Chapter 61:
As Different as Day and Night
Tsukinami Village Gym
As the group walked through the torii gates, they got closer to the main entrance, a massive, ornate double door made of walnut wood guarded by two ninjas, one wearing the black and red of the Nami clan and the other wearing the white and blue of the Tsuki clan. They even had a Pokemon out each: the Nami clan ninja had a Krilvolver, while the Tsuki Clan ninja had a Pokemon they had never seen before: an angry-looking bipedal fish with a black, enlongated boy, red fins that doubled as arms and legs, and most curiously, a katana on the top of its head.
"Daikatuna, the Katana Pokemon, Saidine's evolution and Frynai's final form. It often wields Frynai or Saidine as weapons. The sword on its head is made from steel folded 10,000 times," Serena's Pokedex explained.
"Hello!" Ash greeted with his usual warm as he approached the guards. "My name is-"
"Ash Ketchum," the white-clad ninja interrupted, much to the teen's surprise.
"You know who I am?" Ash asked, taken a little aback.
"Since the foundation of Tsukinami, we always made sure to keep track on who sets a foot on our island," the black-clad guard answered.
"No one sets a foot on Tsukinami without our knowledge," the other ninja corroborated. "So yes, we know you, Ash Ketchum, as well as the Grand Festival winner Serena Gabena, Kalosian Gym Leader Clemont and his little sister Bonnie, as well as Lilia, daughter of the CEO of Orangics."
As the rest of the group shared Ash's shock upon realizing that the ninjas knew who they were, Sayaka smiled and nodded, though Serena couldn't tell if she was smugly reveling in their shock, or pride in how thorough her village was with outsiders. Perhaps both.
"We were expecting you to arrive soon. Come in, Hinata and Kaito are already waiting for you to challenge them," the Tsuki ninja said as he and his partner pushed the doors open, allowing the group to enter.
"If I may, I will lead them towards our revered leaders so you don't have to abandon your post," Sayaka offered.
"Much appreciated, Ms. Sayaka," the other Nami ninja said, making a slight bow, which Sayaka returned.
"Great. Come on, follow me," Sayaka instructed the others.
Serena's former rival led the group through the gym. As they walked, the group admired the incredibly beautiful interior decoration of the place: floors of mahogany so polished, you could almost see your reflection, impressive paintings hanging from the walls depicting both historical battles (Serena noticed that many of them were against natives of Baykal Forest, often with a Coatlith on their side), as well as portraits of famous past members of both clans with their trusty Pokemon, as well as cabinets displaying battle armors, as well as ninja weapon stands.
They passed in front of many rooms where they could see ninjas practicing martial arts with their Pokemon, while others engaged in Pokemon matches against each other.
"Soooo... given that you're a ninja, did you train here, Sayaka?" Ash asked.
"Indeed. Every child of Tsukinami Village who wishes to be either a ninja and a trainer will begin their journey inside these walls," Sayaka started explaining. "We may live in times of peace, but our past has been one of constant warfare, so we have always trained to be battle-ready, a tradition we still carry with pride to this very day."
Then again, with all the turmoil generated by the attacks on the power plants, they may have to take arms once more, Serena realized.
After several twists and turns, Sayaka led the group through a long hallway devoid of any decorations which led to a large courtyard that doubled as a battleground surrounded by green gardens. A giant Yin-Yang symbol was painted in the middle of the battleground.
And at the end of the courtyard there was a pair of people, a man and a woman, sitting in a pair of thrones elevated on a platform. The moment the group entered the courtyard, the pair, which Serena deduced were the Gym Leaders, immediately got up and walked down the stairs in order to meet them.
"Welcome Ash Ketchum and friends, to our home," the woman said.
"We've been expecting your arrival with utmost anticipation," the man continued. "And now that you're here, I can't wait to test your skill myself and see if what other leaders said about you matches reality."
"Ash, these are Hinata and Kaito, heads of the Tsuki and Nami clans, respectively, as well as the Gym Leaders of Tsukinami Village," Sayaka said, waving a hand at them. "They're also two of the strongest trainers of the Tandor region, so your Pokemon better be prepared for a battle of the like they have never experienced before."
"Thank you for your kind words, young Sayaka. Though I hope our dear guests don't believe us to be arrogant with how our people talk about us," Hinata said.
"Is it arrogance if it's backed up by reality? Fake humility can be just as harmful, if not more, than arrogance, my love, " Kaito replied.
Hinata and Kaito certainly looked like a regal looking couple. Both of them appeared to be young, no older than twenty five.
Hinata was a tall woman of pale, ivory skin that contrasted against her rich crimson lips and long, deep black hair styled in a hime cut. She was wearing a white kimono with red trims and accents, decorated with yellow suns.
The man, Kaito, was a bit shorter than her, and had short silver hair styled in a way that reminded Serena of Steven Stone. In contrast to his wife, he was wearing a dark purple haori with yellow stars and a crescent moon (which reminded Serena of the kimono Sayaka wore during contests) with black pants.
Both of them were wearing a golden headpiece on their foreheads, Hinata's shaped like a sun, Kaito's shaped like a star, with a Keystone embedded in the middle of them.
"I can see that our young challenger is bouncing with unbridled excitement, no doubt from the perspective of facing us, so how about if we begin the match already?" Kaito suggested, much to Ash's delight. "His friends can watch and cheer him from the benches at the edge of the battleground."
"So, two leaders, this is going to be a double battle, isn't it?" Ash guessed.
"Yes," Hinata confirmed.
"And no," Kaito added.
"Uh... what?" Ash asked in understandable confusion.
"We aren't the strongest Gym Leaders of the Tandor region purely because of our unmatched skill in Pokemon battling," Kaito boasted.
"But because we use a battle format that tests the challenger's endurance and resourcefulness to their very limits," Hinata added. "First, you will have to defeat me in single combat, the Trial of Light."
"Which will be followed by the Trial of Shadow, a single battle against me," Kaito continued.
"And lastly, the Trial of Balance, where you will have to face my and my husband's combined might in a double battle," Hinata finished.
"This isn't a challenge any trainer can endure. Are you ready to face it?" Kaito asked.
"Of course! I never turned my back to a challenge, and I have no intention to start now!" Ash energetically replied.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu added, matching his trainer's energy.
"Excellent! Then let us commence!" Kaito said, before giving Hinata a kiss on the lips. "Show him what you are capable of, my love."
Serena, not wanting to be outdone, also walked towards Ash and gave him a passionate kiss on the lips, eliciting an eye roll from Sayaka that the Kalosian girl chose to ignore.
"Good luck, Ash. Knock'em flat on their backs!" the honey blonde said.
"Hehe, thanks! And I will!" Ash chuckled.
As Kaito returned to his throne and Serena and her friends walked towards the benches, Ash and Hinata took their positions at opposite sides of the battleground.
A ninja holding a pair of flags wearing a costume that was white with black stripes appeared all of sudden at the edge of the battleground.
The ninja, whom everybody assumed would be the referee, raised both her flags. "This is an official Gym Battle between the Gym Leader Hinata, and Ash Ketchum. The battle will be single format with no time limit. Hinata will use two Pokemon, while Ash will be allowed to use his whole team. The battle will be over when one side has no more Pokemon remaining. Only the challenger may make substitutions. Trainers, select your first Pokemon."
