Chapter 66 - Viridian Gyunabe


After their small encounter and lunch with the rivals, it was finally time for Logan to battle with Midori one last time. They split off from his rivals and then walked to the gym, arriving as the clock hit three. To his surprise, Midori was outside, working in the garden. His Charizard was helping him, which Logan thought was kind of cute. When the three came to the gates of the garden, Midori perked up and grinned.

"Hey, buddy! Good to see that you're healthy! How's the shoulder?" he asked. He had a different aura to him, but Logan had only ever seen him when he was battling.

"It's okay," Logan answered. He held out his Poké Ball. "I'm here for our battle!"

Midori sighed and then shook his head. "Actually, Logan. That won't be necessary. You were there in Saffron, and you dove into trouble heels first. We don't need to battle. You've earned my gym badge already. I took a bit more interest in you and did some research. You and your friends seem to always get yourselves wrapped up in big fights. You're more than worthy of the Earth Badge."

Logan's shoulders slumped. "What? Really?"

"Yeah!" Midori exclaimed. "Anyone who was there that night has earned themselves an Earth Badge as far as I'm concerned. Seshiru and Yurie too."

"I would love one!" Yurie exclaimed excitedly.

Seshiru stepped forward. "Actually, if you remember, I already earned mine by beating you, so…"

Logan looked at her, closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, and then said, "No. Midori, I want to challenge and beat you. I owe it to my Pokémon. I owe it to my Charizard. We're here to take you down. If you just hand over the gym badge, then everything that we've worked for in the past couple of months has no meaning."

Midori stood up and put his arm around his garden tool before clicking his tongue and then grinned. "Part of me wants to act like that was all a test to get you fired up, but I was genuinely going to give you the badge. Alright, Logan. You're on. Three on three."


"The following battle will be between gym leader, Midori, and gym challenger, Logan. It will be a three on three Pokémon battle, and a winner will be decided when one side's Pokémon are unable to continue. Only the challenger may make substitutions," the referee with the green polo shirt and red and blue flags announced.

Midori thought for a moment. He grinned and then tossed his Poké Ball forward. A large Rock-type Pokémon with a horn that spun around like a drill emerged on the field. Logan scanned it with his Pokédex.

"Rhydon, the Drill Pokémon. Protected by an armor-like hide, it can survive in lava over 3,600 degrees. Its horn can bore holes through boulders," his Pokédex buzzed.

"Seems like Charizard isn't an option," Logan laughed to himself. He considered his team, thinking about who would have the best chance at beating the dual Rock- and Ground-type. It wasn't just about who had the type advantage, but who could outpower or outspeed Rhydon.

"Well, Logan. You look conflicted. I know that you have two Pokémon that are strong against Rhydon if I'm remembering your team correctly. But now that I think about it, you're not too good at battling with Pokémon that aren't full-evolved," Midori remarked.

Logan smirked. "I know that you're just trying to get under my skin. I think that you're afraid of my team, and you're just trying to psyche me out. It won't work." He grabbed his Dive Ball. "We'll beat you."

Poliwhirl came onto the field and struck a quick battle pose before fully taking in the opponent that he was faced with. He looked back at Logan, disbelief in his eyes.

"I know you can do it, Poliwhirl!" Logan cheered.

"Poliwhirl?" the Pokémon wondered before turning to Rhydon once again. He slowly stuck out his arms and prepared for Logan's commands.

"Begin!"

"Poliwhirl, use Hydro Pump!" Logan ordered.

"When did Poliwhirl learn Hydro Pump?!" Yurie asked.

Seshiru folded her arms. "You might be his girlfriend, but that doesn't mean you know everything. We did some special training together, and these are the results. Poliwhirl is the perfect pick for this fight."

Poliwhirl unleashed his attack like a cannon. It shook the gym windows before colliding with Rhydon, surprisingly knocking the large Rock-type off balance.

