Chapter 21: Electrifying Battle
I wake up to a loud knocking sound.
"Hey, hey, hey! It's time to get up and adventure!" I hear Darren's voice exclaim excitedly. I groan, and my Pokémon express similar reactions. I get up and pull on my pants. There's no point in trying to fall back asleep if Darren will just keep coming back. I put on my jacket and backpack and return Venom. My girls take their places, and I pick up Shello. I leave the room to see Darren and Tia waiting for me.
"It's about time!" Darren grins widely. "What adventures await us today?"
"Probably challenging the Gym," I yawn.
"Oooh, exciting!" Darren says, taking notes in his journal. Now that I'm thinking about battling the Nimbasa Gym leader, my tiredness is gone, replaced with solid determination. I lead my two companions out of the Pokémon Center and into the amusement park. I saw the gym while looking for those Team Plasma grunts. I see the neon sign, announcing "Gym." I stroll inside, surprised to find an entire roller coaster inside the Gym. A man wearing colorful sunglasses and a suit spots me, and trots over.
"Hello, you look confused. I bet you were expecting a Gym, huh?" he asks.
"Yeah," I reply, still confused.
"Well this building doubles as a Gym and a roller coaster. The Gym leader, Elesa, is this way." He turns and walks towards a gate in the center of the Gym. He opens the gate as a coaster car rumbles over us. He leads us down a pathway, surrounded by coaster tracks. At the very end, there is a battlefield, but its shrouded in darkness. There are several tall light poles lining the sides, all switched off. The man speaks into a walkie-talkie, asking if Elesa is ready to battle. He puts the device away and turns to us.
"Good news, Elesa doesn't have any appointments today. Lucky you. I should fill you in on some things: Elesa is a model, and uses electric-type Pokémon. She likes to put on a show whenever she battles, as she does with most things. His walkie talkie crackles, and he puts it to his ear. He grins, and pulls a microphone out of his pocket.
"By the way, what's your name?" he asks.
"Travis," I reply.
"Here we go, Travis!" he says cheerfully, and he presses a button mounted on a podium next to him. All the roller coasters come to a gradual stop, all with a good view of the battlefield. Giant neon signs light up on the walls, reading "Challenger Approaching" with a siren noise. Shit. I put my hands in my pockets and glare at the man as a spotlight appears on the man.
"Weeeeelcome to the Nimbasa City Gym!" the man yells into the microphone. "How's everybody doing today?" The crowd roars in response. He grins.
"I'm so glad to see everybody's having fun! But today is about to get even better!" The crowd roars again. "Because today, we have a special event for you all. Today, a challenger has dared to approach our beloved Gym Leader!" The crowd boos. I snicker to myself. Suddenly, a spotlight appears on me, and I narrow my eyes. My Pokémon all cover their eyes, protesting at the sudden bright light. The crowd boos again.
"Presenting the challenger: Travis!" the man shouts, and the crowd continues to boo. "And now, presenting the beautiful and talented… ELESA!" The lights near the opposite side of the battlefield light up, showering the opposite wall with colored lights. An automatic door opens, and a woman with blonde hair and a tight yellow and black themed outfit steps through. She's wearing some kind of headphones, but there are cords connected to the phones that go all the way down to her waist. She smiles and waves to the crowd. The screens on the walls are now playing a slideshow of Elesa in various outfits, most likely during modeling.
"Now, let's get this battle started!" the man shouts, and the crowd roars their approval. "The battle will be a three-on-three, so, Travis, make your choices wisely." Elesa grins at me, and my face remains emotionless. Tia and Darren have found seats on some benches next to the field.
"As a gracious host, I'll reveal my first Pokémon first!" Elesa calls, throwing a Pokéball onto the field. In a flash of light, an Emolga appears. I've never fought one before, unless you count the one that shocked me in Lostlorn Forest. It's an electric and flying type. I would use Shello, but he's a water type, and he's not very fast, so he would be defeated quickly. I chew on my thumbnail, trying to come up with a better option.
"Ooh, he appears to be nervous!" the announcer guy yells, and the crowd laughs. Fuck off, asswipes. I sigh, and pet Zora's head.
"Selva and Shello would get destroyed due to type disadvantage, Venom and Leafa wouldn't be able to hit it, and I think Zora should get some experience," I say, and Zora yips happily.
"I won't let you down!" she exclaims, leaping from my shoulder and onto the battlefield.
