the Ice and Bug-type Pokemon native to the lands around Mount Lanthan.
"Fro! Frooo!" he happily chirped as he fluttered next to Dunseraph.
"A Frosthra, hm? An interesting choice, yes," Vaeryn observed.
"The battle continues!" the referee declared, raising both his flags.
Ash wasted no time to issue an order. "Frosthra, blow them away with your Blizzard!"
"Frooooo, fro, fro froo!" Frosthra chirped, as he beat his wings as strongly as he could, producing a powerful cold wind with snow and large ice chunks on it.
"Fafninter, get in front of the attack and take it, then follow up with Avalanche!" Vaeryn ordered, swinging his staff at his Pokemon. "And Dunseraph, fly out of the way!"
Fanfninter quickly got in the way of the Blizzard while Dunseraph flew over it. Despite the attack's power and the Snow Guardian's Pokemon lack of resistance to it, the way Fafninter stood in the middle of the cold gale it almost looked like it was a minor annoyance.
"Faaaa...!" Fafninter let out a low pitched growl.
Ice boulders appeared above Frosthra and Dunseraph, these ones being twice as big as the ones that had manifested the first time Fafninter had used such an attack. Serena felt a cold hand grasping her heart; if such an attack landed, Dunseraph would be knocked out and Frosthra would soon follow.
It seemed that Ash was feeling the same, as there was a hint of panic in his expression. "Frosthra, stop that Blizzard and use Protect above you! Dunseraph, get below him!"
Frosthra was able to cancel that Blizzard in time and quickly erected a green glowing dome above him, covering both him and Dunseraph, now below him, just a second before the giant ice chunks rained upon them. The frozen blocks smashed against the energy barrier, producing loud crashing noises and shattering into smaller pieces, but the shield held long enough to weather the whole attack.
"This is our chance, Dunseraph! Flamethrower on that Frosthra!" Vaeryn ordered.
"Dun, se!" Dunseraph cried, taking a deep breath and exhaling a torrent of flames towards the wide open Frost Moth Pokemon.
"SERAPH!" Ash's Dunseraph cried, and without waiting for Ash to issue any order, got himself in front of Frosthra and launched a Dragon Pulse towards his enemy counterpart.
Once again, both attacks clashed in the middle, resulting in an explosion with neither being able to overpower the other.
"Well done, Dunseraph! You saved Frosthra!" Ash praised the dragon.
"Fro, fros!" Frosthra happily chirped in gratitude.
"S-Seraph...!" Dunseraph grumbled, averting both Ash and Frosthra's gaze.
Among the spectators, Dunseraph's action didn't go unnoticed either.
"Whoa, look at that. Dunseraph used to be such a jerk, but he saved Frosthra in the nick of time!" Bonnie beamed.
"Yes. It took longer than usual, but it seems that Ash's compassion and selflessness is finally rubbing off on that Pokemon," Serena added.
"Pi, pika!" Pikachu nodded in agreement.
Vaeryn was nonplussed over his tactic having been foiled by Dunseraph's unexpected bout of teamwork. "That was a nice save, my boy. Your Pokemon are well trained indeed, and know to work well together."
"Thank you, sir. It's the fruit of both our training and countless battles fought together," Ash replied.
The Gym Leader nodded in agreement. If Vaeryn only knew how Dunsparce was when Ash caught him, he'd understood the full implication of that statement.
"And soon, the fruit of our efforts will include another badge!" Ash continued, as he thrust a pointing had forward. "Dunseraph, Dragon Pulse on Fafninter!"
"Dun, raph!" Dunseraph cried, as he opened his jaws and exhaled a dragon-shaped energy beam of swirling amethyst and fuchsia.
"Deflect with Dragon Tail, Fafninter! And Dunseraph, use Flamethrower!" Vaeryn replied.
"Ninte...!" Fafninter cried, as its tail glowed with a vibrant green aura whole doubling in length. The furry dragon then swiped said tail at the incoming Dragon Pulse, deflecting it.
Meanwhile, Dunseraph took a deep breath, as it prepared to release yet another blazing inferno from its jaws.
