Yagami Kuzuki: Thank you for your comment and while I understand your concerns, I'm keeping Melia x Venam in the fic since it's by all means and purposes a canon ship in the game. Not to worry though, there will be plenty of Melia x Julius moments in the future chapters.
Well wasn't Episode 12 an amazing experience? It was arguably the best episode so far, with several exciting twists and turns, some intense moments that sent shivers down my spine, and even a few heart-warming moments that made me tear up a bit. All that said, here's another chapter for you all to enjoy, with an exciting gym battle to spice things up!
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.
The trip back to Kakori Village was quiet, and rather nerve-wracking for the young man, his mind still buzzing with Ren's decision to join Team Xen. Julius still maintained hope that it was all for the greater good and that things will work out in the end, though even he wasn't so sure on what his endgame was. Regardless, he would have to put those thoughts aside as he had a more pressing matter at hand, that being the upcoming gym battle. Unsure on what he would expect, the young man took the time to give his Pokémon a rest, mulling over his gameplan for the upcoming battle, with the nurse handing him his Pokémon back half an hour later. With his companions now in tip-top shape, Julius made his way to the gym, entering through the glass doors before stepping into the first room, where a pair of rangers were waiting for him.
"Hey…you're that Julius kid everyone's been talking about." The first ranger commented, gesturing her partner to turn towards him.
"Well would you look at that, it is Julius after all!" The second ranger chimed in.
"Yeah, that's me. I'm just passing through here to battle Crawli. Hopefully it would take to—" The young man began, before the door behind him opened abruptly, a tall, intimidating woman stormed past the young man and glared at the two rangers, who gulped audibly in fear.
"And what are you two good-for-nothin' rangers standing around here for?!" She demanded, resting her hands on her hips with her voice imitating that of a drill sergeant.
"W-W-We were just surprised to hear about Julius challenging Crawli to a gym battle, Miss Holly—" The first ranger began.
"If you ranger had paid attention like you're supposed to, you'd know about this already!" The now named Holly snapped, stomping her foot on the ground with the two rangers jumping in fear. "Must I seriously be the only person who gets things done in this goddamn place?! And who exactly is this trainer over there? He doesn't look all that in my eyes…"
"Lady, if you've been through ALL the shit that I'VE been through, then you wouldn't be saying such things." Julius retorted, both rangers eyeballing him as if he had done something suicidally wrong. "That being said, I'm the Julius that everyone's been talking about."
"Is that so? I must say that you're ballsy for talking to ME like that; but it'll take far more than that to be granted the honor of challenging Crawli." Holly replied, musing to herself on what trial she should put the young man before her up to. "Here's the plan; I'm going to whip you up into shape, PRONTO. You will go through the exact same course that all my rangers went through before getting their position. If you can't even go through a simple obstacle course, then your sorry ass wouldn't last a minute against Crawli."
"Alright then, I'll take you and your challenge on. Just don't be surprised when I come out on top." The young man accepted the terms.
"Heh, quite the enthusiastic one, aren't we? It won't last though, especially after you see what's in store for you." The tall woman smirked, ordering the young man to follow her to the next room, the rangers quickly going back to their designated posts. Upon entering the room, Julius was surprised to see several logs strewn about the area, blocking off narrow pathways that lead to the next room. Additionally, there were also a few Ariados scuttling around the area. "Your goal here is to move the logs around to make a pathway, as well as call upon the help of the Pokémon here; after all a Pokémon Ranger is nothing without their Pokémon. It's understandable if it's too much for you; weak-hearted trainers don't have the courage to continue on from here." Holly explained the rules, staring intensely at the young man.
"I-I can handle it; shouldn't be that difficult." Julius replied, wiping a bead of sweat off his forehead.
"Heh, we'll see about that." Holly chuckled, exiting the room and left the young man to his own devices. He looked to his right and noticed a tree sprouting various fruit besides a small pathway, a clever idea forming in his mind. Taking his hat off, he plucked several fruits off the tree and walked down the pathway, pushing a few smaller logs out the way before stopping beside a much larger on, a fairly large Pinsir resting idly by the log.
