Cynthia's gaze dipped up towards the evil creature in the sky and then back down towards us.
"Roserade, you handle this." The called Pokémon squeaked as it was already halfway between our blonde leader and the geezer. Gabite promptly spun around tail whipping over the white budding head of the grass type as it was left to face a typing mismatch.
This was… perhaps going to be interesting. But I already know we are pretty highly leveled. Most of these random trainer battles are just a waste of time. I… yeah, no, she's got this. Roserade has, what, 200 more BST than Swablu? Little guy is a jackass, but he's not dangerous.
I caught Cynthia smugly requesting her senior to allow her first turn as I began to wander over to get some distance between me and the arena, peeking through the fencing that obscured the porch of a nearby home. A collared Bidoof could be seen rushing through the hole of the fence as I began to pull my body up. May as well get a spot to watch the events unfolding.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!" the little beaver was now running around the bottom of the fence spinning in circles or trying to crawl its overweight body up the side. "Beat the pidge?"
"The wh- Wait.." I twisted my head to the side and looked to the fencing after this one. A freshly gnawed hole could be seen in the wooden surface and the same for others down the line. "You… Were following us?" I noted the head bobbing Bidoof slowly becoming obscured by lengthening blades of grass.
"Yes! Yes! Yes. Hate the Pidge. Want its boxes to chew. Help meeee!" Yeaaah that grass is sure getting out of hand. Any more and the little guy may become a wild mon. These two really started a Pokémon battle when it was crowded around?
My eyes trailed over to the Pidgeotto. It did not appear to be caring about the Bidoof's plight.
"Just suck it up. What kinda Pokémon can not handle a little grass?" The Swablu trilled cruelly. Somewhere behind me the old fuck was goading Cynthia on how one needed to memorize the opponent's abilities. Blah blah use Safeguard, counter Poison Point. Boohoo, you know a common Pokémon's ability. Try that again with either me or Gabite.
...then again, I guess he gets better kudos than the rest of this world, since most of the arena didn't seem to know Roselia had it.
"No! Stop OW OW OW OW! I was absorbing the sunshine!" I heard repeated dull thuds as one, two, three, four and five strikes hit the poor grass type. "I can heal. I can heal! Just stay away!" I turned my head to see Roserade performing a majestic leap over the fence... if a faceplant was excluded, that is.
"Pwah! I missed. You are lucky I am ordered to use Fury Attack!" My brain barely registered the low swoop of the flying type, but my body acted with precision as digits snapped into the wood and gripped the edge of the fence to flip backwards just barely avoiding the flyby of the Swablu. The fuck?
"You should keep your Pokémon within the arena, miss!"
"You should keep yours from fighting my entire team!"
"The Nasir! What do I do!" Roserade began to gasp as it scrambled back up to its feet. Body already leaping onto the fence while her limp planty form hung over the edge, flowers and stem on opposite ends. "Mistress isn't giving me orders!"
I shrug, scanning over the sap-dripping divots in my companion's body. She's already healing, and the damage doesn't look too much. "I think Cynthia's letting you get used to your body, trying to figure out how tanky- I mean, resilient you are, how fast, and all that. Just tough it out, don't get yourself hit on purpose… and stay on the ground. You're way stronger than it is, this is just a playfight."
"Yeah… Yeah! I'm going to be the strongest on our team sometime… Ah. In my field!" Roserade began to swell with yet another round of growth… now looking up towards the sky I realized that Cynthia hadn't just been letting Roserade get wailed on. Grassy Terrain for healing and a Grass type buff. Sunny Day for empowering Growth. It's the same strategy that she used on Fantina's Misdreavus, except that here, the blue flying turd is being used to just put pressure on Roserade, to get her used to fighting again.
Letting her get wailed on in a controlled environment is at least a better strategy than losing on purpose, I have to admit... I'm still not gonna let it happen to me, but if Roserade accepts being a punching bag, that's her decision.
"So fight pidge? Yes?" The Bidoof interrupted my train of thought as it began to press its tiny black paws against the wood beneath me. "You should-"
"▁▁▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅▆▆▇▇██▉!"
