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Pokemon, Asylum of the Damned

Chapter LXII

Saga XIII- Master Battles Saga

Chapter IV- Round Three

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Tom hastily locked the door of his trainer suite behind him as Porygon Two 
quickly scooted in. Tom leaned up against the door frame and breathed a 
heavy sigh of relief. "That was a close one," Tom said, wiping his forehead 
with his hand.

"Yeah, they almost got a whole interview out of you," said Porygon Two.

"They don't want to see me," Tom said, "They want to see Moltres."

"Then why don't you give him to them?"

"Porygon, remember the deal we made with Moltres?" Tom asked.

"You need his help to get rid of those people, don't you?"

Tom paused, and rubbed the stubble on his chin. "Say, you've got a point 
there."

Tom steadily unlocked the door, and braced himself. Taking a deep breath, 
Tom swung the door wide open, and he was met with a million camera flashes. 
As soon as Tom stepped outside, microphones were jabbed into his face from 
all sides, their weilders asking him thousands of questions at once. When 
Porygon Two quickly nudged his leg, Tom took his cue and declared, "Quiet!"

The mob around him was silenced immediately.

Tom nodded a thanks to Porygon Two. "I know why you're all here," said Tom 
to the crowd around him, "so put away your cameras, because he doesn't want 
too much attention. Now, stand back."

As Tom walked forward, the mob steadily retrerated, stuffing away their 
cameras. Once he was a few meters from the trainer suites, Tom looked up 
into the sky and called, "Moltres!"

Everything was completely silent. A pebble rolling on the ground could have 
been heard a mile away. And when the air suddenly began to heat up, chatters 
grew amongst the crowd. The sun seemed to speed up, and when it suddenly 
began to dive down, the gasps and murmurs grew louder. And within seconds, 
the fireball from the sky touched the ground, landing gracefully on his feet 
as he folded his wings.

As soon as the crowd fell in silent awe, Moltres turned to Tom and glared. 
"Yeah, I know it doesn't look like I need help," said Tom apologetically, 
"but this is the only time I'll ever call you outside of a match, okay? I 
promise."

Moltres grumbled. "He asks if this was what was so important," Porygon Two 
translated.

Tom weakly grinned. "Well, they were kinda' getting on my nerves," Tom 
explained, "I hope you don't mind. I even told them to put away their 
cameras."

Moltres rolled his eyes, grumbled, and stretched out his flaming wings, 
drawing a gasp from the crowd. "He wants to know if that's everything," 
Porygon Two asked.

"Yeah, that's all," said Tom, "Thanks, Moltres."

With that, Moltres flapped his wings, sending the temperature skyrocketing 
as the fiery bird thrust himself into the air.

When Moltres had completely vanished from sight, the mob was still silent. 
"So," Tom asked, "Who wants an autograph?"

********

"The following contest is for two falls, inside the arctic battlefield," 
came the voice of the unseen announcer over the stadium's loudspeakers as 
Tom and Porygon Two headed for Tom's trainer box. "From Yorin town, earning 
a total of nine badges, the Pokemon League's people's champion, Tom Simms!"

As Tom climbed the ladder of his trainer box, he caught a sudden chill. The 
icy field in front of him gave him shivers as he wrapped his arms around 
himself, wishing he still had his old trench coat. "And from Poyser City, 
winning a total of eleven badges, he is the former Interegonal Champion, 
Rick Carton!"

The same pop-star music that Tom found worse than nails on a chalkboard 
filled the arena again, and his opponent strolled onto the field. "Great, 
Tom muttered as he put on his headset again, "him again."

As soon as Rick was in his trainer box, he put on his headset and said, 
"Well? Where is he?"

Tom groaned. "I don't need Moltres to beat you again."

"We'll see about that," said Rick, letting his Sudowoodo loose on the field, 
"You just got lucky last time. I've studied up on my Pokemon's moves, this 
time you're not getting an easy win."

"Then put up or shut up," said Tom, unleashing Parasect as the referee took 
the field, "Let's fight."

"Gladly."

The referee cleared his throat. "Trainers ready, Pokemon ready, begin!"

"Sudowoodo, Rock Slide!"

"Parasect, Stun Spore!"

Parasect sucked in a deep breath as Sudowoodo crouched low to the icy ground 
and focused. Suddenly, a piece of the ice broke free and floated into the 
air, hovering around Sudowoodo's feet. And just as the tip of Parasect's 
mushroom shot out a puff of spores, Sudowoodo willed the chunk of ice to 
hurdle towards Parasect. The ice smashed into Parasect's back, bludgeoning 
him to the ground immediately. The spores flowered out into a cloud in the 
air, spreading all around the field. Tom held his arm over his nose, holding 
his breath until the thin veil of dust settled. When he saw the field 
clearly, Parasect was groaning and moaning on the ground, while Sudowoodo 
was standing as stiff as a real tree, twitching rapidly. "Come on, Parasect, 
keep going!" Tom cheered.

