Chapter 46- Climax

A Fraxure now stood on the field. Dark green scales covered the upper half of its body, heavy and thick like a poltroon. The scales on its lower half had turned a darker shade of grey with a few patches of scale turning red, the same red that now covered its claws and the end of its tail and tusk. The most infuriating part was that its body wasn’t even that different from before its evolution, meaning hoping for a situation similar to Arnold’s was a pipedream.

He struck an impressive figure, but I also knew that Evolution wasn’t a cure-all miracle. While it looked like it was in pristine condition, the damage taken previously was still present, and it was more than likely on the verge of unconsciousness. I refused to believe that it could take that particular Force Palm on top of everything Nike did. If so, I had to keep the pressure.

“Skoll, Bullet Punch!” I shouted while clenching my fist reflexively.

“Show them your new power! Dragon Claw!” Roy matched my shout.

Skoll blurred forward and his fur slowly gained a metallic luster just before he impacted on the scales of the dragon type. Unfortunately, this time he didn’t get to land several blows before the retaliatory strikes came. Green energy sharpened in the form of massive claws that arced for his side sending him flying back. To my shock and surprise, that single hit was enough to bring Skoll to one knew as he clutched the side that was hit.

Yeah, fuck that. I know that their line is one of the more physically oriented Dragrons but this is bullshit. The only solution I can think of is to simply not get hit but that is easier said than done.

I wasn’t given much time to think as Roy gave his next command. “Go ahead and finish it with Dragon Claw once more!”

“Skoll, Detect then Ice Punch.”

Once more, both Pokemon rushed toward one another, aiming to land that critical blow. Both of them were more than likely one hit away from knocking themselves out. I watched with anticipation for Skoll’s change of direction to avoid the attack and was puzzled when he didn’t even try, going straight for contact. I started to wonder if maybe he didn’t hear me call for Detect, but even then I doubted he would be oblivious to the Dragon Claw descending toward him.

At least that was until the greenish claws seemed to lose all cohesions and scattered like mist upon a strong wind. Roy and the now Fraxure didn’t have time to ponder what happened when a literal fistful of Ice TE slammed into the dragon’s chest. At the point of impact, the ice started to expand until only the extremities of the dragon type were exposed, his chest and most of his back being fully enclosed into shimmering ice.

While Skoll backed up to avoid any retaliations, the face of the Fraxure was contorted in a grimace of effort and displeasure as he tried to break free from the ice. Not that I would let them do it. I knew logically that there was no way he would evolve again, but I wouldn’t tempt fate’s hand.

“Finish it with Force Palm,” I told Skoll.

“Forget the ice. Use Dragon Pulse!” Roy shouted with the most emotion in his voice as of yet.

“Be ready to jump to the side!” I called out. After all, most of its neck was still frozen over.

While I wanted to complain about busting out a move like that out of nowhere, I wasn't given the time to. A glowing orb of purple draconic fire condensed in front of Fraxure’s maw, only to disperse again like mist. Skoll who slowed down after I called out didn’t need my input to once more dash full speed ahead. I narrowed my eyes and watched intently his moves. Sure enough, the slightest hint of blue could be seen in the shock wave that knocked out the dragon.

With the Fraxure being enclosed in ice, Force Palm made sure that it took a maximum amount of damage instead of the ice protecting him. The dragon that made his evolution clear to all silently fell to the ground. While the crowd showed their excitement, I had to take a deep breath to calm myself. That had been way too close for comfort. But it wasn’t over. Skoll was panting, but I knew he at least had one more good hit in him. and I might as well make it as strong as possible.

“Come on buddy. One last time use Work Up.” I told him.

The maniac turned his head to grin at me before his muscles swelled once more. It was far less than previously, showcasing the fatigue that plagued my little fighter.

It’s ok. You will get to rest soon. I thought to myself as I smiled back at him.

Our little exchange didn’t last long, but it was enough for Roy to send his Pignite back out. It was also spent, but far less than Skoll.

“Incinerate! Don’t let them get close and knock them out!” Roy ordered.

Of course, he would have noticed that. Still, it won’t help you as much as you think.

