Chapter 10: A Big Wave in Fighting
I woke with a start, heart pounding and gasping for breath. I loud grunting noise startled me and my eyes dashed across the room, looking for the source. It was still dark out, and the room was as black as Banzai's fur. Slowly, it dawned on me that the grunting noise was Leroy snoring, his larger bipedal body slumped against a wall near the bed. I sighed, slumping slightly as I thought about the dream I had had. It was already starting to fade away, as dreams often do, but I remembered lightning flashing in the sky as rain pelted down and the wind howled. And the eyes. I remembered the piercing yellow eyes, the same ones that I had dreamed of at the start of this journey. I sighed again and lay back in the bed, staring at the dark ceiling. This had better not keep happening I thought bitterly as I tried to go back to sleep.
In the morning I was fairly rested up, despite the last nights interruption. The team was mostly awake when I got out of bed, stepping lightly around the rough-housing Cooper and Banzai as I went about my morning routine. Jones was in his pokeball, and I decided that I Cooper had been right, and I should probably box him for now. That particular thought led me to another issue, as I glanced out of the bathroom, toothbrush still sticking out of my mouth. My eyes found Lars, who was sitting near Leroy and alternatively cheering on Cooper and Banzai. I remembered our conversation on the boat before the attack, and fought off a wave of guilt. He'll be safe, in the end I thought, heading back into the bath to finish up.
Before we head out, I gathered the team and explained what I was going to do with Lars and why I thought it was a good idea. Naturally, there were some disagreements. "That's bull!" Leroy shouted. "Lars can fight as much as the rest of us! Hell, he saved Cooper from that Tentacool!" The pokemon in question beamed his thanks at Lars, who nodded nervously. "So explain to me again why we're abandoning him?" Leroy demanded.
"As I said to Lars, I'm not abandoning him" I said. "I just don't think he's cut out for this. Now before you say anything, Lars has agreed to this. It was a decision made by the both of us, and it's final, got it?" Most of them nodded, some apprehensively, but Leroy looked like he wanted to keep arguing. Finally, he sighed and frowned.
"Well I still don't have to like it" he muttered.
With that done, we all said our goodbyes to Lars, Cooper and Leroy giving him big hugs and pats on the back. Putting everyone in their pokeballs, I went downstairs to the PC. I rung up the Professor and explained the situation before sending Jones and Lars through. It was pretty weird, only having four pokemon on me, but I knew that soon enough we would have a full team again.
Sooner than I thought. After wandering around town, I ended up on the northern end of the island, Sasuke scuttling beside me on the sand. We had encountered a few fisherman, but other than that the trip had been uneventful. As we rounded a bend in the beach, we were greeted with a large mound of rock jutting out of the ocean and up the beach. A wide cave entrance opened up before us, beckoning us inside. "Well, that seems like as good a place as any to train" I said cheerfully.
"Then let us make haste. The day is young" Sasuke agreed, and we went inside. Just a few steps in, the light died down, rendering the cave almost pitch black. There was no way to tell what was directly in front of me, and I ran into a wall of rock more than once. "Jeez, this cave is freaking ridiculous!" I complained, wishing I had brought a lamp or a flashlight. Sasuke didn't seem to have any problems maneuvering, probably because he was able to see in the dark with bug-vision or something. After a few more failed attempts to move forward, I decided to call it quits. "Screw this, we'll be better off training on the beach" I muttered. Upon turning around, however, I discovered that I could no longer see the cave entrance.
"Dammit!" I yelled, kicking at a rock and stubbing my toe. That made me curse more, which distracted me from the distant sound of flapping wings. Sasuke, however, was not as impeded.
"Uh, Nick? We should probably get out of here" he said nervously. That's when the sound reached my ears.
"Oh shit, Zubat!" I yelled as they were upon us. A shrieking, flapping mass of blue bats flew around us, and I could barely see them. They would probably have avoided me pretty easily if I hadn't panicked and flailed about, causing me to hit one or two of them. Thinking they were under attack, the Zubat started to retaliate. Wing Attacks buffeted me, and Sasuke had to dodge around them. He scratched at the nearby Zubats, swiping them out of the air, but it wasn't enough. In desperation, I released the rest of the team. Cooper and Banzai were in a similar situation to Sasuke, wanting to help but unable to reach the higher creatures. Leroy was attempting to shoot them down with Water Gun, but his eyes weren't adjusted to darkness.
