A/N: Hey All! another long Chapter! I feel like the gym battles will be the longest chapters for the series
B/N: So funny story! Remember the previous Gym Battle? I helped write that one. And I did the same for this one too! I did the gym leader's side of things. Hope you enjoy!
The sun rises over Lilac City, Sonic and crew are still in the Pokémon Center snoozing. Sonic was the first to wake and quietly left a note saying he would be back in a flash. Sonic opened the door took a deep breath and full on sprinted through the city on one of his runs.
He blazed right through the city at incredible speeds. Pikachu held on to Sonic's shoulder and Sonic wall jumped up tall buildings and then jumped high from the tallest building and landed in a grassy field of flowers. It was still morning even though the sun hasn't fully risen yet.
"Well Pikachu, why don't we introduce Girafarig to the rest of the crew?"
"Pika!"
Sonic threw all of his pokémon out of their pokéball's. "Alright everyone, I want you all to meet our new team member! Now careful she is very shy."
Metagross looked at Tyranitar in awe as he knew his Pupitar evolved into a beautiful Tyranitar. Tyranitar noticed his stare and smiled blushing.
Doublade and Gigalith yawned as it was still early in the morning.
Snivy and Pikachu sat together on the ground, being all cute together.
Clauncher was jumping around full of energy.
Sonic threw Girafarig's pokéball and she popped out. She glistened her shiny color and instantly started shaking to see all these pokémon in front of her. She bolted towards Gigalith and pressed herself close to him to avoid the other pokémon.
"Girafarig, these are your new partners on this team," Sonic said softly. "Now everyone, she is a little timid so be nice to her."
She peered from around the giant stone pokémon. She looked up at Gigalith and he nodded. She inched her way closer to the group, although still real close to Gigalith. The others didn't move a muscle as she bowed nervously and fled behind Gigalith. All the pokémon bowed except Clauncher who jumped right towards her. She flinched but only look down to see the blue crustacean give her an adoring look.
She relaxed a bit and gave a weak smile. "Farig." She said hello.
"Now, I hope you all welcome her as best as you guys can, now let's just relax while the others sleep." Sonic then thought for a moment and whooshed off, leaving his pokémon for a few moments before rushing back with some berries in a giant sac. "Here I picked these for you guys, make sure you share and don't fight over them." Sonic held a finger up.
Everyone started to dig in, Pikachu and Snivy sat real close to each other tails entwined as always. Metagross and Tyranitar were sitting close to each other too. Both sharing berries with each other, and Tyranitar growled seductively to Metagross making him nervous. Doublade sliced some berries in too little pieces and ate them.
Gigalith was eating large amounts of berries and he looked down to see Girafarig staring at the ground. He slid her over a pile of berries. She stared at them and looked up to her friend. He nodded, and she smiled wide and started to dig in.
Sonic smiled and turned to see Harlie stretching while walking. She turned to see Sonic and ran over to him.
"Sonic!" She said a bit excited, she caught herself and quickly toned it down. "So, got your pokémon out huh?"
"Yeah, decided the needed some fresh air" She looked at his pokémon team. "Wow, these are some impressive pokémon." She marveled at them. "Impressive team, especially that shiny Girafarig."
"Yeah, she still a little nervous, but she'll come along."
Harlie went quiet for a moment. "Hey, want to come with me to get my Lapras from this professor I left her with?"
"Sure," Sonic agreed. "Alright guys, stay here and I will be right back." Sonic waved to them and his pokémon gave a goodbye back.
Sonic and Harlie walked for a bit to a lab, they entered the clear glass doors and entered a lobby that was relatively empty. Sonic looked around and saw some Mareep running through the lobby playing. He saw a Kecleon staring at him from the wall.
"Ah Harlie, it's good to see you," a suspiciously familiar voice called out.
"Professor Pickle?" Sonic's jaw dropped. "What are you doing here instead of Spagonia?"
"Ah is seems you have met Sonic." Pickle noticed. "Well Sonic, I decided to move out here with my assistant."
"You two know each other?" Harlie asked, looking between Sonic and the professor.
"Yeah, he helped me and Tails with the Dark Gaia problem. Remember when the Earth was splitting apart?"
Harlie nodded her bang swished. It wasn't a pleasant memory for anyone.
Sonic huffed. "We were able to stop him, but with the cost of a friend." Sonic looked down. "Chip, I wonder how you are doing." Sonic stared down at the floor for a few seconds.
"Who was this friend?" Harlie's asked, not able to go on not knowing.
Sonic gave a weak smile. "Well his name was Chip, and he was a good friend who lost his memory. Turns out he was Light Gaia."
"I'm sorry Sonic." Harlie looked down, matching his sadness.
Sonic waved. "Ah, forget about it, I'm sure he is doing fine."
"How's Lapras doing?" Harlie turned to the professor, hopeful to move on from this conversation.
"She should wake up in a few minutes," Pickle responded, also pleased with the change.
Harlie gave a thumbs up. "Thanks Professor."
"No need to thank me, it was the right thing to do. Now Sonic how is that Pikachu of yours?"
"Great! Still having trouble figuring him out though." Sonic smiled, thinking of his yellow partner with only the one tail.
"Ahh… I see still don't know if he can do the evolution or not huh?"
Harlie stood there confused as to what the two were carrying on about, oblivious to the whole ordeal. "What are you two talking about?" Harlie asked.
They both stopped, and Sonic spoke, well you see the Chaos Emeralds right?"
"Those seven magic gems or whatever?"
"Yeah, anyway it seems Sonic's Pikachu when in a tight spot reacts to those Chaos Emeralds in a manner similar to mega evolution, but we aren't sure yet." Then this gave Professor Pickle an idea. "Sonic, whenever you get the time after beating the gym leader here, I want you to bring Pikachu here and let me run some tests on him."
"No problem!" Sonic grinned.
"Interesting Pikachu..." Harlie closed her eyes.