"Frosthra, don't let it! Seal its mouth shut with String Shot!" Ash quickly ordered.
"Fro, fros!" Frosthra chriped, before shooting a sticky thread from his tiny jaws, which quickly wrapped around the God Snake Pokemon's own, stopping it from opening them and canceling the Flamethrower.
"Dunseraph!" Vaeryn shouted. "Quickly, get rid of that sticky substance!" Vaeryn urged.
"We won't let you! Dunseraph, Sky Fall!" Ash ordered.
"Seeeee!" Dunseraph cried, coating himself in a cloak of swirly pressurized air before barreling towards his enemy counterpart.
"Don't let him! Fafninter, intercept that Dunseraph with Avalanche!" Vaeryn ordered.
"Not so fast! Frosthra, counter that Avalanche with Bug Buzz!" Ash commanded.
"Fros!" Frosthra chirped in agreement.
As Fafninter summoned yet another bunch of ice blocks above the battlefield – thankfully, they weren't as big this time around due Fanfninter not taking any damage from the Dragon Pulse – Frosthra chirped loudly as he released destructive sonic waves towards the falling ice boulders. The sonic blast managed to shatter the ice before any of the larger chunks could touch Dunseraph.
"You don't need your mouth to attack, Dunseraph! Protect yourself with Air Slash!" Vaeryn reminded it.
Vaeryn's Dunseraph began to beat its large wings, producing a powerful wind with blades of compressed air mixed in.
Both the wind and the blades of air washed over Ash's Dunseraph. However, the cloak of pressurized air around his body acted as a makeshift armor, protecting him from the worst of the attack and allowing him to keep his momentum.
"SERAPH!" Ash's Dunseraph cried loudly as he smashed into Vaeryn's, who broke the makeshift gag that very moment, producing an air explosion upon contact as the pressurized air expanded all of sudden while sending Vaeryn's Pokemon careening towards the ground below.
"Frosthra, Blizzard!" Ash shouted.
"FROOOOOO!" Frosthra loudly chirped, hovering above the fallen Dunseraph as he beat his wings as fast as he could, blowing the enemy Dunseraph with a cold wind and submitting it to a rain of snow and hard ice chunks so hard, it resulted in an explosion of ice and cold that sent frozen chunks in every direction.
"Dunseraph!" Vaeryn cried again.
When the cold mist that had appeared as a byproduct of Frosthra's attack dispelled, everybody could see Vaeryn's Dunseraph lying on the ground, frost and snow all over its body. It shivered and twitched, but made no attempt at getting back into the air.
The referee raised a flag in Ash's direction. "Dunseraph is unable to battle!"
Needless to say, this elicited a round of cheers from Serena, Clemont and Bonnie.
"Yes! Great job, Frosthra and Dunseraph! You're doing amazing!" Bonnie loudly cheered.
"Nenene!" Dedenne added.
"One more Pokemon, and Vaeryn is toast!" the lemon blonde added.
"Well, not exactly. While this is the last Pokemon Vaeryn will send, Ash still has to deal with that Fafninter," Clemont punctualized. "It took some damage, but it has both incredible resistance and offensive power."
"Did you see the way it weathered that Blizzard as if it was nothing?" Serena reminded them. "It may be part Ice-type, but it's also part Dragon-type. It should have done more damage."
"Perhaps it has an ability that let it take less damage from Ice-type moves," Clemont speculated. "After all, it didn't dare to just take that Dragon Pulse."
"So, what will be Vaeryn's last Pokemon then?" Bonnie asked, as he observed Vaeryn grabbing another pokeball.
"Probably Ampharos. Given how it fought Greninja, and its ability to Mega Evolve... it's obvious Ampharos is Vaeryn's trump card," Clemont guessed.
A guess that would be shortly confirmed.
"Ampharos, show your worth!" Vaeryn said, casting the pokeball.
The capture device opened, and from inside it emerged the Light Pokemon.
"Ampha, pharo!" it bleated.
"You've done well so far, son. But now, the hardest part of your challenge begins," Vaeryn said, his voice full of confidence despite having lost two Pokemon to Ash's one. "I'm sure you remember this little guy over here."
