=Chapter 22, The Dynamo Badge=

*Jacob To Arky*

*Hello Arky, I'm sorry that this message to you is going to be extremely short, but in a few hours Karen and I are going to be challenging the Mauville Gym Leader for our third badge. With Team Snagem gone from Mauville, Electra can resume her normal duties as a Gym Leader, which is why so many trainers have been waiting in Mauville City for so long. Why you never taught me about Mega Evolution is something I guess only you can explain, because jeez Arky, that Mega Manectric is incredible!*

*You should have seen it, Karen's and my teams were down and Snagem still had their leader's Pidgeot. Yet as soon as Electra and Volt took over, they were absolutely helpless, and Sara and I both agreed that we have never seen anything more beautiful in our lives as witnessing Mega Evolution with our own eyes!*

*But as amazing as witnessing Electra's Mega Evolved Manectric was, challenging the two of them for our third badge is going to be extremely difficult. How can we defeat a Mega Evolved Pokemon, is the biggest problem me and my team face. We've gone over every one of our strategies and tactics, but we still have no idea how to deal with the overwhelming power of a Mega Evolved Pokemon!*

*Still, we have our match in a few hours, I have to come up with something, my team is counting on me!*

*So much pressure to not let my team down, what I would give for some more of your advice Arky… or heck even a few words of encouragement…*

(Jacob's PoV)

"Alright, Manectric is an Electric Pokemon that's especially effective with nonphysical attacks such as Thunderbolt, but Volt is well trained for speed so it can easily take on opponents that are using ranged attacks." Jacob said to his team as they sat in a huddle in their room at the Pokemon Center. "Even if we had Kora here with us, I wouldn't send her out against that Pokemon because she's weak against electric attacks. Out of all of you, you have the strongest chance of winning Harold because you have some resistance to electrical attacks."

"Grovyle!" Harold replied, nodding in understanding.

They were going over some last minute strategies to find some weakness they could exploit in defeating Electra's Mega Evolved Manectric. However after the small display of their combined power, Jacob and his team had to admit that they were really against the odds this time. Only Fera and her Gyarados could come close and even surpass the power that they were up against.

"So out of all of you, only three of you are really capable of taking on this Pokemon without the type working against you, Harold, Ivan, and you Sara." He said, looking at the three team members one after another. "Sorry Roran and Coral, but you'd both be destroyed by that Mega Manectric, so you'll have to sit this battle out."

"Swellow!" Roran chirped in understanding, which Sara translated for him. "I understand!"

"Milotic." Coral said gently. "If you need me I'm here."

"So that leaves us with the big question of how we are going to beat Electra!" Jacob said, scratching his head as he still had no real answer to that question. "At this point it seems like a Mega Evolved Pokemon is almost unbeatable, I mean how can we beat one when they become stronger, faster, and can endure more hits than a normal Pokemon of their species can?"

(We'll find a way Jacob!) Sara said confidently. (It's like you tell us, every Pokemon has a weakness of some kind!)

"Yea but Manectric is only weak against ground types, and none of you are ground types." Jacob replied. "Which means it's going to be a struggle no matter what we do."

"Arf!" Ivan barked. "So what!"

"Gro, Grovyle vyle, vyle vyle Gro!" Harold said. "Yea, so what if it's a struggle, it's not like the other Gym battles were easy!"

Jacob gave a small smile and nodded to his two strongest team members, both mentally and physically. They were indeed right, if a Gym battle was easy then everyone would have become champions by now. "Alright then, Coral, Roran, wish us luck you two!" He said as he put his hand in the middle of their small circle. "Let's do this team!"

They all put a hand, a paw, a wing, a tailfin, and a clawed hand atop Jacob's before all nodding in agreement. After the pep talk they were all returned to their balls and he and Sara left the room to meet up with Karen.

Unfortunately for him while he and his team had spent their entire morning trying to plan and prepare to face Electra's Pokemon, Karen clearly went on ahead of him to for her match. He never understood her reckless behavior or why she was so eager to challenge an opponent she knew was exceptionally strong, or even why she enjoyed taking on overwhelming odds. True her team was strong, but she lacked diversity, the big difference between hers and Jacob's team that gave him an advantage over most trainer's and Gym Leaders.

All he wanted to know was why she was so eager to go on ahead with any battle proposed to her.

(I don't know either Jacob, but I know she has her reasons.) Sara told him as she walked alongside him.

"Is she somehow blocking you like Zarak was capable of?" Jacob asked the Kirlia, looking down at her and smiling at how cute she looked, following in step with him, making each stride seem like she was performing Ballet.

(No, I never looked because I think it would be an invasion of her privacy.) She said, smiling back at him as she felt his cheerfulness. (She should be allowed to keep some thoughts to herself right?)

Jacob nodded, recalling what his teacher taught him about psychic Pokemon. He remembered how a psychic type doesn't invade another's mind at a whim, because it is their last sanctuary where they could have privacy and piece of mind. "So why is it you don't mind looking around my mind but you do with others, just out of curiosity?" He asked.