In another desperate move, I threw a pokeball randomly into the swarm. It opened in a burst of light that stung my eyes, having captured one of the Zubats. The burst was enough for me to see the corner I had taken, and the path the majority of the bats were taking. "Guys, let's go!" I shouted and we ran towards the exit. We jumped back into the daylight, and collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily but fine. "We made it!" I gasped, giggling stupidly as I lay in the sand.
"We're not the only ones" I heard Cooper say. I lifted my head up and saw him plop the pokeball I had thrown into the sand next to me. "Looks like we've got a new teammate." I picked up the pokeball and scanned it with my PokeTech, the wrist worn device telling me about the Zubat inside.
"Well, we'll meet him tonight." I said, putting him -it was a male- away on my belt. "I guess we should probably train a bit, eh? But let's stick to the entrance, I don't want to repeat that nonsense."
The training went rather well. Other than the Zubat, which Cooper and Banzai leaped into the air to swipe and snap at, there were Makuhita and Geodude which Leroy fought with joy. Sasuke joined in on the Makuhita fights, the fat yellow humanoids being not the greatest match-up but better than the Geodudes. I was just about to wrap training up for the day, feeling confident about the next gym battle, when a sharp glow caught my attention. It was emanating from Sasuke, specifically his back. It split slightly, light spilling out of it and then a pair of wings. Following the wings was a black body with yellow markings around the red eyes and along its back. It pushed itself out with its long black forelimbs and fluttered its wings, hovering above the shell it left behind.
"Sasuke! You evolved!" I cheered, hugging my new Ninjask. I was so caught up in it, that I didn't notice that the glow hadn't faded away. The molt that Sasuke left behind rose up and changed. The split across its back fractured slightly and peeled back, forming small wings. Its limbs closed into its body, and two small horns grew over its eyes. A cresent shape appeared over its head, floating like a halo. When the light faded, a new pokemon floated before us, hovering like Sasuke but not beating its wings.
"Uh, Sasuke? What happened to your body?" Leroy asked tentatively, approaching the new pokemon slowly. It turned its half-lidded gaze onto him almost lazily causing the Marshtomp to emit a light "eep".
"It, too has evolved" Sasuke explained, flying around his old body. "This is rare among my kind, but not unheard of. When a Nincada evolves, we shed our old skin. Sometimes that skin gets a will of its own, and transforms into a Shednja, like this one." The Shednja tilted slightly, as if nodding in agreement.
"Okay, but where does this leave me?" I asked aloud, rubbing my chin in thought. "He's not the first pokemon I've seen here, but he's also technically already mine. Can I use him and you, or do I have to choose one?" Silence answered me. Of all the times for that asshole Nuzlocke to not bother me I thought bitterly.
"I think that one's been decided for us boss" Cooper spoke up. "He's still for the Mark on him, see?" Sure enough, the onion shaped mark was on the Shednjas chest. I quick glance at Sasuke revealed that his Mark was still there, only harder to see because of his black coloring.
"Alright, just one last thing then" I said, walking up to the Shednja. "Are you the same person as Sasuke, or should I give you a new name?" The Shednja floated lazily for a moment before shaking its head. Or, well, turning its body back and forth. There wasn't much in the way of movement with him. "Is that a yes for a new name?" I asked, honestly not knowing. The Shednja tilted forward and back, nodding yes. "Not one for talking, huh? Alright then, your name is Minato, got it?" Another nod. "Great! Now let's go home everyone, it's been a long day."
Back at the center, I gathered everyone in a circle inside the rented room. We had all eaten dinner, and it was time to introduce the new member of the team. Remembering how Moka had reacted when I had first caught her, I told the team to be on guard for whatever the new Zubat was going to do. Then I tossed the ball onto the floor and he was released in a spray of red light. Immediately he flew around, squeaking once or twice o get his bearings. Apparently finding the ceiling fan, he flew over to it and latched on, folding his wings. He squeaked again, and turned his head around towards each of us.
"I've been captured then?" he asked, his voice low but gruff.
