//------------------------------// // Showdown at Sunset // Story: Celestia's Rocket Adventures // by Snake Staff //------------------------------// As the sun slowly dipped towards the horizon, the forest was all but silent. No insects were chirping, no birds were singing. Even the grunts of Team Flare were in a sober, nervous mood as they looked out into the lengthening shadows. Only a slight breeze was blowing, rustling the leaves and causing most humans to cling ever tighter to one another and their Pokémon. Eyes darted this way and that, searching uneasily for the slightest sign of the enemy or indeed anyone at all. But, at that moment, the woodlands seemed to them to be entirely lifeless. Celosia sat atop her vehicle with her arms folded, a sour expression on her face. Right then she wished for all the world that she had brought perfume, or at least a Pokémon that knew Sweet Scent. The rancid fumes of the Stunky refused to leave her clothing or her skin, and she knew she would have to scrub herself for hours after her return to headquarters. The outfit, she sulkily noted, would probably have to be burned. Nothing ruined a triumphant return quite like reeking to high heaven. When the sun was almost halfway over the world’s edge, the scientist was roused from her bitter musings by an intruding noise. The leaves above her rustled, far more insistently than before, and she instantly looked up. Switching her visor to seek body heat, she peered through the branches and smirked triumphantly. A dark equine shape emerged from amidst the green, standing tall and proud atop a thick oak limb. She gazed down at the mixed humans and Pokémon with an expression so hard it might as well have been carved from granite. Several of both flinched away as her gaze swept over them, not daring to meet her hateful blue eyes. For her part Celosia only grinned, stepping easily down from where she sat and striding forwards without an apparent care in the world. “Princess!” she called up with a friendly wave. “How good of you to grace us lowly commoners with your presence! I’m Celosia, your humble host for the evening. Won’t you come down and join us?” Luna said nothing in response to the taunts, though if anything her grimace seemed to grow even more intense. “Not one for pleasantries, eh?” Celosia shrugged. “Fine, if you insist. Straight to business.” She reached into a pouch on her belt, extracting a Dark Ball. “Tell you what. Before we begin, I’m prepared to make you an offer. These Pokémon I’ve caught from the wild, from amidst your friends, they don’t mean anything to Team Flare. The only reason we’re here at all is for you. So, I’ll offer you a deal. Allow me to catch you with one of these right now, and you have my word on the honor of Team Flare that I’ll release every single other Pokémon we have in a Dark Ball right here this very instant.” She put a hand to her heart. “And just because I’m a such a sweetheart, we’ll leave this forest and never return. You saw how little we’re suited for it.” She smiled. “So, what do you say?” The dark alicorn stared down at her with an utterly unchanged expression, not a single word passing from her lips. Blue eyes stared down purple visor, but in the end neither flinched. Instead, the princess leapt from the branch, gliding smoothly to the forest floor. She kept her gaze firmly locked on the purple haired woman, flared her wings, and pawed meaningfully at the earth. “You’re choosing to resist?” Celosia grinned, then reached for two Poke Balls. “Go, Drapion and Manectric!” Both red and white orbs burst open in her hands, releasing two Pokémon in bursts of silvery light. One was a purple scorpion with a pincered tail that came up to the scientist’s chest, the other her ever-faithful blue and yellow hound. Both stared down their foe fearlessly, Drapion flexing its claws, Manectric showing her fangs. For her part, Luna seemed to be undaunted. “Now Manectric,” Celosia pulled back her sleeve and touched the rainbow gem with two fingers, “unleash your Mega Evolution energy!” Manectric threw back her head and howled to the sky, exposing the silver collar with a gemstone now blazing bright. An orb of rainbow energy enveloped her, and for the first time the alicorn’s expression changed. Her eyes widened as the sphere shattered a moment later, revealing a Pokémon transformed. Now considerably larger, Manectric’s yellow fur enveloped the whole of her back, jutting up in great spikes so charged with electricity one could spot sparks dancing across them. A pair of yellow horns framed her head, and she pawed at the ground and snarled right back at the princess. A tense moment passed as both sides stared one another down across the forest floor. Luna’s eyes drifted from Manectric to Drapion and back again, her ears twitching. The Flare grunts spoke to one another in awed whispers, pointing alternatively to their leader and her Pokémon. For her part Celosia had her hands on her hips and a genuine smile on her face, very pleased to have gotten it just right on her very first try. The standoff was broken in a fraction