Author's Note: So this is my first time writing up a battle. Please be gentle! I used a mix of anime and game battle dynamics (including some movesets from the anime and the likeliness of one hit KOs from the game), so I really hope you guys enjoy it! Please review, if only to let me know someone's actually read it ;) Thanks!
"This is it! The Virbank City Gym!" Pan declared as she, Monty and Carlyle stopped in front of a small, dingy doorway in between a large warehouse and a block of rundown apartments. Growl sat at Monty's feet, and the both of them tilted their heads to the side in confusion. Carlyle was the one who voiced their shared concerns.
"Are... you sure?" He looked up at the only distinguishing feature in front of him; a flickering pink neon light above the doorway almost unrecognisably shaped like a Pokeball.
"Yup!" Pan chirped happily. "It may not look like much," she poked Carlyle in the chest, "but Roxie's gym has chewed up and spat out plenty of trainers just like you," she finished with a wink. While Carlyle was still a little shocked at being prodded by an almost complete stranger, Pan smiled and pushed open the colourfully damaged door. What greeted Carlyle's apprehensive gaze was less than impressive.
A short, narrow staircase littered with clutter led to a small platform a little below him. The crumbling brick walls were covered with paint and paper; flickering, florescent lights illuminated colourful graffiti and crooked posters overlapped with sprawling advertisements. Carlyle's attention settled on one particularly large, over enthusiastic advertisement; I can sing! Wanted: The rest of a band! He looked back at Monty, partly to assure himself she was still there, then followed Pan down the next flight of equally stimulating stairs. The sound of musical instruments and equipment grew louder as they reached the main floor. Once again, Pan proceeded to open the damaged double doors.
Carlyle followed her inside, and heard Monty gasp behind him, "The gym is a bar?" Carlyle was just as surprised as she was; a large stage took up most of the room, with many small tables and chairs clustered around its base. A few people were gathered around some instruments on the stage, but the music they had heard outside seemed to be coming from the large speakers either side of it. On one wall stood a (purposefully, Carlyle assumed) dingy looking bar, with an elevated DJ booth cluttered with equipment, CDs and even a few vinyl records on the other. A rather intimidating young man with ripped clothing and a purple Mohawk tended to a few similarly attired patrons at the bar, despite the fact that it was hardly mid afternoon. Seeing this, Monty laughed, "After your gym battle, maybe we could have a drink."
Still following Pan as she weaved through tables towards the brightly lit stage, Carlyle answered, "You're 17, you can't buy alcohol." Clearly Monty thought this situation was a lot funnier than he did.
"No," he could clearly imagine Monty's sly smile as she said, "but you can." Carlyle was a little older than she was; as he was over 18, he was considered to be an adult and therefore capable of buying their drinks.
Carlyle still refused, "No. Now, please shut up."
Monty blew her fringe out of her eyes in annoyance. "I was only joking," she mumbled.
They reached the stage. Monty, who had still been gazing around the gym in awe, bumped into Carlyle's back with a small "Ooof", but he hardly seemed to notice. His stomach was tying itself in knots as Pan yelled out to the people on the stage, "Hey! Roxie!"
They all turned to face Pan, a girl in the front with white hair, blue eyes and a bizarre pink and blue striped 'dress' (For lack of a better word, Carlyle thought) lit up and waved. The girl Carlyle assumed to be Roxie bounded over to the edge of the stage, grinning. "Hey Pan, you back for another try?"
Pan laughed and rubbed the back of her neck a little nervously, Cubone mimicking her at her feet, "Nah, I think I've finally learnt when to quit," she grabbed Carlyle's shoulders and pushed him a little closer to the stage, "but I've found you a new challenger!"
"Oh?" Roxie leaned even closer and seemed to examine Carlyle. He tried to take a nervous step back under her scrutinising gaze, but Pan still had a firm grip on his shoulders. Hearing Monty trying not to laugh behind him, Carlyle's cheeks flushed a little. Roxie suddenly laughed and stood up straight again, "Alright! I guess band practice is gunna have to wait, guys!" The people behind her grumbled and sighed, picking up various musical instruments and pieces of equipment and taking them off stage. Once the stage was empty save for a few floorlights, and Roxie herself, she asked, "Well? What are you waiting for? Get up here!"
Carlyle bawked, "Wh-what? We're going to battle right now?"
Roxie just laughed again, grabbed Carlyle's arms and suddenly hauled him up onto the stage. Face flushed, Carlyle scrambled to his feet beside Roxie. She was a lot shorter now than she had seemed before. It was only now that he was actually on the stage that Carlyle noticed the white lines marking out a battlefield, albeit one of the smallest he had ever seen. He was about to ask the Gym leader if she was sure it was safe to battle in here, when she pointed to one end of the stage/battlefield, "Alright, that's your end over there," then spun around and made her way to the other side.
