OOC: Well THIS took frigging forever to write and ended up being an 8000+ word novel. I hope it's worth it.
"Sure thing," Tamara said "Assuming the thing's compatible with my PokéGear, anyway!"
~*~
It did not take too long before Tamara and her new companion found the Gym - the building was built on a great stone platform and had the outward appearance of a Dojo, stone steps leading up to its doorway. A large sign identifying it as the Ecruteak City Pokémon Gym, and its leader as Morty, "The Mystic Seer of the Future". Tamara was quite surprised to see quite a bit of a crowd gathering around the building - as Ecruteak was not a very big city. A smaller sign underneath the Gym's sign, however, explained the crowd - As their luck would have it, today the Gym leader was to face off in a rematch against a trainer of world-renowned skill who has returned home to Johto after years on the road. Perfect timing for them to spectate - if there was still room for additional spectators, that is.
As she climbed the stairs, she quickly located a junior trainer in the white-and-blue robes of a Medium, a jade magatama hanging from a necklace of amber beads upon her neck and her white overcoat bearing a symbol of a dark blue ghost - the emblem of the Fog Badge, Ecruteak Gym's symbol, and approached her with a polite "Excuse me". Others like her were attending to other visitors to the gym - and Tamara figured she would be as good a person to ask as any.
"Oh, hello." The junior trainer replied "Welcome to the Ecruteak City Gym. Are you challengers?"
"Not quite yet, no." Tamara chuckled nervously "My friend and I would actually like to watch the match, if possible."
"Certainly!" the trainer's expression brightened "If you were challengers I would have to tell you to come back later - the big rematch is about to begin soon! I'll take you to the spectator seats in a moment."
"Thanks!" Tamara grinned, as the gym trainer signalled to another of her kind to take her place, and started walking towards the doorway to the gym, motioning for the two girls to follow. "You're in for a treat," she said "It is not often that our leader can go all-out in a battle like this... I think you'll find this a good demonstration of just what the Ghost-type is capable of... and then some."
~*~
The gym trainer led Tamara and Danika to the spectator seats surrounding and overlooking the gym's main chamber - A large chamber that appeared to mostly consist of a deep chasm filled with rather suspicious-looking fog. In places, pointed spires of rock jutted out of the fog - some emblazoned with old runes of protection whereas others held monitors facing towards the row of seats surrounding the chasm. The contrast of traditional and new was definitely a curious sight.
At the center of the chasm, connected to the outside of the chamber by two wooden bridges, was the battlefield itself - a large, raised wooden platform, upon which was set an arena made with what appeared to be checkered marble, league-standard markings embossed upon it in gold. A gym official was already standing on the platform, presumably the coming battle's referee - and Tamara couldn't help but notice the long shadow he appeared to cast upon the arena. Something about the lighting set in the ceiling in the walls around the battlefield was clearly meant to facilitate this - and something told her that was important. Her sister once told her that a gym was rarely designed just for show or just to reflect the leader's interests - perhaps there was more to the illumination here than creating an ominous, ghostly atmosphere?
There were quite a few spectators already seated. Fortunately Tamara managed to find some pretty good seats still free and settled down on one, saving a seat for her new traveling companion. As she turned her eyes to the arena itself, the monitors flared to life, presenting a closer view of the arena - currently showing a split screen view of the doors on the opposite sides of the chamber - where the trainers about to take their places at the opposing sides of the arena would enter the chamber from in a matter of minutes.
There was Morty - tall, pale, with a mop of dirty blond hair kept straight by a purple headband and a black and white outfit, with an elaborate purple scarf draped around his neck. As he walked, his stance and gait were confident and deliberate while somehow looking very relaxed. Too relaxed, almost - like he was moving in some kind of a trance. The eyes did not help, either - Her sister described him as having a 'dreamy' look in his eyes when she battled him all those years ago. That was one way to put it, for sure - but Tamara definitely found herself wondering if the young man did not inhale a bit too much of whatever the fog surrounding the battlefield was for a bit too long.
And then there was the challenger - A boy with medium-length black hair, save for a shock of red running through its fringe, dressed in shades of green and white. He looked about her age - but carried himself with the air of quiet strength that belied years of experience and many meetings and challenges. Six Pokéballs were hanging prominently on his belt - some more well-traveled looking than others, with three in particular appearing to bear the wear and tear of years. What kind of creatures would clash on this battlefield?
There was a soft hum as microphones set around the Arena turned themselves on, preparing to amplify the trainers' words and commands for the benefit of the spectators. It was finally about to begin.
"Long time no see, Morty." said the challenger, a grin plastered on his face "You've done some redecorating! How've you been, anyway? Still chasing rainbows?"
"Among other things, when time permits," the leader calmly replied "As you and I both know, training never truly ends - there is always a new limit to aspire to."
"I have to tell you, I've been looking forward to this." the challenger nodded, stretching "I remember how much trouble you gave me before I finally got the Fog Badge - I don't suppose you'd mind if we used the same Pokémon we did back then? Just to see how far we've gone."
"It would be my pleasure." the Gym Leader cracked a small smile "Three vs. Three, no time limit."