"The challenger has chosen his first Pokémon!" the announcer shouts. A diagram of a Zorua appears on the screens. "Zorua is quite a rare find. It's a dark type, known for its ability to create illusions around itself." The crowd oohs. Zorua suddenly transforms into an Emolga, snickering at the surprised look on the other Emolga's face.
"You may have the first attack, trainer," Elesa calls to me. I scowl.
"Zora, use Scary Face!" I call, and Zora barks, creating a purple replica of her face, and Emolga shudders, its speed lowering.
"Opening with a stat-decreasing move! This could be interesting!" the announcer yells. I wish he would shut up. A bead of sweat runs down my cheek, both from stress and the heat of all these lights. Pardin rubs my cheek with hers, Leafa does the same, Shello rubs my chin with his nose, and Dissa and Selva hug me.
"Thanks, guys," I whisper.
"Pursuit!" Elesa calls. Emolga disappears and reappears behind Zora, hitting her and knocking the illusion from her body.
"Faint Attack!" I call, and Zora disappears and reappears, slamming Emolga to the ground. "Fury Swipes!" I command, and Zora slashes over and over at Emolga's back.
"Volt Switch!" Elesa calls, and Emolga crackles with electricity. It shoots a circular bolt of elextricity, and it slams into Zora, then Emolga flies back to Elesa, returning itself to its Pokéball. Another beam of light from a different Pokéball on Elesa's person bursts onto the field, and reveals another Emolga. I sigh.
"Faint Attack," I call, and Zora does the same maneuver, knocking Emolga to the ground and using Fury Swipes on her own.
"A Pokémon that acts without a direct order from its trainer? This is sure to be an incredible battle!" the announcer yells.
"Pursuit!" Elesa calls, and Emolga disappears.
"Pursuit!" I mimic the gym leader, and Zora disappears as well. The two Pokémon attempt to hit each other, disappearing and reappearing around each other several times.
"Scary Face!" I call, and Zora creates the copy of her face, catching Emolga in its gaze, lowering its speed. "Now, Faint Attack!" I yell, and Zora appears behind Emolga, pinning it to the ground and using Fury Swipes. Emolga can't take anymore, and faints.
"And Emolga is unable to battle! That was impressive, Travis, but you don't have any idea what you're up against!" the announcer yells, and the crowd cheers. Elesa returns her Emolga, and throws another Pokéball, revealing the original Emolga. I think she'll probably use Volt Switch again and catch me off guard with a much stronger Pokémon.
"Faint Attack," I call, and Zora attacks Emolga.
"Volt Switch!" Elesa yells, as I suspected, and Emolga crackles with electricity, the bolt hitting Zora across the field and Emolga returning to Elesa. Another beam of light appears, and fades, revealing a large zebra-like Pokémon with a white mane running down its back, ending in a jagged tail. It paws the ground, and snorts menacingly. I look in my book and discover that this Pokémon is a Zebstrika, the evolution of Blitzle.
"Quick Attack!" Elesa calls, and Zebstrika glows white, dashing at Zora, who is unable to evade the speedy attack. The larger Pokémon crashes into her, sending her flying towards me. I run and catch her, but she's fainted. I return her to her Pokéball, glowering at the huge zebra on the field.
"Zorua is unable to battle!" the announcer yells, and the crowd roars. "This is Elesa's special Pokémon, challenger, you don't stand a chance now!" I snort.
"I've fought much stronger Pokémon," I growl, surprised to hear my voice amplified through the building. The crowd gasps.
"Them's fighting words!" the announcer screams into the microphone. Elesa smirks at me, and I sneer back.
"I think it's your turn, Pardin," I say, and Pardin crawls from my hood, and I hold my arm out. She walks onto my forearm and sticks out her tongue at Zebstrika.
"That there is a Purrloin. Quite a common sighting, and is known for acting cute and stealing peoples' valuables," the announcer says as a diagram of a Purrloin appears on the screens. Pardin stiffens.
"Don't worry, you're as unique as they come. And you're not a thief," I assure her. Pardin grins.
"I stole your virginity," she mews, and I laugh. She licks my cheek and hugs my head, and the crowd awws. She then jumps onto the field, facing the much bigger Pokémon without fear.
"Quick Attack!" Elesa yells, and Zebstrika charges Pardin. Pardin is faster than Zora, however, and uses Pursuit to disappear, landing on Zebstrika's head. She claps her paws in front of its face, making it flinch with Fake Out. She then slams her paw into the side of its head, sending it staggering with Assurance.
