Time for another Gym battle! Or rather, this trilogy's obligatory double battle! Let's sing a duet with Chapter 10!
Chapter 10
A Duet
Time was not on Juliana's side. She knew that.
Accepting Ryme's offer for battle at sunset meant, by the time all was said and done, she would be down to her last day to match Grusha's challenge. Yet she knew, if she ran from this now, she'd regret it forever. Every time she looked at Koraidon, that decision was confirmed. There was no other choice but to stand and battle Ryme; to prove to Koraidon that they could take all of this on together.
He didn't quite get the memo, sitting despondently next to Arven and Mabosstiff, but his eyes tracked her nonetheless. Whether she was eating whatever meal she could, or formulating ideas on paper, he watched, as if waiting for her to prove him wrong. She could admit she wasn't doing a very good job of it at first. Not until the day started wending towards evening, and after an afternoon of watching her Pokémon practice, did she finally make her own, very visible, move.
"All right, guys, line up!" She clapped her hands together, and all of her Pokémon came together. For the first time, Juliana was amazed at the array before her, hardly realizing she had truly put a full team together. Ceruledge stood stoic, next to a proud Quaxwell. On Quaxwell's other side was the ever-scheming Tinkaton, leaning on her hammer, which dwarfed Lokix. Kilowattrel and Arboliva took up the rest, attentive and ready for instruction. Juliana swelled with a bit of pride. "Look at us. We're a real team, aren't we? Took a while, but we finally got here.
"Now we have to help our last member."
"Tinka!" Tinkaton's rowdy shout earned a glower from Ceruledge. The others had their bravery and readiness flare in their eyes, each waiting for the order. Juliana, however, already knew her decision.
"You guys, we've fought a lot together, but this is more important than any of that. Koraidon has helped each and every one of us. Now it's time to return the favor. And I can only take two of you into battle, which means the rest need to cheer us on and show him that we're all in the fight together." Juliana stopped pacing and faced her companions. Her eyes briefly glanced aside to Koraidon, hoping to reach out to him. "So, I've decided that Tinkaton and Ceruledge will be battling Ryme."
"Tinka?!"
"Sera?!" Upon hearing both spitting fire and indignation at the decision, Ceruledge and Tinkaton turned on each other. She instantly grabbed her hammer and he sharpened his blades. They looked ready to lash at each other, only for a pair of water-wreathed wings to insert themselves between the pair.
"Quaxell." Both froze and watched as Quaxwell shook his head. That gave them hesitation, but didn't dull the annoyance in their eyes at being forced to work together. On the sidelines of the Center's battle court, Arven began to laugh, inspiring Mabosstiff to start barking.
"This is the exact reason it needs to be you two," Juliana said, hands on her hips. That was enough for the pair to disengage and turn their backs on one another, but they listened to her all the same. "You clearly don't like each other, having very different ways of thinking, but we're all part of the same team. We're all friends here. And if the two of you can overcome Ryme together, then we can do anything! I don't need you to like each other. I just need you to understand each other and win."
Her words appeared to inspire a stalemate, and after a moment, Tinkaton sighed. She held her hammer out. Ceruledge considered it, then tapped it with his blade. She swung it at him, and the two seemed set to bicker again, only for Quaxwell to shout and cow them both, like the big brother tired of his siblings. Juliana rolled her eyes and stepped away.
The sun sunk lower, disappearing behind some of the mountain peaks, signaling it was just about time for the battle. It did provide her with a moment to kneel before Koraidon, though. She reached out, patting him on the head. "Just watch, Koraidon. This might not be an easy battle, especially with those two, but we'll do our best. Every single one of us is on your side. We're going to Area Zero together."
She patted him once more and stood, walking away. For a moment, she felt like he was reaching out for her, the way she had reached out for so many that had turned away, but that mattered little. After a few seconds, he was following her and the team anyway.
Out of the Pokémon Center they walked together, aiming for the one brightly lit part of the city that thrummed with music. People and Pokémon were gathered, as if it was a celebration, but Juliana knew it was just a part of the Montenevera lifestyle. All it was missing was the guest of honor, and it was for her that the crowd parted, right to the very front of the stage. Arven threw himself on the ground next to Koraidon, and all the Pokémon not battling surrounded them. Diego approached.
"Yo, you ready to battle, Miss Juli?" he shouted. Juliana reached forward, slapping her hand against his and nodded.
"Bring it."
"Now that's what I like to hear, baby!" More light flooded the stage and music pounded from the gigantic speakers, sending a beat that made the crowd move. Where the light pooled, the form of Ryme emerged, microphone in hand. "You come into a battle, gotta be ready for the fight. If you wanna win, baby, step into the light!"
The crowd applauded and cheered at a sign of her skill, but Juliana didn't. She looked up, right at Ryme. Challenger and Gym Leader matched eyes. They both knew what the battle was for. Nodding, Juliana turned and began to climb the stage, Tinkaton and Ceruledge right behind her. Diego already started to talk.
