Hello, and welcome to Chapter 3 of Defiance! Sorry, it's been forever, I'll explain at the end. First off, thanks to anyone who has read the story so far! I'm pretty small on FanFiction, so I was amazed to find out that people found this story in whatever small corner of the site I'm on! Like I said before, I'll save most of my talking for the end of the chapter, so I'll shut up for now. Anyway, Thanks For Reading!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokémon, whether it be the games, anime, or manga. If I did, PokéSpe would have its own anime.
Chapter 3: Training 101
January 21st-Saffron City, Kanto-8: 15 P.M.
Normal POV
"Mr. Mime use Light Screen!" Sabrina called out to her mime-like Pokémon. The creature mimed a wall in front of its self before it materialized into a wall of energy that it hid behind, bracing for the attack.
"Shadow Ball," was the low reply from Garnet. From behind a cloud of smoke a dark purple ball of energy emerged and broke through the shield a hit the mime Pokémon dead on and forced it to slam into the nearest wall.
"Mr. Mime, NO!" Sabrina ran over to her Pokémon who had swirls where its eyes were and marks all over its body. She returned it to its Pokéball, and glared back at Garnet who was returning his own Pokémon. "H-how did you do that? You took out my entire team, each with only one hit. Even Mr. Mime, my most defensive Pokémon…and it had a Light Screen up. What is up with that Pokémon?"
"That's none of your business." Garnet said plainly walking up to her. "Now I suggest you start talking, or your casting director is going to need to recast your role."
Sabrina looked down, cursing the man in front of her. "Why do you keep coming to me? I haven't been a member of Team Rocket for years."
"I don't have another source that's reliable enough to keep alive," he replied, voice getting angrier by the second.
"What do I have that the other ex-Rockets don't?" she asked, almost on the verge of tears.
"Well, for one, you're a Gym Leader," Garnet began. Sabrina looked up, confused at his response. "As a Gym Leader, you're practically a government official. It's the same case for Lt. Surge and Koga, they're both are part of the government now." He looked up and clenched his fists tightly before continuing. "It sucks, but no matter what my reasoning, I can't just go around killing Gym Leaders or members of the Elite 4."
"Then why don't you go to them?" Sabrina yelled out. "Why do you always come to me?"
Garnet turned away before responding, "Something about talking to probably my last blood relative makes me feel less …" he paused before finishing, "violent. I get the feeling you're less likely to lie." Sabrina got to her feet as she looked at her cousin.
"C-Carr," she stuttered. "Carr, one of Team Rocket's 3 Beasts. He was the one who tried to revive Team Rocket most recently. If anyone knows anything about Giovanni, it's him!"
Garnet looked back at her with his eyes shining red. "Where can I find him?"
"Johto." Sabrina said, stepping back from his glare. "He's in jail somewhere in Johto."
Garnet turned and headed to the warp panel leading to the exit. "Enjoy your trip, cuz. I'll be in touch." Sabrina's eyes calmed as she saw him vanish from her room of the Gym and dropped to her knees as she gasped for air.
January 21st-Route 32, Johto
Meanwhile…
Zircon/Quartz POV
OOF! I was dropped on the floor after being dragged from the middle of Violet City to the Route south of it. Pete ran up to me, having followed us after he finished his food. Gold stood above me and pulled out his billiard cue before sticking it into the ground.
"Quartz Dorima," he called out not looking at me but straight forward.
"Uh, yea?" I mumbled, still unsure of what was going on. Gold said something out of the corner of his mouth in a low voice but I couldn't make it out. "What?"
"You're supposed to say 'present,'" he said again, a bit louder. What does he think this is, a classroom?
I got to my feet and dusted myself before looking at him strangely. "Present?"
"Welcome to Gold's Boot Camp!" He yelled out. "Lesson 1 shall be basic Trainer 101!" I sweatdropped as he was yelling while I was only a few feet away from him. He was aware that Trainer 101 was what the entire exam I finished taking was testing, right?
"Uh, Gold-san-"
"I am your teacher now! You will address me as Kaito-sensei!" Correct me if I'm wrong, but did he not just tell me to call him Gold several hours ago?
"Okay, Kaito-sensei-"
"You know what, go back to Gold. Kaito-sensei makes me feel like Super Serious Gal, it's kinda weird," he said in his normal voice, completely throwing off his previous commander façade. Choose a title already! He cleared his throat before continuing, still in his normal tone, "Well, welcome to Training 101, the first step in me teaching you how to be a top Trainer!" He smiled and finally looked down so he was looking at me instead of empty space in front of him. "You ready?"