"Volt Switch!" Elesa calls, and Zebtrika's body is surrounded with electricity. It launches a bolt which hits Pardin directly, sending her flying, and Zebstrika flies back to Elesa. In a flash of light, her remaining Emolga reappears. Pardin manages to land gracefully, even though the attack did a lot of damage. Pardin scuffles with Emolga a little, but in the end, knocks it out with Pursuit. Elesa returns Emolga and Pardin reappears on my side of the field.
"Emolga is unable to battle!" the announcer shouts, and the crowd makes more noise. I grit my teeth.
"Bring it on!" Pardin hisses. Elesa throws out Zebtrika again. Zebstrika paws the ground and snorts.
"Flame Charge!" Zebstika's body is engulfed in flames and it charges Pardin, who barely manages to evade as the fiery zebra streaks past her. The Pokémon slows down and turns around, charging at her again. This time, it connects, and Pardin is thrown across the field.
"Quick Attack!" Elesa calls, and Zebstrika turns, body glowing white. It dashes at Pardin, slamming into her, sending her flying. I cover my mouth with my hand. She can't take much more of this…
"Spark!" Elesa yells, and Zebstrika crackles with electricity before bearing down on Pardin for the final blow. Suddenly, my legs move on their own, and I charge to meet Zebstrika, dropping Shello and throwing Leafa off my shoulder in the process. Zebstrika's eyes widen in surprise when it sees me running at it, and I grab onto the two projecting horn-like parts of its mane, and hold fast, stopping it in its tracks, dust billowing around us. The crowd gasps, and Elesa and the announcer yell in surprise. Electricity runs through my body, and I can feel my consciousness slipping.
"Dissa now!" I yell, and Dissa appears next to me. She returns Pardin to her Pokéball and slaps her mask on my face, possessing me.
"Will-O-Wisp!" Purple flames appear in my hands and burn into Zebstrika. "Hex!" A purple sphere slams into the Pokémon, sending it flying.
"Go!" I pull off the mask, and Dissa flies at Zebstrika. "Night Shade!" I yell, and Dissa glows dark purple, sending dark crimson waves at Zebstrika. When the waves expand and hit the Pokémon, it glows purple as well, and faints. The dust around me clears, and I start feeling the effects of the electricity. I struggle to stay conscious. I look down at my arms, and see several large burns. Shit.
"Zebstrika is unable to battle. The winner is the challenger, Travis," the announcer says soberly. The crowd remains silent.
"Are you okay?" Elesa calls as she returns Zebstrika and runs towards me. The announcer drops his microphone and follows suit, running to me to make sure I'm alright. Unfortunately, I'm not alright, and electricity crackles across my body. I grin, and look up at the ceiling. I start laughing, and it turns maniacal. I lose all feeling as the announcer calls for a stretcher and I'm wheeled out of the room.
"How are you feeling?" the nurse asks. I groan, massaging my bandaged arms, which are throbbing in pain.
"Except for the fact that I basically got struck by lightning, pretty good," I reply.
"Well that's what happens when you touch a Zebstrika's mane while it's charging electricity," the nurse scolds. "You're lucky your body seems to have a small resistance to electricity and that you heal faster than most people. You could have died."
"I was protecting my Pokémon, that's all I care about," I say, crossing my arms and looking at the wall. The nurse sighs.
"Elesa and your friends wanted to see you. I'll let them in now," she says, and walks to the door. Soon, she returns with the three in tow.
"That was admirable, and very, very stupid," Elesa says, her blue eyes staring at me seriously.
"That was amazing! I'm so glad I was recording!" Darren exclaims, cradling his tablet proudly.
"Are you okay?" Tia asks.
"I'm fine," I wave it off.
"He has severe electric burns on his arms. Luckily, his body heals fast and has some resistance to electricity, otherwise he probably would take much longer to heal or might not be alive," the nurse says. "You should have been knocked unconscious at least."
"I was, for a few seconds," I say, chuckling to myself.
"You should be able to get up and walk in a few days," the nurse says, folding her arms.
"Screw that," I say, and I pull the blanket away from my legs, wincing at the pain in my arms. I swing my legs over the side of the bed and try to stand. I stumble, and Elesa catches me.
"Get back in bed, mister," the nurse snaps.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to seduce me, nurse," I chuckle.
"I think his head is worse off than we thought…" the nurse says thoughtfully. Elesa helps me back to bed and pulls the blanket back up.
"I think he'll heal faster if he's with his Pokémon," Tia pipes up.
"How would that help? We've been keeping them out to avoid them accidentally hurting him," the nurse says.