"Aw yeah, this is a battle between the challenger, Juli, and the MC of RIP, Gym Leader Ryme!" he shouted, his own microphone echoing across the square. "This is gonna be a double battle, with each side usin' only two Pokémon! Battle's over when both Pokémon on one side are knocked out. Y'all ready? Let's get battlin', yo!"
"Spiritomb, Houndstone, let's wake the dead!"
Flashes on Ryme's side of the battlefield indicated the summoning of her Pokémon. At their sight, Tinkaton and Ceruledge both rushed to the field, nearly bumping into one another and causing Juliana to sigh. She let it go in favor of the opposing Pokémon, however: one a nebulous swirl of purple and green ghastly energy attached to a stone, and another like a massive Graveard, complete with gray, fluffy fur and a tombstone upon its head. From the way the latter barked and yipped in Ryme's presence, Juliana instantly knew this was the Pokémon that Ryme claimed to have raised from the dead.
So, she's taking her partner and going full throttle, she thought, her lips twisting this way and that. Then we'll need to, as well. But these two won't be able to just like that. They'll be able to handle their own opponents, though.
"Tinkaton, Stone Edge! Split the stage!"
"Ton!" Tinkaton lifted her giant hammer. With her tiny body, she brought it crashing down. Soon as it struck the stage a row of many stones appeared. They ran through the stage, becoming a barricade that split it in two. Houndstone leapt to the side, separating the dog from Spiritomb and leaving both to tackle their foes separately. Ryme shook her head. Tinkaton, meanwhile, took the time to smirk at Ceruledge.
"No grandstanding. Play Rough on Spiritomb! Ceruledge, Night Slash!"
"Ser!" Not bothering to give Tinkaton the satisfaction, Ceruledge blitzed straight for Houndstone. Tinkaton did the same, grinning madly and beating her hammer on the ground.
It vaulted her forward, right for Spiritomb, and she began to swing. Her cackle echoed through the speakers on the stage and her body glowed a pale pink and yellow. Tinkaton twirled and then let gravity bring her hammer down. At the same moment as she was about to strike the wispy ghost, Ceruledge had reached Houndstone. His blades glowed a deep violet, and with a shout, he'd a made a cross-slash straight through the hound.
"Shadow Claw!" Juliana shouted without missing a beat. Her eyes traveled all over the battlefield, trying to keep every aspect of the match in her mind. Ceruledge's blades brimmed with jagged shadows. He slashed out, and at the same time, Tinkaton's hammer was a hair's breadth from striking Spiritomb.
"Oh, honey, this is a double battle," Ryme said, twirling her microphone in hand. Juliana felt her jaw involuntarily clench. "You wanna win, you gotta all show yo mettle. Shadow Sneak."
"Spira…" Spiritomb's cold, callous voice sent a chill down Juliana's spine. The malevolent-looking Pokémon's features twisted further, becoming a leering grin before its body became formless, sinking into the shadows. Tinkaton's hammer hit nothing but the stage, causing her to stumble. "Tomb!"
"Dig!" Juliana flinched again, Ryme's bars coming back to haunt her. Houndstone barked, and with a fluid movement, dodged Ceruledge's newest strike to burrow under the ground. At the same time, Spiritomb appeared as a lancing shadow, first pooling beneath Tinkaton's feet and then driving upwards. It tossed her into the air, her hammer flipping around wildly. The ground began to break right next to Spiritomb.
"Kilowa! Kilowa!" Kilowattrel's call sounded like warning, but Juliana took it as encouragement. She clenched her fist.
You can take it. She set her jaw. "Gigaton Hammer! Ceruledge, Swords Dance!"
"Ah, ya gettin' it, Juli?" Ryme said, grinning as she spun her microphone. The ground finally broke, Houndstone emerging from underneath the stage and leaping right for Tinkaton. She spun in midair, her hammer bursting with silver light before she swung. Houndstone was only midleap when the hammer caught it. "Nasty Plot."
"Tinkton!" The battle was moving faster than Juliana or Tinkaton could anticipate, but it didn't stop her Hammer Pokémon from acting. With a mighty, cackling swing, Houndstone was pitched down, slamming into the ground, but recovering. On the other side, Ceruledge blazed with a red light, sharpening his bladed arms against one another.
The real problem was Spiritomb.
"Spiri spiri."
"Brutal Swi-"
"Shadow Ball." Ryme snapped her fingers, the beat of the speakers pounding across the stage. It shined a light on Koraidon, watching but still listless. There was no wonder, there. They were already caught up in Ryme's beat.
"Hound!" Soon as Houndstone finished skidding back, his jaw opened, summoning the ghostly energy to it. It formed an orb of shadows, crackling and cackling, and then fired. Tinkaton landed, and instead of executing the move she expected, Juliana called for a guard. Her hammer flashed out, knocking the Shadow Ball into one of the lights up top.
As expected, though, darker energies pooled around Spiritomb, flooding it with the same red light that Ceruledge had on display.
"Dark Pulse."
"Hold your ground, Tinkaton!" Juliana shouted. She breathed out, taking what she could in the battle. Ceruledge finished charging on the other side. "Night Slash, break through the rocks!"
