Welcome back to Owen's rematch with Korrina for his third gym badge! The last time they battled, Korrina won 3-1 and displayed the still mysterious technique known as Mega Evolution. Now Owen has more Pokemon and a better plan heading into this match, so hopefully the outcome will be different. Also, last chapter featured the introduction of Olivia, Brooklyn's second rival. Now, let's get this going!
Thewhatzupwriter26: I would have Owen use Charizard, but that would make the battle too easy. He will be used in a gym battle eventually, but it'll probably be the seventh or eighth gym.
guest: Thanks. I wasn't sure how I handled Olivia's introduction, so I'm glad to hear that someone liked it :)
Emboar-Man (guest): Gastly will eventually evolve into Gengar, so you are correct. The only problem is Mega Gengar won't happen for a very long time
Defender31415: Yeah, she'll be a bit of a thorn in Brooklyn's side with her pranking, but they'll eventually get over it
FlameStriker123: Both are going to be awesome, and Mega Charizard will be making his debut soon! Mega Gengar will also be awesome, but she won't be able to Mega Evolve for a several dozen chapters
Owen's team
Frogadier, (m), level 26, Pound, Lick, Round, Quick Attack, Water Pulse*, Smokescreen*
Charizard, (m), level 70, Flamethrower, Dragon Claw, Seismic Toss, Blast Burn, Aerial Ace*, ?*
Pikachu, (m), level 24, Thundershock, Quick Attack, Thunderbolt, Nuzzle, Electro Ball*, Double Team*
Tyrunt, (m), level 27, Tackle, Stomp, Stealth Rock, Bite, Ancient Power*
Hawlucha, (m), level 31, Wing Attack, Karate Chop, Flying Press, Aerial Ace
Gastly, (f), level 19, Lick, Mean Look, Night Shade, Confuse Ray
With Professor Sycamore
Butterfree, (f), level 34, Tackle, Silver Wind, Psybeam, Gust, Poison Powder*, Sleep Powder*
After switching his Pokemon at the computer inside the Shalour gym, Owen cracked his neck and took a deep breath. As they walked through the familiar hallway, Owen and his friends began discussing the upcoming battle.
"Can you please tell us who you're going to use?" Eddy begged while looking up at the older trainer, who was focused on earning his third badge. Owen shook his head and Eddy pouted at the lack of information. Back at his boarding school, Eddy was able to predict which Pokemon his peers would use and at which time, but Owen was different. To say he was unpredictable would be a massive understatement. Even if he had a clear type advantage, Owen would choose a Pokemon that was weak to his opponent, but he'd mix it pup with using a type advantage. He had no tendencies, and was statistically unpredictable.
"It doesn't matter who he's going to use, Eddy. Without Mega Evolution, it's going to be impossible for him to win," Cindy joked, though Owen didn't appear to be amused by the comment.
"Oh shut up, Cindy," Brooklyn ordered as she smacked the younger girl in the back of the head. "We'll all be rooting for you, Owen."
"Thanks. That means a lot," the trainer replied, cracking a slight grin at the girl his age. Brooklyn smiled back with a mild blush, making an awkward situation for Eddy and Cindy, who were standing in-between the two. Brooklyn's flirtation was so obvious that it was obnoxious, and Owen's oblivious nature was a match made in hell. Before anything else could happen, the group of four reached the room that the battlefield was in, and Korrina was rollerskating while her Lucario was meditating in the middle.
"Owen! Are you back for a rematch?" the gym leader asked as soon as she spotted the teen. Once he nodded, Korrina stopped on a dime and whistled loudly. A referee soon made her way to the battlefield, and Cindy, Brooklyn, and Eddy walked up to the bleachers stationed behind Owen's trainer box. Frogadier and Owen quickly made their way into their trainer box while Charizard trailed behind them.
"Let's hope you have a new strategy this time," Korrina said from the other end of the battlefield with a confident smirk. Lucario crossed his arms and stared at Owen as he nodded, and the referee spoke up as she stepped onto her pedestal.