"He's very close to them. Much closer than most trainers I think. They all have a strong bond with him, and I think their presence would help," Tia replies.
"Fine," the nurse sighs. "Bring them in."
Darren brings out three Pokéballs and tosses them. In a flash of light, Venom, Pardin, and Zora appear. Zora and Pardin immediately jump onto the bed and curl up next to me. Venom seems to sense my condition and rolls so she's resting next to the bed, and I rest one hand on her shell. Tia opens the door and Selva runs in, followed by Dissa floating and Leafa and Shello crawling as fast as they can. Leafa uses String Shot to climb onto the bed and snuggles in next Pardin. Dissa levitates onto the bed and rests on my chest. Selva climbs up then lifts Shello with Vine Whip and the two cuddle up next to me. I smile, and fall asleep.
"You've earned this," Elesa says, handing me a badge in the shape of a lightning bolt. I put it with the others and flex my arms.
"You're sure you feel okay?" she asks, sounding genuinely concerned.
"I'm sure," I reply. I scratch at the healing burns on my arms. Elesa grabs my wrists and holds them up.
"The nurse said not to do that! They'll heal slower if you play with them!" she exclaims. I groan.
"But they itch!" I protest.
"You're acting like a child," Elesa scolds me. I smile, and she smiles back.
"I should get going," I say, "I shouldn't keep my traveling companions waiting."
"Traveling companions? Aren't they your friends?" Elesa asks, sounding puzzled. I turn to her, eyes cold.
"No. Tia wanted to come with me and I let her because she's not too annoying. Darren is my father's assistant and is along for the ride to study my Pokémon," I say.
"Oh," Elesa says. I turn and walk out of the gym, joining Darren and Tia outside. Zora and Leafa are on my shoulders as usual, Pardin is in my hood, Selva is walking, Dissa is floating, and I'm carrying Shello.
"Route 5?" Tia asks. I nod, and Darren leads the way. We walk across town to the gate, and walk onto Route 5.
"Travis!" I hear a familiar voice say in a sing-song manner. Oh, dear. I turn to see Sera leap off a bench and strut towards me.
"Did you beat Elesa? Wasn't she easy?" she asks excitedly. I scratch my arm.
"Yeah, I beat her. She was a little harder than expected," I reply. Sera snorts at the unintended innuendo.
"Now that we've both beaten her, how about we have a battle? I've gotten stronger since we last met," she grins, flexing her arms, almost cartoonish in her movements.
"Fine," I relent. Sera jumps up and down, squealing in happiness. She grabs a Pokéball and throws it into the air. In a flash of light, a Zebstrika appears.
"You remember this big boy, right?" Sera asks, winking. I sigh.
"You can have this one, Zora," I say, and Zora leaps from my shoulder and faces off against the zebra.
"Spark!" Sera calls cheerfully, and Zebstrika's mane crackles with electricity, covering its entire body. I get a flashback to the gym battle, and I shiver involuntarily, holding my arms close to my body. Zora evades with Faint Attack and attacks Zebstrika from behind, hitting it in the head. She then uses Fury Swipes, slashing furiously at the zebra Pokémon. Zebstrika is unable to hit Zora in such close quarters, not even able to hit her with electricity or flames he gives off from Spark or Flame Charge, and faints.
"You're new," Sera comments, returning Zebstrika. She throws another Pokéball and lets out Stoutland. I grin, knowing exactly how to defeat him.
"Your turn, Dissa," I say, and she and Zora switch places. Sera grins.
"You forgot one thing, Travis," she giggles. "Crunch!" she calls, and Stoutland rushes Dissa, ready to chomp down on her. Dissa lazily floats out of the way of the giant dog, and launches Will-O-Wisp, burning him.
"Again!" Sera yells, and Stoutland turns and tried to bite Dissa again. He's about to bite down on her, but suddenly Dissa glows white, followed by Stoutland. She Disabled Crunch. I smirk. Now I just have to wait for burn damage to defeat Stoutland, unless she switches him out.
"Come back," Sera sighs, returning Stoutland. Probably the best option for her here. She throws another Pokéball and out comes Emboar. He towers over Dissa, but she doesn't back down.
"Flamethrower!" Sera yells, and Emboar belches a stream of fire at Dissa, who glows white, and suddenly the attack disappears as Emboar glows white as well. I smile, and Sera stomps her foot.
"Heat Crash!" she commands, and Emboar's body is engulfed in flames and he charges Dissa. Dissa floats aside, but Emboar reaches out with one of his thick arms and grabs her, holding her to his body as he crashes into the ground, crushing her beneath him. He gets up, and Dissa floats up weakly.