"Hey…" The young man whispered to the Pokémon, its eyes fluttering open as it stared at the person who interrupted its slumber. Taking a fruit out of his hat, Julius placed it on to of the log, the Stagbeetle Pokémon sniffing it suspiciously as the young man pointed at the log before making a clamping motion with his hands. Determining the fruit to be safe, it picked it up, bisected the large log with its pincers before waddling away with its prize, the young man nodding in appreciation. Making his way past the now broken log, Julius walked down the path, hopping over another log and soon saw Holly standing by the entrance to the second room. "Bu-bu—"
"I could do this course with my eyes closed; of course, I would've beaten you to the mark." The tall woman retorted. "Anyway, that first room was very simple; even a five-year old could've passed. This next room however, is what makes or breaks a challenger; behold, the Infested Labyrinth!"
Looking over to where she was gesturing at, Julius saw a confusing mess of fallen logs resting on top of muddy terrain, various species of Bug Pokémon thriving happily in these conditions. "What a…fitting name you gave it." He chuckled hesitantly.
"Indeed; it's where souls are lost, dreams are crushed. Those who cannot pass it are more than deserving of my scorn and ridicule. So…you think you can pass my labyrinth?" Holly sneered, her drill-sergeant-like voice echoing in the young man's ears.
"I'll pass your labyrinth with flying colours!" Julius stood his ground, the older woman chuckling at him once more.
"Heh, have fun. Just don't come crying to me when you get stuck." She replied, making her way to the next room, no doubt in record time. The young man spent the next ten minutes surveying the area, trying to find the quickest way through the labyrinth, but to no avail. As he sat down on a nearby rock to think things through again, it hit him, why not just go over the labyrinth? It seemed simple at first glance, the logs were firm and wide enough to hold his weight, and in the event that he fell off, the worst he'd suffer would be a scratch or a bruise. Taking a deep breath, he hopped up onto the first log, slowly walking across it as he made a small leap towards the second log, and the one after that. Julius was making progress when he was suddenly greeted by the sight of Bug Pokémon swarming towards him, no doubt put in place to prevent rangers from cheating the course.
The young man tipped the contents of his hat, the fruit rolling onto the ground as he quickly made his way across the logs, hoping that the bugs would opt to go for the fruit instead. Fortune seemed to favor him this time around, as the Pokémon sniffed the fruit cautiously before snacking down on it, with Julius arriving at the end of the course and picked a few more fruit before making his way to the next room, where Holly was standing, as he had expected.
"Impressive…I didn't expect you to handle that course so easily." She commented, a slight hint of respect in her tone. "This next part is simple, yet hard at the same time. Befriending Pokémon is an essential part of becoming a ranger; without doing so, you'll fail before you even begin. I'm fairly confident that you can complete this room and finish the course. Do not disappoint me."
"Don't worry ma'am, I won't let you down." Julius replied, entering the next room and surveyed the area. The door to the other side was on a small rocky ledge, too smooth to simply climb over. Additionally, the logs were not tall enough to be used as a stepladder of sorts. Somehow, he would have to get up there another way, which was when he noticed a group of Ariados skittering by the ledge. With an idea in his mind, he showed the fruit to the Long Leg Pokémon, pointing towards the ledge while making a gesture to climb up the ledge. Accepting the fruit, the Ariados quickly devoured it before they shot a sticky thread from their abdomens, their nimble legs quickly weaving a strong, sturdy ladder of sorts. The young man nodded in appreciation to the Ariados, climbing up the ladder as the Pokémon continued their feast. Once he reached the top, he made his way through the door and into the next room, where he was soon confronted by a woman with long brown hair, a white, wide-brimmed hat and a sky-blue dress.
"Ah…you made it. Somehow, I knew you would succeed." She smiled at him, with the young man taken aback by what he was seeing. "What's the matter, you don't recognize me? Well perhaps if I did this!" She continued, spinning around in a rapid manner before coming to a halt, her outfit turning into one that Julius recognized almost immediately.
"H-Holly…?" The young man stuttered, with the older woman chuckling to herself.
"Caught you off-guard, didn't you? If this was an actual mission, it could've ended in your death. As to why I acted the way I did? Well you must look and act tough in order to whip these rangers into tip-top shape. Ah but where are my manners, I am Holly, Crawli's surrogate mother." Holly formally introduced herself. "His actual mother was my sister, but she died while giving birth to him, so I took on the role."
"My condolences for your loss, ma'am." The young man expressed his sympathies.
