"Absol, use Night Slash," Amina had ordered.
"Absol!" with a mighty howl, Absol began to gather darkness around it, enveloping its scythe-horn with tendrils of ebony. Faster than I could see, it slashed at... me? Wait, why was it targeting me?
I tried to sidestep, but I knew it would be impossible to avoid. I was about to be shredded by the edgiest pokemon I'd ever seen.
"Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Trinity snapped to action immediately.
"Pika!" Pikachu's tail adopted a metallic look, glimmering like a deadly sword. Jumping to my rescue, he parried the slash. Despite his quick reflexes, he couldn't completely block the blow, being flung backward, somehow remaining on his feet.
Meanwhile, the Night Slash was redirected, sinking into the wall right next to me, missing my head by a hair's breadth. Nervous sweat trickled down my neck as I processed the near-death experience. Despite almost dying, anger began to burn through my veins. This bitch tried to kill me!
"What the hell are you targeting me for? This is Pokemon Battle!" I exclaimed indignantly.
Amina scoffed. "It's because I hate pretty boys like you. People like you should just die," she said simply, her eyes betraying no emotions. This girl was a psychopath.
"No one has ever called me a pretty boy," I said, "and I sure as hell don't want someone to start now."
Amina ignored me, her eyes narrowing to Absol, who pulled the horn out of the wall and looked at her in response.
I took the time to scan Absol with my Rotom Phone.
"Absol, the Disaster Pokémon. Absol lives in steep mountainous regions, and rarely ventures down into areas inhabited by humans, but should an Absol be seen by humans, it is said that catastrophe is soon to follow."
What an ominous pokedex entry. How did Amina meet it? The pokedex informed me that it was actually male. You know, I should start focusing on the things that aren't the actual entry—the little details help. He was a Dark-type, so I could use Ralts who has Fairy-type moves. But Ralts is part Psychic, which is weak to Dark-types, so it's a high-risk-high-reward strategy. I would have to save her for later.
"Absol, X-Scissor."
"Sol," his horn began to glow with faint greenish energy, slashing at us with another fast strike. Like before, it was almost too quick for us to react.
"Eevee, Mimic!" I said, a plan forming in my mind.
"Pikachu, Iron Tail again!" Trinity ordered.
"Vee," Eevee absorbed a purple-white orb of energy from Absol, gaining his power.
"Chu," Pikachu swung its metallic tail at Absol once again, clashing a second time. Sparks flew as they collided, lighting up the dark cave like stars.
They continued to exchange blows, Iron Tail clashing with X-Scissor. Pikachu was swinging his sword horizontally, while Absol was swinging diagonally, forming X's in the air.
I joined the fray, shouting, "Eevee X-Scissor."
Pikachu had hooked his tail with Absol's horn, pushing it downward, trapping Absol in place.
"Eevee!" Eevee jumped over Pikachu, her bushy tail becoming engulfed in green power, swinging at Absol with relentless vigor. She slashed downward diagonally, striking Absol on the head.
"Sol!" Absol grunted as he was struck with a super-effective attack.
Without stopping, Eevee swung again, this time upwards diagonally, finishing the combo, tracing an X shape into the air.
"Absol!" Absol cried out in pain as he staggered backward. Despite the super-effective attack, Absol didn't seem to be damaged much.
"Pikachu, Thunder Shock."
"Pika... CHUUU!" Pikachu shot arcs of electricity at Absol, flickering with power as they sailed toward him voraciously.
This time, Absol took the attack head-on, not flinching as the powerful attack struck him, his scarlet eyes glowing.
Suddenly, Eevee and Pikachu looked more nervous than before, and I knew that it wasn't because Absol barely took damage.
"That was Pressure," Amina explained. "Now your pokemon will be too nervous to fight. The fight is already won. Such special pokemon, such pathetic trainers."
"You shouldn't underestimate us," Trinity warned. "Our pokemon aren't as weak-willed as you think."
"And neither are we," I added.
Eevee closed her eyes and breathed slowly, her shaking ceasing. She stood up straight and glared at Absol. "Eevee!" she said with fiery vehemence.
