The door opened, revealing a young man in a kimono. He had a sword tucked into his belt.
"You are here to earn the Earth Badge," he said, "Please follow me."
Great! Right to business. I could prove my mettle to the Leader and earn my Badge, then get we could be on our way. This was already better than my other two Gym Challenges. I paused for a second. Something about that thought didn't sit right, but I wasn't sure why. We stopped in front of a sliding door.
"In here," he said, "is the Challenger's Path. Once you start down the path, there is no turning back. We also ask that, regardless of today's outcome, you keep to yourself the nature of the Path."
I deflated a little. Of course it wouldn't be that simple. "I understand," I told him. He bowed, then led Mac and Janelle further into the building. I slid open the door.
Inside, the room was dark. I felt around for a switch, but there didn't seem to be one. "No turning back, I guess," I told Lucky, and stepped inside. He followed me, and I closed the door behind us. As the door clicked back into place, the light came on. The room was small, with a bamboo mat floor and several ink paintings hanging on the walls. In the middle of the floor sat a small stone obelisk. Something was carved into its surface.
"Two Weedle battle.
Nearby, a berry, grown ripe.
You decide to act."
A haiku? This was the test, then. I looked around, but the only things in the room besides the stone were the paintings. I looked at them a little closer.
On one wall, a stylized, triumphant-looking, though battered, Weedle with a berry, with the top and bottom of a Pokeball above and below. The wall on the other side held a similar, but not identical scene; the Weedle looked nearly dead, and there was no berry. The last, directly across from me, portrayed a human and a Rattata facing off against a Weedle, a Pokeball in the human's hand.
What did it mean? I think I had the gist of the three pictures, but was there a right answer? I didn't have enough information to know what was expected of me here, which, from the attendant's request, was the point. While the beaten Weedle would likely be an easy catch, it seemed unfair somehow. Even the winning Weedle would probably not be much of a challenge to catch right off, and it would likely be angry about losing its prize, which wasn't the way to start off a relationship.
At least if I battled the Weedle first, I could distract it from its berry, and it would be more likely to assent to the situation if I could defeat it. Something else hit me, too; if I caught the winner, even the loser wouldn't be too bad off, since it could have the berry I left behind. I walked over and examined the third painting. They hung loosely from the wall, suspended from a single nail. I lifted the tapestry slightly to check behind it. The slight pressure must have triggered something, because glass panels came down in front of the other two walls. Indeed, behind the painting was a door.
No turning back.
I hoped that the fact that I ended up in a nearly identical room meant I passed. I checked the stone in the middle, and again, a haiku, with the related paintings around the room. This one seemed to be about finding a strong trainer beating up on a weak trainer, and I chose the painting about interrupting.
Another door.
Oh joy.
There were five more rooms, and by the end, I felt like I'd taken some kind of personality quiz. Finally, though, the door behind the "release Butterfree to be with its kind" painting opened onto an arena, complete with walled trainer boxes, and I had to restrain myself from pumping my fist in excitement.
Across from me, in full feudal-era samurai armor, stood Sam, the Viridian Gym Leader. One hand rested the base of a Butterfree net on the ground. The net was full of Pokeballs. On a bench to one side, Mac and Janelle sat waiting. Janelle had her phone out.
"You emerge triumphant!" came a reedy exclamation from across the arena. "Truly, you are a worthy adversary, who needs no introduction to the samurai code. I accept your Challenge!"
Ah. That explained everything. Janelle actually looked up to see what the commotion was, and settled in to watch once she saw me. The attendant from earlier, standing beside the Challenger's box, said, "Please present any Badges you have earned."
I took out my trainer card with my Badges pinned to it, and presented it.
"Very good." He walked to the side of the arena, and announced, "This will be a third-Badge Challenge between Katie, the Challenger, and Sam, the Leader. Both trainers will use three Pokemon. Either trainer may recall a Pokemon at any time, but doing so will forfeit that Pokemon for the match. The trainer with the last Pokemon able to battle will be declared the victor. Challenger, are you ready?"
I was, and when he asked the same of Sam, I saw the Gym Leader had selected three Pokeballs from his net and placed two of them on the wall of his box. "We shall release on 'Go!'" he said.
I took a deep breath and nodded, taking a Pokeball off my belt.
"Go!" said the attendant.
Sam released a Butterfree and called, "Butterfree, Stun Spore!" at the same time I threw Dart's ball. I didn't call a move yet.
As I'd expected, Dart winged around the arena, easily outpacing Butterfree's cloud of powder and getting a look at the surroundings. She didn't actually bother anyone, and I took a moment to reflect that she'd mellowed slightly since evolving. I didn't reflect for too long, though. "Okay, Dart, blow it away! Gust!"
"Pi-zheo!" she crowed, spiraling high before using a mighty wingbeat to generate a blast of wind, sending Butterfree slamming into the wall.
It wasn't down for long, pushing off and regaining the air, albeit somewhat wobbly. "Dance, my magnificent marvel!" called Sam, and Butterfree's wobbles began to look purposeful, becoming majestic swoops and twirls. It began to glow, too. Quiver Dance!
"No matter how much it spins, you'll always be faster, Dart. Hit it with Quick Attack, but avoid the wings!"