"Appreciated, but it's in the past so there's no need to hold onto it." Holly replied, the door behind Julius opening up as the older woman's eyes lightened up. "Ah, you made it as well."
"As well?" Julius muttered to himself, turning around and spotted a recognizable face. "Aelita! You decided to challenge Crawli as well?"
"Yep, I didn't want to be a burden on you guys anymore, so it's about time I stepped up to the plate. Phew, that course was something else though…" Aelita chimed happily, wiping the sweat off her forehead. "Maybe once we earn our badge, we can have a quick warm up against each other."
"I would like that a lot, thank you very much." The young man smiled at his friend, with Holly chuckling lightly to herself.
"As nice as this reunion is, only one of you can battle Crawli at a time. However, before that can be decided, you two must face one last test. Follow me…" She called out to them, with both trainers looking at each other briefly before following her through the door, where they found themselves on a ledge overlooking a rather large hole in the ground, with several rangers applauding the duo for their efforts. "Alright kids, here's the trial; take a Leap of Faith and jump down the hole. Every ranger had to do this at some point in our life, so it's only fair if you have to do it as well."
"T-That's a pretty deep hole…" Aelita commented, peering down into the depths below.
"Clever observation; do the both of you trust us with your very lives? All us rangers, no matter how much hell I give 'em, are like family to me. Doesn't matter whether it's for a day, or for the rest of your life, you're both rangers in my eyes. Now…time to take a Leap of Faith." Holly replied, as her eyes, and that of her rangers stared at the two trainers. Giving each other a determined look, Aelita and Julius stepped back a few feet before jumping into the hole, the duo letting out cries of surprise.
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The duo had closed their eyes during the fall, letting out surprised yelps when they bounced on a few spider webs placed at the bottom of the drop, descending a bit before landing safely on the soft dirt below the ledges. Aelita soon opened her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief upon her safe descent, surveying the lush depths before her.
"Phew…that was rather exhilarating, if a little scary." She commented, resting a hand on her stomach.
"Yeah…that was exhilarating. Now if you could get off me, that'll be appreciated." A voice spoke out from beneath her, with Aelita looking down and noticed that she was sitting on Julius' back, the young man lying down in the dirt.
"A-Ah! Sorry about that!" She apologized quickly, hopping off the man and helped him back up, with Julius giving her a quick nod of appreciation. "Well I now know what they meant when they said the test was about trust."
"Crawli should be around her soon, but that leads us into a small problem; which one of us gets to fight him first?" Julius inquired.
"Hopefully we get to fight him at the same time, but in the event that only one of us gets to fight him at a time, I'll let you go first; I'm still a bit shaken up from that fall." Aelita offered.
"Thanks for the kind offer, but let's see how this all plays out." The young man replied, the duo walking through the room before arriving at a large metal door, covered in inscriptions of various Bug Type Pokémon. A camera soon emerged from the door frame, zooming in to analyze the two trainers before retracting back to its abode, the door slowly opening afterwards. Both Aelita and Julius exchanged a quick glance with each other before stepping beyond the door, the duo soon taken aback by what they saw next.
They found themselves in what looked like an underground lake, the water from the ceiling falling down to give the area an illusion that it was raining. The arena itself was on a small islet in the middle of the lake, connected via stone pathways, with several large pine trees on the edge. Beside the path to the arena on their side was a small warp pad which they assumed would warp them back to the entrance to the gym. Additionally, there were dozens of Bug Pokémon flying around in the air, particularly Yanma who were minding their own business. As the duo walked to the arena, they soon noticed Crawli walking up to them, a confident smirk on his face.
"Finally, I was waiting for you two." He smiled at them. "I take it you're both interested in challenging me to a battle?"
"Yep, but if it's a one-on-one battle, I'm willing to wai—" Aelita began, before the green-haired man raised his arm.
"No need to worry, as a matter of fact I'm willing to take you both on at the same time, with a special handicap of course." Crawli offered, piquing the duo's interest.
"Go on…" Julius inquired, curious as to what Crawli has in store for them.
"I'll be more than happy to challenge you both at the same time, however you two can only use a maximum of three Pokémon each, after all a 6-on-12 battle isn't that fair. Additionally, Fire type Pokémon cannot be used in this battle, though Fire type moves can still be used, provided that the Pokémon you select can use those moves. Finally, neither of you two can start off with a Pokémon that shares a similar typing. For example, the both of you can use a Rock-type Pokémon, but if Aelita starts off with hers, then Julius cannot start off with his. Are those terms agreeable?" The green-haired man explained, the two trainers before him whispering to each other before coming to a conclusion.