"How could I forget?" Ash replied with a mild shrug. "Just like how I won't forget defeating it this time."
The referee raised both flags. "The battle continues!"
"Alright, let's go onto a total offensive! Frosthra, Bug Buzz!" Ash ordered.
"Frooooo, fro, fro, fros!" Frosthra buzzed loudly, producing a string of destructive sonic waves towards the enemy Pokemon.
Vaeryn smirked under his beard. "Ampharos, Light Screen! And Fafninter, shield Ampharos with your body and counter with Avalanche!"
"Phaaaaa...!" Ampharos bleated, its eyes glowing yellow as a golden, glass-like sphere of energy appeared around it and Fafninter before vanishing.
Fafninter placed itself in front of Ampharos, taking the brunt of the powerful Bug-type attack. The Light Screen reappeared, and the Snow Guardian Pokemon's reaction was just as nonchalant as when it took the Blizzard.
"Ash made a good choice in not using Blizzard. Given how often Frosthra has used that move so far in the fight, he must only have one good Blizzard left in him," Serena thought, recalling how Dunsparce overused Ancient Power to the point it became unusable during the battle against Sheldon. "And given Fafninter's already great resistance towards Ice, the Light Screen would have made a Blizzard a complete waste."
"Ninter!" Fafninter growled.
Massive blocks of ice appeared above Dunseraph and Frosthra, casting threatening shadows over them.
"Dunseraph, quickly, Dig underground! And Frosthra, fly out of the way!" Ash ordered.
"Duns!" Dunseraph cried before spinning like a drill and burrowing underground. Frosthra, meanwhile, tried to dodge the giant ice boulders as they fell down the ground below, making loud crashing noises upon touching the ground.
"I have foreseen what your plan is, my boy, but I'm afraid it won't yield the results you seek," Vaeryn said. "Ampharos, Thunder against the battleground!"
"No!" Ash shouted, horror creeping up his spine as he realized what Vaeryn was about to do.
"Amphaaaaaaa...ROS!" Ampharos bleated as it charged its body with electricity, before releasing it in the form of a single, powerful blast against the ground.
The electric bolt pretty much ripped through the ground, shattering it, and blasting Dunseraph into the surface.
"Seraph!?" the confused dragon asked.
"Now's your chance, Fafninter! Get close to Dunseraph and use Dragon Claw!" Vaeryn ordered.
"Faf, fafni!" Fanfninter growled in agreement as it sprinted towards Dunseraph, leaping into the air as aits claws glowed with an emerald light while also doubling in size and becoming much sharper, and delivering a pair of powerful swipes at the angelic dragon.
"Now Ampharos, finish him off with Dragon Pulse!" Vaeryn ordered as he slammed the bottom of his staff into the ground.
"Amph!" Ampharos bleated, opening its mouth and exhaling a dragon-shaped energy beam of purple and fuchsia colors.
"Frosthra, quickly, shield Dunseraph with Protect!" Ash desperately called.
"Fro, fros!" Frosthra buzzed before rocketing towards Dunseraph as fast as his ice wings allowed him to.
Unfortunately, in evading that Avalanche, Frosthra was too far away from Dunseraph to reach his partner in time, and the Dragon-type attack hit the God Snake Pokemon. The angelic dragon let out a howl of pain as it pummeled to the ground, crashing with a loud sound. While his body twitched and trembled, it appeared it had no more energies left to move.
The referee raised a flag in Vaeryn's direction. "Dunseraph is unable to battle!"
Ash sighed, and returned his defeated dragon. "Good job buddy, you did your best."
"Aw, what a pity," Bonnie complained, resting her chin over both her hands. "Whenever Ash beats one of Vaeryn's Pokemon, Vaeryn knocks one of Ash's Pokemon out."
"That goes on to show how strong Vaeryn is. Every advantage Ash is able to get is temporary at best," Clemont observed.
"So, what Pokemon will Ash choose?" Serena asked. "He might want to give Greninja a rematch against Vaeryn's Ampharos, but he still has Splendifowl and Archilles."
"Splendifowl would be the worst option, no doubt," Clemont stated, as he adjusted his glasses. "A flying type wouldn't do well against an Ice-type and an Electric-type."
