Strength In Numbers
This one claims the anomaly belongs to him.
He seems to be able to recognize its capabilities.
He also has tremendous potential to be a great Champion.
Of course, that does not mean he will not become a failure of one.
Kyle grabbed his Pokeball out of his backpack before hopping down the bleachers and standing to face Jordan. The two didn't say anything; their expressions were all they needed to transmit their intentions. Jordan would do everything to crush Kyle's Eevee, and Kyle would do the same to Jordan's Chimchar.
Jordan turned and started walking towards the last vacant area where they could battle. Carol, Adrien, and Jordan's friends all followed, Carol sticking close to Kyle.
After a few moments, Kyle heard cheering and looked for the source. He found it by one of the battles, which had just ended. Kyle looked past the slightly distant crowd and saw a defeated Murkrow, a Magnetite hovering over it. The competing trainers met in the middle to shake hands as a sign of respect.
I doubt there will be any of that in our battle, Kyle thought.
Now that the battle between those two had ended, people noticed Kyle's group walking towards the fourth section. Some began to point them out to their friends, and groups started following them to the area. Carol pulled on Kyle's jacket sleeve, and he turned towards her. She pointed towards the gymnasium doors, which were opening. Students were flooding inside, their eyes searching until they caught sight of Jordan and Kyle. They, too, then pointed them out and started following them.
"Seems like word of your battle got out," Carol noted.
"Yeah," Kyle said, getting nervous. He'd never been the focus of this much attention before. It was an uncomfortable experience.
Carol noticed this and bumped his arm with her elbow. "Hey, you got this," She said encouragingly. "Remember, you have the advantage!"
Kyle frowned. "Huh? An Eevee might have better stats if it were at the same level as Jordan's Pokemon, but his Chimchar has much more experience than Eevee. Why would you think we have the advantage?"
Carol grinned. "Because your Pokemon is special!"
Kyle smiled and sighed. "Yeah, I guess so."
But if I lose, I'll have to make a scene in front of all of these people.
After a few more steps, Kyle heard a noise beside him, followed by sounds of awe. He turned and saw that Carol had let her Dratini, Scarf, out of its Pokeball. She crouched and held out her arm so it could climb up to her neck and wrap itself around. It was attracting a lot of attention, and people were taking out their phones to take pictures. Kyle even saw a group of girls - he recognized them as the popular type - gawking in envy.
"Showing off?" Kyle asked, smiling.
"Shut up," Carol said sheepishly. "Don't judge me."
Kyle laughed and caught a hint of a smile on Adrien's face. That was something he didn't often see from him. It fit him a lot better than Kyle thought it would. But he still had his head turned slightly away from Kyle and Carol. All these people must've been making him anxious, too.
The group reached the battle area and split to both sides. Kyle and Carol headed to the right, while Jordan and his group went to the left. Kyle and Jordan turned to face each other from opposite sides of the area. The students gathered around, each trying to push their way to the front to get a good view. Soon, they surrounded the entire area. It even looked to Kyle like the other two battles had finished, and now the crowds of those two were merging with the one around Kyle and Jordan's area. Voices were growing louder in anticipation of the battle.
The referee was trying to push people back in vain, and so he blew his whistle. The students were silenced.
"All right!" The referee shouted for everyone to hear. "Clearly, we have a popular matchup here. So, we'll be using two areas instead of one, so they can have more battlespace! So, everyone let the participants move to their new starting points."
Everyone cheered loudly. Kyle was tempted to cover his ears but refused to do so while Jordan could see him.
After a few more minutes, everyone was resituated, with much more space between Kyle and Jordan than before. It was made a little smaller by the large crowd, but it was a lot more room than before.
"Okay!" The referee called out. "Trainers, send out your Pokemon!"
Jordan took out his Poke ball and chucked it onto the court. There was a flash of light as his small Chimchar materialized, pounding its chest. The Poke ball then bounced back into Jordan's hand. The crowd cheered, and the Chimchar confidently began to wave to the crowd.
"Pound it to dust for me, Fireball!" Jordan said.
Such a stupid name, Kyle thought as he held his Poke ball. He unlocked the Poke ball with his thumb and watched it enlarge. He then pressed the button again and watched as Eevee emerged.