"That's pretty much the short of it" I replied. "Now for the long part." I spent the next few minutes laying out the details of the Nuzlocke to him. "I'm in desperate need for a flier too, so I'll probably be using you a lot. But don't worry, I trained a Zubat last time and she made it all the way to the end."
"Was she your first choice?" the Zubat asked, his tone cold. I frowned, eyes narrowing at the little bat. "I thought so. But it's fine. I'll be able to take care of myself." He adjusted himself a bit and seemed ready to go to sleep.
"Hold on a minute, I've got to give you a name" I said, reaching up and poking his head slightly.
He grumbled a bit and turned his head back towards me. "I already have a name. It's Bruce." And with that, he tucked his head under a wing, ending the discussion. I glanced at the team and they all just kind of shrugged up at me. Guessing that the conversation was over for the night, I turned off the light and went to bed, wondering how I was going to deal with the cold pokemon I had just obtained.
The next day I was up bright and early, ready to challenge the gym. Only, when I got there, the gym was closed. There was a sign taped to the front door, hand-written in a sloppy, chicken-scratch text. Out catching the morning waves, be back whenever. It was signed by Brawly, the gym leader. I sighed deeply and turned towards the beach, hoping to catch him there. Sure enough, I could spot him out on the waves, surfing on a red board. I sat on the beach and waited, getting more and more impatient as time went on. Finally, I gave up and went up to the cave to train Bruce, figuring he could use a few levels before the gym.
I came back into town around lunch, sparing a quick glance at the beach to confirm that Brawly had gone inland for the day. After everyone was fed and watered, I retraced my steps to the gym, finding the sign gone. Taking that as permission, I entered the gym.
My first impression was that I had somehow ended up back in the cave. Once my eyes had adjusted slightly I was able to see that was not the case. Walls rose up around me, forming a maze of sorts, much more complex than the one at Rustboro. Small lights were embedded inside the walls, and they glowed slightly. A crackle alerted me to the presence of a speaker.
"Heyo! What's up challenger?" a young, loud voice asked. "I'm Brawly, the gym leader! Let me give you the heads up on my little pad here. You gotta fight through the maze, and the more of my buds you beat, the more the lights go up, dig? Now hurry up and get to me! I'm itchin' for a good brawl!" The speaker cut out and I was left in silence.
"Itching for a brawl?" I fumed to no one in particular. "If he was that ready to fight maybe he should have stayed in the freaking gym this morning." I put my grumblings aside and moved on into the maze. I let Banzai and Cooper handle most of the gym trainers despite the type disadvantage. They were strong, and as soon as things got bad I switched them out for Bruce, who utterly destroyed any fighting-types he faced. By the time I was most of the way through the gym, the lights on the wall well lit, Banzai and Cooper had evolved into a Mightyena and Linoone respectively. I didn't have time to admire their new forms, however, as I was just about to make it to Brawlys arena.
The battlefield was wide and spacious, built similarly to a dojo. A large red mat covered the floor, a pokeball symbol emblazoned on it in white paint. Along the edges were exercise equipment and training dummies. Standing on the other side was Brawly himself. He was a fairly tall man with tanned skin, from days of surfing no doubt. He wore a black wetsuit with orange tribal designs running across the chest, a pair of sky blue swim trunks pulled over it. The trunks matched his hair, which was long and wild, sticking out around his head. He wore shades despite the low light, orange tinted lenses catching the reflection of the lamps.
"Alright! You made it through the gym!" he announced, grinning broadly. "And going by how bright it is, looks like you've beaten most of my buds."
I didn't reply right away, just standing in my place. Finally, I sighed. "Look, let's just get this over with. I'm late today because you were out surfing."
Brawlys smile faded a little, but he shrugged. "What can I say? Gotta catch the waves when they're good man, know what I mean?" He fished a pokeball out of his trunks and lightly tossed it, a Machop appearing in the ring. The small gray humanoid instantly brought to mind Armstrong, not only because of its species, but because it flexed confidently and smiled challengingly at me.
"Minato, let's do this" I called, releasing the named pokemon. He floated solemnly a few feet above the floor, gazing lazily at his opponent.