"Sir, Lapras is waking up," Professor Pickles' assistant butted in. "Shall we bring her to the porcupine?"
"My good sir, yes bring her here."
Harlie bolted closer to the professor. "Really? She's all better?"
"Of course, just hold on for a few minutes." The professor walked away.
Harlie plopped down on a couch and she stretched out. Sonic sat in a chair opposite from her.
"So Sonic," Harlie started, hoping to be conversational. "When did you first use your speed?"
"When I fought Eggman for the first time, I was really young, I was living on South Island, His name was Robotnik, but we all call him Eggman. He went with the name eventually though… weird."
She chuckled. "Well, he is obese. Next thing you know he will be Obeson."
"I will actually laugh if he does. So Harlie tell me a little about yourself."
"Um... well." She looked away. Topics about herself were never comfortable.
"Hey, no need to if you don't want to."
She gulped before speaking. "It's fine, it's just it's hard to tell someone about my past... well when I was young I would often be shunned or a social outcast."
Harlie took a deep breath and started remembering.
"Oh, look at the tomboy porcupine, she's trying so hard to be a dude," One female fox whispered.
Harlie looked down and started to sob up.
"No one cared about me," she explained to Sonic, not looking at him. "It was like a curse placed upon you like a cloak of darkness... I mean, sure I know I am somewhat tomboyish but, I do like to do some stuff girls do. I even wanted to date someone, but hence due to the fact no one liked me and shunned me I was alone, with only Togepi."
"Want to fuck a girl instead of a dude?" Another called out.
"Listen, fuck off you skanks!" A blue hedgehog yelled scaring off the others.
"Are you okay?"
"W-who are you?"
"That was the time that I met my first friend." A smile found its way on Harlie's face, Sonic decided it suited her.
"My name is Dakota, I can't stand how the other girls are around you..."
Harlie didn't say anything.
"You're Harlie correct? I don't see anything wrong with acting tomboyish... besides I also heard you have no parents?"
Harlie looked down
"Where do you stay?"
"I'm like a nomad..."
"Tell you what, come to my gym you're welcome at home there..."
"No, I couldn't..."
"Nonsense! Now come on!"
"That is how me and Dakota became friends." Harlie sighed. "She saved me, got me back on my feet and even spent her money to get me a house here in Lilac City. She offered to let me stay in Elecity with her, but I didn't want to depend on Dakota forever. Even though… people at her gym welcomed me and I actually felt like people cared about me... me and Togepi, now a Togetic."
Harlie sighed as she finished her story.
"Gosh Harlie, you had it rough." Sonic blinked, he hated the idea of people going through such hardship.
"Well, to be honest I thought your friends would shun me too," Harlie admitted.
"What? Why?"
"The way I act, my speed... my looks... my personality."
"Hey, we would never shun someone we just met. I promise you, as your trainer and friend, you are most welcome to our group."
"Thanks Sonic..."
"No problem!"
"Ah yes, hope I wasn't interrupting anything." Professor Pickle came bustling along.
The three waited and saw Lapras moving across the floor. As soon as she saw Harlie she bolted towards her. Harlie fell to the ground with a Lapras on top of her licking her face.
"Hahahahey, I missed you too Lapras, I'm glad you're feeling better."
"Laaaap," she chimed.
Harlie stood up and returned Lapras to her pokéball.
"We should be going." Sonic smiled, getting pumped. "I am going to challenge the gym, alright see ya professor."
"Take care Sonic, take care Harlie." Professor Pickle waved.
...
"Hey guys!" Sonic waved as he saw the rest of the crew, they had found his pokémon and even let their out to mingle.
"Hey Sonic, hey Harlie. Where were you?" Tails asked.
"I went with Harlie to go get her Lapras!"
Tails and Knuckles eyed each other and smirked.
"What?"
"Are you interested in Harlie maybe?" Knuckles whispered.
Sonic immediately knew what they were talking about. "Guys why would you think that?"
"Think about it, you go out of your way for her and I can tell you enjoy training her."
"She's a friend and she needs help there. Plus, it is great to train with someone other than Shadow, nothing more. Now where is Clauncher?"
Sonic saw Clauncher being held by Dakota. "Hey Sonic, I was just playing with Clauncher here," she said setting him down. Clauncher quickly scurried over to Harlie and held his pincers up.
"He wants you to hold him." Sonic grinned.
Harlie picked Clauncher up and Clauncher laughed.
"Oh damn, this one is just a baby," Harlie said. "You're so cute. You like this?" She said lifting him up.
"Sonic the gym leader is back," Tails said, looking up from some sort of device.
"Say what!?" Sonic gasped. "What are we waiting for! Let's go!" Sonic ran off.
Harlie smirked. "Right behind you!" She followed after, the two speedsters disappearing within seconds.
"He forgot to take his pokémon with him," Shadow growled.
Sonic ran back and gave a sheepish chuckle. "Forgot my pokémon." He rubbed the back of his head.
"That's why you came back," Dakota chuckled.
"Alright everyone except Pikachu return," Sonic said, then turned to race off with Harlie arriving, only to follow again.
They eventually reached the gym.
"Alright, so now we enter the gym and I will beat it!" Sonic said psyched with anticipation.
"Now I get to see how well the Blue Blur battles in a gym." Harlie smirked.
Sonic crossed his arms. "Oh, you'll see."
They entered the gym and saw some people meditating. Sonic asked a green hedgehog. "Ah…? Excuse me, dude? Is..."
"I know what you are going to ask, yes the gym leader is here, she is right that way." The hedgehog pointed.
"Uh… thanks," Sonic said.
They walked up some stairs and down a hallway to a room, in the room was a tall slender woman with long pink hair, her 3 bangs pointed upwards into a similar fashion to that of Firero's; meditating.
"Do not speak," the gym leader said. "By the look of you hedgehog, I can only know you wish to battle me?"