"Rhydon, use your motion and hit 'em with Earthquake!" Midori commanded.

"Poliwhirl, get into the air! Earth Power!"

As the ground started to shake, Poliwhirl focused his energy, ripping parts of the ground into the air. Poliwhirl's eyes glowed, and he lifted himself onto one of the stones, effectively avoiding the powerful Earthquake.

"Now, Body Slam!" Logan shouted.

Poliwhirl leaped from the stone and then flattened out his body, ready to land directly onto Rhydon.

"Stone Edge!"

Rhydon put his arms into the ground, and five stone pillars erupted around him. Using telekinetic energy, he launched them straight towards the falling Poliwhirl.

"Divide the energy and use falling Brick Break!" Logan ordered.

Poliwhirl focused once more, putting fighting chakra in all of his limbs. He then used the falling inertia before he started to twist, slicing through each one of the stones with ease. Then, he eventually reached Rhydon, smashing his fists into the Rock-type's forehead. Rhydon stumbled backward a few feet.

"One more Hydro Pump!"

Poliwhirl, without missing a beat, blasted more of the concentrated water from the middle of his swirl. It connected with Rhydon and lifted him from the ground. The Rock-type was tossed into the air before landing directly in front of Midori, unconscious.

The referee smirked before raising his flag. "Rhydon is unable to continue. Would the gym leader like to forfeit?"

Midori was in complete shock. Their previous battle had only taken place a couple of weeks earlier, but Poliwhirl's improvements were tenfold. Whatever it was that Logan did, it worked.

Midori withdrew Rhydon and then shook his head. "We don't give in. Never have. Never will. My next Pokémon will show you no mercy, Logan! Let's go, Alakazam!"

To Logan's memory, he had never fought an Alakazam before, but he knew a lot about the Pokémon. With his experience battling Kadabra in Saffron, he knew that it wouldn't be an easy battle. However, he was thankful that Midori seemingly didn't have a psychic connection to any of his Pokémon.

"Poliwhirl, you've done great. Come back!" Logan ordered while holding up his Dive Ball. He withdrew Poliwhirl and then drew out his Dusk Ball. "Electivire, you're up!"

Seshiru grinned as Electivire took to the field. She crossed her arms. "You see what he's doing, right?"

Yurie shook her head. "Not really."

"I think that we can predict both Logan and Midori's last Pokémon. With that said, Logan's first two Pokémon hold a distinct advantage over a certain flame tailed beast. Logan is preparing to set up an advantage for himself. He's battling smarter than I think I've ever seen from him," Seshiru explained.

"I'm not sure if I get it," Yurie murmured.

"Electivire, start with Thunderbolt!"

"Alakazam, use Psychic!"

Electivire roared and then sent the electric sparks from his body, shaking the field. But Alakazam was quick and understood what his trainer was going to want from him. He raised his dual spoons and began to pulsate psychic energy. It put the sparks to a sudden stop in the middle of the air, something that most people had never seen.

"And now, Zap Cannon!" Midori followed.

Alakazam motioned and drew the sparks in closer to his body, concentrating them into a massive ball. The move would usually take a lot of time to form, but since Electivire had already generated the energy necessary, Alakazam was able to do it almost instantaneously.

"Protect!" Logan ordered.

The chances of Zap Cannon missing were high, but with how big of a blast Alakazam was able to generate, it was likely that it'd connect directly. Electivire held out his arms and calmly formed the blue barrier between himself and the world. The electric attack clashed against the barrier, forcing Electivire back a few inches before it imploded in on itself, sending smoke throughout the field.

"And now, Dazzling Gleam!" Midori's voice ricocheted off the walls.

There was a flash of light, and the dust from the explosion prior was wiped away completely as Alakazam rained down his attack.

"We have to get in close!" Logan shouted. "Iron Tail!"

