AN: Here is chapter 21! And as promised it the seventh and unique gym battle! Hope you like it!
Disclaimer: I own nothing except young Zakari!
Chapter 21
Shauna woke up early the next morning. She looked over to the room she was sharing with the other two girls to see Serena still fast asleep, but Zack's bed was empty. Her bag was still here and so were her balls so she couldn't have gone far. Getting out of bed she carefully made her way to the balcony and looked out to see her missing friend. She spotted her friend and remembered why she was around her for not only her gift of friendship.
Shauna admired Zack so much. She was so strong and loved her Pokemon so dearly. They also loved her too. There was much more than that. Zack made every thing better and always brighten up the room or situation. Shauna hoped one day to be as strong as her and find what she wants to do. As she watched Zack run laps around the park area near the center she thought about what said girl wanted. Shauna frown at the thought that she didn't know. Serena and Calem wanted to be champions, Trevor wanted to complete the Pokedex, and Tierno wanted a famous Pokemon dance group. She made a mental note to ask her one day. Hopefully she wouldn't forget.
Zack got back to the room a little after seven and hopped into the shower. She couldn't really sleep last night and woke up early. Unable to fall back asleep she decided she might as well go for a run. She wanted to clear her head before thinking of her strategy which she was doing now. Olympia was known not be a pushover and she needed to be ready for what kind of battle Olympia would choose. After looking into her style Zack noted she like either four on four or double battles. She felt confident her picks depending on the situation.
"Do you think you're ready?" Calem asked as they were walking out of the center.
"I think so. I've considered the moves my Pokemon know and what I know about her. I'm as ready as I'm going to get." Zack replied.
"I know you'll be great!" Shauna said as she ran up beside Zack and latched arms before dragging her off in a run. "Come on, I know you can't wait!"
"Wait for us!" Serena said running after the other girls.
"It would seem the girls are more excited for this gym battle than anyone else." Trevor said.
"Well duh Trevs. Zack's the one battling, Serena loves battles, and Shauna loves anything." Tierno said cheekily smiling.
"Come on. We better catch up before they go in and start without us." Calem said skipping into a sprint. The other two nodded and chased after their friends.
"Welcome to the gym. I have been awaiting your arrival." Olympia said.
"Thank you for accepting my challenge." Zack said as she bowed to the gym leader.
"I have decided what our gym battle shall be. I saw my defeat at a four on four so I have decided to have a four on four double battle."
"What?!" Everyone said in surprise.
"How does that work?" Shauna asked.
"They'll both start as if having a double battle, but as soon as one of those faints they bring in the third to replace it and so on. This is really going to test how well Zack pairs her Pokemon." Calem explained.
"I wonder if Zack figured this in when she thought about strategy. I wouldn't have." Serena said as she placed her arms on the railing for the spectators above the battle field.
"From what I remember of Zack's Pokemon she had good chances. None of her Pokemon have a weakness to psychic types. However, Olympia won't use all psychic and that's what Zack needs to be prepared for."
"Zack is definately prepared! This battle is going to be awesome! She'll win! Go Zack!" Shauna cheered.
"As said the battle will be a four on four double battle and the battle will be over when one side is no longer able to continue. Also the challenger will be able to substitute Pokemon." the referee explained.
"At least Zack is able to switch out if she makes a bad call." Tierno said.
"I bet Olympia prepares for that." Calem said.
"My first pair will be these Meowstic."
"Meow!" the female and male pair of Meowstic meowed as they were released.
"She'll have a hard time since Olympia is starting with her best pair." a gym spectator said.
"That makes sense those are a good pair. The genders Meowstic work to compliment each other in battle." Calem explained to Shauna who looked rather confused.
"Best pair huh?" Zack questioned. "Fine, I will too. Azar and Echo!"
"Ra!"
"Helio!"
"Let the battle begin!" the referee said raising her arm to start the match.
"Meowstic Light Screen and Dark Pulse!"
"Block it with Flamethrower and use Iron Tail!" Zack countered.
The Light Screen instantly activated and put up a barrier of protection while the female attacked. The Flamethrower countered the Dark Pulse leaving a cloud which Echo speedily entered the cover and struck the Meowstic.
"Direct hit!" Shauna cheered.
"Using special moves is going to be harder." Trevor said sadly. "Prankster allowed Meowstic to go first and decreased the damage."
"Meowstic Psyshock!"
Both Meowstic attacked with Psyshock and heading toward the pair. However, the speed of the attack struck the pair and they shook it off only to glare at the gender duo.
"What strength you have." Olympia commented.
"We'll show you strength. Echo jump on Azar!"
"Lisk!" Echo cried as he jumped and landed on Azar's back.
"Azar charge in toward them!" Zack said.
"Meowstic Shadow Ball! And the other use Charge Beam!"