Sonic nodded with Pikachu a little weirded out on his shoulder.
"Ah yes I had a vision of your arrival, well, I am Minda." She opened her eyes. "The Psychic type gym leader. I see you have multiple leaders with you, Tails." She nodded to the Grass leader. "Dakota." And a nod to the Electric leader.
"Hi Minda…" Tails and Dakota chorused, she unsettled both of them a little even though they had met her before.
"It is unusual to see so many of my fellow Gym Leaders. So, you must be the one I have… heard so much of. I so look forward to our gym battle Sonic." She smiled.
"Oh, uhh when can we start?" Sonic asked.
"Well right now if you so desire, let us first travel to the battlefield."
They made it to the battlefield and Sonic's friends went over to the couches.
"This gym has many couches." Knuckles noticed.
"Well yeah, each gym leader can design and have whatever they want, it is their gym so…" Dakota said. "I liked giving my gym a few unique touches."
Tails nodded. "Same here, it's one of the perks of being a gym leader."
Harlie laid back on one of the couches and relaxed. "Hey Hedgehog, win alright?"
"Count on it!"
"Shall we begin?" Minda asked, having returned to meditating. She was slightly levitating as well.
"Yes!"
"Very well. Now Sonic, give me your best shot." Minda eyes remained closed.
"Doublade, this is your first gym battle! Do it!"
"Doublade!" The sword pokémon cried out with its metallic voice.
"A ghost type, how clever," Minda hummed before selecting her own pokéball. "Very well, Bronzong, eclipse this battle!"
"Brrrong." Bronzong vibrated and readied itself for battle.
"Alright Doublade! Aerial Ace!" Sonic threw his arm forward.
"Doublade!" He rang as the two bodied swords cut through the air bolting forward towards the floating bell pokémon.
"Halt it!" Minda called. "Use Psychic to slow it down, next commence with Reflect!"
Bronzong didn't make any attempt to seem like it heard her, besides carrying out the orders. A soft blue light touched around the steel-type Doublade, slowing it just long enough for Bronzong to throw up the physical-blocking Reflect barrier.
"Sonic is going to have a challenging time with this gym" Tails whispered.
"Doublade! Don't let your movement stop you!" Sonic threw his opposite arm out. "Shadow Ball!"
Doublade followed the command of his hedgehog trainer, fired a dark spur of energy and it landed on Bronzong doing damage, but sadly not much due to Bronzong's sheer defences. The move did, however, free Doublade from the psychic energy.
"Clever..." Minda murmured, not opening her for a moment. "Very well, Bronzong take this battle to the skies. Rise above and unleash your Flash Cannon!"
Appeared unperturbed by the Shadow Ball, Bronzong followed the decision as quickly as he could, utilising the Reflect shield to butt Doublade out of the way, he rose up. He spread his arms as the cavernous bell of his body lit up before unleashing a burst of glowing, silvery light. All upon Doublade.
Doublade was engulfed in the silver light, thanks to him being part Steel it did minor damage, but his Special Defence was lowered.
"Okay Doublade! Use Sacred Sword!" Sonic commanded
Doublade held on to his sheath and the two-bodied sword spin like a chakra
Minda felt Doublade flashing briefly and a shadow of a smile crossed her face. "Perfect." She knew this battle in particular was a disadvantage, but part one of her plan was already commencing.
She then frowned, however, when Doublade begun a particularly nasty attack. "Grab yourself in Psychic!" Minda directed to Bronzong. "And throw yourself away from Doublade!"
Doublade missed his target, but spun back around as he were a boomerang.
Doublade's agility caught Minda off guard and there was little she could do. Doublade scored a direct hit on Bronzong. The hit, however, was diminished by the flash of the Reflect shield, it was still in effect.
"Is your composition still in prime condition?" Minda asked her Bronzong, receiving a positive chime in response. "Very good."
"Not bad for a first gym battle eh Doublade?" Sonic smirked.
"DouBLADE!" He sliced the air cackling.
"I urge you to continue with accolades." Minda smiled, showing some direct emotion. "It only brings you closer, and a close pokémon is a strong battler. As we shall now demonstrate."
Bronzong took the time of the trainers speaking to float back over to Minda's side of the battlefield. "It is time to prove ourselves, chain Doublade in place with your most potent Psychic and then bombard him with Flash Cannon!"
"Shoot! How are we going to stop that Psychic shit," Sonic thought, trying to figure out a plan. "That's it!" He shouted. "Doublade! Create a Shadow Ball but don't fire it!"
Doublade held the pulsating shadowy energy in front of him.
"We can use that as a shield!" Sonic whispered.
The energy of the ghost-type move disrupted the Psychic hold and it stuttered before collapsing completely. Bronzong, however, had fired Flash Cannon already and right as his hold broke the beam was fired.
Doublade levitated above the arrows of the flash cannon.
"Awesome! Now serpentine! Confuse it by firing Shadow balls at Bronzong. Make sure to miss!"
Doublade fired the energy past the pokémon confusing Minda until she opened her eyes, planted and floating in the air around Bronzong were Shadow Balls blocking every inch of space away from Bronzong.
Minda frowned, eyeing the floating Shadow Balls that had cornered Bronzong so completely. Then she smiled.
"Heal Bell Bronzong. As intense as you can manage," she called, loud enough for everyone to hear. More than a few confused frowns were made until Bronzong began to sway.
The chime was gentle at first, but soon gathered volume and potency, ringing so loud that the windows were shaking. As were the Shadow Balls. Eventually the shaking caused them to destabilize and disappear completely.
Continuing to act, as to throw her opponents off guard, Minda ordered. "Use Reflect, then charge Doublade in a metal tackle!"
"That plan was great on Sonic's end," Tails muttered as he watched Minda with the eyes of a fox. "But to think? Using a Status Move. A healing Status Move at that. To destroy Shadow Balls. Minda is bringing ideas I've never even considered."
