Chapter 10

Battles and Starry Skies

-Griffin-

"Griffin, everything has lead up to this but you already know that. And you know what has to be done. After all these years, we must finish this. Only one will be left standing. Griffin Black, I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!" Liam jabbed his finger at my temple.

"Would you quit it?" I swatted his hand away and glared at him.

"What? We're going to stop to set up camp for the night anyway. Well set everything up then we can have a quick two-on-two battle while Zoey cooks."

"Why do I have to get stuck with cooking all the time?" Zoey looked up from her map.

"Cause, you're good at it." I shrugged.

"Your damn right I am, but still."

"Fine. I'll cook tonight."

"I'm still battling you!" Liam pointed his finger at me again.

"Calm down, I'll kick your butt in due time. Just be patient." I patted him on the shoulder.

"You be patient!"

"Nice comeback, your just full of wit!"

"Both of you, just shut up!" Zoey screamed as she slapped us upside the head with her map.

"Ow, Arceus, you don't have to-" I was cut off.

"Not another word." She waved her map in my face.

I flinched and my eyes met the ground. You do not want to piss of Zoey Sparks. I know that all too well.

"Wow, Griffin, way to let her push you around. You need to grow a pair." Liam obviously hasn't learned his lesson.

Suddenly, Zoey appeared in front of Liam. She firmly planted her foot in Liam's crotch. Liam screeched out in pain and put his hands over his balls. Zoey grabbed him by the collar.

"That goes for you two." She let him go and he collapsed.

She turned towards me. My eyes widened and immediately covered my crotch. She smirked at the look of terror on my face.

"You two can get on with your battle. Make it fast. I'm hungry. What are you gonna make anyway?"

"Spaghetti," I said as I tossed Frogadier's Pokeball in the air.

Frogadier hopped out from the Pokeball.

"Frog, Frogadier." He croaked.

I hadn't battled with Frogadier in awhile so I decided to pick him. We need to improve on working together as a team and he needs to have more experience battling. It's hard training since he's not allowed at the school.

Liam struggled to his feet, one hand still on his junk.

"Do you need a minute?" I smirked.

"Shut up. I'm-I'm fine." He threw a Pokeball up in there.

The bright light from the Pokeball cleared and his Krokorok appeared. He stood proudly and grinned. Frogadier had faced off against Krokorok one time before. He was only a Froakie then but we've become much stronger.

"Frogadier, lets start things off with Water Pulse!" I commanded.

Frogadier formed a giant sphere of water with his hands and sent it flying towards Krokorok.

"Use Dig to avoid!" Liam called out to his Pokemon.

Krokorok burrowed quickly into the ground. The Water Pulse went over the hill and splashed at Liam's feet, forming a puddle.

The ground in front of Frogadier started to shake. Krokorok bursted through the ground, sending dirt everywhere.

"Frogadier, use Acrobatics to get up in the air. Then, use Power-Up Punch!"

Frogadier flipped up into the air as Krokorok swiped his claw at him. Frogadier did a series of graceful flips in the air. Frogadier finished with a backflip, then came falling back down with a glowing fist raised.

Krokorok wasn't fast enough to dodge the attack and was drilled by Frogadier's Power-Up Punch. The force from the punch formed a crater that Krokorok laid in.

"Frogadier!" Frogadier said confidently.

"Krokorok, get up and use Bulldoze!"

The Ground-Type shot right up from the crater. Krokorok shoved his hands into the dirt and started to sprint towards Frogadier. Krokorok was pushing a huge mound of earth as he neared Frogadier.

"Dodge!" I called out to my Water-Type.

Frogadier wasn't quick enough and was nailed by the pile of dirt. Frogadier was buried by the attack as well.

"Come on Frogadier, Water Pulse!"

Frogadier jumped out from the mound of dirt and launched the watery attack at Krokorok. The Ground-Type side stepped the attack.

"Now use Crunch, Krokorok!"

Krokorok's fangs latched onto Frogadier's arm. The Water-Type howled with pain. He gritted his teeth and closed his mouth. Suddenly, a massive spray of water shot out from his mouth.

Krokorok was sent flying back to his master's feet. Soaking wet and fainted.

"Whoa, was that Hydro Pump? Awesome, Frogadier!" I high-fived his flipper.

"Lucky hit." Liam grumbled as he returned Krokorok and threw out another Pokeball.

Sandy appeared from the Pokeball. She grasped her tail and squeaked as she saw Frogadier.

"Don't worry, Sandy. You've got this. I believe in you." Liam soothed her.

That seemed to help Sandy a bit.

"Frogadier, Power-Up Punch!"

Frogadier lunged at Sandy and drilled a fist into her tiny stomach. Sandy went flying up in the air. Sandy curled up in a ball and landed on the ground. She peeked out from her ball. She glanced at Liam, who nodded. This gave her confidence and she stood back up.

"Fury Swipes, Sandy."

Sandy ran towards and Frogadier and scratched him rapidly across the chest. Sandy was now in close. I could take advantage of that.

"Hydro Pump, Frogadier."

Frogadier pumped a huge stream of water on Sandy. When the water cleared Sandy was soaked and was curled up in a ball. Sandy struggles to her feet.

"Sand. Sandshrew. Sandshrew!" She squeaked.

She was determined to keep fighting. To become better.

