Chapter 14: Kotav Syndrome
"Are you joking right now?" Alex asked with a laugh "Taylor was a bug catcher?"
He dissolved into laughter at the thought of his rival donning the protective screening and wielding the long net of a bug enthusiast. Victoria merely nodded trying her best not to laugh at her old friend, but she could not keep the smile off of her face long and soon joined in his laughter.
The two traveling companions had left the dark caves of Mt. Moon behind them and were heading for Cerulean City for Alex's next gym battle. Thought they had left the lifeless caverns of the mountains behind them Alex had not forgotten what happened in their confines and was still bothered by the escape of former Team Galactic Commander Saturn and his band of thugs. The criminals had kidnapped Victoria and stolen her Pokémon and would have continued their reign of terror had Alex not put a stop to them. Victoria on the other hand seemed more than willing to forget that the entire ordeal had ever occurred and had been in a much better mood now that they were out of the mountain's shadow.
It was midday when the duo arrived in Cerulean city at long last. The streets of the town certainly lived up to their namesake and were paved with bluish stones Alex had never seen before. Looking around He saw that likewise the buildings all had a calming blue color not unlike that of a pool of water.
"So this is Cerulean City then." Alex said slightly awed by the sight.
"It feels so…calm" Victoria added looking confused. Alex shot her a look that said he didn't understand her confusion. "I forgot you lived in Pallet Town, you wouldn't have heard about it. This town was taken over by the Black Wall, but there was a ferocious battle with the gym leader."
"Is that the current gym leader?" Alex asked apprehensively not looking forward to facing a trainer that had taken on an entire Black Wall invading force by themselves.
"No, no don't worry' Victoria replied laughing a little at the look on Alex's face. "Misty and her Gyarados all but destroyed this town trying to rid it of the Black Wall. But when she saw the destruction she caused she gave up being a gym leader."
"Why?" Alex asked confusion still etched across his face.
"I don't really know." Victoria responded thinking. "I suppose she may have felt she failed to protect her city." The two headed off into the city while Alex thought about what she had just told him. He was glad in a way that he would not have to face such a ferocious trainer, but couldn't help wondering what the current gym leader would be like.
Water Pokémon were in great abundance as they walked through the serene streets. Every where they looked there were Poliwag and Wooper playing in the street and Alex even swore he saw a Vaporeon but Victoria refused to believe him regardless of how many times he maintained he had.
"I'm telling you it was a Vaporeon." He asserted for the hundredth time or so it seemed.
"And I'm telling you you're wrong." She snapped back at him. He was cut off from replying by the building that appeared in front of them when they rounded the corner.
In front of them stood the Cerulean City Gym, the spot of Alex's next challenge. After the massive construction he had seen in Pewter City Alex did not expect to be surprised by the appearance of a gym building but he was sorely mistaken. Where the rock haven had been a large and imposing structure it had also been rather bland a striking comparison to the building they were facing.
Made of bricks and mortar an old timey library looking construction was sitting in the middle of an otherwise uniformly blue street. Alex thought that it reminded him more of the old burned down science museum in Pewter than a Pokémon Gym. Standing at the base of a set of manageable steep white marble stairs they looked up at the magnificent building with its ivory pillars and large oak doors. Alex turned towards Victoria to question her.
"So what kind of gym is this again?" He asked once again confused
"I have no idea." Was her simple response
As he was about to question her further the large wooden doors opened and a man walked out to greet them. He motioned for them to climb up the stairs and follow him into the gym. The man whom Alex assumed to be this gym's caretaker was dressed in a pair of light khaki pants and a light blue polo shirt. He had light brown loafers on his feet and a dark brown belt around his waist. The belt contained no Pokeballs further cementing the idea that he was the caretaker in Alex's mind. Turning towards them as they finally entered the gym he spoke.
"Are you challengers?" He asked while the doors closed slowly and silently behind them. Looking around Alex was once again surprised by what he saw. He expected that because he was in a giant library that he would see bookshelves, but what he didn't expect to see were the pools of water in the center of the room and the streams that flowed in between and around the shelves of books that stretched up to the ceilings far above. "I'm sorry sir, but are you hear to make a challenge." The caretaker asked again noticing that Alex was lost in his surroundings.
"Yes he is, he's just a bit taken aback at the moment." Victoria responded for him. "Though to be honest this place is beautiful whose design was it?"