"Archilles, I choose you!" Ash said, sending his final Pokemon to battle.
"Ar, archilles!" Archilles roared upon being released, the flames around his body bruning brightly despite the cold air.
"Oh. He chose Archilles," Bonnie said, perking up.
"It's a sound choice. His type combination gives him an advantage over Vaeryn's Pokemon in both offense and defense," Clemont said approvingly. "However, Archilles is the least experienced of Ash's Pokemon, having only fought in one Gym Battle so far, and none after evolving, so that may play against him."
"Maybe, but Archilles has proved to be a reliable Pokemon," Serena countered. "Plus, if all else fails, Ash can Mega Evolve him."
"If I'm being honest, lad, I was expecting you to save your Greninja for your last choice," Vaeryn observed, though he didn't sound disapproving. "I don't even remember you having an Archilles the first time we met."
"That's because I caught him after that," Ash said, shrugging. "So what, are you disappointed that you aren't going to fight Greninja a second time?"
"Not in the slightest," Vaeryn said without hesitation. "Any Pokemon trained by you is bound to be a formidable opponent, and this one doesn't look to be an exception," Vaeryn then smiled. "Plus I see that he's carrying one of my gifts. Yes, we might be down to our last two Pokemon, but I have the feeling that the best part of the battle is yet to come."
The referee raised both flags. "The battle continues!"
"So now, Ash, I hope you don't mind if I decide that it's time to stop taking things easy and go all out," Vaeryn calmly said, pressing a switch on his staff that opened the dragon head, revealing Vaeryn's Keystone inside it. Vaeryn took the marble-like item, and held it above his head. "Come on, Ampharos! Let our bond bring forth your power within, and unleash it like a storm! Mega Evolve!"
Both the Keystone in the old man's hand and the Mega Stone attached to Ampharos' collar began to glow, shooting beams of many colors towards each other. The beams clashed and merged into one, and Ampharos began to glow as its body changed, the helix of Mega Evolution flashed before it once the transformation was finished.
"Now Ampharos, Focus Blast on that Frosthra!" Vaeryn ordered.
"Aaaaaaamp...!" Ampharos bleated, bringing its paws together to from an orb of red energy between them, before tossing it at the Frost Moth Pokemon.
"Block it with Shadow Claw, Frosthra!" Ash ordered. "And Archilles, Flamethrower!" Ash shouted.
Frosthra raised one of its upper claws and coated it in a black, ghostly aura, and smashed it against the coming attack, which shattered against the Ghost-type move instantly. Meanwhile, Archilles took a deep breath and exhaled a stream of flames from his open jaws.
"Fafninter, block that attack and reply with Avalanche!" Vaeryn replied.
"Nin!" Fafninter growled in affirmation as it stood on the path of the Flamethrower.
The Light Screen activated once again as the flames washed over the Snow Guardian Pokemon, who looked as if the attack had no effect on it. Fafninter then summoned another batch of huge ice chunks over Ash's Pokemon.
"Frosthra, dodge them! Archilles, get closer to them with Flame Impact!" Ash commanded.
"Ar, archi!" Archilles cried, his body being engulfed by a cloak of raoring flames and barreling towards Vaeryn's Pokemon, leaving a trail of fire behind him.
The ice boulders fell across the battlefield with loud crashing noises, but neither of them managed to get even close to the speeding Archilles, while Frosthra was also able to avoid them even with more difficulty. Archilles eventually reached Ampharos, slamming against the Mega Evolved Pokemon with his flame-coated body.
As expected, the Light Screen didn't trigger.
Ash smirked. "Now Brick Break!"
Vaeryn's eyes raised so much his eyes became visible. "Ampharos, fall back!"
Archilles swung his tail, glowing with a bright white light, against his Electric and Dragon-type opponent, slapping it in the face. There was a sound similar to that of glass shattering as golden sparks burst around Vaeryn's two Pokemon.
"Ampharos, Power Gem!" Vaeryn ordered.
The gemstone on Ampharos' forehead began to glimmer, before firing a bright red energy beam with silver edges at Archilles. Being so close to Ampharos, the Fire Raptor Pokemon was unable to dodge and was blasted backwards by the attack, rolling into the snow.
