How's it going everyone? The title of this chapter serves two purposes. The first is that the story is gaining progress (I know, awful pun) but the second purpose is for all you gym rats, bodybuilders, and physical fitness people in general out there. Anyway, this chapter has a little bit of everything in it so it's a bit longer.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon but I do own my OCs.
Chapter 12- Gains
By the grace of Arceus I woke up at a reasonable time for my gym battle today. Instead of the alarm from the clock by my bed, I was woken up by four wet tongues. Apparently Furret, Growlithe, Umbreon, and Espeon didn't want to be late to the gym either. Ampharos wanted in on the wake-up call so she jumped on me… all 135 or so pounds of her. Eventually Gyarados managed to make his way over and shoo everyone off so I could get ready for the day.
The preparations were made after I hopped out of the shower. All six of them were recalled so I wouldn't give Chuck any clues as to who I'll be using. He obviously doesn't have that advantage because the Pokémon League is very open when it comes to gym leaders and their Pokémon's type; they never reveal the Pokémon themselves. Still, it can be intimidating to know what you're up against and still not be ready for it.
Nurse Joy healed them up one more time before I stepped outside the center. A gorgeous sight of the sea as well as the cool breeze put a little extra energy in me for the upcoming challenge. Finding the route to the gym was easy. Escaping temptation to go into the shops was not. Beautiful stores lined the street which leads me to believe that they do this on purpose. Either your concentration or your wallet will take a hit; neither of mine did.
"Hey man, wanna buy some nice items for the trip ahead?" I kept walking past the group of people. "Come on, I know you're going for the gym. My items will help guarantee a win." Still not acknowledging the loudmouths, this frustrated them. One of them let it out. "I hope you lose you rude asshole!" Nothing was more irritating to me than a person who tries to force something on you, especially if you're tight on money. Also, it was too early for this. I continued forward while giving the nuisance the one-fingered salute.
Cianwood's gym looked like the others on the outside with the exception of some statues. Beautiful bronze statues of the Machop family lined the short walkway to the entrance. Probably was a scare tactic for those who were unsure of their team because these things were massive. The automatic door opened so I walked in.
A gym is supposed to reflect the personality of the leader and what I saw definitely did that. The gym was actually a gym. Various pieces of exercise equipment were scattered throughout the gym as well as some medicine balls. Pokémon and trainers alike were working on their bodies in the massive area. Ummm, where was the field?
A voice came over the loudspeaker. "Attention members, there is a challenger scheduled to battle in ten minutes." As soon as the message ended I was greeted by a younger student.
"Hello. You are Mitch yes?" I nodded. "Welcome to the Cianwood Gym. I know what you're thinking and the battle area is in the back. We announce a challenger so that the students can watch if they want."
Once we arrived at the battlefield, I noticed there were about a dozen students milling about, waiting for the battle to start. This was the first time a crowd was watching one of my gym battles; certainly a change of pace from the huge yet empty gyms. Chuck soon entered alongside an older student. Chuck was an older looking man wearing karate pants and a black belt. Clearly he has gone through extensive training to earn that belt. There was no doubt his Pokémon did the same.
He bowed towards me before going over the pre-battle information. "I am Chuck, leader of the Cianwood Gym. Here we strive to train our mind, body, and soul through exercise. I see you are on time. Very good considering most trainers dread the first battle of the day." Look man, I didn't want this time slot. Hell, it took five Pokémon to wake me up; one of them being a 135-pound body slamming sheep (no Ampharos, you're not fat). "The rules are two Pokémon apiece and only you can substitute. Are you ready?"
"Yes. Now I'm curious, how many students of yours are going to watch?" I don't mind spectators but I do mind them coming through the door in the middle of the battle.
Chuck paused for a moment. "This room is designed to fit all of my pupils but everyone that wants to watch is already here. Let us take our places in the trainer's box." One of his oldest students served as the official and went through his spiel before we called out our first fighter.
"Primeape you're up first!" The pig monkey Pokémon was raring to go with some phantom jabs.
