Chapter 35

Even after Daisy called for the battle to start, neither Edric nor Aizen made a move. They were both waiting for each other to take the first step.

Aizen sighed when he realised that Edric would not give in.

"Go for it." He softly commanded his Pokemon.

Edric frowned when Aizen did not name the move.

Wartortle simply jumped into the pool and started Rapid Spinning, forming a twister. The Twister slowly enlarged and approached Slowking.

"Ready to Reflect." Edric gave the command.

"Now!" Aizen smirked. "Waterfall, and do your job."

"Wartortle!"

Suddenly, the royal Pokemon was surrounded by water that erupted out of nowhere. Its eyes shined as it used Reflect, keeping the water from approaching it, but then something hit it in the chest that sent it rolling right into the Twister.

"Again!"

Wartortle landed another Skull Bash on the rattled Slowking sending it skitting over the water toward Edric.

"Future Sight. And then use Psychic to attack Wartortle!"

Slowking's eyes glowed briefly as it set up Future Sight, and then immediately used Psychic to smack the grin off Wartortle's face.

"Wartortle!"

The indigo tortoise was sent flying back a few metres before it somersaulted to its feet on a floating disc. It had taken considerable damage from that move.

"Rain Dance."

Aizen observed the Slowking very carefully and understood that its Psychic Powers were nothing to scoff at. Wartortle would take quite some damage from the oncoming Future Sight.

The clouds from earlier, which had not dispersed yet, rained again and Wartotle started feeling invigorated.

"Hydro Pump!"

"You too!" Aizen countered the move.

The two torrents of Water collided with each other, trying to overpower their opponent, but failed and dispersed.

"Harass it with your Speed, and then give it your best Skull Bash." Aizen gave the command.

"Use Psychic."

An invisible Telekinetic attack hit Wartortle, who was circling Slowking, sending it away. And if that was not enough, the Future Sight came into effect and Wartortle was hammered by another Telekinetic move that was stronger than the last one.

"Wartortle..." It groaned in pain as it crashed into a disc, destroying it.

Aizen watched in silence. He knew Wartortle would not give up. The rain pouring down on him was healing him and returning his lost energy, but the rain would only last a few minutes.

"Approach Slowking again. Same plan."

Wartotle once again started circling Slowking.

"Skull Bash!"

"Psychic!"

"Withdraw!" Aizen called out as soon as Edric gave his command.

Wartortle abandoned the Skull Bash and withdrew in its shell at the last moment. The Telekinetic attack hit him and sent him away once more, but this time, he did not take much damage from it.

"Skull Bash!" Aizen called out again.

"Psychic!"

"Withdraw!"

Wartotle did as asked. The cycle repeated itself for several minutes. Edric could not order another move as Aizen always pressed for Skullbash, and thus they seemed stuck in a stalemate.

However, though it seemed to be the vase, if was not true.

The rain clouds finally dispersed, and the rays of the sun shined at the two Pokemon.

Wartortle seemed in good shape, but Slowking was visibly tired now.

"Waterfall!" Aizen commanded.

"Confusion!"

"Rapid Spin!"

Wartotle made the move in time, and even after Confusion took its effect, it was on its way to Slowking and crashed into it, forcing both of them to fall into the water.

Slowking started swimming back up, but suddenly its tail was bitten by Wartortle.

Aizen smirked when he saw that.

"Rapid Spin! And keep at it."

Wartortle did not let go of Slowking's tail and started spinning wildly.

"Use Psychic and get away!"

Edric lost composure for the first time in the match.

"Slowking..."

The royal Pokemon managed to perform the move, but it also suffered its consequences.

The move sent Wartortle away, but Slowking couldn't stop itself from spinning even after that.

"That's it. Skull Bash!"

"Slowking..." The pink Water-Psychic groaned in pain when it was hit squarely in the back by a powerful Skull Bash.

It crashed into the wall of the pool and surfaced on the water in an unconscious state.

Wartorlte climbed onto the floating disc, madly panting for breath. It was tired, but still stared at the fallen Pokemon determinedly.

"Slowking is unable to continue. Wartortle wins! First Round goes to the Challenger!" Daisy called out with a bright smile.

"So a game of stamina..." Edric smiled as he recalled his Slowking. Aizen had pressed for the stalemate to wear Slowking out and make it run out of its Psychic Reserves. On the other hand, with Rain Heart, Wartortle kept recovering the energy it was expending. "Good decision." He nodded appreciatively.

The patience and trust Aizen displayed in the round impressed everyone. Not many trainers could hold their hearts steady and not give in to their impulses. It was his clam and clear plan that won him that round.