"Hinata can only use two Pokemon while Ash can use all six?" Bonnie asked, surprised. "That gives Ash a lot of advantage, right?"
"Right now, yes. But remember that this match is segmented in three battles. Any Pokemon that Ash loses here is a Pokemon he won't be able to call later," Lilia added.
"If I'm going to assume, each of these 'trials' will involve defeating two Pokemon," Clemont guessed.
"Shine bright with the sun, Espeon!" Hinata said, calling her first Pokemon.
Her pokeball opened upon touching the ground, releasing a mass of light that coalesced into the Psychic-type Eeveelution.
"Es, espe!" Espeon cried.
"An Espeon, huh? Alright then, Dunseraph, I choose you!" Ash shouted.
From the capture device emerged the second Pokemon Ash had captured in Tandor, his long, serpentine form looming over the much smaller Espeon, flapping his wings once in order to send a gale of wind at the Psychic-type as a taunt, but Hinata's Pokemon wasn't fazed in the slightest.
The referee lowered both flags in a chopping motion. "Begin!"
~Trial of Light~
~Challenger Ash (Dunseraph, ?,?,?,?,?) VS Gym Leader Hinata (Espeon, ?)~
"Let's bathe everything in a beautiful light! Espeon, Sunny Day!" Hinata called.
"Dunseraph, Sky Fall, quickly!" Ash commanded.
"Es, eeeees!" Espeon cried, raising her head up as its forehead gemstone glowed with a shimmering orange light.
The few clouds dotting the sky quickly vanished, as the sun began to shine much brightly. And as this happened, Dunseraph's body was wrapped in pressurized air, before diving at the Psychic-type Pokemon, slamming into it, resulting in an explosion of air that sent Hinata's Pokemon flying backwards.
"Well done! And now Dragon Pulse!" Ash followed.
"Morning Sun!" Hinata called.
"Dunseee-RAPH"" Dunseraph cried before opening his jaws and releasing a dragon-shaped stream of blue and purple energy, which washed over Espeon.
The Psychic-type Pokemon, however, held its ground, and once the attack was over, it began to glow with a bright silver light. Espeon's wounds caused by Dunseraph's two attacks quickly vanished, and the Eeveelution was good as new.
"Very clever. You set up Sunny Day to increase the power of Morning Sun," Ash noticed. "That way, Espeon will be able to heal itself from nearly any wound."
"You won't defeat my Espeon, for the Sun itself protects it!" Hinata boasted, thrusting an open hand forward. "Dazzling Gleam!"
"Quickly Dunseraph, dodge it with Dig!" Ash replied.
"Eoooo...!" Espeon cried as a pink aura surrounded its body, which began to glow increasingly brighter, releasing a barrage of rainbow colored light projectiles.
"Seraph!" Dunseraph growled, spinning his body as he dived into the floor, burrowing underground just as the barrage of magical missiles rained upon his position.
"Espeon, quickly, Calm Mind!" Hinata urged.
Espeon breathed softly and closed its eyes as a pink aura washed over it, increasing the power of its special attacks as well as its resistance to them. A second after that, the ground under the Eeveelution trembled for a second before Dunseraph burst from below, sending Espeon flying into the air, before landing painfully on its back.
"Espeon! Are you okay?" Hinata called, worried. Upon seeing her Pokemon getting back to its feet, her worry subsided. "Good."
"Why did she call for a Calm Mind?" Lilia wondered. "That wouldn't soften the blow from a physical attack like Dig."
"Maybe she's preparing for something else," Clemont said. "Since Calm mind also boosts Espeon's attacking power, plus it doesn't have to worry about defense with Morning Sun."
"Dazzling Gleam again!" Hinata ordered.
"Es, espee!" Espeon cried, its body glowing once again with a rainbow light, before firing a barrage of energy missiles of the same color.
"Counter them with Ancient Power, Dunseraph!" Ash replied.
"Seraph, dunse!" Dunseraph cried as he summoned a ring of golden rocks around his body before launching them towards the Fairy-type energy missiles.
Both attacks met in the middle, resulting in a cluster of gold and rainbow explosions as the magical projectiles smashed against the mystical stones. A golden light washed over Dunseraph as every single muscle in the dragon's body tensed.
"Yes! The Ancient Power's effect! Now Dunseraph will be much stronger!" Bonnie cheered.
"If your Pokemon increases his power, then we shall do the same! Espeon, Calm Mind again, followed by Dazzling Gleam!" Hinata ordered.
"Espeeee...!" Espeon purred as its body glowed with a pink light, with said light quickly adopting all the colors of the rainbow as it shimmered, releasing another barrage of glowing energy projectiles towards Dunseraph.
"Parry them with Steel Wing!" Ash ordered.
"Ser!" Dunseraph cried in affirmation, as he folded his wings upon his body, which began to glow with a silvery sheen. When the Fairy-type move was almost upon him, he quickly spread his wings outwards, swatting the projectiles away.
"Interesting maneuver," Sayaka commented.
"Now Dunseraph, Ancient Power again!" Ash ordered.
"Dodge them, Espeon!" Hinata ordered.
"Dunseeee...!" Dunseraph roared as he once again summoned a ring of golden boulders that spun around his body, these being larger than the first batch he had summoned before, and launched them towards the Psychic-type Pokemon.
Espeon, meanwhile, jumped from one side to another in order to dodge the storm of golden rocks, avoiding most of them, but unfortunately tripped over its feet once, causing it to stumble for a couple seconds, which was more than enough for one of the last boulders to smash into him.
"Yes! Now Dragon Pulse!" Ash ordered. "Quickly, before it gets up!"
"Morning Sun!" Hinata called.
As Dunseraph exhaled another dragon-shaped, purple and amethyst stream of energy, bigger than the previous one, Espeon's body began to glow with a bright white light, healing its previous wounds and softening the blow from Dragon Pulse.
"Espeon, are you okay?" Hinata asked. Esepon wheezed, but nodded. Hinata smiled in relief. "Alright then Espeon, let's show that dragon what you're capable of! Stored Power!"
Espeon's forehead gemstone began to glow as white, blue and pink energy particles gathered on it, forming an energy orb of swirling colors before releasing all that power in the form of a conical beam. Dunseraph barely had time to react before the attack smashed into his body, knocking him backwards but still managing to remain airborne.
"Stored Power? What kind of move is that?" Serena asked.
"One that packs quite a mean punch, it seems!" Bonnie said, noticing how bruised Dunseraph looked from one hit of that move.
"Stored Power is a move that while it has a weak base power, it increases its potency the more its user has augmented their attributes," Clemont explained.
"So when Espeon used those Calm Minds..." Serena began, fearing the answer.
"Exactly. And the more Espeon uses Calm Mind, the more powerful that move will become," Clemont said, adjusting his glasses. "Ash better finish this match soon, or else that Stored Power will grow strong enough to knock Dunseraph out in one hit."
"That would be advisable, yes, but Morning Sun empowered by harsh sunlight makes sure that Espeon can stay and fight for much longer than usual," Sayaka reminded the rest. "I'm sure both you and Ash are starting to understand why Hinata and Kaito are Tandor's strongest Gym Leaders. And this is just Hinata's first Pokemon."
"Ash has defeated the strongest Gym Leader of plenty of regions before," Serena quickly jumped to defend her boyfriend. "And this time it won't be any different."
"Espeon, use Dazzling Gleam!" Hinata shouted.