Although Alakazam's attack was strong, Electivire managed to power through. He ran through the light and then leaped into the air, twisting his body and slamming his iron-hard tail into Alakazam's mid-section. The Psychic-type cracked against the ground, but using his abilities, he was able to quickly get to his feet.

"Energy Ball!" Midori commanded.

Alakazam began to spin around, scooping up forest green energy with his spoons before launching them rapidly at Electivire. They pelted into the Electric-type one by one, forcing him to the ground.

"And one more Psychic!"

"Electivire, use Protect!"

Alakazam's offense was unrelenting, and Logan wasn't used to these kinds of orders from Midori. However, he knew that Midori was giving these orders out of fear and desperation, which meant that Logan was still in control of the battle.

But Alakazam was still a force to be reckoned with. His psychic powers shook the gym, and although Electivire was able to get the force shield up in time, it was shattered to pieces by Alakazam. Electivire was then lifted into the air and slammed against the ground. Alakazam slowly inched in closer, increasing the power of each slam.

"Focus Blast!" Logan ordered.

Electivire hit the ground once more, and now with Alakazam in close range, he was an easy target. He quickly charged chakra in his palm before launching it forward. It was a weak blast, but it was enough to break Alakazam's concentration momentarily.

"Hit 'em with Thunderbolt!"

Now with an opportunity, Electivire unleashed his attack, zapping Alakazam directly. The Psychic-type let out a pained screech before his body went still and his arms fell to his sides. Electricity sparked off of his body, indicating that he was paralyzed.

"And to finish this off, lay into 'em with Iron Tail!"

"Vire!" Electivire called back. He bounded down the field on all fours before twisting his body around. He slammed his tail into Alakazam's face, sending the Psychic-type spiraling. Electivire's power was too much for Alakazam ultimately, and in shocking fashion, Midori's second Pokémon in a row fainted.

"Alakazam is unable to battle!" the referee declared. He glanced at Midori and opted to not ask his usual question.

Midori withdrew Alakazam. "This is the Logan Stephenson that I've watched on television. Your Pokémon are strong, and they trust your every command. I won't feel guilty for going all out against you." He pulled his final Poké Ball from his belt. "Charizard, it's on you!"

His large Pokémon appeared and flapped his wings, whipping up a small gust of wind. Electivire was worn down from the psychic attacks, but he still looked at Charizard with no fear on his face.

Logan waited for Midori to activate his mega stone, but he never did. Logan gave him a curious look, but Midori simply smiled.

"I said that I'm going all out against you. But sometimes, patience pays off," Midori said. "Go ahead and make your command."

"Alright, then," Logan muttered. "Electivire, use Thunderbolt!"

"Dragon Pulse!"

The two Pokémon released their long-ranged attacks, meeting in the middle of the battlefield and causing an implosion that filled the room with smoke.

"Focus Blast!" Logan shouted.

Electivire put his hands together before forming a ball of chakra. When the smoke finally cleared, he launched the ball of chakra, directing it straight for Charizard.

"Fire Blast!"

Charizard roared and unleashed the massive blast of flames from his mouth. They engulfed the ball of chakra, erasing it from existence with ease before continuing down the field.

"Dodge!" Logan ordered.

Electivire tucked his head before rolling, narrowly avoiding the flames.

"And Iron Tail!"

Continuing his forward motion, Electivire ran down the field, generating power within his two tails.

Midori grinned. "Got ya! Close-ranged Hyper Beam!"

"Protect!" Logan shouted before a smirk came across his face.

It was too late for Midori to call off his attack. Charizard released the insane colored beam from his mouth, but Electivire knew what Logan was going to order, and he brought the blue forcefield to his palms as soon as Logan opened his mouth. The beam reflected off of the blue wall, causing a quick explosion that almost blew Logan's black hat off of his head.

Charizard was now frozen from the energy that he exuded, and Electivire and Logan knew as much. The Electric-type laughed before he started to buzz with energy.

