A.N.
Fidel Castro passed away a few days ago. I'm not even going to touch the man's legacy here. I advise you not to debate it with people on both sides of that argument. Just trust me here.
To my guest: Does it really surprise you I would off him? I've already given a thirteen year-old boy year long nightmares that made him see his loved ones die repeatedly.
I don't own Pokemon. I do own the new Pokemon Moon. If I'd stop restarting every five seconds because I want the other starter I'd be doing great.
Episode 36
The Flower and the Fang
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An Abomasnow next, huh? The Rocket narrowed his silver eyes. This wasn't an enemy they could afford to underestimate. Wait, doesn't Admin Luke have an Abomasnow? He sighed in relief. Jira placed a claw on Silver's shoulder. He looked up at the shellfish Pokemon. The Armaldo pointed to the overturned trees several yards away from the Admin's Abomasnow.
A bellow that reminded him of the roar that shook the earth moments ago came from the direction of the trees. Another bellow, just as deep, yet half as fierce followed before a noise like stones grinding against one another assaulted their ears. Myza put up a small barrier on reflex. Behind the Hatchery, a feminine voice snarled when a snake gave a hiss of pain. That's where Jessie is. On the far side of the Hatchery, a large Pokemon was dragging what looked to be an unconscious man behind the small building.
A bolt of lightning lit up the sky before the bellow of a giant Pokemon reached him. He swallowed harshly. That noise... And that incredibly roar from earlier sounded like it came from a Tauros! Maybe… Maybe it's just a descendant of Oak's Tauros? As he watched a black beam blast through several tree tops, Silver knew his hope was in his vain. "We could be killed in the crossfire if it really is a member of Oak's team," Silver murmured. Jira shoved his way past his partner and the Hypno as he trundled toward the Abomasnow."Hey-" he smothered his cry with a hand over his mouth. Myza tapped Silver's shoulder and followed the Fossil Pokemon.
Silver's eyes widened when the voice of a young man snarled. Someone's going to try to fight Luke? It must be Oak's granddaughter, or that Pokemon Hunter. Jira and Myza froze a step away from the edge of the laboratory.
Abomasnow rumbled deep in his chest as a layer of frost began to develop beneath his feet. The hair along the redhead's neck stood on end as he fought down a shudder. The temperature shifted so quickly! They must be fighting another ice-type. A large black fox with a single ring of gold running around its tail, ears, on its forehead, and one ring on each of the sides of its legs appeared after a scarlet flash. The Admin released another member of his team. Luke peered at his foe through narrowed eyes.
A few yards in front of the Admin stood a mass of shaggy brown fur. Frost engulfed the earth beneath him as tusks the color of ice and the deepest pair of brown eyes he'd ever seen gleamed in the setting sun, Piloswine took a step forward. It was then Silver noticed the Pokemon crouched beside the boar. It was a saurian creature the size of a small cat with a pink flower that was shifting yellow at its tip. The dinosaur's green skin seemed to shine in the weakening light. That's an Ivysaur. A real female Ivysaur! And a well-trained one at that.
Jira blocked his path with a claw when Silver tried to get a better look at the saurian. Myza rubbed her pendulum against her fur at an astonishing rate as she glanced between the Piloswine and Ivysaur. "Myza! Around that trainer's neck!" The Hypno took her eyes off the pair with great reluctance. She froze when she saw the pendant. "That's it, isn't it?" Silver breathed while gazing at the blue shard within the pendant. His head swam. That's a Mega Stone… A real Mega Stone of legend! And it's reacting to that trainer's Aura! No wonder the temperature dropped so quickly, it activating is as good as a temporary evolution!
"Kill the brat and the pig. I want the Ivysaur alive and whole," the Admin ordered, prompting his Umbreon to crouch and Abomasnow to snort. The Admin's tone sent a chill down Silver's spine and made Myza tense. As he'd been warned, Luke and Proton were far more ruthless than Archer. The scowling trainer and his team didn't waver at the order.