"Don't lose heart, Sudowoodo," said Rick, "Now, Low Kick!"

Tom's fist clenched nervously as he ordered, "Parasect, take in the 
sunlight!"

As Sudowoodo struggled to move forwards, Parasect weakly raised his head up 
towards the sun, gave a suddenly satisfied sigh of relief, and let his body 
bask in the bright sun's rays. By now, Sudowoodo had staggered towards 
Parasect, and he wound his foot back, ready to kick Parasect square between 
the eyes. His leg shot forward, and suddenly froze only a centimeter away 
from Parasect's face.

"No!" Rick fumed in frustration as Sudowoodo trembled uncontrollably, stuck 
in the same position.

"Let him have it, Parasect!" Tom ordered, "Solar Beam!"

Parasect grunted, tipped his mushroom to to Sudowoodo's face, and unleashed 
a massive blast of energy upon him. The Solar Beam roared through the 
stadium like a crack of thunder, flooring Sudowoodo in a heartbeat. When the 
beam faded, Sudowoodo groaned in shame and defeat, barely able to move.

Rick growled inwardly as he zapped Sudowoodo back into his Pokeball. "Having 
fun getting your ass whupped again, Rick?" Tom taunted.

"I'm through playing games, Tom," Rick snarled, brandishing another 
Pokeball, "So let's see how you like playing with my other Pokemon. Go, 
Seviper!"

The Pokemon that materialized on the icy field in front of Tom looked like 
an Ekans on steroids. Tom pulled out his Pokedex.

"Seviper, the Fang Snake Pokemon," said the Pokedex. "This Pokemon shares a 
vicious feud with the Zangoose, a global war which has carried on for 
thousands of generations. Because of their constant fighting, Sevipers and 
Zangeese are natural born competitors, who even at birth are ready to fight. 
The arrow-like appendage on the tip of Seviper's tail is a razor-sharp bone, 
capable of infecting victims with a venom just as potent as the poison found 
in its fangs. Sevipers are extremely ill-tempered and very vicious. Apporach 
with caution."

"Impressive, isn't she?" Rick asked.

Tom snorted off Rick's bragging as the referee took the field again. 
"Trainers ready, Pokemon ready, begin!"

"Parasect, Razor Leaf!"

"Seviper, Toxic!"

As soon as Parasect sucked in another deep breath, Seviper lunged foward and 
spat out a thick glob of black gunk, spattering all over Parasect's eyes. 
Parasect screeched in agony as he frantically rubbed his eyes with his 
claws. "Now, Seviper," Rick ordered, "Take Down!"

With that, Seviper threw herself into the blinded Parasect, knocking him 
onto his side. Just as Paracest struggled to get up again, Seviper whipped 
her tail around, sending her razor-sharp tail into Parasect's arm. Poisoned 
and already beaten down, Parasect quickly collapsed to the ground.

"Damn," Tom growled, recalling Parasect.

"You're not the only one who's full of surprises, are you?" Rick jeered, 
zapping Seviper back into his Pokeball.

"All right, I'll stop playing games too, Rick," said Tom, taking out another 
Pokeball as Rick did. "Go, Dodrio!"

"Go, Forretress!"

Within seconds, Tom's Dodrio faced off against the Forretress on Rick's side 
of the ice-laden field. "Trainers ready," the referee declared. "Pokemon 
ready, begin!"

"Dodrio, Drill Peck!"

"Forretress, Spikes!"

Dordio took off like a firecracker, and suddenly squaked as his thin feet 
began skidding all over the ice. Rick laughed mockingly as Forretress' shell 
opened wider, with Forretress' cannons spewing out a mess of prickly thorns 
all over the field. As soon as Dodrio's rapidly flailing feet stepped on 
one, Dorio screeched in agony, still sliding all over the field, leaving a 
wide trail of frozen blood streaking across the field from his bloodied 
toes. "Good thing Forretress doesn't need to walk on the ice," Rick laughed, 
"Forretress, Take Down!"

As soon as Forretress bolted off through the air at Dodrio, Dodrio suddenly 
jammed his left head's beak into the ice, sending him for a sharp turn, 
narrowly avoiding Forretress' Take Down. Forretress came to a skidding halt, 
and just as he turned around to face Dodrio, Tom ordered, "Dodrio, 
Tri-Attack!"

Dodrio plucked his head out of the ice as his other two heads opened their 
beaks wide, forming a ball of ice and fire each. And as soon as the left 
head joined in with a ball of thunder, Dodrio shot all three into 
Forretress' armor-like body, blasting him onto the ground. Forretress gave a 
weak groan, closed his eyes, and passed out.

"And the winner of this match by two falls," The announcer declared, "Tom 
Simms!"

Rick collapsed to his knees as the crowd cheered wildly. "No way," he 
whined, "How could I lose to you again?"

Tom snickered as Dodrio gingerly picked out Forretress' Spikes from his feet 
with his beak. "I'm just that damn good."

-End

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