I'm still trying to process what happened in the past, what is it, five minutes? Gold and Crystal seemed to be either arguing my potential as a trainer, and it's led to me being forced to be Gold's protégé, am I right? I must have spaced out because he started waving his hand in front of my face to see if I was there. I had no idea what he said, so I went with the safe answer, "Yes."
"Great, all right, how many Pokémon do you have?" He can't be serious. I've been a trainer for 2, 3 hours max, and he's been with me the entire time. I decided not to make this too complicated and pointed at Pete. "So, you've got a Pichu! Sounds like a good start!"
"Uh, Gold-san?" I tried to cut-in. I better get some words in before he tries to start teaching me the basics again.
"What's up?"
"Um, you've kinda been with me the entire time I've been a Trainer. Can we cut the formalities or whatever you're trying to do here and get started?"
Gold grinned widely and stood up tall. Oh, Arceus, this can't be good. "An eager one, are we, eh? Well then, since you've already got the advantage on flying types covered, let me call up Falkner and set you up a match." He pulled out his PokéGear and scrolled through his contact list. "Don't worry; we go way back, I'm sure I can put together a match for you."
"That's not what I meant…" I tried but he was already calling. "I don't think I'm ready for a Gym Match yet…"
"Nonsense!" he yelled. "I saw you battle, and you got what it takes!" He grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to see his screen since his PokéGear had video chat. The screen flashed before a man with blue hair parted to the right, bangs covering his right eye, in a police officer's uniform.
"Hello, this is Falkner," he said calmly. Wait, this is a cop; isn't Falkner a Gym Leader? The man got a closer look at who was on the other said of the video call, and upon his realization he closed his eyes and pinched his forehead as he shook his head and sighed. That's not a good sign.
"Hey Falkner, it's Gold, how ya been?" Gold answered in a cheery voice. He looked at Falkner's uniform and said, "What's with the getup, you going to costume party or somethin'?"
"Gold, you know I'm a part-time police officer!" he said, irritated.
"Really?" he asked confused. "How long this been going on?"
"Since you met me 10 years ago!" he yelled, angry veins on the side of his head clearly visible. Now I'm no genius, but I know that aggravating an officer isn't the brightest idea in the world. "Forget it," Falkner said, calming down a bit. "What do you want, I'm busy."
"Well," Gold began, as innocently as possible, "I was wondering if I could schedule a couple Gym battles today. You see, I took on an apprentice and we were hoping to see if we could challenge you today."
Falkner shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, but today I'm wor -Wait, did you just say apprentice?" Gold nodded and turned the PokéGear toward me until I was on the camera. Falkner focused his eyes on me and asked, "What's your name, kid?"
"Q-Quartz," I stammered. Was changing my identity a crime? If it is, then I just lied to a cop. That's two crimes right there, which could lead to me ending up in jail. I looked at the screen to see Falkner close his eyes and bow, "May Arceus have mercy on your soul, Quartz." Huh? He turned to Gold and said, "If you'd like, you can issue a challenge tomorrow, the Gym opens at 9."
"Okay, sounds cool." Gold said, moving the screen back to himself. "Thanks, Falkner, see ya tomorrow!" Falkner nodded and then disappeared as the screen when black. Gold then checked his PokéGear before turning to me. "Okay, so it seems that we'll have to wait for tomorrow until we can face Falkner. In the meantime…" Gold pointed his billiard cue at several birds in the sky. "WE TRAIN! Aibo, knock them down to our level!" Gold used his billiard cue to shoot out a Pokéball into the sky until it was above the birds, where a purple monkey Pokémon with two tails that each had a hand at the ends came out and attacked.
Within seconds, Pete was facing hordes of Pidgey's, Spearow's, and other kinds of flying type Pokémon. The good news was that most of them were low level, so a couple Thundershocks were enough to take them out. Unfortunately, for every one Pidgey or other bird Pokémon that was taken out, two or three more joined the fray. If that wasn't bad enough, I learned that bird Pokémon usually have a lot of tenacity and continue fighting even after being taken down. I understand Gold's idea of this being a training exercise, but we could only keep going for so long. I turned to Gold, hoping that he could help but instead I saw him checking his PokéGear, completely ignoring the entire situation.
