Disclaimer: I do not own nor am I affiliated with Pokémon or any of its parent companies. I am merely a humble storyteller. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy this journey with me.
Note: I am English, so some of the wording, spellings, and expressions will be those commonly used in England.
Chapter Sixty-Four: Burning Blaine Battle!
Charmeleon's metal claws blocked Ponyta's Stomp, throwing it off balance and leaving it susceptible to a Dragon Breath. She fell with a groan.
"Ramon's Ponyta is unable to battle," the referee declared. "The victory goes to Charmeleon. Red can move on to the final question."
Red and Charmeleon nodded in understanding before the fire lizard disappeared into his Poké Ball. Red had done well thus far, answering three questions correctly until this one. How was he meant to know Tombstony was not a real move (as far as he and the rest of world knew).
The crowd clapped politely for him, and he received a couple of louder cheers to boot. "Fantastic!" Blaine said, hamming it up for the audience. "Stupendous! Even when you failed a question and had to face a penalty match, you still had it in you to battle and win convincingly! With a Fire-type of your own no less."
Red chuckled nervously as his fourth Blaine doll was thrust into his arms, a miniature version of the Gym Leader doing an eccentric ballerina pose. The truth of the matter was he did not want to risk the Pokémon he wanted to use against Blaine. Charmeleon was not going to partake in that battle, so it only made sense to use him should he fail any of the questions.
"And now!" Blaine said, brandishing a card with a flourish. "We have the final question! Are you ready?"
"Yes."
Blaine's moustache quivered as he smiled. "Very well." He cleared his throat. "Challenger Red, tell me…" He paused deliberately, building up the suspense. "Who are you about to battle?"
Red knitted his eyebrows together. Was this a joke? A trick question perhaps? But try as he might to dissect the question, Red could find any other hidden meaning to it. "You," was his answer.
"The challenger has given his response," Blaine said. "And the final judgement is…"
A hush fell over the audience, filling the Gym. Red gulped.
"You're absolutely right!" Blaine bellowed, throwing the card into the air and spinning on his heels. "Congrats!"
The audience exploded into applause, and Red breathed a sigh of relief.
Blaine rushed forward and handed Red his final doll, which Red placed all in a line in front of a camera, at the behest of the Gym Leader.
"Hah!" Blaine said, grinning at the chibi versions of himself. "You have obtained five Blaine dolls! Which means… it's time for our battle!"
The audience threw their hands in the air (well, apart from the Pokémon that did not have said appendages) and hollered to high heavens, filled to the brim with anticipation.
Blaine strode back over to his side of the stage. "My fiery Pokémon are all rough and ready with intense heat! They incinerate all challengers! Hah!" He swivelled on his heels and pointed a finger at Red. "Hope you brought some Burn Heals!"
"Don't you worry," Red said, twisting his cap backwards. "We won't need any."
o~o~o~o~o
Across Kanto, many regular viewers tuned in for another episode of Blaine's Fiery Hot Quizzes, and there many more who opted to tune in upon hearing that there was going to be another live Gym Battle being broadcast.
A proud mother in Pallet watching with her neighbours after the local professor told them about the match upon hearing it from the Gym Leader himself.
The Kanto Gym Leaders who took a short break from their duties, some eagerly awaiting the battle of the one who had conquered them and the others who were fated to have their day of reckoning against him.
League rivals found themselves viewing it on anything they could, determined to both be entertained and take notes to enable them to overcome a potential foe. One particular rival rolled his eyes yet found he still needed to watch.
A couple people with purple 'R's on their chests also watched, having come across it at random, one of whom gritted his teeth as he remembered his defeat at the boy's hands.
Yes, Red had quite a lot of eyes on him.
o~o~o~o~o
Cubone quivered as the audience cheered his reveal, and only Red's soft words gave him the courage to somewhat ignore the crowd.
But who was to be Cubone's opponent as they kicked off this four versus four bout?
Blaine's chosen combatant was a vulpine, quadrupedal creature, and it shook its opulent, golden-white fur, sophisticated and radiant. It had a fluffy crest upon its head, but the most elegant thing about it was its tails. Yes, tails. It had nine of them, all luxurious, all moving in a way that could only be described as mesmerising.
