บท 67: Shadows in the Dark
"The battlers are Ace Ketchum of Pallet town, and Jackson of Jubilife city! Battlers ready?" Asked a Nurse Joy who was overseeing our match.
"Hell yeah we are!" The guy opposite me declared as he held up one of his Pokeballs.
"Of course!" I declared with my own Pokeball in hand, eager for the coming battle.
"Go! Zubat!" I shouted while throwing it out.
"Baaaaaaaaaaat!" Zubat cried out as she appeared in the arena.
"Go, Abba!"
"Abraaaaaa!"
"Begin!" The Nurse Joy cried out.
"Abba, use your psychic power to throw rocks at that Zubat!" Jackson called out immediately.
"Bra!" The Abra declared as it began to glow with psychic energy, before ripping chunks of stone out of the arena floor to throw at Zubat.
"Evade it." I ordered verbally, even as Zubat already began to bob and weave through the barrage of rubble.
"Tortle!" Wartortle declared as he emerged from his Pokeball suddenly, flashing both me and Zubat a thumbs up.
"Yep, I'd say your training with Zubat earlier is helping her a lot." I told him, making Wartortle smile widely.
Astonish.
"Bat!"
With a cry Zubat rushed in at a speed that shocked the Abra, making it flinch and recoil briefly.
"Abba!"
"Now Bite!" I ordered her, as Zubat rushed in while dark type energy gathered in her mouth, before she sank her fangs into Abra.
"Bra!"
"No! Teleport away!"
"Bra..." Abra stated as it did just that, escaping Zubat's teeth before she could use a move like Leech Life.
"Good! Now use Hidden Power!"
"..."
Abra was silent as it focused its energy, before sending out a pulse on all sides that covered the entire arena.
"Bat!"
"Endure it!" I ordered her.
"Zu..." Zubat groaned as the pulse of energy hit her, but she managed to recover before hitting the ground as she took flight again.
"Let's finish this up Zubat!" I commanded.
"Zu!" Zubat replied, aware of what I wanted from her as both of her wings began to glow.
Wing Attack!
"Abra!" The Abra cried out as Zubat hit it with her wings, before latching onto it with another Bite.
"Abba! Get it off of you!" Jackson cried out, even as Zubat repeatedly used Bite to sink her teeth in further.
"Abba!" He cried out when Zubat finally released it, only for the Abra to fall unconscious.
"Abba is unable to battle, Zubat wins!" The Nurse Joy declared.
"You did your best Abba..." Jackson said dejectedly, returning his Pokemon to its Pokeball.
But then he grabbed the next one on his belt as he directed a fierce look at us.
"Abba is still young, but the only he'd get stronger is by battling over and over again.... My next one however is no stranger to battling! Go, Tunes!"
"Tu-tu-tu-tu-tu-TUUUUUUUUUNE!" Cried out the Kricketune that appeared, a red praying mantis with a mustache.
"In that case...." I uttered while choosing my next battler as well. "How about you, Geodude!"
"Geodude! Geodude!" Cried out my Boulder with arms, which he flexed before his opponent in intimidation.
"The second round is Geodude vs Tunes. Begin!"
"Tunes, Fury Cutter!"
"Tu-tu-tu!" Kricketune chimed as its figure blurred from its fast movements.
Defense Curl.
Knowing my will, Geodude quickly curled his arms around his body defensively right as Kricketune's first attack landed.
"Dude!" Geodude cried out as he tanked the attack, before Kricketune's began to rain a storm of attacks upon him with it's blades.
Tackle!
"Geo!" Geodude cried out as he tried to tackle Kricketune, only for the speedy bug to avoid it easily.
"Ha! You'll have to be faster than that if you want to catch Tunes!" Jackson declared excitedly, as his Kricketune began using hit and run tactics on Geodude.
"Endure it." I calmly ordered him, as Geodude tightened his defense even more.
"Ha! Even if bug types are weak to rock, all you can do is sit there and get hit!" Jackson smirked as it seemed Geodude was becoming increasingly cornered.
There.
"Dude!" Geodude suddenly cried as he reached out and grabbed Kricketune's scythe right before it hit him.
"Huh?"
"Tune?"
Man and Pokemon could only utter in confusion as Geodude managed to catch Kricketune right before it hit him again.
"Now, Tackle it!" I ordered verbally.
"Geodude!" My Pokemon cried out as he used his grip on Kricketune to make sure it couldn't run away, and slammed his body into it at full force.
"Tune!" Kricketune cried out from the hit.
"Again."
"Dude!"
"Tune!"
"Dude!"
"Tune!"
Over and over Geodude slammed his body into the bug type, all while never letting his grip on it go so that it couldn't run away.
"Tunes!" Jackson cried out worriedly. "Shake it off Tunes!"
"Now, Rollout!"
"Geodude!"
With a cry, Geodude released his hold on the hurt and disoriented Kricketune before spinning his body rapidly.