"Well," he said as he stood up straight. "I see you got your work cut out for you, so I'm going to make a quick trip to Goldenrod, get my things in order and such."
"Wait, you're not helping me out?" I managed to make out while dodging several Spearow who are starting to get past Pete.
"Quartz, these birds are really all low level, you should be able to take them on with no problem," he said as if I was making a big deal out of it.
"But Gold-san, that's not the issue-"
"I'll just be gone for about a couple minutes!" he called out, already mounting the white fairy-like Pokémon he used to shoot me out of the sky yesterday. "Worst case scenario, I take a half-hour!" With that, he flew off into the sky, headed for Goldenrod City. As he flew off, his purple dual tailed monkey Pokémon, an Ambipom, nicknamed Aibo, crossed its arms as if it was taking charge in Gold's place.
Unfortunately, Aibo was as useless in helping me as Gold was. Within minutes of Gold's departure, Pete was starting to run low on steam. The nonstop use of Thundershock to keep the flocks of birds at bay was starting to get to him, and he's the only thing keeping those birds from tearing us to shreds. Meanwhile, instead of helping us, Aibo was standing there watching, occasionally whacking a Pidgey that got too close to it. To add on, every time Pete and I had an opening that we could use to run, it blocked our path. I'm guessing its job was to keep an eye on us in case I tried to escape my excuse for a teacher.
With no chance of running and being trapped in a dome of hostile birds, I decided that I was going to need to take a risk. "Pete, it's all or nothing! Use Volt Tackle!" Pete nodded and ran straight at a wall of birds, cloaking himself in electricity as he ran faster and faster. However, the 50-50 odds were not in our favor and right before he reached the shell of Pidgey's, his lighting armor fizzled out and he was bounced right back. "Okay," I said, bummed that operation Volt Tackle was a flop, "Let's go back to continuous Thundershocks!"
After a few rounds of Thundershocks, Pete fell down to one knee, officially out of juice. The storm of birds flew out as if preparing to strike the final blow. I ran up to Pete to pick him up when I saw him point at Aibo, who was still watching on the sidelines. 'If you really think about it, he was the one that attacked them in the first place,' I thought. I took a deep breath and yelled as I pointed at the Ambipom, "Attack him! He's the one who hit you out of the sky!" As I did this Pichu squeaked out what I can only guess was the equivalent in Pokémon language. The flock of birds took a second to comprehend what was said before locking on to their new target and turning away from us. The purple monkey gave us a look of betrayal before it was interrupted by a swarm of birds constantly attacking it.
Now out of the battle, Pete and I leaned against a tree on the side where we did some quick first aid: a Potion for him and couple Band-Aids here and there for myself. Too bad there isn't some spray that just fixes up wounds for us humans, isn't it. Afterward, we sat back and watched the monkey fend off wave after wave of Pidgey's and Spearow's. It's not like it was much of a challenge for it, after all it is Gold's strongest Pokémon, but the problem for it was the same as it was for us. After hundreds of Pokémon take you on over and over, it starts to wear down on you. Our show continued on for about 20 minutes until a giant burst of electricity came from the sky, causing all the birds to finally disperse.
"Aibo, I told you to watch them, not fight their battle for them," was the voice of a teacher who finally returned to the scene on his Togebo. Pete and I got up and walked over as the Ambipom pointed as us, making irritated sounds as we got there. Gold returned his Togebo before turning over to us.
"Hehehe," I started, scratching the back of my head, embarrassed. "You see, Gold-san, Pete here kind of ran out of gas, so we directed their attention towards Aibo here."
"Is that so?" he asked looking over at us before back to his Pokémon, who continued to glare at Pete and me. "Nice!" he said with a large grin.
"I know it was wrong, and I'm sor-Wait, what?!"
"Hey, you guys fought until you were out of power, right?" The two of us nodded slowly, still confused. "Well, when there's no way to fight, being able to get out of danger is a valuable tool." He looked over at his Ambipom, "Even if the only way to do that is to push the danger onto someone else." That is some twisted way of thinking. Gold chuckled before returning Aibo to his Pokéball. From within the ball, Aibo gave him a look of betrayal before getting that he was there to help me with my "training exercise."
"So, uh-Gold-san?" I asked as he turned to me. "Not to be disrespectful or anything, but what took you so long?!" He better have a good reason for ditching me with an entire army of pissed off birds.