"Don't get between them until we have to," Silver murmured. "That roar from a minute ago was definitely Oak's Tauros, if he gets involved you'll both need to use everything on his flank while he's distracted by Abomasnow. That's the only chance we have." Jira and Myza agreed quietly and Piloswine's ear twitched, though he opted not to look away from his foes.
A bolt of lightning shot into the sky in the direction of the decimated trees, then Abomasnow sucked in a giant gulp. He spat a wide gust of howling winter's wind that Piloswine matched with an Icy Wind of his own. Ivysaur lifted herself atop the swine Pokemon and fired a golden beam from her maw. Abomasnow jerked his neck up to force the Solarbeam to detonate prematurely and obscured the white giant in smoke. Piloswine blasted a silver orb at Snowman's belly. Luke's partner howled in agony as the Ancient Power blasted him off his feet.
The boar snarled before charging the downed Pokemon with a white hue wreathing him and his tusks lowered. Abomasnow rolled away from the charge, then he smashed a glowing fist into Piloswine's side that sent the boar off his hooves squealing. Piloswine quickly rolled to stand while Abomasnow shoved himself to his feet.
As the boar squared itself, the Rocket saw why a simple Mega Punch was so devastating. The reddish brown patch on the swine's side was nearly the size of Silver's head. Abomasnow lifted his right arm, revealing a raw skin that looked to have been melted off. They must be using their ice to contain stop the bleeding. The cracking of stone came from the direction of the overturned trees. The combatants didn't seem to hear it. The only thing they seemed aware of was the foe standing before them.
The swine's ear twitched, and the snow of his Icy Wind rose. "Ice wall to your left!" Luke barked. Abomasnow thrust its left arm up with a howl. The snow from his earlier attack rose to form a wall that blocked Piloswine's attack. The young trainer gave a malicious smile. "Wide!" The boar's eyes took on the predatory gleam lurking in his partner's gaze before he shot a spray of mud twenty feet wide. Abomasnow twitched when his lower body was spattered by the Mud Slap.
Piloswine spat a silver orb into the earth, wrenching a boulder larger than a man up. The boar bellow, blasting the stone at his foe. Abomasnow ducked beneath the attack and spat a seed in response. The Seed Bomb detonated on the boar's face, drawing a squeal that appeared to have been as much in fury as in pain. Snapping back to the battle with a snarl Piloswine blasted a silver orb at the crouched Abomasnow.
The white giant made to flee, only to find the mud on his feet to have hardened. Abomasnow ground its teeth while thrusting an arm out at the Ancient Power. The orb exploded, forcing a pained hiss from the white Pokemon and covering his upper body in smoke. Silver inhaled through his nose sharply when he realized what happened. Sensing the same opportunity, Piloswine did what his ancestors had done since the time of the dinosaurs; he charged.
"Punch the mud and jump to your left!" Luke roared. His partner responded immediately. The giant's uninjured fist smashed his left foot before Abomasnow leaped with all the might of his right leg. Piloswine grunted, stomping to a stop, then lunged at the rising giant. Luke's partner managed to sidestep the boar's Take Down, but the swine's tusks caught the side of Abomasnow's belly with a jerk of his neck.
Seeing his foe backpedaling in Luke's direction while clutching his wound, Piloswine lowered himself for another charge. "Don't follow!" the boar's raven-haired trainer cautioned as he took a few steps back. Luke, who had already distanced himself from Abomasnow scowled deeply. The white giant was unperturbed. Abomasnow lowered his injured arm, allowing the blade of ice he'd hidden in his injured palm to fall to the earth.
Silver narrowed his eyes as he stared at Luke's foe. Piloswine used the mud to trap Abomasnow, then obscured his vision before trying to gore him with those tusks. A Piloswine came up with that? No, he might be full size but he's probably only ten. It's impossible for such a young boar to come up with that mid battle. Which must mean that Piloswine knew what his trainer wanted him to do from the moment he heard his command!
