Darragh saw Baston a split second before Zane and company did.
He climbed a bit higher to get a better vantage point as the Simisear approached the party who stepped in the way. He'd never seen Baston fight before. He'd seen the aftermath and he'd been told the same tales everyone else in this neck of the woods has. But he'd never been able to spectate Baston in action up to this point. Now this was a great learning opportunity. Not just for him, but for the rest of the Pokemon that resided here. He could finally find a weak point in the seemingly unbeatable Fire-Type. Then, he wouldn't bother anyone ever again.
Interest turned to shock however when the boy began speaking to Baston as if he were one of them. He'd been previously impressed with his skill in Pokemon interpretation before, but a word like "meddlesome"? He could translate a world like "meddlesome"?That was more than skill...that was innate talent. But where did he obtain it from? And why?
Something was special about Zane...something he couldn't describe with words.
The first fists flew, and Darragh watched as Zane sent the Oshawott out first. That was the standard and immediately effective tactic, Darragh knew. A Water-Type held the best chance of knocking Baston off his high perch. Unfortunately for the community in the forest, they were very few to come by in this area. Otto would be the first
real challenger Baston had.
Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. Otto and Zane had some great tactics in the fight and it certainly did a number on the Simisear, but Baston had enough raw power to withstand his Tackle and Water Gun and reply with enough strength to take Otto out with a mighty Flamethrower...one that even reached as far as...
JEEZ! Darragh thought as he scurried behind the tree. It was in the nick of time too, the fire engulfing where he'd been a split second before. Fire damage has been and could be a worry in this forest, as wild fires through Pokemon battles have started here before. Luckily, no fire lingered long enough to spread and cause more burning trees, but it was still a concern on the Treecko's mind.
Jeez, that was close... Darragh sighed in relief as he turned back to the fight. The Litwick he new was named Simmer was back on his feet, ready to fight this thing alone...ALONE?!
This wasn't good. Simisear had been punching this particular Pokemon out of sport and now Simmer was about to head dive into suicide. Baston was injured, sure, but he figured that wouldn't hold him back from fighting. He didn't know Litwick's capabilities, but he knew that he would get creamed if somebody didn't step in.
Well, here goes nothing...Darragh had tied the vine around the tree branch he was currently on and was now figuring out where to launch from. He couldn't swing at him head-on, for he would dodge. He'd have to swing around and hit him from behind. Perching himself just right on the branch, he viewed his aim one more time before leaping off the branch, the vine tightening and turning the free fall into a swing.
And he'd performed it to perfection. The loop was out of Baston's peripherals and the Pound he'd chosen to give with his tail was exactly in the blind spot of the Simisear. Baston grunted in surprise and nearly fell over from shock and pain, but caught himself with a paw. Darragh yanked the vine, the sudden jerk of it causing the knot he'd tied to become undone amd fall to the ground next to him. As he was picking it up, wrapping it around his arm once more, Baston finally turned to notice his surprise attacker.
A Grass-Type?! Now that was insulting! Baston's fury practically radiated off his heated body as he pierced Darragh with smoldering eyes.
"You're a wee bit outta your element here, aren't ya?" he snarled, his paws forming fists.
"You're a bit too wet to be saying such things, aren't ya?" he replied calmly, despite the fear welling up inside him.
Simmer turned to Darragh, recognition lighting up in her eyes, "I've seen you around here, before. You're the one who's always spying on people!"
Darragh turned to look at the Litwick, "Well, that's one way to put it, sure."
A stream of fire suddenly burst in between the two Pokemon. Baston's annoyance flared, "HEY! I'M NOT DONE YET!"
Darragh had backed away just in time and he was relieved to see that Simmer had done the same. "We'll talk about it later."
Wild Simisear Baston VS Wild Treecko Darragh and Wild Litwick Simmer
Baston's onslaught began, starting with Incinerate. Fortunate for the two of them, they were quite a distance apart, meaning that they couldn't both be hit. Unfortunately, one of them had to. And while Simmer had been Baston's original target, the most recent thorn in his side was Darragh.
Darragh winced as the flames ripped around him, causing pain and burns alike. When the attack was done, he was still standing there, in a world of hurt, but still capable of combat. He lunged forward, using another Pound. This time, Baston stopped it with his arm. Darragh could feel the jarring sensation in his tail. He knew it must have hurt a little bit. Baston used a punch, which Darragh easily ducked under, diving in between his legs. He then used Absorb, a move that wouldn't do much to the Fire-Type, but would definitely help him out. He felt his strength returning a little bit as the attack took effect. Baston was barely fazed by it, however. He used Flamethrower once more, but Darragh was faster and dodged it. Meanwhile, Simmer had used Baston's attacks on the Treecko to use Minimize on herself, making her more evasive. She then charged her own Shadow Ball and send it hurtling at the Simisear. The attack hit home, and Baston's knee hit the ground from pain. Darragh ran over to her undoubtedly impressed.
"Why didn't you do that earlier?" he asked her.
"He's never been this weak before," she pointed out.
It was true. Baston had never taken this much damage before. It was a sign of hope for the two of them. But it was also a sign of despair as it showcased the pure power Baston demonstrated. Even now, despite the damage he'd taken, he still managed to get up, angrier than ever.
"YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN MEEE?!" he roared as he charged up Overheat.
Uh-oh. Treecko knew this would knock him out instantly should it hit. What was more frustrating, he really didn't have a move capable of deflecting it. He shut his eyes and braced for impact.
But it didn't come. Darragh opened his eyes to find a rather dazed expression on Baston's face. The Overheat Blast was sent down the path. Luckily nobody else was traveling their direction. That would've been a nasty surprise.
He looked left to find that Simmer was looking at him beaming clearly proud of herself. "What did you do?" he asked.
"I just got him with Confuse Ray right before he struck!" she told him. Darragh smiled in relief and new determination.
"Alright then, let finish the job!" he cried and launched himself forward.
The take down was rather easy afterwards. Not only was Baston confused, he didn't have much energy to expell after that blast and the constant barrage of attacks he'd undergone. With coordinated effort, Darragh hit with a Quick Attack while Simmer followed immediately afterwards with Fire Spin. Cumulative, it brought the Simisear down for the count. Darragh and Simmer loomed over him for the first time rather than being loomed over for the first time. Darragh gave a knowing grin to the Litwick. "You wanna do the honors?"
With no hesitation, Simmer approached Baston and looked him dead in the eye. "The next time you get the idea to beat up other Pokemon, remember this!" She blasted him in close quarters with a Shadow Ball, the force of impact strong enough to send the Simisear crashing into the tree behind. He slumped to the ground, unable to move.
Darragh gave Simmer a nod of approval, "Well done. You can now say you beat the brute of the forest."
And then suddenly a searing pang erupted through the Treecko's body. He closed one eye and grunted from the pain, falling onto his hands and knees. Baston had left his mark, even in defeat. The burns Darragh sustained were catching up to him, now that the adrenaline rush of battle was gone and he was shaking from it.