(Well I just figured you were comfortable with me in your mind, it's the best way for me to talk to you and I can't help but being privy to whatever you're feeling or thinking!) She replied with a nervous smile. (I just never look into people's mind unless they… you know… have bad feelings or bad thoughts. Are you mad at me… because I'll stop if you want but… well I won't be able to translate for you anymore…)

"I don't mind Sara, I was just curious is all." He said, bending low to scratch her hair and make her giggle. "Just don't poke around people's heads without their permission, alright?"

(Alright!) Sara said cheerfully as they left the Pokemon Center.

They turned into the outer ring of Mauville and headed toward the where Gym that had previously been closed with a sign hanging in its doorway, was now devoid of such a sign. What surprised him was that there was a lack of trainers waiting in line outside the gym to enter. He was curious as to why this was until, as he reached for the door to open it, the door opened up on its own and smacked him in the face.

"I GOT MY BADGE!" Karen shouted gleefully as she ran past Jacob, completely ignoring him clutching his face. "Oh it was so hard to get but I GOT MY THIRD BADGE!"

"Zats ice aren… now can you lease top urting me?" Jacob complained as he clutched his nose and face in pain.

"What was that, oh Jacob!" Karen said, finally noticing him. "Ehehehe, sorry Jacob I kinda got carried away, didn't see you there."

"I can tell…" He replied as Sara looked at him with a worried expression, feeling his annoyance at having to endure Karen's crazy personality. "I guess you won your badge, how hard was it?"

"Incredibly difficult my friend!" She declared, straightening her vest up and looking very exhausted. "It was incredibly difficult Jacob, Electra is not an easy opponent and she did not go easy on me! Not to mention Volt was incredibly fast and incredibly strong, Shrew barely won at the end and it was thanks to this one Counter we used as a last resort. If we hadn't tried that last ditch attempt when she and Volt made their move we would have lost badly."

"So how many Pokemon did she use?" Jacob asked.

"To be honest she only ever used one, and that was her Manectric, Volt. But here's the kicker Jacob, if you can defeat Volt you win the badge." She said with a smile. "That's her only rule, defeat Volt her Manectric and you will have earned your Dynamo Badge!"

"Defeat Volt, you mean defeat her Mega Pokemon?" Jacob asked, confirming his worry about the challenge he and his team had to face.

"Yep, she went Mega after Ziggles went out onto the field, and he was my second Pokemon that I picked to battle with." She said as she held up three of her Pokeballs. "Jacob, I'm sorry for not wanting to watch your battle but I need to get my team over to the Pokemon Center real fast, they really took a beating and I want to make sure they're alright and taken care of. I'll catch up with you later."

"Alright Karen, see you later!" Jacob said as she turned to leave, but paused at the last moment to look back at him.

"Oh there is one thing you should know Jacob, and it's something we seriously have to work on from here on out." She said, sounding very serious. "What we've been doing for our teams has worked so far but, well we really need to work on how we train our team if we're going to continue competing in the Pokemon League."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You'll understand better after Electra demonstrates, anyway I'll catch you later Jacob!" Karen said, still sounding serious as she turned and headed toward the Pokemon Center.

They watched Karen leaving, both Sara and Jacob thinking the same thought. *What was that about?* they thought together as they headed into the Mauville Gym for the first time.

The inside of the gym was absolutely nothing like the previous gyms he visited, this one had only one single, large room with all of the electrical wires exposed and three platform serving as a battling arena for both gym leader and trainer as well as their Pokemon. Now that he and Sara had a good look at the gym's interior, he saw why there wasn't a large line outside; there was hardly any room on the other side of the door for more than one or two people to stand.

"Whoa." Jacob said as he saw all of the electrical wiring lining the entire gym's walls and floor, including the ceiling.

(How is this possible?) Sara asked him, absolutely awed by the sight of the room. (How is anyone capable of doing this?)

"I have no idea Sara; I have absolutely no clue about how anyone could do this!"

"It's simple; you see this gym is the nerve center for Mauville's entire electrical grid." Electra's voice said from across the room, causing Jacob to look over at the other platform on the other side.

Electra was wearing a lab coat with special goggles dangling from her neck and wearing shock proof rubber gloves. Alongside her was Volt her Manectric in his normal form, scratching his ear with his rear leg and awaiting her instructions. "The entire gym?" Jacob asked.

"That's right Jacob, you see when my father redesigned Maville he designed the Mauville Gym to be capable of supporting the entire city's electrical grid. That's why I use platforms here for trainers and Pokemon to stand and battle on. The wonder of this particular gym is that these wires are all wrapped in special material to protect against external damage. They are protected against electrical surges from outside sources, they are flame resistant to prevent any overheating, they are insulated against freezing temperatures and are each about three inches thick to prevent anything short of a Carvanha's bite force from cutting through them. So don't be afraid of damaging anything in this room because your Pokemon missed my Volt."

"So Jacob, I assume you are here to battle for your Gym badge correct?" Electra said, assuming a more professional tone as she petted Volt's mane.

"That's right!" Jacob said as he and Sara secretly went over their strategy for battle against Volt psychically.