Ninetales, a Fire-type Pokémon, and the evolved form of Vulpix. It is very smart and can be very vengeful. Grabbing one its tails could result in a thousand-year curse.
"Careful, Cubone," Red said. "Blue's Vulpix was tough, so this Ninetales isn't going to be a slouch."
Cubone held his club aloft, silently declaring he would battle as hard as he could, although the slight tremble diminished the gallant effect.
"If you are ready," the referee said, "battle begin!"
Before any Trainer could issue an attack, Ninetales howled and a shimmering yellow light rose from her fur and floated towards the ceiling, filling the Gym with the luminosity (added to the blinding stage lights) and heat of the sun.
Ah, so it appeared Ninetales could use Sunny Day without even being told by its Trainer, perhaps an automatic tactic for all battles. It did not matter much to Red as he asked for Cubone to attempt a Bonemerang.
However, Blaine merely snorted as the club obliterated an illusory Ninetales, and then a second as it returned to its owner.
"Flamethrower," Blaine called, embellishing his order with finger guns at the nearest camera.
From Ninetales' mouth a stream of flames that seemed to burn hotter than they would naturally, boosted by the artificial heat, danced towards Cubone.
"Get out of there, Cubone!" Red screamed, and the tiny skull-wearer barely evaded the inferno, wincing as the flames kissed his tail. "Bonemerang!"
Again, Cubone sent his club spinning towards Ninetales, only for it to summon more clones of itself, rendering it useless.
"That's a fiddly technique to deal with," Blaine said. He dramatically raised his voice. "How about we put a stop to it?"
The crowd cheered and chanted, clapping their hands and stamping their feet.
"Then that's what we will do. Ninetales, Disable!"
A blue glow took over Ninetales' red eyes, and Cubone shivered, frozen in place for a split second.
Red gritted his teeth. Long distance techniques seemed to be his best option on taking on Ninetales, so having Disable rob them of Bonemerang was not pleasant. Not to fret, though, for they did still have Smack Down, and they would lay the smack down on Ninetales.
Unless it and Blaine had a trick up their sleeves.
Which they did.
To Red's utmost horror, Blaine called for a Solar Beam, a fifth attack, and what almost made him cataleptic with astonishment was the fact Ninetales did not need to wait and gather energy to perform it. No, she fired a golden beam of light instantly at the exposed Cubone.
The next words that left Red's lips came so automatically that they might have been someone else's, so quickly even his brain would not have been able to come up with them: "Knock it away with Bone Club!"
Cubone gripped his club in both hands as tightly as he could and, straining all his muscles, whacked it against the Solar Beam.
Now, if you were expecting Cubone to knock the Solar Beam away like an awesome scene in a movie or something, stun his foes and everybody watching, before defeating Ninetales with a flurry of strikes, you would be disappointed. In reality, all he did was mitigate the super effective damage from the Grass-type technique, dispelling some of it but still taking a heck of a hit. He flew up and came down just as quickly, hitting the stage with an oomph. However, he did enough to save himself from falling to defeat, and, believing he might be useful later, Red recalled him to his Poké Ball.
"We have contingency plans for Pokémon that can give my Fire-types a bit of problem," Blaine said, grinning.
"I can see that," Red scowled. "But what I don't see is how your Ninetales can use five moves. The limit's four."
"The limit is four," Blaine said, peering at Red over the top of his glasses. "We only used four moves."
"You used five," Red said and proceeded to count down on his fingers, "Solar Beam, Disable, Flamethrower, Double Team, and Sunny Day. That is five."
"My Ninetales doesn't know Sunny Day."
"It used it at the beginning of the battle!"
"That was his Ability," Blaine said, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "It's called Drought. Basically, my Ninetales can summon a Sunny Day whenever he is called out for battle. Exceptionally useful if I do say so myself."
With his scowl refusing to leave his face, Red turned to his Pokédex, who came with the reply:
Kantonian Ninetales are known to only have the Ability Flash Fire. However, my databanks show us a Seaking with Lightning Rod, telling us that there may be a way for Pokémon to possess other Abilities in ways unknown to us.
"I see," Red said slowly, barely acknowledging the audience who wanted them to get the battle restarted. "I mean, having another Ability makes more sense that having a lot of moves."