"Thank you."

"Gym Leader, please choose your next Pokemon," Daisy called out to her father.

"Go, Poliwrath!"

"Poli!"

Aizen sighed when he saw how great of a shape the Pokemon was in. It was stronger than Misty's Poliwrath, and hers was already a monster.

"Poliwrath vs Wartortle..."

"Return!" Aizen recalled Wartortle in the Pokeball. "Rest." He whispered and stored the ball on his belt. "Go, Scyther!"

"Scyyyyther!"

The warrior Pokemon bravely called out as he stared at his opponent.

"Challenger has substituted Wartortle with Scyther for the second round. Poliwrath vs Scyther." Daisy submitted the information on her Dex and raised her hand. "Begin!"

"Agility... Double-Team!" Aizen did not stand idle this time and immediately commanded the first move.

"Bulk-Up!" Edric patiently commanded with a smile. "And Focus..."

Seeing the moves Edric made, Aizen immediately gave up the idea of having Scyther approach Poliwrath.

"Blade Dance! And send your sharpest Air Slashes at it!"

All the images of Scyther started performing Blade Dance, but then they vanished right before the original started sending out waves of Air Slashes.

"Close Combat, eliminate the air Slashes!"

Aizen's heart thumped hard when he saw Poliwrath bravely eliminate Air Slashes with its Close Combat skills. It did not hesitate in the least, and the little damage it took was truly negligible.

"Hydro Pump!" Edric went on the offensive now.

"Aerial Ace to dodge! And get close to Poliwrath."

Scyther skillfully dodged the Hydro Pump and left a trail of white light as it circled Poliwrath.

"Air Slash!"

Poliwrath once more eliminated the Air Slash, this time by using Dynamic-Punch, not even needing Edric to guide him.

"That's it! Aerial Ace!"

Scyther immediately complied, and before Poliwrath could turn back in its direction, Scyther attacked him.

The speed of Scyther and the Slashes it landed on it were ruthless; Poliwrath kept groaning in pain for a a few seconds.

"Waterfall!" Edric commanded and water erupted around Poliwrath, surrounding it.

Scyther instinctively pulled back to create some distance between them.

"Giga Impact..." Edric called out.

Aizen and Scyther saw a light shine inside the veil of water that surrounded Poliwrath, and their hearts clenched.

"Aerial Ace to dodge!" Aizen called out in alarm, but neither his call nor his Pokemon were not fast enough.

Scyther could not get out of the direction in time and took more than half the brunt of the attack, crashing into the side wall of the pool.

"Impressive." Edric smiled when he saw the Green Mantis spread its wings and float in the air, panting heavily.

Despite all the damage it took, it was still glaring at Poliwrath.

Aizen frowned and looked at the Water Pokemon who was panting for breath as well, but it still looked like it could pack a punch.

He needed to come up with a plan as soon as possible.

"Skull Bash..." Edric did not want to waste time or give him any chance to think clealry in this situation.

"Double-Team!"

Scyther immediately did as commanded and managed to evade the Skull Bash.

Poliwrath was in the air right now and was wide open for attacks.

"Aerial Ace!"

"Scyther!"

The green mantis started beating the fighting Pokemon in the air, slowing down its fall to the pool, and landed heavy damage on it.

"Give it a final Air Slash!"

"Endure," Edric called out. "And Hydro Pump!"

Scyther was still quite close to Poliwrath, and the moment the Fighting Pokemon endured the Air Slash, it shot out a torrent of Water that hit Scyther squarely.

The Mantis was once again sent crashing into the sidewall, making everyone wince at the sound of it.

"Scyther..." However, much to their surprise, despite taking heavy damage, it still managed to get up on a floating disc and started staring maniacally at Poliwrath.

Yes, it had taken damage, and so had Poliwrath. Both of them were at their limits right now.

The two Pokemon kept staring at each other before the Fighting Pokemon fell face-first into the disc it was standing on and fainted.

"Scyther..." The warrior dropped to its knees, spent of all energy, but persevered.

"Poliwrath is unable to continue. Scyther wins! Round Two goes to the Challenger!" Daisy brought everyone out of the trance. They were all shocked at the stubbornness of Scyther. "Gym Leader, please choose your next Pokemon."

"Return!" Aizen wasted no time and recalled Scyther. "Rest." He whispered, wishing that he wouldn't have to use the green mantis again.

But the Pokemon Edric called next rang bells of crisis in his head.

"Go, Vaporeon!"

"Oh no..." Misty whispered as soon as she heard her father calling out Vaporeon.