"C'mon Sonic!" Harlie called out.
"Doublade, take it head on! Use Iron Head!" Doublade was coated in an Iron coating and he charged towards Bronzong.
"It is an unknown factor few people consider," Minda said as Bronzong and Doublade bashed into each other over and over. "Heal bell utilizes sound waves, and as such will not heal a pokémon with Soundproof for instance. Most energy-based attacks are affected by sound if set to the right intensity, one a large bell-pokémon can find very easily."
She observed the brawl for a few seconds longer before the Reflect shattered. "NOW FLASH CANNON!"
"Damn, alright. Hold the Shadow ball as you power through the beam!"
"Is he seriously going to make Doublade power through that blast?" Dakota gasped.
"It is risky," Harlie agreed.
"Doublade!" Doublade held the dark energy and rushed into the beam then after a bit of a struggle, Doublade appeared near Bronzong and slammed the Shadow Ball into the bell pokémon sending it flying into the wall, there was no cushion due to the Reflect having faded.
"Bronzong!" Minda gasped, Bronzong managed to push himself out of the crater but wobbled slightly as it returned to the battle. "...Impressive, not many can out-endure Bronzong to this level." She waited until both pokémon had returned within range of each other and nodded. "Yes... I feel how this will end. Bronzong, bring all your might into your strongest play."
Bronzong began to glow blue and white as he began to merge attacks. "Psychic and Flash Cannon..." Minda spoke steadily as her pokémon began his deadly move. Two moves vastly different, yet with many similar qualities. To mix the hard reality of Steel with the fluid dream of Psychic is not a simple endeavour, but one Bronzong cultivates with ease!"
"BRROOOONNG," Bronzing boomed as waves of chain-like silvery rings began to be pulled from the glowing white, tinged with the azure blue of the Psychic move. "Show Doublade all your power, Singing Steel Strike!"
Bronzong unleashed the waves of rings, each linking together in a glowing display of technique and power. Not unlike a Dark Pulse attack, but far more intense.
"Holy…" Sonic gasped. "Alright you combine as well! Use Sacred Sword and cover yourself in the Shadow Ball! Use Sacred Shadow Strike!"
"Did he come up with that on the spot?" Knuckles asked.
"Yes, I did Knuckles," Sonic answered, not looking away from the battle. "I have to pull out a trump card somehow, don't I?"
Doublade hid himself inside the Shadow Ball and then spun around like a chakra glowing white with the Sacred Sword and he rushed through halfway of the beam, but was struggling to push through the pinkish sliver beam.
Each of Bronzong's rings of power were individually powerful, but all as one were linked in a mighty motion wave. Bronzong tried wrapping the chains he had created around Doublade, but Doublade's own move mix was perfect. Ghost against the bonds holding the Flash Cannon as rings, and Fighting against the Steel energy of the rings themselves.
Minda smiled. "It requires true skill to fuse moves." She nodded as Doublade began to overpower Bronzong. "Well done."
All at once, Bronzong's attack collapsed and Doublade burst forward, spinning in his chakra technique. The rings all blew out in different directions before fading, each being spun away by Doublade's attack. He reached Bronzong and slashed more times than the eyes could catch, before passing Bronzong and stumbled in mid-air.
For a long moment, there was silence.
The loud crash of metal on floor echoed out as Bronzong fell to the ground. "Return Bronzong, excellent work."
"Alright Doublade!" Sonic leaped into the air, doing a fist bump. "I'm really glad that worked."
"Not bad, not bad" Minda said as she continued meditating and levitating. "That was a surprise"
"And yet this is just one of four challenges for you today. The test of endurance you have passed, now you will face the trial of balance. Can you multitask against your next foe? We shall see. Starmie, rise from the depths!"
She sent the pokéball and the gem-laded starfish pokémon manifested. "Starhyi!"
"Will Doublade remain on the field of battle, or will you make your switch?" Minda asked.
"Doublade might be able to do more but his stamina might run out… okay, return Doublade! And Go! Metagross!"
"MeTAL!" He growled as he crashed into the ground and cracked the battlefield.
"A Metagross you say?" Minda observed, nodding. "A fine choice, emphasizing strength over defence. Unlike Bronzong."
"Yeah, Metagross here, I've been training him well, as for I do with all my pokémon."
"Will this be strength vs technique? Or do you have more tricks up your sleeves. Let us learn together, Starmie ready your Thunder attack!"
"StaaarrYA!" Starmie rotated the back five arms and built up a massive psychic lunge, pulling down a massive lightning bolt from the heavens.
"Metagross! Sludge Bomb all the bolts!"
"MeTAL!" He spewed sludge from his mouth dispersing the Lightning away from him.
"When did Sonic teach Metagross to do that?" Tails asked clearly shocked.
"An unusual move for a Metagross." Minda nodded. "And an interesting choice. Grab the poison globules with Psychic!" Starmie quickly grabbed as many large blobs of the Sludge Bomb as it could, which was a lot.
"Ice Beam over them, I believe frozen poison will make an interesting quality..." Starmie immediately complied and now floating in the air was over two dozen balls of frozen poison.
"...wait. Steel... oh what was I thinking?" Minda shook her head. "Discard them Starmie, use Ice Beam ON Metagross instead." Starmie tossed the frozen poison balls behind it and blew a stream of ice as Metagross as instructed.
"Metagross! Use Meteor Mash! with your legs!"
Metagross heeded Sonic's voice and then rushed forward and even his punches were able to break through the beam of ice but missed when Starmie jumped on Metagross' head.
"Perfect balance Starmie," Minda complimented. "Now latch on with every arm and give Metagross' four brains a quadruple brain freeze!" Starmie blasted Metagross into the top of his head with a continuous stream of spreading ice, causing the supercomputer pokémon to roar in pain.
