Chapter 10

Luke shouted desperately at his starter to wake up, but the slumbering starter wouldn't. All seemed hopeless.

"What luck." Luke muttered.

He tried shouting again, but the otter Pokémon was not stirred. Gastly was preparing his final Night Shade, one that would finish off Oshawott for the rest of the battle. The order came to fire, and Gastly obliged. The dark purple wave came closer and closer to the bipedal otter.

"Oshawott you can do it, WAKE UP!"

Through the depths of his sleep, somehow, someway, Oshawott heard its trainer. The bipedal otter hopped to its feet and blocked the Night Shade with its shell in the nick of time. The force of the impact, however, threw Oshawott into the gym wall and he crashed to the ground. It was too great of an impact. After all of its will to fight, Oshawott was finally down and out. Luke sighed and returned his water Pokémon. "Thank you, Oshawott."

Luke lifted the remaining Poke Ball by his side and clenched it tightly. "Rufflet, it's all up to you!" The eaglet again appeared on the battle field. Because of his withdrawal the curse had dissipated, but the burn lingered still. Rufflet winced as it was sent out. I must end this quickly, or else this match won't end well for my Pokémon or me.

Reagan laughed. "Gastly, finish it with Night Shade!" The floating ball of gas laughed maniacally and charged up another wave of purple energy. Gastly fired; it seemed to be all over.

"Rufflet dodge!" Luke shouted. Rufflet couldn't, however, the burn hindered its movement yet again. The Night Shade made contact, and the impact threw dust in the air. Luke closed his eyes and sighed in defeat, the match was over. Luke's attention was snapped back to the battlefield when he heard Reagan curse and mumble to himself. Luke looked up and to his surprise Rufflet was still up and about! Luke smiled with joy; Ghost-type moves don't affect Normal-types! Luke mentally cheered.

"Rufflet, use Wing Attack!" Rufflet nodded and charged the Ghost-type, and its wing connected solidly. Gastly fell to the ground. "Now bombard it with Peck!" Rufflet then dive bombed Gastly with a glowing beak. Gastly had no time to dodge, the match was over. Luke leapt up and cheered. The eaglet Pokémon hopped over to him and chirped happily. Luke grinned and returned Rufflet.

"Thank you, Rufflet."

Reagan smiled and walked over to Luke. "That was a nice battle, Luke, thanks for being my opponent. It is with great pleasure that I give you the Spirit Badge."

Luke grabbed the badge from Regan's hand and glanced at it. It was a dark grey badge in the form of a Pac Man ghost with dark purple eyes. Luke smiled and put the Spirit Badge in the badge case.

"Thanks, Regan!" Luke said. Regan smiled wearily and waved as Luke left the gym. Finally! I have my second badge.

*LATER THAT DAY*

Having just finished his lunch at the Pokémon Center, Luke decided to begin his trip to Virbank City for his third badge. It was a nice sunny day out, perfect for travelling from city to city. Rufflet hopped cheerfully alongside him, scanning the grass around them for any potential Pokémon they could catch. So far they had found none. Luke and Rufflet kept walking until they heard a voice behind them.

"Luke! Wait up!" The voice was feminine, and sounded familiar too. Luke turned around and was greeted by a familiar sight. He smiled.

"Well, well, if it isn't you! I thought I recognized that voice." Luke commented. Lucy nodded.

"Yep, it's me all right. I just got my second badge, and I'm assuming you did too. So, with that said, care to battle?" Lucy opined.

Luke snuck a glance at Rufflet, whose eyes burned with the spirit to battle. Luke smirked. "You're on."

Lucy took out a Poke Ball and threw it. Out of the Poke Ball appeared a small black zebra with white zigzag stripes along its back. Its white mane was lightning bolt shaped, like its tail. It let out a triumphant cry. Luke knew what it was, but registered its data in the Pokedex anyway. It was a Blitzle.

He frowned. Blitzle had an advantage over both his Pokémon. Luke pondered for a moment which Pokémon to choose, and he finally reached a conclusion. Selecting a Poke Ball, he threw it onto the battlefield. Out came Luke's starter Pokémon Oshawott.

Oshawott confidently bopped his shell and smirked at Blitzle. Blitzle neighed back in response.

"Let's begin, then." Lucy suggested. "It's your move."

"Okay then. Oshawott, use Water Sport!"

Lucy caught on quickly. "Blitzle close your eyes!"

The zebra responded quickly, squeezing its eyes shut it a flash. The Water Sport sprayed uselessly onto the ground.