"Come back, Dissa," I say, and she floats back to me. "You're up, Shello. Let's see what you can do." I set Shello down and he crawls towards Emboar slowly. Sera bursts out laughing.
"That little thing? It's so slow; Emboar will turn it into a pancake!" she laughs.
"Aqua Jet," I say calmly, and Shello's body is engulfed in rushing water, and he shoots towards Emboar, hitting him square in the gut, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Arm Thrust!" Sera growls, and Emboar runs at Shello, arms raised.
"Protect," I say, and a protective barrier appears around Shello, and Emboar pounds at it, dealing no damage.
"Ancient Power," I say, and glowing rocks appear around Shello, and they launch themselves at Emboar.
"Crush those puny rocks!" Sera shouts, and Emboar lashes out with Arm Thrust as the rocks get close, smashing them to rubble. However, Shello uses this opportunity to use Aqua Jet, crashing into Emboar while he's distracted, and then combining it with Crunch, biting into Emboar's stomach before using Aqua Jet to get out of range.
"Rollout!" Sera commands, and Emboar curls up, rolling at Shello. Shello rushes to meet Emboar's attack with Aqua Jet. The two collide, and the two Pokémon go flying. Shello uses Ancient Power in midair, slamming the rocks into Emboar, and he goes down, crashing into the ground, fainted. Shello lands on his shell, and rocks from side to side awkwardly.
"How are Pokémon you got after we battled last so strong?" Sera asks disbelievingly. Shello manages to correct himself and sits on his fins, waiting for the next Pokémon.
"Well, Zebstrika wasn't fast enough to hit Zora, and all of Shello's attacks were super effective except Crunch," I explain. Sera grimaces.
"Please don't explain battles to me," she groans, returning Emboar. She throws out another Pokéball, and Stoutland appears again.
"Work up!" she calls, and Stoutland is surrounded with a red aura. "Now, Take Down!" Stoutland runs at Shello, who uses Protect, and Stoutland crashes into the barrier. Shello uses Ancient Power and rocks rain down on Stoutland. Shello then uses Aqua Jet and Crunch, and combined with the damage from Stoutland's burn, Stoutland faints.
"God fucking dammit!" Sera spits, returning Stoutland. She throws out another Pokéball and out comes Gurdurr, who flexes and swings his metal beam around.
"Shello, that's enough," I say, and Shello walks slowly back to me. "Selva, get in there." Selva walks out in front of me and faces off against Gurdurr.
"Rock Slide!" Sera shouts, and rocks threaten to bury Selva. Selva dodges, bouncing off the rocks and swinging around with her vines.
"Growth," I call, and she raises her stats.
"Bulk Up," Sera calls, and Gurdurr does the same.
"Leaf Tornado." Selva spins and creates a vortex of swirling leaves. Gurdurr panics and runs from the tornado, but gets sucked in along with the rocks it used, just like last time. This time, however, Selva is stronger, and Gurdurr falls to the ground, fainted.
"What the fuck are you giving your Pokémon?" Sera exclaims, returning Gurdurr. I shrug.
"Nothing but love and support," I say.
"And occasionally his cock," Pardin whispers, and Leafa and Zora giggle. I snicker, and Selva returns to my side.
"Oh, hello there!" I turn to see Elesa walk out of the gate. She looks at the scene, and smiles.
"Do you two know each other?" she asks.
"Unfortunately," I mutter. Elesa throws her hands up.
"Good god, boy, do you have any human friends?" she asks.
"One, I think," I say.
"Chuck?" Sera asks, and I nod.
"I don't know where he is, though. I last saw him in Castelia City. Not sure where he's gotten himself recently," I say.
"Whatever. I've come to raise the drawbridge for you guys. Follow me," Elesa says. "Follow me." She leads us down the road. Once we come across a reddish camper parked on the side of the road, I hear music. We walk up to a small crowd of people gathered around a man with a guitar and another man dancing to the music. A large, fiery-haired man wearing a loose poncho notices us.
"Well, if it isn't Elesa!" he calls out. Elesa turns to him, and her eyes widen in surprise. "You should join me. This music is fantastic!"
"Who's this guy?" Sera asks. Elesa turns to her, looking somewhat annoyed.
"This is Alder. He's the Unova Region's champion." Sera does a double take.
"The champion? What's someone important and strong like him doing here?" she asks. Alder sighs.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Alder, the champion. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. If you must know, I'm on a voyage," he says. "And who might you be?" he asks.