"Shield yourself with Steel Wing and get close to it!" Ash ordered.
The eeveelution's body glowed with the light of the rainbow once again before launching a barrage of prismatic energy projectiles at the angelic dragon. Meanwhile, Dunseraph spread his wings outward, which began to glow with a silvery shine, before folding them over his upper body and dived towards Espeon. The makeshift shield managed to protect the God Snake Pokemon from the Fairy-type assault, until he reached the Sun Pokemon.
"Now, Poison Jab!" Ash said, throwing a fist forward.
Dunseraph's drill-shaped tail was covered in a purple, swirly aura before jabbing it into Espeon's body, who was unable to dodge given the close distance between them.
"E-Essp!" Espeon wailed, as his body shivered while flashing purple.
"No!" Hinata cried, covering her mouth with her hands.
"Yes! Poisoned!" Bonnie cheered. "Come on Dunseraph, the match is almost yours!"
"Nenene!" Dedenne cheered as well.
"Espeon, Stored Power!" Hinata called.
"Dunseraph, disengage and fly away!" Ash commanded.
"Eeeees...!" Espeon began to gather blue, white and pink particles into its forehead gemstone, before firing a conical energy blast of the same colors. "PE!"
Dunseraph, however, did as Ash commanded, and began to fly far from Espeon while dodging its powerful blasts of psychic energy. One of them managed to graze one of his wings, shaving off a few feathers and eliciting a whine from the Pokemon.
"Hold on a little, Dunseraph!" Ash encouraged the dragon. The sunlight began to lose brightness just as clouds were slowly returning. "Now, Dig!"
"Dunse!" Dunseraph cried.
As Espeon continued to fire powerful psychic blasts, Dunseraph dived headfirst into the ground as he began to spin like a living drill, before burrowing himself underground.
"Now Espeon, use Calm Mind before he comes out!" Hinata ordered.
"Eeeees!" Espeon screeched, its body glowing once again with a reddish pink aura.
"SERAPH!"
Just as the Calm Mind took effect, Dunseraph emerged from underground, launching the Sun Pokemon into the air. Just as it happened, the effect of Sunny Day disappeared, as sunlight lost intensity and clouds returned to where they used to be.
"Quickly, follow up with Steel Wing before it has time to do anything!" Ash ordered.
"Stored Power! With that last Calm Mind, it should be enough to knock him out with one hit!" Hinata replied.
Espeon righted itself mid air, making sure it was aiming downwards, before firing yet another conical beam of white, pink and blue psychic power. However, thanks to the speed enhancement provided by Ancient Power, Dunseraph was able to move fast enough to dodge the attack, and upon reaching his foe he slammed it with metallic wings, sending it crashing down.
"Espeon!" Hinata cried. "Quickly, use Morning Su-no..." she said in realization as she looked up.
"Sky Fall!" Ash commanded.
Wordlessly, Dunseraph coated his whole body under a cloak of swirly, pressurized air before diving towards Espeon like a rocket.
"Dodge it and use Sunny Day again!" Hinata said.
"E-Esp!" Espeon whined, its body flashing purple for a second as the poison eroded its health, before jumping sideways, avoiding the flying serpent just in time, and cast yet another Sunny Day.
"Another Sunny Day won't make a difference! Dunseraph, Poison Jab!" Ash ordered.
Dunseraph's drill-shaped tail, coated in a toxic, purple aura, shot forward and jabbed into Espeon's flesh, which was unable to dodge, knocking it backwards. Espeon, trembling, tried to get back to its feet, but when its body flashed purple, the last of its energy was gone to the poison and collapsed in place.
The referee raised a flag in Ash's direction. "Espeon is unable to battle! The winner is Dunseraph!"
There was a chorus of cheers coming from the benches as Serena and her friends celebrated Ash's first knockout, while Dunseraph fired a Dragon Pulse into the sky.
"So, Dunseraph won," Sayaka said, a little miffed over seeing one of her village leaders losing this early.
"I already told you, no matter what you throw at Ash, he always finds a way to come out on top," Serena said.
"I admit he's far more skilled than I had initially believed," Sayaka said. "But he better not get too confident. The battle had just only begun."
"Thank you, Espeon. You may have lost, but you have paved the way for future victories," Hinata whispered as she returned her defeated Eeveelution, before locking eyes with Ash and smiling. "Your Pokemon fight with resolve and bravery. The other gym leaders weren't exaggerating when they talked about you."
"Thanks! I'm glad to hear that I'm meeting your expectations," Ash replied. "Gotta say, even if I only fought one of your Pokemon, you're just as tough as everybody else said!"
"Hopefully, you'll find my next Pokemon a suitable challenge as well," Hinata said, tossing another pokeball forward. "Shine bright with the sun, Gellin!"
The pokeball opened upon touching the ground, and from a mass of light emerged Hinata's second Pokemon, one that neither Serena nor her friends had seen before, which had a rather eldritch appearance.
Its main body was white, with six legs with a yellow spot surrounded by a green circle on them on each hip. Its head was completely featureless, and had a green, plant-like membrane with yellow edges coating its back.
Both Ash and Serena pulled their pokedex out in order to scan the unknown creature.
"Gellin, the Amoeba Pokemon, and Nupin's evolved form. Grass/Electric. The energy that Gellin generates from photosynthesis is converted into electromagnetic pulses. It uses these as a means of propulsion." The Pokedex explained.
"Grass and Electric? That doesn't look like a good typing combo to send against a Dragon-type..." Lilia noticed.
"So it's empowered by sunlight..." Clemont said, looking at the bright sun shining from above.
Serena was starting to realize that that last Sunny Day may not have been for Espeon's sake. "It seems like Hinata might have something else in mind..."
"Dunseraph versus Gellin! Begin!" the referee said, lowering both flags in a chopping motion.
Ash wasted no time, and called for the first move. "Dunseraph, Sky Fall!"
"Seraph!" Dunseraph cried as his body was wrapped in a cloak of pressurized air before diving towards the strange-looking Pokemon.
"Dodge it, and stop him with Thunder Wave!" Hinata replied.
Gellin started to glow with a greenish-golden aura, and jumped aside in a surprisingly fast way, avoiding the attack. Then, its body started to crackle with yellow sparks before sending several rings of yellow electricity in Dunseraph's way, which was unable to dodge.
"Du-duuuu...!" Dunseraph cried, as his body fell prey to the paralysis.
"Dunseraph!" Ash cried, clenching his fists in anger. "Dunseraph, hold on!"
"No! Dunseraph has been paralyzed! What is he going to do now?" Bonnie moaned, taking her hands to her cheeks.
"Did you see how fast that Pokemon moved? I know it has six legs, but I wasn't expecting it to be that quick!" Lilia said in shock.
"It seems like Gellin's ability is Chlorophyll. It will move twice as fast as long as there's bright sunlight," Clemont explained.
"So that's why Hinata had Espeon use that Sunny Day before..." Serena said, worried that her early realization was correct.
"There's a reason why this is called the 'Trial of Light'. Hinata uses Pokemon that thrive under the sun," Sayaka explained.
"Now, Solar Beam," Hinata declared.
Gellin's green coat began to glow with a progressively brighter greenish-golden light, before firing a powerful energy beam of the same color towards the slowed-down Duseraph, who could do nothing but watch in horror as the attack smashed against him. Despite the double resistance, the Solar Beam managed to shave a good chunk of the angelic dragon's vitality.