This is all happening so fast. Carlyle felt panic rising in his chest as he made his way over to 'his end' of the field. Planting his feet firmly in place, he faced Roxie across the battlefield. "I hope you don't mind if everyone watches," she called to him. "After all, you did kinda interrupt our band practice."
Carlyle's throat went dry when he looked down at the tables at the front of the stage. Roxie's band mates, as well as the scary bartender and his patrons, had all sat down to watch the match. He spotted Monty sitting beside Pan and Cubone. On her other side sat who he assumed to be Roxie's drummer. The young man dressed in tight, black clothing was casually twirling a pair of drum sticks with his fingers, laughing and leaning in far too close towards her. Monty certainly didn't seem to mind though; she laughed along with him, eyes bright and cheeks pink. Carlyle turned his attention back to the Gym leader, guts boiling. A referee for the battle stood at the back of the stage. He explained the gym's rules; a two on two battle, with only the challenger being allowed substitutions. Before Carlyle had really come to grips with what was happening, the referee lowered his flags and shouted, "Begin!"
Roxie laughed and threw a Pokeball high into the air, "You're up, Koffing!" while Carlyle fumbled a little with the Pokeballs at his belt, before opening one, "Alright Shinx, let's go!"
Carlyle's little Shinx glared across the battlefield at a grinning purple cloud of poisonous gas. Roxie was quick to give her commands, "Koffing, use Smog!" The field was immediately covered with a thick, foul smelling fog, making Carlyle's eyes and throat burn. Before Carlyle could say anything, he heard Roxie's voice again, "Now, use Tackle!" He heard a heavy impact somewhere in the smog, and his Pokemon cried out.
That Koffing is fast! The smog cleared, and Carlyle's Shinx was getting back onto his feet. Heart pounding, Carlyle commanded, "Shinx, use Charge, quick!" The little Flash Pokemon began to glow electric blue, storing energy. "Koffing, use Tackle again!" Roxie yelled out. Her Poison Gas Pokemon sped towards Shinx, still grinning. Just as it was about to make an impact, Carlyle roared, "Spark, Shinx!" Electrical energy burst out of Shinx in every direction, halting Koffing in its tracks.
"Kofffffiiiiiing!" Roxie's Pokemon cried out as it was jolted by the powerful blast. Carlyle's smile disappeared as Koffing stayed airborne when the electricity had left its gas-filled body. Shinx glared at his stupidly grinning opponent for a moment, then let out a pitiful cry and fell off balance.
"Shinx!" Carlyle cried out. What's going on? his mind raced, watching his little Flash Pokemon shake and sweat, We didn't take that much damage... Realisation hit him like a Snorlax's Body Slam; Smog may not have been a very powerful attack, but it has the chance of causing poisoning to an opponent. Shinx had obviously been poisoned. Carlyle unclipped Shinx's empty Pokeball from his belt. "Shinx, return." A bright red light engulfed his struggling Pokemon, and recalled him to the safety of his Pokeball. Roxie smirked at him from across the battlefield, waiting.
Carlyle unclipped another Pokeball and called, "It's up to you, Abra!" His Psi Pokemon appeared on the field in a flash of light. Carlyle let himself smile a little; he was more confident battling with Abra than with his other Pokemon. It wasn't as if he didn't trust Shinx and Totodile, but Carlyle had only met them when he had started on his journey not long ago. Abra, on the other hand, had been by his side for as long as he could remember.
"A Psychic type, huh?" Roxie's voice floated across the battlefield. "This'll be good! Koffing, use Smog!" Again, thick fog began to flood the stage. "Lightscreen!" Carlyle commanded. A wall of translucent energy appeared in front of a relaxed Abra before Koffing's Smog had reached it. Most of the Smog was deflected by Abra's Lightscreen, but it still managed to cause damage.
Wisps of smog still lingering on the stage, Carlyle cried, "Use Teleport!" Abra instantly disappeared. Koffing stared at the place where Abra had previously been sitting, befuddled. Before Roxie had a chance to pull her Poison Gas Pokemon together, a shape appeared in mid-air directly behind it. "Confusion!" Carlyle commanded. A wave of blue energy hit Koffing as it spun around to face its opponent. It cried out as it was held rigid by Abra's psychic energy, and proceeded to drop to the floor. Abra lightly floated down beside the fainted Koffing.
Roxie let out a little laugh as she recalled her Koffing. "Nice work," she said to Carlyle. Another Pokeball appeared in her hand, "But we're not done yet!" Throwing it high in the air once again, another spherical, purple Pokemon appeared on the stage from within the Pokeball's red light. "Let's do this, Whirlipede!"