"I'm Sera, from Nuvema Town, and one day, I'm gonna kick your ass and take over as champion!" she exclaims, pumping a fist. Alder puts a large hand on his chin.
"Having a goal in mind when you travel is commendable. What do you plan on doing after becoming champion?" he asks. Sera looks confused.
"What else is there other than being the strongest? That's the champion: the strongest Pokémon trainer," she answers.
"Is being the strongest enough of a goal? Hmm…" Alder gets lost in thought for a few seconds. "It's not like I'm saying your way of thinking is wrong…" he trails off.
"In my travels, I've helped many people create a connection with Pokémon. I think growing to love Pokémon is important," Alder speaks almost as if we're not here. He then turns to a girl and a boy behind him. They look to be still in school.
"You two, you are both trainers?" he asks, and they both nod. "Come have a battle with this girl here," he says, and they both step forward, looking nervous as Sera glowers at them.
"Two versus one doesn't seem fair…" Alder says. His gaze finds me, and he looks over my Pokémon. "You can be her partner."
"I can take them both," Sera growls. I snort.
"I just wiped the floor with you. Your whole team is weak at the moment," I say. Sera grumbles under her breath.
"Well if that's the case, you may use these," Alder reaches into his satchel and pulls out some Potions. Sera scowls and throws a Pokéball. Zebstrika appears in a flash of light. He stands on wobbly legs, weak from the earlier battle. Sera takes a Potion from Alder and starts spraying Zebstrika.
"No, no, this is how you do it," Alder says, taking the Potion from her. He rubs Zebstrika's back and sprays him with the Potion. Zebstrika whinnies with satisfaction and its mane starts crackling with electricity.
"There you go!" Alder says, stepping back, and he hands Sera the Potion. "Go on, there's a little left." Sera grumbles as she mimics Alder, rubbing Zebstrika's flank and spraying the Potion. The Potion runs out, and she tosses the empty container to Alder.
"You may keep these," he says, handing her three more Potions. She puts them in her bag grudgingly.
"Now, let the battle begin!" Alder exclaims, and the two youngsters each throw a Pokéball. Two Herdier appear in a large flash of light.
"You've got this, Leafa," I say, and I kneel down, allowing her to crawl down my arm to the ground. She and Zebstrika face off against the opposing Pokémon.
"Bite!" the boy calls, and his Herdier runs at Leafa.
"Take Down!" the girl commands, and her Herdier charges Zebstrika. Leafa uses String Shot to trip up the boy's Herdier, and sends Razor Leaf at the two opponents, slowing down the girl's Herdier slightly as it continues charging at Zebstrika, who snorts in contempt.
"Spark," Sera says, sounding bored. Zebstrika's body becomes enveloped in electricity as Herdier slams into him, and the attacking Pokémon is thrown backwards, damaged from the attack and recoil. It crashes to the ground, fainted.
"Don't bother, Travis, I've got this," Sera says. "Flame Charge." Zebstrika's electricity is replaced with Flames, and he charges the remaining Herdier. Leafa, however, has different plans. She uses Razor Leaf again, hitting Herdier, then Struggle Bug, causing it to faint just before Zebstrika hits with Flame Charge. The zebra's flames go out as it turns, annoyed at Leafa. Sera scowls as she returns Zebstrika, and Leafa crawls back to me. The two children return their Pokémon, and Alder hands them some Potions.
"Good job," I say as Leafa crawls back up my arm to my shoulder. She nuzzles my cheek and smiles widely.
"Good battle," Alder says to the children, "Your Pokémon looked like they were enjoying themselves." They thank him and us, and go back to watching the performance. He then turns to Sera.
"Young lady, just as there are people like you who pursue strength, there are people who enjoy just being with Pokémon. There are different types of people in this world. When it comes to being champion, you and I hold different views, but that's perfectly fine. Give it some thought." Elesa turns to us.
"Let's roll. The Driftveil Drawbridge is just ahead," she says, and turns and walks down the road. Darren and Tia follow her.
"The champion is the strongest there is. That's all there is to it," Sera mutters as she follows them. Alder shakes his head.
"Look out for her," he says to me, looking after Sera. I laugh and shake my head.
"You're the second person to ask me to do that," I say, chuckling. Alder wipes his forehead with the back of his hand.
"She must have some issues then," he says. I nod.