"This will be a three versus three gym battle between Korrina and Owen where only the challenger may substitute Pokemon! Furthermore, once all Pokemon on one side are unable to battle, the battle will be over! Korrina, choose your first Pokemon!" the referee bellowed.
"Mienfoo, you're first!" Korrina yelled while throwing her first Pokeball. It soon opened to reveal a tiny yellow mouse with red limbs, and it started punching the air aggressively before bowing to Owen.
"Hmm... Korrina's starting this battle with speed instead of strength like she did last time. I wonder if Owen's going to use Frogadier's speed to counter?" Eddy thought aloud as he leaned over the balcony and stared down at the battlefield.
"Let's match speed with speed! Pikachu, go!" Owen shouted. The Pokeball he threw opened to reveal Pikachu, and they yellow rodent eyes his opponent, who was also a yellow mouse. Due to their being a similar species, an added intensity filled the air.
"This battle will be between Mienfoo and Pikachu! Begin!"
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Owen ordered. Pikachu used his tail to propel himself into the air, and he was engulfed in a bright yellow light before unleashing several bolts of electricity towards Mienfoo and Korrina.
"Quickly, use Hi Jump Kick!" the gym leader countered calmly. Mienfoo gracefully dodged the bolts with a cartwheel, and then she hopped into the air while Pikachu was falling. Once she crashed towards the ground, her knee turned white, and it slammed into Pikachu's face. The electric type let out a loud cry as Mienfoo hopped back to Korrina's half of the battlefield, and she waited for the electric type to get back up.
"Ooh, that looked like it hurt a lot," Cindy muttered under her breath. She and the others looked on in angst as Owen, Frogadier, and Charizard waited for Pikachu to recover from the devastating attack.
"Are you alright, Pikachu?" Owen asked in concern as the famous Kanto Pokemon rose to his feet.
"Pika!" the Pokemon exclaimed as he dropped on all fours, ready to charge.
"Good. Use Quick Attack!" After letting out a high-pitched grunt, Pikachu darted across the battlefield as a white light trailed behind his body. The speed displayed by Pikachu was impressive, to say the least. Even though he had shown his quickness on several occasions, Owen and the others were still mesmerized by the Pokemon's mobility.
"Mienfoo, knock Pikachu out with Power-Up Punch!" Korrina shouted, unfazed by Pikachu's lateral movement. Mienfoo's fist was engulfed in spiraling energy and she threw her arm towards Pikachu, but Owen's brain went to work before coming up with the perfect counterattack.
"Double Team!" Pikachu suddenly copied himself multiple times, and Mienfoo punched through one of the copies while the other Pikachu ran around her at a blinding pace. The fighting type turned around in a circle in an attempt to track the real Pikachu, but all of the clones looked too realistic and they were running too fast.
"Uh, fight through them with Power-Up Punch!" Mienfoo tried stepping forward to punch her opponent, but the seven Pikachu ran away to the other side of the battlefield until they heard Owen talk to them.
"Pikachu, get in close and use Nuzzle!" All seven of the Pikachu sprinted across the battlefield and their faces were covered in electricity. Two hopped forward, two ran to flank, and the other three continued to run straight forward. Mienfoo was so overwhelmed by her foes that they all connected with their attacks, electrocuting and paralyzing her on contact.
"No, Mienfoo!" Korrina cried once her Pokemon stood frozen in place, giving Owen and Pikachu an opportunity for a followup attack.
"Use Electro Ball!" the teen commanded while pointing at Mienfoo. Pikachu's clones disappeared after they threw him into the air, and a ball of electricity formed on the end of his tail. After doing a few flips, Pikachu whipped his tail and the attack crashed into Mienfoo, sending her flying off the battlefield. Upon hitting the ground below the battlefield, Mienfoo was twitching and unconscious.
"Mienfoo is unable to battle! Korrina, choose your next Pokemon!"