of a second, when the princess reared up, flared her wings, and fired a beam of black-purple energy from her horn straight at Manectric. “Quick Manectric,” Celosia ordered with a smile, “you use Light Screen!” Manectric’s eyes shone bright, enveloping itself, Drapion, and their trainer in a thin rainbow-colored aura. It didn’t stop the Dark Pulse, though. Luna’s move swept over the hound, detonating in an explosion of dark energy that momentarily consumed the scientist’s Pokémon. Yet, when the smoke cleared away a moment later, Manectric appeared to be all but unharmed. “Sorry,” her smile widened, the rainbow sheen enveloping her causing her to glow in the fading light, “but Light Screen cuts the power of all Special moves by half against my team. Hope that’s not going to be a problem for you.” Luna tensed and bared her teeth. “Alright, enough playing around!” Celosia put her hands on her hips. “Manectric, use Thunderbolt! Drapion, use Sludge Bomb!” Immediately, without having to charge at all, Manectric unleashed a lightning bolt just as thick as she herself was. Drapion reared back its head and spat globs of toxic goo. The alicorn sprang into the air just before the attacks struck home. They seared the back, while Luna pulled back her head and fired off a white-pink ball of energy at the scorpion. “Leap into the air and use Cross Poison!” Celosia pointed. Drapion jumped with surprising speed for its size, dodging the attack, which struck the earth with the force of a meteor. It flew at Luna, pincers dripping with purple venom. In response she only flew higher towards the forest canopy, far above Drapion’s snapping claws. As Celosia’s Pokémon back descending, she suddenly stopped flapping her wings. Luna plummeted almost directly on top of Drapion, all four hooves aglow. The scorpion landed on its feet, only to be immediately crushed into the dirt by the force of her impact. “Throw her off!” its mistress clenched a fist. “Cross Poison!” Drapion wasn’t done, not by a mile. Its pincered tail grabbed for the alicorn, who scrambled hurriedly off its back. The claw caught her own tail, ripping out a chunk of the glittering starlight hair. The scorpion surged to its feet and slashed with both claws. Luna backpedaled, but not fast enough, and took a twin strike across the chest. She made her first sound that battle as she cried out in pain. She staggered back a step, but as Drapion lunged for her neck brought up a shining silver hoof. The move struck the Flare Pokémon right between the eyes, the sheer force throwing it onto its back several yards distant. “Get in there, Manectric! Thunder Wave!” Luna leapt again as a trio of electrical rings struck out for her position, gaining altitude quickly. “Drapion, Sludge Bomb!” The scorpion winced but rose to its feet again and launched another round of poisonous projectiles skywards. The princess’ wings carried her swiftly ahead of the toxic sludge, but it was a close thing. Manectric stared skywards with orange eyes narrowed, settled into a hunting crouch. “Thunderbolt, now!” Celosia suddenly snapped. Manectric hurled another lightning bolt up, aimed just a fraction ahead of the alicorn. This time it caught her perfectly, lighting up the darkening forest with flashes of her skeleton. After a few seconds it was over, but Luna was already falling to the ground. She impacted with a painful-sounding thud, kicking up dirt and dead leaves. “Lock her down with Thunder Wave!” A soothing silvery light was already enveloping the dark alicorn’s body as she rose to her hooves, cuts across her chest quickly closing up. But she wasn’t back up quickly enough to dodge the electrical rings this time. Her body crackled with electricity and, though her expression showed no pain, her muscles were visibly seizing up. She tried to open her wings again, but they sparkled and froze up barely an inch from her flanks. “No flying away now,” Celosia wagged a finger. “You’re stuck on the ground just like us mere mortals. Manectric, finish her off with another Thunderbolt!” “Triiic!” Manectric howled, as she immediately launched another rapid-fire lightning strike at her foe. This time Luna’s horn came alive with more dark energies, and a beam of purple-black rings rushed out. The two attacks met in the middle, contending with one another for a brief instant, before exploding in a spectacular fashion. Luna and Manectric alike flinched away from the blast with eyes slammed shut, Drapion and Celosia covered their faces with their arms. A moment later the flash was gone, and the forest returned to the dim dusk light. “Drapion, she’s not going anywhere now!” Celosia made a fist again. “Tear her apart with Cross Poison!” The purple scorpion snarled and barreled right at the alicorn, razor-sharp claws once more coated with venom. Luna reared back her head and fired off another pink-white sphere, which burst into a blinding flare across the rainbow energy on Drapion’s chest. The great scorpion flinched momentarily, but the very next second continued its headlong charge. There was no way for the princess to dodge