"Espeon time to shine!" My newly acquired member kept a good poker face. It must have been her first gym battle. The two locked eyes for a minute until Espeon darted into an empty corner. I wandered over to see what was wrong but she managed to get back to the field. I didn't have to go too far to see a small pile of vomit; poor thing, getting nervous like that.
"Is your Espeon going to be okay?"
"Yes." Truthfully, I have no clue whether or not she can battle so I'll give her a quick pep talk. I gently stroked her head. "It's okay girl. Just go out there and trust me. I wouldn't send you out there if you had no chance." She managed to calm down and face her opponent.
Our judge finally had his chance to speak. "Espeon versus Primeape for round one." The flags flew up. "Begin!"
Mitch was mumbling something about a match being really early so I wanted to make sure he'd be up. The room we stayed in before we had to head out was huge! What's even better is that the bed is huge. Maybe he'll let us sleep on it. All we did was relax until Mitch went to take a shower. Before he closed the door, Furret and Ampharos walked over to me.
Despite being the shy one, Ampharos was the one who started the conversation. "Umm, I'm sorry I poked you both." It really didn't bother me at the time but I accepted it anyways. "I was a little worried about talking to Umbreon when we first met because you two seem to really like each other and I didn't want to come off as trying to take him." Wow. That escalated quickly.
"It's a long story about how we met but you can talk to him. I know he's going to stay by my side and I'm going to stand by his. Believe me; I don't want to ruin any bonds you guys might have."
She seemed relieved but then took it a step further. "We want advice on how to get closer to Gyarados and Growlithe." Both of them were as red as a Magmar by this point.
Furret jumped in. "Growlithe is so loyal and warm towards all of us, but he goes that extra step for me. I can't explain it but he seems to stay by me and watch over me the most."
Ampharos had to explain her situation. "It's hard to understand for the average Pokémon, but I really like Gyarados. I was saved by him when I was a Mareep after I fell into a lake and my wool was too heavy to swim in; I've liked him ever since. He's icy on the inside, but every now and then he opens up to me whenever he's in a slump." I swear Mitch was going to have to call the fire department because their faces were getting hotter by the second.
Now I'm not really a matchmaker but I see where they're coming from. I don't think it would be helpful to mention that Shade and I met by pure accident and that staying by my side was more than just a phrase. Any advice would still be good though. "If we all sleep outside our balls tonight, go sleep near them."
Mitch came out of the shower and told everyone about the plan of attack. I was the first option but he had no idea on who was the second option. But man, I'm back in the gym battle lineup again. Sara immediately came creeping in my mind but I realized that I'm stronger than last time and I have a type advantage. Plus Mitch isn't Sara in terms of how he acts, but I can't be too sure.
He let us all stay out and my little plan started. Shade and I obviously slept together. Furret was nice and cozy next to Growlithe by Mitch's feet. I guess he liked her being close by and sharing his natural body heat. Ampharos was willing to sacrifice the comfy bed for Gyarados since he couldn't fit on it. Still, he didn't seem to mind her presence. I give him credit for letting an electric type sleep in the same room as him, let alone right next to him. Who am I kidding? it's obvious that he likes her and is playing cool.
Morning came and I convinced the four of us on the bed to lick Mitch's face to wake him up. I'm sure he set an alarm but what fun would that be? Once we were ready to go he recalled us all so it was time to do some sightseeing from my ball. The city is so beautiful, there are shops everywhere… oh wait. Why is my master holding up one finger while he's walking? Whatever, we're here at the gym. Someone obviously loves fighting types to have these huge statues on display.
I was nervous for this fight once they were face to face. Not eager. Not excited. Just nervous. I couldn't make out what Mitch's opponent looked like until I was called out of my ball. Most Pokémon look confident in battle. Me? I had the blankest expression on my face; it was even blanker than the time Shade tired to warm up to Mitch. Some would call it a confident poker face while I like to call it a "not ready" face.