In one flap, my Pidgeotto vanished from sight, only reappearing as she slammed shoulder-first into Butterfree's midsection. The bug recoiled from the blow, leaving a cloud of dust behind that Dart couldn't help but speed through. It retaliated with a rapid, buzzing vibration. It wasn't much; Dart swept around to gain altitude as I called for another Gust. She held position to blow a blast of wind at our injured foe. Even as she did, though, I could see that it was taking more out of her than usual.
"Hold!" Sam yelled, and a bright beam of light recalled Butterfree even as a Beedrill buzzed onto the field. "You battled valiantly, friend," he told the Pokeball, "Now take a good rest."
Beedrill was much faster than Butterfree had been, and moved far more erratically. After a moment of focus, Sam had it speed forward, landing a Twineedle on Dart as she built up another Gust. She immediately began to swerve, and I realized something besides the paired blows must be wrong. Even simply flying was paining her now. Sam called for a Venoshock, and I knew then why he'd recalled Butterfree, despite it being still able to battle.
Beedrill was much faster than Butterfree had been, and moved far more erratically. After a moment of focus, Sam had it speed forward, landing a Twineedle on Dart as she built up another Gust. She immediately began to swerve, and I realized something besides the paired blows must be wrong. It looked like flying pained her. Sam called for a Venoshock, and I knew then why he'd recalled Butterfree, despite it being still able to battle.
I pulled Dart out of the way of the attack and back into her Pokeball, and said to Lucky, "Okay, boy, let's see if our training's paid off. Flame Wheel that Beedrill!"
He barked out a "Lith!" of glee and bounded out of our box, a corona of fire already beginning to blaze around him. I couldn't tell if he dove or tripped into it, but soon he was a fiery ball heading towards the bee.
"You are truly wise," Sam said, nodding at my choice, "There is no shame in admitting defeat and knowing one's limits, just as there is none in trying to push past them. There is only shame in refusing to see them." Some of the effect was lost in the high, grating voice, but the wisdom was there.
For its part, Beedrill stuck its main stinger out towards Lucky and buzzed towards him. It was low enough that the spike was plowing through the dirt, and I realized too late that it was closing on Lucky with a focused Drill Run.
"Now, what will you do? Your Growlithe is young, and though fresh, surely cannot stand up to a critically effective attack from my trained Beedrill. Will you subject him to it anyway, for the chance to strike?"
I could see the situation, thankyouverymuch. This guy really liked to hear himself talk, even if he was (perhaps) trying to be instructive. But I wasn't clueless.
"Go Lucky!" I shouted, and though any reply he gave might have been lost, he sprang from his spin right above Beedrill's stinger, slamming into its upper body. Beedrill was tough, though, and still managed to curl up enough to graze Lucky, also blasting him with some of the debris it was flung up. "Now Reversal, quick!"
Realization dawned on Sam's face as I said it, as my pup, badly injured from just the graze, used his proximity to bite down on Beedrill wing and push off, sending him over its head in a somersault that pulled the bug after him, slamming it into the ground.
His forelegs collapsed under him a moment later, dropping him, panting, next to the cloud of dust his attack had kicked up. I didn't wait to see if that had done the job; I pulled him out of there, then released him next to me, leaning down to give him a big hug.
"You were incredible, Lucky," I told him, nuzzling his mane, "I'm so proud of you."
He looked bone-tired, but mustered a happy grin and slurped his tongue up my cheek. I kept one hand on his head as I stood back up to make sure he stayed resting, but he didn't have the energy to do more than curl up before he was asleep.
"Both clever and brave, on both your parts," Sam declared, "Truly, this is a momentous encounter. Still, I wonder if it will be enough." The dust had cleared to reveal Beedrill pushing itself back up.
"It will be," I assured him. Vola leapt off my shoulder without prompting, her howl bringing the wind and hail with her. Beedrill didn't look happy, but it didn't look done, either. That was okay. It was close enough.
"Freeze-Dry!"
The absolute-zero chill blasted through the air, stopping Beedrill's wings in mid-flap before they immediately began moving again. It wasn't voluntary, though, just the shivering of the unconscious Pokemon, and Sam returned it before it could hit the ground.
"I see," he said, "you, like I, saved the best for last. Go Pinsir!" As it appeared, Pinsir flung its arms and horns wide in challenge, seemingly uncaring of the pelting hail. "No time for theatrics with this one, I think," Sam told it, "Finish it immediately!"
Deceptively quickly, Pinsir rushed forward, horns down. Vola darted away, but hadn't been prepared for the beetle's speed. Pinsir's horn rang as they snapped shut, barely missing Vola's tails. That crushing force would break her in two!
"Disable that, Vola! You can't let that hit you!"
Vola jumped, higher than the stag beetle could reach, and, in midair, glared down at Pinsir. Her eyes glowed darkly, their normally luminous blue shadowed. A dark aura flashed around Pinsir, and suddenly it seemed to struggle. Its horns barely moved, despite what looked to be considerable effort.
"Good, now hit it with Charm!"
The dark, haunting expression vanished, and my little fox landed looking up at Pinsir with the most adorable expression. It took a step back, flabbergasted, and Sam screamed, "Pinsir, no! Close Combat!"
It was too late. My devious little minx saw the opening, and as Pinsir began to react, bringing its claws together for a hammerblow, she unleashed the sub-zero chill of her Freeze-Dry over it from point-blank range.
Pinsir teetered for a moment in the gale, then toppled over.