"You're on!" the challenger exclaimed - as on the monitors, an overlay materialized showing the faces of the leader and the challenger, three Pokéball indicators by their side presenting the number of Pokémon remaining on each side - a text ticker appearing at the bottom, presumably to provide further details about the battle as events transpired.
"As per tradition," the Gym Leader stated, a Pokéball materializing in his hand seemingly from no where "I will begin this battle. Mismagius! I choose you!"
The leader cast the ball onto the arena and in a burst of red energy, a creature materialized upon the battlefield, hovering a small distance above the ground. Its ethereal body, mainly dusty lavender in hue and fading to a vaguely-luminous pink at the edges of its outline, had the silhouette of a witch clad in a flowing dress, complete with a wide-brimmed 'hat' that concealed most of its head - and from below its brim, two radiant gold-and-red eyes, framed in dark markings, surveyed the opposing trainer with a look of faint recognition. In spite of its vaguely humanoid profile, the creature had no arms or legs that Tamara could see - though two long ribbons-like appendages fading into pink mist projecting from the front of the dress appeared to fill the part - and above their connection point were set three oval gems, projecting a deep, ebbing blood-red glow that made the trainer just a little uneasy. Her sister once described ghost types as 'Strangely alluring with just the slightest hint of Essence of Nope'. This creature was a perfect example.
"So you evolved that Misdreavus, then." the challenger grinned, removing one of the weathered balls from his belt "Well, then, I have some surprises up my sleeve, too... Out you go, Taweret!"
The ball erupted into a large creature - taller than its trainer - with a heavy-set bipedal frame and powerful looking limbs and tail. The creature's hide - save for its light underbelly and ears, and a dark, helm-like plate that covered its head - was brown, thick-looking and in places had plating that gave it the appearance of armor. The beast let out a roar, and as it did, a smaller creature - presumably a younger member of the larger beast's species - wiggled its head and forearms out from within a pouch in the creature's lighter midsection, and joined the larger creature in a lesser, squeakier roar.
The monitor identified the creature on the challenger's side as a "Kangaskhan", a Normal-type Pokémon - and Tamara felt the questions pile up in her head. How could a Pokéball contain two creatures at the same time? Why would an adult specimen put what was presumably its baby at risk by carrying it into battle? Wouldn't a Normal-type be at a disadvantage against a Ghost-type? She was hoping that watching the battle would give her an idea.
"The Gym Leader gets the first move." declared the referee, raising two flags. "Begin!"
In a second, the Gym Leader's personality appeared to shift as he snapped out of his relaxed stance, his arm whipped forward to point towards the Kangaskhan. "Mismagius, Will-O-Wisp!" he commanded - and the ghost was on the move, weaving a circular pattern in the air with its ribbon-like appendages. Where the ribbons passed, small, flickering blue-white flames ignited in their wake, forming a ring that floated just in front of the Ghost-type - and with a forward flick of these appendages, the ring launched itself towards the Kangaskhan. The beast braced itself, bending forward and shielding the youngster in the pouch with its arms as as the ring of flames enveloped it and rapidly contracted around its body. There was a hissing sound and smoke rose from the creature's skin where the flames met their mark and seared flesh, and the creature momentarily winced and groaned in pain, but quickly regained its composure, regarding the ghsot with a defiant look.
"That's one powerful Will-O-Wisp you've got there. I'm sure you think that would give you some sort of advantage." the challenger responded, never missing a beat "You'll find that it takes more than that! Taweret, Power-Up Punch!"
Upon its trainer's command, the Normal-Type roared again, a red-orange aura surrounding its fists - and in a burst of speed that Tamara could not imagine from a creature of its bulk, it charged towards the Mismagius. The ghost appeared to be unfazed by the charging normal-type, its body beginning to fade into a semi-translucent state. Everything about the Ghost-type clearly showed that it was expecting the attack to phase through harmlessly - but what happened instead came as a shock not only to the Mismagius but also to its trainer.
The punch met its mark as though the ghost was perfectly solid, a ripple cascading through its phantasmal figure where the creature's fist made its impact. If the Mismagius was the breathing sort, the air would have been knocked out of its lungs by force of the impact, for sure. Seizing the opportunity, the Kangaskhan struck again with its other fist in a fluid motion, launching the ghost higher into the air - where it proceeded to right itself with a roll, glaring daggers at the Normal-type, whose body appeared to be awash with a red aura. Something about it seemed different - it appeared... stronger, somehow? The ticker on the monitor suggested that Power-Up Punch was a Fighting-type move that increases the attack power of its user should it connect.
"I don't remember your Kangaskhan having that particular ability last time we met. Mismagius, Power Gem." Morty said, the somewhat bewildered expression on his face replaced once more with one of focus as he called out the attack order, pointing at the Normal-Type again.
"That's because she didn't back then. Taweret, Power-Up Punch again. I got a little something called an Ability Capsule since last time we met - Scrappy's been doing her wonders compared to Early Bird."