"Archilles!" Ash cried.
Fortunately for him, his Pokemon quickly jumped back to his feet.
The battle seemed to reach a lull as both teams of Pokemon regrouped and waited for their trainers to issue more orders.
"I must admit, your choice in your last Pokemon was cleverer than I first had assumed," Vaeryn admitted. "Well done, my boy."
"Thank you, sir. I have firsthand experience on how annoying Light Screen can be, and I only have one Pokemon on hand that could get rid of that," Ash explained. His eyes drifted towards Fafninter. "Especially with how resilient that Fafninter is. It has taken so many attacks so far, yet it barely looks hurt."
"You noticed, huh? Yes, my Fafninter is an impenetrable fortress. Especially if it has Ampharos' Light Screen to reinforce it further from Special attacks," Vaeryn proudly said as he also looked at the furry dragon.
"Though most of the attacks you were willing to have Fafninter endure were either Fire and or Ice-type, at least before the Light Screen," Ash explained. Serena realized it was true, Vaeryn had ordered Fafninter to deflect a Dragon Pulse with Dragon Tail. "That means that Fafninter's ability must be Thick Fat."
"An astute observation. Indeed, Fafninter's ability is Thick Fat. Many trainers coming here rely on those two types thinking that they can take my Pokemon down. Fafninter shows them how wrong they are," Vaeryn acknowledged. "That means that all the firepower of your Archilles or the cold winds of your Frosthra will barely slow it down. With Fafninter as my shield and Ampharos as my spear, my team is unstoppable!"
"There's no shield that cannot be cracked, as I had just demonstrated. And spears can be broken too. As for Archilles' firepower..." Ash said, as his hand went to his shuriken necklace. Vaeryn held his breath. "... I can increase it by turning up the heat! Come on Archilles, let's show them how strong we are together!"
Ash touched the Keystone of the necklace with his other hand, as it and Archilles' Mega Stone began to shimmer. Tendrils of light shot from each stone towards each other, merging together and linking trainer and Pokemon. Archilles growled as his body grew and transformed, feathers growing around its face, arms, back legs and tail, while the flames on the body parts that were on fire grew in size. The Mega Evolution helix briefly flashed before Archilles, signaling the end of the transformation.
The clouds above them started to disperse as the sky began to clear, the sun shone with greater brightness, snow stopped to fall and the temperature began to slowly rise.
"Ar, archiii!" Archilles cried, letting out a plume of fire from his jaws.
Vaeryn hummed in approval. "Yes, as I expected, it seems like mastering Mega Evolution was of little difficulty to you. 'Seems' being the key word. I'm afraid I won't remain completely convinced until I see how your Pokemon manages to fight in his transformed state."
"It will be a pleasure! Archilles, Flame Impact! Frosthra, follow him closely!" Ash ordered.
"Archi!" Archilled cried, once again coating his entire body in a cloak of flames before rocketing forward, leaving a trail of fire in his wake.
"Fafninter, take the attack and prepare an Avalanche!" Vaeryn ordered.
Both Fanfinter and Ampharos placed each other so the latter would be behind the former, who was ready to take the physical attack.
"As if we're going to let you! Frosthra, String Shot at Fafninter! Aim for the face!" Ash ordered.
"Froooo!" Frosthra buzzed, launching several threads of sticky glob into the Snow Guardian Pokemon's face.
"F-Faf!" Fafninter cried as the sticky substance latched to his face. The blinded Pokemon began to move around as it tried to pry the substance from his face with its front claws.
That left the way to Ampharos open. Not that it meant that Ampharos would be defenseless.
"Ampharos, protect yourself with Fire Punch!" Vaeryn commanded.
The Electric and Dragon-type Pokemon clenched its paws as they were covered in flames, using both of them to stop Archilles before the Fire Raptor Pokemon could slam into it.
"Frosthra, Shadow Claw!"
"Froooooos!" Frosthra angrily buzzed as he dived towards Ampharos, one of his upper claws coated in translucent black, ghostly energy. "THRA!"