Luke frowned. "Okay then, try a Tackle!" Oshawott dashed towards his opponent, but Blitzle met it with its own Quick Attack. The two Pokémon clashed, but Blitzle, being naturally larger, pushed back the bipedal otter Pokémon.

"Now try a Thunder Wave!" Lucy instructed. The yellow ring of electric energy was loosed from Blitzle's body and flew towards Oshawott. Oshawott hastily leaped through the middle of the ring and rounded off a Water Gun at the zebra. It was a direct hit and Blitzle was sent backwards.

"Now, Oshawott, go for another Water Sport!" Again the small bits of rain came, but again Blitzle closed its eyes. Luke shook his head; clearly the strategy wasn't going to work on Lucy.

"Alright, Blitzle, it's time to finish this! Use your Shock Wave!" Blitzle's body tensed up and crackled with electric energy. The energy was condensed then fire out of its body in the form of a ring. Luke and Oshawott's eyes widened, the attack came faster than expected.

"Hurry, soften the blow with your shell!" Oshawott desperately held out its shell in front of its body like a small shield and it absorbed some of the blow. Oshawott wearily placed the shell back on its body; the super-effective attack did a number on the small Pokémon.

Lucy smirked, this section of the battle was as good as won. "Finish it with Quick Attack, Blitzle!"

Blitzle sprinted at the weary starter, determined to finish Oshawott off for the rest of the battle. As it galloped forward it suddenly slipped and crashed to the ground. Luke smirked and Oshawott cheered; the strategy seemed to have worked perfectly. Oshawott didn't let Blitzle get up and rammed it with Tackle.

Blitzle now was just as weary as Oshawott. Shakily it got to its knees and shook itself free of dirt. Lucy was incredulous. "But how did…? How did Blitzle slip?"

Luke grinned back her. "All along you thought the Water Sport was to blind Blitzle, and I knew you were going to think that. So, Oshawott looked like it was aiming at you, but in reality it had Water Sport hit the ground causing it to become slippery."

Lucy was shocked. No offense to him but he's smarter than he looks… He's a really good strategist. Lucy shook her head roughly. Focus! Keep calm, Lucy, you got this.

Luke smirked. "Alright, Oshawott, finish with Tackle!" Oshawott ran towards the shaky zebra, intent on beating it. Lucy looked on in worry as the water-type was about to crash into her Pokémon. "Blitzle, meet it with Quick Attack!"

Blitzle, too, rushed forward, much faster than Oshawott though. The two crashed into each other, but none gave an inch of ground, the two growled as they fought to end the match between them, because the attack that hit would finish the other. The two struggled back and forth, at one point one Pokémon winning, then the other. Then unexpectedly, to Luke's joy and Lucy's shock, Oshawott glowed white. Oshawott grew taller and became bluer all around. Around its waist it sported two shells, and it also had two pairs of white whiskers on its face. Luke grinned, he had a Dewott.

The newly evolved water Pokémon pushed on, eventually overpowering Blitzle with renewed strength. Blitzle skidded back over to Lucy with swirls for eyes, leaving her with one Pokémon. Luke cheered.

"You did awesome, Dewott!" Luke praised. Lucy smirked though as she reached for her second Poke Ball. "Don't cheer just yet, I still have my starter."

Lucy sent out a medium sized fire pig: Pignite. The second stage starter Pokémon snorted fire through its nose and cried out confidently.

Dewott smirked and assumed a fighting position with its scalchops outstretched.

"Pignite doesn't like to kid around, you know." Lucy informed Luke.

"Good, I wouldn't want it any other way!" Luke replied.

"Okay then, Pignite, finish this with Arm Thrust!" Pignite came after Dewott with a glowing palm and thrust it towards Dewott's head. Dewott raised a blade of water in defense.

Luke's Pokedex was flashing, it read: New move learned – Razor Shell. He grinned stupidly.

"Alright, Dewott, you learned Razor Shell! Now, attack Pignite with it!" Dewott brought his other scalchop beside him, turning it into a light blue blade of water, and swung it at the fire pig. Pignite blocked it, however, with another Arm Thrust. The two Pokémon struggled, each trying to overpower the other. Luke looked on in concern.

Dewott's not gonna be able to keep up much longer…

"Dewott, push on, I know you can do it!" Dewott gritted its teeth and pushed on, but every time it pushed on Pignite pushed back harder. Eventually the fatigue got to the Discipline Pokémon and the Razor Shell slipped, and Pignite stuck Dewott across the face with an Arm Thrust. Dewott slid over to Luke's feet with swirls for eyes. Luke sighed and returned his newly evolved partner.