"He's dizzy, now reverse the experience with Surf!" Still latched on, Starmie gave off a burst of water, giving enough pressure to slam Metagross' flat onto the ground, all four legs splayed in different directions. The ice was gone, but the disorientating effect of going from extreme cold to rather warm was even worse and Metagross was dizzy.
"Metagross get a hold of yourself!" Sonic shouted. "Float and flip yourself upside down then slam into the ground.
"MeTAL!" Metagross forced its legs back up and slammed Starmie into the ground. Starmie cried out in pain as she was buried under the metal pokémon
Minda grinned. "Perfect. THUNDER!"
A brutal burst of electricity came down and blinding everyone for more than a few moments. Minda, however, didn't need to rely on sight. "Use a minor Surf to move away from Metagross, catch your breath."
MeTAAA!" Metagross had roared as the electricity zapped him off the Starmie.
"Metagross, you good?"
"Metal!"
"Alright then, punch holes in the ground and fill each one with a Sludge Bomb." Sonic did a little punch.
Metagross quickly ran like clockwork, and filled each hole with sludge.
"Curious..." Minda hummed and cleared her mind, gathering what she suspected was Sonic's plan. "Very well, Starmie use Surf around yourself, capture it in Psychic and lift yourself off the ground. With haste!"
Starmie was covered in a flowing ball of water as she rose up into the air.
"Alright!" Sonic cheered. "Now raise all of the poison out of the holes! Use it as your own Surf! Poison Wave!"
Metagross took all of the poison and combined into a sludge wave and it crashed into Starmie's surf making her fall on the ground.
"Now Meteor Mash!" Sonic yelled.
Metagross closed in with a blitz of Meteor Mash to disrupt Starmie from trying anything tricky.
Minda has first smiled upon Sonic's declaration of attacks, Starmie's water shield diluted the poison from doing any real harm. But when Metagross pushed and knocked Starmie down, her grin fell.
"Starmie!" Starmie beeped pitifully as the Meteor Mash flattened it into the ground, revenge for Starmie's earlier flattening of Metagross. "Spin your back arms, get out of there!"
Starmie buzzed and managed to avoid the rest of the crushing blows, spinning in a many-armed cartwheel out of the field of danger. "Your power..." Minda murmured. "It is almost too much. No lesser technique will be enough, Starmie it is time!"
Starmie spun into place and stood firm. Her top fin began to crackle with electricity. "You've seen two moves joined, can you withstand FOUR?"
Starmie adjusted her back arms placement until four were pointed up. Her jewel glinted ominously. One arm crackled with electricity waiting to be sent. Another began swimming with a circling stream of water. A third went blue as ice began to form. The last glowed a light pinkish purple as she channeled her psychic powers through the arm.
"Alright Starmie, let's start small. BLITZKRIEG!"
Every charged move was let off in a miasma of chaos. Or so it seemed. None of the moves merged, bounced, or otherwise interfered with each other, Starmie's technique was top notch.
"Dammit, this isn't good!" Sonic breathed starting to sweat. "It's all or nothing! Metagross, hold off with Psychic, then on two arms, Meteor Mash! the other two... Thunder Punch!"
"Sonic even taught Thunder Punch to Metagross!?" Dakota gasped.
"Now Shoot a Sludge Bomb and hold it with Psychic!"
Metagross now was engulfed in his psychic power with the poison flowing around him and two of his legs having either Thunder Punch and Meteor Mash on each side, he folded his legs once more and then charged towards the Starmie.
"Those four brains... truly excellent."
Minda knew Starmie could not win. Starmie's greatest role was bombardment, multitasking, and immense skill and control. Not power. An opponent who could match that, with power behind it, held the advantage.
"Return." Minda returned Starmie before too much extra damage could be dealt, throwing everyone off. "Starmie would be unable to battle, therefore she is eliminated. I do not wish to cause undue pain upon her," Minda explained.
"What?" Sonic stood, shocked.
"It was simple to see that Starmie would have been felled there, with little extra damage she could deal. So, she has been defeated, I simply did not want her to be badly harmed."
"Oh, well I think Metagross should stay in, he didn't take much damage at all." Sonic breathed.
Minda smiled. "So, you have outlasted endurance, and outplayed technique. Very well. But as my pride as a leader I cannot let this go unabated. So, if power is what it takes, then Oranguru is what I will bring."
She summoned the pokéball and the intelligent ape-pokémon manifested. "Guuruu..."
"We shall see now, Sonic," Minda hummed, closing her eyes and returning to a meditative stance. "We shall see. Oranguru, Focus Blast!"
"Metagross! Dodge and Meteor Mash!"
The Super Computer folded his legs and dodged the focus blast, flying straight towards Oranguru
"Ready yourself Oranguru!" Minda warned and Oranguru tensed, waiting until the perfect moment.
"BRUTAL SWING!"
Oranguru's enhanced awareness gave it the perfect moment. Hands seeping with a dark smog, Oranguru braced itself and caught Metagross by the arms. Before the super computer could even begin to think, Oranguru had already started swinging it. Bashing Metagross into the ground numerous times, dark type energy seeping off of Oranguru's hands in waves and bombarding the psychic Metagross with painful energy.
Finally, Oranguru did one last big swing, and threw Metagross into the ground. "Now, Focus Blast!"
As Metagross groaned, Oranguru prepared the aura energy within his hands and leaped up, tossing the glowing sphere of pain right into the back of Metagross' head.
"Meta!" Metagross groaned as he ricocheted off the ground, Oranguru descended and grabbed him again.
"One last swing!" Minda called and Oranguru slammed Metagross into the ground again.
"Metagross!"
Metagross groaned before letting his legs give in and he laid on the ground.
"Shoot!" Before Sonic could return Metagross, Tyranitar popped out of her ball and ran towards Metagross. She instantly glared at Oranguru who wasn't fazed.
"Is Tyranitar your choice?" Minda asked, as impassive as Oranguru.
"Well..."
