Galar. The Isle of Armor. The Pokemon Festival. Afternoon.
Over at the secret area located at the Isle of Armor, the test battle against Bea was still underway. While Fluttershy and Raboot were performing well, Sci-Twi and Bulbasaur were struggling. However, after some time to think and breathe, it looked like that was all about to change.
Spying on them was Klara, who was rather displeased to see Sci-Twi again. But by watching this battle, she was looking forward to seeing Sci-Twi lose considering she was going up against Bea. Klara was also hoping that this would hit harder than her loss against Mustard since Bea wasn't as relaxed as he was. She even took out her phone to record this, just in case she wanted to view it again and again.
"Here goes, Bulbasaur! Razor Leaf!" Having a strengthened resolve, Sci-Twi continued the battle.
"Bulbasaur!" Having an equal resolve as Sci-Twi, Bulbasaur generated those razor-sharp leaves once more, launching them. With all of the Falinks scattered, Bulbasaur aimed his leaves at each and everyone of them.
"Scatter, Falinks!"
"Fal! Falinks!" All of the Falinks would have to scatter themselves once more. But thanks to Raboot's amazing counterattack, some were still trying to recover. As such, they were struck by the leaves but the effects of Iron Defence on top of No Retreat made them rather bulky. Even if they were hit by the leaves, they could still move.
"Now, Falinks! Each one of you will individually use different moves!" At that moment, Bea revealed something truly surprising that no one else, aside from Allister, would see coming at all. "Hyper Beam! Smart Strike! Close Combat! Poison Jab! Zen Headbutt!"
"Falinks!" Unexpectedly, each of the Falinks used different moves. All six of them did not have access to the same moveset and instead were varied in what they had.
"Wait, what?! All of them have their own moves!? Is that even possible?! I thought they all counted as one Pokemon!"
"Jump Raboot! Take Bulbasar with you!"
"Ra!" Knowing how dangerous it was to be on the ground right now, Raboot, with greatly increased speed, dashed over to Bulbasaur. With all of his strength, he picked up his teammate and leapt into the air right as one of the Falinks came charging in with Zen Headbutt.
"In order to reach the top and defeat Champion Leon, I'll use every form of strength available to me," Bea uttered. "I trained each individual Falinks a different move while still managing to keep them as one Pokemon. This is the kind of strength that I've aspired to obtain and to one day overcome."
"That's so cool!" Ash and Lucas had their eyes light up. To them, that was an amazing way to utilize the strength of a Pokemon and these two are already pros at it.
"What do we do if all of them have their own moves?!" Sci-Twi exclaimed as Bea has amped up the difficult once more. Even when holding back, she is very aggressive. But, even with this shocking outcome, Sci-Twi had something come up in her mind. Her smarts kicked in as she focused her attention on the air. "I got it! Bulbasaur! Grab onto the ceiling!"
"Bulbasaur!" Using his vines, Bulbasaur promptly hung them around the ceiling of this secret area. Since the top part of it was wide open, it was easy for Bulbasaur's vines to hang from the edge. By doing so, not only did he stay in the air, but he also made Raboot stay airborne too.
"Nice! They avoided them all!" Pinkie Pie cheered
"Not all of them! There's still Hyper Beam!" Lucas shook his head.
"Falinks...!" Built up by the leader of the Falinks, the Hyper Beam was still a threat since it didn't care about where its enemy was. The ground of the air did not matter. Out of the Falinks came a burst of Infinity Energy in the form of a beam, ready to engulf them both.
"Swing!"
"Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur then used his vines to immediately swing through the air. Him and Raboot avoided the Hyper Beam as it immediately blasted through the edges of the ceiling. After avoiding it, Bulbasaur hung onto another edge of the ceiling, still staying airborne.
"Ooh, now's my chance to try this! Angel Bunny does it a lot so Raboot will have a fun time too! Jump on each of them with High Jump Kick!"
"Ra!" Letting go of Bulbasaur, Raboot would finally descend. But not without an attack inbound. He immediately went for the leader, smashing his feet down onto its head. "Boot!"
"L-Links!" After being stomped on, Raboot immediately went on to the next Falinks. He would stomp on its head too, dealing some more damage without triggering the downside to this attack. A second Falinks was stomped on and then a third. Apparently, this was something Angel Bunny does and Raboot was no different.
