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CHAPTER 12: EVEN MORE TRAINING______

It's mid-day and we are at the tower. Dialga had collected us after we woke up and told us that there was more to the second part of our training. I think I already know what it is, though. He wants us to re-learn teamwork with our new moves. It makes sense, we really should not leave this haven until we are confident with our new moves. We wouldn't make it very far. Dialga was in front of us and we were in a line in front of him. Ninetails was next to Dialga, looking very eager. I would bet anything that she knows what Dialga is planning.
“YOUR TRAINING IS NOT OVER YET.” Dialga said, sounding a lot like the teachers back home. “THERE IS MORE TO THIS THAN YOU MAY BE ABLE TO SEE.” It seems he is getting straight to the point. “I HAVE ANOTHER CHALLENGE FOR YOU AND YOU WILL DO IT RIGHT HERE AT TEMPORAL TOWER. YOUR NEXT CHALLENGE WILL BE TO FACE ME IN COMBAT, TOGETHER. ALL OF YOU AGAINST ME.”
“Seriously?!” said an arrogant Kinichi. “Saori did that by herself when she was a Prinplup.Not only has she evolved, but she will have us now, too, and we all evolved as well. This will be a piece of cake!”
“ARE YOU SURE?”
“Kinichi,” I started, “I know it sounds easy, but do you think that Dialga would make his part of the training if it was going to be that easy? Obviously, something is going to be added or has already changed. This will not be easy if it will require the four of us to be in our new forms to accomplish it.”
“Oh, I see your point.” Kinichi said, slightly embarrased but knowing Kinichi she'll recover in about three seconds. “So if that's the case, what has changed since Saori faced you possessed by Darkrai?” she asked Dialga.
“MAINLY, MY POWER HAS GREATLY INCREASED. EVEN SAROI ALONE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BEAT ME NOW. BUT ALSO, IN THIS CASE, I AM IN CONTROL OF MY BODY. DARKRAI WAS INHABITTING A FOREIGN BODY AND COULD NOT CONTROL VERY WELL IN BATTLE. THIS WILL REQUIRE THE FOUR OF YOU.”
“Gotcha.” Monferno said, taking this in. I bet right now he is trying to bring up what moves Dialga could possibly have and what his strength is compared to us. He won't be able to confirm any of it until the battle starts.
“I WILL GIVE YOU SOME TIME TO FORMULATE A STRATEGY, YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES.” We huddled together and whispered beneath our breaths. I was the first to think of anything.
“I think that the first thing that we do is have Ken place protect above us. But it must be done so that we can see at least one of Dialga's moves before we start.”
“That's what I was thinking, too.” Kinichi said. That kind of took me off guard. I still won't be able to get used to Kinichi being able to analyze everything instantly. Its unlike her hasty nature.
“But what about afterwards?” asked Ken. “He won't put his moves on display while I have protect up. We will be lucky to view one of his moves.”
“Saori and you, Ken should hide underground with drill peck and shadow sneak. Kinichi and I will surround him with fire spin and hopefully we can find a way to give some major damage to him and take him out.” Monferno suggested.
“Sounds good, but what if the worse case scenario occurs and this fails horribly? What can we do?” asked Kinichi.
“We should get back under my protect.” Ken said.
“That can only work a few times before Dialga can stop us.” I said.
“I know, but its good for now. Worst case scenario, we go to complete defense.” Ken declared. We all agreed on this plan. We would find a way to take out Dialga with as few moves as possible without getting too reckless. Before we disbanded, I remembered that it took one hit at Dialga's jewel to bring out Darkrai. I mentioned this to everyone else and we found his weak spot.
“Saori, Ken, your target is the jewel on Dialga's chest. Aim there with everything you've got!” Kinichi said, showing off her new analyzing powers.
“Got it Chimchar!” I said confidently.
“Saori, its Monferno now!” Monferno complained.
“I can't help it! You'll always call you Chimchar!”
“Whatever...” he said, giving up.”
“TIME IS UP!” Dialga called for us. “HAVE YOU FORMULATED A PLAN?”
“Yes we have and we are ready to test.” I responded confidently.
“THEN IF YOU DON'T MIND I WOULD LIKE TO START THIS BATTLE.”
“Be our guest.” Kinichi taunted.
Dialga smiled and let out a huge roar which sounded familiar. Ken was ready in front of us and before roar of time was able to take effect he had protect around us. Even though we were saved from an almost immediate KO, I had already figured that he had roar of time since it was Dialga's ultimate move. When Dialga was about to run out of breath for his roar of time I took the opportunity to dig under the floor and to the floor below me. I listened closely for a good time to strike and tried to judge where Dialga was. It was then I found the flaw in this plan. For one, we forgot we were at the top of a tower and for two it would be almost impossible for me to tell where Dialga was from down here. I considered Dialga's size and assumed that if he would move I would feel or at least hear his loud stomping above. Since I didn't hear anything yet, I chose to strike at the place where he last was before I dug underground, which was about the center of the tower. Before I rose to the surface, I foolishly lost focus when I saw the giant hole in the middle of the floor. I remembered how that hole got there, when I sent me and Darkrai through all of the tower floors and into the ground below, utterly obliterating him in the process. For a few seconds I stood there staring at the damage I caused when I was a newly evolved Prinplup. Now I'm an Empoleon and much, much stronger than I was then. How much stronger, though, have I become? I snapped back to the present and realized that I still needed to strike Dialga while he has his guard down. By know they probably have him surrounded Dialga and are waiting for me to join back up with them.
I jumped over the hole and, facing up, used drill peck again and hit the ceiling directly above me. It broke with great ease and instead of hitting under Dialga, I rose up right in front of him and before I could stop he opened his mouth and when I got up to there he shot an amazingly powerful beam and sent me to the ground in no time. Lucky for my new armor body, I didn't receive too much damage, unlike my team, however, who, while I was dawdling below, were early wiped out. Kinichi and Chimchar/Monferno were dead tired and Ken was lying about a couple yards away from me. I still have a chance, though. If I used hydro cannon then I might just have a chance to get that jewel. I know its reckless, but if I don't try then we would be at a worse disadvantage.
“Kinichi! Chimchar! Out of the way!” I yelled and while my mouth was open, charged up, bent forward, and after they were out of the way, shot hydro cannon straight at Dialga. With as fast as hydro cannon grew in radius and with as far as Dialga is, unless he teleports somewhere else he can't avoid my attack. That was it, though. He can teleport in a way. If he has fast enough reflexes then he can stop time and move somewhere else before my hydro cannon hits him. Thats was one of the risk factors in this move. The other, I would be completely immobilized and literally defensless for him to take me out with one more attack. In any case, the answer was revealed when hydro cannon stopped. I stood up and couldn't move at all. I looked ahead of me and following the train ahead of me was nothing but a large chunk of tower gone forever because of my attack. But no Dialga. I knew what was coming. The moment I felt the hard BAM! on the back of my head I knew we lost. The moment I was sent straight into Chimchar and hit a piller, I knew we lost. I opened my eyes, which I just noticed were shut tight, to see Kinichi standing up alone to him. I figured she wouldn't give up. Even with her new analyzing power, her dense head and hasty nature would not listen to any reasoning, even her own. Before I could see the inevitable end to the battle, I blacked out.