“Quick Attack around then Force Palm,” I told him.

Skoll didn’t need much more guidance for what he had to do. He was already running on gas, but he would never go down without a fight. A brilliant trail was left in his wake as he maneuvered to get out of the cone of fire’s path. Pignite tried to turn his head to follow the movement of the fighting type, but Skoll was always a little speed demon. When you had Quick Attack on top of that, Pignite only noticed Skoll was in his space when it was too late.

Once more, Skoll planted his feet on the ground and let the palm trike fly. Credit where credit is due, Pignite, probably aware that there was no avoiding that strike, sucked in a lungful of air before the strike connected. Once the Force Palm drove the air out of his lungs, it was accompanied by a cloud of glowing Embers.

Once the dust settled, it revealed one expected result and one worst-case scenario. First of all, Skoll was down for the count, which was to be expected. The little guy absolutely fought like a beast and some. Taking out that monstrous tiny dragon alone would have been enough, but he also made sure to land a solid hit against Pignite. Which brings me to the worst-case scenario.

I really hoped that the Force Palm would have been able to knock the fire type out, leaving me with a 2v1. Even with Nike already injured it would have been a lot easier. Now instead she would have to deal with Pignite with Blaze active.

The sheer heat emanating from Pignite made the air around it shimmer. Every breath he took seemed to be rerouted to fan a fire as the air seemed to almost pulse, with the fire type at its center. As much as I don’t want to admit it, I took an involuntary gulp when I saw that. It was an intimidating sight to be against this.

“Riolu is unable to battle! You have thirty seconds to send out your next Pokemon.” The voice of the referee snapped me out of my reverie, and I quickly returned the fainted Skoll.

There was no debate about who would be my next Pokemon, so one fluid motion brought Nike back out. It was ironic that the first match-up repeated itself, but I had no time to think about that. Nike was healthier but that Pignite will hit like a truck.

“Confusion,” I called out immediately.

“Assurance.” Roy countered.

With the dark TE that he channeled, the confusion didn’t get enough time to do anything meaningful. And before I could go for one of my other options, a positively massive wall of yellow flames shot out toward Nike. In a split second, I realized that there was only one way to avoid with Teleport, teleporting behind the attack and closer to Pignite. That would have been stupid, and dodging normally wasn’t feasible either.

“Protect!” I shouted to get over the roar of the flames.

Thankfully that was enough for Nike to hear me, and the barrier snapped into place just in time for the fire to wash harmlessly over it. I had to cover my eyes to shield them from the light emanating from the attack, and when I opened them, it was too late as Pignite was already in a cloak of flame and rushing toward Nike with increasing speed. He slammed into the barrier full force, which held only for a second. Thankfully that second meant that the impact wasn’t as strong as it could have been.

It was only a small mercy however given the power behind this particular Flame Charge. To make matters worse, the fire-type was already turning around to get a second hit in before Nike could recover her footing.

Ok, fuck that. I can’t afford to hold back if he is going to just close the distance and attack that fast. It would have gotten out at some point anyway. I’m just lucky it is with Nike.

‘Nike! Teleport up high and Calm Mind.’ I told her.

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I had avoided using fully silent order until now, but this was the final, and revealing it wouldn’t actually matter. Plus, many would just assume it was just Nike carrying the telepathy. Meaning if I can use it with the others too it would still be a surprise.

Plus the confusion on Roy’s face was worth it. I mean, from his point of view, Nike simply vanished without any cue and reappeared at the height limit. He didn’t lose time to ponder on that though and immediately ordered another Incinerate. Which was something I knew was coming.

‘Teleport back down then Psybeam. After that use Psyshock if he is not down.”

There was mischief in the link between me and my partner as she took an almost perverse pleasure when executing the string of actions. A giggle reverberated through the arena as Nike reappeared back to the ground, just in front of Pignite who was still aiming up. The beam of psychic energy was shot point blank, with no time to avoid or parry it.

The explosion that ensued sent an unconscious fire type flying back toward its trainer’s box. His eyes widened as he looked at his sprawled-out partner while Nike was happily twirling on herself. Even the referee seemed taken aback as it took him a couple of seconds to make the call.