"Dunseraph! Come on, resist!" Ash encouraged. "Use Poison Jab!"
"Se-ser!" Dunseraph attempted to follow his trainer's orders, but his body went all rigid when he tried to move it. "D-Du..."
"Finish him off Thunderbolt!" Hinata's voice was without mercy.
Wasting no time, yellow sparks crackled around the Amoeba Pokemon's body as it gathered electricity, before releasing in the form of a lightning bolt that struck Dunseraph. The God Snake Pokemon cried in pain as the electricity coursed through his body, before falling down and crashing into the ground.
"Dunseraph!" Ash cried. However, the dragon didn't hear him, for he was completely knocked out.
The referee raised a flag towards Hinata. "Dunseraph is unable to battle! The winner is Gellin!"
"See? That's the power of one of our leaders," Sayaka took the opportunity to boast on Hinata's behalf. "She took no time to even the score, and without letting her Pokemon take any damage."
"Still, Ash has only lost one Pokemon. He still has other five to choose from in order to beat that Gellin," Serena countered, while internally wondering what kind of Pokemon Ash could choose that would be a good match against Gellin.
The answer didn't take long to reveal itself.
"Archilles, I choose you!" Ash said, tossing a pokeball forward.
From the capture device emerged a mass of light that coalesced into the last Tandorian Pokemon Ash had caught, and let out a majestic roar.
"Yes! That's such a great choice!" Clemont said, excited to see the Fire Raptor Pokemon. "Being part Ground-type makes him immune to Electric-type attacks, his Fire-type gives him advantage over Gellin's Grass-type, and can benefit from harsh sunlight!"
"Archilles versus Gellin! Begin!" the referee said, lowering both flags.
Once again, Ash was quick to claim the first move. "Archilles, Flamethrower!"
"Dodge it, and fire another Solar Beam!" Hinata replied.
Taking a deep breath, Archilles released a torrent of orange and yellow flames magnified by the strong sunlight, the fire being so hot it rippled the air around it. However, Gellin quickly jumped aside, avoiding the barreling inferno, before quickly absorbing more solar energy into its body and releasing it in the form of a powerful beam of destruction.
"Archilleds, dodge-" Ash tried to command.
"AAAAARCH!" Archilles screamed as he took the attack in full, blasting him backwards.
"Archilles!" Ash called. "Are you okay?" Despite the tremendous blow, the Fire Raptor Pokemon was able to get back on his feet, much to Ash's relief. "Okay, maybe that didn't work as we expected. That Pokemon is too fast."
"You thought you were so clever there, didn't you?" Hinata asked in a tone that was half chastising and half mocking. "Do you think you can use the power of the sun against me? Its light is only mine to command. Another Solar Beam!"
"Dodge it with Flame Charge!" Ash ordered.
As Gellin gathered more solar energy, the flames around Archilles' body began to grow and burn brighter, coating the saurian in a cloak of fire. And just when Gellin shot another beam of solar power, Archilles was easily able to sidestep the attack, before dashing towards the Amoeba Pokemon, leaving a trail of flames behind him, and producing a fiery explosion upon slamming into Hinata's Pokemon.
"Do you think that's the only thing I had in mind when I chose Archilles?" Ash taunted back. "I knew that if I wanted to beat your Gellin, the best way to do it was with a Pokemon just as speedy! And now Archilles, Dragon Claw!"
"Aaaaarch!" Archilles screeched as his front claws were covered in a vibrant green aura almost twice their size, and delivered a pair of powerful swipes at Gellin, pushing it backwards.
"You're resourceful, indeed. Underestimating you was a mistake I won't make again," Hinata declared. "Solar Beam again!"
"Dodge it with Flame Impact!" Ash ordered.
As Gellin fired yet another destructive blast of solar energy, Archilles covered himself in raging flames before dashing across the battleground, skillfully dodging the powerful Grass-type move as he moved closer to Gellin in order to slam his body into the amoeba for the second time.
"Stop him with Psychic!" Hinata ordered.
The Grass and Electric-type Pokemon's body was surrounded by a pink glowing aura, and a second later said aura also appeared around Archilles, stopping him only a couple meters from Gellin, leaving him rooted in place.
"What? That Pokemon can use Psychic?" Bonnie asked in shock. "It doesn't even look like it has a brain!"
"Appearances can be deceiving. And deception is one of the best weapons a ninja can use," Sayaka pridefully noted.
"Now get in close and restore your energy with Giga Drain!" Hinata ordered.
Tentacles of pure green energy shot out of Gellin's body and wrapped around Archilles, and quickly began to suck the vitality out of the theropod and into the amoeba.
"Come on Archilles, break its hold over you! I know you can do it!" Ash encouraged.
Gathering all his strength, Archilles fought against both the psychic restraints and the energy draining move, breaking the former and interrupting the latter after that with a mighty tail swipe.
"Yes!" Ash cheered. "Now, Flamethrower! Chlorophyll or not, it won't be able to dodge at such a close distance!"
After taking a deep breath, Archilles unleashed a torrent of flames upon Gellin, who tried to move out of the attack's range, but wasn't fast enough and as Ash predicted, the Grass and Electric-type Pokemon got badly burned by the sunlight-powered Flamethrower.
"Gellin!" Hinata shouted, her stoicism faltering upon seeing her Pokemon taking such a powerful direct hit. "Quickly, move away from the fire!"
The Pokemon didn't have to be told twice, as it used its solar-enhanced speed in order to keep a safe distance from Archilles.
"Don't let it get away from you! Flame Impact!" Ash ordered, thrusting an open hand forward.
"Chii!" Archilles let out a strident howl as he once again coated his body in raging flames, before shooting forward like a burning missile.
"You won't catch us again with that trick!" Hinata declared. "Gellin, Thunderbolt at Archilles' feet!"
"What? But... Archilles is a Ground-type Pokemon. A Thunderbolt won't harm him in any way, no matter what body part it aims for..." Serena pointed out.
Gellin's body crackled with yellow sparks before firing a powerful bolt of electricity at Archilles' legs. While the attack itself didn't harm Archilles, the explosion it caused upon touching the ground made the raptor trip over his feet and fall facefirst on the ground.
"Does that answer your question?" Sayaka asked Serena. The honey blonde had to admit that it was clever use of an attack that would have been useless in a normal situation.
"Ouch!" Bonnie winced upon seeing the saurian's blunder. "Come on Archilles! You can do it!"
"Now, Solar Beam before he can get back on his feet!" Hinata urged, and her Pokemon began to gather solar energy into its body.
"Roll out of the way, Archilles!" Ash shouted.
Just as Gellin fired the Solar beam, Archilles rolled his body to the left, narrowly avoiding the attack, which carved a furrow on the ground.. As the attack passed near him, the Fire Raptor Pokemon took the chance to jump back to his feet.
"Good! Now, Flamethrower!" Ash said. Briefly looking up, he noticed that the effects of the second Sunny Day were about to expire. "This will be the last solar boosted fire move, so make it count!"
"Archi!" Archilles howled and nodded, before taking a deep breath and exhaling a large torrent of flames towards Gellin.
"Gellin, Psychic on the flames!" Hinata ordered.
Gellin's body glowed with a pink light, and said aura also appeared around the wall of flames barreling towards it. However, before it could touch it, the stream of flames slid to the side and moved in a circle around the Amoeba Pokemon.