"Thanks, Mienfoo. Machoke, change the momentum!" Machoke exploded from Korrina's second Pokeball, and he began pounding his fists against his chest powerfully. The bulky fighting type looked across the room and recognized Owen and Frogadier, but he didn't do anything to intimidate them because of Charizard's presence.
"This battle will be between Machoke and Pikachu! Begin!"
"Rock Tomb, Machoke!" In nanoseconds Machoke punched the ground and a pyramid of rocks pressed up against Pikachu forcefully. Frogadier looked over at Owen while Pikachu began to grunt in pain after being stuck for nearly ten seconds, but the trainer finally came up with a way for his Pokemon to escape the attack.
"Hang in there, Pikachu! Break the rocks with Thunderbolt and then use Quick Attack!" A large wave of electricity exploded from the rocks and Pikachu dashed forward. The yellow rodent then crashed into Machoke, but Korrina's quick reactions presented a bit of an issue for Owen and Pikachu.
"Grab Pikachu!" Before Pikachu could try and get away Machoke put him in a chokehold. The evolved Pokemon continued to push against Pikachu's throat, trying to make him faint, but Pikachu refused to go down without a fight.
"Shock 'em with Thunderbolt to get loose!" Machoke was surprised to be zapped by Pikachu, and the ferocity of the attack made the fighting type lose his grip.
"Now use Vital Throw!" Korrina commanded, knowing that Pikachu was about to get away. Machoke responded by grabbing Pikachu, jumping in the air, and readying himself to throw Pikachu into the ground on Owen's side of the battlefield.
"Hit Machoke with Nuzzle before he throws you!" Pikachu rubbed his face against Machoke's arm while he was releasing static, but the fighting type fought through the effects of the attack.
"Ma-choke!" the Pokemon roared as he hurled Pikachu into the ground violently, dealing a significant amount of damage to the already battered rodent. Owen bit his bottom lip as Pikachu slowly pushed himself back onto his feet, and he began panting rapidly. He then turned to glance back at Owen, who caught onto the signal Pikachu was trying to convey.
"Pikachu, return!" As Owen zapped the popular Pokemon back into his Pokeball Pikachu and Charizard exchanged nods, which seemed to signal the end of Charizard's hatred for the electric type.
"That was a good decision," Eddy complimented with admiration for Owen. "He has to go with Tyrunt here. After all, that was the only win Owen had in their first battle."
"Gastly, it's time to shine!" Owen shouted. Gastly appeared from the Pokeball and looked at her surroundings before trembling slightly. "Gastly, don't be scared. Just have fun and give it your all," the ghost's trainer instructed calmly. Gastly looked at Frogadier and Charizard, both of whom nodded in support of Owen's statement, before smiling and floating forwards.
"Why'd he choose Gastly? They haven't battled together!" Eddy quizzed while looking at Cindy, who shrugged in response. He turned to Brooklyn after, waiting for a response.
"Owen's confident in himself and his Pokemon. It's as simple as that." The eight year old pulled out a journal and a pen before jotting down the response, and he began scribbling furiously.
"This battle will be between Machoke and Gastly! Begin!"
"Just because Gastly's a ghost type doesn't mean we can't hurt it. Foresight!" Korrina demanded. Machoke's eyes turned pure white as he began to lock on to Gastly, who waited awkwardly for Owen's command.
"You won't be able to if you're confused!" the fifteen year old responded confidently. "Gastly, use Confuse Ray!" Gastly focused on Machoke and fired two orange rings of energy towards the fighting type, who was hit by the status inflicting attack.
"Damnit! Machoke, focus and use Power-Up Punch!" Machoke began to teeter back and forth before he struck himself in the face with a Power-Up Punch, which increased his attack power, much to Korrina's dismay.
"Now use Lick!" Gastly flew over to Machoke and licked him, which somehow managed to damage the fighting type, though it may have been psychologically.
"Use Power-Up Punch!" Again, Machoke punched himself with even more force than before, and his attack was boosted once again. Gastly watched her foe from afar before creeping up and preparing a final attack.