"Trust me, I don't get it much myself," Blaine said. "But that's what makes this world amazing. Just so much to uncover." The joviality in his voice went down a tad. "So much."
Reassured there was no funny business going on, Red summoned his second battler, his Snorlax who yawned and blinked irritatingly in the obnoxious stage lights. She became a little more irked when a golden beam of light tore into her face.
And with that Solar Beam, Drought ended.
"Flamethrower," Blaine called, and a blistering fire streaked through the air and caught Snorlax in the belly, not as intense as it was under the sun but still powerful.
As a matter of fact, Snorlax barely noticed it. She merely glanced down at her belly and stifled a yawn.
"Flamethrower again," Blaine said, cautiously.
Another Flamethrower, this time to Snorlax's face. And again, the Sleeping Pokémon was unfazed.
Despite himself, Blaine chuckled. "Don't tell me," he called out to Red. "Thick Fat?"
Red nodded. He will admit he was a little disappointed Snorlax did not have Immunity, but the more his Pokédex explained Thick Fat's effect, the more he grew to love it. Who would not want reduced damage against Fire and Ice-type techniques?
Blaine ordered another Flamethrower, hoping it would burn Snorlax and reduce the mighty attack stat she possessed. But it was not to be, and Ninetales took a Headbutt for her troubles. Their only other option was to use Solar Beam, but with the effects of Drought ended it needed time to charge, time they did not have. As Ninetales amassed energy, Snorlax dropped her heavy body onto the fox.
"Ninetales is unable to battle! The victory goes to Snorlax!"
"Brilliant, Snorlax," Red said, running up and giving her a pat on the back. "That's two for two in Gym Battles for you now."
The crowd cheered wildly, perhaps the desire for the underdog to win forcing them to go against their beloved Gym Leader and gameshow host. Or maybe they were cheering because someone finally took the lead. Or maybe they would have cheered just about anything.
An audience member toppled off his seat. They erupted into even louder cheers. Oh.
"I see why the others warned me of you, Red," Blaine said, losing some of the flamboyance he had, replaced by the vigour of a Gym Leader Red had come to expect from them. "I must admit, I'm already wary, but I'm not going to buckle. Rapidash, go!"
The majestic fire horse known as Rapidash appeared, and it neighed and whinnied and bucked its head as it sought to make its Trainer proud as it had no doubt done many, many, many times previously.
"No need to worry, Snorlax," Red said. "Thick Fat will keep you safe."
Red was correct about that. It would take a lot of Fire-type moves to whittle down Snorlax's health. Oh, if only Rapidash's moveset only consisted of the hot stuff.
"Smart Strike," came Rapidash's first throw of the dice.
Rapidash's elegant cream-coloured horn shone silver and it rammed it into Snorlax's substantial tummy, extracting a pained moan from Red's fighter.
"You're good, you're good," Red said. "Use Body Slam."
Snorlax attacked. Snorlax missed, the speedy horse avoiding Ninetales fate of being a pancake and getting a couple more sneaky Smart Strikes in.
Headbutts and Body Slams missed and missed again, and Red had the uncomfortable thought that maybe he should have taught Snorlax another move instead of relying on her defences and Thick Fat.
Rapidash got in a cheeky Flame Charge, and if Snorlax had barely any chance of hitting it before, it was nigh on impossible now; Rapidash became nothing but a fiery blur and peppered Snorlax with half a dozen more Smart Strikes.
What was Red to do? Maybe recalling Snorlax was the best option? Or should he get her to heal herself with Rest first and then return her? If he called her back in her weakened state, she might not get the opportunity to use Rest against the next opponent.
As he ruminated, Blaine took advantage of those previous couple of seconds: "Let's go high, Rapidash! Bounce!"
And boy did Rapidash bounce, leaping a couple dozen feet into the air and coming back down with the force of a falling pillar of stone, its diamond-hard hooves drilling into Snorlax's head and shoulders.
Snorlax wobbled and winced, raising her arms to her head.
"Rest, Snorlax!" Red shouted, cringing at the impact. "Hurry, Rest!"