While the two trainers talked, the Pokémon launched their attacks. The Mismagius, gems glowing brighter than before, wove a complex pattern in the air with her appendages, red energy drawn from within the gem cores and woven into the facets of a geodesic sphere - a prismatic crystal spreading red refraction patterns all around it, as though aglow with its own inner fire. With a forward thrust of its appendages, the crystal was launched with meteoric velocity towards the Kangaskhan - who rushed forward once more, baby taking cover in its pouch as she launched herself upwards with a powerful jump, fists once more enveloped in the red aura of Power-Up Punch. The first punch connected with the crystalline projection and shattered it to a rain of shards around her. Some of the shards embedded themselves in her punching arm while others scraped and cut her skin as her body sailed through the shrapnel, irritating her burns - but something told Tamara that this was only a fraction of the damage the Power Gem attack could have inflicted on the Kangaskhan had it met its mark fully. And to top it all, the creature's momentum was not broken, and its other fist, ablaze with energy, was prepared to strike-
"Not this time. Mismagius, Thunderbolt!" the Gym Leader called out - and the Ghost-type complied, whipping its ribbons with a bolt like move, a flash of lightning striking the Kangaskhan seemingly from no where. Once more, the creature instinctively curled up in an attempt to keep the damage to her back plates and away from her baby - groaning and twitching as the electric current surged through her body. Her ascent broken, the Normal-type fell to arena below, landing on all fours with a loud thud, another shudder running though her body as the shards of the power gem dissolved, further irritating her burns.
"Now, while it's down, Magical Leaf!"
"Drain Punch!" the challenger commanded - and the Kangaskhan, with a growl, pushed herself up from the ground, righting herself. As the Mismagius was weaving its spell, a cloud of colour-changing leaves swirling into existence around its form, the Kangaskhan leaped again, fist enveloped in a swirling green radiance - and the strike met its mark, radiance seeping into the Ghost-type's body, then enveloping it from within.
The Mismgaius screeched, its concentration broken, as it felt the aura sapping its energy and drawing it into a stream of small green orbs, drawn towards its opponent's body. With nothing sustaining them, the leaves floating around the Mismagius' body withered rapidly and rained uselessly to the arena, falling apart as they did - and the Mismagius itself appeared to wither as well, unable to maintain the altitude of its levitation. The Normal-type's body, conversely, appeared to be healing at a rapid pace - and as it landed on the ground again, it appeared to have recovered most - if not all - of the vitality it lost to the Ghost's previous attacks...
"Pain Split!"
As soon as the Mismagius' registered the command, it turned its head towards its opponent and locked its eyes with its opponent, a flash of light passing through its eyes - and suddenly, both creatures were enveloped by a faint glow, linked by interweaving tendrils of energy. Something luminous appeared to flow from the Kangaskhan's body to that of the Mismagius - and vice versa, as both combatants appeared to flinch in shared pain. Tamara recalled her sister saying something about the move linking the user and the target's life force and evenly sharing damage done in battle between them. It was a risky move - but a trainer who knew how to use it could find their Pokémon healed while their opponent was left worse for the wear at the end of the exchange. Morty, clearly, saw the opportunity to do so and seized it.
As the glow faded, both combatants appeared worn out, but holding on - though the Kangaskhan wincing and grinding her teeth reminded the trainer that regardless of the move's effects, the creatures were not exactly equally matched in health, after all - the Kangaskhan was still suffering from the effects of its burns, and something told her the Gym Leader was counting on it. Not someone to underestimate, Tamara thought to herself I have a lot of laps to swim before I can face off against someone like that.
"I was hoping to get more Power-Up Punches in before this..." the challenger grumbled, his expression on the monitor betraying the fact he knew that Kangaskhan could not go on much longer "But with this burn, two are better than nothing. Taweret, Giga Impact! Let's end this!"
"End this we shall indeed. Mismagius, Perish Song." the Gym Leader retorted, infuriatingly calmly - and judging by the challenger's expression, Tamara could not help but feel that he was only barely holding himself back from blurting out the sort of obscenity that would probably have the battle interrupted by men in suits prepared to issue a citation.
The Mismagius closed its eyes, and holding its appendages to its gems, the creature began to trill a haunting melody, one that Tamara knew all too well - Laprases could draw upon this particular maneuver too, should bad come to worse. There were more than sound waves in this song. There was some kind of a psionic noise pattern carried in its wavelengths, a whisper, becoming a murmur, rising further and further in intensity until it became an overpowering scream... at which point, those affected often lost consciousness at best, or hurt themselves grievously to end the pain, at worst. Humans - save for the psionically attuned - were for the most part safe from the aftereffects. No Pokémon hearing the song, however - lest it was truly Soundproof - was left unaffected, including the singer itself. This made Perish Song only usable as a weapon of a last resort. Morty, clearly, did not wish to risk the Kangaskhan surviving this battle and concede an advantage to the challenger. No holding back - the leader was playing this to win or take the foe with him.
But the Kangaskhan refused to be outdone - Roaring loudly, the younger specimen in its pouch joining it in its roar, the creature enveloped itself in a swirling vortex of purple and golden energy - and launched forward into a fierce tackle, its body colliding with the singing ghost's with seemingly impossibly-augmented strength and velocity, the swirling aura practically exploding on impact. The Mismagius was sent flying, knocked all the way outside the arena and into one of the rocks outside it, the brim of its hat almost comically hooked on the rock's point as its body trailed limply down like a dress on a coat hanger. The ghost was down for the count.