"Gastly, finish this with Night Shade!" The ghost's eyes flashed purple before a blade of purple energy slashed him across the chest, knocking him onto his back and out cold.
"Machoke is unable to battle! Korrina, choose your last Pokemon!"
"Great effort, Machoke, thank you." Korrina slowly withdrew her second fainted Pokemon and looked over at Lucario, who had a grin on his face while Owen was celebrating with Gastly. "You've done a great job so far, Owen. But it's time for us to get serious."
"Okay, give us everything you've got!" Owen responded energetically. Frogadier also cheered alongside his trainer while Charizard nodded at the gym leader and her strongest Pokemon.
"Lucario, take the field and Mega Evolve!" Lucario took a few steps forward, and then he began to glow while Korrina tapped the band on her wrist. Everyone watched as Lucario transformed into his Mega form, and they were amazed by the transformation even though they had already seen it. The light was suddenly thrown off of the aura wielding Pokemon when he tossed his arms to his sides, and Lucario stared at his opponents out of the corner of his eye.
"Gastly, I want you to stay in battle. Are you up for it?" Owen inquired.
"Stly," the low leveled Pokemon replied unconfidently as she floated away from her trainer and towards Lucario. The Mega Pokemon slowly turned and squared his shoulders to Gastly, and he motioned for the ghost to approach him, rattling Gastly's nerves.
"This battle will be between Lucario and Gastly! Begin!"
"Lucario, use Dragon Pulse!" the young gym leader barked aggressively. Owen was completely caught off guard by the attack, resulting in Gastly being clobbered by the spiraling ray of energy.
"Gastly, use Confuse Ray!"
"Slash through it with Bone Rush and use Dragon Pulse again!" Lucario generated a light blue staff of energy in his paws before he smacked the orange rings of energy away. Then, he fired another blast of draconic energy from his paws towards his ghost opponent, who was crushed by the attack once again, and she fell to the ground.
"Gastly, please get up!" Owen pleaded as the ghost and poison type tried to get back up, but she struggled to do so.
"End this with another Dragon Pulse!" In the blink of an eye, Gastly was launched off the battlefield and she smacked against the ground with her eyes shut.
"Gastly is unable to battle! Owen, choose your next Pokemon!"
"Wow, Lucario looked unstoppable," Brooklyn told the younger members of the group, who nodded. "I hope Owen pulls this off."
"Awesome job, Gastly, you gave it everything you had." The teen turned to look at Frogadier and Charizard after zapping his fallen Pokemon to her Pokeball, and was reassured when they both gave him a thumbs up. "Pikachu, come on out!" Pikachu landed in front of Owen after his Pokeball opened, and he noticed the physical changes Lucario had gone through, which made him feel uneasy.
"This battle will be between Lucario and Pikachu! Begin!"
"Set the tone and use Aura Sphere!" Lucario quickly put his paws together and he fired a series of blue orbs of energy towards Pikachu, who was so shocked by the size and power of the attacks that he was unable to move.
"Pikachu, dodge with Double Team!" Just before the Aura Sphere attacks could hit Pikachu, he multiplied and managed to avoid the powerful spheres. He was shocked, however, when Lucario began running forwards at the speed of light.
"Bone Rush!" Lucario generated another staff of blue energy and he began to whack through all of the Pikachu clones at a ferocious pace. Eventually, Lucario reached the real Pikachu and unleashed a barrage of attacks on him. The super effective attack dealt loads of damage, and Lucario finished with a wicked uppercut that launched Pikachu straight into the air.
"Spin and use Thunderbolt, Pikachu!" Pikachu started to spin wildly as he unleashed a wave of electricity that danced through the air, and its unpredictable path made it difficult for Lucario to approach.
"Stop Pikachu's spinning with Aura Sphere, and then land Close Combat!" Lucario fired a series of Aura Sphere attacks that crashed through the electricity and left Pikachu spinning defenselessly. The fighting type then shot into the air and began to punch and kick Pikachu violently, making Pikachu cry out in pain.