"Anyway, go and take care of her," Alder says, holding out his hand. I shake it, and trot after the group. Suddenly I feel something tug on my pant leg. I look down to see that a small Pokémon with a purple head and black hair-like growth on its head. It has white ribbonlike appendages on its head and around its neck in the shape of bows. Its body is back with a jagged white stripe. It has big red lips and its piercing blue eyes stare up at me.
"Oh, hello there," I say, and it turns and runs into the trees. "Okay, goodbye," I call after it. What was that? I look in my book; the Pokémon is a Gothita. I wonder what it wanted. I shrug and keep walking. I see Elesa, Darren, Tia and Sera waiting by the bridge.
"Over here!" Sera calls, waving at me with a big smile on her face. I wave back halfheartedly. Elesa is talking to the man at the booth by the bridge. She then pulls out a cellphone, and puts it to her ear. She waits for a few seconds as the phone dials.
"Hey, it's Elesa. Please lower the drawbridge. I have a couple trainers who want to challenge you," she says. She listens for a few seconds, then nods.
"Okay, thanks." She hangs up and puts her phone away. "Watch this!" she says excitedly, turning to the bridge. We look up as the drawbridge begins to lower, the two sides coming closer together. The bridge clanks and groans as the machinery lowers the bridge. The two sides eventually come together with an echoing and satisfying rumble. Darren and Tia's mouths gape in awe at the structure. Elesa turns back to us.
"I have a TV gig, so I need to go. The Gym Leader of Driftveil City may take some… getting used to…" She walks past us. "Good luck you two." Darren and Tia don't stop staring at the bridge.
"Well, let's go," Sera says, leading the way onto the bridge. We follow her, and Darren snaps pictures of the bridge, mumbling something about not being able to record the drawbridge lowering. Tia gazes out at the water. We walk all the way across the bridge, alighting on a small island. On the other side of the island is a much smaller bridge, and at the other end I can see a large man. We get closer, and I can see that this man is wearing an enormous cowboy hat and has a leather vest and wide leather covers over his jeans. As we walk up to him, he scowls and spits onto the ground.
"So yer the trainers Elesa was talkin' about, huh?" he says in a thick southern accent. "I'm Clay. I'm Gym Leader around these parts. Don't expect no welcome; when we lowered the drawbridge, the Team Plasma guys we'd captured escaped." I groan.
"How is that our fault?" Sera protests. Clay snorts.
"Ya can say whatever ya want; what's important is that when y'all showed up, Team Plasma escaped. Maybe you should start looking for them, too, hmm? Yer both talented trainers, aren't ya?" He starts walking away, and Sera is about to spout a retort; her fists are clenched and she's shaking with rage. I grab her arm, and she looks at me. I shake my head, and she relaxes. Clay then turns back to us.
"Tell ya what: I'm feelin' generous today. If ya find Team Plasma, I'll let ya challenge my gym! It's all give and take in life!" He chuckles and walks away. Sera is about to explode, and I slap the back of her head.
"I would have looked for those bastards even if I wasn't offered a chance at the gym," I growl. Sera cracks her knuckles.
"Wherever you go, I go. I want a crack at some of these fuckers!" she exclaims.
"You go to the Pokémon Center. I'll start searching the southern part of town," I instruct. Sera groans, but agrees to go. We split up, Tia going with Sera and Darren following me down across another bridge, and onto another small island covered in shipping containers and warehouses. Several cargo ships, docks, and loading cranes dot the edges of the island.
"This is the Driftveil City Cold storage," Darren says, snapping some pictures. He points to a warehouse that is larger than the others.
"That one is big enough for an entire army to hide in!" he exaggerates.
"I guess we search that one first," I say. We walk to the door, and I open it. Immediately, a frigid draft of air blows from the building, and I slam the door shut, shivering. I look at Leafa and Selva, and see that they're both shivering even more than I am.
"Oh, you poor things," I say. "You should stay in your Pokéballs so you don't freeze to death." I give them each a kiss on the forehead and return them.
"How's everyone else?" I ask.
"My fur is just thick enough that the cold doesn't bother me," Pardin says, and Zora nods in agreement.
"I don't get cold," Dissa says.
"I'm used to cold water, so cold air shouldn't be any different," Shello says.
"Okay good. I don't want you to be too cold," I say. "And now we just wait here for Sera and Tia." I sit against the building, and Darren continues writing notes and taking pictures. I then hear a rustling in the bushes, and Pardin and Zora sniff the air and glare at the offending scent and sound. The bushes part, and the Gothita from Route 5 stumbles out, correcting itself and standing up straight, staring at me.