"Echo Thunder!" Echo then jumped off Azar's back and attacked. The powerful electric type move collided. "Shadow Claw!"
Azar sliced through the ghost type move with his own. He kept going and attacked the female Meowstic with the same move.
"Meow!" she cried taking the damage.
"Meowstic!"
"Meowstic is unable to battle!" the referee said.
"Thank you Meowstic." Olympia said returning the female cat. "Sigilyph go!"
"Let's focus on the other Meowstic. Let's go from two different directions! Azar Shadow Claw and Echo Signal Beam!"
Olympia looked unfazed by her strategy keeping her composure.
"Sigilyph use Gravity! Meowstic Charge Beam!"
Everyone's eyes who didn't see it coming widen. Sigilyph's body glowed before a pulse surged out and everyone else the pressure. As Azar was in mid-attack the gravity occured and Azar when down slamming into the battle field. Azar attempted to flap his wings but nothing. He couldn't move as the Charge Beam struck him. In return Echo's Signal Beam struck Meowstic.
"Charizard is unable to battle!"
"But how?" Trevor said.
"She planned that. Azar was her target as he's a threat. He's her strongest and using Charge Beam which is a, super-effective, and b, powers up was really smart. Meowstic taking damage was just the price Olympia was willing to take." Calem said.
"Thank you Azar." Zack said as she returned her starter. "Pax let's go!"
"Syl!" Pax said.
"Echo Thunderbolt on Slowking and Pax use Shadow Ball on Sigilyph."
"Psychic and Charge Beam!"
The Psychic increased the power and speed of the Charge Beam and split the attack into multiple. The electrical surgesshreaded the Shadow Ball and deflected the Thunderbolt before some of the remaining beams struck the two Pokemon.
"Pax use Dazzling Gleam and Echo Iron Tail!"
Pax's body glowed and released a rainbow flurry beams of light that spread across the field blinding everyone striking Olympia's Pokemon. Taking the moment Echo moved in as his tail glowed.
"Mirror Move!"
Sigilyph's body had an aura around it before the aura expelled and transformed into Dazzling Gleam. Echo was now the blinded and struck with the attack. Some of the attacks struck Pax, but weren't as effective.
"Echo!"
"Heliolisk is unable to battle!"
Zack sighed and thanked Echo as she returned him. She figured as much. Pax and Echo weren't the best pair for a double battle. However, she had been waiting. She smirked realizing she had Olympia where she wanted. Many of the moves she used were status moves. That was enough.
"Kaylin go!"
"Klef!" Kaylin cried happily. It was his second gym battle and after his success with Valerie he was excited for another one.
"Hm. Two left. I can't seem to see where this will go!"
"I hope she'll be okay. She's down to her last two and Olympia still has three."
"Meowstic Thunder Wave and Sigilyph Gravity!"
"Uh oh. Not again!" Shauna cried fearfully.
Olympia raised an eyebrow at the fact Zack didn't seem bothered. She smirked. She had been waiting to pin Olympia.
"Kaylin Crafty Shield!"
"Ki!"
Kaylin turned and the keys jiggled as multiple pink shields appeared surrounding her team. The Thunder Wave bounced off and broke apart and downward incoming Gravity bounced back up toward the ceiling.
"That was amazing!" Shauna said.
"Sure was!" Serena said with a shine in her eye. "She played Olympia! Crafty Shield prevents status moves and Klefki's ability is also Prankster allowing him to go first this time!"
"Charge Beam!"
"Moonblast Pax! I think Meowstic been in the battle too long. Kaylin Foul Play!"
Kaylin moved in and spun around before knocking itself into Meowstic. Meowstic was knocked back and landed harshly on the battle field.
"Meowstic is unable to battle!"
"Yay!" Shauna said jumping up and down.
"Hm. Interesting. Well played child. Slowking go!"
"King."
"Sigilyph Swagger on Slowking and Slowking Aqua Tail!"
"Why would she do that?" Tierno asked.
"Own Tempo. Slowking's ability must be. It prevents confusion and thus only gets the stat boost."
The aqua tail slammed agaisnt the two and knocked them off their feet. Moments later they each shook off the water.
"Kaylin Crafty Shield!"
"Not taking a chance Olympia may turn that tactic on her."
"Slowking Power Gem and Sigilyph Psychic!" The Power Gem rained down on the two like a meteor shower. Zack gritted her teeth only being able to watch her Pokemon take damage. "You've prevented me from status move so I move to the offense. How will you respond?"
"Pax grab onto Kaylin!"
"Ve!" Pax cried as she wrapped her feelers around the steel and fairy type. She brought the Pokemon down to her level and close to her body. She wasn't sure what her trainer was up to, but she trusted her to make a plan.
"Now charge in!"
Pax then charged toward the oposing Pokemon.
"You may try. Sigilyph use Swagger on Slowking and Slowking Water Pulse!"