this time, and before she could take more than a handful of steps Celosia’s Pokémon was on her. Seizing Luna by her neck and her belly, Drapion lifted her high above its own head, poison-drenched pincers squeezing hard on dark flesh. “That’s it!” Celosia cheered. “Take her down!” Drapion roared its approval and clamped down all the harder, drawing deep red blood. Luna’s face was a mask of pain and fury, but she didn’t cry out. Instead, while the scorpion was doing its best to squeeze the life from her, she smashed it in the face with a glowing silver forehoof. Drapion staggered, eyes shut tight, and the pressure loosened marginally. Luna didn’t stop there, hitting Celosia’s Pokémon in the head again with her other front hoof. And then she hit it a third time, then a fourth. Drapion lost its grip on the princess and toppled over sideways with her still atop it. The alicorn didn’t let up for a moment, pounding mercilessly on the downed scorpion with two glowing hooves and a naked expression of pure hatred. Quietly, without saying a word, Celosia reached into a pouch on her belt and pulled out a small black-grey orb. She hit a button and it doubled in size. While the princess was occupied whaling on Drapion, the scientist tossed a Dark Ball straight at her. But Luna’s ears pricked up all the same, and her head whirled about with a surprising speed. A Dark Pulse all but vaporized the sinister ball before it could get anywhere near her. “You’re annoyingly persistent,” Celosia grumbled before holding out a normal Poke Ball. “Drapion, return!” The purple scorpion disappeared back into its ball in a stream of red light, leaving Luna to hit the ground roughly. More silver light encased her body, healing some of her wounds and lending her fresh vigor. She took a few steps forward but winced and froze up as more electricity danced across her fur. “You did well, Drapion.” Celosia said to the Poke Ball in her hand. “Take it easy now, and we’ll make sure you get fixed up when we get back to base.” She looked away. “Manectric?” “Manectric!” her Pokémon barked, pawing the ground eagerly. “It’s all up to you now!” Celosia pointed. “Take her highness down a peg with Thunderbolt!” Manectric howled and fired off yet another bolt of lightning. Luna raised her head again, horn surrounded with dark energy, but sparks crackled on her body and she found herself entirely frozen for a critical sound. The full force of the attack took her head on, and she was flung backwards into tree hard enough to put a noticeable indent into the wood. Smoking and sparking, she tumbled down to the ground. Celosia grinned for a moment, but the smile faded when still more silver energy encased Luna. The smoke faded away and charred flesh mended once again, and the alicorn stood back up to face the hound. “How many times can you even use Moonlight?” the scientist grumbled, before shaking her head. “But you’re only prolonging the inevitable! Manectric!” “Tric!” “Use your-” Another pink-white sphere took shape before Luna and launched itself immediately at the hound. “Scratch that, jump over it and use Thunderbolt!” Manectric leapt nimbly into the air, allowing Moonblast to destroy the patch of dirt where she had been standing instead. Mid-leap she unleashed more electricity, which shot down to be met with dark energy. Both attacks exploded against one another once again, and Manectric landed smoothly on her paws. “Just give up!” Celosia told her. “You can’t run and Manectric is safe behind Light Screen! You’re done!” “Na,” Luna spat. “Have it your own way. Manectric, use Flamethrower on that tree!” Her hound Pokémon opened her jaws wide and spat red-hot flames. Luna froze momentarily again as Thunder Wave’s effects were felt, and the fire caught the old redwood all across the trunk. Smoke began to rise almost immediately, still-living wood blackening rapidly. “That’s the way! Now box her in with a Flamethrower on the ground around her!” Manectric opened her jaws again, more fire dancing at the back of her throat. “Are you crazy?!” one of the previously quiet Flare grunts worked up the courage to say. “If you start a forest fire this deep we’ll all go up in smoke!” Celosia paused for a moment, seemingly torn. Then she shook her head and waved a hand. “Alright, forget the Flamethrower! Use another Thunderbolt instead!” Manectric’s fire died away and instead she shot at Luna with more electricity. This time the alicorn managed to throw herself to the side, and the lightning struck the earth in a titanic explosion. Dirt and pieces of root rained down across the battlefield. The alicorn immediately followed up with another beam of dark energy, which raked across Manectric before she had time to dodge. While the explosion was suitably impressive, when the smoke cleared once again little real harm appeared to have been done. “You can’t beat Manectric through Light Screen with special attacks,” Celosia smirked. “And we know better than to get close to you again.” “Manec!” the Pokémon nodded. “So just give up already,” she continued as the still-burning redwood began to sag