Snorlax shut her eyes, about to lay down on the floor and sleep away her wounds, when she stopped, her visage distorted in discomfort. Her arms fell to her side and stayed there. She struggled to turn to her Trainer, her movements slow, almost statuesque. Red grimaced. Bounce had paralysed Snorlax.
Reluctantly, Red called her back for maybe he could use her again. Or at the very least if his final Pokémon got a draw with Blaine's last one, then having Snorlax conscious would still give him the victory.
What to do now, though? He had already decided on who his other two Pokémon were to be, but was it the time to bring them out? Did he want to risk them when he did not know Blaine's final two?
Cubone twirled his club, a tad groggy, but with bright eyes that were alert and eager to make amends.
However, Rapidash was proving to be much too fast. Cubone could barely get a hit in, grazing the fire horse with Bone Club every now and then, but taking greater damage from its Smart Strikes and Flame Charges. It seemed only a matter of time until Cubone fell.
Unless they got lucky, and not many got that. Which meant he and Cubone would have to force their own luck with…
"Bonemerang!" Red shouted.
Cubone did not aim for aiming was pointless.
Cubone did not predict because Rapidash was just that speedy.
Cubone simply sent his club spinning through the air, missing his foe completely…
… the audience gasped as it twirled hypnotically in the lights…
…Blaine scrunched up his face, his experience not allowing him to turn down his guard…
… Red bit his bottom lip, drawing a speck of blood…
… and the club boomeranged back to its owner, and along the way ricocheted off Rapidash's head, drawing a pained whine from the Fire-type.
"Get it with Bone Club!" Red said, praying Blaine would fall into his trap. "Quickly!"
"No, you don't!" Blaine yelled, waving his arms like a mad man. "Bounce, Rapidash!"
As the skull-wearer threatened to whack Rapidash, the flaming stallion took to the sky again, and with it came the opportunity Red craved:
"Smack Down."
Blaine stumbled backwards, glasses askew, his Pokémon unable to manoeuvre itself in the air, the golden sphere that was Smack Down touching its pastern and sending it hurtling back towards the battlefield.
"Rapidash, are you okay?" Blaine asked, breathing a sigh of relief at its affirmative response.
So, Red had psyched out Blaine, tricking him into using Bounce and disabling it. But what other tricks did Red have up his sleeve? It was not as if Rapidash was any slower, and could he afford to rely on more fortuitous Bonemerangs?
Either way, Blaine had to ensure Rapidash's defence would stand up to whatever Red threw their way.
Which meant…
"Skull Bash," he said, and Rapidash tucked in its head, its muscles swelling, the hint of veins surfacing along its body. Yet it did not attack. Much like Solar Beam, it needed to bide its time. Red needed to end it now.
"Bone Club!" he cried out.
Cubone's club connected with Rapidash's flank, but the fire horse glared back at the Lonely Pokémon and bellowed. It shot towards Cubone like a rocket and bashed the poor thing so hard he crashed into the opposite wall, taking a huge chunk out of it, and Cubone's admirable efforts came to an end.
The crowd gasped in awe, but many more cooed and gushed at the sight of the Pallet native picking up his tiny friend and holding him to his chest. "You did so well," Red whispered. "You're getting stronger every day. We're all proud of you, Cubone."
Thus, Cubone's race was run, but who was Red going to pick next?
Pikachu hopped onto the battlefield, tail wagging excitedly.
"Pikachu?" Blaine said. "I've heard a lot about this one, and I would be remiss to underestimate him, but are you sure he's a good choice for my Gym?"
"I'm more than sure," Red said, the utter confidence with which he said it striking a chord with Blaine, witnessing the utmost trust he had in the electric mouse, the same trust he had in his own Pokémon, the same trust he had to work so hard to earn, especially after… what he did… what he was involved in… all that time ago…
Smart Strike countered Floaty Fall, but Rapidash flinched and took a direct hit from Shock Wave, contorting and whining, the electric current running riot through its body.
"Floaty Fall!" Red shouted.
"Skull Bash!" Blaine roared.
Pikachu swung his tail into an increasingly bulky Rapidash and was then sent spinning through the air, into the same wall Cubone was flung into. Nevertheless, unlike Cubone, Pikachu was far from being knocked out.