The nerves finally hit me and I sprinted to an empty corner to vomit. I didn't want to have him see me like this for too long so I sprinted back to the field. Regardless, he gently stroked my head while giving me words of encouragement. Deep breaths Ruby. The judge gives us the go ahead. Let me at 'em.
"Primeape use Fury Swipes!" It wasted no time charging at me with full speed ready to scratch me up.
"Counter with Quick Attack!" Mitch was trying to match power for power but why? I'm not physically strong by any means. Still, I went for it anyway. The result was pretty surprising to me since it ended up flying backwards. My guess has to be that I was naturally faster and by increasing my speed I increased my power. Mitch knows some science.
Chuck didn't bat an eye. "Rage." Yet again it came aggressively at me.
"Use Confusion!" A beam of psychic energy met the charging Primeape and him square in the nose.
There was a little more power behind Chuck's command. "Again!" Primeape looked even more furious than last time after he got up. I panicked at the sight so I used Confusion on my own to hold it in place. Despite my hold, it still thrashed about until I threw it against the hard ground.
A scream echoed through the room. "Again!" Rage for the third consecutive time forced Mitch to make a decision.
"Quick Attack to dodge then fire a Confusion!" No matter how upset it is, I'm faster than it. A successful dodge was followed up by a shot of energy that nearly missed him. I felt fatigue set in after I landed.
Damn. That training we did on Mount Mortar was with small fruits, not a raging beast with a blank mind. I still have a long way to go if I want to get stronger. Wait… what are the chances I even stay on this team long enough to get there?
"Come on Primeape! Rage!" His students kept a straight face in the wake of Chuck's tone. I on the other hand, was intimidated of Primeape and Chuck. It was coming way too fast for me to move out of the way; a solid impact left me on the ground.
No time for a break. "Karate Chop! Keep up the pressure." Its right arm glowed and met the middle of my back. Fighting type attacks shouldn't do a thing to me but it's hard to defend myself when I'm still on the ground and the power from Rage is still radiating from it. The onslaught continued until Mitch ordered a Swift.
Chuck folded his arms while looking at my master. "I'm very surprised that your Espeon is standing after that. I've faced many psychic Pokémon, but they all have once glaring weakness: a lack of defense."
My master acknowledged the praise. "She's a fighter for sure. Now it's time to wrap this up. Confusion!" No move has ever been so weak. The weakest Caterpie in the region had a better Tackle attack than what I shot out at Primeape.
"Fury Swipes!"
"Quick Attack!"
It was just like the start of the battle. However, I took two sharp scratches before I sent it to the floor for good.
The judge took a second to make the call after he saw me heavily panting. Maybe he expected me to faint too? "Primeape is unable to battle. Espeon is the winner." Unbelievable. I won a round in an official gym match. Someone tell me everyone saw that through their balls. I'm not ready to go down yet.
Mitch's opponent let out a laugh. "That is an impressive victory for sure. Let's see how you handle my most trusted partner. Poliwrath, you're up!"
Mitch called out to me as soon as he realized I was still panting. "Espeon, can you still battle?" I nodded in response. What an act to put on. There was no way I could take an attack or dodge one. There was also no way I was going to pack it in. I have to show I'm strong otherwise I'm as good as gone.
Our judge was at the ready. "Poliwrath versus Espeon. Begin!"
Chuck seemed less intense than last round. "Let's change things up. Poliwrath, use Hypnosis!"
Shade soon appeared in the arena so I called to him. "Hey! I need some help in this fight." No response. I sprinted towards him and l stopped inches away. "Shade?" He turned around with an emotionless face, cocked his scarred leg back, and punched me across the face. I was ready to cry until he did it again a few seconds later. It occurred to me that Shade would never do that. Hypnosis wore off as soon as I thought about it more.
"Looks like someone is awake and still able to fight. Tell me Mitch, how can she take two Dynamicpunches and still stand?"
Mitch took that as an insult. His face turned serious. A venomous tone came from my loving master. "I told you… she's a fighter."