"Use Double Team to escape!" Owen commanded in an attempt to stop the onslaught of attacks.
"Finish this with Force Palm!" Lucario quickly threw his arm forward and his paw landed on Pikachu's chest before an explosion of energy was released, sending Pikachu straight into the ground.
"Pikachu is unable to battle! Owen, choose your last Pokemon!"
"Thanks for the tough fight, Pikachu." As Owen withdrew Pikachu to his Pokeball Brooklyn and the others were losing their confidence in him.
"I don't think there's anyone that can match Lucario's strength," Cindy announced as she watched Owen consult his two starters.
"You're right, but he doesn't need to try and fight power with power. Owen could always try to outwit them and use some kind of strategy that would completely throw Korrina off her game," Brooklyn informed Cindy harshly. While the two began to bicker, Eddy looked up from his journal and watched as Owen patted both of his starters on the back before drawing his third and final Pokeball.
"This is it. Hawlucha, it's all up to you!" Bright grins appeared on Korrina and Lucario's faces as Hawlucha appeared with his arms crossed in front of his chest. He instantly took a battle position when he realized he was facing Lucario again, and was hellbent on getting revenge. "Remember, Hawlucha, we'll win this together!" Owen exclaimed while punching the air above his head.
"Lucha," Hawlucha replied before turning back around to face off with Lucario.
"This battle will be between Lucario and Hawlucha! Begin!"
"Lucario, use Force Palm!" The Mega Evolved Pokemon ran towards Hawlucha while his paw began to glow yellow, and he threw his arm forward harshly. Despite the speed of the attack, Owen was more than capable of countering.
"Dodge it and fight back with Karate Chop!" Hawlucha ducked under the physical attack, and then he swung at Lucario while his arm was glowing white. The super effective attack struck Lucario in the chest, but the fighting and steel type wasn't pushed back by the force.
"Retaliate with Close Combat!" Korrina commanded loudly. Lucario happily obliged and prepared to unleash a storm of punches and kicks that would send Hawlucha through a brick wall, but Owen screamed to his Pokemon before Lucario could attack.
"Block until you see an opening and then use Aerial Ace!" Hawlucha threw his arms in front of his body just before Lucario's first punch landed, and Hawlucha's arms absorbed all of the punches Lucario had to offer. After one final block, Hawlucha sprung forward and slammed his head into Lucario's stomach, and the two began to tumble while punching each other violently.
"Throw Hawlucha into the air and use Aura Sphere!" Somehow Lucario managed to get off the ground, and he grabbed Hawlucha by the legs before hurling him into the air. Then, the Mega Pokemon fired the most powerful Aura Sphere he could, and it exploded on contact with Hawlucha. The fighting and flying type fell from the air while a cloud of smoke formed, but he landed on his feet.
"Hawlucha, charge with Wing Attack!" Hawlucha sprinted towards Lucario while his wings were glowing white, and he started to smack the taller Pokemon repeatedly. Korrina watched as Lucario was being beaten, trying to think of a way to keep Hawlucha at a distance until an idea popped into her head.
"Lucario, kick Hawlucha into the air and use Dragon Pulse!" As Hawlucha wound up to strike Lucario again, the bipedal dog kicked Hawlucha in the chin and sent him into the air once again. Then, Lucario reared his head back before firing a spiraling ray of draconic energy towards his target.
"Fly towards the roof to dodge!" Owen screamed as he noticed the cloud of smoke that was beginning to dissipate. Hawlucha spread his wings and zipped towards the roof, and he put his feet on the roof before launching himself towards Lucario.
"Jump and use Extremespeed!"
"Flying Press!" Lucario launched himself into the air while a swirling vortex of white light spiraled around his body, and Hawlucha began to spin while his body was outlined by a white light. The two attacks collided at full speed and a wave of force sent everyone in the room flying backwards while the two Pokemon were thrown towards the floor and roof. Lucario slammed against the battlefield while Hawlucha smashed into the roof before falling back to the ground, and Owen winced as he heard his Pokemon smack against the ground.
