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Description
I threw a green Pokéball, custom painted by myself to help me identify which Pokémon was in which Pokéball. Most people have that knack of knowing their Pokémon just by their Pokéball. I had no such ability, so I colored my Pokéballs based on my Pokémon’s types. “Sceptile, time for battle!” A green lizard like Pokémon with yellow seeds on his back and a palm-tree-branch-like tail came out of the green Pokéball I threw. The Forest Pokémon crossed his arms nonchalantly and glared at Noah.

“Ah, your favorite tree,” he said, “Normally I’d send out my Grass type, but since I want to win definitively, I’m going to use this one instead.” He pulled out a Pokéball and threw it. “Hitmonchan, standby for battle!” A tan, human-like Pokémon with a purple tunic/kilt and red boxing gloves appeared. It threw a bunch of quick punches, assumed a boxer’s stance, and began hopping on its toes.

“Hitmonchan versus Sceptile. Ready? Begin!” the referee yelled, waving his flag.

“Hitmonchan, use Bullet Punch!” Noah ordered. Hitmonchan’s fists turned silver and he put them together, creating a clanging sound. Hitmonchan then charged at a high speed towards Sceptile, who still hadn’t uncrossed his arms.

“Sceptile, dodge, then use Leaf Blade!” I commanded. Sceptile leaned to the side to dodge Hitmonchan’s initial charge at the last second. Hitmonchan went flying past, touched the ground briefly, then came at Sceptile again. Using the speed that blessed his species, Sceptile calmly dodged most of Hitmonchan’s attacks, deflecting the few that were too fast with his arms. The leaves on Sceptile’s arms suddenly morphed together and extended to create a long, bright green blade. Sceptile then blocked another one of Hitmonchan’s Bullet Punches with one Leaf Blade and slashed Hitmonchan with the other, knocking it back. Hitmonchan growled as he skidded back.

“Hitmonchan, Icefire Close Combat!” Noah yelled. Hitmonchan’s left fist turned an icy blue while the right fist was engulfed in flames. Hitmonchan charged towards Sceptile, a glint in his eye.

“Sceptile, dodge it!” I said, grinning, “It’s just like practice.” Sceptile barked a short laugh, then merriment gave way to determination as Sceptile again began to bob and weave, avoiding every single one of Hitmonchan’s attacks. Hitmonchan then lashed out first at Sceptile’s gut with Ice Punch, and when Sceptile knocked Hitmonchan’s arm out of the way, Hitmonchan attacked with the Fire Punch. Sceptile leaned backwards as Hitmonchan’s right hook sailed harmlessly overhead.

“Energy Ball!” I shouted. Sceptile straightened upright, a green ball of energy growing in his mouth. Sceptile shot the Energy Ball right at Hitmonchan, who was caught off guard and sent flying back to Noah’s feet.

Now it was Noah’s turn to growl. “Hitmonchan. Sky Uppercut!!” He roared. Hitmonchan stood up with a similar roar and charged again, fists glowing white this time.

I grinned. “You know what to do Sceptile.” Sceptile nodded and tensed, ready to move with lightning speed. Hitmonchan reached Sceptile and launched a nasty Sky Uppercut. The only problem with the attack was that Sceptile had leaned away from the attack and Hitmonchan only hit air. Hitmonchan tried again and again, only to have Sceptile lean away again and again. Finally, Hitmonchan growled in frustration and threw up his hands in the air to emphasize his point. Sceptile made Hitmonchan pay for that mistake, wasting no time in launching into an Aerial Ace which struck the Punching Pokémon with such force that he was launched all the way from my side of the field back to Noah. Amazingly, Hitmonchan began to struggle back to his feet AGAIN! I didn’t think it would be able to get up after taking a direct hit from an Aerial Ace.

“I’m impressed,” I admitted, watching Hitmonchan put up its fists again in a guard position, “Your Hitmonchan has definitely got some stamina.”

“Thanks,” Noah responded, “What I don’t get is how Sceptile can avoid all of Hitmonchan’s attacks. Hitmonchan can throw a hundred punches in a second, there’s no way Sceptile is that fast.”

“You underestimate the speed of my Sceptile,” I answered, “Also, it’s been training against Fighting types for most of its life. My Sceptile knows how to handle Fighting type moves.”