The claw swipe sent Ampharos reeling backwards, making the Pokemon bleat in pain.
"Quickly Archilles, follow up with Dragon Claw!" Ash ordered.
A green, claw-shaped aura appeared at the end of each of Archilles' arms, doubling the size of his natural claws, and quickly moved to imitate Frosthra, delivering a pair of devastating swipes at the still off-balance Ampharos.
"Fafninter, Dragon Tail!" Vaeryn shouted, his voice carrying a lot of urgency.
The Snow Guardian Pokemon, who had finally scratched the sticky substance from its face, dashed towards Ash's Pokemon, as its tail began to glow green while doubling in size, delivering a powerful slap at Archilles' face, sending the fire dinosaur rolling backwards.
"And Ampharos, Fire Punch on Frosthra!" Vaeryn ordered.
Ampharos jumped in the air in order to reach the Frost Moth Pokemon, who didn't have time to react before the Mega Evolved Pokemon's flaming fist smashed against the ice bug's face, sending him careening backwards.
"Archilles! Frosthra!" Ash yelled. "Are you guys okay?"
After getting back to his feet, Archilles growled in agreement. Frosthra shook his head in order to shake the dizziness of the impact off, before nodding.
"That Fire Punch must have hurt a lot. The harsh sunlight also empowers the Fire-type moves Vaeryn's Pokemon used," Ash said, looking upwards towards the bright sun.
"Let's not give them any time to breathe! Fafninter, Rock Tomb!" Vaeryn ordered.
"Faaaaaf!" Fafninter growled in affirmation.
The Snow Guardian Pokemon conjured many large boulders above Frosthra and Archilles, which quickly rained upon them once gravity took hold of them.
"Archilles, deflect those with Brick Break! And Frosthra, stay close to him!" Ash ordered.
As the giant rocks began to fall, Archilles raised his tail, which started to glow with a bright white light, and quickly swung it at any stone that came close to him. Frosthra, meanwhile, quickly fluttered around his partner in order to avoid both the falling rocks, the shattered shards that flew upon Archilles destroyed them, and Archilles' tail swipes.
"Now Ampharos, follow up with Power Gem! Aim for Archilles!" Vaeryn ordered, slamming the bottom of his staff on the ground.
"Frosthra, move out of the Rock Tomb's area and defend Archilles with Protect!" Ash ordered.
"Fro, thra!" Frosthra buzzed in agreement.
The Frost Moth Pokemon quickly placed himself a couple meters in front of his partner and created a green energy bubble around itself, just as Ampharos fired a crimson energy beam with silver edges, which smashed against Frosthra's shield without cracking it.
"Well done, Frosthra! Continue with Bug Buzz! As loud as you can!" Ash ordered.
Frosthra once again emitted a loud buzzing noise in the form of destructive greenish-yellow soundwaves that rippled through the air towards Vaeryn's Pokemon.
"Ampharos, raise a Light Screen again!" Vaeryn ordered.
"Amphaaa!" Ampharos bleated, its eyes glowing golden, as two spheres of glass-like yellow energy appeared around it and its partner, softening the Bug Buzz the moment it hit.
"That move again? You know Archilles can nullify it with Brick Break!" Ash said.
"And you think we're going to let you get close enough to try? I may be old, lad but I'm not a fool!" Vaeryn boasted. "Fafninter, bury them under an Avalanche!"
"Not this time! Archilles, melt it with Flamethower!" Ash ordered. "Then aim it forward!"
Given the damage Fafninter had taken from Bug Buzz, small as it was, the ice boulders summoned by the Snow Guardian Pokemon were much bigger than usual. Despite their size, neither of them could reach the ground before disappearing, as the heat of Archilles' sun-powered Flamethrower quickly melted them. And once the Ice-type move was no longer a threat, Archilles directed his breath of fire forward towards Ampharos.
"Ampharos, counter with Dragon Pulse!" Vaeryn frantically called.
"Phaaaaaa!" Ampharos bleated, as a dragon-shaped purple and fuchsia energy beam escaped its open mouth.