"Seledge!"
"Tomb!" Ceruledge charged forward, blades charged up at the same time as Spiritomb's body finished gathering energy. Houndstone leapt back, avoiding the malicious energy that poured out of Spiritomb's body in inky spirals. Tinkaton swung her weapon, planting it in the ground and the wave soon washed over her, causing her to grimace.
Her struggle was short-lived. Moments later, the violet blades of Ceruledge broke through the stones, shattering them as he joined the battle.
"Bitter Blade on Houndstone!"
"Sedge!" Ceruledge swung his blades, burning with a cold, indigo light. He dashed right for the hound, the flames spreading all the way up his arms. As he did, Tinkaton shook her head, looking disappointed.
"Play Rough," Ryme ordered. She grinned. "C'mon, Juli, show me you're tough."
"Hound!" Houndstone's bark preceded its glow, the familiar pink and yellow covering the chipper Ghost type. It bounded forward, right for Ceruledge, paws outstretched. Ceruledge slashed with his fiery blades, only for it to be caught by the first paw. The other came out, smacking into his helmeted head. Then came the hindlegs, punting the armored Pokémon backwards.
At the same time, Spiritomb sunk underneath the ground once more.
"Korai…" Koraidon's worried, despondent call said everything about Juliana's fortunes in the battle.
No. I won't let him down. "Catch it, Brutal Swing!"
"Tinkaaaton!" She lifted her hammer, the dark energy crackling around her body. Shadows stretched across the battlefield, swirling and circling around Tinkaton in an effort to obfuscate Spiritomb's position. The Pokémon outside the field were crying out, but Tinkaton didn't pay attention to them. She didn't even pay attention to Ceruledge, who was thrown back by the full weight of Houndstone's Play Rough. She just began to swing, her hammer alight with dark energy.
Spiritomb emerged, its shadow lancing forward.
"Ton!" Tinkaton completed a rotation, catching Spiritomb's body and ripping it out of the ground. Tinkaton kept spinning. With precision, she brought her hammer roaring down until Spiritomb was flattened against the ground, its base trapped by the hammer that had hit it. "Ton! Tinkaton!"
"Ser…sera…" Ceruledge grimaced, unhappy about Tinkaton's crowing. She was clearly proud over her momentary tricky victory, and wanted Ceruledge to know it.
Juliana didn't have time for them. Ryme certainly didn't.
"Burning Jealousy."
"Spiri….spiriTOMB!"
"Tinka?!" Tinkaton looked down, eyes widening. Fire bloomed and blossomed, though it wasn't a usual kind of fire. This one had a deeper orange, tinged with green. As if Spiritomb's own malicious thoughts and feelings, or perhaps mere existence, were manifesting, the fire sprouted and then rushed out. It consumed Tinkaton, forcing her to relinquish her grip and stumble backwards, a burn ranging along her figure. She stumbled, and in that moment, Spiritomb sunk back into the ground, reemerging by Houndstone's side. "Tink…a…tink…"
"Sera seru…" Ceruledge shook his head, chastising her. Tinkaton didn't like that.
"Tinkaton! Tink!" Fire lashed at her, and she winced, cutting off the argument. They both looked at their opponents across the way, and to Ryme, beckoning them to continue the fight. On the sides, Koraidon sunk back in, their fortunes dropping.
"You two can bicker later. Don't try to upstage the other," Juliana ordered, causing both Pokémon to look mollified. A second look at Koraidon made it even worse for them. "I know you can pull it off, and if you can't together, then keep each busy so the other doesn't have to struggle. For now…change it up!" She smacked her fist into her palm. "Tinkaton, Play Rough on Houndstone! Ceruledge, Shadow Claw frenzy! Put pressure on Spiritomb and don't let up!"
"Oh, now we're in it! Houndstone, match it!"
"Stone!" Houndstone and Tinkaton both glowed the same, and both charged at each other. Ceruledge ran forward, as well, his blades becoming as jagged, wispy claws. He and Tinkaton crossed past each other, barely paying the other any mind on the way to their targets. They reached them in no time.
"Ton!" Tinkaton swung out, striking against Houndstone's claws. They disconnected and then struck again, their full bodies thrown into the attacks as they clashed. Unlike Ceruledge's attempts, the two matched perfectly, neither able to gain an inch, even as they butted heads against each other with little grins.
"Yeah! That's the way, Juli! Kick her ass!"
"Mabooooff!"
"Sera!" Ceruledge reached Spiritomb and slashed outwards. The wispy spirit ducked backwards, avoiding the attack. That didn't stop Ceruledge from striking once agin. Spiritomb once more avoided, this time sinking into the shadows.
"Rip it out!"
"Ledge!" Ceruledge's blade stabbed the ground and dashed forward, ripping Spiritomb out and flinging it into the air. It floundered for a second before descending. Juliana shouted her next order, and the burning blades followed. With a crossing slash, Ceruledge rent his way through Spiritomb and emerged the other side, his body glowing with rejuvenation.
"Kor?" That sight alone, their second wind gained, made the lizard look up in surprise.