“Then let’s see how Sceptile withstands the elements,” Noah challenged, “Hitmonchan, Elemental Punch Close Combat!” Instead of focusing on one element, Hitmonchan’s fists began a colorful pattern of red, yellow, and blue, cycling through the elements in a rhythm that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a Contest. Hitmonchan charged, the energy swirling around his fists swelling, making his fists bigger and harder to dodge.

“Counter with Leaf Blade,” I ordered. Sceptile raised his arms in a defensive stance and began to spar with Hitmonchan. The two Pokémon were fighting at high speeds, not too dissimilar to how Blaziken and Infernape were dueling not too long ago. Finally, their attacks locked and they began trying to overpower the other with sheer strength. I saw Sceptile lean over and say something to Hitmonchan, something that I couldn’t hear. I did see Hitmonchan’s eyes widen and with a roar, Hitmonchan shoved Sceptile back and finally managed to land a punch on Sceptile. Sceptile stumbled a few steps back, rubbing his gut and brushing away the small accumulation of ice that came with the blow.

“What did I tell you about taunting your opponent?” I asked Sceptile knowingly, as this wasn’t the first time this had happened. Whenever we were battling and winning, Sceptile would get cocky and taunt the opposing Pokémon, with mixed results. Sometimes the opponent would lose his focus and we’d win, other times the opponent would only be more determined. Either way, Sceptile’s taunts rarely failed to enrage an opponent.

“Scep, Sceptile scep,” Sceptile replied sheepishly. (Translation: I know, but I couldn’t resist)

“Well, now you have a mad Hitmonchan who seems to be locked in now. Be careful,” I warned. Sceptile merely shrugged and crouched, ready to move.

“Alright Hitmonchan, let’s finish this with Giga Impact!” Noah yelled, emboldened by Hitmonchan’s success. Indeed, with its rage, the Giga Impact aura that surrounded Hitmonchan as he charged seemed larger than normal. Sceptile looked to me for guidance.

“Wait for it,” I said calmly, “waaaaait for iiiiiit, NOW!” Sceptile leaped to the side as Hitmonchan crashed into the spot that Sceptile had occupied a split second before, leaving a decent sized crater behind. The aura dissipated, and Hitmonchan stumbled, evidently exhausted.

“No!” Noah cried.

“Close Combat Combo!” I ordered. Sceptile began to strike Hitmonchan repeatedly with Leaf Blade and Iron Tail attacks. Sceptile finished with a jump, spin, and a loud clang as the Iron Tail floored Hitmonchan and this time, I knew for certain he wasn’t getting back up.

The referee seemed to agree with me. “Hitmonchan is unable to battle, Sceptile wins!”

I ignored the cheers from the crowd and the announcer’s excited commentary and caught Sceptile’s eye. “You ready to go another round?”

“Sceptile!” he replied, looking very pleased with himself. (Of course!)

“Save that energy for the battle.”

Noah looked across the field at me, grinning excitedly. “Nice start, but now I’ve got you figured out.” He grabbed a Pokéball and threw it. “Garchomp, standby for battle!” A dark blue dragon Pokémon that resembled both a hammerhead shark and a jet plane appeared crouched down and partially covered by its fins protruding from its arms. Garchomp lowered the fins and roared a challenge to the skies and glared at Sceptile. Sceptile returned the glare and raised his arms in a defensive position.

“Garchomp versus Sceptile,” the referee announced, “Ready? Begin!”

“Garchomp, Dragonbreath!” Noah ordered. Garchomp opened its maw and green flames came spewing out towards Sceptile.

“Dodge, then use Razor Leaf!” I commanded. Sceptile leaped to the side, the fire missing, and with a flick of his hand, Sceptile had several sharp leafs in his hand. With another flick, Sceptile threw the Razor Leaf attack at Garchomp, who merely covered itself with its arm-fins. The Razor Leaf struck Garchomp, but appeared to do little damage.

“Alright Garchomp, use Dig!” Noah said. Responding with a snarl, Garchomp disappeared under the ground. I knew that Garchomp are fast, both above ground and below it, so I was going to have to move fast.