Eevee was ready for battle. Its health was in perfect condition, and it was bouncing slightly from side to side in excitement. That energy was exactly what they would need to win.
"Alright, remember them?" Kyle asked it.
Eevee turned to examine their opponents. It stopped bouncing, and its ears drooped a little as it realized who and what it would be fighting. Kyle couldn't blame it. Eevee had been attacked ruthlessly by Fireball, and unless Kyle had saved it, it'd be in Jordan's hands. He sighed as he kneeled to talk to Eevee.
"Hey," he said encouragingly. The Eevee turned back, face gloomy. "You'll be fine. All you have to do is work with me, and we'll get through this. Remember Munchlax? That was difficult, but you pushed through that." Eevee began to smile, and Kyle smiled back. "Let's do this."
"Yeah! You guys got this!" Carol added in.
"Hey, you done yet, dog whisperer?" Jordan asked. "If you are, we'd like to get this started."
Eevee turned and darted out onto the court, stopping to crouch down low. Kyle thought he heard a high-pitched growl coming from Eevee.
He grinned. "Ready when you are." The crowd cheered again.
The referee looked to both sides and saw that the two were prepared to start the battle. He looked nervous. He could probably tell that things were about to get heated. He stuck his arm out and looked both ways one last time.
"Ready!" he called out. Eevee and Chimchar positioned themselves.
"Go!"
The two Pokemon launched themselves towards one another.
"Fireball, cut it up with scratch!" Jordan shouted.
"Tackle!" Kyle called out.
Fireball came out swinging its sharp claws. It connected with Eevee's back as they collided, but Eevee also hit its attack. The Chimchar was thrown to the ground by Eevee's Tackle, but it didn't look like the attack did much damage to it. Eevee, however, had taken a solid hit.
"Again!" Kyle commanded. Eevee obliged, but Fireball was quick. It jumped back to its feet and evaded the attack.
"Use Ember!" Jordan ordered. As soon as Fireball was clear from Eevee's tackle, it spat a ball of smoking fire at Eevee. Once again, the attack connected, and Eevee yelped in pain. Kyle cringed, and Jordan laughed.
"You'll have to do better than that," he said.
All right, if you insist, Kyle wouldn't try Eevee's special move yet; he wanted to save it until he had a clear opening. He also wanted to rack up some damage with skill, not power. Kyle waited.
"Not going to attack?" Jordan asked. "Fine! Fireball, use Scratch!"
He's not hitting me with Ember, which is a much stronger move, Kyle thought. He was using it exclusively the last time he fought Eevee, which means he knows that Ember is more powerful. He's trying to make the process slow to make me look and feel weak. He's confident. That's good. I can use that against him.
"Growl!" Kyle shouted.
Eevee let out a cry that stopped Fireball in its tracks. Kyle used the opening and ordered Eevee to hit the Chimchar with Tackle. The attack hit Fireball right in its gut, and it was sent sprawling backward.
"Get up!" Jordan yelled. Fireball stood back on its feet, slightly slower this time. "Use Ember!" The Chimchar tilted its head back, and Kyle could see its throat begin to glow a light orange.
"Quickly, use Tail Whip!" Kyle told Eevee.
Eevee turned around and wagged its tail in Fireball's direction. Carol laughed at the sight, and Kyle smiled slightly, too. Some in the crowd were laughing as well. The Chimp Pokemon paused for a moment, lowering its guard at the sight of Eevee's movement. Perfect.
"Now, use Tackle again!"
Eevee slammed into the Chimchar once more and knocked it to the ground. The crowd yelled in admiration. Despite their difference in level, Eevee had managed to hit Fireball more times in total than it had hit Eevee. It had also gotten Fireball to open itself to attacks twice in a row. In addition, both the moves Tail Whip and Growl lowered one of the Chimchar's stats, so they would be more even now.
"Quit lowering your guard, you idiot!" Jordan shouted, visibly frustrated. "Just hit the damn thing! Ember, again!"
Fireball threw out another bright orange flame, but Eevee easily jumped out of the way. Kyle wanted to order it to Tackle, but he knew Fireball would simply dodge and counterattack with Ember. He needed to evade attacks for now while he waited for another opening.