But as the dust settled, it was apparently that so was the Kangaskhan - try as she did to maintain her balance after the kinetic burst, the creature's burns and the scream in her mind were too loud for her to handle - and with an anguished screech, the creature crashed, her last act being to ensure she fell on her side, to avoid crushing the youngster in her pouch - which crawled out, fruitlessly attempting to shake its mother back into awakening. The larger creature, alas, did not stir.
"Both Mismagius and Kangaskhan are unable to battle. Round 1 is a draw!" the referee declared. On the monitors, A Pokéball indicator on each side faded out - reflecting the fact both trainers were one Pokémon down - with two more to go.
"Great work, Taweret. Return." the challenger was the first to speak, withdrawing the fallen behemoth and her child - which proceeded to curl up by her side, closing its eyes in acceptance of the loss - into its Pokéball, and placing it back on his belt. He then turned his eyes to the Gym Leader.
"Perish Song, Morty? Perish Song?. That's a bit of a cheap trick, even for a Ghost-type specialist!" he glared - though a playful smile on his face suggested that there was no real venom in his words. "Pulling out all the stops for this battle, I see?"
"Of course. Would you have it any other way?" the Gym Leader retorted - still calmly, as he silently returned his Mismagius and murmured a "You've done well. Rest now." to its ball.
"Never." the challenger nodded, determination filling his face as he reached for another Pokéball on his belt, clearly already having decided which member of his team he was going to send in next. It was the most worn looking ball on his belt - and something told Tamara this may have been that trainer's very first Pokémon. Her fingertips absent-mindedly brushed against Eira's ball - not nearly that eroded yet. Eira and her have been together for years now - but they still had a long, long way to go before they were anywhere near the level of this trainer.
"I thought so." came the Gym Leader's reply, as he plucked a red-rimmed black-and-green ball from his belt and expanded it. "But this battle has only just begun. For my next Pokémon, I choose Dusknoir!"
"Sobek, it's your time to shine!"
The two Pokémon materialized on the battlefield at the same time - two hulking creatures, sizing each other up as they settled into battle stances. The challenger's Pokémon was a Feraligatr - the final form of one of the "starter Pokémon" given to most beginning trainers in the Johto region who did not already have a Pokémon of their own. The creature was a massive, bipedal reptile, its hunched-over body covered in thick, light-blue scales and scutes that bore the scars of many past battles. Jagged, rugged crests, blood-red and menacing, adorned the beast's head, back and tail - and its eyes, equally blood-red and menacing - locked upon its opponent predatorily, drawing further attention to its powerful looking jaws and the truly wicked looking teeth protruding from them even when they were clamped shut. For a moment, the beast leaned back, muscles rippling as it flexed its massive forearms, jaws opening and closing once or twice as though tasting the air of the battlefield - before it sank to its hunched position again, leaning against the very same arms to support its bulk and emitting a deep, gurgling bellow. Tamara has never seen a Feraligatr before, save in pictures, and she always wondered how a creature this top-heavy held itself out of water. This, at least, answered that question.
The Gym Leader's Pokémon, in the meantime, was a rotund, humanoid creature whose body almost appeared to be woven out of some kind of dark gray, otherworldly cloth, trimmed in parts with golden filigrees. Well, perhaps 'half-humanoid' would have been more accurate - Where its legs should have been there was nothing but a wispy tail, hovering slightly above ground. What the creature lacked in lower extremities, though, it made up for in its upper ones - its arms were long, thick and terminated in a pair metallic-looking chainless manacles and very large, broad-fingered hands with a lighter gray hue that gave them an almost gloved appearance. Nestled within broad extensions resembling an upturned collar - light-gray as the creature's hands and bearing somewhat of a resemblance to them - was a hollow hood in the form of a tapered cone, haloed with a ring of golden filigree and peaked with a golden, antenna-like headdress. At the depths of the hood, a single, cycloptic glowing ember of a red eye frantically jittered for a few moments before settling down into a menacing gaze - one compounded by the one that appeared to be woven onto its midsection in gold filigree. Tamara was not sure which of the faces was real - or, indeed, if either were. You could never be too sure with Ghost-types.
"Bind!"
"Crunch!"
On cue, the Dusknoir lurched forward, arms outstretched as though to grip its crocodillian foe - only for the Feraligatr to quickly reach its own arms forward, grasping the ghost's hands to block its approach. The reptile lunged forward with its head, jaws snapping open, fangs suddenly surrounded by sinister energy and somehow appearing much larger and sharper than they already naturally were. The ghost pushed back, attempting to keep its body away from the fangs while simultaneously tightening its grip on the Water-type's hands in a crushing manner - but the Feraligatr persisted, eyes locked upon its opponent, as it attempted to snap at the Dusknoir again and again. It was a stalemate, but both trainers knew that something would have to give soon... and neither decided to wait until it did.