“Sceptile, the instant you feel something like an attack, dive to the side and use Leaf Blade,” I said calmly. Inwardly, I thought ‘Curse his love of Dig!’ A silence fell over the field; Sceptile was tensed to move, Leaf Blade at the ready, but no sign of Garchomp. I could feel a bead of sweat dripping down my face, but I made no move to wipe it away, as taking my eyes off the field for even a second could be devastating. There was a rumble and Sceptile launched himself to the side, swinging his arms behind him to catch any attack Garchomp might attempt. However, Garchomp didn’t emerge at where Sceptile had been standing; it emerged right behind where Sceptile had landed.

“Dragon Claw!” Noah yelled as Sceptile spun and tried to slash Garchomp, but the Mach Pokémon was too fast, even for Sceptile, and slashed the Forest Pokémon with glowing red claws. Sceptile staggered back from the blow, rubbing his neck.

“Sceptile, try charging an Energy Ball!” I suggested. Sceptile nodded and the seeds on his back began to glow, a green ball of energy forming in Sceptile’s mouth. By using the solar energy, Sceptile could make an Energy Ball even more powerful if given enough time to gather energy.

“Garchomp, Earth Power!” Noah said. Garchomp roared, a yellow glow appearing in its eyes. The Mach Pokémon slammed its wings on the ground, sending a wave of energy towards Sceptile while at the same time, the Forest Pokémon fired the Energy Ball, a meter wide in diameter. Both attacks connected at the same time, the earth around Sceptile erupting and bathing him in destructive energy while Garchomp took the full force of the powered-up Grass type attack. Sceptile had fallen once the energy had disappeared, whereas Garchomp looked to still be at full health. The nimble Grass type struggled back to his feet, but I could tell that last attack had taken a lot out of him.

“Sceptile, Iron Blade Close Combat,” I said, “Give it everything you got.” Sceptile panted a little bit more, then let out a battle cry and charged; long, green, and curved blades extending from his arms and a silver tail. Garchomp merely raised his arm-fins in defense. Sceptile began slashing and spinning, striking Garchomp repeatedly, but I couldn’t hear any grunts of pain from Garchomp. Finally, Sceptile spun again and with a loud clang, sent Garchomp skidding backwards. Sceptile let the attacks fade as he stood there panting. Garchomp lowered his arms and glared at Sceptile, who took an involuntary step back.

“Aerial Ace.” Noah ordered. Garchomp roared and launched itself at Sceptile, taking flight as white streaks of energy surrounded the Mach Pokémon’s body. Sceptile was unable to avoid the high speed attack and was launched into the air.

“Finish with Hyper Beam.” The command was calm and confident, quiet, yet it carried across the field. Garchomp flew up above Sceptile and fired a powerful orange beam of energy, sending Sceptile crashing into the ground. I looked at my unconscious Grass type and grabbed his Pokéball.

“Sceptile is unable to battle, Garchomp wins!” the referee announced, drawing cheers from the crowd.

I recalled the Forest Pokémon. “You did fantastic, get a good rest. Leave the rest up to the others.”

“And Noah gets on the board, with Garchomp defeating Sceptile with a bang!” the announcer said into his microphone, “What will Daniel do to try and stop this powerful Pokémon?” Garchomp stood on the other side of the field, looking fresh despite the fact that it had just taken down my Sceptile. My mind raced through the possibilities, wondering how to counter one of Noah’s strongest Pokémon.

“Time to fight dragon with dragon,” I announced, throwing a sky blue and navy blue Pokéball into the air. A blue dragon with a gray, armored belly and red wings burst out of the Pokéball with a loud roar. “Salamence, time for battle!” Salamence roared and took flight, hovering in the air above my head. Garchomp responded with an equally loud roar and crouched, ready to take flight as well.

“Well I’d certainly hate to get between these two powerful dragons,” the announcer quipped, drawing a few chuckles from the crowd.

“Salamence versus Garchomp,” the referee shouted, raising his flags, “Ready? Begin!”

Noah was quick on the draw this time. “Garchomp, Dragon Breath!” Garchomp roared and shot intense, green flames from its mouth towards the Dragon Pokémon across the field from him.

“Dodge, then use Flamethrower!” I ordered quickly. Salamence almost lazily flew above the green flames and inhaled, preparing to send a hot stream of fire, just as intense, back at the Mach Pokémon.

Right as Salamence exhaled and flames began flying, Noah was giving a command. “Dig!” Garchomp disappeared underground again, avoiding the flames easily.