"What did I tell you, Ash? You cannot use the power of the sun against me!" Hinata boasted, her voice remaining even. "Now Gellin, show that dinosaur who are the true masters of the light!"
As the psychic-controlled mass of flames circled around Gellin, they quickly barreled towards Archilles.
"Dodge it with Dig!" Ash called.
As the sunlight dimmed and the clouds slowly returned to the sky, Archilles quickly burrowed underground, dodging his own attack thrown back at him, much to Hinata's surprise.
"Does this Pokemon know Dig too?" the woman asked.
"If I can't use light to beat your Pokemon, then we shall strike from the shadows!" Ash said, smirking confidently. "Come out Archilles! Without the strong sunlight, Gellin won't be able to use Chlorophyll to get away from you!"
As soon those words left Ash's lips, Archilles burst from underground right below Gellin, who like Ash had predicted wasn't fast enough to outspeed Archilles anymore, slamming his fire-covered head into the Grass and Electric-type's soft underbelly.
"Gellin!" Hinata cried.
"And Flamethrower!" Ash ordered.
"LES!" Archilles let out a mighty roar before unleashing a torrent of flames at point blank range at his opponent. Gellin could do nothing but brace for the powerful attack as it was engulfed by the wall of flames.
When the attack was over, Gellin, its body now covered in soot and burnt marks, collapsed on the ground, and made no attempt to get up.
The referee raised a flag in Ash's direction. "Gellin is unable to battle, the winner is Archilles! And since Hinata has lost two Pokemon, this means Ash passes the Trial of Light!"
Predictably, the referee's declaration was met with another round of cheers from the spectators.
"Yes! Ash defeated the first Gym Leader!" Clemont joyfully said.
"Did you ever doubt that Ash wouldn't do it?" Bonnie retorted. "And the next one will go down too!"
"So, Ash defeated Hinata. Very few trainers are able to accomplish such a thing," Sayaka noted, sounding a bit more humble than before.
"See? I told you that Ash was an exceptional trainer," Serena told her rival, before turning at Ash. "Great job, Ash! You're doing great!"
"Pikaaaa!" Pikachu cheered as well.
Meanwhile, on the battleground, Hinata sighed and returned her defeated Pokemon. "Thank you Gellin. You did your best," she whispered to the pokeball after recalling her Pokemon inside it.
"Well done, Archilles! Take a rest!" Ash said, returning his Pokemon to the capture device.
"Congratulations for your victory, Ash. You have earned the right to face the next challenge," Hinata sincerely said.
"Thanks! It was an awesome battle! You're as skilled as everybody around these parts said!" Ash complimented.
Hinata made a polite bow, and walked back towards the two thrones, while her husband got up and moved to replace her as Ash's opponent.
"After seeing my beloved fighting you, I can't wait to test my Pokemon against yours," Kaito began. "Are you ready to continue?"
"Do you really need to ask?" Ash replied.
"You're still brimming with energy after fighting Hinata. That's good! Because you're going to need it in order to beat me!" Kaito boasted, a pokeball already in his hand. "The night calls, Umbreon!"
The white haired man tossed the pokeball forward, which opened upon touching the ground, releasing the Moonlight Pokemon.
"Uuuuuum!" Umbreon cried.
"First an Espeon, now an Umbreon. Given your themes, perhaps I should have expected it," Ash noted, another pokeball in his hand. "In that case, Frosthra, I choose you!"
The capture device opened, unleashing a mass of light that coalesced into the form of the Frost Moth Pokemon.
"Fro, fro!" Frosthra happily chirped, scattering snowflakes with the flutter of his wings.
The referee raised both her flags. "This is an official Gym Battle between the Gym Leader Kaito, and Ash Ketchum. The battle will be single format with no time limit. Kaito will use two Pokemon, while Ash will be allowed to use his whole team. The battle will be over when one side has no more Pokemon remaining. Only the challenger may make substitutions. If both combatants are ready, then begin!"
~Trial of Shadows~
~Challenger Ash (Frosthra, Archilles, -Dunseraph-, ?, ?, ?) VS Gym Leader Kaito (Umbreon, ?)~
"Alright Frosthra, let's begin with Bug Buzz!" Ash ordered.
"Evade it with Double Team!" Kaito replied.
"Froooooo!" Frosthra chirped, as he began to flap his wings, producing a strident buzz that manifested in the form of yellowish-green soundwaves.
"Bre!" Umbreon cried, as the battleground was littered with intangible copies of the Moonlight Pokemon. Frosthra's attack managed to dispel a few, but most of them remained, among them the original.
"And now, Snarl!" Kaito followed.
"Umbre-ON!" the real Umbreon yelled, blasting Frosthra in the back with a stream of red and black sonic rings.
"F-fro!" Frosthra cried upon taking the hit, before turning around and glaring at the Moonlight Pokemon. "Fro, frosthra!"
"Keep the pressure on! Iron Tail!" Kaito ordered.
"Um!" Umbreon cried, dashing towards Frosthra as its tail turned rigid and began to glow with a silvery glow.
"Parry that attack with Protect, Frosthra!" Ash ordered.
"Fro!" Frosthra buzzed in agreement, encasing himself inside a green energy bubble.
When Umbreon brought its Steel-empowered tail down, it only managed to hit Frosthra's impenetrable barrier, producing a clanking noise.
"Now, blast it with Bug Buzz! It won't be able to dodge from that distance, not even with Double Team!" Ash ordered.
"Fr-OOOOOOOOO!" Frosthra buzzed loudly as he produced another blast of destructive soundwaves.
Like Ash had predicted, the attack smashed againast Umbreon in its entirety, blasting the Dark-type Eeveelution rolling backwards.
"Umbreon!" Kaito asked, worried. "Are you okay?"
Despite the super effective attack, Umbreon quickly jumped back to its feet.
Kaito smirked. "That's my little warrior. Okay, let's show them that that was just a setback. Snarl, again!"
"Umb...!" Umbreon took a deep breath before letting out a sonic blast accompanied by a stream of red and black rings towards Frosthra.
"Counter it with Blizzard!" Ash replied.
"Fro, ros!" Frosthra buzzed, his wings flapping as fast as he could, producing a powerful icy gale with snow and ice chunks on it.
Both attacks met in the middle, but the ice storm quickly overpowered the dark soundwaves, tearing through them and moving towards Umbreon unimpeded.
"Double Team!" Kaito called.
Just before the barrage of ice and snow could bury Umbreon, the Moonlight Pokemon disappeared as once again the battleground was filled with an army of intangible copies of the Eeveelution.
The evasive maneuver wasn't going to deter Ash in the slightest, though. "Keep the Blizzard up! Make a wide sweep in order to destroy all the images until you get to the original!"
"Frooooooo!" Frosthra chirped, as he began to slowly blow the Blizzard in a wide arc, quickly destroying all the images.
"Now Umbreon! Iron Tail from behind!" Kaito ordered.
"Breo!" the Umbreon growled as it leaped towards Frosthra's unguarded back, ready to swing its tail, which was glowing with a metallic hue.
"Not so fast! Protect again!" Ash quickly countered.
Frosthra cancelled the Blizzard and generated yet another green energy bubble around himself, which, like it did before, managed to completely repel the would-be super effective move.
"Now Frosthra, turn around and use Bug Buzz-" Ash was about to say.
"Yawn!" Kaito shouted.