"Dusknoir, Confuse Ray!"
"Sobek, Scald!"
As the ghost-type's eyes flared to a brighter red glow, the water-type's throat suddenly swelled and its mouth opened. What followed was a simultaneous barrage of tumbling violet lights from the Dusknoir's eye and a burst of steaming, boiling water from the Feraligatr's jaws. With two loud simultaneous cries, both creatures disengaged from each other, pushing each other away and each grasping their faces. Steam billowed from the Dusknoir's hood as the space inside it appeared to clench tightly - and Tamara could not help but notice that the inhuman wail of anguish the creature emitted came from its stomach - where the filigrees parted to reveal a hollow, abyssal-looking maw.
The Feraligatr, in the meantime, staggered dazedly backwards, its breathing visibly quickening and a hunted expression settling upon its face - turning its head from side to side, eyes darting wildly as if following many things that weren't there at the same time. The blue beast shakily dropped its arms to the floor again, steadying itself, attempting to lock its focus on one point and ignore the phantoms around it - but the illusory distractions were clearly insistent on being absolutely maddening. Confusion, Tamara knew, was an immensely frustrating condition - and one that could give the Gym Leader an edge in this battle.
But the Dusknoir did not escape the burst of boiling water unscathed, either - the Ghost's stance shifted as a shudder passed through its body, abdomen-maw closing as though the creature was gritting its teeth. Its one eye was still tightly closed, and the steam still rising from the point where the boiling water made their impact suggested that the attack achieved more than a degree of water damage - the Dusknoir was burned, with all that entailed.
"Shoe's on the other foot now, eh, Morty?" the challenger smirked, before catching himself "What am I saying. Dusknoir don't have feet. Or shoes."
"Let's even the odds a bit, shall we. Dusknoir. Will-O-Wisp." Morty replied - calmly, his face betraying no amusement.
"Oh hell no. Sobek, Aqua Tail!"
The Dusknoir opened the mouth on its stomach and from the nothingness within, familiar white-blue flames emerged, rapidly taking off in the Feraligatr's direction. The water-type, however, decided it absolutely had enough of irritating blinky lights, and that adding new ones to the mix was simply insulting. With a mighty bellow, the beast surrounded its tail with spiraling currents of water and swung it out in front of its body in full force, a crashing wave following in its wake. The phantom flames of the Will-O-Wisp attack were snuffed out instantly, and the Dusknoir, while it managed to evade the brunt of the tail blow, was still hit by the wall of water.
But in the Feraligatr's confused state, the beast miscalculated the magnitude of force it should have put into the tail swing - and the attack kept going, causing the giant reptile to lose its balance and crash to the ground with a loud thud. Grunting in pain, the blue creature rose to its feet again, arms shakier than before. Its eyes were still darting around, but less frequently now.- the creature was regaining its focus, and this could have spelled trouble.
"Dusknoir, Thunder Punch!"
"Sobek! Dragon Dance!"
The Dusknoir charged, its gripping hands now forming clenched fists crackling with electricity. The Feraligatr, still gaining its bearings, was hit dead on, body shuddering as the current enveloped its body. For a moment, it looked like it was going to collapse - but then, something happened. Perhaps it was the pain, perhaps it was the jolt, and perhaps it was something else altogether - but the dazed look in the Feraligatr's blood-red eyes cleared, as though a veil has been torn, and was replaced with something else - something ancient, primal, and furious.
The blue creature roared loudly as glowing flecks of light appeared around it, drawn to its form and swirling around it. Red, gold, violet, blue, white - the flecks spiraled together forming sinuously-weaving serpentine ribbons - dragons of light dancing faster and faster around the beast's body, lending their ancient strength to the one that invoked them.
The Dusknoir knew what was going on, and it would not wait for another command - fists charged with electricity again, the ghost struck again and again - but its fists met nothing but air as the Feraligatr effortlessly dashed away, now on all fours - getting faster and faster, the spirit dragons swirling around its body joined by additional ones as it drew more energy into itself. The Dusknoir gazed at its trainer for further instructions, momentarily drawing a small square in the air in front of its abdomen - and the Gym Leader nodded. Bowing its head in acknowledgement, the Dusknoir gave up on the pursuit and, ignoring the monster circling it and the flock of phantom dragons empowering it, started tracing a pattern in the air with its hands - weaving rectangular outlines of light all around the arena - outlines that slowly started to fill with checkerboard-patterns of blue light. The challenger, grasping what was going on - pointed his hands at the Dusknoir's direction and clapped once, loudly.
And that was all it took - the Feraligatr changed direction and lunged towards the Dusknoir weaving its attack, tackling the ghost and locking its jaws tightly on the creature's shoulder, tearing through its clothlike covering and sinking into the abyssal substance beneath it. The Dusknoir howled in pain as the newly-forming walls began to crumble, their creator's concentration broken before it could complete them. The Feraligatr bit down harder, the sinister energy from before pulsing around its fangs and rippling through the ghost's body, before lifting its head up, tearing the ghost off the ground, shaking its head fiercely from side to side, tearing the fabric even more. Sparks of lightning began flickering around the Dusknoir's fists - but no sooner than they appeared, they faded out as it creature could not muster enough energy to sustain them - and soon, the reptile whipped its head down and let go of the ghost's now-prone body - which slumped to the floor and deflated into a formless pile of cloth, save for the golden 'crown' that once adorned its head and was now nestled into the folds of the pile. Only a faint red glow breaching through the fabric of the creature's hood served as any indication that the fallen creature was still among the living - as much as that moniker was appropriate for a ghost, anyway.