I wagged a finger at Noah playfully. “You keep using that move, I’ll make you realize your mistake of using it one too many times. Salamence, use Dragon Breath down the hole!” Salamence complied and soon green flames were rushing towards the latest hole in the ground.

Noah grinned at my audacity to poke fun in such a serious situation. “Aerial Ace!” With another roar, Garchomp emerged from the ground, surrounded by the white streaks of the Aerial Ace move, and also the green fire from Salamence’s attack. The move looked like it belonged in a Pokémon Contest, as Garchomp had somehow infused some of the Dragon Breath into the Aerial Ace and it was that draconic energy that Garchomp used to slam into my surprised Salamence and to knock her away a few dozen feet. Salamence shook her head and bellowed her displeasure at Garchomp, who was flying higher into the sky.

“Use that anger to power up your Dragon Claw!” I ordered, “Don’t let a Garchomp outfly you!” I knew my Salamence was a proud Pokémon, especially of her flight skills, and she let out a thunderous battle cry, chasing after the Dragon/Ground type trying to put distance between them.

“Use Dragon Breath to keep Salamence off your tail!” Noah shouted. Garchomp did an awkward twist in the air and shot several brief blasts of green fire at Salamence, but the maneuver cost Garchomp some twenty feet, as in order to fly well, Garchomp need to be in full “jet form”. Salamence dodged all of the shots with an agility only seen in those who spent most of the time in the air.

Like most Salamence, my Salamence loved to fly and would spend as little time as possible on the ground, practicing aerial combat maneuvers or just flying for the sake of flying. While she may not be able to fly at Mach speeds like a Garchomp or a Pidgeot, Salamence is still more than capable of holding her own in aerial combat, and this showed as she chased the Mach Pokémon around the arena.

Whenever Garchomp tried to keep Salamence away with a Dragon Breath, Salamence would avoid the flames with a barrel roll or some other maneuver and gain a few yards at a time. It was enjoyable for me to watch, being Salamence’s trainer. Finally Salamence caught up and dove down onto Garchomp, slashing with extended green claws. Garchomp at last let out a roar of pain as the two dragons began to fall back to earth. As they neared the ground, Salamence kicked Garchomp away, letting him slam into the ground and flying away, letting loose a call of triumph. Dust scattered everywhere, clouding my vision of Noah’s side of the battlefield.

“And Salamence SLAMS Garchomp into the ground. Could this be the end of Garchomp?” the announcer asked

Salamence hovered in front of me, looking for a little petting. “Not now girl, I don’t think this is over yet,” I warned, peering through the dust. A low growl confirmed my fears. Then a Dragon Breath came zooming out of the dust, slamming into Salamence and knocking her to the ground. The dust cleared up revealing Garchomp, who was panting a little, but otherwise looked unharmed.

“Looks like Garchomp just loves to prove me wrong,” the announcer commented, “Looks like it’ll take more than that to beat this dragon.”

“You got that right,” Noah said, “Garchomp has the best defense on this team. Now use Dragon Breath again!” More green fire came from Garchomp’s maw, speeding towards Salamence.

“Dodge it, then use Aqua Tail!” I shouted. Salamence flapped her wings and dodged the Dragon Breath, her tail surrounded by streams of aquatic energy. Salamence charged, roaring her challenge to all who could hear.

“Block it,” Noah ordered. Garchomp raised his arm fins and stood his ground as Salamence struck with all her might. Garchomp went skidding back a solid foot in distance. “Dragon Breath!” The green flames slammed into Salamence and sent her crashing into the ground on my side of the field.

“Hang in there Salamence,” I called, “Try using Aerial Ace!”

“Hyper Beam!” The orange beam of raw energy slammed into Salamence and created a minor explosion. I covered my face from the shock wave created by the explosion. Once the wave had passed, I peered out to survey the carnage. Salamence was slumped onto the ground, wings drooping sadly.

“Salamence is unable to battle, Garchomp is the winner!” the referee announced, raising his red flag after peering at the Dragon Pokémon.

“And with another stunning reversal, Noah has evened the score with four Pokémon remaining for each side,” commented the announcer, “And with halftime just one more knocked out Pokémon away, both Trainers are sure to want that key advantage of a lead.”