"We accept your terms and conditions!" Aelita declared boldly, impressing the older man with her confidence.
"Excellent…I shall give you a bit of time to determine your team for this battle." Crawli said, watching the duo make their way to the entrance to select their combatants for the battle before shifting his gaze to a pair of Yanma building their nest on a tree near the back entrance. Around a minute later, both Aelita and Julius stepped up to the arena once more, each of them having three Pokéballs clipped to their pants.
"Ever since I heard all the good things about you two, I've been hoping to battle you in a serious manner. A little off topic but do you know how I found this hidden paradise? Well when I was young, I fell into a cave and was trapped down there for weeks. As I was finding my way out, I soon stumbled upon this place, the peace and tranquility blowing my young mind. The resident Bug Pokémon helped me survive until the day I was found; ever since then I've devoted myself to protect the Pokémon down here, as thanks for saving me that very day." The green-haired man recalled his tale, with both Aelita and Julius taken aback by the fascinating story.
"That's so nice to hear…I bet the Pokémon here are thankful for your efforts in keeping them safe." Julius commented.
"Indeed, hence why so very few get the honor of battling down here." Crawli replied, taking in a deep breath. "Some people think that Bug Pokémon are weak and frail, however I'm here to show you just how terrifyingly powerful they are. Ariados, Galvantula! Let's teach these two just how strong we are!" He called out, sending out his Pokémon as both spiders skittered on the dirt floor. Gazing quietly at the two Pokémon, both Aelita and Julius selected their first Pokémon, with Aelita choosing her Hawlucha and Julius selecting his Escartress.
The Escartress was a large snail with a blue and white body, a white crest like appendage surrounding its pointy head. Its neck had three gills on either side, while its body had several small flippers that helped it walk on land. Its shell looked a lot like a sandcastle and was far more durable than one would expect it to be. From the way it clapped its front flippers, it could be determined that it loved the rainfall.
"Interesting choices, but it's nothing to be afraid of. Ariados, start off with Barbed Web! Galvantula, use Thunderbolt on Hawlucha!" Crawli declared, with both his Pokémon getting into action. The Ariados climbed up the nearest tree it could find before spinning a web near the opponent's side of the field, the sticky thread picking up dozens of small, sharp rocks in its wake to create a devastating trap. Meanwhile, Galvantula was scuttling towards the Wrestling Pokemon, the spider charging up Electricity between its jaws before firing a bolt at its foe, with Hawlucha narrowly dodging the attack. It retaliated by climbing up a tree and leapt off it, a sky blue crystal around its neck shining brightly before disappearing, before nimbly striking its foe with graceful movements in the air, the EleSpider Pokémon letting out a quick screech before flying back a few feet, picking itself up from the dirt.
Escartress on the other hand, opted to conjure up several stones with its innate power, placing them in strategic areas in the arena to set up a trap for its opponents, making sure they're well hidden. Once it had finished laying out its trap, it soon slid into the nearby lake, using its power to conjure up a large wave to flood the nearby island, with Galvantula and Hawlucha managing to climb up a tree in time. Ariados let out a surprised yelp as it was swept into the lake, the Long Leg Pokémon trying in vain to stay afloat but was soon submerged by the monster wave. A few seconds later, the spider floated back up to the surface, knocked out from the boosted attack.
"Seems like the rain that protected your friends can be used as an effective weapon against you." Julius quipped, with Crawli smirking back as he recalled his Pokémon.
"Utilizing the area around you to the fullest extent can lead to victory, for both rangers and trainers. However, as someone who spent a good chunk of my life down here, I know all it's ins and outs, and my Escavalier is gonna teach you the hard way!" The green-haired man retorted, the Cavalry Pokémon emerging from its Pokéball and surveyed the area, before it was suddenly encased in a rocky prison, no thanks to the Stealth Rock that Escartress laid out earlier. It's hard as steel armor helped lessen the damage it inflicted, with Escavalier pushing the rocks away in a bold effort, gazing quietly at its slippery foe. Lowering its right lance-like arm, it charged at Escartress at surprising speeds, its arm picking up fallen leaves, grass, and other plantlife. It soon slashed at the large snail, who cried out in pain as it was flung backwards several feet, before landing right before Julius' feet and was unable to continue battling.