"Dusknoir is unable to battle, Round 2 belongs to the challenger!" the referee cried out, and the monitors updated once again. The Feraligatr has certainly lived up to its name in ferocity - but that Dusknoir... something told Tamara that the Ghost-type's burn was what saved the water-type's tail in this particular battle. If that Thunder Punch was not weakened by the status condition in question, the Ferailgatr would have probably not been able to withstand its might. And with that in mind, she was wondering what was the Ghost-type attempting to do right before the end - a wondering that the challenger was soon to banish.
"Trick Room was a good idea, Morty." the trainer nodded appreciatively "With Sobek boosted like this, giving Dusknoir the speed advantage while neutralizing his could have ended this battle very differently."
"Shame about the timing." the Gym Leader responded with a small shrug, returning the fallen Dusknoir with a murmur of gratitude before placing the ball back on his belt "But don't get cocky. It's not over yet."
"Then send out your Pokémon." the challenger gestured towards the battlefield, where the Feraligatr - still surrounded by its draconic energy aura - posed confidently with another deep bellowing roar. "We can take it."
"And what makes you think," a smug grin crawled to Morty's face as he reached up to adjust his scarf, "That my next Pokémon is not already out?"
It was then that Tamara understood why the lighting in the chamber was set up the way it was.
Within the shadow the triumphant crocodillian cast behind it, two luminous, wicked-looking red eyes opened, and a fanged Cheshire grin, white and gleaming, followed. Something dark-purple and gaseous coalesced into being, rising from the shadow behind the oblivious Feraligatr - whose eyes suddenly widened, pupils narrowing as a cold, hollow sensation pierced through its back and tore through its chest in the form of a clawed, shadowy fist. The purple shape - now fully formed into a strange, almost-furry looking round biped, shuffled even closer to the Feraligatr, whispering something unfathomable to the reptile through a cruel, fanged smile, before pulling the ghostly fist back out of the water-type's body and into its ghostly mass.
The Feraligatr unceremoniously collapsed to the floor, the dragon aura dispersing in every which way and dissolving into sparks of light as the Gengar melted back into the fallen creature's shadow, and rising again from the shadow of its trainer, surveying the challenger with a look dripping with arrogance - almost as though to say 'Oh, is that it? I thought I was being sent into a real battle!'
"Feraligatr is unable to battle. Round 3 belongs to the Gym Leader!" declared the referee, as if to add insult to injury.
"Your move." Morty's smirk faded, replaced almost instantly with a serious look, as the challenger groaned.
"I really should have seen this coming." the trainer rested his forehead in the palm of his hand, shaking it sadly, before returning the fallen Feraligatr to its ball. "He's down to one Pokémon, Sobek. I'll get him back for you." he said, setting the ball on his belt.
"This one is my team leader, you know." Morty responded, petting the ghost as one would a strange cat - and the shadow-being closed its eyes and emitted a hollow, but contented noise "And unlike all those years ago, he doesn't have to hold back. What is your next move?"
"My next move?" the challenger tilted his head "You saved Gengar for last... as I knew you would. So I saved my secret weapon for last too. Thoth, you're up!"
The creature the trainer released was the oddest bird that Tamara has ever seen. It had a perfectly round head with a long golden beak that curved at its tip, a long red plume that jutted backwards and downwards towards the ground and unnaturally large, almond shaped eyes that stared ominously in two different directions. Something was more than a bit off about its proportions - it stood almost unnaturally upright, more like a human would than like a bird would - or perhaps it was merely the way its green-and-black plumage resembled some form of ceremonial robes that created that impression. The white, sleeve-like wings tipped with red-and-black primary feathers, which it held draped around its body rather than fold in the way most bird wings folded did not help matters either.
The avian creature - which the monitor ticker described as a Psychic/Flying type called 'Xatu'- statuesquely stood on the battlefield in the manner of some ancient totem pole - its eyes slowly shifting forward to stare at the Gengar on its other side, red eye-spots on its chest appearing to stare at the Ghost-type as well. A Psychic-type seemed like an odd choice to Tamara, especially against a Ghost. But then, Gengar was also part Poison - was the challenger counting on that?
She was looking forward to see what this battle will bring.
"Sucker Punch!"
"You know what to do, Thoth!"
The Gengar's seemingly-permanent grin grew wider as once again, it melted into the shadows. The avian, however, maintained its position and continued to stare at the spot the Gengar once stood in - though slowly, its eyes shifted their focus, as though tracing something that was not on the whole there. Tamara could swear that its eyes were moving independently from each other, moving at different speeds and gazing not so much AT something as THROUGH something - and that made her feel even more uneasy. What was this bird doing? What was its trainer doing?