"Shadow Ball, baby! Show 'em how it's done!" Ryme's simple command was enough to remind Juliana they hadn't quite gained the upper hand. Houndstone leapt back, forming the orb and firing straight for Tinkaton, who swung her hammer around in preparation. "Shadow Sneak! Dive in, Spiritomb."
"Spira…" Spiritomb's body once more vanished, becoming the wisps of shadow. Instead of sinking into the ground, however, they joined with Shadow Ball, barreling its way across the stage for Tinkaton. Houndstone, too, was already prepared to move again.
"Keep the pressure. Night Slash!" Ceruledge brandished his blades and dashed for Houndstone. The ghostly dog turned in his direction, just as his projectile was upon Tinkaton. The Steel and Fairy type swiped her hammer, but the orb moved to side, controlled by the shadows within before breaking into her side and causing her to stumble.
"Dig."
"Hound!" Houndstone's bark was followed by it burrowing into the ground, just in time to avoid the slash that came from overhead. Ceruledge stumbled, and the earth soon broke beneath his feet. Houndstone emerged with a howl. He tackled the knight in the chest, causing a smarting wound that made Ceruledge wince, right at the same time as Tinkaton. Spiritomb emerged from the shadows that dispersed around it.
"Play Rough! Get it!"
"Toooon! Tinka!" One smack of her hammer later, enough that part of the stage cracked, and Tinkaton was upon Spiritomb. Her hammer connected in a blow that distorted its entire form, making it scream, before her whole body came around, including her hair. They flew out in a flurry of kicks and punches that soon sent Spiritomb's base flying back, bruises all over it, its formless swirls sagging. Houndstone caught Spiritomb with its mouth and both skidded back.
"Yo, if you think the tides are turnin'," Ryme said, flipping her microphone again, "betta think again, cause yo Fairy type bout to be burnin'. Spiritomb, Terastallize!"
"Korai!"
"Yo, get to it, Miss Ryme!" Diego's call was the call for all the people and Pokémon to cheer. With the darkness around them already deep, Juliana swallowed, knowing it was about to get deeper. From in the folds of her clothing, Ryme pulled out her Tera Orb, shining with its energy.
Koraidon backed up, looking away from the battle as the tides prepared to shift once again. The energy swarmed around the Tera Orb. Once it hit its peak, it flashed out into Spiritomb, covering it with crystal. They built up and shattered, revealing a ghostly hood that indicated the loss of Tinkaton's advantage. Ryme was putting on the pressure.
No more splitting up, then. I don't think she'll let us. Juliana flashed her eyes in her Pokémon's direction. They looked to each other, less than happy about it, but nodding. As if in subtle agreement, they turned their backs to face one another; a sign of solidarity if there ever was one. Quaxwell cheered for them.
"Let the shadows gather, baby! Shadow Sneak!"
"Spriririritomb!" The crystal shined, and Spiritomb's ghostly energy filtered outward like dust on the wind. The few stars present were veiled in that energy, dousing the stage with greater darkness. In that darkness, Spiritomb vanished, becoming many wisps of shadow that joined the ground and swirled around the pair of Tinkaton and Ceruledge. Houndstone hung back.
"It's going for an area attack! Get ready to block!" Ceruledge crossed his swords, eyes scanning the ground. Tinkaton gripped her hammer tight. Both watched and waited for the attack to come, not knowing where it would come from.
"Sing 'em the song!" As if blasting her beat, sound filled Juliana's ears. The shadows stopped moving, and then all at once erupted from the ground with a howl. Each was tinged with purple and green, Spiritomb hidden amongst them. Tinkaton swung her hammer, but it passed right through, leaving her exposed. That caused the shadows to stop and then coalesce into a spear that drove into her and pushed her back, right as Spiritomb formed, the same wicked flames from before present at its leering mouth.
"TOMB!" The flame shot out, all-consuming and roaring across the field for Tinkaton. She raised her hammer to block, but winced at the bruise the shadow had made on her side. It was complicated by the burn passing through her figure. Her hammer fell a bit.
"Serrr…ah!" Like a flashing flame, Ceruledge spun, his own movements unhindered. Tinkaton's eyes widened, actual fear passing through them as Ceruledge's back was to her, his whole body becoming as a shield to protect her. His eyes glinted in the darkness, unrelenting in their pursuit and determination; a reminder of all he had been through, and all they could achieve together.
Koraidon actually looked up, blinking. Arven patted him on the head.
Then the flames hit, exploding with fury and brightening up the stage. Heat washed over Juliana, but she showed no worry. That was confirmed by Ryme looking almost disappointed, but not in Juliana. The Gym Leader was disappointed in herself.
The flames vanished, cut aside, and the purple fire atop Ceruledge's head burned brighter, trailing like a massive tassel. Tinkaton blinked, and waited for Ceruledge to turn his head and nod.
"Flash Fire. Shoulda seen that comin'," Ryme said, shaking her head. "Take it you knew. Though I didn't think he'd cover."
"Maybe not," Juliana admitted, "but that's the thing. Even if they can't stand each other, they'll have each other's backs!"