"Angel Bunny jumps on mushrooms sometimes to get a lot of height so this is very similar! Way to go, Raboot!" Fluttershy cheered her partner on as each of the Falinks were being pushed down or knocked over while Raboot kept getting higher heights.
"Not for long! Use Counter!"
"Falinks!" One of the individual Falinks would retaliate, enveloping itself in a burst of orange energy. It then launched itself upwards at Raboot who was coming down for another High Jump Kick on the fifth Falinks, but was soon intercepted.
"Raboot?!"
"Quick! Use Seed Bomb!"
"Bulba!" A green light formed inside of Bulbasaur's own bulb, generating an energy seed. He then shot out the seed at the incoming Falinks, exploding on impact. Falinks never reached Raboot but instead, it went crashing down, hitting the other Falinks.
"F-Falinks!" Thanks to this interception, Raboot was free to follow up on his attack, dropkicking the group of Falinks that bumped into each other. This accumulated the damage, scattering the Falinks once more.
"Don't tell me they actually plan to try and defeat me?!" Bea gasped. They weren't battling to prove that they were worthy enough to handle Bea. They were now battling to try and take her down. Seeing this as a challenge, Bea smiled. She didn't expect this but she wasn't complaining.
"Quick, Raboot! Use Quick Attack!"
"Raboot!" After using High Jump Kick, Raboot would accelerate through the air, first performing a backflip and instantly zooming with a white aura around his body. He then tackled the other Falinks at full force, moving at lightning speeds. He was already incredibly fast after using Flame Charge repeatedly and this just made him as fast as a lightning bolt.
"Collectively! Close Combat!"
"Falinks!" The Falinks who was knocked back couldn't use Close Combat, but the others certainly could. Immediately, they all rushed at Raboot who was still on the ground while Bulbasaur was chilling in the air. Raboot narrowed his eyes, preparing for the Falinks.
"Use Swords Dance!"
"Ra!" Enveloping his feet and arms in a white light, Raboot would clash with the first Falinks that came his way while also raising his attack. After clashing with the one Falinks, he pushed it away before backflipping, evading the second. Raboot was then hit by the third Falinks who flew in from the side, staggering the Rabbit Pokemon for a moment. And yet, Raboot still had a lot of balance. He immediately kicked one of the Falinks that approached from the front into the air before leaping over the remaining Falinks.
But this one Falinks that was sent upwards would have the chance to attack Bulbasaur, and Bea was waiting for this. Bulbasaur gasped as he was immediately knocked off the ceiling by the incoming Falinks. "B-Bulbasaur!"
"Oh, no! Bulbasaur!" Sci-Twi gasped, placing her hands over her mouth.
"B-Bulbasaur!" However, Bulbasaur caught himself, using his vines to safely touch the ground as they acted as springs. Bulbasaur had some fight left in him but it was unknown how much of it was left.
"We have you now! Zen Headbutt!"
"Links!" One of the Falinks that possessed Zen Headbutt rushed in to try and deal a super-effective blow against the Grass-Poison-Type the second he touched the ground.
"Ash told me that he saw a Venasaur do this...So Bulbasaur has to do the same! Open your bulb and catch Falinks!" Sci-Twi would try something new. Specifically, something that Ash shared with her. He has passed on a lot of knowledge to his friends and all of it was showing some more during this battle.
"Bulba!" By opening its bulb, Bulbasaur would invite the Falinks to get closer. Only for Falinks to be caught by the bulb which immediately closed. Bulbasaur made sure to lean forward to make this happen and it was a success. He was glad that Falinks was small. Any other opponent could've ignored this.
"What?!" Bea was flabbergasted as well as the other Falinks. It's not often that another one of them would be unable to act.
"Falinks?!"
"Nice one!" Ash raised his fist.
"Now's my chance to turn this around! From your Bulb! Use Poison Powder!"
"Bulba...!" Bulbasaur took the opportunity to spread poison around Falinks while it was trapped. It was unable to break free at all, thus it would gain the poison affliction.
"Free your friend! Iron Head!"
"Links!" The remaining 5 Falinks rushed in, refusing to let their ally be trapped in that bulbous prison. Collectively, they covered their bodies in iron, flying in. If all of them attacked Bulbasaur, they were sure to free the sixth Falinks.
"Raboot! Use Flame Charge!"
"Ra!" Raboot intercepted them by bashing his entire body against them. Thanks to the increased speed combined with the boost in strength because of Swords Dance, he was now playing on a rather even level with the Falinks. By charging into the Falinks with Flame Charge, he halted their movements. "Raaaa....!"