Red eyed Rapidash, its improved defences a new obstacle to overcome. But his brain did not have to work too hard to think of a new plan to overcome the stallion, for he had the two perfect techniques to overwhelm it and claim a second of Blaine's fighters.
A solid hit from Flame Charge did little to dispel Red's confidence – as a matter of fact it put Rapidash in prime position to be served by Pikachu's next attack – and that was when Red said:
"Splishy Splash."
Murmurs went up from the crowd, Blaine did a double-take, viewers watching the match turned to each other on their sofas: what was this attack?
Mystically, miraculously, water formed underneath Pikachu, growing and rising until it formed a tidal wave, much like the wild Slowbro's Surf. However, unlike Surf, this wave crackled with electricity and crashed down upon Rapidash, extinguishing much of its flames.
"What the!" Blaine exclaimed, stopping himself from saying a rather rude word on live television.
Rapidash wibbled and wobbled, coughing out the highly charged water that scratched its throat.
"Zippy Zap," Red said.
The defences Skull Bash bestowed upon Rapidash were proven useless as Zippy Zap ripped through it, finally taking down a Pokémon that had proven to be a major thorn in Red's behind.
The audience cheered Red and Pikachu's names, a few shouting for Blaine to already give him the Volcano Badge, and someone loudly proclaimed that he could do better, even though he was one of those people who could make a Moltres lose to a Magikarp.
"Good work, Pikachu," Red said. "I can always count on you."
Pikachu nodded back and the duo shared a smile.
Blaine did not say anything apart from the praise he whispered to his Rapidash. His gameshow host persona had evaporated, replaced by solemnity, his true self. He did not even call out his next Pokémon's name, a familiar face Red had only encountered the other day. Magmar.
"I can see why everyone speaks highly of you, Red," Blaine said, his voice even, his base low. "You haven't just got talent, but you've got the connection with your Pokémon to extract their full potential. You could go toe-to-toe with the Elite Four with a bit more training if you ask me." Blaine took off his glasses and popped them into his pocket. His eyes were blazing. From the shadows, Erif was snapping her fingers, as if trying to get his attention, clearly unhappy he was not in gameshow mode. He ignored her. "We don't need to force things, go against what the world truly means, do things we'll come to regret for the rest of our lives."
"Er…" Red said, tilting his head to one side. "I have no idea where you're coming from or what brought this on, but I'll take a compliment where I can get it, so thanks. Um, do you just want to continue the battle?"
"Ah, yes," Blaine said, injecting some bonhomie back into his voice. "I'm sorry. Yes, this is still a Gym Battle, isn't it?"
"Great," Red said. "Pikachu, tag out."
Oh, what was Red's game here? With a shrug, Pikachu hopped back over to Red's side and his replacement, the mighty Gyarados, took to the field, in all her draconian glory.
"Oh, so you do have a Water-type?" Blaine said. "Considering your tactics so far for overcoming my Fire-types, I was beginning to think you didn't have any."
"Believe me, I thought that was going to be the case," Red said, chuckling sheepishly.
Gyarados snarled and glowered at Magmar, who shuddered slightly under its fierce gaze yet kept its stoic mien.
"Remember," Blaine said, "type advantage isn't everything."
"It's not," Red agreed. "But it helps. Okay, Gyarados, Dragon Rage."
The purple fiery sphere that had once been destined for Red sought a new target in the shape of Magmar, gliding hungrily towards the Fire-type.
"Fire Punch."
Magmar's red fists ignited, and it slammed one of them into the sphere, the two flames burning hotter and hotter until they both cancelled each other out, snuffed out like candles in the wind, a tad undramatic if one was being honest.
Gyarados arched her neck and lashed out at Magmar, aiming to sink her fangs into it, but at Blaine's command of Feint Attack, it side-stepped its fellow Dark-type technique and bashed its shoulder into Gyarados's face, to minimal effect.
"Hydro Pump," Red said.
"Feint Attack," Blaine said.
The deadly explosion of water barely missed Magmar, although the Dragon Rage that immediately followed did not, special flames born from Gyarados' ire that could even burn the creature birthed in a volcano. Smoke rose off Magmar's body, and its feet gave off steam thanks to the wet floor it now stood on.