“Pi- Pignite is Unable to battle. You have thirty seconds to send out your next Pokemon.”

There was silence in the arena as everyone processed what happened. That was only broken by the happy giggle that Nike was still emitting.

‘Calm down little princess. This is not done yet. Why don’t you go ahead and set Misty Terrain while he is busy connecting the dots.’ I told her while struggling to also contain my amusement.

‘Kay~’ She answered but the excitement in her voice didn’t diminish one bit.

It seemed that Nike really, but really liked to fight like that. I wanted to remind her that the match was still on but then I realized that it was bad that she was excited. Thinking back, she also enjoyed it a lot when I had her teleport around Brugh. Maybe because it was a very fairy-like way of fighting.

Unfortunately for Roy, talking mentally was way faster than doing so out loud. That also meant that he was brought out of his stupor by a pink mist spreading around and covering the field.

To his credit his hand immediately flew to his belt, returning the fainted Pokemon. He grabbed his next Pokeball but seemed almost reluctant to send his next Pokemon out. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t have much choice given that he only had three balls to his belt. A mostly grey and white Pokeball flew out before it snapped open and deposited its occupant.

What seemed like a black of metal at first slammed onto the ground. That was, unfortunately, far from the truth.

Thick, stumpy legs supported an upright body the Pokemon's silvery skin shone under the sunlight, while its eyes slowly opened to reveal what seemed to be piercing yellow eyes. It stood taller than an average full-grown adult, but its weight was not even worth mentioning.

Of course, you have another fucking dragon! Why wouldn’t you?!

This time I almost cursed out loud as the Duraludon roared its presence to the heavens. One thing was certain, it wasn’t as calm as the Axew was when it appeared. Duraludon was not a Pokemon I expected to see at a beginner’s tournament. To make matters worse, as a single-stage Pokemon, it basically had the strength of a fully evolved one. It was that damn Druddigon all over again. (A/N: Reminder that anything Paldea-related is unknown to Nexon, including Archaludon.)

‘Nike stay focused, this one will be hard to beat. To be honest I don’t think you will be able to knock this one out. We are going for maximum damage to make things easier after. Works for you?’ I quickly told her.

There was a quiet grumble about doubting her capabilities, but in the end, she agreed with my plan.

Great. Now if I remember correctly this trying to hurt it on the physical side is a lost battle, so Psyshock is not even an option. It’s dangerous both on the physical and special side too. So letting it get close is a big no. At least the Misty Terrain will help with the dragon type moves. That leaves me with Psybeam, Disarming Voice, and Mystical Fire to damage it. Of these Mystical Fire is probably the best move to use. Disarming Voice with the Feather is also a good option even if Misty Terrain doesn’t help. Good, let’s test the water.

‘Nike go with Disarming Voice first.’

“Dark Pulse!” Roy shouted.

‘Dodge to the side!’ I hurriedly corrected.

Disarming Voice was nowhere near powerful enough to contend with a Dark Pulse. On top of that, even if Nike is a strong special attacker, it’s nowhere near a fully evolved dragon.

Following my mental shout, she stopped the gathering of fairy type energy and used her braids to jump to the side, and not a second too soon. What seemed like interlocked rings made of darkness given physicality gouged the ground where she stood previously. I didn’t know how many attacks of that caliber Nike would be able to take, and I wasn’t planning on testing it out.

‘Switch to Mystical Fire. Don’t let them close the distance between you.’

The upside of using Mystical Fire is that it didn’t only damage the opponent but also hindered their abilities to channel type energy. At least that’s how they interpreted what I knew as the lowered special attack. While the attacks were exchanged, I kept my gaze fixed on Roy. I could see his displeased expression every time Teleport as he scanned the arena. At the same time, I caught his furtive gaze in my direction every time Nike did something, probably wondering why I didn’t speak up.

Too bad for you buddy. No more cues for now.

‘Nike, go up and Calm Mind once more.’ I told her.

This time, I tore my gaze from the trainer and looked at the Pokemon. Clearly, it was growing frustrated. None of its attacks met their mark so far while spots of his shiny exterior were now charred. It stomped its feet a few times, only for its trainer to talk him out of his tantrums. Still, that showed that it was less used to him than the Fraxure was.