"No way…" Aelita commented, watching her teammate's Pokémon get knocked out so easily. Somehow, all that foliage that the Cavalry Pokémon picked up turned it's attack into a Grass-type move, which must've been devastating for the Escartress. Julius, having consoled his fallen comrade recalled it and made his next choice, opting to go for his Harptera, figuring it to be an optimal choice for the battle. As it was hovering in the air, it was able to avoid the web that Ariados had laid out earlier. Realizing that she herself was at a slight disadvantage, she opted to go for what she deemed was the safest play possible. "Use U-Turn on Galvantula!"
Nodding in approval, the Hawlucha climbed up a tree and dove towards the EleSpider Pokémon, tackling it before leaping back towards its trainer and re-entered its Pokéball, with Aelita opting to send out her Golem next. Based on the beard made out of iron sand on its face, and the rocks on its head that acted as a charger, it can be determined that it was the Alolan variant of Golem. As soon as it landed on the web, its feet got ensnared by the sticky substance, though it's rock-sloid body protected it from the sharp stones. The Golem let out a determined cry before hoisting a large boulder in the air and struck it with a quick bolt of lightning, electrifying the rocks as it pelted down onto the enemy Pokemon. Though Escavalier was able to withstand the barrage, the Galvantula was crushed by the falling rocks, pinning its body underneath the rubble. The EleSpider Pokémon used the last of its strength to free itself from the rubble before collapsing on top of it, unable to continue battling.
"Interesting, seems that you to have done your research on me and my strategy…" Crawli mused in respect at the young lady, recalling his fainted Pokémon and selected his fourth battler. "But let's see if it can stand up to my Pinsir!" He called out, the Stagbeetle Pokémon emerging from its ball before the Stealth Rocks soon homed in on it and encased it's large frame. Grunting quietly in pain, it used its raw strength to break free from the trap, shattering the rock and rendered the trap useless. Picking up one of the fallen rocks, its crushed it with its impressive pincers, and hurled the remaining rocks at its foes, with Harptera narrowly dodging the attack while Golem stood still and weathered the attack. Opting to go on the offensive now, the Dragonfly Pokémon flew towards the Pinsir at rapid speeds, striking it nimbly with the Stagbeetle Pokémon hissing in pain as it was pushed back a few feet, retaliating with a swift chop that strike the Harptera's throat, the nimble bug flying back in recoil as it shook its head a few times to ease the pain.
Meanwhile, the Golem and Escavalier squared off against each other, staring each other down before the Megaton Pokémon opted to make the first move, its stubby fist cloaked in electricity. It tired to land a punch on its foe, however the attack was soon blocked by the Cavalry Pokemon's right arm, the tip of the lance poking into Golems' beard, a small amount of sand staining the appendage. The two heavy hitters clashed their attacks against each other, hoping to overpower their foe as quickly as possible, with Golem managing to overpower its foe and deliver a powerful punch to its face. However, the Escavalier managed to recover quickly, picking up some foliage with its lance before slashing at Golem, the bulky Pokémon roaring in pain as it was pushed back a few feet. Aelita took a quick glance at the scenario regarding Harptera and Pinsir and saw that both Pokémon were in a stalemate was well, neither one securing an advantage, which forced her to think up a very risky strategy. The lilac-haired girl shot a glance at Julius, her eyes betraying her next strategy. Though the young man wasn't too keen on it, he knew that in this current state, neither side would emerge victorious for a long while.
"I'm sorry about this Golem, but if you could use Explosion, that'll be greatly appreciated." Aelita requested, shooting her friend an apologetic look. Though a little surprised by the request, the Megaton Pokémon accepted it, shooting the Harptera an apologetic look before opting to charge up a massive amount of electricity in its body. The resident Bug Pokémon, noticing the Golem charging up an Explosion, opted to retreat into their hidey-holes, where they knew they would be safe. With surprised looks on their faces as well, both the Pinsir and the Escavalier attempted to retreat from the area, but they were too slow to avoid the massive shockwave, the electricity striking all over the field as all three trainers were blown back by the attack, a large amount of dust strewn up in the air. Around half a minute later, the dust died down, revealing that all four Pokémon were knocked out from the souped-up attack, with the trainers rushing to check up on their friends. Thankfully, none of them suffered serious injuries, though it was clear that the attack took its toll on them.