slightly. “Because I’m so nice I’ll even offer you the same deal as at the start. Let yourself be captured and I’ll let all your little friends go.” Luna’s only reply was a strangled hiss, cut off halfway as paralysis again froze her for a moment. “Alright,” Celosia beckoned to her grunts. “You idiots make yourselves useful and contain the blaze. Manectric, light her up with Thunderbolt!” Flare grunts rushed forward, giving the princess an extremely wide berth, as Manectric continued her electrical assault. Luna ignored the humans and returned fire with an energy sphere. Both attacks clashed, but this time the sheer magnitude of the lightning dispersed Moonblast and forced its way through. The princess’ bones were once again momentarily visible, and even the struggling humans winced at her anguished wail. Smoking, yellow electricity leaping across her fur, the dark alicorn swayed for a moment, then collapsed. Manectric howled triumphantly, and Celosia allowed herself a brief chuckle. She pulled another Dark Ball from her belt and spun it nimbly on one finger. Behind her, those men and women not engaged in amateur firefighting cheered. Manectric raised her muzzle to the heavens and gave another howl. That was when Moonblast took her in the face. The impact of the fey energy was immense and, Light Screen or no, the hound Pokémon was thrown backwards. She hit her trainer hard, bowling both over. As they lay there in a sprawled heap, Luna’s horn unleashed another Dark Pulse almost directly away from them. It raked across the base of the flaming redwood, pulverizing the earth and all but disintegrating many of its remaining roots. With a tremendous groan, the towering tree finally gave in and toppled. Manectric shook her head, far more used to taking a beating than her trainer, and stood back up. She looked behind her, and orange eyes widened at the sight of several thousand pounds of burning wood crashing down on them like a mace from the heavens. Celosia was just managing to sit up when she was tackled roughly by her own Pokémon and sent flying. Manectric immediately darted towards her mistress with all her own not inconsiderable speed. She was a fraction of a second too slow. While the titanic, half-black trunk missed the yellow-blue canine, she was treated to a flaming, falling branch twice as thick as her own body. The once-majestic redwood crashed into the forest floor with all the force of an earthquake, knocking several humans and Pokémon from their feet. Leaves and ash rained down throughout the area, while those with the presence of mind to do so rushed to prevent the smoldering fire from spreading any further. “Manectric!” Celosia cried out, crawling straight for the collapsed tree despite the heat. “Are you alright?!” “Manec…” Manetric’s head and front paws were sticking out from beneath the burning branch. “Triiic…” As her trainer got closer, the Pokémon’s eyes screwed up against the pain. Before Celosia could reach her, Manectric gave a low moan and her head slumped over. Rainbow energy encased her once again, only to disperse a moment later. She lay there unmoving, breaths ragged, in her normal form as Celosia hurriedly fumbled for a Poke Ball. “Return right now!” the purple haired woman called, a beam of red energy dissolving her Pokémon’s body. Celosia stared blankly at the red and white orb, while all around her her subordinates were scurrying to dampen the blaze with their own Pokémon or whatever else was to hand. Her gaze slowly swept out to fall on Luna, now back on her hooves but still sparking and sweating. The princess returned her gaze, and for a little while blue eyes and purple visor smet one another in silence. The scientist’s expression was unreadable as she stared back and forth between Manectric’s ball and the panting, paralyzed princess. Slowly, she climbed back onto her feet. “Ma’am?” one of her grunts asked quietly. “Now what?” “We are so lame…” Celosia muttered under her breath. “Ma’am?” another said. “Now…” Celosia sighed, then turned to her grunts and waved a hand. “Now we live up to our end.” Luna let out a slight gasp. “I’m a woman of my word,” she continued. “Open every Dark Ball we have and let out the Pokémon stored inside.” The men and women of Team Flare looked shocked and disconcerted by the order, muttering to one another in hushed tones. But when Celosia crossed her arms and began impatiently tapping one foot, old instincts took over. Flashes of dark energy flared up throughout the surrounding woods, numerous species of dead-eyed Pokémon appearing on the scene. The scientist stared at them, the same impassive expression on her face, then turned back around to face the alicorn. “As I promised, they’ll all be free to go,” she sighed. “I don’t like it but I won’t violate our agreement.” “Lu luna?” “Yes, I really mean it.” A moment passed. The dying flames crackled. “Psych!” a cruel smile appeared on Celosia’s face. “Did you really think I’d let you spit in Team Flare’s face like that? All of you!” she leveled her finger at Luna. “Avenge my Pokémon’s pain! Take her down right now!”