"For now. Dark Pulse!" Spiritomb's crystalline form drew inwards, its dark energies pulling to one place. Like before, Houndstone kept its distance, prowling on the outskirts, waiting for the moment to strike. Moments later, the energy finished forming and then burst out in inky, spiraled rings.
"Tinka!" This time, Tinkaton was the one to move, hooking Ceruledge with her hammer and pulling him behind her. The attack washed over both of them regardless, with Tinkaton taking the brunt of the blow. She was paying him back, but suffering for it, the sick energy tossing them both and causing them to hit the ground with a roll. "Tink…ton…"
Ragged breaths rose from both, their wasted energies taking their toll on them. Spiritomb didn't look too great, either, but with Houndstone backing it up, Juliana knew it would be hard to take the battle to it without getting burned. In fact, Tinkaton's own body flinched with that same burn.
On the side, Koraidon pawed backwards, shaking his head.
"Don't look away!" Juliana shouted, stomping the ground. Koraidon stopped. "We're hurt, but we're not finished! Ceruledge, Tinkaton, you two have this right? No more fighting, right?"
The Pokémon on the ground groaned, trying to pull themselves up, but stopped midway. They looked to one another, watching for as long as they could, knowing the threat that sat a few feet away. It was clear they wanted to challenge each other, their personalities clashing. Yet they both looked at Koraidon and then at Juliana. She reached one hand in her pocket and another out to them.
They had to be in this together.
A moment under the dark, ghostly sky passed, and then both finally nodded. Tinkaton held her hammer out, and Ceruledge used it to push himself up before his other blade propped her back on her feet.
They weren't out of the game yet.
"And that makes it our turn! Tinkaton, let's get mischievous!" Juliana yanked her other hand out of her pocket, bringing her own Tera Orb out. It shined, matching the gleam from Tinkaton's great grin. Ceruledge shook his head, but hunkered down, ready for the next stage of the fight. The light dazzled and swirled, reflected in Koraidon's eyes as he watched the pair who could never get along prepare for the fight. The light shot out, a bond shared by them, and encased Tinkaton. The crystal shattered, revealing the hat full of a malevolent grin. "Brutal Swing! Night Slash!"
"Tontonton!" Tinkaton's cackle was all the cry they needed. The pair surged forth, both cracking and exuding the wicked energy that they shared together. Lokix jumped up and down atop Koraidon, keeping his eyes on their second wind.
That's right, we're pushing to the end!
"Intercept with Dig!" Houndstone dove underneath the stage, traveling in a visible line for Ceruledge.
"Cross it!" Juliana shouted. Tinkaton spun, her whirling darkness hooking Ceruledge and moving him out of the way. He spun out of it and slashed right for Spiritomb, cleaving through with the Night Slash that was quicker than the eye could follow. At the same moment, Houndstone emerged, but was caught by the swing and thrown to the edge of the stage, where it teetered. Tinkaton kept going, cracking into Spiritomb and flinging it back towards Ryme. Ceruledge leapt backwards. "Now, fling him! Gigaton Hammer!"
"Tinka…" Her little grin gave Ceruledge shivers, but he nodded, jumping up. Tinkaton drew her hammer back, coating it in powerful steel. Then she swung with great might and purpose. Ceruledge's legs landed on the flat surface, his body coiling like Lokix's, and then springing right for Spiritomb.
"Dark Pulse!"
"Bitter Blade! Tinkaton, trap Houndstone with Stone Edge!"
Darkness gathered around Spiritomb as Ceruledge sailed for it. He began to spin, becoming a peerless blade that could slice through all, his body wreathed in the purple flame. Opposite that, Houndstone recovered, shaking its head and growling. Tinkaton didn't give it a moment to rest, whirling her hammer around and smashing it forth. Plinths of rocks emerged, churning up the battlefield until they surrounded Houndstone in a circle, blocking access just enough.
"Spitomb!" The dark energy radiated off the spirit, rolling over the battlefield. Juliana could feel its sickness, but weathered it the same as Tinkaton, who kept an eye on Houndstone's doghouse. She also watched Ceruledge who, though buffeted by the attack, refused to stop until his ghostly flames pierced straight through Spiritomb. The violet flame ranged violently into the sky as it licked at Spiritomb before becoming a wisp that rejoined with Ceruledge.
"Dig. Shadow Sneak!"
"Not this time! Gigaton Hammer on the ground, now!" Juliana bent low as she ordered it, and Tinkaton did the same. Her body crouched, but her hammer was raised high into the sky. It whirled, watching as the shadow pooled into the ground and the stones broke up from beneath. Then she brought it screaming down into the stage. Quakes and cracks traveled outward, breaking the ground beneath their feet, making the land uneven. Houndstone preemptively emerged, shaking his head, and Ceruledge ran right for it, blades blazing with fire.
Spiritomb was also exposed, its shadow wavering on the uneven surface, giving it form with dancing eyes.
"Brutal Swing! Knock it out!"