"Huh, that could be a problem" Brawly remarked. "But don't think we haven't faced ghost-types before! Machop, use Bulk Up!" The pokemon in question swelled up in size, flexing and relaxing its muscles in order to increase its defense and strength.
"Minato, hit him with Fury Swipes!" I ordered. With surprising speed for a pokemon so laid-back, Minato charged his opponent. His stiff limbs struck out, slashing at the gray pokemons skin. The Bulk-Up from earlier helped fend off some of the blow, but the scratches along Machops body probably still stung.
"Keep it up Machop, don't stop using Bulk Up!" Brawly shouted, encouraging his pokemon.
"Minato, keep the pressure on! Fury Swipes!" I countered.
The two pokemon continued on like so, Minato scratching furiously and Machop continuously building his strength. Eventually, Minatos attacks weren't even breaking the skin, and the Machop grinned evily.
"Alright! Now's the time! Machop, hit him with Karate Chop!" Brawly yelled, mimicking the motion himself. Machop shot forward, hand cutting across in a swift hit. But to his apparent surprise, his hand was blocked, a blue aura surrounding Minato and protecting him from the deadly blow.
"Yeah, that would be Minatos Wonder Guard." I explained. "Shednja are incredibly frail, easy to beat really. So to counter this weakness, they developed a shield that can only be broken by extremely powerful, super-effective attacks. Even if you weren't using a fighting-type move on a ghost-type, it wouldn't have meant a thing."
Brawly shrugged. "Eh, it was worth a try. But now we're kinda stuck, eh? I can't hurt you, and you can't hurt me. Looks like a tie to me, unless you wanna switch?"
I knew I couldn't switch out, despite the wisdom in doing so. Normally, I would in a heartbeat, but after so many Bulk Ups, the Machop would wipe my entire team in a heartbeat. Besides, I thought, I still have one trick up my sleeve. "Minato, use Fury Cutter!"
Minato lashed out with one of his claws, the edge glowing slightly as he slashed across Machops chest. There was a slight scratch, but nothing more. However, the scratch was enough for Machop and Brawly pause, a worried look on their faces. I took advantage of it. "Minato, keep up the Fury Cutters!" I cried. Minato charged in, swiping somewhat slowly but severely, scoring many hits. Machop backed away, but couldn't get out of his range. The gray pokemon retaliated, trying to hit back with Karate Chops, but they were blocked by the Wonder Guard. Finally, Minato landed one last blow, slashing Machop from shoulder to him across his torso. The Machop cried out and fell, defeated.
"Oh man, that was crazy!" Brawly said, returning his fallen pokemon. "But I'm not done yet! Meditite!" he announced, releasing the pokemon in question. It was small, humanoid in shape and had a blue body. Its wiry frame was offset by its large, onion-shaped head. Gray skin covered its hands, feet and face, and it glowed with a slight psychic energy. "Alright, Meditite! Let's hit him with-" Before he could finish his attack, Minato was already in front of the Meditite, eyes glowing slightly. He reached out and slashed, nailing the enemy pokemon right above the eyes and knocking it down, unconscious. The wind fell out of Brawlys sails completely. "Huh" was all he said, looking at the defeated pokemon.
"Fury Cutter gets stronger every time its used." I explained as Minato floated over to me. "But, don't worry. I'm not gonna use him for the next fight. At least, not if I don't have to. Gotta keep the whole team up to par, y'know?" I asked as I returned the bug-type.
"Oh yeah, I get it" Brawly replied cheerfully, returning his own pokemon. "But don't think you'll get an easy win! This here's my best pokemon! Come on out, Makuhita!" With a flash, the new pokemon emerged. I had seen plenty of Makuhita at the cave, but this one seemed stronger. Its yellow body, though it appeared fat, was obviously full of muscle. The red circular marks on its cheeks stretched slightly as it breathed, slowly and steadily. The bow on its head was tilted back, looking more like a headband than anything. It raised its black-gloved hands and beckoned, looking for an opponent.
"Alright, come on out Bruce!" I called, releasing the other new recruit. He flapped around the ring, squeaking occasionally to get his bearings. "Let's not take any chances. Supersonic!" I ordered, hoping to confuse the burly pokemon right out the gate. But Makuhita was to smart for that and it rolled out of the way of the sonic attack.