"That would be me." A voice said from their left side. Alex finally snapped out of the trance he had seemed to be in and turned with Victoria to look at the owner of the voice. Sitting down reading a large leather-bound book was a woman dressed in an entirely blue outfit. "After the old gym leader left I thought the place could use a bit of a renovation." She said with a small chuckle.
Taking a better look at her Alex saw that was not wearing an outfit that was completely blue but rather had donned a Cobalt blue jacket over a navy blue shirt and black pants. She had long blonde hair she kept corralled into a pony tail to keep it out of her narrow face. Her eyes were blue behind a pair of angular yet strangely fashionable glasses. Like the Man that had opened the door for them she too wore a belt around her thin waist. However unlike the doorman she had three Pokeballs attached to it.
"My name is Melissa Charon." She introduced herself while stepping forward to shake Alex and Victoria's hands. "Who will be challenging me today?"
"I will." Alex replied already sensing that this would not be an easy fight.
"Excellent." She said looking pleased and directing them to follow her. "Please let me tell you a bit about myself while we walk to the Battle room. As I told you my name is Melissa and I am the Gym Leader her in Cerulean. I came here only two years ago with my sister Nyx, from Pastoria City in Sinnoh, after an extensive tour of Johto. We both fell in love with this town but in the end there could only be one leader." She said with a slightly fiendish smile "I have been with my Pokémon for a few short but extremely fulfilling years and have learned much in that time. I do wish you luck in this battle." She added as she opened the door to the battle room.
Inside was an unsurprising setup for a water type gym. There were many pools that had podiums on either side for the trainers to stand on and white pillars that Pokémon not blessed with the ability to swim could stand on while battling.
In the center of the room there was a pool that was much larger than the rest and was obviously the spot of Alex's battle. As he followed Melissa towards the watery battleground Alex considered his strategy for the impending battle. Magnemite could hover so the water shouldn't be a problem and Marshstomp could swim so again there would be no problem. Starly however could do neither and would have to use the pillars to rest itself putting it at a disadvantage. Alex took his spot and looked across the pool towards Melissa nodding to indicate he was ready. He could see Victoria from the sidelines watching interestedly and thought to himself that it was odd having someone cheering him on in a battle as he previous battles had been solo affairs. Melissa seemed to be in position and indicated that she would announce the rules.
"We will use three Pokémon each. I may not swap Pokémon but the challenger is permitted to do so at anytime he does wish." She said matter of factually and without wasting anytime sent out her first Pokémon. "Go Wooper!" The small blue water Pokémon appeared and disappeared under the water moments later.
"Alright then let's fight water with water! Go Marshstomp!" Alex declared loudly releasing his own Water and Ground hybrid Pokémon. "Use Foresight to locate Wooper!" Obeying its trainer's command the mud dog scanned the water for its tadpole like foe.
"Use Tackle!" Melissa commanded and her Pokémon shot through the water toward
Marshstomp like a cannonball. Marshstomp had seen it coming and dodged the attack easily. Still carried by the momentum of its attack Wooper ran into the side of the pool floating to the top momentarily stunned.
"Let's wake it up with a Mudshot!" Alex encouraged as his Pokémon shot a ball of mud at its small foe from its large mouth. The attack scored a direct hit and Wooper rolled over in the Water defeated.
"Not bad at all you are a tough trainer. Now go Buizel!" Melissa said complimenting him as she sent out her next fighter. Buizel was an orange weasel like creature with two tails and blue fins on each of its arms. Around the Pokémon's neck there was what looked like an air sac that could be used as a floatation device. "Now use Rain Dance." She commanded not at all deterred that this was her second Pokémon where as Alex was still only on his first. Her Buizel shot a ball of mist into the air which expanded above the field slowly becoming a large cloud from which rain poured freely soaking the battle field.
"That's fine." Alex said laughing a bit at Victoria's scramble to get away from the sudden precipitation. "We don't have a problem fighting in the rain. Marshstomp use Mudshot!" This time however Melissa was prepared for the ground attack.
"Buizel dodge with Aqua Jet!" With eye blinkingly fast speed the water weasel Pokémon shot ,from the pillar it was standing on to the one higher up that Marshstomp was perched on, using a surrounding of water to propel its self. Marshstomp fell into the pool but regained its composure quickly. However before it could locate its target Buizel hit Marshstomp from the side with a vicious Swift attack at the urge of Melissa. Dazed and confused Marshstomp collapsed unable to continue.
It was Alex's that looked frustrated after the amazing display of speed and ferocity by the quiet gym leader and her Pokémon overtook Marshstomp. But still determined he returned his Pokémon and grabbed Magnemite's Pokeball off of his belt. Buizel certainly had speed on its side but Magnemite had the type advantage and was not as susceptible to physical attacks as Marshstomp had been.