Description
I threw a green Pokéball, custom painted by myself to help me identify which Pokémon was in which Pokéball. Most people have that knack of knowing their Pokémon just by their Pokéball. I had no such ability, so I colored my Pokéballs based on my Pokémon’s types. “Sceptile, time for battle!” A green lizard like Pokémon with yellow seeds on his back and a palm-tree-branch-like tail came out of the green Pokéball I threw. The Forest Pokémon crossed his arms nonchalantly and glared at Noah.

“Ah, your favorite tree,” he said, “Normally I’d send out my Grass type, but since I want to win definitively, I’m going to use this one instead.” He pulled out a Pokéball and threw it. “Hitmonchan, standby for battle!” A tan, human-like Pokémon with a purple tunic/kilt and red boxing gloves appeared. It threw a bunch of quick punches, assumed a boxer’s stance, and began hopping on its toes.

“Hitmonchan versus Sceptile. Ready? Begin!” the referee yelled, waving his flag.

“Hitmonchan, use Bullet Punch!” Noah ordered. Hitmonchan’s fists turned silver and he put them together, creating a clanging sound. Hitmonchan then charged at a high speed towards Sceptile, who still hadn’t uncrossed his arms.

“Sceptile, dodge, then use Leaf Blade!” I commanded. Sceptile leaned to the side to dodge Hitmonchan’s initial charge at the last second. Hitmonchan went flying past, touched the ground briefly, then came at Sceptile again. Using the speed that blessed his species, Sceptile calmly dodged most of Hitmonchan’s attacks, deflecting the few that were too fast with his arms. The leaves on Sceptile’s arms suddenly morphed together and extended to create a long, bright green blade. Sceptile then blocked another one of Hitmonchan’s Bullet Punches with one Leaf Blade and slashed Hitmonchan with the other, knocking it back. Hitmonchan growled as he skidded back.

“Hitmonchan, Icefire Close Combat!” Noah yelled. Hitmonchan’s left fist turned an icy blue while the right fist was engulfed in flames. Hitmonchan charged towards Sceptile, a glint in his eye.

“Sceptile, dodge it!” I said, grinning, “It’s just like practice.” Sceptile barked a short laugh, then merriment gave way to determination as Sceptile again began to bob and weave, avoiding every single one of Hitmonchan’s attacks. Hitmonchan then lashed out first at Sceptile’s gut with Ice Punch, and when Sceptile knocked Hitmonchan’s arm out of the way, Hitmonchan attacked with the Fire Punch. Sceptile leaned backwards as Hitmonchan’s right hook sailed harmlessly overhead.

“Energy Ball!” I shouted. Sceptile straightened upright, a green ball of energy growing in his mouth. Sceptile shot the Energy Ball right at Hitmonchan, who was caught off guard and sent flying back to Noah’s feet.

Now it was Noah’s turn to growl. “Hitmonchan. Sky Uppercut!!” He roared. Hitmonchan stood up with a similar roar and charged again, fists glowing white this time.

I grinned. “You know what to do Sceptile.” Sceptile nodded and tensed, ready to move with lightning speed. Hitmonchan reached Sceptile and launched a nasty Sky Uppercut. The only problem with the attack was that Sceptile had leaned away from the attack and Hitmonchan only hit air. Hitmonchan tried again and again, only to have Sceptile lean away again and again. Finally, Hitmonchan growled in frustration and threw up his hands in the air to emphasize his point. Sceptile made Hitmonchan pay for that mistake, wasting no time in launching into an Aerial Ace which struck the Punching Pokémon with such force that he was launched all the way from my side of the field back to Noah. Amazingly, Hitmonchan began to struggle back to his feet AGAIN! I didn’t think it would be able to get up after taking a direct hit from an Aerial Ace.

“I’m impressed,” I admitted, watching Hitmonchan put up its fists again in a guard position, “Your Hitmonchan has definitely got some stamina.”

“Thanks,” Noah responded, “What I don’t get is how Sceptile can avoid all of Hitmonchan’s attacks. Hitmonchan can throw a hundred punches in a second, there’s no way Sceptile is that fast.”

“You underestimate the speed of my Sceptile,” I answered, “Also, it’s been training against Fighting types for most of its life. My Sceptile knows how to handle Fighting type moves.”