Having already Teleported back to Carlyle's end of the battlefield, Abra and Whirlipede calmly stared at each other. "Whirlipede," Roxie cried, "use Poison Sting!" Carlyle rebutted this with another Lightscreen, significantly softening the blow. "Another Poison Sting!" she called again. Carlyle knew what she was planning; if Abra was poisoned now, he had little chance of winning the battle. He had to end this, and fast.
"Abra, keep up the Lightscreen, and use Calm Mind!" A downpour of tiny bright purple Poison Stingers pounded Abra's protective wall as he concentrated. A white energy seemed to build up around him, oozing out of him. Finally, Whirlipede's Poison Sting let up, and Abra was able to lower his Lightscreen. It's now or never, Carlyle clenched his jaw, then cried, "Teleport, Abra!" His Psi Pokemon disappeared once again. But Roxie was ready this time.
"Whiripede, behind you!" she called out with a smirk. "Poison Sting!" Her Curlipede Pokemon seemed to fire at thin air. But then, Arba appeared in amongst the cloud of stingers. "Abrrrraaaaa!" Abra was knocked backwards, landing hard and skidding a few feet across the stage. Carlyle yelled out in shock. Abra got to his feet once again. Carlyle looked at him closely, but he appeared to be alright. Not realising he had been holding his breath, Carlyle exhaled in relief.
"Alright Abra, Confusion!" Just as soon as the words had left Carlyle's mouth, Roxie called, "Protect, Whirlipede!" A wall of light surrounded her Pokemon as Abra attacked. The immense energy of Abra's Confusion was completely diffused by Whirlipede's Protect, leaving Roxie's Pokemon unharmed. Carlyle's jaw was hurting from clenching it for so long, but he didn't even notice as he commanded, "Another Confusion!" to which Roxie rebutted with yet another Protect. Protect is going to fail sooner or later, Carlyle thought desperately, it has to!
While Abra was busy on the offensive, Roxie took the opportunity to launch an attack of her own once Whirlipede's Protect had subsided, "One more Poison Sting, Whirlipede!" Another cloud of purple stingers rushed towards Abra. "Teleport!" Carlyle called out just in time. Abra disappeared just before Whirlipede's attack made contact. Whirlipede spun around again, waiting for Abra to reappear behind it. Carlyle's heart skipped a beat, That's it! He called to his not-quite-anywhere-yet Pokemon, "Abra! Up!"
Roxie either hadn't heard him or had decided Carlyle's comment was not worth noticing as she commanded her Whirlipede to shoot another Poison Sting into empty space. The stingers sailed through the air and kept going; Abra had not appeared. "Abra, use Confusion!" Carlyle called out to his Pokemon. Just in time, both Roxie and Whirlipede looked up to see Abra hovering close to the ceiling. A powerful wave of psychic energy engulfed Whirlipede. When it had passed, Whirlipede tipped onto its front, completely immobile.
Carlyle took what he felt was his first breath in an age. Roxie called out words of thanks to her fainted Pokemon, before recalling it to its Pokeball. Following her lead, Carlyle's numb hand found Abra's Pokeball, and with an incoherent murmur, Abra was engulfed by a familiar red light. It had all happened so fast, Carlyle could hardly believe it; he had won his second Gym Badge. Both the referee's declaration of his victory and the small crowd's cheers fell on deaf ears as Roxie crossed the stage, grinning. Carlyle found his feet somehow shifting under him, and he met Roxie in the middle of the stage.
"That was one rockin' battle! You've definitely earned this!" With a flourish, Roxie presented Carlyle with a shining, purple Gym Badge. He simply looked at it for a moment, before carefully reaching out and plucking it from her open palm.
"Thank you," he said to her, then looked back down at his Toxic badge. He heard Roxie turn away and start to walk to the edge of the stage, assumedly wanting to carry on with her obviously very important band practice. Before he knew what was happening, something collided with Carlyle, knocking the wind out him. With a squeal, Monty had stretched up on her tip-toes and managed to throw her arms around his shoulders at speed. Carlyle gave her an awkward pat on the back.
"That was amazing!" Monty grinned up at him after releasing him from her death grip, eyes wide and shining.
"Ah, thanks," Carlyle smiled and gave her another awkward pat on the head, before frowning. "Don't do that again."
Monty just rolled her eyes as Pan stumbled her way onto the stage, having helped Growl and Cubone up before her. Monty had vaulted up so quickly after the battle ended Growl had been left jumping up and clawing at the edge of the stage trying to follow her.
"So," Monty bumped a still dazed Carlyle with her shoulder, "we should celebrate your incredible victory over a renowned and respected Gym Leader, yes?"
Slipping his Toxic Badge into his pocket, Carlyle began to walk back over to the edge of the stage, "I'm still not buying you a drink."
Sorry for all the (mostly accidental, I swear!) alliterations in this chapter... And just a quick note: I live in Australia, and the legal age to drink here is 18. It's not all that important, just thought I'd make that known in case you were wondering J