"You again," I sigh. "What do you want?" Gothita doesn't answer, it just continues staring at me.
"Hey, fuckers!" Sera yells as she runs towards us.
"Where's Tia?" Darren asks.
"Oh, she said she didn't feel well and stayed at the Pokémon Center," Sera replies.
"I thought she was acting funny," Darren remarks.
"That's the second time she's disappeared when we were looking for Team Plasma. It could be a coincidence, but keep an eye on her, okay?" I ask. Sera and Darren nod.
"Report any suspicious behavior to me," I say darkly. Sera stares at me, eyes sparkling. What's that look for?
"I'll record it in my journal!" Darren exclaims.
"That's nice," Sera rolls her eyes. Gothita suddenly moves, tapping to door with its hand, and staring back at me.
"Is that yours?" Sera asks.
"Nope, it just followed me here from Route 5. I think it wants to help us," I reply. I open the door, and we all shiver from the cold. Gothita skips inside, and we follow it. Sera brings out Emboar, and we're all grateful for the heat he produces from his mane. We walk along the maze of shipping containers, when Sera suddenly slips on some ice on the floor, sliding into me, and in turn knocking us into a wall. She holds onto me in panic, then lets go when she realizes what she's doing, a blush creeping along her cheeks. We continue, managing to avoid any dangerous slips on the ice along the way. Gothita stops at a shipping container and turns and stares at me.
"There's something inside that one," Pardin mews, pointing her paw at the shipping container. I hear a thump and a muffled curse as we get closer.
"Pardin says there's someone in there," I say, pointing at the container.
"Let's go, then!" Sera exclaims. We walk around the container, and see one of its sides is open. Gothita stays behind, and we walk up the ramp into the container, and are met with several giant ice cubes and a huddle of Team Plasma grunts. My lip curls in distaste.
"Gather around me, all of you!" a shuddering voice says from within the huddle. Shivering among the grunts is another man wearing a cloak: another one of the Seven Sages.
"I can't stand this cold…" the man whimpers. I sneer at them, and they all look towards our approaching footsteps echoing on the metal floor of the container.
"I can't believe you cowards are hiding. Pathetic," I spit. "If you're cold, why don't I show you outside?"
"Pokémon are out King's friends. Under our protection, we will not let any harm come to them. Get them!" the man in the middle commands the grunts. I snort, and Sera and Emboar step forward.
"Understood, Zirzolin of the Seven Sages," the grunts say in unison, and they spread out in front of us, ready for battle.
"Step aside, Sera. These assholes are mine," I growl. Sera's eyes sparkle again, and she and Emboar step back. I glower at the grunts, and they all shiver from the cold; or is it fear? The grunts all throw Pokéballs, and several Pokémon appear. I see a three Watchog, two Scraggy, a new Pokémon that I find out is called Trubbish, a Pokémon I find out is Liepard, also Purrloin's evolution, and two Sandile. Dissa, Shello, Zora, and Pardin all stand in front of me, ready to fight.
"Super Fang!" the grunts command the Watchog, and the rat Pokémon all leap forward, baring their teeth. Shello uses Protect, and the rats all crash into the barrier.
"Brick Break! Pursuit! Crunch! Sludge!" the grunts command. The Scraggy and Sandile run at my Pokémon, Liepard disappears and Trubbish shoots toxic purple gunk from its mouth. Pardin and Zora disappear as well, and the two gang up on Liepard, beating it senseless. Shello uses Ancient Power and smashes rocks into the Scraggy, knocking them into the wall. Dissa uses Disable on the Sandile, and they stop in their tracks, and she burns them with Will-O-Wisp. Shello uses Aqua Jet on the Sandile, knocking them out, and Pardin and Zora finish off the Scraggy with Pursuit.
"You impudent child!" the Sage yells, voice shaking with the cold. I hear more echoing footsteps, and I turn to see Clay leading a group of men wearing thick coats and hats.
"Well I'll be," Clay says, sounding impressed. "You found and defeated 'em." He turns to face the grunts, who return their Pokémon and cower around the Sage.
"Hidin' in a chilly place like this…" he tsks at them. "Now," he commands, gesturing at the Team Plasma members, "take care of these Pokémon robbers!"
"Roger!" the workers behind him reply, and they surround the group of thieves and tie their hands behind their backs with rope. They shove them out of the container, and take them into custody. Clay turns to us, grinning.
"As promised, I'll give y'all the privilege to challenge my gym!" he says, and he follows the workers. Sera bristles.
"Fucking blackmail!" she spits, and I laugh.