"TINKAAAA…" Tinkaton whirled her hammer again, picking up velocity as she started to spin. Her feet danced along the ground, making Quaxwell proud, even as her crystal lit up with its powered darkness. She was light and spun fast, the weight of her hammer carrying her until she was unimpeded by the cracked floor to reach Spiritomb. The ghostly Pokémon's eyes widened, its mouth drooping. "TOOOOON!"
The hammer struck home, exploding with black sparks all over the battlefield. Spiritomb's features were flattened, its face smushed in by the force of the attack. Gone was its grin, that same wicked one now on Tinkaton's face as she sent it flying. It spun uncontrollably, hitting the peak of its flight, and then a fissure ran right up its crystal before shattering in two.
Spiritomb fell, fainted.
But the battle wasn't over.
"Last Respects!"
"HOOOOOOOOUUUUND!" The horrible, grieving howl filled the air, causing Juliana to grasp at her ears. The flush of victory and excitement faded away in that one moment, leaving a pit in her stomach. The crowd that had been watching in silence (or perhaps had just been drowned by the noise) was bowled over by the sound. Juliana's Pokémon grabbed to each other. Koraidon turned away, not wanting to look, not believing there was anything but sorrow and despair, same as in the howl.
But Ceruledge and Tinkaton stood, backing up to one another.
Horrific energy seeped from Houndstone, like a memento of its fallen comrade. That same energy formed into a wail of spirits that shot out. They washed over the battlefield, battering into Ceruledge and Tinkaton both, sweeping them off their feet and battering them. All of the grief and rage over Spiritomb's defeat filled the air with the howl until, finally, it subsided and both of Juliana's combatants were left on the ground, shining and panting, but on their last legs.
"Korai…"
"Hey, come on, buddy, you can't think like that," Arven said, reaching over to grab Koraidon. "Juli's not done yet."
"Kor korai." The disbelief made Juliana hang her head, but inside her heart was screaming. Houndstone padded forward.
"And that's the power of teamwork, baby," Ryme said, winking in Juliana's direction. "When your comrade falls, you pick up the slack. So, you never gotta worry about failing. Cuz they can clean it up. Let's finish this with a Shadow Ball."
"Failing?" Juliana whispered. Her hand formed a fist once more, and her head lifted. Tinkaton was straining, and Ceruledge was slipping, each attempting to rise. Across the field, the large orb of ghostly howling was forming. It grew larger, fueled by the loss of Spiritomb. "We're not failing, are we? You're…you're in this together, right?"
"Tin…ka!" Tinkaton reached out, her stubby arms grabbing Ceruledge's legs and using them to lift herself. His blade, trembling with exhaustion, slotted beneath her hammer and lifted it into her possession.
"Sedge."
"That's right. That's right!" Juliana shouted, watching her Pokémon rise. Each of their actions came back to her, from Tinkatink's tricks in the mountains, to Ceruledge's valiant stand against Mela. They were opposites, but they were together. "We're covering each other's weakness so we don't fail! That's why you won't fail either! Got it Koraidon?! We're winning, all of us, together!"
"TINKATON!"
"SELEDGE!"
The cries of both, blazing with Tera energy and their long, flowing flames were further emboldened by the cries of the rest of her Pokémon. That power outpaced the Shadow Ball that had finished forming, rippling at the edges with Houndstone's own now visibly wheezing breaths.
Koraidon finally started to stand, looking at his fellow Pokémon before his eyes traveled to the stage.
"STONE!" The Shadow Ball shot out. Soon as it did, the dog leapt, burrowing into the ground once more.
"Not that trick! Ceruledge, break it! Tinkaton, Gigaton Hammer!"
"Tinkatonton!" Her wicked grin made manifest, Tinkaton rose her hammer and swung it high only to bring it low. Ceruledge dashed right at the Shadow Ball, his blades becoming as shadow. They slashed out, ripping into the orb right as Tinkaton cracked into the floor. The stage broke apart to many shouts, its seismic tremors traveling along to the lights and speakers, causing them to break apart and shatter. Houndstone was driven straight out of the ground and into the air, while at the same time Ceruledge rent its attack in two, scattering it to black dust.
"Time to end this! Tinkaton, launch Ceruledge with a Brutal Swing! Give him all your energy!" Tinkaton whipped her hammer out, using it to fling her body, and she began to spin. Instead of spinning horizontally, however, she moved her body vertically. Ceruledge leapt back, trusting her, leaning in to her wild style, and she caught him on the upswing. All of her dark energy crackled around his ghostly form, filtering into his body as he slashed his blades out. The darkness was siphoned into those blades, and with her last powerful swing, Ceruledge was sent hurtling for the airborne Houndstone.
"Night Slash!"
"Sera seredge!" Houndstone's eyes widened, barking and yapping, but unable to escape the inevitable. All it could see was Ceruledge and his giant, dark blades. In a second, they were upon him. The next second, Ceruledge was on the other side, sailing through the air and twisting.
A bubbling, purple cross soon appeared, splitting the air and rending across Houndstone. The dog cried out, spasming, and then it fell, flopping to the broken stage with a whimper before rolling to Ryme's feet. Ceruledge landed next to Tinkaton, who held her hammer out. He waited a moment, and then tapped against it with his blade.