"I can't say that I'm a fan of that attack, but there wasn't that much damage inflicted on it, so I'll let it slide this time." Crawli called out, recalling his Pokémon with Aelita and Julius doing the same. "You may have gotten me into a pinch, but this is where things get interesting; Golisopod, Araquanid, time to submerge our foes!"
The two imposing Bug Pokémon emerged from their Pokéballs, with Golisopod clasping its two large arms together while the Araquanid gazed at its foes quietly from within its protective bubble. Both Aelita and Julius selected their next Pokémon, with Aelita choosing her Hawlucha once more, while Julius went for his final option, his trusty Frosthra.
"Whew, that's a most magnificent Bug Pokémon you got there." Crawli whistled in awe. "Perhaps when I get some free time, I might take a trip to Tandor to learn about the native Bug Pokémon there."
"Well if it's appearance left you in awe, then I'm sure it's power will impress you even further. Freeze-Dry!" Julius called out, catching the green-haired man off-guard as the large moth began flapping her wings quickly, a chilling gust of wind causing both of Crawlis' Pokémon to shiver on the spot, with Araquanids' bubble starting to freeze up. The Water Bubble Pokémon retaliated by heating up the water in its bubble, thawing it quickly before shooting the boiling hot stream of water at Hawlucha, who winced in pain from the attack, though thankfully it wasn't burnt. The Wrestling Pokémon, hopped up a nearby tree and dove down towards Golisopod, striking the Hard Scale Pokémon with a swift assault of punches and kicks before the towering Bug Pokémon knocked it away with its firm arm, with Hawlucha squawking in surprise as it fell in the dirt, before getting up and dusted itself down.
Letting out a shrill squawk, the Hawlucha spun on the spot rapidly, a set of illusionary swords floating around it in a ring before they clashed together, the Wrestling Pokemon's spirit heightened greatly. Soon afterwards, it used its newfound strength to pick up the large Golisopod, its eyes widening in shock as it was spun rapidly in Hawlucha's hands, before the nimble bird chucked it at Araquanid, the Water Bubble Pokémon squeaking in surprise before the two Pokémon crashed into each other, leaving them in a vulnerable position. Frosthra used this opportunity to deliver another Freeze-Dry, the chilling wind striking the duo especially hard as their bodies were soon incased in an icy tomb. The ice soon proceeded to crumble in the bright light streaming down from the hole in top, shattering to reveal that both Golisopod and Araquanid were knocked out from the combo attack.
"Woo! We did it Julius!" Aelita cheered, the duo hi-fiving each other with their respective Pokémon bowing respectfully to one another.
"Ha…that was quite the intense battle; as I expected from you two." Crawli smiled, recalling his Pokémon before walking up to the duo, handing each of them a badge that had a white oval in the center, and six red appendages that resembled wings, making the badge look like a Volcarona. "Consider the Infested badge, yours!"
"Thanks, you very much, Crawli. It was an honor to fight you." Julius bowed respectively to the man, as he and Aelita recalled their Pokémon, before a bright white poster bearing the insignia of Arceus soon appeared in the center of the arena, catching the trio off-guard. "Woah! Where did this come from?!"
"Looks like Angie's up to her old tricks again…" Crawli sighed in frustration, bending over and tried to pick it up, only to realize that it was stuck to the floor via some unseen force. "Ack! Can't pick this damn thing up. Listen, if you can help me fix this issue with Angie, that'll be appreciated."
"No worries! Just let us rest up at the Pokémon center and we should be good to go!" Aelita smiled at the head ranger, as she and Julius hopped on the warp pad and were teleported back to the beginning.
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Having successfully obtained his sixth badge, Julius had exited the Pokémon Center after using it, with Aelita informing him that she's gonna stick around town for a while to restock her on-hand medication, stating that she'll see him soon enough. As he was walking towards the path that lead east out of Kakori Village, he soon spotted Melia and Valarie chatting to each other, the two women soon directing their attention to the young man.
"Hey Julius, I assume that you had no issues with Crawli?" Melia inquired, with Julius taking out his Trainer ID and showed them his newly acquired badge.
"Well done! Only one more badge to go and you're good to go!" Valarie congratulated the young man. "I take it Aelita's challenging Crawli now?"