"Tune?"
"GEODUDE!"
Declaring such, Geodude shot at Kricketune like a large rotating bullet that carved a rut in the arena floor, before hitting the bug type roughly.
"Tuuuuuuune..."
With a small cry Kricketune fell to the ground, unconscious.
"Tunes is unable to battle, Geodude wins!" Nurse Joy declared.
"Come back Tunes..." Jackson said dejectedly. "Take a good rest."
As he recalled his Kricketune, Geodude also back back to my side.
"Geodude! Geodude!"
"Yes, you did really well for your first battle!" I told him, though I couldn't help but notice the numerous nicks and scrapes all over his body. I'll need to buff those later.
"Zu Zu!" Zubat cried from her perch atop my head.
"Yes Zubat, you did very well too." I told her placatingly, while also reaching up to pet her, only for my little bat to start suckling the tip of my finger affectionately. She didn't try to drink my blood though.
"What do you mean its first battle!?" Jackson suddenly demanded, as every eye turned to me.
"I mean I just got Geodude a few hours ago, and Zubat joined me a few days ago. This is just the first time we battled together." I said as if it were obvious.
"Zu Zu!"
"Geodude!"
My Pokemon also cried out as if to say 'that's right!'
"What's with that...?"
"How can they battle so well together?"
"Doesn't it take time to get a Pokemon to listen to you...?"
Mutters and whispering went around me as everyone discussed me using a new Pokemon in combat, and so well at that.
"We here to battle or talk?" I asked cockily, prompting Jackson to reach for his third and last Pokeball, since this was a three on three match.
"Alright then! I'm going to use my strongest and oldest companion for this last round! Go, Shocker!"
"Luxooooo!" Cried out the Luxio that appeared.
"Hey, that Luxio looks bigger than yours Dawn." I heard May say to Dawn behind me.
"Humph! Size isn't everything you know!" Dawn retorted with a pout.
"Just don't look at me when you say that, or I may have to prove otherwise to everyone who hears." I said without looking back, making Joy blush heavily beside them.
Even as I said that though, I fingered the rest of my Pokeballs as I considered which one to send out.
"How about you, Houndour!" I cried out while throwing the Pokeball out.
"Hound dour!" Houndour snarled as he appeared, liquid Fire dripping from his mouth like drool.
"Trainers ready? Pokemon ready? Begin!" Nurse Joy declared.
"Shocker, use Thunder Shock!" Jackson ordered right off the bat.
"Lux!" Luxio cried out as it fired off a weak electric attack at Houndour.
Smog.
"Dour!" Houndour growled as he avoided the attack, before flooding the arena with poisonous gasses.
"Luxio....."
Luxio groaned as it breathed in the toxic fumes, which in turned poisoned it on top of stealing its visibility.
"Damn it.... Keep moving Shocker!" Jackson screamed at his Pokemon, who did as he commanded.
Howl.
Roar.
"Hound.....DOUR!" Houndour howled then roared our menacingly, increasing his own attack strength while also sharply decreasing Luxio's will to fight. Or so I thought.
"LuxIOOOOOOOOOOO!" Luxio roared out in return, it's Guts ability activating to strengthen it in response to its poisoning.
As the two cries clashed, the smog filling the arena cleared to reveal Luxio and Houndour glaring at one another, one sparking with electricity, and the other flaring with fire.
"Kick its ass." I ordered Houndour.
"Hound!" He barked back in response.
Kicking off the ground, Houndour and Luxio rushed one another.
"Thunder Fang!"
"Fire Fang!"
"Dour!"
"Luxio!"
*CRASH!*
Fire and lightning clashed to create an explosion, shocking all of the spectators before Houndour and Luxio leapt back into attack once more.
*CRASH!*
*CRASH!*
*CRASH!*
Over and over again Houndour and Luxio clashed, each trying to overpower the other with either their flames or thunder, and neither giving any ground with each clash.
"Flamethrower!"
"Thunderbolt!"
"Hound!"
"Lux!"
*KABOOM!*
A blast of powerful flames erupted from Houndour's mouth right as Luxio summoned a blast of lightning, which clashed right between the two of them.
"Spark!"
"Flame Charge!"
Flames coated Houndour's body as he rushed forward, while electricity covered Luxio's as they prepared for another clash.
"Amazing..."
"This battle's so intense..."
Voices full of awe could be heard all around us, but I paid them no mind as I watched my Pokemon and his opponent carefully.
I noted all of the openings that Luxio would leave in it's attacks, and direct Houndour to focus on those points while also helping him to protect against and avoid any attacks in his blind spots. But I could tell it was becoming increasingly futile.
While both were becoming increasingly exhausted, Houndour had been out of practice for a while. He was quickly wearing himself out trying to match up against the Luxio.
"Let's finish this Houndour! Flame Charge!" I ordered him one last time.
"Hound!"