Diego at last stepped forth. "Houndstone and Spiritomb are unable to battle! The winner is Juliana!"
At that single announcement, the crystal surrounding Tinkaton disappeared, the sky returning to its ghastly, starlit state. She slumped, as did Ceruledge, but Juliana ran forward to both of them. She ruffled them both. "That's how we do it. Together, yeah?"
"Tinkaaaa!"
"That's how you do it," Ryme confirmed. The Gym Leader was bending near her Houndstone, encouraging him lightly before returning him and walking over. "I thought I had you, but these two work together better than they think. Gives me an idea for my new single."
"Well, I…" Juliana resisted the urge to blush, taking her two partners in a hug. "It wasn't just for them. This was a battle we couldn't lose."
"Cuz you were fightin' for someone else, baby," Ryme confirmed. She reached out, now ruffling Juliana's own hair. "I could tell. Every move, every tenacious moment, it was all to prove for somebody else's sake. That's the kinda strength you can't find just battlin' for your own sake."
"Yeah, I-"
"KORAI!" The sudden shout caused Juliana to let go of her Pokémon, only to find her vision mobbed by a whole bunch of them, led by Koraidon. Moments before she was smothered, she could see the spark back in his eyes, the one recognizing the strength she had found and exhibited in the battle. The next moment, she was buried underneath all their weights, her Pokémon covering her in a pile. Arven's laughter echoed.
"Now that's a thank you if ever I heard one!" he said. Soon, she could see his hand inserted in the pile and she grabbed it, allowing herself to be pulled up. "See, Juli? You're not alone. You, too, ya big lunk."
"Kor?" Koraidon sat back, his eyes blinking. Juliana shook her head, her lips taking on the smallest of smiles before she moved over to him. His eyes shone with gratitude, and deeper in, she could see strength that hadn't been there before; strength that increased when her Pokémon moved closer.
That's right. We're not alone. We'll get there together.
"So, what's next, Juli?" The moment broken, Juliana turned to face Ryme. She stood, flanked by all of her Pokémon. Light started to gather in the square, casting dawn upon all gathered there.
"Next up, the Glaseado Gate."
"Oh, yeah. Grusha mention he was waitin' there. Sure you're ready for him?"
Juliana slammed her fist in her palm, but it was Arven who answered. "He'll be a piece of cake. After all, we're taking on Team Star, too, right?"
"Sure are. And that's a fight I'm not losing." She nodded, her conviction making Ryme laugh.
"You're crazy, but I like it. My sis better give you both passin' marks, just for guts alone." The woman waved, clearing off the stage, and in that moment, the sun rose further, casting light on Glaseado's slopes, all the way down to the great gate that would be their destination.
The gate I have the strength to pass. Because it's not just mine. It's all of ours. The strength for Area Zero. The strength to bring Eri back.
The strength to challenge a Champion.
Juliana breathed in, raising a fist to the lingering stars of the dawn. "Everyone, let's go!"
Juliana took yet another step forward.
"So, when do you think you'll let me go?"
Silence followed. Or relative silence, at least. There was the hum of machines and the faint buzzing of computer monitors offset by the glow of crystal intrusions, but the three in the room exchanged no words. In their quietude, Volo raised an eyebrow and then reached forward for a cup and saucer, a surprising civility in a place so overrun.
"What makes you think we'll let you go?" The more masculine voice of the two sitting opposite him caused Volo to flick his eyes over. Unshaven, and wearing a suit that belied his future interests, Professor Turo sat, legs crossed and observing every miniscule movement. Volo didn't answer him, opting to sip on some tea. Sure enough, the professor continued moments later. "After what you've done, can you really think we'd permit it?"
"I think it's a matter of want, not will," Volo responded, sipping quietly. He, too, crossed one leg over the other. "You and I both know that this…farce…can't be kept forever."
"Farce?" the other voice asked. This one was more feminine, and almost striking. Not in beauty, for Volo didn't care about such things, but in just how much she looked like her son. "You blew the plane out of the sky."
"Part of a plan. I'm sorry for the damage it caused you." All present could tell it was nothing but a lie. Volo took another sip and placed his cup down, only to lean forward. "Now, are we going to negotiate this or what?"
"Negotiate? We are detaining you until further notice."
"Detain…" Volo scoffed. He stopped leaning and chose instead to slump back, as if slouching in his place. "As if you could detain me. I have not walked through hell, the eons and the whims of the gods to be detained by the likes of you. Professors who abandoned humanity! The only thing detaining me is that DNA code I failed to procure."
"And you'll never make it past that," Turo said. He now folded his hands, himself leaning forward to observe Volo. It was like trying to find a chink in the armor, one that Volo had no interest in revealing to him. "We will protect it, and that is our way."
"Your way? You could change that in an instant," Volo said, waving off the assumption. He tacked on a sigh at the end. "But I understand. It's not logical to remove so many barriers. Though I wouldn't need you to remove all. Just enough to get me closer. Arven can take care of the rest."