Immediately, Bidoof began to bury its face into the ground as my own paws jumped to my ears. I grit my teeth and curled over as I dropped onto the grass below, putting the fence between me and the noise. It wouldn't sound bad, if it wasn't trying to blast my ears open, but sound moves always had a habit of having a wide range of effect… and that Swablu had a vendetta against anything that moved. "Such-a-loser. Master wins the match. Such-a-loser. I will pin the twat!" It sang with the voice of an angel and the words of a devil.
"Giga Drain, Roserade." Cynthia called out, cutting through the noise with a bored tone. Ah, she'd decided to finish it.
I pushed up my body from the grass and found myself head to head with the Bidoof. "...Fight the-?" I rolled my eyes and raised a hand to push down the Bidoof's head into the ground as I used the dummy to get back to my feet. I am this close to checking out on this Bidoof if Drain Punching random Pokémon will make me recover faster. Roserade stretches out its arms to grasp at the air, and a moment later, thin beams of green energy pulled out of Swablu from a series of seeds stuck in its wings, prompting it to let out a string of curses that even I am not liable to repeat as it landed on the ground on the other side of the fence, close to his trainer. "
"I think that's it, isn't it?" Cynthia asked, as the Swablu struggled to stand up. "I don't want to put your Swablu in the Pokécenter, and each second that passes it's only getting weaker."
"What the heck is Roserade doing now…" I mutter as I see Roserade shaking its flowers like pom poms and doing a dance for itself, any wounds cleared up on its body from using Giga Drain or Leech seed… possibly both, from what Cynthia said.
"Ah, pulling out all the stops, little missy! I must say, this battle makes me feel like I am twenty years younger." The old man chuckled. "Very well. Swablu, I think we've shown them enough tricks. Last lesson missy! Your pokémon should be stronger than the opponent's! Swablu, finish this!"
I leap up on the fence, trying to get sight of whatever it was that Swablu was doing. However on my descent on the other side of the fence, I felt my knees lock up and I proceed to eat grass and take a rather nasty bounce through my legs from my heel. The paralyzing sight was something that had me crouched on the ground, ready to bolt, Quick Attack channeling in my legs before I realized what was going on.
Altaria was a dragon type Pokémon. If the old fart had trained his own Altaira and his father before him, it was only natural the Swablus could have Dragon Rush with some selective breeding. My eyes had been obscured by the presence of a dragon in spirit rather than body, the dragon energy cloaking it in a majestic, threatening form. That wasn't a weak move at all. "Roserade, it's not over!" I call, trying to pull her out of her little victory dance.
Instead I got to enjoy the view of the excited Pokémon cha-cha real smooth to the side as its opponent impacted the ground with the peak of its attack ending with a comical squeak as its round form began to bounce and roll over the ground and the gradually rescinding grass.
…ah. That was anticlimactic.
"Wait- You're still fighting!?" Roserade's head looked towards the Swablu once before snapping back for a second look. "Roserade! Finishing move- hug it." Cynthia released a spine-chilling glare as she pointed down towards the fowl.
Oh… Oh this is a dirty end. I pulled up my legs, taking a cross-legged position as I relaxed to the shrill shrieks singing a symphony of suffering as puffy feathers battered the Roserade. Safeguard had likely worn off by now and numerous pinpricks were digging into the Swablu's body as it received a rapid dose of poison. In barely half a minute the Swablu was a frothing mess as its tiny stick feet twitched and wings drooped over Roserade's arms. That wasn't just Poison Point… Poison Jab with the arms, maybe?
A flash of red light signaled the end of the match as the old man recovered his toupee Pokémon to its ball so no further damage would occur.
"PAH! If I had my own Altaria, I would have easily taught an upstart like you a thing or two. You youths, taking and doing as you wish, just like my delinquent grandson."
The old man, delivered his stern words, moving aged bones with the exact grace as an upset brat. His wizened hands reached into his attire with the Pokéball, depositing that little terror from our sight.
"Well! Bullying senior citizens aside, how you feeling after that display?" I asked as I began to walk towards Roserade and rubbed my temples of the incoming headache, while Cynthia caught up with the bastard to discuss proper battle etiquette. Nearly stiffed us of some cash when he started this.
