章 21: Chapter 20: The Draknov Family (Part Two)
Total Words: 2721
Upon emerging from its Pokéball, Pupitar's gaze immediately met that of its adversary, and it swiftly directed a sharp glare at Druddigon. The audience fell silent at the appearance of Pupitar, a Pokémon seldom seen in Sinnoh. Although the Tyranitar lineage may not be the most renowned among the pseudo-legendary Pokémon, it certainly isn't less formidable than the rest. "A Pupitar?" Sayer remarked, eyeing Tyson, "Well, this ought to provide some decent training for Druddigon!" With that, the Druddigon bellowed, echoing Pupitar's challenging stare.
"Well then, I'll be the referee for this match," a voice from the side announced. As the figure stepped forward, the crowd recognized him as the traveler who had been defeated by Sayer. In response to the announcement, Sayer simply scoffed, "Do what you want; the results are a foregone conclusion." Overhearing Sayer's words, Tyson simply smirked, "We'll see about that."
Positioned to the side, the traveler declared, "This will be a one-on-one battle with no substitutions. The battle will conclude when one side is unable to continue." "Yeah, yeah, let's just get on with this," Sayer interjected, keen to start the battle. A frown appeared on the traveler's face, yet he persisted, "Alright, since you are so eager. Are both sides ready?" He inquired, and both Sayer and Tyson nodded in response. "Then begin!" the traveler exclaimed, signaling the commencement of the battle.
"Hit them with Dragon Claw!" Sayer shouted, as Druddigon charged forward, its claws enveloped in green energy. Tyson watched the oncoming dragon, unfazed. "Let's start with practice. Use Dragon Dance to dodge," he instructed. Pupitar propelled itself forward toward its adversary. As they neared each other, Druddigon swung its arm, aiming to strike Pupitar. But before Dragon Claw could connect, Pupitar released another blast from its vents, causing it to spin and evade the attack, a purple aura surrounding its body. Shocked, Sayer spoke "You dodged that? impressive, but you can't escape; Druddigon go after him and use Dragon Claw once more!"
As Druddigon turned to pursue Pupitar, Tyson commanded, "Use Dragon Dance to dodge and keep dodging!" Heeding Tyson's instruction, Pupitar released another gust of air from its left side, spinning out of the path of Druddigon's oncoming Dragon Claw. After months of training, Pupitar had significantly enhanced its stamina and mastery of Dragon Dance. It could now sustain the move's boosts for two hours effortlessly. Moreover, Pupitar had learned to stack multiple layers of Dragon Dance. However, with each additional layer, sustaining the boost for extended periods became more challenging. At present, it could amplify its power up to threefold, but the duration it could uphold the move would be reduced by half.
For the next minute, Pupitar continued to evade Druddigon's attacks, causing the dragon to roar in anger as its attacks grew more ferocious. As Pupitar kept dodging, the delay between using its vents started to decrease. 'Good, he's getting the hang of it. Normally, I would order a counterattack, but Druddigon's are known for their power. It was clear from the previous battle that we'd lose in a direct clash. However, power isn't an issue with the use of Dragon Dance. Druddigon may naturally be more powerful, but its species has one flaw: speed,' Tyson reflected on the situation. Despite not witnessing Sayer's previous battle, he had observed the conclusion and the resultant damage to the field. Presently, as Pupitar deftly evaded, the occasional stray attacks that missed their mark still struck the ground, further scarring the battlefield.
As Druddigon's attacks continued to miss, Sayer's frustration mounted. "Hey, are you going to fight or not? All you've done is run away like a coward!" he exclaimed. "Don't worry, we won't run anymore because this is where we go on the offensive, Use Sandstorm" Tyson spoke with a smirk. On the field, Pupitar was dodging another Dragon Claw when it heard Tyson's command. Releasing a powerful blast of air from its front vent, Pupitar created a significant distance from Druddigon. Now twenty feet apart, Pupitar opened all its vents, unleashing a fierce torrent of wind and sand that swiftly enveloped the battlefield covering both trainers and Pokemon. The winds continued to drive the sand, forming a swirling vortex that shrouded the two Pokémon and their trainers from the crowd's view.