Hydro Pump and Feint Attack again, and the same thing occurred, although Dragon Rage failed to hit for Magmar went somewhere no one would have expected: it ran up Gyarados' body.
It perched itself on the sea serpent's head, holding on to her crest for dear life as she shook her head, trying to knock him off.
Blaine grinned. "Magmar, Thunder Punch."
A shriek that could only come from Hell or an equally terrifying place like the birthday party of a family member you hate rang through the Gym, forcing all there to clasp their hands to their ears as Magmar rocked Gyarados in the head with an electrified punch.
"No, no!" Red screamed as Gyarados' movements became more frantic, eventually managing to dislodge Magmar, who landed nimbly on its feet.
Why did Red not see that coming? Why wouldn't a Fire-type Trainer have strategies to take down the types their Pokémon suffered most against? After all, Ninetales had Solar Beam for those of the Rock and Ground persuasion. What made this more devastating, however, was that both of Gyarados' types took major damage from Electric moves by themselves. Being a dual Water and Flying creature was some kind of fresh Hell.
Fortunately, Thunder Punch failed to take out Gyarados, whether that be due to Gyarados' level, determination, or even thanks to Intimidate, she pushed back the pain and hissed at Magmar, who peered back at her with an impressed expression.
Despite their type advantage, Red could not afford to make any missteps, lest they take another and perhaps final blow from Thunder Punch. He and Gyarados gauged Blaine and Magmar, waiting for them to make the next move, unwilling to overstep.
"Screech," Blaine said.
From the bill that formed Magmar's mouth came a piercing sound that took Red back to his battle against Misty, searing through his skull and tearing through his ears. He gritted his teeth and covered his ears, as did the audience, who were no doubt thinking they would rather be transported to the good old days of Gyarados' shrieking.
Gyarados roared, drowned out by Screech, tossing her head back and forth to rid it of the incessant, ear-killing din that ravaged her senses.
Finally, it ended, but Gyarados appeared to be squashier, as though the racket was an invisible mallet that tenderised her. There was no mistaking it now; if Gyarados took a hit from another Thunder Punch, it would, with all certainty, make her unable to battle. Recalling her was the most sensible option, but Blaine would be expecting that.
He had to psyche him out again.
And to do that he needed another Hydro Pump.
It missed again or, more accurately, Magmar evaded it, and it ran to Gyarados' tail like before, ready to bound up her body and annihilate her with one last attack.
Last time, Red was not expecting it. This time, he could see it as clear as day. He would allow everyone to witness what his training with Gyarados had led to:
"Aqua Tail!"
Water swirled around Gyarados' tail, as blue as a tropical ocean, evolving from a trickle into a raging river within seconds. Poor Magmar, who had only just stepped onto Gyarados' tail, was banished into the Gym's ceiling with a resounding boom, before gravity called it back down, where it crashed on the floor, accompanied by some debris.
And just like that, Blaine was reduced to his final Pokémon.
As Red congratulated and admired his Gyarados, he could not help but take pride in the training they underwent. It was a bit of a shame to get rid of Thrash but considering there were tonnes of other techniques that could take advantage of Gyarados' potent tail, it was not a big loss. At least she would not be confused every time she used it.
It was looking good, wasn't it? Blaine had only one Pokémon left to use while Red still had three of his. Nevertheless, Red was not going to be presumptuous, assume he had the Badge in the bag, not when all three of his remaining Pokémon were battered, not when Blaine's final choice was at full health. He would continue to battle hard, but he would also continue to battle smart.
So, who was the mysterious fourth Gym fighter?
Well, it was obviously a Fire-type, which is so obvious and pointless to say that the sentence is rather inane, which makes one think who in their right mind would actually have the inclination to type it out. It was made even more clear when the Pokédex chimed in with:
Arcanine, a Fire-type Pokémon, and the evolved form of Growlithe. A Pokémon that has long been admired for its beauty. It runs agilely as if on wings.
It was indeed another beautiful Fire-type, a canine with glossy orange fur marked with angular black stripes. Its tail was shaggy and beige as were its chest, muzzle, and head, and it had some more just above its paws too. It was so big Blaine could have ridden it if he so desired. It was stoic and silent, beholding Gyarados with the same glare she delivered to Magmar. She shuddered.