She stared ahead for a moment with its small jaw slackened before raising both flowery hands above its head accompanied by a warrior's holler.
"Yeah yeah, that was a close brush," I said, paw outstretched to give a shoulder pat for a moment before quickly withdrawing. Broken arm? Wounded pride? I didn't need to be poisoned right now too as well.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" I glanced back towards the annoying beaver dog as it was gnawing on the front posts again. Llama damn it, I did not want to deal with this right now.
I clench my fingers, trying to will myself not to become violent on this Bidoof. "You know if you actually want to fight the fucking bird, you CAN just try and tackle it out the sky. Or learn Quick Attack, that'd serve you better." A loud rustling of grass interrupted the moment as Cynthia began to step behind me, and I turned to address her, ignoring the Bidoof.
"I hope you were not too bored, but hey at least you made a friend. That's two in such a short time, I am glad you are-" Cynthia took a knee to interact with me, only for a loud shriek to cry out from the delivery truck and the Pidgeotto's handler to jump out of the car to vault over a fence, his Pokémon's cries and those of the Bidoof together.
"Okay, time to go! We have a few electric-type or water-type trainers ahead considering the marsh and power plant, so I need you guys in fighting shape!" Just an excuse to pick me up and signal the others to follow behind. Not my fault, pretty sure if I kept refusing the Bidoofus would have battled me. I am starting to get rather pissed over the constant hovering and shooing me away from trouble. I'm fine just completely fine. I met someone who actually understood me and spent time recovering. Maybe I need to do whatever it is that Olivia did with her trainer... which means I've gotta hurry the hell up and become literate again.
Also what the hell is this marsh and power plant business?
For all that they were traveling blisteringly fast, it was a remarkably quiet experience. Granted, most of it was owed to two factors- the psychic cushion around their ears that prevented the rushing wind from slipping in, and the fact that their bodies were cleaving through the air at Mach 4, sound lagging behind them by quite a bit. Luis sighed- their work never got easier, and while he was used to the stress enough to compartmentalize... Isobel wasn't.
"¡Ya no puedo más con esto, Luis!" She cried in his mind. He was sure that she was crying on the outside too, but he couldn't exactly see any tears if they got rocketed off her face the moment they formed. "Estoy cansado y hambriento, y siguen lloviendo-"
"¡Calmate, Isobel! (Calm down, Isobel!)" He barked out telepathically, cutting through her complaints. "Nos acercamos al objetivo. Si hacemos esto rápido, podremos descansar hasta que se realice la próxima llamada. (We're getting close to the objective. If we get this done quickly, we can rest until the next time we're called.)"
She sobbed, an ugly noise that threatened to shatter his heart. "Me duele... (It hurts...)"
He could feel the tension in her telepathic voice, the pain and fear resonating with every word she projected. "Lo lamento. Pero cuanto antes lo saquemos de allí, antes dejará de doler. (I'm sorry. But the sooner we get there, the sooner it'll stop hurting.)" He tried to reassure her. Craning his head slightly, he could see her red and white form, reaching up with her arms to cradle her head, wings tucked in slightly as they descended towards New Moon Island.
"Llévate al niño, yo me ocuparé de Darkrai. (Take the child (male), I'll take care of Darkrai.)" He grimaced at the thought. Darkrai... he was not a kind creature, nor was he one to be trifled with. But Isobel was right; they couldn't ignore the kid's distress. "Comprende? (Understood?)"
Her eyes wavered, but she nodded. "Sí, lo entiendo... ¿Qué harás? (Yeah, I get it... but what will you do?)" She asked, concerned.
"Intentaré razonar con él, pero si ataca, lo mantendré distraído. Solo preocupate del chico. (I'll try to reason with him, but if he attacks, I'll keep him distracted. You just worry about the boy.)" He said firmly. "Y si estoy en peligro, no vengas a ayudarme. (If I'm in danger, don't come help me.)" He didn't want her getting hurt in the crossfire.