"Thunderbolt! Lay into him with everything you have!" Logan ordered.

"Electi-vire!" his Pokémon howled back before launching sparks into Charizard from a close-range. The large lizard screeched from the pain, but he was unable to move or even try to back away. Eventually, Electivire had to stop though, looking on at his opponent.

Charizard started to growl, and the flames on the tip of his tail increased in power, giving Midori the sign that he needed.

"Fire Blast!"

Charizard didn't wait to do his attack. He immediately launched it downward, engulfing Electivire. An explosion soon followed, tossing the Electric-type onto his back. His arms fell to the ground, and his body went limp.

"Electivire is unable to continue!" the referee declared. "Would the challenger like to forfeit?"

Logan withdrew Electivire and then showed off his Dive Ball. "I don't think so. Go, Poliwhirl!"

Poliwhirl emerged once again and did a spin on his right fist before coming to a standing position. He eventually found himself staring at Charizard, but there was no fear in the Water-type's eyes.

Then, Midori grinned and revealed his necklace with the mega stone. "Now's the time! Here we go! Mega evolve!"

Multi-colored energy swirled through the field before surrounding Charizard, and in a matter of seconds, he took his mega form, now with a slender body. His body radiated with power, which made the gym hotter. And with that, Logan realized why Midori had waited to make the transformation.

"It gets hot for a while when mega Charizard makes his appearance," Seshiru said. "And that means that Poliwhirl is gonna lose some of his power."

Yurie observed Poliwhirl, who appeared to be sweating. He bobbed up and down slightly, as though the sun had done damage to him by simply appearing.

"C'mon, Poliwhirl," she said quietly.

Logan watched the mega evolved Pokémon. Although it now used its wings to float in the air, it still remained in the same spot as usual. Logan would have to go to it.

"Use Hydro Pump!" he ordered.

"Charizard, Fire Blast!"

The two Pokémon unleashed their strong attacks, which collided in the middle of the field. It appeared like they were even for only a moment before the fire took over, turning the water to steam. It then continued to barrel down the field, straight towards Poliwhirl.

"Dodge it!" Logan commanded.

Poliwhirl used the steam to easily avoid the attack. He then dove in, cloaking himself.

"Body Slam!"

Poliwhirl bounced into the air and started to spin before flattening himself out. He stretched out his limbs and then landed directly onto Charizard. The Fire-type didn't expect much from the attack, but Poliwhirl was powerful for his size, making Charizard go back to the ground.

"Dragon Pulse!" Midori shouted.

Charizard opened his maw and then blasted a ball of concentrated arcane energy. It connected with Poliwhirl directly, sending him into the air.

"And now, Air Slash!" Midori followed.

Charizard flapped his wings, unleashing random blasts of white energy that slashed into Poliwhirl. The Water-type was relentlessly blasted before he came to the ground, bouncing off of the field. He quickly came to his feet, but he was wobbly now, which spelled his inevitable end.

Midori pointed to the field. "Hyper Beam! Finish this!"

"Earth Power!"

Poliwhirl focused and ripped a part of the earth from the field, putting it up in front of his body at the last second. Charizard's beam exploded against it, causing more debris to fly into the air. Logan's side of the field became cloaked in dust, leaving Poliwhirl's fate up in the air.

But then, Logan shouted, "Hydro Pump!"

Poliwhirl took up and blasted the strong attack that he could muster. It escaped from the dust and then connected with Charizard directly, making him howl from pain. He was knocked onto his back and started to struggle, attempting to get back up despite his current stunned condition.

"Now that he's grounded, use Earth Power!" Logan shouted.

Charizard roared, and Midori smiled from ear to ear. "Dragon Pulse!"

As Poliwhirl launched his attack, Charizard, now crouched on the ground, blasted the arcane orb from his mouth. It ripped through Poliwhirl's energy-charged shards of ground before connecting directly with the Water-type. Poliwhirl hit the field and went limp.