"Gyarados, return," Red said, frowning. He did not need to be dealing with that Intimidate. "Pikachu, are you ready to go again?"
Was there ever a more foolish question? Pikachu hopped back onto the battlefield, unfazed by Arcanine's stern gaze.
"Shock Wave!" Red roared.
"Thunder Fang!" Blaine bellowed, grinning like a mad man, pushed to his very limits.
Arcanine's fangs sparkled with electricity, and it bit through the voltaic pulse sent its way, hurting it but doing away with most of the damage.
A Splishy Splash was next, the humming tidal wave trying to wash away the canine, who stood like an impregnable wall against it, albeit with flinches and winces.
Well, considering it could not possibly stand up to a bunch of Splishy Splashes, it only made sense to offer Arcanine a second one, didn't it? Pikachu was more than happy to oblige, summoning another tidal wave. It was looking good, it was going well –
"Fire Blast!"
Arcanine howled, fire building within its maw, an extreme heat that dwarfed the Fire-type techniques of Blaine's previous battlers. Instantly, it went from a flaming sphere to a star shape that grew so large it shielded Arcanine from view. With a bark, the stellate blaze shot as fast as a race car towards the wave, its intensity enough to obliterate the Splishy Splash at the cost of its own life. Steam formed a veil around the battlefield, much to the audience's annoyance. Hurriedly, Erif ordered several stage technicians to open all the windows.
But Red had to take advantage of the steam before it all dissipated, before Arcanine had a chance to perform another Fire Blast or any of its other powerful moves. "Zippy Zap!"
Pikachu sped through the rapidly disappearing steam, his body standing out as electricity formed hyaline veins on him. But there was no cry of pain, not even a moan of annoyance. Pikachu did not hit Arcanine.
The advantage the steam could have provided being non-existent, Red watched as Arcanine suddenly appeared elsewhere, almost as if it had teleported. Could Arcanine use Teleport though? He was certain it could not. They would try another Zippy Zap.
Then he got his answer.
"Extreme Speed," Blaine said, calming down after his manic few moments.
Pikachu was fast, but Extreme Speed made Arcanine darn near untouchable, the Mouse Pokémon not even getting close to it, Extreme Speed pushing Arcanine to levels a Zippy Zap nor a Quick Attack could ever touch.
Soon, Pikachu was on the backfoot, trying to flee the attacking Arcanine, dodging by the skin of his teeth until Arcanine's bulk rammed Pikachu many metres away.
But Blaine would not give Red and Pikachu time to breathe! At his next order, Arcanine pummelled Pikachu into the floor with mighty, rapid, shattering blows from its paws, only being thrown off by a Shock Wave, forcing it to back away, breathing heavily, Close Combat taking a lot out of it.
Pikachu sat himself up in a sitting position, tottering, eyes half shut. Could they get in a Splishy Splash? Or was it wise to call back Pikachu as a precaution?
No, it did not matter. A Fire Blast streaked across the stage and engulfed Pikachu. When the flames died, Pikachu was flat on his back, any further battling beyond him.
Pikachu was warm to the touch as Red carried him away.
"Thanks again, Pikachu," he said, pulling out spare clothes and fixing a makeshift bed for him. "You've weakened Arcanine enough that I think we can clinch this." He did not dare vocalise the 'I hope' that came unbidden into his mind.
Red stared across the battlefield, where Blaine and Arcanine stared back, the former with his arms folded, almost a new person who came into this battle.
It was now or never. Snorlax would not survive a Close Combat, so it was futile to call her out, unless he wanted to sacrifice her to instil more of Close Combat's negative side effects onto Arcanine. But he did not have the gall to do something so cruel to his Pokémon.
Gyarados would be the one to win this.
And she was ready to do so, her short rest enough to gift her the drive to push past her foe and clinch victory for herself and her Trainer. Arcanine shivered as Gyarados' Intimidate worked its magic.
Hydro Pump and Fire Blast met, embraced, and died, forming more steam that did not linger as long as its predecessor, and Extreme Speed saved Arcanine from a Dragon Rage before the giant dog barrelled itself into Gyarados' midriff.
"Thunder Fang!" Blaine shouted.