Tyranitar rubbed her snout against Metagross then looked back to Sonic her eyes pleading to get payback for Metagross.
"Sure, Tyranitar is my next choice!" Sonic agreed.
"RAAAHHH!" She screeched causing everyone to cover their ears. Sonic returned Metagross back to his pokéball.
"Strength once more..." Minda smiled. "But I see the reason of your choice. Very well, Oranguru this is a far different opponent, yet much of the same. Do not let your guard down."
Oranguru nodded, as much notification he would give.
"You may have the first attack this time," Minda called to Sonic.
"Alright! Let's go!"
Tyranitar started up a sandstorm due to her ability Sand Stream.
"Now Use Dark Pulse!"
She fired an intense pulse of darkness.
"Defend yourself with Focus Blast!" Minda cried through the sandstorm. Oranguru generated the ball of intensified aura, but the sandstorm battered at it until the sphere destabilized. The Dark Pulse hit dead on and blew Oranguru back several meters.
"Ru," Oranguru spat and rubbed his chest, despite the hit he was still unperturbed.
"A stronger storm than anticipated," Minda hummed. "It appears our secret will need to be spilled early. Oranguru, use Energy Ball, but instead of unleashing it, continue enlarging it!"
With the shroud of the sandstorm, neither Sonic nor Tyranitar could see the Energy Ball form. But as it grew larger and larger, and began absorbing and destroying the Sandstorm, the fierce emerald glow caught their attention.
"What..." Sonic asked before he heard Minda shout.
"NOW!"
Oranguru lobbed the massive Energy Ball through the remains of the sandstorm, destroying it. The titanic sphere of Grass-type energy was slow moving, but Tyranitar was also slow. A hit from that would be immensely damaging.
"Sand is getting in my quills!" Dakota groaned.
"Relax, Dakota," Harlie chuckled
"Shit, okay! Catch it!" Sonic demanded.
"Perfect!" Tails grinned. "The training paid off."
Tyranitar caught the sphere and was trying to keep it from pushing into her, as she growled.
"Excuse me!?" Minda gasped, her composure broken for the first proper time. "She CAUGHT it?"
Oranguru maintained more face than his trainer, but a brief moment of eyes widening was only caught by Tyranitar. The massive pokémon grinned.
"I don't... what? Okay, Oranguru-" Minda regained her composure, but Tyranitar had already made her move.
"I figured Tyranitar would be hit with an Energy Ball, so I had Tails' Meganium use Energy Ball and Tyranitar practiced catching it." Sonic rubbed under his nose. "Tyranitar! Throw it back then push it forward with Dark Pulse!"
Tyranitar threw it and propelled the energy forward with the dark aura...
"Dark Pulse, Energy Ball... damn," Minda cursed under her breath. "Very well then. Oranguru, Zen Headbutt against the Energy Ball, you can weather that at least."
Oranguru closed his eyes and hummed, head being covered in the physical psychic energy. It would be destroyed by the Dark Pulse, but at least would give him some defence against the Energy Ball.
The attacks struck head on, Energy Ball exploding in a massive burst of force, knocking Oranguru away, and clear of the Dark Pulse. He did the flip in mid-air and landed on his feet. A bead of sweat fell down his neck.
"Perfect, Energy Ball's extra push did its work." Minda grinned. "Such a heavy creature like Tyranitar needed greater force in order to be knocked back." The Dark Pulse struck the wall behind her, and Minda's grin never wavered. "But when bounced back? The attack had more sheer kinetic energy than real power, Oranguru is fine. But Tyranitar won't be, Oranguru grab her with Brutal Swing!"
Oranguru scuttled forward and, due his greater nimbleness, managed to grab Tyranitar's tail. He swung her into the ground and then around in a dizzying circle before throwing her outright at a wall.
"Tyranitar, are you alright!?"
"RAAAHH!" She yelled running back in front of her Trainer from the smoke.
"Now! Tyranitar! Use Rock Slide then top it off with a spinning Dark Pulse!"
Tyranitar spewed giant rocks all over the field with the dark pulse spraying everywhere like acid rain.
"It appears we've angered her," Minda summarised. "There is no hope to avoid this, just punch through damage. Focus Blast, over and over and over again!"
Oranguru gave his own roar, finally dropping the facade of absolute composure and began tossing Focus Blast's like softballs.
"Tyranitar, calm down, we can do this. Remember! Metagross stayed calm through the whole thing! Do a flip and slam your tail into the ground!"
Tyranitar took a deep breath before doing so causing the ground to shake making Oranguru lose balance and fall only to be hit by the falling clad of rocks and raining dark pulses.
"Good Job, never let your anger get the best of you!"
Everyone eyed the blue hedgehog after what had happened last time.
"Nice work," Minda agreed. "Now, Oranguru, shake it off." Oranguru burst out of the rubble, he was panting for breath and one eye was closed, but he was still standing. "You asked for strength. You receive what you ask for. Oranguru, charge Tyranitar!"
"Tyranitar! Run towards him as well!"
The two pokémon clashed and were standing ground. Their weight cracked the ground and Tyranitar smirked.
"Alright, now! Use Dragon Claw!"
"RAAAH!" She yelled as she dug her claws into Oranguru.
"Focus BLAST!"
As Tyranitar's claws glowed crimson, Oranguru's paws glowed white and a massive burst of power pulled up a billowing cloud of dust, obscuring both pokémon from sight.
"Tyranitar?" Sonic whispered
"Oranguru?" Minda called.
Tyranitar, having took a quad super effective attack. Struggled to stay standing; as for Oranguru… they both huffed as no trainer was sure what move to make next...
Oranguru growled, paws flashing white again.
Then he collapsed.
Tyranitar roared, her goal of payback for Metagross worked.
"Yes! Awesome Tyranitar!"
She held a peace sign up to Sonic with her claws.
"Good Job Oranguru, take some rest. Answer me Sonic, that Tyranitar, why did she get upset from that Metagross."