"Well Jacob, here at the Mauville Gym we do things slightly different than what other gyms might do." Electra said, sounding serious as Volt mirrored her look. "In this Gym all challengers must battle me and Volt with a team of three Pokemon. You are allowed to use any three Pokemon and can substitute any out and swap in another at any time, so long as that Pokemon is capable of battling. The victory condition remains unchanged, defeat my Volt and the Dynamo Badge is yours."

"Alright." Jacob said in understanding.

"Then let's get this battle started Jacob, Volt let's show this rookie what he's in for!" Electra said, taking out her pen and chewing the Pokeblock on it.

"Manectric!" Volt said as he jumped off of Electra's platform and onto the much larger one that took up most of the room's space between her and Jacob. Jacob also noticed that Volt was wearing his Mega Stone headpiece in his mane.

"Alright then, I choose Sara!" Jacob said.

(Right!) Sara told him as she concentrated for a moment, before she vanished from his side as she teleported onto the platform.

They decided that Sara's capabilities and psychic powers would give her an edge over the Manectric no matter what form it assumed, if she could avoid taking direct hits she would be just fine. Their plan was simple, use Double Team to avoid the attacks while using her Confusion to assault him at a distance.

"Alright then, this match is for the Dynamo Badge, I the Gym Leader Electra vs the challenger Jacob from Littleroot!" Electra said in an official voice. "Let the match begin!"

"Sara!" Jacob shouted, giving her a nod and she instantly started off using her Double Team.

"Kirlia!" Sara yelled, using her powers as she started making duplicate images of herself in a circle around Volt. "Kirl Kirl Kirl Kirl Kirl!" She shouted each time a duplicate was made.

In a few seconds Volt was surrounded by a large amount of after images of Sara as she continued to use Double Team to confuse the Manectric, however he still seemed unconcerned because of the discipline he and Electra had gone through. Hoping that he wasn't going to make a move anytime soon, Jacob and Sara went into their second phase of the plan.

All of the after images of Sara stopped moving and each went into the same movement she performed as she prepared her psychic powers for a blast of Confusion. Just before she could unleash the attack however, Electra shouted, "Volt use you're Protect!"

*Protect, it knows Protect?* Jacob thought a moment too slow.

"Manec!" Volt replied as he closed his eyes for a brief moment.

"Kirlia!" Sara yelled as she carried out her Confusion, just before Jacob could warn her about the move.

"TRIC!" Volt roared as his eyes flung open and a barrier of purple light stood in front of him for a split second, before it vanished as it faded out of existence with Volt unharmed.

"Good try Jacob, but my Volt will not be defeated easily by your Sara's psychic powers!" Electra shouted. "Now we know where she is, Volt switch to Wild Charge and target the ones on the left!"

"Manectric!" Volt roared, crackling with electricity and charging to his left where Sara was hidden among the other after image Saras.

*Quick use Double Team again and get away!* Jacob thought, which Sara instantly obeyed and created a new wave of fake images of herself.

Volt smacked headlong into a few of the fake Saras and looked around only momentarily to see where she had gone. Sara had subconsciously used Teleport and was now positioned on the right of the platform, yet it seemed that without even looking directly at Sara and merely hearing his trainer yell out "She's on the right now!", before he went into another Wild Charge in her direction.

(How are they finding me?) Sara asked Jacob as they went through another round of Teleport and Double Team to try and avoid the attack.

*I have no idea Sara, it's like Electra can tell Volt where you are without saying a word.* He thought as he watched Electra turn her head again towards where Sara was, not looking directly at her but in her general direction, an action mimicked by Volt. *It's like they are of one mind, the other moves just as the other does without even having to say a word! How are we going to fight this kind of Pokemon-Trainer connection with our level of experience and training?*

It was as Electra shouted at Volt to once again go into a Wild Charge with more precise directions this time, that he noticed something with the platform. As the Manectric discharged electricity, most of it encompassed his body while the rest either spread out into the air, vanishing as they left his body, or struck the ground and spread through the platform, something he failed to notice the first time he saw it. The platform was made entirely of small metallic plates with strings of copper lining the space between the plates and connecting to the wiring conduits below the platform to prevent the Volt's electricity from overcharging the platform. The copper wiring was also acting as a perfect sweeping mechanism for the electric type, allowing him to see which images of Sara weren't being affected because she always was at the opposite side of him, eliminating one half of the part of the platform she could be hiding, which is where his electrical surges were being channeled through the wires and touching each image.

*That's it!* Jacob thought, and thanks to their psychic connection Sara was able to learn as well about how the Gym Leader was keeping up as Sara dodged yet another Wild Charge with a combination of Teleport and Double Team. *Sara, stop using Double Team, it's pointless with the copper wires going through the platform!*

(Then what do we do, go on the offense?) Sara asked as she ceased her Double Team, causing all of the after images to vanish, leaving only the real Sara on the platform.

*No Choice, prepare to use Confusion, we have to try and strike him while he's charging.*

(Got it!) Sara said, preparing her powers to attack the Manectric.

"Volt, Wild Charge again!" Electra shouted.

"Manectriiiiiiiiic!" Volt roared, crackling electricity and going into yet another run at Sara.

Sara waited only a second before she unleashed her attack on the charging Volt.