Meanwhile, Nike was done with her Calm Mind and teleported back to the ground.

“Enough of this! Rock Tomb all around you!” Roy shouted in frustration.

It seemed that it got on his nerves just as much as the Pokemon’s. Speaking of which, the latter was more than happy to oblige with the command he received. With one massive stomp, rocks all around him shot out of the ground, piercing through the fairy dust. Thankfully it was only around him-

Before I could finish that thought, another stomp shook the arena. Then another ring of stones erupted. By the time the next stomp came, I understood what their plan was.

‘Nike move out of the way Teleport up if you have to!’

Sluggish thoughts came back and that was when I realized my mistake. While Nike was used to Teleport around and confuse her opponent, it still was a move that took a lot of energy, and given how much she used it…

She jumped, hoping to avoid the jutting stones, but unfortunately, she was still hit. She cried out in pain but quickly tried to reposition herself.

“Rock Smash! Send them flying!”

Shards of stone flew out toward Nike while she did her best to avoid but she still got nicked here and there. It was clear that she was at the end of her rope. With that being the case I would have her prepare the field.

‘Nike hang it there. One last push. Refresh the Terrain. Then see if you can use one last Mystical Fire.’ I sent encouragingly.

Truthfully what she did was already enough, but I couldn’t recall her from the match when she was still conscious. I knew she would never let me hear the end of it. I was proven right by a pulse of acknowledgment, which was then followed by a pulse through the field. The pink mist that had started to thin out in the fringes of the arena received another shot of fairy TE causing the mist to thicken.

Then before the dragon and steel type recovered from its surprise, Nike voluntarily closed the distance between them, jumping from cover to cover. Only once she was almost upon him did they notice her.

“Breaking Swi-“

He didn’t get to finish the order. Purple flames winked into existence just at the tip of her hat, then washed over the steel type. It was not a short burst either, but a continuous jet of fire. It took a couple of seconds for the fire to sputter out, revealing a collapsed Nike. She truly poured the last bit of energy she had into that attack.

“Well done little princess. Rest for now.” I whispered to her ball after returning her.

Using what little time I had to send my next Pokemon, I took stock of the arena. The topology was completely transformed from the beginning, with boulders scattered around and a coat of mist hiding the bare ground. And in this surreal landscape, stood a royally pissed-off dragon who apparently didn’t enjoy the bath provided by Nike. Ironically its trainer seemed to emote for the both of them if his grimace was anything to go by.

Oh, well, tough luck on that one.

My next Pokemon isn’t even a choice really. I knew from the beginning that Skoll and Nike would be in the team, but Roy’s third unknown, now known, Pokemon was a wild card that I couldn't factor in. Which was why having two Pokemon in the back came in clutch. By delaying their appearance as much as I could to draw out the third Pokemon, I would be able to make the most advantageous choice when the moment came.

Which was why I didn’t hesitate to throw out the Safari Ball that contained my hope for this final. Tiamat appeared on the field in her usual silent fashion. She stood firmly rooted on the ground, just taking in the state of the arena.

“Come on Tiamat, it’s you and me now,” I said remembering to speak aloud.

The only answer I got was a ‘clack’ coming from her jaws snapping shut with deceiving force. Now was not the time to go with half measures, and she understood it perfectly. Truthfully, I would have liked to use her Life Orb, but I judged it too risky to try in a real battle.

“First, use Bulldoze and flatten the area!”

“Send the shards flying again with Rock Smash.” I heard from Roy.

It seemed that he didn’t want jutting stones around the arena either. However, his method of reducing them was much more… offense-minded than mine. Not that I minded given that it did barely any damage to Tia. My ground type stomped the floor a few times, causing the boulders around her to shake before breaking apart. At the same time, chunks of rocks came flying to my side of the arena, but it played into my plan so that was actually perfect.

I let Tia continue breaking the rocks until they were only benefiting her. She would still be able to fit behind some of the bigger chunks, but it was impossible for Duraludon to do the same. Which was what I was aiming for and it was time to put it to use.