"Well they are mates, she doesn't like anyone messing with her mate," Sonic simply said
"Hmm... I must say, my brothers warning was frankly lacking in regard to your true skills."
"Brother?" Sonic questioned and Minda smiled.
"You may remember him, Firero, he is my younger brother."
"Say what!?" Everyone except Shadow yelled.
"Oh yes." Her voice filled with mirth. "I hear that you defeated him in a rematch after one failed match. I must say, well done. My little brother is a fierce opponent."
"Wow."
She gave a short laugh. "Well now, it seems I will bring out my partner since birth! Espeon!"
"Prreon," Espeon crooned as she manifested, she rubbed up against Minda's leg for a moment before bounding onto the field of battle. Despite Tyranitar's hulking frame, massive claws, and type advantage, Espeon seemed unconcerned. Even licking a paw while waiting for the battle to start.
"Now, are we ready?" Minda called, eyeing the plan she had placed into effect.
"Hmm, now If I let Tyranitar drag on, she may lose due to stamina. Doublade still hasn't recovered much yet... I still have one pokémon left.
"Tyranitar let's keep going!"
"Raaah!" She breathed.
"Your choice. Espeon, Tyranitar's tired, use Confuse Ray!"
"Eeespee," Espeon sung as bright lights and shadowy beams strobed Tyranitar.
"Grah!" Tyranitar clutched her head as everything when topsy-turvy.
"Question Sonic?" Minda called as Tyranitar staggered around. "Are you aware that a Sandstorm is classified as a Rock-type move? A Rock against Rock is perfectly neutrally effective?" She nodded to Espeon whose eyes glowed purple.
"Psychic is a very powerful move with many uses. You've battles against durability, technique, power but now you face my ace! Espeon form rocky clumps and bombard Tyranitar!"
Espeon howled as she turned most the remaining sand left over into an avalanche of falling stones. Leaving only a few piles of sand untouched. Tyranitar, already exhausted and confused from earlier fell with a crash and did not get back up.
"No way." Harlie stood up.
"Amazing, the remaining dust from the Sandstorm, normally having no effect on Rock pokémon, could be shaped with Psychic to do damage, as if it were a technique... impressive." Tails was in awe.
"What's he going to do now?" Knuckles asked.
Tails sighed. "That I can't say for sure... we just have to wait and see."
"Good Job Tyranitar... Alright it's now or never! Doublade go!"
"Doublade!"
"Hmm," Minda hummed, her plan would not work well on Doublade, but that was even more perfect. Choosing to save the final ace for the perfect moment, Minda took straight advantage of Doublade's exhaustion.
"Doublade here outlasted Bronzong," Minda told Espeon who fluffed up angrily. "Give him hell."
Espeon yowled and leaped forward, eyes not glinting purple, but flooding to the point where purple light was all one could see of her eyes. The strongest Psychic yet grabbed the weakened Ghost and Steel pokémon and held him completely still. As Espeon ran, she generated a Shadow Ball in her mouth and she fired it with another furious screech.
It smacked into Doublade and broke Espeon's Psychic hold, but she grabbed him again and bombarded him with more and more Shadow Balls until finally, Minda held up her hand and Espeon let Doublade drop.
"Blaaad..." Doublade groaned as he clattered to the ground. Espeon hissed once more, then sat on her haunches and began licking her paw again.
"What say you Sonic? How do I compare to my dear little brother?"
"Well, I will say one thing you two always get serious near the end, return Doublade..."
"Oh, shit this is bad," Knuckles cursed.
"Okay, it has been a while. Go Snivy!"
"Snivy!" She cocked her head, Pikachu blushed as he saw his partner out on the field.
"Snivy... yes, Minda hummed with her eyes closed. "I foresaw this. Such intensity. Snivy. Snivy. Snivy. That is all I saw but it was enough." She opened her eyes. "You may start."
"Alright! Snivy begin by moving very fast along the field!"
"Watch her carefully Espeon," Minda ordered. Espeon ceased cleaning her paw and placed it back on the dirty field, still covered in sand and rocks.
"Try a Confuse Ray!" Minda commanded and Espeon's eyes flashed as she sent the debilitating ray towards Snivy.
"Now! Twirl around it!"
Snivy twirled around the rays like a dancer.
"Snivy's speciality is dancing!"
"So, a story you may find interesting, Sonic," Minda called as their pokémon continued attacking and dodging each other. "Did you know that there is a single move, Flying Press, that is dual type? Fighting and Flying, in one single move. Nothing like that can be created in quite the same level as this one move, but we as battle artists can and must try."
As she was keeping Sonic's attention, Espeon slowly but surely was leading Snivy into a specific area. A Shadow Ball there, Confuse Ray here, was pushing Snivy into one specific spot. The remaining sand that she hadn't used against Tyranitar.
"Now a question." Minda's grin was like a Sharpedo. Did you really believe that I, as a gym leader, forgot that Ice and Poison do very little to nothing to Steel? Starmie vs Metagross. It was no accident that Starmie discarded the frozen poison she had created, and that poison had been placed very carefully, even if had seemed outright discarded, away from the terrors of battle."
Below the sand that Espeon had left from her attack on Tyranitar, dozens of frozen poison spheres rose around Snivy. "I saw Snivy some weeks ago in a vision. I didn't know what it meant until I spoke with my brother, telling me of this impressive trainer he had fought twice. And finally, do you remember a Grass pokémon's weaknesses? Flying. Fire. Bug. Ice and Poison..."
She trailed off to let Sonic and Snivy realise just what position the little grass snake was in. "Espeon, Frozen Psychic Corrosion Barrage!"
Snivy had no time to even squeak before the massive number of frozen poison globules had smacked into her. The fragile ice, brittle due to the sand and poison, crushed on contact and laid caustic sludge over Snivy, a gift from Metagross used in this perverse way. Controlling dozens of balls in a dance of psychic power, Espeon smacked Snivy into the air and while she was prone and flailing, sent the frozen poison at her.