"Umbreeee...!" Umbreon cried, opening its mouth wide and sending several pink bubbles Frosthra's way.
By the time the Frost Moth Pokemon turned around, the attack connected, and the effects took no time to manifest.
"F-Frooo..." Frosthra slurred as he became drowsier, his wings flapping with less energy as he slowly dropped to the ground.
"Frosthra, hold on! Stay awake!" Ash pleaded.
Unfortunately, the bug was unable to hear his trainer's voice, as he completely fell prey to the sleep-inducing attack.
"Excellent! Now Umbreon, let's retake some of the energy that bug took away from you: Dream Eater!" Kaito ordered.
"Uuuuuu...!" Umbreon softly wailed as its golden rings began to shine while its eyes glowed pink.
A pink outline appeared around the sleeping Frosthra before glowing orbs of the same color came out of his body and flowed into Umbreon's mouth, the Eeveelution swallowing them with gusto. Ash Pokemon, meanwhile, began to moan weakly trash in his sleep as if he was having a nightmare.
"Frosthra, wake up, please!" Ash shouted once again.
"Worry not, we'll give your Pokemon some help in waking up!" Kaito said with a mocking smirk. "Umbreon, Iron Tail!"
"Um, umbre!" Umbreon yipped, as he charged forward as its tail took on a glowing metallic hue, before delivering a powerful swing at the sleeping bug, violently sending him tumbling backwards.
"F-FRO!" Frosthra wailed, having just woken up by the impact.
"Ouch! That must have hurt a lot..." Bonnie winced in sympathy for Frosthra.
"Yeah. Frosthra isn't a very sturdy Pokemon, so that super effective move must have taken a good chunk of his health..." Clemont noticed, as he adjusted his glasses.
"At the very least Frosthra seems to be awake now..." Serena said, trying to look at the bright side.
"Frosthra, are you okay?" Ash asked. Upon seeing the moth nodding, he nodded back and smiled. "Good! In that case, it's time for our counterattack to begin! Bug Buzz!"
"Fro-OOOOOOO!" Frosthra buzzed loudly as he projected the sonic attack towards Umbreon.
"Evade it with Double Team!" Kaito ordered.
Once again, dozens of fake Umbreon littered the battlefield, with a couple being dispelled instantly by the Bug-type move. Ash, however, wasn't deterred.
"Bug Buzz on the ground!" Ash ordered.
"On the ground? What does he plan to...?" a bemused Sayaka wondered aloud.
Frosthra used the same attack for the second time in a row, but this time he aimed it at the floor behind him. When the sonic blast touched solid matter, it produced an underground shockwave that expanded outwards in every direction, instantly dispelling all the illusionary copies, leaving the real Umbreon a bit confused.
"What...?" Kaito asked, surprised by such a maneuver.
"Ash is second to no one when it comes to using moves in creative ways," Serena boasted to Sayaka on her boyfriend's behalf.
"That trick won't work again!" Ash claimed. "Now Frosthra, Blizzard!"
"Frooooooo!" Frosthra buzzed, blowing gust of extremely cold wind.
This time, Umbreon was unable to dodge the attack, taking it in full, blowing it backwards and leaving it covered in ice and snow.
"Umbreon! Are you okay?" Kaito asked. Umbreon shook the ice and snow from his fur, but shivered a little. Still, Kaito took it as a good sign. "Great! Now get close and go for another Iron Tail! I doubt that Frosthra will be able to resist a second one!"
"Um, umbre!" Umbreon cried, empowering once again its tail and making it as hard as metal, before charging forward.
"Bug Buzz!" Ash ordered.
"Froooo!" Frosthra chirped, sending yet another blast of destructive soundwaves at Umbreon.
"Double Team!" Kaito ordered.
Umbreon stopped its dash forward before filling the battleground with intangible copies of itself.
"Frosthra, forget about those copies! Use Protect now!" Ash ordered.
Frosthra nodded before surrounding himself with an energy wall just when one of the Umbreon leaped forward, ready to strike the bug with its Steel-empowered tail, but only hit the impregnable barrier, producing a clanking noise.
"Now immobilize it with String Shot!" Ash quickly followed.
Frosthra shot a string of sticky web at Umbreon, stopping it mid leap and making it fall to the ground in a tangled mess of limbs and silky thread.
"Not so fast! Umbreon, Yawn!" Kaito ordered again.
Umbreon opened its mouth and released several pink bubbles that floated towards Frosthra, who was unable to do anything to avoid it due the close distance.
"F-Froooooo..."
and once again, the Frost Moth Pokemon began to feel sleepy,
"Oh no, not again!" Bonnie wailed.
"Umbreon, prepare for a Dream Eater!" Kaito ordered.
Umbreon wasted no time, as its rings began to glow yellow while its eyes shimmered with a pink light.
"Not this time! Frosthra, slap yourself awake with Shadow Claw!" Ash quickly ordered.
Making use of the last of his strength, the Bug and Ice-type Pokemon raised his front claws, which were cloaked in a purple, ghostly aura, and gave himself a pair of resounding slaps, snapping himself awake. Umbreon cast Dream Eater that moment, which failed since Frosthra wasn't asleep.
"Now, Bug Buzz! It won't be able to dodge with all that sticky thread!" Ash followed up.
"Fros, frooooooo!" Frosthra buzzed with all his might, sending an strident destructive soundwave at Umbreon.
The Eeveelution was blasted backwards upon taking the super effective move, until its body painfully skidded to a halt. The Dark-type laid there, its eyes swirly and its body unmoving.
The referee raised a flag in Ash's direction. "Umbreon is unable to battle!"
Naturally, this drew another round of cheers from Serena and the rest of Ash's friends, who celebrated that Ash was now a little closer to victory.
Kaito sighed, and returned Umbreon to its pokeball. "Thank you, old friend. You did your best". He then looked in Ash's direction and smiled enigmatically. "At first I thought that seeing my Hinata fight against you would be enough to get an idea of the kind of trainer you are, Ash Ketchum. But alas, seeing you fight and battling you myself have proven to be very different experiences. There are very few trainers that could match your skill, boy." Kaito said.
"Thank you, sir. You're also one of the toughest Gym Leaders I ever fought," Ash said, returning the compliment.
"And things are about to get even tougher!" Kaito boasted as he grabbed a second pokeball. "The night calls, Vilucard!"
From the pokeball emerged Kaito's second pick: a humanoid bat-like Pokemon with purple skin, bright green eyes with vertical slitted pupils, long ears that were neon green on the inside, and a pir of fangs sticking out of its feline-like mouth. It had a pair of arms with a long, dark purple wing attached to each of them, white belly, and short, dark purple legs.
"Vi, vil!" it hissed.
"What Pokemon is that?" Serena asked as she and Ash pulled out their respective Pokedex.
"Vilucard, the Villain Pokemon, and Minyan's evolved form. Dark/Poison. It constantly plots dastardly schemes to spread chaos and fear. However, its plans are always foiled by Herolune." The Pokedex explained.
"Sounds like quite the piece of work," Clemont commented.
"It's okay, Frosthra will beat it just like he beat Umbreon!" Bonnie exclaimed, full of optimism.
"Frosthra versus Vilucard, begin!" the referee said while lowering both his flags.
"With those big ears, I doubt Vilucard will like loud noises," Ash cleverly deduced. "Frosthra, Bug Buzz!"