Pikachu's cheek pouches sparked with lightning, shocking himself with it. His tail perked up, and he stared at Absol with clenched teeth. "Pikachu!" he said, ignoring the effects of Pressure.
Amina's expression betrayed slight surprise, "Ah, so your pokemon aren't like the others. I guess I'd gotten used to winning so easily. You see, every pokemon that has been affected by Pressure became too nervous to even fight. They either ran away or were mercilessly beaten by Absol." A cruel light shone in her eyes. "Then we'll have to deal with this the normal way. Absol, Night Slash."
Absol howled and slashed wildly at Eevee and Pikachu, darkness swirling around it like eerie whips.
"Eevee, X-Scissor!"
"Pikachu, Iron Tail!"
The two pokemon charged at Absol, side-to-side. The two clashed with Absol, Night Slash colliding with Iron Tail and X-Scissor. They engaged in a fiery, deadly dance, their clangs ringing through the air in a melodic manner, filling the tunnel with the clamors of battle. Absol was more than a match for the two of them at once, easily fending both of them off simultaneously. More than once did Night Slash nick Pikachu and Eevee, damaging them heavily with even a glancing blow.
They both cried out in pain, but they refused to give up, continuing to attack Absol. Their coordination was immaculate. The pair attacked Absol together, slowly circling around him, slashing with complex patterns.
Eventually, Eevee managed to slip under a Night Slash.
"X-Scissor!" I shouted.
"Vee, Vee!" Eevee struck Absol with X-Scissor, drawing an X as she hit him two times.
"Sol..." Absol grunted in pain, but otherwise shook off the attack.
"Iron Tail!" Trinity yelled.
"Pika, Pika!" Pikachu followed up with an Iron Tail, his sword-like tail cutting at Absol, the force of the blow pushing him backward.
"Absol..." Absol panted, but remained standing. He was feeling pain, but he wasn't as damaged as we hoped he would be.
"Your attacks are too weak," Amina said harshly. "You can't win. Give up." She remained calculating, regarding us with indifference.
"We always find a way to win," Trinity proclaimed. "And a stuck-up bitch won't stop us."
"Heh, we sure do," I chuckled.
"Hit him again, Pikachu!"
"Again, Eevee!"
The two took this opportunity to strike, attacking Absol with powerful blows.
"Night Slash again," Amina said frigidly.
In a blur, Absol slashed at Eevee and Pikachu, the darkness rending the air, hitting both at the same time.
"Pika!"
"Vee!"
The two pokemon cried out in pain as they were flung backward, landing in front of us. They shook with pain as they stood up, fighting against it.
"Damn it," I cursed. "We can't fight her with brute force."
"Then we have to outsmart her," Trinity concluded.
I looked at her, "Mega Quick Attack?"
"Yeah," she nodded.
"Distract Absol," I said.
"Right," she turned to Pikachu, "Pikachu, use Double Team."
"Pika," Pikachu split into five copies, a misty haze covering him as he did.
"Tackle," Trinity said.
"Tackle?" Amina asked, glaring at us. "Is this some kind of joke? Absol, Shadow Claw."
All five Pikachus pounced at Absol, who retaliated by raising one paw. The shadows that clung to the walls seemed to shimmer as they gathered around Absol, showering him in a cocoon of ghostly power. The shadows formed into a giant claw. Absol swung it at Pikachu, the shadows following his every move.
"Eevee, Quick Attack!" I said quickly.
"Eevee!" faster than the Shadow Claw, Eevee shot at Absol like a bullet, a white aura trailing her. She jumped at the Shadow Claw, passing through it, completely immune to it.
Normal-types are immune to Ghost-types, and it's the same the other way around. When the Shadow Claw collided with Eevee, it disappeared, blurring like a mirage.
"What?" Amina's eyes widened. "Absol, dodge it!"
Absol sidestepped in an attempt to dodge the Quick Attack. It was futile, though, as there was nothing to dodge. Eevee simply ran past him. She jumped to a wall, bouncing off it, before bouncing off another wall.