Miraculously, both Pokemon began to push themselves off the ground in an attempt to continue fighting.
"Come on, Hawlucha! You can do it!" Eddy screamed while clapping for the fatigued Pokemon.
"Yeah! There's no way you can lose!" Cindy hollered.
"We believe in you, Hawlucha!" Brooklyn shrieked.
Hearing all of the cheers for him, Hawlucha's eyes shot wide open and he managed to get onto his feet. After doing so, Hawlucha watched as Lucario continued to struggle before his arms gave out, which ended the battle.
"Lucario is unable to battle! That means Owen is the winner!"
"Wahooo!" Owen cheered as he ran towards Hawlucha and embraced him. "You were incredible, Hawlucha!"
"Froga!/Rawr!" Frogadier and Charizard exclaimed in unison as they patted the fighting type on the back.
"Haw-cha," Hawlucha muttered with a smile before collapsing in Owen's arms, prompting the teen to withdraw Hawlucha to his Pokeball.
"Owen, that was a great rematch, and you displayed an overwhelming amount of progress. Here, this is the Rumble Badge. The next gym is in Coumarine City, which is really close by. Good luck with the rest of-" Korrina was cut off in the middle of her speech by a violent shaking that knocked everyone down. A deafening roar followed the shaking, and screams could be heard from outside.
"What the hell is going on out there?" Owen shouted over the screams.
"I don't know, but let's go check it out," Korrina replied decisively. The five trainers ran out of the gym and made their way outside, only to be terrified by the sight. "Oh my god. The Tower of Mastery..." the teen said before drifting off.
A large carrier was camped above the tower, and explosions were occurring. Suddenly, a fire broke out, and the citizens of Shalour began to scream even louder.
"Charizard, let's go!" Owen yelled as he hopped onto the lizard's back. Before anyone could say anything, Charizard took off towards the tower, leaving the others behind. While heading towards the explosions, Owen looked up at the carrier and saw a skull with crossbones painted on it.
"Team Grim? What are they doing here?"
000
"Are you sure he's here, Ariel?"
"Of course I am. Frank has to be here, Blaziken," Ariel replied coldly. The mysterious girl peeked over a large tree only to see a massive aircraft carrier flying near the Tower of Mastery and several explosions. "What'd I tell you?"
"So what exactly are we going to do?" Blaziken asked, ignoring his trainer's comment.
"It's simple. We storm the tower and kill all of those grunts." Ariel then looked back towards the tower, only to see a small body flying through the air. As she focused on it, a frown spread across her face and she began to growl.
"What's wrong?"
"Owen's here, too."
"That makes this a lot more interesting."
Cliffhanger! That concludes Owen's gym battle with Korrina, and now Ariel will be reappearing along with Team Grim. Now, let's focus on what this chapter was truly about; Owen's battle! Thanks to Hawlucha, Owen managed to win his third badge of the Kalos region, and he will be heading off for Coumarine soon, but we'll have to deal with the conclusion of this arc first. Till next time, peace out.
1) Who was the MVP of the gym battle?
2) Why is Team Grim attacking?
3) What is Ariel doing here?
4) Any predictions for the next arc?
Next Chapter: Mega Destruction: Team Grim has invaded the Tower of Mastery, and Gurkinn is being held hostage! In order to save him, Owen and Charizard must defeat Frank and his Dragonite. However, a small problem arises when Ariel and Blaziken join the fight. Why is Team Grim invading? What side is Ariel on? Will Gurkinn be rescued?
Coumarine Arc Chapters
Chapter 30: Back to the Ranch
Chapter 31: The Garden Guardian Part 1
Chapter 32: Coumarine Contest
Chapter 33: The Garden Guardian Part 2
Chapter 34: A Mega Crossover!
Chapter 35: Shadow Punch: Haunter vs Gogoat
Chapter 36: Crouching Rival, Hidden Meganium
Chapter 37: Daniel's Decision
Chapter 38: Double Date Double Battle
Chapter 39: The Plan Unfolds