"We're the ones who're going to get the final say! Shocker, Discharge all of your remaining energy!" Jackson similarly ordered Luxio.
"Luxio!"
Houndour charged forward while flames cloaked his entire body, and Luxio gathered all of its remaining energy to release in one final burst. Time almost seemed to slow for everyone watching the two prepared to unleash their final attacks.
"DOUR!"
"LUXIO!"
With a roar there was an explosion of fire and thunder as they collided, kicking up a storm of dust that clouded the arena and hid the end result from everyone.
We all waited with bated breath for the dust to clear, and when it did...
"Houndour is unable to battle. Shocker wins!" Nurse Joy declared, while I rushed out to my unconscious Pokemon.
"Houndour! Are you ok?"
"Dour..." He groaned while stirring at my voice.
"Don't move, just rest. You were amazing out there."
"Hound?"
"Of course." I promised him, before returning him to his Pokeball.
"Shocker, are you ok?" Jackson asked his Luxio.
"Lux...." It groaned, before falling over from the exertion of the battle.
"Good match." I told Jackson respectfully, as his Luxio had been a monster against Houndour. It had been trained well.
"You too. Now I bet you're going to say something like that Houndour of yours was new as well." He said bitterly.
"Well... I WASN'T going to, but yeah. I just got him today." I replied looking at his Pokeball one last time before placing it back on my belt.
"I see... Then it looks like Shocker and I are gonna have to rematch you sometime when you train it up a bit more." Jackson said, to which I smiled while pulling out my Pokenav.
"Of course. Just give me your number, and we can rematch whenever." I told him.
After we exchanged numbers I walked back to my place at the other end of the arena, while Jackson made his way off to the side. His Luxio may have officially won against Houndour, but it wouldn't be able to last two more rounds against Zubat and Geodude. Houndour lost the round, but we won the battle.
Once I was in place another trainer stepped up to battle against me, grabbing two Pokeballs as he did so.
"How about a double battle instead of several rounds?" He asked while holding them up in each hand.
"Sure." I replied while looking back at Wartortle. "How about it bud?"
"War!" Wartortle exclaimed as he stepped out readily. I then ran my fingers along the numerous other Pokeballs along my belt, before stopping at one and pulling it off.
"And I'll let you give it a try, Turtwig!"
"Twig!" Turtwig exclaimed as he appeared, ready and eager to do battle.
"Go, Onix and Nosepass!" The guy across from me declared, before the two aforementioned Pokemon appeared across from Turtwig and Wartortle.
"I've trained under both Brock and Roxanne! So we've got an idea of how to deal with grass and water type Pokemon! Don't we guys?"
There was a loud roar from Onix and hum from Nosepass in agreement as both readied to do battle.
"Well alright then, LETS GO!"
"Everyone ready? Begin!"
***
A solitary figure marched down a long wooden corridor despite the darkness that swallowed them, their eyes already having adjusted to it like it was natural for them.
The figure possessed a distinctively feminine figure dressed in tight black clothes, with a pink scarf, belt, and bracers. Meanwhile her purple hair was tied back in a short, bushy ponytail.
As she walked the figure stepped over a thin wire, completely invisible to the naked eye, but to her it might as well been a thick rope. The same could be said of the pressure plate that she stepped around, as well as the invisible wall occupying half the hall.
Even as the figure avoided or sidestepped every single trap in her way, there was still more disrupting her progress as she reached the room at the end of the hall, which was an empty study.
Bookcases lined the walls around the figure, while a desk and a couple of comfy armchairs were all that occupied the floor space. Ignoring those, the figure instead approached one of the bookshelves and pulled a specific book out.
*KER-KLACK!*
With a noise that made her flinch, a segment of the bookshelf suddenly swung inward on a hinge, revealing yet another passage. This was the norm on this estate, traps and hidden passages everywhere that you either learned where they were, or tried to survive them if you set them off.
Navigating through several such passages, the figure suddenly arrive before a man who stood before an open window, allowing the moonlight to illuminate him.
He had short black hair that was spiked upwards, and wore attire similar to the girl with only the color varying for the most part. But, if one looked closely enough, they would notice several physical features that were similarly between them as well.
"You called me, clan head?" She asked respectfully.
"Yes..." The man said as he turned towards her for the first time.
"An assignment has come to us from up high, and I wish you to carry it out. The details are all in this folder." Pointing the folder on a nearby table as he said that, the man turned back towards the window as the girl reached for it.
As she opened the folder though, the first page was a bounty poster of a man with glowing amber eyes, who's name according to the poster was Ace Ketchum.
"This is..."
"An assignment of utmost priority. Failure is not an option. Do you understand?" The clan head said sharply.
"Yes..." The girl said as she skimmed over the important points of the assignment. "I understand sir."
"Good." The man said without looking back.
"By your leave, father." The young woman said respectfully, even as she backed out of the room, preparing to study every single detail about her new target.
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