"What are you doing?" Amina eyed me suspiciously, suddenly cautious. "Absol, don't let Eevee do whatever she's doing! Night Slash!"
"Don't forget about us!" Trinity shouted.
"Pikachu!" a cacophony of cries pervaded the tunnel as the Pikachus continued their charge, each crashing into Absol with a multitude of Tackles.
"Ab," Absol winced as he was struck five times, staggering as the damage dealt finally began to show. He shuddered with pain but relented, growling with anger. Without repose, he launched another Night Slash, hitting every single Pikachu, including the original.
"Pika!" they all shouted in pain. Every clone faded, while the real Pikachu was flung backward. He was heavily damaged, but he could still fight. He stubbornly stood up, tensing his legs, as if he was about to attack.
Meanwhile, Eevee had charged up Mega Quick Attack. Pikachu was the distraction we needed.
"Do it, Eevee!" I shouted.
"Eeeeee..."
She kicked off a wall, launching herself at Absol with unseeable speeds, blurring with shuddering velocity.
This was it. Our ultimate attack. Our big finisher.
A ghost of a smile crept onto Amina's face, displaying grim amusement.
If only it were that easy.
"Detect," she said.
Absol's red eyes shone wickedly. He waited until Eevee was right in front of him, and, at speeds faster than Eevee, he sidestepped, avoiding the attack completely.
"Night Slash."
With a calm expression, Absol slashed at Eevee, striking her with tremendous power, smacking her away. She tumbled to the ground, groaning in agony.
"Now, X-Scissor."
"No..." I said in disbelief. "No fucking way." No one had ever dodged Mega Tackle or Mega Quick Attack. That was overpowered!
Amina scoffed. "I keep this move under reserve. I never play this card until I know that the opponent has something I should be wary of. Do you believe that I am so arrogant?"
"Yeah, you totally weren't full of yourself just now," I muttered, wincing as Eevee was hit two times by X-Scissor sending her sprawling to the ground once again, barely staying conscious.
"Vee..." she whimpered weakly, her knees buckling, threatening to make her collapse. She couldn't go on any longer.
"Eevee..." I whispered softly, worried. "Return, you did great." I picked her up and put her on my shoulder, rubbing her head. "Rest for now."
"Ee..." she nodded and sat down, panting with exhaustion.
"Pikachu, Thunder Shock!" Trinity said.
"CHUUUU!" Pikachu send out arcs of electricity at Absol.
"Detect."
With fluid and elegant movements, Absol nimbly circumvented the jolts of energy, raising his paw.
Damn it, how were we supposed to win when Absol could simply Ultra Instinct out of the way?
"Shadow Claw," Amina said with finality.
"Absol!" Absol howled, a claw made of shadows forming, growing until its imposing size dwarfed Pikachu completely. With a flick, he slashed at Pikachu, hitting him directly, sending him flying.
"Pi!" Pikachu cried out in pain, slamming into the wall next to us.
Trinity bit her lip nervously, her eyes narrowing with the pain that trainers feel when their pokemon get hurt. "Thanks Pikachu," she said softly, "return. Leave it to them." She smiled and picked him up, placing him on her shoulder.
"Pika..." he accepted, resting on her shoulder.
"Two pokemon down," Amina said casually, "do you have anymore? Or is that it?"
"Yeah, we do," I said, a plan forming in my head like strings being laced around a loom. The pieces of this complex conundrum slowly began to take their places. This was our only hope. Eevee and Pikachu weakened Absol, albeit slightly. But it was all we needed.
Both Ralts would be the deciding factor in this battle. Amina was a powerful opponent, one we couldn't hope of beating on our own. But together? We would prevail.
It was now or never.
Trinity and I looked at one another and nodded, understanding flowing between us. She understood as much as me what we had to do.
"Come out!" we shouted at once, throwing our pokeballs.
"Ralts!" the two siblings came out in unison, standing shoulder-to-shoulder as they stared down Absol. They had a nervous but excitable air about them. Absol's Pressure affected them, but it did nothing to wane their will to fight. I grinned. If I had my own theme song, I imagine it would have something to do with pianos. The music of victory was ringing in my ears, and what better music to terrify an opponent than one with pianos?