The Confusion attack hit Volt at full power, yet the Manectric shrugged the attack and struck Sara head on with his strike, causing Sara to scream in pain as she her body was wracked with electrical shocks as well as the physical force of the charge. She was flung into the air to land heavily on the platform while Volt shook his head in pain; in just the same way as Electra was doing, holding her head with her hands as though she had received a headache.

"SARA!" Jacob shouted as he felt Sara cut off her psychic connection to spare him the backlash of her pain. "Electra, time out, Sara has no Pokeball!"

Electra nodded as she rubbed her forehead Volt sat down, waiting for Jacob to jump over and pick up Sara from where she was lying. "Sara, are you alright?" He asked as he held her limp form, just as the electrical surges ceased attacking her.

"Kir… lia…" Sara moaned as she nodded slowly, gripping him tightly as she recovered from the attack.

"I wish I could understand you, but I'll assume you want to sit out for now?" He asked.

"Kirl… lia Kirl." She said with another nod.

Jacob went back to his platform and with one hand while holding Sara with the other, pulled out Ivan's Ball and released the Mightyena onto the field. "Ivan, you're up next buddy!" Jacob said.

"Rawr!" Ivan barked, giving Volt an intimidating glare as he revealed his fangs to the Manectric, causing Volt to take a slight step backward before regaining his battle stance.

"Alright Jacob, let's see what you show me and Volt now." Electra said with a smirk. "Volt, get ready!"

"Manec!" Volt barked as he assumed a ready stance.

"Ivan, Howl!" Jacob called out.

Ivan took a deep breath before he howled loudly enough to cause Electra to cover her ears. "RAAAAAAAAWR!"

"Now go into a Take Down attack!" Jacob said, now that Ivan had the stronger attitude to make his attack even stronger.

"Rawr!" Ivan barked in response before sprinting at the Manectric, recklessly pushing his leg muscles to make him go faster.

Take Down was Ivan's most effective attack outside of his standard Bite, and despite it putting enormous strain on his legs and injuring his legs slightly when he used it, they both knew they had to take the risk to win this battle quickly. Out of all three of Jacob's team members, Ivan was by far his most aggressive and heaviest hitter, Ivan prefers the really aggressive and head on strategy they were using over the safer direct attack approach Jacob would have preferred to use.

"Volt Protect!" Electra shouted, and Volt nodded before once again the strange purple barrier appeared to protect the Manectric.

Ivan ran into it head on, his attack no more injuring Volt than a gentle breeze could. The barrier caused Ivan to simply glance off it and land uninjured before the barrier broke down. "An aggressive strategy, a similar approach to your friend's earlier." Electra commented as Volt assumed a more defensive stance. "You two fight very similarly with your Pokemon. However if that's all you have you'll never win, Volt and I are too experienced to lose to such a suboptimal tactic. First you have Sara use evasive moves to make my attacks easier to avoid, using hit and run tactics like Double Team and Teleport with Confusion to do damage. Then you switch tactics and have Ivan Howling to boost his damage capabilities by getting him excited for battle and then going into an all-out attack strategy is highly predictable against overwhelming odds. You are just like every other trainer me and Volt face day after day when we aren't making sure this city's electrical systems are working properly."

"What are you talking about; Ivan and I are proud of what we can do!" Jacob said a little angrily, a tone matched by Ivan's eyes as he glared at Electra with a snarl.

Volt shifted his head to look at Electra, who nodded at her Pokemon before he nodded as well. "Let's show him what we mean, Volt use Ice Fang!"

"Manec…" Volt said, opening his mouth and revealing his fangs as they suddenly had a thin layer of ice slowly starting to coat them, with an icy mist coming from his mouth. "Triiiiiiiiiic!"

Volt then broke into a sprint and clamped down on Ivan's back before the Mightyena could react fast enough. As Ivan roared in pain and flailed to get Volt off of him, all Jacob could do was think *How is an electric type capable of learning an ice type move!* He thought. *That shouldn't be possible unless…*

That was when a memory of his lessons broke into his mind, a part of his lessons that Arky had never quite fully explained the intricacies because he said that it was up to him to make happen. But he distinctly remembered one particular phrase about how a Pokemon can learn moves that it normally couldn't learn, that also answered how Volt and Electra seemed to think and move so in sync.

(This bond is what gives a Pokemon its true strength. That bond determines how both the trainer and Pokemon grow from that moment onward, both as individuals and as a team; they grow together as though they were one being. After that happen, then the Pokemon will be able to learn abilities it couldn't naturally learn on its own.)

*Of course… the Pikachu learning Iron Tail, an electric type learning a Steel Type move, how could I have completely forgotten?* Jacob thought as Ivan managed to finally get free of Volt's icy bite. "Ivan, try countering with your Bite attack!"

"Rawr…" Ivan growled as he charged the Manectric with his fangs bared.

"Volt use Ice Fang again!" Electra shouted.

"Maneeeeec…" Volt said as his fangs once more became coated with a thin and sharp layer of ice. "Triiiic!"