"Frogadier, Power-Up Punch."

My Pokemon ran swiftly towards Sandy, ready to attack.

"Sandy, Sand Attack!"

Sandy threw sand into Frogadier's eyes. Frogadier could see where he was going. He stumbled around blindly.

"Now use Brick Break, Sandy!"

Sandy swung her small paw at Frogadier. Frogadier's head jerked to one side and he collapsed in defeat.

"You did good, Frogadier." I said to my Pokemon as I returned him.

Liam was patting Sandy's head and complimenting her.

"Go, Kit!" I threw my newly caught Pokemon's Pokeball in the air.

This would be a great opportunity to see what she was capable of. She had shown off her moves to me earlier.

"Kit, Sucker Punch!"

The Dark-Type swiftly dashed over to Sandy and delivered a quick but powerful punch.

Sandy stumbled back from the hit. Kit was very fast so I would need to use her speed as much as possible.

"Sandy, Brick Break!"

"Dodge, Kit."

Kit ducked out of the way of the attack.

"Now use Feint Attack, Kit!"

She glew with a purple light and rammed into Sandy.

"Sandy, Brick Break again!"

Sandy was up close to Kit from the last attack. Sandy slammed her fist onto Kit's head. Kit fell to the ground from the super effective hit.

"Kit, Night Daze."

Kit smiled roguishly, her eyes started to glow blue. A pitch black aura started to form around her. The aura was launched at Sandy. The Sandshrew was hit hard from the attack and she skidded across the battlefield.

"I guess Griffin wins." Zoey spoke up as she stroked her Zebstrika which she sent out with the rest of her Pokemon.

Liam returned Sandy and sighed. Liam was a good battler and all but he wasn't quiet good enough to do it competitively, like with the Gym Leaders and tournaments. He never really knew what he was gonna do with himself.

"Good job, man." We fist bumped.

"Thanks, Griffin. Now, go make us some spaghetti."

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"That was really good spaghetti, Griffin." Zoey said as we all stretched out on out sleeping bags.

"Yeah, not bad." Liam grinned.

"Thanks." I said back.

Umbreon and Jolteon were curled up close to each other by the fire. I smiled and Zoey met my gaze. She grinned and shook her head.

"I don't really want to go to sleep." Liam said.

"Me too." I replied.

"Does anyone have any stories or anything to tell?" Zoey asked.

"I have one!" Liam shot his hand up. "So, these group of friends. Were like, having a party and one of them told them about this totally scary cabin in the forest. So, they dared this one guy to go into the cabin. They like went into the woods and it was really freaky. So, the guy went into the cabin and he didn't come out. Or did he? I don't think he came out. So they like went in together and saw this totally scary guy with a hockey mask. He had like a machete or was it a chainsaw? No, it was definitely a machete. He like ran after them and they were never seen again. And the cabin is still haunted or whatever to this day."

"That was awful." I wrinkled my nose.

"Never become an author." Zoey said.

"Like any of you have a better one!" He snapped, even though he knew it was terrible.

"I don't," Zoey admitted, "How about you, Griffin?"

I thought for a moment,"I do have one. One that Asher always used to tell me when we went camping or stargazing with our dad's telescope. It's the story of how the moon and the stars came into existence. It goes like this, when Arceus created Earth humans and Pokemon were made to inhabit it. The Earth had two cycles of the day. Day and night. The day was when all the Pokemon and people were active and happy. The night, however was dangerous and hated. Night was pure black and you couldn't see a thing.

"None of the Pokemon or people could travel, hunt, or do anything. Some of creatures needed the night though but thy couldn't see. So one man and his Pokemon companion journeyed to a cave which was home to many Zubats and a giant Noctowl, who people thought was only a legend. For the Zubats and the Noctowl had adapted to see in the dark because they lived in a cave all their lives. They navigated the labyrinth like cave and found the giant Noctowl and the Zubats. The man told him of their problem. The Noctowl told them that they needed to wait until night, then look to the sky. Night came and the Noctowl and the Zubats flew up into the sky."

"The Zubats clung to the sky and tore tiny holes in it like cloth. Then, the Noctowl ripped a big hole in it and light from the heavens shone down through the holes. The tiny holes were the stars and the big one became the moon. Now the Pokemon and people could see in the night. Night was no longer feared. It was something beautiful."

"So what do you guys think?" I asked my friends.

"That made no sense." Liam said bluntly.

"That's because your stupid." I replied.

"I thought it was great story." Zoey said.

"I'm gonna turn in. Good night." Liam crawled into his sleeping bag.

"I think I'm going to sleep too," Zoey yawned, "Sweet dreams, Griffin."

"Good night," I followed suit and snuggled into my sleeping bag.

I stared up at the million of holes in the sky that the Zubats had made. Then, my gaze met the hole the Noctowl made. The moon. I closed my eyes and was claimed by night and slept.

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Author note: Yep! It's was a pretty long chapter. If you guys are sick of the filler, don't worry the plot will pick up again. I will try to type as many chapter as I can on Edge of War before Track starts. Demon Slayer will have slower updates and will be updated every now and then. Also, I can't even get over the ending of the seasons 3 finale of Sherlock. And season 4 won't come out until 2016! I have nothing else to say.

VOTE, COMMENT, AND GOODBYE!