“Then let’s see how Sceptile withstands the elements,” Noah challenged, “Hitmonchan, Elemental Punch Close Combat!” Instead of focusing on one element, Hitmonchan’s fists began a colorful pattern of red, yellow, and blue, cycling through the elements in a rhythm that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a Contest. Hitmonchan charged, the energy swirling around his fists swelling, making his fists bigger and harder to dodge.

“Counter with Leaf Blade,” I ordered. Sceptile raised his arms in a defensive stance and began to spar with Hitmonchan. The two Pokémon were fighting at high speeds, not too dissimilar to how Blaziken and Infernape were dueling not too long ago. Finally, their attacks locked and they began trying to overpower the other with sheer strength. I saw Sceptile lean over and say something to Hitmonchan, something that I couldn’t hear. I did see Hitmonchan’s eyes widen and with a roar, Hitmonchan shoved Sceptile back and finally managed to land a punch on Sceptile. Sceptile stumbled a few steps back, rubbing his gut and brushing away the small accumulation of ice that came with the blow.

“What did I tell you about taunting your opponent?” I asked Sceptile knowingly, as this wasn’t the first time this had happened. Whenever we were battling and winning, Sceptile would get cocky and taunt the opposing Pokémon, with mixed results. Sometimes the opponent would lose his focus and we’d win, other times the opponent would only be more determined. Either way, Sceptile’s taunts rarely failed to enrage an opponent.

“Scep, Sceptile scep,” Sceptile replied sheepishly. (Translation: I know, but I couldn’t resist)

“Well, now you have a mad Hitmonchan who seems to be locked in now. Be careful,” I warned. Sceptile merely shrugged and crouched, ready to move.

“Alright Hitmonchan, let’s finish this with Giga Impact!” Noah yelled, emboldened by Hitmonchan’s success. Indeed, with its rage, the Giga Impact aura that surrounded Hitmonchan as he charged seemed larger than normal. Sceptile looked to me for guidance.

“Wait for it,” I said calmly, “waaaaait for iiiiiit, NOW!” Sceptile leaped to the side as Hitmonchan crashed into the spot that Sceptile had occupied a split second before, leaving a decent sized crater behind. The aura dissipated, and Hitmonchan stumbled, evidently exhausted.

“No!” Noah cried.

“Close Combat Combo!” I ordered. Sceptile began to strike Hitmonchan repeatedly with Leaf Blade and Iron Tail attacks. Sceptile finished with a jump, spin, and a loud clang as the Iron Tail floored Hitmonchan and this time, I knew for certain he wasn’t getting back up.

The referee seemed to agree with me. “Hitmonchan is unable to battle, Sceptile wins!”

I ignored the cheers from the crowd and the announcer’s excited commentary and caught Sceptile’s eye. “You ready to go another round?”

“Sceptile!” he replied, looking very pleased with himself. (Of course!)

“Save that energy for the battle.”

Noah looked across the field at me, grinning excitedly. “Nice start, but now I’ve got you figured out.” He grabbed a Pokéball and threw it. “Garchomp, standby for battle!” A dark blue dragon Pokémon that resembled both a hammerhead shark and a jet plane appeared crouched down and partially covered by its fins protruding from its arms. Garchomp lowered the fins and roared a challenge to the skies and glared at Sceptile. Sceptile returned the glare and raised his arms in a defensive position.

“Garchomp versus Sceptile,” the referee announced, “Ready? Begin!”

“Garchomp, Dragonbreath!” Noah ordered. Garchomp opened its maw and green flames came spewing out towards Sceptile.

“Dodge, then use Razor Leaf!” I commanded. Sceptile leaped to the side, the fire missing, and with a flick of his hand, Sceptile had several sharp leafs in his hand. With another flick, Sceptile threw the Razor Leaf attack at Garchomp, who merely covered itself with its arm-fins. The Razor Leaf struck Garchomp, but appeared to do little damage.

“Alright Garchomp, use Dig!” Noah said. Responding with a snarl, Garchomp disappeared under the ground. I knew that Garchomp are fast, both above ground and below it, so I was going to have to move fast.