Volt counter charged Ivan with his fangs ready as well, however Ivan's bite reached Volt first, and it was only a split second difference that saved Ivan from Volt's attack. The electric type flinched at the pain caused by Ivan's bite and it threw his attack off just enough for Ivan to avoid Volt's fangs. After a brief moment the two once again separated, but now Volt's stance was far more defensive than before. "Well your tactics and moves may be predictable Jacob, but nevertheless they are effective." Electra said with a smirk. "You are definitely going in the right direction with your team, but still you need to adapt or else you'll never stand against the best of the best! As effective a trainer you've been you just aren't doing good enough to raise your Pokemon well above others, you must do more if you want to go very far."

"What I'm doing is not enough… but what am I doing wrong?" Jacob asked himself as he tried to figure out what he was doing wrong.

(Sara's PoV)

Sara glanced up at him and managed to reposition herself so that she could sit properly in his arms. He could feel her reestablish her psychic connection and felt her worry was doubled because of his confusion. She was just as confused as he was, to her he was a great trainer, took good care of them, and yet he was beginning to doubt his capabilities now.

(Jacob's PoV)

Unfortunately he was pulled back from his internal battle and back to the Gym Battle as Volt glanced back at Electra and they both nodded in unison, and Electra pulled out her pen with a smile. "I think it's time we upped the challenge Volt, let's show him what we mean."

"Manectric!" Volt said.

"Jacob, as someone who witnessed your heroics to protect a Key Stone, as well as you and your friend's Pokemon's faith in your strategies in battle, both Volt and I have decided to unleash our true capabilities against you." She said as she twisted open the pen to reveal her own Key Stone, causing it to glimmer beautifully in response to her call. "Mega Evolution isn't something I use frequently these days unless the occasion calls for it. Believe me; if you can somehow defeat Volt in his Mega Evolved state it will be impressive. Now Jacob, show us what you're capable of because anything less than your best will not get the job done. Now Volt…"

"Tric…" Volt growled in understanding, mirroring his trainer's stance without even looking back at her.

"MEGA EVOLUTION!"She shouted, touching the Key Stone with her finger, causing it and Volt's Mega Stone to send out cascades of brilliant multicolored light around the room.

Volt was bathed in light for only a few seconds as he underwent Mega Evolution, growing in size and power. When it ended his mane had nearly tripled in size, covering most of his body as the air crackled with electricity around him.

"So Jacob, now that Volt has evolved again… how will you fight us?" Electra said with a smile, holding her pen in one hand. "Alright Volt, Wild Charge!"

"Maneeeec!" Volt roared as he charged at Ivan, becoming a blur as he ran at the Mightyena.

"Ivan, dodge to the left now!" Jacob shouted instantly.

"Rawr!" Ivan called as he jumped to his left, barely avoiding the Mega Pokemon's direct and powerful attack.

"You think dodging one attack will stop us?" Electra shouted as Volt turned and charged again without slowing down as Ivan landed.

"Triiiiiiiic!" Volt roared again as he closed the distance in the blink of an eye, smacking into Ivan just as he turned to try and face him.

"Ayeeeep" Ivan barked as he was hit with the full force of Volt's attack, unable to dodge it in time. He was sent tumbling to the floor while Volt's momentum forced him to continue running before he could slow down, and as he did his legs shook ever so slightly, a result of the reckless nature of the attack.

"Ivan, are you alright?" Jacob called out as he prepared to recall his Mightyena.

Ivan slowly, ever so slightly stood up, shaking on his feet as he growled fiercely at Volt, who merely turned and assumed an offensive stance again. "Rawr!" Ivan growled back to Jacob, giving a sharp nod to indicate he was alright.

(Jacob… he's not doing too well.) Sara whispered to him. (Recall him before he gets hurt again!)

"I know Sara, but Ivan doesn't want to come back just yet." Jacob said, seeing the fiercely determined look in his Bite Pokemon's eyes, Ivan did not want to be recalled back into his ball just yet.

"I admire your Mightyena's ferocity, but I'm afraid Volt isn't close to being defeated just yet, and by the looks of your friend there he's probably just barely holding on." Electra said as she still retained her confidence. "Well Volt, get ready for Wild Charge!"

"Manec!" Volt said as electricity once more sparked from his mane in jolts and strings.

Jacob knew that Ivan stood no chance in a direct engagement against the Mega Pokemon, Volt was too fast for Ivan to outrun and too powerful to win in a long battle. Ivan was also, as Electra said, holding on dearly as his legs were struggling to hold him up, and he was not going to win a running contest against Volt no matter what condition he was in.

But this gave Jacob an idea, if he could somehow just time it right, then Ivan wouldn't have to run anywhere. "Ivan, get ready!" Jacob shouted.

"Grawr…" Ivan growled as he braced himself.

"Alright Volt, finish off this round with Wild Charge!" Electra shouted.

"Maneeeeec!" Volt cried again as he charged at Ivan once again, crackling electricity as he recklessly charged the Mightyena.

Jacob waited for only half a second before he gave out Ivan's only hope to survive this attack. "Ivan use Bite now!"

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaawr!" Ivan barked as he jumped at Volt and bit down into his massive mane.