"Fro, frost!" Frosthra buzzed, vibrating his wings as fast as he could in order to send soundwaves of strident noise in the purple bat's way.
"Weather through it and get close to Frosthra, Vilucard!" Kaito ordered.
"Vi, vil!" Vilucard cried as it dashed forward, plowing through the painful sonic waves until it was in close distance.
"Good! Now, Fire Punch!" the ninja leader commanded.
"Fire Punch? Frosthra, protect, quickly!" Ash urged.
Once again, Frosthra encased himself inside an energy bubble that blocked the no doubt very damaging Fire-type move. However, Kaito's smirk told everybody that he was already expecting such a reaction from Ash.
"Now, Drain Life!" the white haired mnçan shouted.
Its mouth curving into a terrifying, vicious grin, Vilucard lunged at Frosthra the moment the Protect vanished, and sunk its fangs into the bug's soft flesh. The Villain Pokemon's body glowed with a bright red light, followed by a green light briefly washing over its body, and all the damage taken by the Bug Buzz quickly disappeared.
"Frosthra!" Ash cried.
"F-Froooo...!" Frosthra wailed in pain as Vilucard sucked the last of his vitality.
"Fire Punch again!" Kaito's voice was without mercy.
Vilucard curled one of its front paws into a fist which was quickly covered in flames, before delivering a powerful blazing haymaker at the poor ice bug, sending him tumbling backwards until he crashed against the floor. For some reason, the same green light washed over Vilucard a second time.
Like Umbreon only a couple minutes before, Frosthra didn't move and his eyes were all swirly.
The referee raised a flag in Kaito's direction. "Frosthra is unable to battle!"
"Awwww... how is it that whenever Ash has the advantage, he always loses it so soon afterwards?" Bonnie protested, her arms slumped.
"Well, these gym leaders are the best the region has to offer, so it's only natural that they'd be able to evenly match Ash," Clemont calmly explained.
"Did you guys see that whenever Vilucard attacked, a green aura appeared around its body?" Lilia noticed.
"That's Vilucard's ability, Blood Lust. It restores some of its life force whenever one of its attacks hits the target," Sayaka explained.
"Guess that's why it didn't trigger when Frosthra used Protect," Lilia replied.
"A Pokemon that heals itself whenever it attacks? Ash is going to have it complicated," Clemont added.
"And in conjunction with Drain Life, which as the name suggests, syphons the target's vital energy into the user, Vilucard can keep itself at peak health during the whole battle," Sayaka added.
"Psche. That just means that Ash will have to pound Vilucard harder than it heals," Bonnie said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
While Ash's friends talked, the Pallet Town native had already chosen his next Pokemon.
"Splendifowl, I choose you!" Ash said, tossing the pokeball forward.
From the capture device emerged Ash's first Tandorian Pokemon, who let out a melodious whistle as he flew into the air.
"Splendifowl versus Vilucard! Begin!" the referee said as he lowered both his flags.
"Alright my friend, time to continue the assault! Sludge Bomb!" Kaito ordered with a hand flourish.
"Vi, vile!" Vilucard screeched, its cheeks swelling up as they filled, before firing a barrage of purple toxic blobs at the bird.
"Splendifowl, fly around to dodge them!" Ash ordered.
"Spleeee!" Splendifowl whistled, beating his wings as fast as he could in order to gain speed while maneuvering around the harmful projectiles.
"Well done! Now, Air Cutter!" Ash continued.
Making an U-turn in order to face his foe, Splendifowl beat his wings, sending blades of compressed air with each motion. Vilucard managed to dodge some of them, but the last pair found their mark.
"Lu, luc!" the vampire hissed in pain.
"Keep up the pressure! Mirror Shot!" Ash shouted.
"Don't stay still, dodge it!" Kaito replied.
"Spleeeee!" Splendifowl whistled before firing a silvery energy beam from his open beak at his opponent.
Vilucard, as Kaito had instructed, didn't just stay there and took the attack, but instead began to swiftly move around in order to avoid the Steel-type move.
"Quick Attack!" Ash said, throwing a fist forward.
Folding his wings, the Paradise Bird Pokemon dived towards the Dark and Poison-type Pokemon like a missile, leaving a trail of fading white light, hitting it squarely in the chest, launching him backwards.
"Fire Punch!" Kaito ordered.
"Fly upwards, Splendifowl!"
Displaying admirable agility, Vilucard managed to right itself mid-air and land on his feet, before shooting forward with a paw curled into a fist covered in flames. However, when the vampire swung its burning punch, it only hit thin air as its target had already flown out of range.
"So, Vilucard heals itself when and only one of its attacks lands, right?" Ash asked. "In that case, we will simply keep it from laying a finger on us!"
"Your choice in Pokemon to face my own was a wise one, Ash," Kaito praised.
"Thanks! A good trainer knows the strengths and weaknesses of their Pokemon, and weights which Pokemon is the best suited for each situation based on them!" Ash explained. "Air Cutter!"
"Fo, sple!" Splendifowl whistled, beating his wings again, sending several blades of compressed air at the vampire.
"True. But a truly outstanding trainer prepares their Pokemon so they can face any situation," Kaito replied with a knowing smirk, which was matched by Vilucard. Serena realized it was the kind of smirk one pulled when they knew something their opponent didn't. "Bounce!"
Vilcard crouched down before kicking off the ground and shooting forward like a ballistic missile, passing by the blades of compressed air and heading towards Splendifowl.
"Splendifowl, dodge it!" Ash warned him.
The Normal and Flying-type Pokemon tried to get away from the coming vampire, but wasn't fast enough and Vilucard hit him in the wing before passing him. As the Blood Lust triggered, healing it a little, Vilucard spread its wings to decelerate before making a U-turn and going for Splendifowl once again.
"What? Vilucard can fly too!?" Bonnie asked, taken aback."
"Of course it can. It may not be a Flying-type, but those wings aren't for show," Sayaka retorted.
"And now, Thunder Fang!" Kaito said with an arm wave.
Vilucard opened its mouth showing its terrifying fangs as yellow electricity jumped from them, before falling onto the still reeling Splendifowl and sinking them into his sotf flesh.
"Spleeeeeee!" Splendifowl wailed loudly as the electricity coursed through his body, while Blood Lust healed Vilucard a little more.
Splendifowl trashed wildly in an attempt to shake Vilucard off of him, until he eventually pushed it back, spreading its leathery wings like a parachute to gracefully land on the ground.
"You saw what my Pokemon could do and devised a tactic accordingly. But you made the mistake of assuming that what you saw before was all that Vilucard could do," Kaito reproached. Shaking his head.
"I can always update my tactics as soon as I see anything new the opposing Pokemon does," Ash said with a nonchalant shrug.
"I like your attitude, kid. Now let's hope you don't mind if I put that boast to test. Vilucard, Bounce again!" Kaito ordered.
"Luc, lu!" the Villainous Pokemon cried as it took off into the air once again, ready to slam its body against Splendifowl.
"Splendifowl, dodge! Don't let it touch you!" Ash ordered.
Now that Vilucard no longer had the element of surprise, Splendifowl was able to move out of the way of the vampire's trajectory, letting it pass him. And like it did before, Vilucard turned around and glided towards the Paradise Bird Pokemon, ready to strike.
"Slude Bomb!" Kaito shouted.
"Counter them with Mirror Shot!" Ash replied.