But when the Gengar rose from the Xatu's shadow, poised to strike, the green bird simply disappeared in a flash of light, materializing again a short distance away, its wings now spread and flapping audibly, blowing gusts of wind towards the Gengar. Or was it just wind? There was something not quite right about these gusts - a dark undercurrent carried by the air, just barely visible, and a faint howling, just barely audible. Tamara could feel herself shivering - she was not sure if the temperature dropped or if it was herself, but she couldn't help but notice that some of the other spectators felt it too.
The Gengar certainly did. The Pokémon hissed audibly as the gust of wind blew around its body, ruffling its ghostly fuzz. With a glare, the Gengar opened its mouth and stretched its arms forward. From the shadows cast by things around it, something dark and undefined was drawn into a sphere of what Tamara could only describe as 'unlight' held out in front of its body - A sphere which the Ghost-Type proceed to grab out of the air and proceeded to throw in the bird's direction. The Xatu, once more, blinked out of existence, appearing again behind the Gengar and flapping its wings once more, blowing its shadowy current again. The dark-purple ghost dove into the shadows, evading the gust, rising out from the avian's shadow to strike again - only for the Xatu to evade once more in the last second, launching its attack again. With every burst, the chamber felt colder, the whispers in the gusts grew louder and Tamara could swear she could see what almost looked like hollow faces and ominous reflections taking shape within the dark currents, only to vanish again. Just another trick of the wind - or whatever it truly was.
The Gym Leader - who stood there stoically and observed the proceedings, found his expression shifting, in spite of himself, into one of incredulity. The challenger's Xatu was aparently reading his Gengar's movements before it could release them, picking just the right time to Teleport away, appear at a safe distance and use the same attack - which the Gengar nearly effortlessly avoided by melting into the shadows, whatever little damage the attack could deliver beforehand being little more than superficial. It looked like an exercise in futility, neither combatant inflicting any significant damage. So why, then, was the challenger looking like he was waiting for something?
Suddenly, an iridescent wave washed over the Xatu's plumes, flowing upwards - and something about the bird, though Tamara could not quite place it, seemed visibly different - More powerful somehow. Was this a secondary effect of the attack it kept using? Upon noticing the change, however, the challenger grinned brightly - this was clearly what he was waiting for.
"Thoth, Release!" he called out, pointing at the Gengar - And with a loud cry, the bird's body was enveloped in a wave of pink light, orbs of energy forming around it and growing rapidly in size before releasing in a wide burst all around it. For the first time since the start of this battle, Morty looked genuinely concerned.
"Haze!" Morty cried out - hastily, almost desperately? - and the Gengar complied, opening its mouth and belching out a thick, black fog that billowed across the battlefield, settling across the ground like a blanket and sapping the wave of energy before it had a chance to hit the Ghost. The Xatu, too, appeared affected by the fog, whatever increased strength that seemed to fill its body clearly leaving it as the mist sizzled against its plumes.
"Clever." Morty smiled, tilting his head to the side "Taking advantage of Ominous Wind's secondary effect to power up Stored Power. But you didn't count on my Gengar being able to neutralize it with Haze, now, did you?"
"Gotta say, Morty, you got me there." the Challenger replied, nodded in appreciation "But your Haze is blocking out the shadows. Your Gengar has no where to run."
"If you're hoping to outlast me by Teleporting away, you've got another thing coming. Gengar! Use Curse!"
Turning a crimson glare to the Xatu, the Gengar smirked in a challenging manner, raising one of its short arms in the air and spreading the palm of one of its hands, the tips of its digits sharpening into the form of curved claws, the one on its index finger enlarging and gleaming with a wicked, red glow. Slowly, deliberately, the Gengar traced a single horizontal line across where its throat would have been with ths newly-formed claw, leaving a luminous red gash behind it. Something dripped from the wound and oozed to the arena floor - thick and opaque, like blood - but darker than any blood that Tamara has seen. The Gengar fell to its knees, a shiver running through its body as the gash in its form slowly mended itself - while the black blood, a deeper shade of darkness amidst the black haze already covering the arena - rivuleted towards the Xatu through the mist. The Xatu spread its wings, attempting to take off, but the black blood - taking the form of a gripping arm - burst from the dark cloud and grasped the bird by one of its legs, yanking the bird to the ground sharply. The Xatu screeched as the fluid lost cohesion, crawling up the bird's leg and evaporating into a thin mist that appeared to seep into its feathered body, insidiously staining its plumes with a slowly-spreading vein-like pattern.
The Ghost, turning its head up towards the bird, grinned wider - predatory, almost maniacal undertones in its expression - as a wave of pain shot through the avian, the Gengar's Curse eroding the Xatu's life force like an acid would erode metal. What is the sacrifice of a little health to cripple your foe? With this malady of the spirit upon its opponent, it could no longer draw out this battle. Sooner or later, it will have to take action that was not evasive - or fall.
"I figured this would be coming eventually." the challenger nodded "But don't count on wearing us down like that. Thoth, Wish!"
"Gengar, Hypnosis!"