This had both the effect Jacob had hoped for but ended in Ivan's defeat, as Volt's attack could not be stopped simply because of a bite. His momentum was too much and the electricity being projected outward was too much for Ivan to endure.

Ivan's bite caused Volt to flinch in pain but he still charged onward, pulling Ivan with him as electricity attacked his body through the bite. Ivan bit down as hard as he could, but the jolts of electricity were too much for him to endure as he was forced to release because the pain was too great. He was sent tumbling to the ground as Volt continued running before he could slow down again. Ivan's mouth was still crackling jolts of electricity as his fangs released static electricity into the floor.

"IVAN!"Jacob shouted as he once again asked for a time out to check his hard fighter, once he got the thumbs up he jumped with Sara to go to his fallen hound. "Ivan speak to me, are you alright buddy?"

Ivan opened his eye to look at Jacob while he winced in pain. "Grrrrrawr…" He moaned, which Sara translated to, "Sorry I failed you…"

Ivan's mouth continued to release small jolts of electricity and he looked really wounded on the outside, but his condition wasn't life threatening from what Jacob could see. Still the fact that his mouth was releasing jolts of electricity worried him, as a Manectric's electricity was dangerous for any non-electric type to handle normally, that didn't even include a Mega Manectric's electricity.

"Don't worry buddy, just come on back and rest for now." Jacob said as he pulled out his Pokeball to recall him. "As soon as this ends we'll take you straight over to the Pokemon Center!"

Ivan vanished in a flash of light back into his Pokeball, and once he was safe and secured Jacob returned to his original position back onto his smaller platform and faced off against Electra once again. "So Jacob, you're down to one Pokemon with Sara and Ivan down." She said, although she didn't sound as confident as she did before. "I wonder who you'll pick, remember I saw your entire team yesterday against Snagem, then again maybe you're team has an ace up its sleeve that I'm not aware of."

Jacob pulled out Harold's ball and released his Grovyle, who took an aggressive stance as he merely looked at Jacob for a brief moment, before nodding in understanding. "Harold, you're all I have left buddy!" Jacob declared.

"Grovyle!" Harold called out, showing his razor sharp leaf blades.

"So you're Grovyle Harold is what you decide on, as expected." Electra said with a small sigh. "I guess you really were planning on taking on my Volt. Well let's see how you two choose to fight! Volt, start off with Wild Charge!"

"Manec!" Volt shouted as his body crackled with electricity just before he charged.

Volt raced at lightning speed toward Harold, but Harold had been expecting it, and jumped just in time to avoid the direct attack. *All that training definitely is paying off!* He thought to himself, remembering how many hours they had spent in Dewford practicing his jump timings and strengthening his leg muscles. "Nice dodge Harold, now move in with Leaf Blade!"

"Grovyle!" Harold replied, landing on the ground and instantly moving to catch up to Volt who was turning around to resume his attack again. "Grooooovyle!" Harold said as he brought the blades on his leaf to bear against the Mega Pokemon. Harold barely flinched as the electricity struck his body, while Volt all but collapsed down on one leg before he regained his stance again, albeit a bit shakier on his legs.

*Why is Electra constantly using Wild Charge, that's not going to win her this battle in the long run if my Pokemon can keep dodging it?* Jacob asked himself as Harold retreated to get some distance. *Volt is fast and knows moves besides Wild Charge, there's no reason she would use it if she can use another, more effective move against my Pokemon. So why is she injuring her own Pokemon on purpose?*

(I don't know either Jacob, it doesn't make sense!) Sara told him as she stood next to him, not standing as steadily as she would have. (I can feel Volt's pain, he's definitely feeling the result of all those attacks, and even his mind is not fully recovered from my Confusion attack. But he doesn't appear too concerned and even still trusts Electra entirely.)

Volt meanwhile was panting slightly as he recovered from the blow Harold had dealt him, despite the numerous beatings and self-inflicted damage his own attacks did he was still standing strong. Electra seemed to be panting slightly as well, but she was still confident as ever. "Nicely done, but Volt and I have one final trick to show you Jacob!" She called out once again, nodding to her Volt who nodded again in understanding. "Volt, use Overheat!"

"Overheat?" Jacob shouted incredulously, just as Volt took in a deep breath and unleashed a massive torrent of flame toward Harold from his mouth. "DODGE IT NOW!"

Harold only needed to hear the first word before he dodged, barely avoiding the attack. The heat was absolutely incredible, the very air in front of Jacob instantly burned up as he shielded his face to protect against it. Just as quickly as the attack came, it ended as Volt shut his mouth to stop the torrent.

"That's right, Volt knows how to use fire type moves as well." Electra said. "We encounter quite a few grass type users and others with Pokemon resilient to electric types, so naturally Volt and I have learned how to fight them without having to rely solely on his electric attacks."

"But doesn't Overheat…" Jacob said as he recalled the move from his lessons with Arky.

"That's right, Overheat eventually fizzles out in terms of power as it's usage in battle is prolonged." Electra said with a smile. "Each time Volt uses it, the damage he can put out with it and similar moves becomes less and less, but as you've noticed Volt is a physical attacker, I've trained him to use physical moves like Wild Charge and Ice Fang, so there's no need to save Overheat except for when confronted with an Ice Type or a Grass Type Pokemon. Now Volt, use Overheat once again!"