"Use Bulk Up!" Brawly ordered, and the Makuhita did so. I watched as its muscles stretched, promising a strong attack power.
"Keep up the Supersonic Bruce!" I yelled, hoping at least one of the attacks would hit. It didn't work, and Makuhita rolled and tumbled easily out of the way of the three blasts.
"Makuhita, now! Hit 'em with a Vital Throw!" Brawly called. Makuhita leaped into the air, astounding me with how high the portly pokemon could jump. It must have startled Bruce too, since he yelped in surprise and was quickly caught in the fighting-types grip. Makuhita twisted in the air, using gravity to aid in his attack as he threw Bruce to the ground. It was so fast that Bruce couldn't right himself, and he impacted the floor mat hard. Makuhita then landed on top of him, squishing the poor Zubat further.
"Get off of me!" Bruce screeched, blasting Makuhita point blank with a Supersonic. Not only did this cause the ponderous yellow pokemon to release him, but it succeeded in confusing him. He stumbled across the mat and tripped, landing flat on his face.
"Great job Bruce! Now, hit him with Astonish!" I encouraged as I sprayed a Super Potion onto him. Bruce grunted and flew back into the fray, stopping just short of Makuhitas face and squeaking loudly. Makuhita yelped in surprise and fell back, injuring himself slightly. Unfortunately, this seemed to cure him of his confusion, as he lashed out and grabbed onto one of Bruces wings as he tried to fly away. Spinning around, Makuhita threw Bruce again with even more force, slamming him into the opposite wall. He sprang into action, moving to follow up the hit with another, when a flash of light emitted between them.
Leroy reached out and grabbed both of the other pokemons hands, sliding back a few feet from the impact. "Leave him alone!" Leroy shouted before reeling back and unleashing a torrent of mud right into Makuhitas face. I quickly returned Bruce, having already released Leroy to replace him. Makuhita frowned, a vein bulging in its forehead. Apparently it didn't take kindly to having mud spat on its face. He shook Leroys hands off, then pushed one of his shoulders, spinning him around. Makuhita grabbed Leroy in a bear hug and lifted, pulling the surprised Marshtomp off of his feet. With a cry of triumph, Makuhita suplexed Leroy, slamming him down hard onto the floor. I saw Leroys head bounce off the mat and he lay moaning on the floor.
"Leroy!" I cried, concerned for the fate of my friend. I hastily returned him and sent out Minato.
Brawly snorted at the change. "Thought you said you weren't going to use him again?" he asked tauntingly, Makuhita flexing at his side.
"I said only if I needed to" I growled, fed up with his attitude. "Minato, Fury Cutter!" The match was over soon afterward. Makuhita tried to protect himself using Bulk Up, but Minato was able to get at his exposed underbelly, slashing him good and taking him out of the fight.
"Well I can't say that it wasn't a good fight" Brawly acknowledged, returning his last pokemon. "Here, take this badge and TM. You've earned it."
I swiped the disk and fist-shaped badge out of his hand, roughly putting them in my pocket. "Thanks" I grumbled before turning and heading out.
"Hey, why so hostile?" Brawly called, confusion evident in his voice.
I paused, thinking about why I was being so mean to the gym leader. Finally, I sighed. "I don't mean to be, it's just that I'm under a lot of pressure" I explained. "I wanted to get out of here by now, and you being gone just soured my mood. I'm sorry for being such a jerk."
Brawly had walked over by now and he clapped me on the back roughly. "Don't sweat it!" he declared. "Here, take my card. Send me your number on the PokeNav and I'll call you for a rematch sometime when you're more mellow. Catch ya later!" he called, heading out the door.
About an hour later, I was back at Granite Cave, Cooper and Banzai walking beside me. Back at the PokeCenter, the others had complimented their new forms. Banzai was now a Mightyena, a large, fierce looking dog with a gray undercoat and long, silky black fur covering his back, tail and legs. Two black stripes crested his head between his ears, ending just over his red eyes. Two more, smaller stripes jutted out from under them. Cooper, on the other hand, was now a Linoone. Gone was the spike-like fur that covered his body. Now, it was all silky smooth tan fur, darker brown markings making smooth lines down his back and over his blue eyes. His body was long and tubular, like a ferrets, and little patches of fur still stuck out under his ears and at his elbow.