Within the swirling sandstorm, the two Pokémon locked gazes, their glares palpable. "A sandstorm? So, you do know moves other than the basics," Sayer remarked, only for Tyson to retort, "That's quite the statement from you, Mr. Dragon Claw. Are you unaware of the moves your 'borrowed' pet Pokémon possesses, or are you simply that overconfident?" Sayer's fists tightened at the insult. "How dare you disparage the young master's Pokémon! This Druddigon is among the mightiest of its species!" Upon hearing Sayer's praise, Druddigon flashed a toothy grin as it readied itself to continue attacking. Tyson paused, then laughed softly. 'The mightiest of its species? This kid's living in a fantasy. While this Druddigon has a great deal of power, that's all. That's not enough to win this battle or to be the so call "Strongest" of its species'. As Tyson observed Druddigon, he noticed an odd item wrapped around the edge of its swaying tail. Upon closer examination, he recognized it as a white bandana with red and blue stripes. "So that's how it is," Tyson thought, his eyes narrowing in realization.
[A/N: Items in this world operate similarly to their game equivalents but with slight variations. For instance, the Choice Band doesn't confine you to a single move as in the games; rather, it enhances the power of a move if it's used consecutively.]
"Warm-ups done, partner, let's get started—use Ancient Power!" Tyson called out. Pupitar's body became enveloped in a purple aura as four large rocks were pulled from the ground. Quickly Pupitar launched two of the rocks towards Druddigon. Upon seeing this, Sayer commanded, "Use Dragon Claw to break through those pebbles! Druddigon, upon hearing Sayer's command, once again enveloped its claws in green energy. Observing this, Tyson smiled, thinking, 'Good, everything is going according to plan.' Immediately Pupitar began its assault hurling two large rocks towards Druddigon.
Intercepting the oncoming stones Druddigon swiped its claws, easily destroying the rocks. Watching the rocks shatter Tyson spoke "Fire another round" and Pupitar released the two remaining rocks hurling them towards Druddigon which once again it easily broke apart with its claws. "You said the warmup was done; what do you call that pathetic display?" Sayer taunted. Unfazed, Tyson commanded, "Put them in the blender, buddy," and with a loud roar from Pupitar, the sandstorm began to spin and shrink. Quickly the sandstorm formed a small vortex centering on Pupitar, surprising both Sayer and the audience as Tyson and Sayer were brought back into view. "What are you doing now?!" Sayer yelled; his tone laced with confusion. This was the first time he had witnessed such a technique.
Within the sandstorm, fragments of rock unleashed by Pupitar's Ancient Power rose from the ground, blending with the swirling sand to pummel Druddigon who was at the edge of the storm. Growling in anger Druddigon attempted to walk forwards only to be met with an oncoming rock. Caught off guard Druddigon was struck in the face, forcing it back to the edge of the battlefield and into the edge of the sandstorm once more. Hearing the sounds inside the vortex Sayer began to panic as he could hear the pained grunts of Druddigon 'What's going on in there? what is that Pupitar doing?!'
On the opposite side of the battlefield, Tyson sported a grin, pleased with the outcome of their training. Thanks to Hippowdon's guidance and the power surge from his evolution, Pupitar had significantly enhanced his mastery over the sandstorm. 'This was a tactic I came up with during our training, utilizing the debris from Pupitar's Ancient Power to forge a swirling vortex of rocks and sand. Typically, this would inflict significant damage or disorient the adversary; however, Druddigon's sturdy hide means it would sustain minimal harm. Fortunately, we devised a contingency plan. With Pupitar's evolution and augmented strength, executing this strategy became feasible. Now, with its enhanced power, Pupitar can wield its moves while orchestrating the sandstorm. Although it must remain stationary to maintain control, launching several Ancient Powers at the foe is quite manageable.'