"Maneeec!" Volt roared as he released yet another intensely hot burst of flames at Harold, who dodged at the last second but barely avoided being singed.

"Harold, counter with Quick Attack!" Jacob called out, a strategy coming to mind.

"Gro!"

Harold's speed made him a blur a he rushed Volt with a Quick Attack, and smacked into Volt just as he finished his attack. Harold's attack connected and just as fast as Harold struck he rushed away before Volt could counter attack, at least that's what Jacob thought, but Volt proved too quick as without being told he released yet another Overheat, this time right where Harold was going to be, and he hit him with the full force of the attack.

"HAROLD!" Jacob shouted as Harold was engulfed in the torrent of flames.

Moments later Volt stopped the attack and it was revealed that Harold was not as injured as Jacob had though he would be. The attack had been used twice before, and now it was too weak to seriously harm Harold as he shook off the small burns his green body was sporting, although he was far from being one hundred percent healthy.

"Dang, Overheat's not strong enough now." Electra said to Volt, who nodded in agreement. "Alright Volt time for a change of tactics, use Ice Fang!"

"Manec!" Volt said as he opened his mouth to reveal a layer of Ice coating his sharp fangs before he went into a charge.

"Harold, stand your ground!" Jacob shouted.

Harold nodded as he stood still and waited for Volt to reach him, which wouldn't be long rate given his speed. (What, why?) Sara asked incredulously, not reading his mind for the answer in time.

"Now Leaf Blade!" Jacob shouted, and Harold responded at precisely the right time.

"Groooooo!" Harold shouted as, just in time, he swung his leafy blades at Volt just as he was close enough, using the momentum to deal incredible damage to the Mega Pokemon.

Volt's pain was evident as he missed Harold entirely with his attack, flying past him and landing in a crumpled heap. He gave one feeble attempt to get back up, before he collapsed again to the floor.

*We did it…* Jacob thought as the seconds ticked by and Volt still didn't get back up, and the outcome was hammered down when Volt's body glowed for a brief moment and returned to his original form. "WE DID IT!" He shouted enthusiastically, jumping over to Harold onto the larger platform to give his starter a massive hug.

Harold likewise was just as pleased as Jacob was, but unlike Jacob, he couldn't squeeze his trainer in as tight a hug without breaking a limb. Still Harold made his pleasure and joy known by hopping around on his clawed feet, saying "Grovyle, Grovyle!" over and over again. Sara meanwhile had recovered a bit more strength, and was proceeding to pirouette around Jacob and Harold in joy, unable to resist because of her species' nature. Still he felt her happiness as well, this was indeed a really hard fought win and they all knew what it meant for them.

They had gone in trying to figure out how to defeat a Mega Evolved Pokemon, but now they had done what they thought would be impossible. They had defeated a well-trained, well disciplined, and very well prepared Mega Evolved Pokemon.

Electra was walking over to her fallen Pokemon as he wearily managed to stand on his feet, and fed him some multicolored Pokeblocks while Jacob and his team celebrated in the aftermath of their victory. He ate the treat with gusto and soon his legs stopped shaking. "Well done my companion, well fought." She said with a smile.

"Manec!" Volt replied happily.

Electra turned to face Jacob and his team and after allowing them time to revel in their accomplishment, proceeded to walk over and pull something out of her coat. "Congratulations Jacob Beryl, you have proven superior to me and Volt in this battle." She said with a smile, holding out a circular badge with two small rods pointing out of it. "As proof of your victory, I present to you the Dynamo Badge of the Mauville Gym."

Jacob graciously accepted the badge and, after securing it to his hat alongside the other badges, showed it to his two Pokemon, who smiled proudly at their accomplishment. "Thank you ma'am." He said with a smile. "Is Volt alright, I thought he was down for the count?"

Electra smiled as Volt smiled as well before both burst out laughing in their unique ways. "Don't worry about Volt, you may have won the battle but believe me when I say you didn't knock him down for the count." She said. "Volt is far stronger than you think, in fact he could Mega Evolve right now if we so choose. However you won fair and square, so there's no need for us to do that."

"But I don't get it… you just said we…" Jacob said before Electra smacked him on the shoulder.

"Jacoooooob, do you really think me and Volt would truly go 'all out' on you?" She asked him. "We used Mega Evolution yes, but Volt and I held back because you wouldn't have had any other chance. We only ever go full on, all out brawl, no holding back against trainers at our level or unless the occasion calls for it. You probably noticed but Volt's speed didn't match up to when we rescued that Key Stone."

"Yea I sorta did notice that…" Jacob said as his enthusiasm started going down after realizing that Volt and Electra were holding back.

"Don't think too much, believe me we held back only enough so that you could still overcome us, it's my job as a Gym Leader to give you a chance to beat me. Volt is my only trained Pokemon, and as such my rule is simple; beat Volt and win the badge. It's a simple rule but it's one that gives trainers a chance at winning. Now tell me Jacob, did you learn anything from this battle?"

"A little… I mean I learned that your Volt knew different moves than what we were expecting."