That kind of teamwork and a boost from the Mega Stone? The battle would be a long one even with their prior wounds. Duels between boar Piloswine had been known to last for twelve hours, and there were legends of roars from Abomasnow echoing across mountains throughout an entire night. Piloswine duels are restricted to fang and physical moves alone, so maybe this can be settled soon. As Piloswine pawed at the ground while Abomasnow bared his canines, Silver realized it was wishful thinking.
Ivysaur and Umbreon were the ones who would decide this battle. Myza seemed to know it too. Her eyes were locked on the little dinosaur as Ivysaur's ears twitched. "Wait! Where's Umbreon?" Silver whispered, his red hair shaking as he scoured the field. Jira clicked before pointing at the ground.
Ivysaur whirled around and sprinted to her trainer. The trainer hit his knees before Umbreon swiped at where his neck had been. Ivysaur rammed the fox Pokemon with Take Down, sending it tumbling back end over end. The moment the saurian landed, she blasted a single seed at her rising opponent. Umbreon rolled out of the seed's path, making it collide with the ground a couple yards behind the fox. Silver flinched when dust and pebbles were dislodged by the Seed Bomb's burst.
Umbreon snarled and fired a black beam that Ivysaur dashed around, then the little dinosaur rammed the fox Pokemon in a Take Down, forcing Luke's Pokemon onto its side as it skidded away. Ivysaur whipped the downed Umbreon's side, creating angry red streaks and drawing a yelp of pain. The fox's eyes snapped open and a feral glint appeared within them as it fired a pink wave from the yellow ring on its forehead. The dinosaur squeaked while her pink eyes widened until they resembled small plates, before the psychic energy threw her off her feet.
The fox howled, its yellow rings lighting up, as a black energy developed in its maw. "Willow, up!" the dinosaur's trainer snarled. Ivysaur's vines shot out to her sides while Umbreon blasted its Dark Pulse. Willow threw herself into the air, making the black beam carve into the earth. Umbreon jerked its neck around to sever her vines, which drew a shriek from the airborne dinosaur.
Umbreon's tail took on a metallic sheen as it surged forward. Willow spat three seeds before she crashed in a heap. Umbreon slid to a stop, narrowly avoiding being caught in the trio of seeds' explosions, and covering the dinosaur in a small cloud of dust. A vine shot like a snake making a kill and wrapped around one of Umbreon's legs before yanking the limb out from underneath the fox Pokemon. Another whip slapped the fox's ribs thrice, drawing a yelp from Umbreon before it took on a white sheen and leaped back. The fox panted while the Ivysaur cleared the lingering dust with a few waves of her vines.
Clever girl, she already knew what move would be best to use the moment Umbreon lost its vision. The other members of that guy's team are easily some of the strongest I've met, but I get the feeling Piloswine and this Ivysaur were at a higher level even without the Mega Stone's boost. It was the first time he'd met someone his age he wasn't sure he could defeat.
Silver shut his eyes and took a deep breath. Proton wouldn't forgive him if he didn't capture the Ivysaur. It was a shame they'd not get the chance to grow with their trainer further. This team could have been a truly worthy rival for his own. "Jira, grab her legs." A trainer of this quality deserved to be defeated in a proper battle with his team by his side, but Silver supposed this was the nature of war. Victory had to come before honor.
The Armaldo gave Piloswine an unreadable look and snapped his pincers open. The black tips gleamed in sunlight as brought them level to his chest. Myza stepped forward. She stared at Ivysaur for a moment, then raised a claw while Jira lowered his pincers slowly and sent Silver an uncertain look. She couldn't possibly be considering warning Ivysaur, could she? "We need her intact, so she'll make sure Ivysaur is in a good position for you," he offered, peering at his Hypno. His worries were put to the rest when the Hypno's eyes shifted pink.
Jira's claws opened again, and Silver steeled his resolve.
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