Boom
The clatter of numerous rocks striking Druddigon resounded across the battlefield for two minutes until the storm's roar ceased. Blinded by the tempest, Sayer could only shout in vexation, "Druddigon, use Dragon Claw to tear through this feeble storm!" Alas, his command was met with silence as the vortex gradually weakened and eventually cleared, unveiling Druddigon who was covered in bruises from the multitude of rocks it had been hit with. Witnessing Druddigon's condition left Sayer at a loss for words, yet Tyson and Pupitar's onslaught was far from over. As Druddigon was exposed to the audience, Pupitar had vanished from sight. "What happened? What did you do? "Sayer spoke, his eyes darting across the battlefield, searching for Pupitar. Noticing his opponent's panic, Tyson grinned and commanded, "End this battle with Stomping Tantrum."
A loud boom echoed from above, capturing the attention of Sayer and the onlookers. As everyone's gaze shifted skyward, they witnessed Pupitar plummeting down. "Dodge it!" Sayer yelled, but Pupitar, empowered by its Dragon Dance, was too swift. With a resounding crash, Pupitar collided with Druddigon's head, a cloak of brown energy enveloping its lower body, driving Druddigon into the earth, kicking up a cloud of dust around them. As the dust settled, it uncovered Druddigon lying unconscious, marred with bruises and cuts. Many of its scales were fractured and had come loose, leaving it bloodied and battered.
From the referee's box, the announcer proclaimed, "And the winner is... uh, what's your name?" just as Eric interjected with a grin, "Tyson, that was so cool," while approaching with Sophia and Trapinch in tow. Witnessing their celebration, the crowd erupted in cheers over Sayer's defeat, with many applauding Tyson's performance. Despite the sandstorm obscuring most from seeing Pupitar's actions, the outcome of the match was already decided.
Standing in front of the defeated Druddigon, Sayer slowly recalled the dragon, then shot Tyson a glare and said, "This isn't over," before turning to leave. Back at the challenger's box, Eric asked, "What happened in that storm, man? All we could hear was Druddigon crying out in pain." This was a question on many minds, as most of the battle had been obscured. "Oh, that? Well," Tyson began, explaining Pupitar's actions, leaving the crowd in shock. "That's... disgusting," Eric exclaimed, with many in the crowd nodding in agreement. While a sandstorm was known to disorient opponents and cause minor damage to a Pokémon over time, Tyson's tactic of mixing the rocks from Ancient Power into the sandstorm was cunning. With the hard stones blended into the sand, many opponents would find it difficult to evade without the ability to fly, and even if they tried to enter the eye of the storm, they would be met with a barrage of rocks.
After his victory over Sayer, Tyson conversed with a few local trainers and engaged in two more battles before saying goodbye to Sophia and Eric and starting his walk home. Along the path, two figures blocked his way, one of whom he recognized as Sayer. The other was a young man, about sixteen, with blood-red hair, wearing a Dragonite-embroidered blazer similar to Sayer's, but this one was a dazzling white. Upon seeing Sayer, Tyson said, "Back for more? I would have thought one defeat was enough," which made Sayer clench his fist in anger. "How dare you speak to me like that! Do you not realize whom you are in the presence of, you—"
Pow
A resounding slap from the red-haired young man sent Sayer tumbling backward onto the ground. "Silence! Since when did you have the right to speak for me?" he demanded, his gaze locking with Sayer's, who flinched in fear. Sayer bowed his head and said, "My apologies, Young Master Draven. Please forgive my transgression." Tyson, overhearing this, thought to himself, 'He must be the eldest of the Draknov Brothers.' Draven then turned to Tyson and said, "I apologize for my servant's earlier behavior. He is tasked with ensuring my younger brother's Pokémon are properly exercised. If his words offended you, I am prepared to offer compensation, Mr. Ryuuzaki." Both Tyson and Sayer were taken aback, each for different reasons. 'He knows my last name... that's something only those familiar with my grandmother would know,' Tyson pondered. "So, you're acquainted with my grandmother?" he inquired. Draven nodded, "Indeed, who isn't aware of your family and the esteemed Ground Type Master Bertha?"