Jordan continued to order Fireball to attack with either Ember or Scratch. Jordan and Fireball continued to fight aggressively while Kyle and Eevee continued to be conservative. This kept on for the next couple of minutes. Kyle would've expected the crowd to get bored with the lack of connecting attacks, but they were captivated by the speed at which the competing Pokemon moved. The noise was only getting louder as the two continued to brawl.
Soon, however, Jordan gave a command Kyle didn't expect. "Alright Fireball, use that maneuver we practiced!"
What? Kyle became nervous at those words.
Fireball smiled. He used Scratch and swiped sideways. Eevee ducked under the attack. However, the Chimp Pokemon seemed ready for this. It used its momentum from Scratch and turned to the side. It then placed its left knee pit under Eevee's chin and wrapped that leg around Eevee's neck. Fireball lifted Eevee into the air with its leg, balancing in a handstand. It then brought Eevee down, slamming it into the ground and putting it in a chokehold with its leg.
The crowd roared. Kyle was baffled. A maneuver? He thought. Did he practice a maneuver? I didn't think he was even smart enough to do that!
Fireball looked back to its trainer with an expression full of pride. Despite its struggles, Eevee was unable to escape. Kyle was about to panic. Jordan could end it right here if he wanted to; and by looking at him, Kyle could tell that he wanted to.
"Now, finish it off!" Jordan ordered.
That's it. Kyle thought.
Fireball hesitated, its smile of pride fading as it turned back to face Eevee, who was still struggling against the leg which was choking it. Kyle tilted his head. Fireball almost looked . . . sad. Conflicted.
It doesn't want to win, Kyle realized, remembering the incident in the woods. It knows that if it wins, Jordan won't use it anymore, since he'll be using Eevee. Fireball enjoys being Jordan's Pokemon, and wouldn't rather be with anyone else. But, if it doesn't win, it'll make Jordan angry with it, which will hurt their relationship. That's something Fireball doesn't want, either.
Kyle found himself sympathizing with Fireball. He could understand its internal struggle, and he felt sorry for it. But while he felt sympathy, he also noticed that Eevee was able to turn its head enough so that it was facing Fireball's body. Eevee looked as if it were waiting.
Alright, Fireball, Kyle thought. I'll decide for you. You can stay with your master. He used Fireball's hesitation as an opportunity.
"Eevee, do it!" Kyle shouted.
That sounded so lame, Kyle thought. I need to at least come up with a name for that move, or something.
Eevee opened its mouth as white light began to fill it. Fireball looked on in confusion as the light grew brighter. Jordan's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth, but he was too late. Eevee unleashed the light, and numerous beams struck Fireball, sending it flying backward.
The crowd grew silent at first sight of the beams of light, but they went wild as the orange Pokemon fell through the air. Kyle saw some people with looks of varying levels of confusion of disbelief, others gaping in awe, and some just shouting or cheering loudly. Carol gasped behind him before clapping in amazement, and Adrien raised his eyebrows before smiling.
Eevee struggled to stand as its opponent hit the ground, which made the noise of the crowd reach an even greater volume. Amazingly, Fireball was able to return to a stand as well, despite being badly injured by Eevee's attack.
Damn. Kyle thought. That had been my best chance. I can still win, but I guess I still have a ways to go. He took out his phone and opened the Trainer Tracker app to see the HP of each Pokemon. He inhaled sharply. Eevee was almost at zero, but Fireball still had a fair amount of HP left. However, Kyle believed he would only need to hit it one more time.
No time to waste. "Try again!" Kyle shouted.
Eevee opened its mouth again to release the beams of light once more. They separated a small distance from each other before homing in on their singular target. Fireball readied itself before running to the side. It seemed that it was still trying to win despite its internal conflict. It danced between each beam as they hit the ground and dissipated as it missed. As the number of projectiles threatening Fireball dwindled, it began to advance towards Eevee.
"Hit it one last time with Scratch!" Jordan ordered.
Oh, no, you don't. "Again!" Kyle said.
More light missiles were shot out by Eevee. Firecall dodged these as well, jumping over one, sliding under another, and sidestepping. It was honestly incredible to watch, Kyle had to admit. But this was no time to admire the Chimchar's moves; Kyle had other things to worry about. He grew increasingly nervous as Fireball got closer. Kyle couldn't do anything, only hope that Eevee would manage to hit Fireball once.