"Poliwhirl is unable to continue!" the referee announced. He decided to not ask his usual question, instead opting for a sly smile.

"This is what we've been waiting for, Logan," Midori exclaimed. "You're down to one more Pokémon. Are you gonna follow your head or your heart?"

Logan didn't answer with words, instead opting to throw a Poké Ball onto the field. His Charizard emerged, roared, and blasted fire into the air. He glanced at Midori's Charizard before huffing.

"What do you think?" Yurie asked.

Seshiru put her hand to her lips and thought momentarily. "Midori's Charizard took two super-effective attacks from Electivire and Poliwhirl. But even if that wasn't the case, I trained with Logan and Charizard. I know their power. Logan's Charizard is not the same timid Charmander that he was only a couple of months ago. Electivire may be the leader of Logan's team, but Charizard is the glue. He's the final piece. More importantly, he's going to win this for the team."

"Torchic!" Yurie's Pokémon chirped, excited for the battle between the two fiery giants.

Midori's Charizard breathed deeply before he started to growl. Logan's Charizard responded in kind.

"Thunder Punch!" Logan shouted.

"Use Dragon Pulse!"

The mega Charizard blasted the arcane flames once again, but Logan's Charizard was fast. He took into the air, shaking the gym with a single flap of his wings. He generated electricity in his claw before swinging wide, getting a direct hit on Midori's Charizard's jaw.

"Air Slash!" Midori shouted.

"Fight back with Dual Wingbeat!"

Yurie looked at Seshiru. "Huh?"

She shrugged. "That one is new to me too."

The mega Charizard blasted white energy from his wings, but Logan's Charizard had the perfect counter. He quickly flapped his wings, taking the small blasts directly, but slicing through them like a hot knife through butter.

"Now Flamethrower!" Logan ordered.

"Fire Blast!"

Logan's Charizard quickly put a stop to his attack and started to transition into Flamethrower, but he still wasn't entirely used to flying, so his movements were stuttered. Midori's Charizard took that opening, unleashing his flames into the air. The normal Charizard was engulfed, and he howled with pain before falling to the ground.

"And use Hyper Beam!" Midori shouted with a grin.

"Fight back with Flamethrower!" Logan ordered, knowing that there was no easy way to dodge.

With Charizard's Fire-type attack powered up by the heat, it appeared as though it stood a small chance against Hyper Beam. The two attacks clashed, but Midori's Charizard was too strong. Hyper Beam struck Logan's Charizard, and the force of the attack shook the building. Midori had made sure to make his windows bulletproof, as he had paid to get them replaced dozens of times when he first started as a gym leader.

Midori watched the smoke as it slowly cleared. He expected that there was no way for Logan's Charizard to make it out of the two strong attacks alive. But then, the heat in the gym faded away, and the smoke suddenly whipped into a swirl. Midori looked to the other side of the field where Logan stood with his hand held high into the air.

Logan struck a pose, and arcane energy spun around him before it raced towards his Charizard. His Pokémon stood up and struck the same pose.

"What are you doing?" Midori asked.

Logan grinned. "I'm about to earn my eighth gym badge! Charizard, use Devastating Drake!"

Logan's Charizard snarled and opened his mouth as wide as he could. Purple energy emerged from the back of his throat before he launched it forward. It flew through the air like a beast with a mind of its own before it came crashing down onto the mega Charizard. The power of the attack forced Midori to put his arms up. He glanced at the windows, making sure that they were okay.

And then, everything went quiet. The smoke from the purple flames died down, and when they did, the two Charizard stood face to face. Logan's Charizard roared once again, and Midori's Charizard did the unimaginable, and he collapsed to the ground. The multi-colored energy of mega evolution released from his body, and he returned to his regular form.

"Midori's Charizard is unable to continue!" the referee declared. "The victory goes to Logan and Charizard!"

"Yeah!" Logan shouted excitedly while he jumped up and down.