“Sceptile, the instant you feel something like an attack, dive to the side and use Leaf Blade,” I said calmly. Inwardly, I thought ‘Curse his love of Dig!’ A silence fell over the field; Sceptile was tensed to move, Leaf Blade at the ready, but no sign of Garchomp. I could feel a bead of sweat dripping down my face, but I made no move to wipe it away, as taking my eyes off the field for even a second could be devastating. There was a rumble and Sceptile launched himself to the side, swinging his arms behind him to catch any attack Garchomp might attempt. However, Garchomp didn’t emerge at where Sceptile had been standing; it emerged right behind where Sceptile had landed.

“Dragon Claw!” Noah yelled as Sceptile spun and tried to slash Garchomp, but the Mach Pokémon was too fast, even for Sceptile, and slashed the Forest Pokémon with glowing red claws. Sceptile staggered back from the blow, rubbing his neck.

“Sceptile, try charging an Energy Ball!” I suggested. Sceptile nodded and the seeds on his back began to glow, a green ball of energy forming in Sceptile’s mouth. By using the solar energy, Sceptile could make an Energy Ball even more powerful if given enough time to gather energy.

“Garchomp, Earth Power!” Noah said. Garchomp roared, a yellow glow appearing in its eyes. The Mach Pokémon slammed its wings on the ground, sending a wave of energy towards Sceptile while at the same time, the Forest Pokémon fired the Energy Ball, a meter wide in diameter. Both attacks connected at the same time, the earth around Sceptile erupting and bathing him in destructive energy while Garchomp took the full force of the powered-up Grass type attack. Sceptile had fallen once the energy had disappeared, whereas Garchomp looked to still be at full health. The nimble Grass type struggled back to his feet, but I could tell that last attack had taken a lot out of him.

“Sceptile, Iron Blade Close Combat,” I said, “Give it everything you got.” Sceptile panted a little bit more, then let out a battle cry and charged; long, green, and curved blades extending from his arms and a silver tail. Garchomp merely raised his arm-fins in defense. Sceptile began slashing and spinning, striking Garchomp repeatedly, but I couldn’t hear any grunts of pain from Garchomp. Finally, Sceptile spun again and with a loud clang, sent Garchomp skidding backwards. Sceptile let the attacks fade as he stood there panting. Garchomp lowered his arms and glared at Sceptile, who took an involuntary step back.

“Aerial Ace.” Noah ordered. Garchomp roared and launched itself at Sceptile, taking flight as white streaks of energy surrounded the Mach Pokémon’s body. Sceptile was unable to avoid the high speed attack and was launched into the air.

“Finish with Hyper Beam.” The command was calm and confident, quiet, yet it carried across the field. Garchomp flew up above Sceptile and fired a powerful orange beam of energy, sending Sceptile crashing into the ground. I looked at my unconscious Grass type and grabbed his Pokéball.

“Sceptile is unable to battle, Garchomp wins!” the referee announced, drawing cheers from the crowd.

I recalled the Forest Pokémon. “You did fantastic, get a good rest. Leave the rest up to the others.”

“And Noah gets on the board, with Garchomp defeating Sceptile with a bang!” the announcer said into his microphone, “What will Daniel do to try and stop this powerful Pokémon?” Garchomp stood on the other side of the field, looking fresh despite the fact that it had just taken down my Sceptile. My mind raced through the possibilities, wondering how to counter one of Noah’s strongest Pokémon.

“Time to fight dragon with dragon,” I announced, throwing a sky blue and navy blue Pokéball into the air. A blue dragon with a gray, armored belly and red wings burst out of the Pokéball with a loud roar. “Salamence, time for battle!” Salamence roared and took flight, hovering in the air above my head. Garchomp responded with an equally loud roar and crouched, ready to take flight as well.

“Well I’d certainly hate to get between these two powerful dragons,” the announcer quipped, drawing a few chuckles from the crowd.

“Salamence versus Garchomp,” the referee shouted, raising his flags, “Ready? Begin!”

Noah was quick on the draw this time. “Garchomp, Dragon Breath!” Garchomp roared and shot intense, green flames from its mouth towards the Dragon Pokémon across the field from him.

“Dodge, then use Flamethrower!” I ordered quickly. Salamence almost lazily flew above the green flames and inhaled, preparing to send a hot stream of fire, just as intense, back at the Mach Pokémon.

Right as Salamence exhaled and flames began flying, Noah was giving a command. “Dig!” Garchomp disappeared underground again, avoiding the flames easily.