"As a matter of fact, we battled alongside each other in a handicap match. It was close, but we persevered in the end. As for Aelita, she told me that she's gonna do a bit of restocking while she can, saying that we don't have to wait for her." The young man explained.
"On the topic of gym battles, I was informed that the Teila Resort in the next town has a Gym, which works out pretty well for us." The blonde girl commented, fiddling with her CyberNav for a bit before putting it away. "Well let's not dawdle around here any longer, we've got a job to do!"
The trio proceeded to walk out of town together and soon stepped into the vibrant Route 6, which was a lot different from the jungle they spent so much time in. Rather than thick vegetation and a constant level of humidity, the air was nice and clear, with a couple of small beaches to the north of the route, populated by several fishermen. A few small rivers in the route lead into the vast Terajuma Jungle, where they no doubt ended at the shore to the south. But the most standout feature of the route was the large cave in the middle of the route, dubbed Aquamarine Cave. Local tales about the cave say that the water inside it is so clear, that one could see the bottom of the lakes that populate the cave. The three trainers soon entered the cave, with Valarie letting out a sigh of relief.
"Phew…this place is fantastic! It's a lot more comfortable than that horrible jungle." She commented blissfully, resting on one of the dark blue rocks scattered throughout the area.
"Yeah, even I have to admit that this place feels great. An ideal spot for one to ponder their thoughts in peace should they need it." Julius agreed.
"The lack of sunlight in here, coupled with the water must be the cause for the more pleasant atmosphere." Melia deduced, surveying the immediate area before her.
"Once this is all over, we should plan a quick trip here, where we can relax for a while and even go for a quick swim. I'm sure a certain someone wouldn't say no to seeing both of us having a nice swim." The blue haired woman suggested, smirking at the young man, who's eyes widened in surprise before jumping back and falling onto his backside.
"Ack, I guess this atmosphere did improve Val's spirit after all…" Julius winced, covering the fierce blush on his face as both women chuckled at his predicament.
"Jokes aside, that sounds like a lovely idea." Melia agreed, before the sound of someone crying out in fear echoed throughout the cave, alerting all three trainers. "That sounds like Saki; she must be in trouble!"
"Come on, we have to save her!" Valarie called out, the trio quickly getting into action as they ran down the cool, moist path, unaware that they were being watched momentarily by a teenage girl. She had light brown skin, ruby red eyes, and matching red hair that's done up in a long ponytail, a bang covering her right eye. Her outfit consisted of a black, short-sleeved shirt, with a red plaid skirt. She also wore red sneakers, with matching red socks, and also has some red hair decorations shaped like fire. Overall, she was quite the attractive, yet fiery girl. She took a quick glance at the trio before huffing to herself, resuming whatever it was she was doing.
Walking down a set of inbuilt steps, the trio ran down the sandy path, passing through a large, royal blue door which sent a slight shiver down Melia's spine for some odd reason, when they saw what had terrified Saki. The black-haired girl was stuck on a small islet, a trio of Sharpedo swimming around the islet in circles, waiting for her to make a wrong move. Turning towards the cave entrance, Saki was relieved to see her friends had come to save her.
"Val! Jules! Melia! You came for me! Thank god you came for me!" She cried out in joy, with the trio quickly making their way to this islet and formed a protecting circle around the terrified girl.
"Of course, we'd come for you, we wouldn't dare leave you behind!" Melia replied, a question soon forming in her mind. "But how did you even get here?"
"Look, I'll tell you later, just deal with this Sharpedo already!" Saki requested, with the trainers quickly making their selections. Melia and Valarie sent out their trusty Togekiss and Primarina respectively, while Julius opted to go for Coatlith, the three Pokémon immediately intercepting their watery foes. As they were wild Pokémon as opposed to trained Pokémon, they weren't all that strong. Togekiss flew up into the air, charging up an orange ball of energy imbued with her aura before firing it at the first Sharpedo, causing it to hiss in anger as it was pushed back several feet. Primarina followed up on her teammates act by climbing up onto a rock poking out from the lake, luring the second Sharpedo over with her hypnotic voice before striking back with a ball of lunar energy, pushing it back as well. Finally, the last Sharpedo was locked in battle with Coatlith, attempting to bite it with its ice-cold teeth, but the Forest Lord Pokémon dodged it and retaliated with Energy Ball, sending the shark flying back to where it's companions were. Realising that they were outmatched, the Sharpedo fled the area, with the trainers letting out a small cheer in victory.