"Falinks...!" The Falinks and Raboot growled at each other with both sides trying to push through. The silver light of Iron Head and the Crimson Flames of Flame Charge were pulsating aggressively on one spot. This gave Bulbasaur all the time in the world to make his next move.
"Spit him out with Seed Bomb!"
"Saur!" Bulbasaur released the Falinks but by using Seed Bomb to do so. This one Falinks would be the seed, used as ammo against its comrades. Raboot grinned before leaping out of the way. The second he leapt out of the way with his incredible speed, the final Falinks came flying in, crashing into the other five.
"Falinks!" Similar to a Bowling Strike, all of the Falinks were knocked over.
"If they keep this up, they could win!" Pinkie Pie galloped on the spot, getting vehemently excited.
"Come on! You two can do this!" Twilight raised her hoof, cheering for Fluttershy and her Human Counterpart.
"Impossible! There's no way she can beat Bea! Can she?! Klara rapidly bit her nails in disbelief. Was Sci-Twi about to snatch a victory and do more than just prove herself worthy?
"Let's finish this! Seed Bomb, again!"
"Use High Jump Kick!"
"Raboot!" Raboot and Bulbasaur were going in for one final attack. This was one for all the marbles against the Falinks who have taken quite the beating in this battle despite being the stronger Pokemon. And with the smile growing on Bea's face, the strength they possessed was really about to show.
"You've done well..." Bea while the seeds and Raboot approached her Falinks. "I should've known you'd be this troublesome. You gave me some genuine excitement. But you're not strong enough yet. Counter!"
"Falinks!" Altogether, each of the Falinks used Counter. That was one other move they all shared. The second Raboot struck their bodies, In unison, their bodies flared up with an orange energy that would soon fly out of their bodies. Raboot gasped as was soon enveloped his entire body. The energy would also consume the Seeds, destroying them completely.
Just like that, Raboot and Bulbasaur were both blown away by the powerful Counter. Sci-Twi held onto her glasses while Fluttershy nearly lost her balance. After the light faded, both Starter Pokemon dropped to the floor, defeated and completely spent after a well-fought battle.
"Raboot..."
"Bulbasaur..." Thus, the winner was Bea as many expected. But the fact that Fluttershy and Sci-Twi put up such a good fight made them think they came incredibly close to winning.
"Aw..." Pinkie Pie pouted. "All that buildup too."
"Mew..."
"That's that. Regroup and return, Falinks." Bea closed her eyes as each of the Falinks returned to their usual stance which was a single-file line. Afterwards, it was back to the Poke Ball.
"Well, we tried. Hopefully, that was enough." Sci-Twi sighed before soon helping Bulbasaur up. "Well, done, Bulbasaur. You did your best. For our first battle together, you learn fast with my commands."
"Bulba."
"You did great too, Raboot." Fluttershy hugged the Rabbit Pokemon when picking him up. "I was thinking of using the Z-Crystal, but it's too late for that."
"Raboot."
"Heh. That's another loss for them. I bet she's totally floored by this and wishes to head home." Klara put on a grin, expecting Sci-Twi to be completely and utterly defeated. She was also waiting for Bea to throw some harsh criticism her way. But alas, that did not happen.
"Well done the both of you!" Bea suddenly bellowed, grabbing their attention. "You've proven to me that you're worthy of the Max Soup. The strength you both hold is something that can grow. The growth you all have is staring me in the face and I can't deny that. You've passed."
"Love to hear it..." With a deep sigh, Sci-Twi was greatly pleased. Once again, she had succeeded in another trial. The Max Soup would be available to her and Fluttershy.
"Oh, come on!" Klara growled. This wasn't the outcome she was hoping for. Once again, Sci-Twi comes out of this with positivity at the end of it all. Vexed by this, Klara walked out of the secret room, not saying a word. She wasted time spectating this battle when she could be out there grabbing mushrooms. Alas, her irritation towards Sci-Twi trumped it with ease.
The Max Soup would be theirs and thus, this would be the second trial done before the final one, which was bringing them closer to the Secret Armor that Mustard promised.
With all of that said and done, the Max Soup was finally made. The ones to make it were Bea and Allister who whipped it up for the three trainers who had eligible Pokemon. Once it was done, the soup was ready to be consumed. The mushrooms now became chunks as a majority of it was the liquid which was piping out. The scent of it was very much pleasing. And to think that these mushrooms were related to Eternatus.