Smacking her forwards, backwards, up down and side to side, Snivy squealed but she couldn't escape the attacks of ice and poison, smacking across her small body and causing massive damage.
To bring the grand finale, Espeon howled, bringing all her remaining bludgeoning tools above Snivy and bringing them down in an avalanche of frozen poison.
Espeon panted for breath, one eye closed and the other drooping. A psychic display of something that long, difficult and intense had drained her like no amount of attacks could.
"Shit, Snivy! Get up!"
"VyyyyIE!" She stood up.
"Damn, this isn't good... what the hell do I do now!?" Sonic asked.
"As you can see, while my brother may be powerful, he's not a thinker like I am..." Minda smiled.
"And everything has been planned out perfectly. This battle will be over now, Espeon use Toxic, and grab the poison in Psychic. If icy poison wasn't enough, outright caustic poison will be. I know, I can see it. Now Sonic, see if you can defy fate, ESPEON STRIKE!"
Espeon handled the poison into a rope-like whip and struck and Snivy, striking her with the caustic poison. But even as she did so, the poison shivered. Beforehand the ice surrounding the poison had protected it from the Psychic, but the direct hold now was interfering with Espeon's control over the attack.
"Fate my ass!" Sonic snapped.
"Heh, he said ass," Harlie chuckled
"SO, what if you can see into the future?"
Snivy stood there and she prepared a leaf blade.
"That doesn't mean you can tell me what my fate will be!" Sonic growled.
Snivy then also topped her tail in water using Aqua Tail and Leaf Blade.
"I will not stand for this, no one declares mine and my pokémon's fates!"
Snivy prepared an Iron Tail as well.
"Tri Tail Strike!" Sonic threw his fist up in the air.
"And so, it is true," Minda whispered, closing her eyes with a smile.
With Iron Tail, Snivy shattered Espeon's Toxic Whip, with Aqua Tail she burst forward in a blazing speed, with Leaf Blade she struck once. With Aqua Tail she struck twice. With Iron Tail she struck thrice. With all three glowing tails, one green, one blue, one silver, she struck nine times.
Snivy staggered to a stop, three feet past Espeon, and both pokémon were still standing. Everyone in the audience held their breaths in a hush, even Shadow accidentally, and waited.
Snivy's wounds glowed purple, she was poisoned, badly poisoned, half frozen and her breath was shaky. Her legs bent, and she fell to her knees.
Espeon hissed for breath, grabbing her own legs in whatever leftover Psychic she had to stop herself from kneeling, and slowly she began to stand straighter.
"Snii..." Snivy moaned, and grit her teeth as she sunk further.
"PIKA PIKA!" Pikachu yelled as Sonic joined in.
"STAND STRAIGHT! YOU CAN DO THIS! DEFY HER!"
Snivy fell another inch, but heard their words.
"Essp..." Espeon hissed as she maneuvered herself to turn around, a Shadow Ball was generating in her mouth as she forced herself into position to fire directly at Snivy.
"Snii... snii... SNIVY!" Snivy roared, burst with green energy, and smacked the ground with an Aqua Tail, throwing herself into the air right as Espeon fired, dodging the Shadow Ball and causing Minda to freeze.
"She did it..." Minda murmured as Snivy flipped over the Shadow Ball in a graceful arc. Still in mid-air, her tail glowed green.
"DO IT!" Sonic bellowed and Snivy screamed, body bursting with green energy and bringing down an Overgrow-boosted Leaf Blade.
She slashed and landed on her feet.
Espeon fell.
"Yes! Snivy we did it!" Sonic did a spindash in place
"Return my ace, well Firero wasn't wrong, this trainer has some promise... I can't believe Snivy did those moves like that... I wonder if Sonic somehow telepathically told Snivy what to do. Or if their bond trumps even telepathy."
"Well done Sonic," Minda grinned, lowering herself to the ground and walking over to them. "You fought extraordinarily well, fought through endurance, technique, strength and mind games." She laughed at the confused look she received. "Yes, I do not believe in fate myself. Not... set in stone at least. I did foresee a Snivy, I did know that a normal Snivy would be defeated by my trap and my mind games, but that is how it is against a psychic." She winked. "You showed strong spirit, so many challenges have lost heart and essentially given up when I claimed to have foresaw their defeat, but you... and your Snivy. Amazing work, and I am happy to award you the Vision Badge."
She handed over the precious badge and Sonic took it was a smile.
"Thanks, Minda, I appreciate this battle you gave me. Tell your brother we said hey."
Snivy tackled Sonic and Pikachu did as well.
"Well done Snivy! Great job, pulling through like that."
"I bid you all farewell, the next gym is a Steel type gym, the city is Ironwork City."
Sonic nodded thanks Minda.
"Also!" Minda said suddenly, eyes trailing past to something no one else could see. Or hear. "I believe you need to meet with someone Sonic? I see… pickles? Ah yes, of course, Professor Pickle."
"Oh right, heh I would have forgotten," Sonic laughed. "Thanks." With a wave, they departed the gym.
"Congrats Sonic." Harlie grinned. "I was on the edge of my seat. I really thought you might have lost for a second there."
Knuckles fist bumped Sonic. "But you managed to pull through to the end!"
"Good Job Sonic," Dakota spoke.
"You were doing some pretty impressive things." Tails smiled.
"Ehh, most of those I made up on the spot" Sonic chuckled holding Pikachu and Snivy. "Alright let's go visit Professor Pickle."
A/N: Well how was it? We also finally see Sun and Moon pokémon!
B/N: So, every time I wrote Pickle in this chapter (Except for that last time here) I wrote Pickly. It was quite annoying. But otherwise, fun gym battle. Thank you to author for letting me help here, I tried to be as clever as a Psychic leader would be here with Starmie setting up the poison ice to be used later. See ya!