"Phew, well there's that problem fixed." Melia sighed in relief, the three trainers congratulating their companions before recalling them.
"Hehe, thanks for the save, you three were really cool out there, you know?" Saki thanked her saviours, with Valarie eying her a little suspiciously.
"Saki, I know about your skills as a Gym Leader, you could've easily defeated those Sharpedo. So why didn't you take them out yourself?" The blue haired woman inquired, with Saki jumping back in surprise before letting out a small sigh.
"Look, truth be told, sharks creep me out. Haven't you seen the move, Sharpnado?" She inquired.
"Ugh, don't remind me! I saw that movie back in Tandor, and it was the most absurd shit I've ever seen. The fact that it got so many damn sequels is proof that the movie industry is messed up." Julius scoffed, cringing internally at it's horrible CGI. "That said, how did you end up here to begin with?"
"Oh yeah, I was gonna tell you three about it. Long story short, I landed in Terajuma Jungle, when I was helped out by this girl with red hair, can't remember her name though. We walked around the area until we found this cave and entered it, ending up at that huge blue door you just passed through. Somehow, she got that door open and we were able to step inside; all of a sudden this HUGE blue Pokémon came out and attacked us! She managed to defeat that beast, but soon vanished afterwards. A few moments later, those Sharpedo wanted a taste of my cute lil' ass, which was when you all found me." The black-haired girl recalled her tale.
"Well that was a bit more detailed than I expected, but I'm glad that you're safe." Melia smiled at her friend.
"I am as well, but can we get out of here? It's cold and wet and soggy and—" Saki began.
"Sure, let's get out of here as quickly as we can. We've got some business to attend to." Valarie replied, the group of four leaving the room and made their way back to the main path, with Julius loaning Saki his jacket to warm her up a bit.
"Th-Thanks Jules!" She shivered, a small smiled gracing her face. "So what happened to the group while I was away?"
"Unfortunately, we've hit several roadblocks. For one thing, Nim was kidnapped by several agents of Team Xen, including a certain someone who I refuse to mention. That want us to exchange her for Melia over at Valor Mountain, trouble is that without the TM for Magma Drift, neither of us can get through the mountain reliably. Hence why we're making a quick trip to Kristiline Town to obtain the TM, however we're making a pit stop at Teila Resort to secure ourselves another Gym Badge." Julius explained the situation as briefly as he could.
"In that case, I'll be happy to help you out! Come on gang, don't keep me waiting!" Saki cheered, boldly making her way through the cave, the trio amused at her hyper activeness as they pushed through the final leg of the cave, exiting it and arriving at the entrance to Teila Resort.
The Resort was, as the young man had expected, a marvel to behold. There were several small houses where the citizens and resort workers lived in relative peace and tranquillity. Additionally, there were several tourist attractions including a 5-star restaurant, a fairly large beach to the south of the area, and of course, the large resort itself, towering over the area. In the northwestern corner of the area was a large three-story mansion that shone bright in the morning sun. the group of four sighed in awe at the breathtaking resort.
"Well here we are, Teila Resort. It's as amazing as I expected it to be." Melia commented.
"This place looks rather exquisite, a little too pretentious for my liking, but I wouldn't say no to spending a week here." Valarie added, as Saki began mulling a few things in her head, before slowly turning to face the other three.
"Hey guys, if this resort has a gym like Jules mentioned earlier, then wouldn't this be Julius' last…resort?" She cracked a joke, with all three trainers staring at her, internally cringing from the poor attempt at comedy.
"I-It was a good attempt; I'll give you that…" Julius winced in response, shaking his head to get the joke out of his head. "Anyway, it's best if we got down to business already. Wouldn't want to keep Nim waiting any longer than we have to."
The trio agreed with his suggestion, the group of four splitting off momentarily so that they can explore the resort for a while before resuming their task at hand.
Another good chapter done and dusted, I hoped you all enjoyed it. Regarding the fight against Crawli, I wanted to try something a little different in order to have it stand out from the other Gym Battles in the story. Now I have a few plans for the next chapter that, although different from the story, I'm confident that you'll all enjoy it. Thank you all for reading, I'll see you all in the next chapter.