Fireball was now right beside Eevee, and it pulled back its clawed hand to deliver one final blow. It swung at Eevee, slashing it across the face as one of the beams finally struck the Chimp Pokemon in the chest. Fireball was thrown back once more, and Eevee collapsed. Kyle checked his phone.
Fireball had withstood the attack, if only barely. It still had HP left to spare. Eevee, however . . .
Eevee was out of Health Points. Fireball's last Scratch had taken it down to zero, marking the end of the battle. Jordan and his Chimchar had won.
The crowd cheered, recognizing the winner. Jordan let out a cry of victory. Kyle, Carol, and Adrien all stayed silent. The referee blew his whistle and declared Jordan to be the victor of the battle. Students rushed up to Jordan and surrounded him to congratulate him. Some students came up to Kyle to congratulate him, as well, before heading over to Jordan with the others.
Kyle dropped his head and ran his fingers through his hair, and Carol placed a hand on his shoulder. He had lost the bet. Kyle and Carol both approached the defeated Eevee, and Kyle kneeled and gathered it in his arms. Should he run? Try to escape? Maybe he could flee from Jordan and what was about to come.
Before he could decide, Jordan pushed himself through the crowd of students. Kyle raised his head and looked into his eyes. They were full of pride, satisfaction, and greed. Fireball followed behind him with a sad look on its face, for it knew what was about to happen. Jordan held out his hand expectantly, palm facing upward.
"Well? Give it here." Jordan said.
Kyle stood and stepped back defensively, holding Eevee tighter. "No."
Jordan frowned in frustration. "Come on, Kyle. You heard Adrien. Whoever wins, keeps the Eevee. That's how it goes. I won. So pay up."
"No." Kyle backed up some more.
Jordan didn't move yet. He was growing angry. "Dammit, Kyle! I beat you fair and square! I even made it look like you had a chance! So give me the Eevee!"
"Just let him keep it, man," someone from the crowd said. "That's his Pokemon. Why should he give it up just because he lost?"
"Yeah, he fought hard with that Eevee!" a girl said. "He deserves to have it!"
"You already own a Pokemon!"
"Why would you want another?"
"You should be grateful!"
"He doesn't have any more than that!"
More and more people began to place arguments in support of Kyle. Kyle's mouth was wide open at the display. He couldn't believe that all of these people were standing up for him. Jordan growled and turned to face them, but backed away as they grew more insistent.
"Just shut it! All of you!" Jordan screamed. "None of you understand. We made a deal, even after he stole the Eevee from me! It's-"
Jordan was cut off by the sound of a Poke ball opening resonating through the gymnasium. The crowd backed away from the noise, revealing one trainer who stood in the middle.
Adrien stood with one hand in his pocket, the other hand holding an open Poke ball. A Pichu stood in front of him, electricity flowing over its yellow, mouselike figure.
"Sorry, Jordan," Adrien said. "It doesn't belong to you. The deal's off."
Carol was next. She stepped in front of Kyle and held out her arm. Scarf slithered off and dropped to the ground, poising itself to strike.
Soon, everyone else in the crowd with Pokemon began releasing them. Magnetite, Murkrow, Magikarp, Growlithe, Geodude, Shuckle, Buneary, Starly, Squirtle, Pupitar, Goldeen, and countless more. Even Jordan's other friends let their Pokemon out behind Adrien. All of them surrounded Jordan and Fireball. Jordan glanced around, growling, but with sweat dripping down his face. Fireball shifted around Jordan protectively, ready in case one of the Pokemon attacked.
The standoff lasted a few minutes. The referee watched nearby, not making a move, even though he should be punishing everyone for threatening their fellow student. Jordan's nervousness visibly grew as his eyes darted around. Finally, he took a deep breath and relaxed his posture. He turned his head away from Kyle.
"Fine." He snarled. "You can keep the damn thing." Jordan didn't bother to replace his Chimchar in its Poke ball before pushing his way through the crowd of people and Pokemon alike. He retrieved his backpack from where he had deposited it and left through the gym doors, Fireball scurrying along behind him. The doors slammed shut behind them both.