"Closer?" Sada asked, her curiosity piqued. "What are you trying to achieve, Phantom?"
The moniker made Volo scoff once again. Instead of paying attention to the pair, he cast his gaze around the crystal-decorated room. It was a sign of the encroaching infection across Paldea, likely the work of some Legendary Pokémon. He neither knew, nor cared. Source though it might have been, it wasn't the point. After a thought, his mouth moved to answer.
"I'm trying to reach the core of the Crater," he answered. His eyes snapped back to both, holding them in thrall while they listened. Part of them twitched, as if they couldn't decide whether he was threat or ally, and the smallest of smirks stretched over his face. "You built it, so you would know, but what you built it around, that very core…it is everything."
"Of course, it is a path to the future."
"And the past," Sada finished. "And so, why would we ever let you near it?"
"Because it's the only way to save both." Volo stood, kicking his chair behind him and beginning to pace, walking straight up to the largest vein of crystal in the room. "In that core is a connection to time and space I've not seen for two hundred years. Like that Singularity, it is the closest I could have ever gotten to the Original One. An anchor, if you will. I tried to reach it, all that time ago, but she got in the way.
"Not that I blame her. Akari simply doesn't understand, no matter how much I wish she could…"
"You're persistent, I'll give you that," Turo said. He didn't mimic Volo in standing, but followed him with roving eyes, ones that narrowed when Volo briefly touched one of the crystal veins.
"There was a time I wasn't." Volo stepped away, bringing all his attentions back on the two professors that weighed each of his words with logic. "Thought I could just let it go. Was there a point to trying? Tried to just…exist. But that wasn't living."
"Is there even a difference?"
"Isn't there?" Sada blinked at his assertion. Once more, Volo started to pace, his hand running through his hair. "Existence is just the function of living. What's the point if we're subjected to the whims of the gods, forgive me, the Legendary Pokémon of this world? If they can blast apart the seas, eat at the fabric of reality, and all we are left to do is pray, suffer and struggle, we can't be living at all! You know this. Any professor worth their salt knows it! You've seen it!"
"The tipping points," the professors answered in tandem. Volo snorted.
"The tipping points. An avalanche of the gods' fury pouring upon our world and many others. It caused a loss in their power, but hardly diminished their stature. Yet you both, more than anyone, can see what that leads to. It's the reason your research has been of particular interest to me."
"You cannot reach it," Turo said, shaking his head. If Volo hadn't known better, he would have guessed at seeing disappointment in the professor's eyes. "If what you wish to do is make full use of the research, you will fail."
"On that note, I disagree." Volo took a few steps forward, the smirk stretching his face as he placed his hands upon the table between them. "I have seen hell, and I would walk through it again, all to deny the future you've glimpsed."
"The future?" Sada asked, sounding amused. She exchanged a look with Turo, whose head twitched, as if annoyed.
"Surely, you've seen it. Imagined or no, these Pokémon that appear to be glimpses of the future are all robotic. Emotionless. Yet the ones from the past are so vibrant and full of life! If we keep going along this road, if Pokémon become naught but machines, what then is left for humanity?"
"Escape," Turo said. He was beginning to tap his fingers, the cogs whirring and running underneath his dark head of hair. "You said it yourself: the machine has possibility with it, transcending that of time and space. With it, one could fly to any number of possibilities."
"And that possibility may be worse than the last," Volo seethed, his words practically hissing from between his teeth. "There's no way to know for sure, but it's an answer I will get. Whether it be through finding that possibility or through burning it all down, I will know and I will keep fighting for that future. With your help, that possibility is endless."
The offer for alliance hung in the air. Volo waited, watching each of the professors deliberate it silently. The ambient noises continued, punctuated only by the foreign, futuristic roar that echoed through the crater. Eventually, Sada shook her head.
"We cannot. We must continue our research and do nothing to endanger it."
"But he could." Volo leaned forward, his face practically in theirs. "Arven could get the access without you breaking that code. You just need to let me get close enough, then we can protect the future. We could fix it all. Past, present, future. Time and space. The old and the new world. With that one answer, we can change the world's immutable destiny.
"After all, professors, when you built that machine, wasn't that all you really wanted?"
Volo's twisted smile matched the professors' inquiring gazes.
And the answer that they gave was a secret only the crystal could tell.
Author's Note: Double battles have always been difficult to write, and while I don't think this can possibly surpass Gloria vs. Raihan, I hope it was at least serviceable in what it achieved. Which was, of course, encouraging Koraidon, giving Ceruledge his first Gym battle, and working out the kinks between him and Tinkaton. Hopefully, you liked it.
And, of course, we get our first glimpse of Volo in this book. Much as I'd want him to be an active force, Juliana is the star of this book and his presence is enough to keep things tense. This one scene should be enough to show that even removed from events, it's his mind and manipulations that make him the greatest threat any of them have ever faced.
So, with all that said, I hope enjoyed, but regardless of whether you did or didn't, please leave a comment or review and, as always, Dare to Be Silly.