I wagged a finger at Noah playfully. “You keep using that move, I’ll make you realize your mistake of using it one too many times. Salamence, use Dragon Breath down the hole!” Salamence complied and soon green flames were rushing towards the latest hole in the ground.

Noah grinned at my audacity to poke fun in such a serious situation. “Aerial Ace!” With another roar, Garchomp emerged from the ground, surrounded by the white streaks of the Aerial Ace move, and also the green fire from Salamence’s attack. The move looked like it belonged in a Pokémon Contest, as Garchomp had somehow infused some of the Dragon Breath into the Aerial Ace and it was that draconic energy that Garchomp used to slam into my surprised Salamence and to knock her away a few dozen feet. Salamence shook her head and bellowed her displeasure at Garchomp, who was flying higher into the sky.

“Use that anger to power up your Dragon Claw!” I ordered, “Don’t let a Garchomp outfly you!” I knew my Salamence was a proud Pokémon, especially of her flight skills, and she let out a thunderous battle cry, chasing after the Dragon/Ground type trying to put distance between them.

“Use Dragon Breath to keep Salamence off your tail!” Noah shouted. Garchomp did an awkward twist in the air and shot several brief blasts of green fire at Salamence, but the maneuver cost Garchomp some twenty feet, as in order to fly well, Garchomp need to be in full “jet form”. Salamence dodged all of the shots with an agility only seen in those who spent most of the time in the air.

Like most Salamence, my Salamence loved to fly and would spend as little time as possible on the ground, practicing aerial combat maneuvers or just flying for the sake of flying. While she may not be able to fly at Mach speeds like a Garchomp or a Pidgeot, Salamence is still more than capable of holding her own in aerial combat, and this showed as she chased the Mach Pokémon around the arena.

Whenever Garchomp tried to keep Salamence away with a Dragon Breath, Salamence would avoid the flames with a barrel roll or some other maneuver and gain a few yards at a time. It was enjoyable for me to watch, being Salamence’s trainer. Finally Salamence caught up and dove down onto Garchomp, slashing with extended green claws. Garchomp at last let out a roar of pain as the two dragons began to fall back to earth. As they neared the ground, Salamence kicked Garchomp away, letting him slam into the ground and flying away, letting loose a call of triumph. Dust scattered everywhere, clouding my vision of Noah’s side of the battlefield.

“And Salamence SLAMS Garchomp into the ground. Could this be the end of Garchomp?” the announcer asked

Salamence hovered in front of me, looking for a little petting. “Not now girl, I don’t think this is over yet,” I warned, peering through the dust. A low growl confirmed my fears. Then a Dragon Breath came zooming out of the dust, slamming into Salamence and knocking her to the ground. The dust cleared up revealing Garchomp, who was panting a little, but otherwise looked unharmed.

“Looks like Garchomp just loves to prove me wrong,” the announcer commented, “Looks like it’ll take more than that to beat this dragon.”

“You got that right,” Noah said, “Garchomp has the best defense on this team. Now use Dragon Breath again!” More green fire came from Garchomp’s maw, speeding towards Salamence.

“Dodge it, then use Aqua Tail!” I shouted. Salamence flapped her wings and dodged the Dragon Breath, her tail surrounded by streams of aquatic energy. Salamence charged, roaring her challenge to all who could hear.

“Block it,” Noah ordered. Garchomp raised his arm fins and stood his ground as Salamence struck with all her might. Garchomp went skidding back a solid foot in distance. “Dragon Breath!” The green flames slammed into Salamence and sent her crashing into the ground on my side of the field.

“Hang in there Salamence,” I called, “Try using Aerial Ace!”

“Hyper Beam!” The orange beam of raw energy slammed into Salamence and created a minor explosion. I covered my face from the shock wave created by the explosion. Once the wave had passed, I peered out to survey the carnage. Salamence was slumped onto the ground, wings drooping sadly.

“Salamence is unable to battle, Garchomp is the winner!” the referee announced, raising his red flag after peering at the Dragon Pokémon.

“And with another stunning reversal, Noah has evened the score with four Pokémon remaining for each side,” commented the announcer, “And with halftime just one more knocked out Pokémon away, both Trainers are sure to want that key advantage of a lead.”