I rose to my feet as Mitch was reaching for my ball and stared down Poliwrath. I refuse to be substituted. "Alright Espeon, Swift." He knew Confusion wouldn't do anything to it with how weak it was last time and going in for close combat wouldn't be good either. My consciousness was being lost too fast for me to respond to the jump by Poliwrath and the third Dynamicpunch in a row that followed.
"Espeon is unable to battle. Poliwrath is the winner."
I heard footsteps come toward me. No… not again. Images from my last battle crept into my head. How much abuse would I have to endure this time around? He's picking me up by my neck and… my lower back. And his hand is underneath both of them? He's not forcefully grabbing at my fur either!? I felt weightless so I turned to see my master but couldn't keep my eyes on him for long.
"I should've switched you out earlier. I'm sorry." I dared to look back at him. "I didn't know your limits. Next time I'll do a better job. For now, take a good rest... my scrappy little fighter." The entire room remained silent as he carried me back to our corner, petting me the entire way as I whimpered in shame. His voice was really soothing. "Don't cry. You've done a lot more than you think."
A red beam hit me and I found myself back in my ball. Arceus dammit. I couldn't even land a single hit to give my teammates a chance to win. It's over; we lost because of me.
Chuck broke the long silence. "I see you respect your Pokémon very much. Certainly you've earned the right to hold my badge, but this battle isn't over. Let's have a good final round."
Poké Balls of all types allow for us to see the outside world but I really didn't want to witness what my weakness created. It's not fair though. Everyone has probably made mistakes on this team but did they turn their backs when the chips were down? That's right! Mitch isn't Sara. Mitch cares for me despite my horrible past. Why should I turn my back on him? He said he let me battle because I had a chance to win. The least I can do is watch.
"Gyarados!" The strongest member was out there looking ready to win. He didn't even notice that Poliwrath was perfectly healthy.
The official threw up his flags "Gyarados versus Poliwrath. Begin!"
"Use Thrash." That tone was very similar to Clair's when she called for that Hyper Beam. That was the tone of someone going for a knockout.
"Hypnosis!" Poliwrath tried to put Gyarados to sleep with his body swirl; the thrashing Gyarados didn't even pay attention to it and delivered a heavy hit before going after it again."Meet it halfway with Body Slam!" Chuck was trying to match power for power but Gyarados was too strong and tossed it aside.
It was clear that this got Mitch out of his cold state once he saw the second hit. "Come on Gyarados keep it up!"
"Mind Reader followed by Dynamicpunch!" Poliwrath closed its eyes as if to track Gyarados' movements. Once he was being charged, he threw the strongest punch of the match. Poliwrath landed the uppercut under the chin and was still slammed to the ground. Gyarados is an absolute monster.
"Poliwrath is unable to battle. The match goes to the challenger Mitch from Violet City." Once the flag was raised I was called out of my ball. Mitch went to the center to meet with Chuck and all of his pupils to receive his badge. All I could do was stand there and soak it all in. After they exited I was alone with Mitch and Gyarados. He praised my teammate before both of them turned to me.
"Espeon come over here girl." I trotted over very slowly minding my injuries. Mitch showed more affection once I finally got over there. "See this? You earned this badge Espeon." I pawed at it, admiring the shiny brown fist. So this is why Shade loves badges.
Gyarados is normally quiet so it came as a surprise when he spoke to me. "You've got guts. Sheer power is only a small part of battling. I happen to be blessed with a lot of it." It took some time for him to find the right words to continue. "You may not be strong now but as long as you have guts, you'll always have a spot on this team. Believe me, everyone else was paying attention to that battle. I'm sure you've earned their respect too."
Never in my life have I been validated like this. I used to be the problem Pokémon wherever I ended up since day one of my existence. Not anymore. Here I have a loving home. Not just with Shade, but with four other teammates who want me to succeed. Most importantly, Mitch is the loving trainer I've always wanted.
I can finally start being an Espeon.
And so another badge is earned in Cianwood City. One fun thing I want to point out is this line: Still, it can be intimidating to know what you're up against and still not be ready for it. That, in my opinion, is the definition of greatness. That'll do it for now and as always, have a good day :)
-W4f