"They did it!" Yurie and Seshiru exclaimed together before they stood up and danced momentarily. Torchic was excited too, but he had to be careful of getting stepped on.

Midori withdrew Charizard and smiled at the Poké Ball. Although it was looking like it'd be his final battle of the season, he was still happy despite the loss. He slowly walked to the group with his hands in his pockets.

"Logan, it gives me great pride to give you this Earth Badge. You've worked your butt off, and you've earned it," Midori said while handing over the green feather badge.

Logan took it and sighed with relief. He had feared that he wouldn't be able to get it in the end, and his gamble to not take Midori up on his offer earlier had put a lot more pressure on the battle.

"And this," Midori added while pulling out a small gold bar with Kantonian writing inscribed on it. "This is the easy proof that you've earned your way into the Indigo Conference. Don't lose that gold bar."

Logan nodded. It was the first time that something other than the regular eight gym badges was necessary. He wasn't sure about it, but if it meant making the signing up process easier, he was all for it.

Midori put his hands on his hips. "You only have a couple of weeks left before the conference. All eyes are on you and your friends. If one of you doesn't win the whole thing, I'll be genuinely surprised. I've fought countless trainers over the past year or so, but none of them has stood out to me as much as you. Well, maybe Haruto, but he's simply exceptional."

Logan clutched the bar tightly. "Only a few weeks left? We won't lose. We won't fail. I refuse to fail."

Midori grinned and then widened his eyes as he looked at Logan's Charizard. "I forgot! I have one more thing! You have to let me award you, even a little bit, for your help in Saffron."

"I said I'm okay," Logan answered, but then Midori interrupted him by handing over one more item. It was familiar to Logan, a blue and black marble that surged with energy, a mega stone.

"You got lucky with your Charizard. I said that I went searching for ways to make my Charizard stronger, and upon doing that, I found two different mega stones. However, the stone that I use helps to boost my Charizard's special attack, this stone gives a general power boost. It'll allow your Charizard to turn into Mega Charizard X. I think your battle style is perfect for it."

"That's a lot of information to process at once," Logan muttered. He was thankful for the stone, nonetheless.

"And not only that, but your Charizard will realize his full potential; he'll become a Dragon-type," Midori added.

Logan looked back at Charizard and held up the stone. "With this, we're gonna win the whole thing!"

Charizard responded with a happy roar.


AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Sorry this took me so long to write. I'm having troubles writing battles out at the moment and all of the chapters I've tasked myself with writing are battle chapters (especially with the upcoming conference and Seshiru's final Battle Frontier challenge).

I've been feeling a lot better though, so that's a good sign. I was hoping to finish KiiK this year, but it's looking like it'll take longer. I'm gonna shoot for a chapter a week until I can get into a proper headspace.

Next chapter will start Logan's training for the Indigo Conference, and we'll get a small update on one of his rivals.

REVIEWS:

pokemonking0924 - "Yurie would have gotten the opportunity to get the clingy girl off her boyfriend by saying they are dating if it wasn't for the timely arrival of her brother, she doesn't know how he will react to the fact she's dating someone he doesn't like near his sister." - I'll have to write in a scene eventually where he finds out.

wisdom-jewel - "I can't wait for the next chapter. Logan does have a lot of catching up with Haruto. Good luck with the next chapter." - With this chapter's victory, it looks like Logan isn't too far behind.

CrescentApple - "This was a fun get-together read. Its amazing to think all these people beat Midori. I can confidently see Logan take out Midori. And Seshiru's rematch will be exciting to read!" - I'm glad that Logan won. I'm not sure what I'd do if I wrote him losing again.

Pizzaking - "You know when I saw the title of this chapter I thought you were talking about napolitan ice cream. I forgot about the pasta with sauce turning the noodles red, bell pepper slices, slices of bacon, parmigiana cheese, and some hot sauce on the side." - Making me hungry.