"Man, if only I could drink it...!" Ash was tempted to try out the Max Soup, just so he could taste the mystery behind it. But alas, it was only for Pokemon. Pinkie Pie wished to do the same, licking her lips out of pure temptation.
"Maybe Eternatus smells the same. It could season our food with Dynamaax Energy. Just saying..." Pinkie Pie gushed.
"You're not a Pokemon, Ash. At least...I don't think so." Bea narrowed her eyes, making Ash refrain from consuming the soup.
"Alright. One at a time, please," said Allister. But immediately, without hesitation, the three Pokemon eligible for Gigantamax went for it. Raboot slammed his face into the soup, drinking from it. Bulbasaur soon did the same but immediately pulled back when the heat struck him. Raboot was completely fine thanks to his Typing.
"Raboot~" Raboot felt like he was transcending as the soup was absolutely sublime. His eyes lit up and his taste buds were beyond satisfied. It was so worth it.
"Bulba...!" Bulbasaur teared up from the heat around his face, only to be cooled off by Twilight's Magic. Even with the heat harming, the soup still tasted amazing. He even scarfed down a good chunk of it.
"Aren't you going to try it, Pikachu?" Sci-Twi asked her Alpha Pikachu.
"Pika-Pika." But, Alpha Pikachu passed. He would pass on the chance to Gigantamax.
"Gengar!" Gengar was the wildest, picking up the entire bowl of Max Soup and chugging it down. Just like that, the Max Soup was gone. After consuming the rest of the soup, Gengar was over the moon. "Gar!"
"Now...Let's test it out," said Allister. The time to unleash Gigantamax Gengar was nigh. With all of the Gigantamax Energy in his body, Gengar could go beyond Dynamax.
Raboot and Bulbasaur would have to wait for that fateful. For Raboot, he was only one evolution away from reaching his final form, making him fully capable of Gigantamaxing. And as for Bulbasaur, he had two more forms to go before he reaches that titanic state. But it would be worth since they both have such loving trainers to help them improve.
"Alright! Let's do this, Gengar!" Ash immediately ran back into the field with Gengar following him. Wasting no time, he already had Gengar's Poke Ball out and ready. Holding it out, the Dynamax Band reacted to the energy flowing across Galar. Returning into his Poke Ball, the wonderful device was already growing in size. It grew heavier, prompting Ash to use both hands this time. The weight increase was indeed noticeable. "Let's go big! Gigantamax!"
With the Poke Ball flying into the air, out of it emerged a super-sized Gengar. But with a noticeable yet simple difference. Purple eyes flashed once the dark clouds above appeared, overflowing with Dynamax Energy. The ground below would erupt as Gengar appeared from below instead of above this time.
The portions of his body sank into the ground, and only the head, tail, and arms remain. His body changed from dark-purple to light-purple and his eyes became white. The inside of its mouth changes to resemble a tunnel with a long purple tongue sticking out.
"GENGAR!" Gigantamax Gengar was here at last.
"Sweet Celestia..." Twilight took out her Pokedex, now witnessing this giant in real life. All the others did the same when gazing at the Shadow Pokemon's other form.
"Gengar. The Shadow Pokemon. Gigantamax Form. Rumour has it that its gigantic mouth leads not into its body, filled with cursed energy, but instead directly to the afterlife. It lays traps, hoping to steal the lives of those it catches. If you stand in front of its mouth, you’ll hear your loved ones’ voices calling out to you."
"Score!" Ash raised his hat with joy. "It's Gigantamax Gengar!"
"Pikachu!"
"You did it..." And to Allister, this greatly pleased him. The second trial was officially done. The Max Soup has been consumed and one of the Pokemon managed to appear as a Gigantamaxed Pokemon. Gengar was so large, he went out of the secret area for others to see. That was an indication for them that Ash succeeded in his trial and they would have to quickly gather the remaining mushrooms if they wanted a chance at getting that Secret Armor.
Outside, Klara nearly fainted after seeing Gigantamax Gengar. it caught her off guard and jumpscared her too. It truly was an overwhelming Pokemon to look at even if it wasn't that different from the average Gengar. The Third Trial was now waiting for them. And this would be the trial that truly settles it all and possibly ends their time here at the Isle of Armor. But what a time it has been for them.
As the journey continues.
Chapter 304 End