"Magnemite use Thundershock!" Alex commanded taking the imitative to take the fight to Melissa instead of waiting around for her to unleash her string of attacks. Lightning struck the Buizel but only clipped its side as the water Pokémon dodged it with a Quick Attack. The shock however did enough damage to Buizel to force it to change direction mid jump and land awkwardly in the pool where it disappeared.
"Now Buizel while he can't locate you use Aqua Jet!" Melissa utilizing the element of surprise.
"Magnemite shock the water!" Alex countered ready for her maneuver. Magnemite electrified the water and the current traveled up the pillar of water Buizel had left behind from its attack and scored a direct hit as electricity invaded the cocoon of water surrounding the speedy water weasel. The attack was multiplied so much by the water that Buizel was still slightly smoking as it floated in the water unconscious.
Melissa still looked calm and certain of herself even as she returned the latest victim of Magnemite's electricity. She looked at her last Pokeball a while before throwing into the battle as if she were remembering fond memories.
"Go Croagunk finish this battle for me!" She said, with a smile that Alex thought looked more like a smirk. A purple amphibian like creature that resembled an oversized frog standing on its back legs popped out of the ball. With a simple croak it took up residence on the pillar next which Magnemite was floating oblivious to the scene around it.
Alex was surprised at the sight of the dual Poison/Fighting Pokémon's appearance in the battle as he thought that this was a water type exclusive gym. But then again he supposed the gym leader could use whichever Pokémon she wished as it was her show after all. Still he couldn't keep the shocked look off of his face and Melissa noticed it quickly.
"Ah yes, everyone is always surprised to see my pride and joy." She said with a slight flourish. "But really you shouldn't be, I did say after all that I was from Pastoria City did I not? What else would I have, besides Croagunk's Dry Skin heals it in the rain making it the perfect finisher of pesky trainers?" She finished answering Alex's unasked questions.
Alex had reached a dilemma with this new unexpected installment to her team. He knew that Magnemite had more than enough strength to defeat this newcomer but also knew that the purple frog in front of him could inflict major damage with hard-hitting fighting type moves against Magnemite's part steel typing. He couldn't decide whether to play it safe with a simple strategy of multiple Thundershocks or just go for broke and try to pull off the much more powerful Thunderbolt technique.
Melissa looked as though she was losing her patience with Alex's inability to decide on a strategy and seemed to be preparing her own, one that would most likely end in the defeat of Magnemite. Sensing that he was running out of time Alex hastily ordered Magnemite to use Charge and realized his mistake a second too late. As Magnemite prepared it electricity he saw Croagunk's fist clench in anticipation of its trainer's command. And as Magnemite speed towards it that command came in the form of a Mach Punch. Croagunk's fist shot out like the very lightning bolts Alex had considered using against it and struck the underside of Magnemite's body sending it flying into a wall. The strength of the attack mixed with the simple fact that Magnemite had lowered its defenses for the attack doubled the damage and it was out for the count.
Shocked by the suddenness of the defeat Alex grasped his last Pokeball and hurled Starly into the battle. The small bird flew a few laps around the field obviously hampered by the continuing rain. Croagunk on the other hand seemed to be quite enjoying its self as the rain poured down upon it giving it a shimmering coat of slime.
"Starly use Wing Attack!" Alex said determined not to be plagued again by Kotav Syndrome. The bird attacked with its wings spread wide and knocked the foe from its place atop the pillar into the pool below where it floundered about for a bit before settling into a steady rhythm of treading water. Unwilling to let up Alex ordered another Wing Attack which sent Croagunk flying and ended the battle.
Just as he was about to return his Pokémon Starly started the now familiar glow of Evolution and moments later a Staravia stood where it had previously. Smiling Alex returned the newly evolved Pokémon and climbed down his podium. He headed over to where Victoria and Melissa stood by the side of the pool waiting and looked at Melissa expectantly.
"Her you are." She said holding out her hand to offer him a blue badge. "The Cascade Badge is all yours, now if you will excuse me I really must return to my reading."
Authors Note
I would like to give credit to whoever submitted Melissa's character but they did so anonymously so no dice. I hope I portrayed her as much like you envisioned as possible. That being said I am Still Accepting OC's rules for posting are on my profile, but I would like to add that if you want them to be a type specialist try to give them pokemon that fit that type if not then just tell me no type specialty thanks.