“Now use Dig!”

Without a sound, Tia slowly started to sink until all that was left eventually was a single hole. She was now unable to hear me or anyone for that matter, but she didn’t need sound to track anything on the surface. Especially not something as heavy as a Duraludon, who shook the ground just by taking a single step.

“Be careful of your feet. When it comes out use Breaking Swipe!” Roy said and received only a growl as an answer.

My anxiety increased as soon as I heard that. It was true that Tiamat would be vulnerable the moment she exited the ground, but I hoped she would realize that and dive as soon as she was done with her attack. To make matters worse I couldn’t give her the instructions to do so. I was stuck watching a trap close around my Pokemon.

That was a dumb one. I should have gone for Earth Power even if it would have taken longer.

There was however one thing in my favor. With the mist obscuring the ground, Roy wouldn’t be able to clearly spot the signs of a Pokemon emerging, which left Duraludon on his own to figure it out. And Tiamat showed that she was more than capable of making decisions on her own when needed.

My fists clenched reflexively as I witnessed an orange form leaping from between Duraludon and its trainer. Judging by how Duraludon was struggling to stand straight, I could only guess that she bit it somewhere around the legs.

“Use Crunch!’ I shouted and watched as a spot on Duraludon darkened an instant before it roared in anger and pain. I winced but ordered Tiamat to keep going.

“DURALUDON CALM DOWN AND USE DARK PULSE.” Roy’s voice boomed with a volume that surprised everyone in the stadium. Everyone except his Pokemon.

This time, instead of shooting the interlocked rings in a focused manner, a single, massive ring erupted with the steel type at its center. With Tiamat being strapped to the dragon, she naturally didn’t get any time to get away, taking the assault head-on and being launched against the barrier protecting Roy.

“Tiamat! Use Earth Power under one leg!” I shouted hurriedly. No matter how fresh she was, taking that attack definitely did a number on her.

She was at least responsive enough to follow the directive I ordered, but of course, Roy wouldn’t let that kind of opening go without punishing it.

“Rush and Dragon Claw! Swipe it away!”

Moving with deceptive speed, the Dragon started to run straight toward Tia who was still focusing on gathering the type energy needed for her move. She was just fast enough, with the ground erupting right in front of her. She, however, did not come out unscathed since that damn dragon somehow managed to twist and slam the extended claws to send her flying to the side. Seriously something seemingly covered in metal shouldn't be that flexible.

Reality seemed to differ since it just happened. To make matters worse, my plan to topple the dragon type over was only partially successful with it falling to the side instead of on its back. As for Tiamat, the hit that sent her flying made her bounce on the ground a couple of times before she came to a stop. I couldn’t help but disregard the steel type as I focused mainly on my Pokemon. The fact that she didn’t exit the cloud of dust that she created in her crash didn’t bode well.

Sure enough, once the dust settled, it revealed the ground type collapsed in a heap against the barrier. She was still conscious and visibly struggling to get back to her feet judging by the twitches in her legs.

“Come on Tia you can do. Come on, come on” I whispered reflexively to myself as I did the only thing I could do.

The fact that only two attacks managed to bring a fresh Pokemon to the verge of unconsciousness showed once more the advantages of single stages… they essentially had the same potential that multi-stage evolution had, only condensed into one. While I would have loved to keep pondering about the topic, I was pulled out of my thoughts by a brilliant light emanating from the field.

One that flooded the Arena for the second time today.

Just where she was slumped against the barrier, light coalesced and erupted from Tiamat’s body. I watched on, awestruck as her body elongated, and her proportions changed. The rear end elongated into a tail that soon into two small diamond-shaped wings. Her previously stumpy leg became much spindlier and from her rounded back, two pairs of bigger diamond-shaped wings emerged. Finally, two antennas poked out in front before the light burst like a bubble revealing a pale yellow body and vibrant green wings.

What now stood on the field was no longer a Trapinch, but a majestic Vibrava. The now dragon let the world know of its ascension with an earsplitting, high-pitched screech that echoed through the air like the grinding of metal against stone accompanied by a sea of blue fire.