A/N: Hey guys! How's it going?
Ninth installment! Whoo! Almost double digits! How am I doing so far?
I'd like to send a shout-out to the awesome beta, EriHan, who helped make this chapter better and more enjoyable than it originally was. Thanks! You're ace. c:
Also, I'd like to tell you awesome readers to be patient, if you're not liking my round-about character stuffs. I have great things planned, so hold on!
So, let's start this chapter yeah?
Shoving double doors aside, I barged into the bug-type gym run by Burgh. My eyes took a minute to adjust from the bright daylight to this dimly lit gym. When they did, I saw thick globs of honey oozing from the ceiling and plopping to the floor. Sticky, wet sounds reverberated throughout the room.
"O... Kay then. I uh... Well that's gross...," I commented to myself.
"Well hello challenger!" a man in a suit and sunglasses called to me. "To get through this gym, you'll have to go through the honey walls to the center!"
"You're... You're kidding me, right?" I sighed, turning around to face the speaker.
"Nope! Not at all! Now get on up there and battle Burgh!" he shouted, shoving me into a thick block of honey. I fought my way through the sticky substance, grumbling all the while. Looking around, I saw that honey oozed from the walls, dripped from the ceiling, and pooled in the floor. Paintings hung askew, or more like stuck to the walls, in various places. They all seemed to be depicting different bug-type Pokémon.
"Oh sweet Arceus! This is ridiculous!" I shouted, ripping my hat off my head in frustration to swat the air. I crammed it back over my hair and stormed off through what seemed like a million more honey walls.
Finally, I made it to Burgh. Sticky, dripping, and gross, but I made it to Burgh.
"Oh! Look who's finally here! So, Black, ready to battle?" Burgh called. He waved me over elegantly, and I started to stalk angrily toward him.
"Oh dear... Your clothes are so dirty! I simply must wash them for you after our battle!"
"Well, they wouldn't be so gross if you didn't have honey people have to walk through in here! What were you thinking?! Walls of honey?! Dripping, sticky, gross honey?!"
"Oh, that. Actually, I design clothes in my spare time. When I wash trainer's clothes, they get to wear what I designed! It's fantastic, seeing all these people wear my clothes since I don't sell them."
"Why am I not surprised," I groaned, mumbling to myself. I mean, really. It was plausible, what with his… Eccentric fashion. His emerald green eyes flashed, and a smirk crawled across his lips. In a blinding flash of red light, he called out Whirlipede. I gritted my teeth, knowing that this would be a tough battle, but nothing I couldn't win. I hoped.
"Righty-o, Drilbur, let's have a bit of fun!" A flash of red, and Drilbur growled at the Whirlipede threateningly. She lunged at it, raking metallic claws across it's face. It didn't seem to do much damage. I set my teeth and hoped for the best.
Burgh's Whirlipede made quick work of my Drilbur, after poisoning her. I called her back into her Poké Ball and told her that she did perfectly well, and that I was sorry for being so stupid.
"My, my. You're quite easy, aren't you?" he smirked, pulling his Whirlipede back. "I know you've got only one more, so I'll make quick work of this." He sent out a Leavanny. Read as I'm completely screwed. I sent out my Dewott, and turned to him.
"Right, so we're in a right spot here. Do you want to pitch the battle, or try?" I asked, kneeling. He looked at me and grinned, crying happily and taking up a battle stance. "Guess it's on," I groaned.
Dewott leapt at Leavanny, hacking and slashing with his scallop shells. When Leavanny had managed to move out of the way, it shot a whirlwind of sharp leaves that ripped into Dewott's flesh. Dewott screamed. Breathing heavily, Dewott rushed at Leavanny once again, this time trying to blast it with a violent stream of water. Leavanny seemed unaffected, and slashed Dewott across the face with glowing green scythes. Dewott was thrown across the room, not to get up for the time being. I called him back reluctantly.
"Well, Burgh, good show. I'll be leaving now," I waved, turning back the way I came.
"Oh, hold up, Black! There's a back door here, why not use that? No sense in getting all dirty again." Burgh replied, cheerily calling me back.
I had forgotten that I was all sticky with honey. But when I realised, I cringed with disgust and made my way across the back to the exit.
"Oh, Black," Burgh stopped me just as I had my hand on the door handle. I turned around just in time to see him pull a curtain. I didn't even notice that was there during our battle...
"I've got a changing room back here, so just go and put this on. I'll wash your clothes for you." Burgh smiled, holding out a pair of pants and a shirt. The pants were skinny jeans, with zippers lined up in different ways from the front pockets to the knee. Silver chains hung from the belt loops. The shirt looked moderately snug fitting, and it was a grey v-neck sweater.
"What?! Are you kidding me?! No! That's just weird!" I raised my voice in disgust. "I can wash my own clothes! The PokéCenter has machines!" at that, I stormed out quickly, before he could try and convince me otherwise. Forcefully opening the door, I started toward the PokéCenter. Right before the door closed though, I heard Burgh's CrossTransceiver ring.
I opened the glass doors gently, walking straight to Nurse Joy, not even sparing a glance to the PokéMart clerks.
"Back so soon?" she giggled.
"Well, I just got slaughtered in the gym battle with Burgh, so I'll be back again, haha," I smiled, reaching for Drilbur and Dewott's Poké Balls.
"Oh? Losing isn't fun! I'm sorry, Black," she consoled me as she took my Pokémon to the machine behind her.
"Nah, but it's cool. It'll make me better."
Nurse Joy just grinned, handing my Pokémon back. "So I'll see you-"
The doors slammed open, almost shattering, before Nurse Joy could finish her sentence. Whirling around, I caught a glimpse of a bright green shirt with striped pants.
"Black! I just got word that Team Plasma was in Castelia! Come quickly, we'll need your help!"
Yep. It was Burgh.
"What?! Nurse Joy, have a nice day," I shouted my farewell as I raced out the door, following Burgh into the crowded streets.
A/N: so that was chapter 9. Let me know what you thought! And I know I've been slow anyway, but I'll be a bit more distracted now. My mother kicked me out, and who would've thought you had to have friends if you wanted help?! Certainly not me! Ahaha... I'm such a loser...