As much as I would have liked it to be just the three of us, one more necesssary member had joined the group.
"I don't get why I have to be the one who lights up the joint" Zoe complained as she fluttered above us. "I mean, didn't you say something about not wanting to use me anymore?"
"I didn't say that" I corrected, already irritated with the bug-type. "Besides, you're the only one I have who can learn Flash, which is needed to get further into the cave."
"About that," Cooper spoke up from his place up ahead. "Why exactly are we back here? It's not like we need more training."
"You weaklings need all the training you can get" Zoe snarked before I could answer.
"Hey! Why don't you come down here and say that!" Banzai barked. "I'm not the same Poochyena you used to tease.:
"No, now you're a Mightyena who I can tease" Zoe replied smugly. "Good job on recognizing your species, by the way. Its impressive for someone who took so long to evolve."
"Will you two cut it out!" I yelled, stepping between the two of them. "We're here because I found out that Steven Stone is somewhere in this cave. I've got a letter I need to deliver to him, and then we can clear out of here."
"No complaints from me there" Cooper replied. "There's nothing to steal on this island, it's all sand and coconuts." He chuckled slightly at the look I was giving him. "Just a joke boss, don't freak out about it."
"Whatever, let's just find Steven and get out of here" I groaned. A new voice up ahead, just outside of the light Zoe was casting caused me to jump.
"Huh? Did someone call me?" the voice asked, young but mature. A man stepped into the light, dressed completely wrong for an expedition into a cave. He wore a black suit with purple trim, a white dress shirt peaking out under the rather large red tie. Instead of cloth, his cuffs were made of metal, designed to look like crowns. His hair was the same shade as Brawlys, and while it was much neater, it still stuck out here and there. His skin was pale, and his expression soft, a warm smile on his face. "Can I help you?"
"You're Steven Stone?" I asked, already riffling through my bag for the letter as he nodded affirmative. "I've got a letter for you from your dad." I held the letter out to him, which he took right away.
"It's not often Father sends someone outside the company to do something as easy as deliver a letter" he mused, opening it. "I hope this trip wasn't to bothersome for you?"
"Not really, I was headed here anyway" I grunted, getting ready to head back to town.
"Oh, I can't let you leave without some sort of payment. Here," he said, reaching down for his bag before jumping back with a yelp. "Oh my!" he cried.
I looked down to see the source of his distress and promptly put my head in my hands. "Cooper!" I shouted. "What did I tell you about stealing!?"
"I wasn't stealing, honest!" Cooper whined, pulling himself out of Stevens bag, which he had been halfway inside of when Steven grabbed him. "I was just checking out the merchandise." He slinked away, walking in an odd way, even for his new form.
"Cooper." I warned. He looked up at me, eyes shining with innocence. I narrowed my own, ignoring Zoe and Banzai sniggering behind me. Finally, Cooper gave in and revealed the TM case he was trying to hide under himself.
"Okay, okay, you caught me" he muttered, holding it up to me. I scoffed and swiped it out of his hand, holding it out to Steven.
"Sorry about that. I try to keep him under control, and I usually have help from somebody" I growled the last word at Banzai and Zoe, who promptly stopped their chuckling.
"Hey, you never said it was my job to watch him!" Banzai complained.
"Besides, I'm only here to light the way" Zoe added. "Not my fault the little rodent's a klepto."
"You two..." I began, but was interrupted by light chuckling. I turned back to face Steven, who was smiling at all of us.
"You are certainly a fun bunch" he said, putting his pack back on. "Here, take the TM. Your Linoone worked so hard to get it, it would be a shame if he didn't get something for it."
Cooper smiled brightly and jumped up, grabbing the TM and hugging it to his chest. I sighed at his antics before looking back at Steven. "You sure? I normally don't reward his behavior" I said.
"Oh, it's fine. He can't use that TM anyway" Steven explained, causing Cooper to stop dead and stare up at him. "It contains Steel Wing, my favorite move. Useless for a Linoone like himself."
We all shared a laugh at Coopers expense before parting ways. I put the TM in my bag and made a beeline to the docks, hoping Mr Briney was ready to set sail.