"Kaylin up!"
"Ki!"
Kaylin then lifted his body up and Pax went with him. Despite being smaller than her he wasn't a pushover and able to lift her weight. They both avoided the attacks and were airborne.
"Now fling yourselves and use Foul Play and Dazzling Gleam!" Spinning his body he flung himself and Pax like a bola with precision so that they would each attack a specific target. "Now Pax Shadow Ball!"
Using Dazzling Gleam as cover neither Pokemon could prepare not to mention taken back by the outlandish strategy. Klefki slammed itself in Slowking with Foul Play which in turn got boost thanks to the earlier raise in attack power while Pax hit Sigilyph with a close range Shadow Ball. Sigilyph fell out of the sky hitting the field while Slowking fell over. Pax and Kaylin bounced off their targets and separated landing back in front of their trainer.
"No. Are you alright?" Olympia asked her Pokemon. As she got a better look she gasped. It wasn't possible. Never before had she lost with this kind of battle as she looked upon her fallen Pokemon.
"Slowking and Sigilyph are unable to battle! The winner is Sylveon and Klefki thus the winner of the match is the challenger!"
Everyone in the gym there for Zack cheered including said trainer and her Pokemon. Zack ran up to her Pokemon and hugged Pax as she extended an arm to invite Kaylin who accepted it happily.
"I'm so proud of you. Thank you for trusting me."
"Sylve!"
"Ki!"
By that time her friends had ran down from the spectators area and to their winning friend. They all congradulated her and patted on the back.
"That was amazing Zack!" Shauna said.
"Thanks, but I couldn't have done it without my team."
"You're too modest. That was really good." Trevor said.
"I tried to stop my defeat by changing the battle, but apparently my defeat was inevitable. Congratulations young lady, I present you with this, the Psychic Badge." Olympia said as she levitated the badge to the winning trainer.
"Thank you." Zack said accepting it. Seven down, one to go. She smiled at the thought of where she would be getting her final badge.
The gym leader walked in from the bitter cold from a day of heated battles. Battling trainers every day kept him going and the cold never bothered him anyway. However, at the end of the day it was good to come home to a warm home. He was about to sit down when a beeping noise was heard across the room. He recognized the sound as the phone.
"Hello?" he asked and the screen lit up with a familiar face.
"Hi Wulfric!" Zack said.
"Zakari!" Wulfric said in surprise. "Why do I have the pleasure of this call?"
"I just wanted to let you know that I'll be coming into town soon and you better be ready to accept my challenge." Zack said showing him that she earned seven badges.
Wulfric let out a hearty laugh and answered, "Don't worry. We've been waiting for this ever since the day you left to start your journey."
"And so have I." Zack answered.
"What do you mean neither are challenging the gym yet?!" Shauna said in shock at Serena's and Calem's claims.
"I want to train some more." Serena said.
"Me too. After seeing Olympia's battle style I need to prepare myself for whatever might happen. Not that Zack didn't handle herself extremely well, but I will not be walking in blind."
"Geez, thanks." Zack said under her breath as she rolled her. Might as well tell her she won because of a fluke and good timing.
"I don't want to hold any of you up so go ahead with your journeys. Zack, I know you're probably wanting to get to Snowbelle City as soon as possible." Calem said.
"You're right. It will be nice to go home." Zack agreed.
"Right so then after Calem and I beat Olympia we'll all meet there and we can battle each like proper trainers." Serena said. She admitted she looked over Zack as a trainer like she did with her friends being well, her friends. She wanted to be independent when starting her journey and after seeing Zack in action today in a serious battle with everyone behind her made her realized they could learn from each other. She admired her strength and wanted to test herself.
"I too would like to battle trainer to trainer with each of you." Calem agreed to Serena's request. He never found the moment to challenge Zack to a proper battle just between the two of them. She was surely a strong trainer and he wanted to test himself against those before thinking about the Pokemon League.
"You're on." Zack said as shook her friends' hands. By the second she couldn't wait until she got home. So much was waiting for her.
"Lady Olympia, what's the matter?" a girl training under her asked. Olympia had been quiet since losing the match against the girl. Normally she accepts her lost gracefully so it wouldn't make sense for her to be sulking. Olympia's hair moved and her cape flared. Her voice than rang through the gym.
"I have seen a new future. A future of peace that will cover Kalos brought forth by those six trainers, but at what price must they make? Unanswered questions and loss." Olympia said as she stared out into space and hoped that her prediction would be incorrrect. She hated this because deep down, she wasn't ever wrong.
AN: That's chapter 21! Wow! We've come quite far and getting into the exciting parts that I personally have been waiting for which you'll have to wait until 23. Stay tuned for that and a hint about the next chapter is that it fills in a blank! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the gym battle and will come back for next one. Please Review, Favorite, and Follow in the meantime! See you next chapter!