As the conversation unfolded, Sayer began to perspire, staring at Tyson in disbelief. "B-Bertha... you're saying this kid is related to Mrs. Bertha of the Elite Four?!" he stammered. Tyson, locking eyes with Draven, challenged, "Since when has my family been of interest to the high society?" Draven replied, "Being residents of Celestic Town, it's my family's duty to be acquainted with everyone, particularly those related to the Pokemon League officials." Tyson, frowning at this revelation, conceded, "I understand. I was on my way home. Your servant hasn't wronged me; actually, I owe him thanks. His actions allowed me to test some strategies I've been developing."
"I'm glad to hear that. I won't keep you any longer. Hopefully, our next meeting will be under more positive circumstances," Draven said, bowing lightly before walking past Tyson. "W-wait, young master! Don't forget me!" Sayer called out, hurrying after Draven. As he watched them leave, Tyson thought, 'Draven Draknov... why do I feel like my life is about to become more complicated?' Sensing Tyson's concern, Pupitar's Pokéball gave a gentle shake, as if offering reassurance. "You're right... no matter what comes, we'll deal with it together," Tyson said, just as Gligar burst from her Pokéball and clung to Tyson's shoulder, nuzzling his face. "Hehe, thanks, girl. I know you're here for me too," Tyson said, smiling as the trio continued their walk home.
Draknov Mansion - Late Night
In a grand mansion on the west side of Celestic Town, a young man knelt on the second floor. "Young master, I apologize; I was unaware he was related to Mrs. Bertha," Sayer said. Moonlight streaming through the windows revealed multiple bruises and bleeding wounds on Sayer's body, clear signs of a beating. "You didn't know? You imbecile! I intended to approach him in due time, to befriend and establish a connection with him and his grandmother, a member of the League Council. Your impulsive actions might have jeopardized my plans to broaden our family's influence. And you think a mere apology will suffice?" As Sayer began to sweat, a loud thud resounded from behind. Towering over him was a large draconic Pokémon with a lengthy tail. Its blue scales glistened in the moonlight, complementing its lower jaw and the thick white scales on its underside. The creature's blood-red wings stirred, and its crimson eyes bore down on the battered Sayer.
"Play with Salamence for the evening, and perhaps I'll forgive you," Draven declared. Sayer's eyes widened and his body shook with fear at the command, as he stammered, "P-Please, young master, I'm sor—" but his plea was cut short as he was hauled into the forest by Salamence. Alone and in silence, Draven muttered, "Fool... you can't even control yourself. Why would I keep a liability like you?" Just then, the door to his room creaked open, revealing a young boy who bore a striking resemblance to a younger Draven. "Brother, have you seen Sayer? He's left Drud all bruised," the young boy inquired. Facing his younger sibling, Draven replied, "He's occupied with Salamence right now, but don't fret over Druddigon. I'll find you a superior dragon soon," he assured, patting the young boy's head.
Pokemon Team:
Team Rank: 2
Pupitar
Gender: Male
Type: Rock/Ground
Abilities: Shed Skin
Held Item: None
Moves: Rock Throw, Bite, Payback, Leer, Scary Face, Dragon Dance [Inherited], Ancient Power [Inherited], Stomping Tantrum, Sandstorm, Iron Defense, Outrage
Gligar
Gender: Female
Type: Ground/Flying
Abilities: Hyper Cutter, Sand Veil, Immunity [Undeveloped]
Held Items: None
Moves: Thief, Knock Off, Poison Tail, Quick Attack, Wing Attack [Inherited]
Moves Learnt: Toxic
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Apologies for the late upload, hope you all have been well. We are coming to the end of the Trainer School arc with only a hand full of chapters remaining.
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