As Vilucard bombarded the Paradise Bird Pokemon with projectiles of concentrated grime, Splendifowl destroyed them one by one by firing a silver laser-like beam from his beak.
"Now get close and use Drain Life!" Kaito ordered.
"Oh no, not again! Splendifowl, move out of the way with Quick Attack!" Ash urged the bird.
Vilucard's shadow descended upon Splendifowl, who rocketed out of the way, leaving nothing but a trail of fading white light in his wake. However, the Villainous Pokemon expertly made a U-turn and continued to glide in the same direction as the bird.
"You think you can escape us? The night is all-encompassing, and so are we!" Kaito boasted.
"Vi, vile!" Vilucard cried in agreement.
"Encompass this! Hurricane!" Ash shouted with the energy of somebody who had been waiting a long time for something.
"Pleeeeee!" Splendifowl whistled loudly, the force of his beating wings matching the intensity of his voice, producing a powerful gale-force wind that Vilucard had no hopes of evading, trapping the vampire bat inside a powerful tornado that sent it crashing down against the floor with a loud thundering noise.
"Yes! Direct hit!" Serena cheered.
"Let's see Vilucard get up from that!" Bonnie boasted.
However, Bonnie would be proven wrong, as the Villainous Pokemon did get back on its feet, even with some difficulty, since that surprise Hurricane had done a number on it.
"Vilucard, are you okay?" Kaito asked, now looking a bit more concerned. "Let's keep going, my friend. As long as you can stand, you can have the power to heal yourself!"
"L-Luc..." Vilucard cried in agreement.
"That's if we let you heal!" Ash replied. "Air Cutter, Splendifowl!"
"Spleeee!" Splendifowl whistled, sending several blades of compressed air with a beat of his wings.
"Don't let that attack touch you, Vilucard!" Kaito instructed.
Despite its injuries, Vilucard still had enough energy to hop around the battlefield, gracefully avoiding the air blasts.
"Quick Attack! Throw it off balance!" Ash ordered.
Taking advantage of Vilucard's current predicament, the Paradise Bird Pokemon folded his wings and dived towards the vampire bat like a rocket, leaving a trail of white light behind.
"Big mistake, Ash! Fire Punch!" Kaito said, grinning widely.
"Car...!" Vilucard hissed, curling its paw into a burning first and delivering a powerful punch into Splendifowl's face, nullifying the Quick Attack and sending the bird stumbling backwards.
Blood Lust triggered, the green aura healing the Dark and Poison-type Pokemon a little, who felt a little more invigorated, given that its limbs no longer sagged and its posture was upright.
"Thank you, Ash. You had us against the ropes, but you chose the wrong move and now you just gave us what we needed for our second wind!" Kaito gloated. "Sludge Bomb!"
Vilucard's cheeks swelled, filling with toxic grime, before spitting it in the form of noxious globs. Ash didn't have to give any order to Splendifowl for the bird to avoid the noxious projectiles.
"Now Bounce!" Kaito ordered.
"Blow it away with Hurricane!" Ash ordered.
"You won't catch us off guard with that move a second time!" Kaito shouted, sounding almost offended. "Maneuver around it and get close to Splendifowl!"
Ash's first Tandorian Pokemon flapped his wings as fast as he could, producing yet another powerful tornado. However, as Kaito instructed, Vilucard kept his distance, flowing with the currents and circling the powerful Flying-type attack while moving closer to his prey.
Ash smirked. It was the kind of smirk Serena saw whenever an enemy had fell into a trap. And the smirk he gave a hint of whenever he was on the verge of winning a match.
"Let's see if you can dodge this! Splendifowl, Sing!" Ash commanded.
As Splendifowl began to whistle a merry tune, Kaito winced, realizing that there was no way out of this one, as he saw in frustration how his Pokemon slowly fell asleep as ethereal musical notes of many colors floated around him.
"Vilucard, resist! Try to stay awake!" Kaito implored.
"Time to finish this off! Splendifowl, Hurricane!"
"SPLEEEEEEE!" Splendifowl loudly whistled, as he poured his remaining energies into another Hurricane.
Given its sleepy state, Vilucard was unable to dodge or even maneuver around the coming tornado, which swallowed the vampire into a vortex of violent winds before brutally sending it crashing down against the ground with a loud boom, opening a crater upon impact. Kaito's Pokemon made no attempt to get back to its feet.
The referee raised a flag in Ash's direction. "Vilucard is unable to battle! And since Kaito has lost two Pokemon, this means Ash passes the Trial of Shadows! Thus, the Trial of Balance, the third and final trial, will begin now!"
Naturally, this drew another round of cheers from Ash's friends, who were happy that he was one step closer to obtaining his final badge.
"I have to admit it. Despite his carefree and goofy personality, this boyfriend of yours has some impressive skill," Sayaka commented.
"Never judge a book by its cover," Serena said in a singsong manner.
"Even with that Quick Attack blunder, he still managed to come out on top," the ninja noted.
"Wait a minute... that Quick Attack from before... that wasn't a blunder!" Clemont said in realization.
"It wasn't?" Bonnie asked, shooting her bother a questioning look.
"No. I'm sure that Ash intentionally let Vilucard recover some health in order to make Kaito drop his guard and fight less defensively," Clemont explained. "Which in turn allowed Ash to lure him into the trap with Sing, since he also knew that Kaito would expect another Hurricane."
Everybody let out a collective "ohhhhh" of admiration at Clemont's explanation, but Sayaka looked positively stumped.
"Wow... to successfully use deception against a ninja master of Kaito's level... this Ash is sure something," the raven haired girl said, looking at Ash with other eyes.
"Thank you Splendifowl, you were amazing! Take a good rest!" Ash said, recalling the bird back into his pokeball.
"Congratulations for defeating my husband and passing his trial, Ash," Hinata, who was standing now next to Kaito, praised.
"But the biggest challenge is yet to come," Kaito followed without letting Ash time to reply.
"You defeated Light and Shadow separately," Hinata continued.
"But can you defeat them when they work together?" Kaito added with a grin of expectation. "The night calls, Arbok!"
"Shine bright with the Sun, Whimsicott!" Hinata said.
Two pokeballs were tossed forward, and from them emerged two Pokemon Serena knew Ash had already seen before. But the way Ash steeled himself, he knew that this Pokemon would be nothing like other members of their species Ash had fought before.
After pondering for a few moments, Ash picked the two Pokemon he would send to battle the two final obstacles to his final badge.
Author's Note: And thus begins Ash's last Gym Battle on his Tandor journey.
I wanted this fight to be both unique and challneging to the max, which is why I came up with the multiple formats. Not only is Ash fighting against two people with markedly different strategies and fighting styles, but there is also a format switch in the middle that forces Ash to change his approach to the battle. The multiple formats aslo force Ash into a "conserve resources" mentality, where he has not just to win, but win with as few losses as possible, something he managed given that he made it to the final part with still four Pokemon.
If you played the game, you probably noticed that I switched Hinata's Flareon for an Espeon. Not only do I believe it's a better choice as a contrast to Kaito's Umbreon, but Espeon is literally the Sun Pokemon, so it still fits her Daytime theme.
Thanks a lot to Lipeghoul, beamknight87, Fox McCloude, BrightNova169 and hirowriter for reviewing the previous chapter.
Next time, the conclusion to the final Gym Battle. In the meantime, don't forget to leave a review with your thoughts on this chapter!