The stream of flames and the draconic blast smashed against each other, struggling briefly before the torrent of flames started to push the opposing move back, until it tore through it completely, washing Ampharos with a wave of blazing fire. The Light Screen flashed just before the attack hit, softening the blow.
"How's that for firepower, huh?" Ash asked, smirking at Vaeryn.
"Impressive, indeed. But you'll need more than that to bring my Pokemon down," Vaeryn replied. The sunlight started to slowly dim, signifying that the effect of Drought was reaching its end. "Fafninter, Rock Tomb!"
"Frosthra, move out of the attack's area of effect and towards Vaeryn's Pokemon! And Archilles, avoid that attack with Dig!" Ash ordered.
"Fro!"
"Chilles!"
As a cluster of giant boulders appeared above Ash's Pokemon, Frosthra flew away from them while Archilles quickly burrowed underground just before the stones began to fall down.
"A bold strategy, my boy. But bold strategies carry many risks!" Vaeryn said, slamming his staff on the ground. "Ampharos, Thunder on the ground! Bring that pesky lizard to the surface! And Fafninter, get ready to attack!"
"Not so fast! Frosthra, intercept that Thunder with Protect!" Ash ordered.
"What!?"
"Fro, frosthra!" Frosthra buzzed.
Ampharos charged its body with electricity before releasing it in the form of a single, massive bolt that went upwards before arching towards the ground. However, the Frost Moth Pokemon placed himself between the electric attack and the ground as it encased himself inside a green energy bubble. The Thunder smashed against the protective shield and dispelled without causing any harm.
"Now Archilles!" Ash ordered.
A brief ground tremor under its feet was all the warning Ampharos got before Archilles burst from the ground below the Electric and Dragon-type Pokemon, smashing against him with great force.
"Aaaaaaamph!" it bleated in pain.
"Fafninter, help Ampharos! Dragon Claw!" Vaeryn ordered.
"Ninter!" Fafninter growled, as it sprinted towards Archilles, its front claws glowing a vibrant green and doubling in size.
"Archilles, Brick Break against Ampharos! Send it against Fafninter!" Ash said.
"Chilles!" Archilles cried, spinning over his heels while his tail glowed a bright white, just before delivering a powerful tail slap against Ampharos' face.
Ampharos was sent tumbling backwards, crashing against Fafninter as the Light Screen around the two of them shattered into thousands of tiny shards of golden light that quickly vanished.
"Fafninter! Ampharos!" Vaeryn cried in desperation. "Quickly, get back to your feet!"
"Archilles, Flamethrower! And Frosthra, Blizzard!" Ash shouted, thrusting a fist forward.
Archilles took out a deep breath, and taking advantage of the last rays of harsh sunlight, released a torrent of flames towards Vaeryn's Pokemon so hot the air around it rippled. Meanwhile, Frosthra, hovering from above, bombarded the two dragons with a storm of ice and snow. Both fire and ice attacks reached their targets at once, resulting in a cyclone of flames and frost, climaxing in an explosion that made the battleground shake, followed by a cloud of steam.
When the steam dispelled and the dust settled, Vaeryn's Pokemon were lying down on a crater, unconscious, with Ampharos having returned to its base form.
Seeing this, the referee raised a flag in Ash's direction. "Both Ampharos and Fafninter are unable to battle! Since Vaeryn has no more Pokemon while Ash has still two, the winner of the match is Ash!"
After a second of silence, cheers from Ash and his friends filled the air.
"Yes! Awesome!" Ash cheered, pumping a fist in the air.
"Pi, pika!" Pikachu cried happily as he rushed towards his trainer.
"Amazing battle, Ash! I knew you could do it!" Serena said, running towards him, with Bonnie and Clemont trailing behind her.
"Aaaarch..." Archilles wheezed, as he returned his base form.
"Frooo...!" Frosthra buzzed in exhaustion, dropping to the ground.
"You were amazing, guys," Ash told, as he walked towards his tired Pokemon. "When we get back to the Pokemon center, once you guys are recovered, we'll celebrate this victory!"
Both Pokemon nodded and smiled, just before Ash returned them to their respective pokeballs.