The Xatu, body still wracked by the life-draining effects of the curse, wrapped its wings tighter around itself, holding them together as if in prayer, bowing its head down and closing its eyes. Above the battlefield, amidst the ceiling, stars that weren't there suddenly shone, a single shooting star streaking brightly over the bird's head as the illusion faded. But as the avian opened its eyes - it found the Gengar hovering right in front of its face, its own red eyes gleaming, their pupils replaced with a swirling pattern. Through its fanged grin, the ghost whispered another unfathomable set of syllables - and the Psychic/Flying type's body appeared to fall into some kind of trance, lethargy spreading through its muscles almost as if by magic. Its trainer was caling something out - something about not giving in to it - But whatever he was calling, sleep called louder.
The bird fell into a deep sleep - and the Gengar zoomed away, drawing upon whatever shadows it could find around it to form another ball of darkness - larger and even more sinister than the one it did before. With a triumphant cackle that echoed through the entire chamber and sent a shiver down Tamara's spine, the ghost cast the ball towards the slumbering avian - and the attack connected, hitting the bird straight in the chest and exploding into a burst of black-and-purple unlight. Gracefully, the Gengar landed on the arena floor - expecting to see the Xatu toppled over, defeated when the aftershocks cleared.
But once again, the phantom stars flared brightly in the sky - and so did the shooting star among them, raining a shower of bright sparkling particles over the place where the Xatu stood - quite whole, awake, and staring straight at the Gengar, eyes narrowed, feathers puffing defiantly. The Wish came true.
"Alrighty, then, Morty." the challenger's expression now mirorred that of his Pokémon, eyes narrowed at his opponent. "You want to dance like that? We'll dance like that. Playtime's over. Thoth, Tailwind!"
And once more, the bird was flapping its wings and gusts of wind started to blow - but this time, the gusts were wilder, and there were no whispers or reflections or anything of the sort - a true whipping whirlwind of air that swept through the field and doubling back to blow behind the Xatu, giving its motions added momentum - and blowing the black mist away - a fact not lost on the Morty.
"Bad move! Gengar, Double Team, then shadow-meld and take this bird out!" the Gym Leader commanded - and the Ghost-type complied, quickly grabbing its own body by the sides and pulling, tearing its form into two amorphous gas clouds, each forming into a perfect copy. The two duplicates proceeded to repeat the action, and their duplicates did so as well, dividing faster and faster - until soon, where there was once one Gengar, now a small army of them surrounded the the Xatu, cackling in an eerie harmony as each and every one melted into the long shadows cast upon the arena floor.
"Wait for it..." the trainer murmured.
Within each shadow cast upon the floor, a swarm of crimson eyes and grinning fangs materialized, ever-shifting, ever-shuffling, like some kind of an amorphous, eldritch labyrinth. Some of the mouths opened where some remained closed, rasping unfathomable whispers, joined by ever-loudening words chanted all at once, as the Gengar attempted to flood the Xatu's senses - confuse its perception - make it unable to detect from which direction it will finally emerge to strike an inevitable blow.
"Wait for it..."
The Xatu, body still trembling lightly as the black veins of its curse painfully pulsed through its body, closed its eyes in concentration and scraped its talons against the arena, ever so subtly shifting its position and its stance.
"Wait for it..."
The shadow behind the bird suddenly swelled up-
"FLASH!"
With a rapid twist the Xatu turned to face the shadow, spreading its wings and emitting a blindingly bright flash of light all around it. The Gengar's sillhouette - torn mid-emergence from the in-between as the shadow it was rising from was banished by the burst of light - fizzled briefly in and out of existence as it attempted to reassert itself in the material world... and that was all it took for the green bird to envelop it in the bright blue Nimbus of a Psychic attack. There were a few bursts of energy as the Xatu adjusted the psionic field's form, compressing it and distorting the Gengar's already-disrupted form into new and unnatural shapes a number of times before the Psychic/Flying type no longer found it amusing, crumpled the field's now paper-thin form into a ball and shattering it forcefully against the floor, its contents spilling out as a cloud of dark-purple gas - which slowly coalesced into the Gengar's natural form, lying prone on the ground, tongue lolling out and eyes bearing the sort of look of a person who was just hit by a truck and was attempting, vainly, to inquire in regard to its number.
It also twitched a little.
"Gengar is unable to battle! The match belongs to the challenger!" the referee declared, raising one flag - the one corresponding to the challenger's side of the field - up. The monitors shuffled, the Gym leader's face fading out while the challenger's face taking up the screen for a few moments, the word "Winner" proudly emblazoned below it. The challenger grinned brightly, walking over to embrace the Xatu, ruffling its head-feathers affectionately as the Gym Leader silently returned his fallen Gengar, petting the creature briefly before returning it to its ball.
Then the two trainers turned their attention to each other, shaking hands and trading more words. Tamara found herself tuning them out at this point - running over the battle in her mind. This was an exceptionally close match, and both trainers had some rather brilliant ideas in the line of fire. If she was to become a better battler, she would need to think fast and be creative.
And she would need to learn a lot more about her companions' abilities. Suddenly, finding a guidebook felt more urgent than ever.