Isobel's eyes widened. "No te dejaré solo con... (I'm not gonna leave you alone with...)" she began to protest, but Luis was already moving. He broke off their telepathic link and dove towards the island, his form a sleek blur of blue and white against the moonlit sky. The closer they got, the stronger the distress call grew, almost a tangible force pushing at their psychic barriers.
The island grew in their vision, the dense foliage and eerie light from the trees casting an ominous glow. Luis' heart thudded in his chest, his instincts telling him that this was going to be a tougher job than usual. They finally descended into the thick canopy, the treetops scraping against their scales as they searched for the source of the distress call. The trees grew more sparse as they approached the heart of the island, revealing a clearing where a small, trembling form huddled in fear. An Abra, no more than a foot tall, was curled into a tight ball, its eyes squeezed shut and telekinetic barrier flickering around it.
Above it, a form of black, white, and red hovered ominously, arm extended and slowly seeping away the psychic barrier's energy. Darkrai. Luis's heart skipped a beat. He knew the creature's reputation, but he had to try.
"Darkrai... Deja al niño en paz. Sabes que no pudo evitar dónde apareció. (Darkrai, leave the boy alone. You know he could not have helped appearing here.)" Luis called out, his voice steady despite the fear that clawed at him. The dark creature paused, turning to face them. Its eyes, a deep shade of purple, narrowed, and the aura around its body intensified.
"Latios... you know I don't care for trivialities. The Abra is a trespasser, and the nightmare it will bring is not one I wish to endure." Darkrai's voice was a chilling whisper that seemed to echo through the very fabric of Luis's mind.
"Yo me lo llevaré y no tendrás que soportar nada. (I'm going to take him and you'll have to endure nothing.)" He declared, stepping forward. The Abra's eyes shot open and it looked up at him with a mix of hope and terror. "Isobel, toma al Abra. (Isobel, take the Abra.)"
But Darkrai stepped between them. "And who shall pay me for the suffering I've already endured?" Its shadowy form grew taller, the air around it thickening with malice. "This creature is little, but its mind, its nightmares, are quite wretched. They've already tainted my realm."
Luis closed his eyes. There was no reasoning with him. Isobel spoke up then, voice soft over their telepathic connection. "Abra, ¿estás bien? ¿Estás herido? (Abra, are you alright? Are you injured?)" The Abra quivered.
"Um... sorry, yo no habla Espanol? What is going on? I wanna go home... please?" The Abra's voice was high-pitched and trembled with fear. It didn't match his body- it sounded like a human boy, maybe twelve or thirteen.
The two aeons shared a look, and they nodded. "¡Isobel!" He shouted telepathically, maw parting as Dragon Pulse channelled in his maw. Darkrai brought up his arm, ready to match it with a Dark Pulse of his own, but Isobel was ready. Mist swirling in the shape of a ball, she struck Darkrai in the chest. It didn't hurt him, his dark aura negating her psychic move, but it did disrupt his Dark Pulse's strength, allowing the wave of draconic power to overwhelm him, throwing him back.
She swept in, psychic energy wrapping around the Abra like a gentle embrace. The boy looked up at her with wide eyes, understanding dawning. "Are you an angel?" He whispered telepathically, voice shaking.
"Not an angel, sweet boy. Excuse my English, it is not very good." She apologized telepathically. "Hold onto me tight." She turned to Luis, worried. "Estaras bien? (Are you alright?)"
"Vai! (Go!)" Luis shouted, urging Isobel to take the Abra and leave. He knew the longer they stayed, the more dangerous it was for all of them. He watched as Isobel took off with the human-turned-Pokémon in tow, her graceful form cutting through the air. He didn't dare look back as he faced Darkrai, who was now fully recovered and glaring at him, the purple eyes burning with anger.
Isobel couldn't go at even 10% of her actual speed with a passenger. He knew he was in for a fight, at least until she managed to safely get away. Arceus damn him, they were already wearing thin, he really could have done without the other legendaries interfering with their mission.
He really hoped that Cresselia would show up soon.
I sincerely apologize for any crimes committed against the Spanish language in this chapter- I am not Spanish myself.
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Drink water, stay awesome. Nick of Name, out. :)