"Congratulations for a well earned victory, son," Vaeryn said, his voice signaling satisfaction, as he walked towards Ash, the rest of the Acolytes flocking behind him. "I expected a great battle from you, and not only did you meet said expectations, but surpassed them handily."
"Thanks a lot, sir. Though, you were also quite the tough opponent!" Ash complimented back.
"While I was sure of it before, this battle proves that you're worthy of being called a Mega Evolution Master. Though I'm aware that you didn't come here to hear an old man bestow some title upon you, did you?" Vaeryn smiled knowingly as he pulled something out from within his coat and handed it to Ash. "It is my duty as well as my privilege to hand you the Apex Badge."
Ash eagerly took the badge: it was shaped like a black mountain with a snowy peak, and a four pointed yellow star above it.
"I won the Apex Badge!" Ash triumphantly cried as he held the badge above his head.
"Pi, pikachu!" Pikachu cheered alongside him.
"Almost there, Ash! One more badge and your spot in the Tandor League will be secured!" Clemont stated.
"One more badge, huh?" Vaeryn echoed. "In that case, perhaps you'd be interested in challenging Hinata and Kaito, the leaders of Tsukinami Village. They're the strongest leaders in all of Tandor, and only take challenges from trainers with seven badges."
"I heard that Alain was going to challenge those Gym Leaders too, so I can't settle for less!" Ash agreed. He then looked at Serena. "Though, not just yet. The Grand Festival will be in less than a month and my girlfriend will be competing in it. So we won't go to Tsukinami Village until then."
"I see. There is still more than two months until the Pokemon League, so you have more than enough time to win that last badge," Vaeryn said with a nod. Then, he turned towards Serena too. "Though, speaking of which, I remember that I also gave Keystones to both you and the boy with the glasses, didn't I?"
"That's right, sir," Clemont confirmed.
"In that case, before you leave, would you mind doing me a favor?" Vaeryn asked. "After seeing Ash, I'd also like to see how far you've come in the path of Mega Evolution. I can see in your eyes that you both used such power. And even if my Pokemon are spent, my Acolytes would be more than willing to volunteer to battle you."
As if to confirm their leader's words, several Acolytes stepped forward, a pokeball already in hand.
"I'm okay with it," Serena said.
"Sure, no problem," Clemont agreed as well.
"Excellent! Then show me what are you capable of!" Vaeryn said.
"Knock'em dead, guys!" Ash added.
And thus, Ash traded places with Serena and Clemont, and took the role of spectator as he watched his friends battle against some of the Acolytes of the Dragon with Mega Syrentide and Mega Electruxo. Needless to say, Vaeryn was just as impressed as he had been with Ash, and claimed that Serena and Clemont had also earned the title of Mega Evolution Master.
…
The very next day, Ash and his friends said goodbye to Snowbank Town, and prepared to make their trek down the mountain back to Silverport Town, and from there, they would take a ferry to Maskara Island and return to Venesi City.
With each passing day, the Grand Festival approached, and with it, Serena's biggest challenge so far.
Autho'rs Note: And thus, Ash wins his seventh badge! Yay!
Vaeryn's battle in the game is kind of interesting since you fight him not on your own, but alongside Theo. However, here I preferred to have Ash fight him alone so I could put more focus on his Pokemon, especially Archilles, since this is his only Gym Battle, first Gym Battle since evolving, and first serious battle where he uses Mega Evolution. Sorry if some of you expected Ash to send Greninja so he could have a rematch against Ampharos, but this battle was Archilles time to shine.
Though, if it wasn't for his loss against Natalie, Ash would have sent Greninja against Ampharos, hoping to show Vaeryn the Storm Shuriken, and it would have ended the same way as the battle against Natalie did, with Greninja taking a 100% accurate Thunder to the face, which would have resulted in another loss.
Well, not much else to say here, given that, like the previous chapter, this one was mostly a battle.
Thanks a lot to Fox McCloude, hirowriter, MarcusDarkus87 and BrightNova169 or reviewing the last chapter.
Next chapter, our heroes return to Venesi City, as the Grand Festival is about to begin! And lot of characters will be making a return for such an important event. In the meantime, be sure to left a review with your thoughts on this chapter!