"Two Psychic-types?" Amina asked. "Absol, Night Slash."
"Sol!" Absol brought his horn up, about to strike, when suddenly, he froze. Sparks of electricity webbed his body, locking him in place.
"Pikachu's Static!" I realized.
"Why didn't it activate before?" Trinity wondered.
"It's because..." an epiphany came to me, "Absol never actually made physical contact with Pikachu. He used Night Slash as a pseudo-projectile. He only hit him with the energy from X-Scissor. But when he used Shadow Claw, he directly hit him. The entire time he never truly touched Pikachu.
Amina's eyes widened slightly, a shred of emotion once again illuminating her lifeless eyes. "Absol, try to attack!" she said desperately.
Absol tried to move, but still couldn't due to the paralysis. He clenched his teeth and forced himself to move. His movements were more sluggish than they were before. That was because paralysis cut the opponent's speed in half.
I smirked. "Oh yeah, Amina, you forgot something."
"What could it be?" she looked at me with annoyance.
"Ralts is part Fairy. Disarming Voice!" I said.
"Ralts!" Ralts sang, her voice projecting a wave of pink power, smacking Absol directly.
"Detect!" Amina shouted.
"Ralts, Disable!" Trinity shot back.
Absol was about to dodge, but stopped when her Ralts's eyes glowed, canceling his move.
"What?!" Amina exclaimed.
"Absol!" Absol doubled over by the super-effective attack, grunting as he was knocked away by the powerful move.
"Teleport then Disarming Voice again!" I continued.
"Ralts!" Ralts disappeared and then reappeared before Absol, once again striking him.
"Sol!" Absol groaned, breathing heavily as the damage he had sustained once again plagued him.
"Night Slash!" Amina said, suddenly desperate. She had relied on brute strength this entire time. She truly believed that she and Absol were unstoppable. And now, not even Detect could save them.
Absol hacked at Ralts, the darkness severing the air as it traveled toward her.
"Ralts, activate Trace," Trinity ordered male Ralts, whose eyes once again glowed, copying Absol's Pressure.
Absol's attack stopped. He shuddered as the effects of Pressure washed over him.
"Disarming Voice!" I shouted.
"Ral!" female Ralts struck Absol another time, the pink energy battering him, damaging more than it had before.
"Ab..." Absol was on the verge of collapse, the only thing keeping him from slipping into unconsciousness was his sheer determination.
My Ralts was the main hitter, while Trinity's was the support. My Ralts was the only one with moves that could hurt Absol.
"Absol..." Amina said, frustrated at us. "X-Scissor."
"Absol!" Absol roared, his muscles pulsing as he slashed at Ralts with manic energy, hitting Ralts twice.
"Ralts..." Ralts shook with pain, but she remained unmoved, surprising us all with her tenacity. She practically shook off a super-effective attack.
"Heh," I chuckled. "Draining Kiss."
"Detect! Disable should have worn off already!" Amina ordered.
"Disable again," Trinity smirked.
Ralts once again prevented Absol from dodging our attack. Ralts gave Absol a peck on the cheek, a pink glow radiating from the spot as she absorbed his energy. She rejuvenated herself while relieving herself of the damage Absol had inflicted on her.
Absol still stood strong, impetuously repudiating defeat. Just how much damage did he have to take?
"Shadow Claw!" Amina called, gritting her teeth.
"Sol!" Absol growled and brought down the Shadow Claw, intent on cleaving Ralts.
"Teleport," I said simply.
"Ralts," Ralts teleported behind Absol.
"Disarming Voice."
Ralts's melody slammed into Absol, engulfing him with a wave of pink energy.
Absol recoiled, one eye closing as his agony caused him to nearly fall down. His breathing ran ragged, and his injuries becoming more apparent.
"Absol..." Amina's eyes gleamed with a different light... sadness. Despite her being so wretched, I could tell that she truly and wholeheartedly cared for Absol. I almost felt bad for her.