"Thank you, Dewott." He mumbled. "Now, Rufflet, it's time to show your power!" Luke's newest catch appeared on the battlefield raring to go. Pignite looked as ready as ever, too.

Lucy wasted no time in giving commands. "Pignite start out with Tackle!" Rufflet, however, was already anticipating an attack and blocked with a fierce Wing Attack. It gave the slightly chubby fire pig an opening, though, and Rufflet was slammed to the ground by an Arm Thrust.

"You've got this, Rufflet, use Hone Claws," came Luke's order. Rufflet concentrated on sharpening its claws; its attack and accuracy were now raised. "Now go for a Wing Attack!"

Rufflet flew at Pignite with an outstretched wing, but was caught and slammed to the ground. Pignite's body then went ablaze and the fire starter rammed the grounded Pokémon. Rufflet was heaving now, barely managing to stand up. Pignite cried its name triumphantly and held its arms up in the air like it was showing off.

Lucy smiled at her Pignite's confidence, and Luke smirked. "Don't count Rufflet out just yet," Luke taunted.

"I wouldn't dare, I underestimated your Oshawott and it beat my Blitzle because of that. Now, Pignite, let's wrap this up with Flame Charge!" Again Pignite's body was engulfed in flames and the second stage starter rushed at the Eaglet Pokémon. Rufflet was taken by surprise because Pignite was faster than before. Rufflet looked back to its trainer for support.

Luke smiled at Rufflet. "It's no big deal; it's what Flame Charge does. Now, are you ready to try that new combo we've been working on?" Rufflet nodded and its eyes burned with the determination to win, even if it was at a disadvantage.

The fire and fighting type was drawing closer every second. 3… 2… 1… "Do it now, Rufflet!" Luke encouraged. Rufflet seemed to smile and then nodded. It dashed at Pignite with equal speed, and just as Pignite was about to crash into Rufflet, the eaglet ducked under the pig. Pignite panicked and turned around, but was met with a flurry of attacks. Rufflet nailed Pignite with blow after blow from its wings, feet, and beak. Finally, Rufflet nailed one good kick and sent Pignite flying upwards. Pignite, not used to being airborne, panicked more and flailed its arms wildly.

"Finish it, Rufflet!" Luke called. Rufflet flew up higher than Pignite, and waited for the starter to come a bit higher. When it did, Rufflet's beak began to glow. Rufflet jabbed its beak into Pignite's torso and began to spin faster and faster until it was a whirlwind of grey, white and blue. The two were sent into a spiral as they were diving to the ground. Pignite screamed in surprised right as the two hit the dust. The impact sent up a large amount of dust everywhere, and the cloud of it covered the Pokémon and their trainers. Lucy gasped.

"Pignite, are you ok?" came Lucy's concerned call.

"Rufflet, you ok buddy?" Luke shouted.

The dust cleared after a minute, and standing there were Pignite and Rufflet. Both panted heavily from the intensity of the impact. After a few silent eternities, it was Rufflet who fell to its knees and blacked out. The battle was over; Lucy had won.

Luke did a half-smile and returned the eaglet Pokémon. You were awesome, Rufflet, thank you. Lucy returned her weary Pignite after congratulating it and walked over to Luke. She extended her hand.

"That was a nice match, Luke, your Pokémon were great," she complimented.

Luke beamed back at her and shook her hand. "Thanks, your Pokémon did well too."

It seemed Lucy was about to say something but she bit her lip and stayed quiet. Luke was puzzled; she was clearly debating whether or not to say something.

"Is everything alright?" Luke inquired.

Lucy stayed silent a few moments longer. "Yeah, everything's fine. I was debating something I planned on doing, and I guess I'll do it. Do you want to come with me? I have this place I used to go to when I was little and it's a pretty secretive spot."

Something seems… off. I'm not sure what though. "Um sure, Lucy, lead the way," Luke responded.

Lucy smiled. "Alright then, it's this way!"

So just what does Lucy want to talk about and why such a secretive place? Does she have a secret? Find out next chapter. C:

So, how'd this chapter turn out? Am I getting better with battle scenes? (I would hope so, even if just a little bit)

Also, I tied an anime reference into Rufflet's finishing move, can you guess what anime?

And finally, Luke's Pokémon:

Dewott – Male – Level 17 – Water Gun, Razor Shell, Tackle, Water Sport

Rufflet – Male – Level 16 – Hone Claws, Wing Attack, Peck, Fury Attack