Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Stories

Darkness and Dragons Ch. 4

“Now, Houndoom! Flamethrower!”

A blast of fire was directed at Archaludon.

“Counter it with Dragon Pulse!”

A beam of purple energy collided with the fire, creating a small explosion. Amidst the smoke, Rayna could see the smile on Drayton's face. He looked to be enjoying the battle so far, and he looked especially proud of her progress.

“Mightyena, use Play Rough on Dragonite!”

“Dodge it using Extreme Speed!”

Dragonite zipped out of the way before the canine could pounce on her. The dragon moved so swiftly that Mightyena was unable to avoid the attack that followed. He was knocked back, but managed to land on his feet.

“Your dragons are so annoying, Drayton!” Rayna shouted, showing her usual attitude during battle.

The boy only laughed, totally used to it at that point. “You say that every time! Keep your head in the game if you wanna win, Ray Ray!”

“Houndoom, Smog! Catch that flying pest! And Mightyena, use Poison Fang as soon as you have an opening!”

Toxic fumes spewed from Houndoom’s maw. It covered a large portion of the field, obscuring the canines. Dragonite was quickly surrounded by the smoke and flapped her wings to blow some of it away. That's when Mightyena leapt in from behind, landing on her back and chomping down. The dragon was quick to shake him off, but not before the poison effect set in.

“Whoa, nice one!” Drayton applauded. “But I think you forgot about something!”

As more of the Smog cleared, Rayna gasped upon seeing Archaludon charging up. It was too late to react. Electro Shot was unleashed. The massive electrical beam blasted Mightyena, knocking him out. But it didn't stop there. The steel pokemon turned ever so slightly, the beam heading for Houndoom next.

“Destiny Bond! Take it down!”

A dark aura glowed briefly around Houndoom, and he braced for the attack. When the attack hit, the dark type was done for, but so was Archaludon. Almost right after Houndoom fainted, so did Drayton's partner. But Dragonite was still standing, although still struggling with poison. Drayton had won. Both trainers returned their pokemon. Rayna's demeanor softened when she looked at the pair of poke balls.

“Great job, both of you.”

Both trainers used the nearby healing station to treat their pokemon. The battle court within Chargestone Cavern was usually their go-to place for battle practice due to few students ever being there. Drayton looked at Rayna, noting her expression was back to the soft, more timid look he was most used to.

“All this training is paying off,” he told her. “You've gotten a lot better about strategizing and utilizing powerful moves like Destiny Bond. And you don't shout at me quite as much, so that's good too!”

Rayna blushed a bit. “Thanks. I wouldn't have gotten anywhere without your help though.”

A laugh left the boy. “That's true. I'll just give myself a pat on the back. Good going, Drayster!”

Rayna stifled an amused laugh of her own. To think, two months ago she was unsure about this whole training idea. But now, she was glad she agreed to it. Her pokemon were stronger, had better coordination, and best of all, they were no longer taking such dangerous risks. Moves like Destiny Bond and Perish Song were used efficiently instead of as a simple excuse to end the battle quickly without losing. Another positive was that through all the meetups and training, Drayton became a trusted friend. Sure, she'd gotten to know some of his friends like Lacey and Crispin, but she was still most comfortable around him and his laid-back attitude.