But nonetheless, we had to finish this. I wouldn't show compassion.
"Draining Kiss," I said with venom in my tone.
"Don't let her! X-Scissor!" Amina ordered.
"Sol!" Absol mustered the energy for one last attack. His horn flashed with green energy, raising it high into the air. But as he brought it down, he froze, the paralysis affecting him once more. Sparks covered him.
Ralts walked to him at a leisurely pace, staring him straight in the eyes with a fierce expression. Then, in a mocking manner, she kissed him on the cheek, draining his energy once again.
His eyes widened and a tired expression overtook him as the remainder of his strength was sapped by Ralts. With a gentle sway, he fell sideways and collapsed, finally knocked out.
"Absol," Amina said softly, her eyes widened in disbelief. She walked to her partner and softly caressed his head. "I'm sorry, Absol. Return." She held his pokeball and returned him into it.
With an inscrutable expression, she looked at us. "I lost—that much I can admit. I'll leave now, but just know this: Team Rocket will continue its path to absolute power. We will get you and your pokemon; you will help us with our research."
"No, we won't," I glared, accepting her challenge. "We'll kick your asses like we did with you."
Amina suddenly smiled cruelly. "Next time you won't catch me by surprise. I am devoted to the great Giovanni, and Absol and I are his weapons—the ones who carry out his will. I'm not like those clowns who came before me."
"Which clowns?" Trinity asked, frowning.
"The ex-Elite Squad. It consisted of Jessie, James, and a talking Meowth. They were jokes through and through." She scoffed.
"What happened to them?" I asked.
"Oh, we disposed of them," she said casually.
"Disposed?"
She waved off the question. "I'll go, but I'll be back..." she trailed off. "I won't stop until the day I perish," she said, her voice carrying a twinge of melancholy. She turned away, clenching her fists together, and ran away. The tone of her voice bothered me a little bit. What had happened to her? Nevermind, I didn't care.
I released the breath I was holding, sighing in relief. "We won."
"Vee..." Eevee said weakly, a soft smile forming on her face.
I patted her on the head. "Thanks to you and Pikachu, we beat them."
She smiled and closed her eyes peacefully, knowing that victory was ours.
Trinity smiled as her partner also slipped into a restful sleep.
I turned to Ralts, who was giving me a big smile. "Ralts!" she said, dipping her head.
I smiled wryly and knelt so that I could pet her, which caused her to squirm in delight. She was just too adorable.
"Ral!" she said and continued to smile.
"You did great. You fought Absol one-on-one and won; you really have grown stronger," I said, proud of her.
"Ralts," she nodded, her horn twitching as she sensed my pride, making her even happier.
I smiled at that. "Now rest. Return." I returned her to her pokeball.
"That was some great support, Ralts," Trinity praised her Ralts.
"Ralts." He grinned and puffed out his chest in pride. His horn twitched as he sensed Trinity's approval, happy that his trainer was proud of him.
"Now return," Ralts's pokeball sucked him back in.
"Well, that was tough," I said after a minute of silence.
"We're going to see her again," Trinity stated.
"We are. And we'll have to be ready for her. Next time won't be so easy.
"Getting stronger is the only option," she said.
"Yeah," I agreed. We couldn't stay at the level we were. But we proved that we weren't weak by defeating a trainer that was stronger than us, even if we had to use two pokemon against one.
We would get stronger.
And we had to, because harder trials would present themselves in the future, and we would have to be ready for them.
With that in mind, we walked out of Mount Moon and headed toward Cerulean City, where we would get our second Gym Badge.
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Woo, that was a tough battle. They almost lost.
By the way, if you guys want to suggest any places, characters, or pokemon you would like to see in this story, then by all means comment your suggestion.
Our heroes faced Amina, the mysterious trainer who claims to be a part of Team Rocket and reveals that she is Giovanni's Elite Trainer. After a hard-fought battle, Vali and Trinity manage to gain the upper hand, emerging victorious.
What will become of Amina? And how will she influence later events? Find out, as the journey continues.
HAHA I just saw this and laughed, it's so ironic.
Seriously, what the hell?