"Aqua Tail!" Red roared, heart thumping against his chest, mouth drier than a salty cracker.
Arcanine sunk its galvanically charged fangs into Gyarados' tail just as she thumped it into its face. Arcanine howled as it was knocked away, rolling and rolling until it came to a stop; Gyarados shrieked as electricity coursed through her body.
Gyarados managed to keep herself upright.
Arcanine shakily got to its feet.
Even a Fire Blast would finish off Gyarados, such was the damage she had taken from her two battles. And Blaine knew that. There was no point risking going for a close quarters assault.
Arcanine's defences were lowered, so a Hydro Pump would ensure Gyarados the win.
Gyarados and Arcanine glared at one another.
Red and Blaine clenched their fists and stuck out their chins.
"Hydro Pump!"
"Fire Blast!"
An explosion of water and a star-shaped inferno exchanged places across the battlefield, eager to find their targets as their respective sources sought to avoid the other.
Fire Blast missed, speeding past a Gyarados who ducked her head, her crest barely getting singed. The inferno struck the wall and exploded into embers.
Hydro Pump, on the other hand, did not.
However, the drenched Arcanine did not fall, and the audience cheered, as though witnessing a miracle for how could a weakened Fire-type withstand such an attack?
The truth was, however, it could not. Arcanine lowered its head and closed its eyes. It faltered and collapsed onto its side.
Silence from the audience.
The referee made the call: "Arcanine is unable to battle! Gyarados wins! The victory goes to Red from Pallet!"
As though the referee's call was the incantation that saved the audience from the curse of silence, they all broke into applause for the young boy from Pallet and his Pokémon. The cheering increased in volume as the audience chanted his and his Pokémons' names, while others clapped politely for Blaine, their Gym Leader, their favourite gameshow host.
"We did it," Red mumbled, suddenly very exhausted. He picked up Pikachu and walked up to Gyarados, who was glowering at the audience, wordlessly telling them their incessant squawking was getting on her nerves. "Gyarados, you were amazing. Honestly, thank you for being my Pokémon. I'm glad I have all of you."
Gyarados lowered her head, Red patted it, although she did keep looking daggers at the audience. "It's fine," Red whispered. "We'll be out of here soon."
But not before acquiring the Badge, of course.
"You floored me," Blaine said, shaking Red's hand. "Four Pokémon to two, and even now I feel like you could have gone even further beyond."
"I don't know," Red said bashfully. "We gave all we could. I don't think we could've gone any harder."
"Trust an old man who's seen a lot," Blaine said. "With your upward trajectory, you're going to be a force to be reckoned with." He tapped his chin. "You remind me a lot of Blue Oak in that way. The potential, I mean."
Red slumped. "Er… thanks."
"Anyway, here you are: the Volcano Badge."
Blaine pressed the Badge into Red's palm, moulded into the shape of a red flame with a pink jewel in the centre.
Red gazed at it, showing it to Pikachu and Gyarados. He let out Cubone and Snorlax too, who took great pleasure in admiring it, smiling tired but pleased smiles.
"And now," Blaine said, putting an arm around Red and pulling him close. "Photos!"
"What?" Red said, as a swarm of photographers closed in on them.
Blaine shrugged apologetically. "That's showbiz. Anyway, big, cheesy grins from you and your Pokémon. And… smile!"
o~o~o~o~o
A proud mother in Pallet who was watching with her neighbours after the local professor told them about the match upon hearing it from the Gym Leader himself gushed in happiness and pride at seeing how far her son had come.
The Kanto Gym Leaders who had taken a short break from their duties, some of whom had been eagerly awaiting the battle of the one who had conquered them and the others who were fated to have their day of reckoning against him, called one another to talk about it.
League rivals who found themselves viewing it on anything they could, determined to both be entertained and take notes to enable them to overcome a potential foe frowned as they contemplated ways to defeat him should they meet in the Indigo League. The one particular rival who had rolled his eyes yet found he still needed to watch simply turned off the television when Arcanine fell and went about his day with his feline Pokémon by his side.
The people with purple 'R's on their chests who tuned in, having come across it at random, never finished viewing the battle for they had more important matters to undertake.
In Saffron City.