Electra nodded, "Indeed." She said. "You see Jacob, you'll find from here on out that what you're used to using in battles won't be as efficient as what others are using. One task a trainer has to perform is teaching their Pokemon different moves for battle, such as Volt's Ice Fang and Overheat. If you can't learn to adapt to your opponents types and strategy while implementing your own, you won't be able to control the battle as you would otherwise."

Electra pulled out a small box from her coat and held it out to him. "Now Jacob, as another reward for winning, I give you this to do as you see fit." She said with a smile.

In confusion Jacob took the box and opened it to reveal an amazing sight, the Key Stone he had rescued was sitting on a soft cushion. The Key Stone itself had changed from its old resting place, a plain old rusted bracelet, and was now sitting in a shiny bracelet in the shape of a sharpened tree with both the tip and base joining together to meet the Stone itself. The Key stone gleamed brilliantly as he looked at it, looking as beautiful, if not more so, than it was when he first laid eyes on it.

"But this is…" He said in astonishment, with Sara and Harold both eyeing it in wonder and awe.

"Yep, it's for you." She said with a smile. "After all the research I did on it yesterday with you and your friend, I found this was far more connected with you than it was with any other trainer in all of Mauville. The proof is how it's gleaming right now, every Key Stone acts this way with its proper owner as well as during the Mega Evolution process. As for how it's here with me and you and not that idiot of a salesman, well let's just say Jenny and him had a few words with each other. Turns out he's a scam artist and has been making money selling rare items to trainers that are actually fakes; she's still having trouble finding a certain Magikarp Salesman scamming trainers, but one small victory at a time. Long story short, he's currently in the Mauville Jail for five months, and this Key Stone is now with its proper owner."

Sara and Harold admired the Key Stone for a few minutes before Jacob had an idea. "Did you by chance find out who owned this before?"

"I'm afraid not, as rare as these stones are there aren't any records for trainers who owned them previously or who currently own them." She said. "Listen Jacob, I know you and your Pokemon have a strong bond together, and with that you will go far. But you need to help them become stronger in more ways than just through simple training methods. It's up to you to help them learn new attack styles and different move types than what they are used to knowing. You'll find the way how to do that in your travels, but just remember there are more ways than one to fight a battle. Just like there is more way than one to channel, generate, and convert electricity there are many ways to teach a Pokemon about how to battle."

"I will remember that Electra, I guess I've been too narrow with what to teach my Pokemon that I've forgotten about teaching them other moves." He said, regretting ever forgetting that one lesson he first learned with Arky.

He vowed he would find a way to teach his Pokemon different moves in the future, however for now, as he took closed the box and proceeded to leave the gym, he was just happy that he had another badge on his hat. Now he had to help Ivan.

=Hours Later in the Pokemon Center=

"Thanks for waiting Mr. Beryl." Nurse Joy said as she led him into the back where his team was waiting for him to pick them up.

"Are they all alright?" He asked as Sara rode atop his shoulder as usual.

"They are, but I figured I should talk to you about one of your Pokemon in particular." She said as she opened a door and showed him inside.

In the treatment room only one Pokemon was out of his ball, and that was Ivan as he sat there waiting for Jacob. The rest of the team was in their balls having been treated earlier. Ivan however had been crackling electricity from his mouth all the time he was out, and so asked Nurse Joy to check on him in particular, fearing something was wrong. He had neglected to tell Karen about his new Key Stone, having forgotten about it once Ivan's health and safety was concerned. However he would tell her about it later, after he was sure Ivan was alright.

"Your Ivan is quite healthy, but I felt like I should tell you that somehow his mouth has gained the ability to generate electricity over time before releasing it along his fangs." She said as Ivan demonstrated this for Jacob by opening his mouth and allowing short jolts of electricity to run through his mouth. "It's going to take time but eventually he'll be able to control the electricity better."

"Is it dangerous for him to use it overtime?" He asked.

"No, as a matter of fact this is quite normal for your Ivan." She said with a smile, pulling out a small chart with symbols and words he had no clue about. "You see, Mightyena are capable of using their fangs to perform different elemental type attacks, such as what your Ivan is doing. He's currently how to do what is normally called 'Thunder Fang', but the other moves his species is capable of learning are also Ice Fang, Fire Fang, and Poison Fang. The different Fang moves he can learn how to do, but you shouldn't teach him or help him learn so many, as controlling so many different types aren't healthy for him."

"So he can use electricity now?" He asked as he petted Ivan's head and scratched him behind the ear, causing him to growl in content.

"Indeed, this gives him quite the edge in battles if I'm right." She said with a smile. "As not many other species of Pokemon are capable of learning so many 'Fang' moves like his are capable of."

"Well Ivan, it may not have been the best way to get it, but I think biting Volt's mane was the best thing to happen to you!" He said with a smile. "Now you can not only cause painful bites, but you can shock them with it as well!"

"RAWR!" Ivan barked, licking Jacob's check but, unfortunately, also causing him to shock his trainer by accident.

"BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Jacob shouted as his body was riddled with electricity momentarily before it passed.

"I think… we need… to do some more… training buddy…" He said with a bit of a stutter.