"Well," he began taking a deep breath as if he was starting a big speech, "I decided that if I'm going to guiding you throughout the region, I won't be able to stop at home every day." He pointed over to his back where a large backpack replaced the messenger bag he usually carried. "So, since I can't pay for us to stay somewhere every day, I broke out the old camping equipment. And since I was already there, I decided to arrange my items and Pokémon team."
"And, what part of this plan does getting the entire Pidgey race to attack me help?" I asked, still not letting him off the hook.
He looked at me confused. "Um, it's part of your training. I thought I made that clear before." He shook his head before smiling. "I mean from all that, you and Pete must have made some tremendous experience." Yeah, traumatic experience. "So, did you catch any?"
"Catch what?"
"Pidgey, Spearow, any of those birds that attacked you!" he said. "You're a trainer now, aren't you?" I gave myself a mental facepalm. ALL THOSE POKEMON. And I didn't try to catch one. "Eh, it's okay, what's important was you made it out, right?" he said as he slapped me on the shoulder.
I remembered the flash of lightning that finally got rid of the birds and asked, "Gold-san, were you the one that scared off all those birds?"
He grinned and held out a Pokéball, containing a Pichu, whose fur atop its head was tousled in the same manner as Gold's explosive hair. "That was Pibu's Super Rising Thunder."
"Super…Rising…Thunder?" I asked, making sure I heard that right. Now I'm no expert on Pokémon moves, but I'm as sure as the fact that Munchlax is always hungry that Super Rising Thunder isn't the name of a known attack.
"It's actually Volt Tackle, but Pibu has the ability to shoot out the power like a Thundershock instead of ramming itself into its opponent, so I've dubbed that technique: Super Rising Thunder," he explained.
"A Volt Tackle minus the actual Tackle? That's amazing!" It was a method to completely cut out the recoil damage the made Volt Tackle the double-edged sword that it was. The name however, could probably use a little changing.
"I guess it is," Gold said, grinning.
"Will you teach us it?" I asked with Pete at my side bouncing about, his earlier fatigue now gone. This could actually be a way he could legitimately teach me without just throwing me into some situation and hoping I get out alive like he did with the Pidgey's.
"Not right now," he said as my partner and I groaned. "You just started training this morning. That technique is way too high a level for you. Maybe after you master the normal Volt Tackle." He looked up at the night sky and checked his PokéGear. "In any case, we should start going to bed. We both got a match against a Gym Leader tomorrow morning, and both we and our Pokémon will need rest." He pulled off his backpack and took out a sleeping bag. "Since we'll be doing this a bit more frequently until we get some cash, let's camp out here for tonight. Find a tree and sleep under that for the night. Don't worry about wild Pokémon; most of them sleep at night and nocturnal Pokémon usually only attack if you piss them off."
I nodded and took out my own sleeping bag and set myself up against a tree. I decided to let Pete sleep outside his Pokéball and he ended up setting himself upon my head as I lay down.
"Alright, Quartz, we a big day ahead of us, night." Gold lay down and within minutes, he was fast asleep.
"Night," I said softly, watching the stars as my teacher slept against a nearby tree and Pete slept atop my head. A lot had happened in the last 24 hours. I've become a Trainer, become a DexHolder's student, and come tomorrow morning, I'll be taking on my first Gym Leader. There's been a bit of a bumpy road getting here, but I'm finally a Trainer. I've dreamt of this moment for so many years, and it's finally here. Meeting Gold and becoming his protégé wasn't part of the plan, but if I really think about it, it'll probably end up being something that helps me move forward in the end. As eccentric as he might be, he's one of the DexHolders, and they're not the heroes among Trainers for no reason. Although his teaching skills and methods might be questionable, if I stick it out, he could turn me into one of the best newcomers out there.
I let my mind wander from topics such as tomorrow's Gym Match and strategies to use to any future adventures before finally reaching the topic of home. It's been about 2 days since I left, and there's been no sign of anyone realizing my absence. If Mom decided to stop by the house to check on me and I was nowhere to be found, in less than an hour, my face would be the top story on every news station and the bounty on my head would probably be higher than some of the top criminals in Johto. The maximum amount of time that I can get before news gets out is 5 days, when Dad returns from Hoenn and notices I'm gone. In that time, I've gotta blend into society and get as far away from home as possible. Gah! Why am I thinking about this now? I have a plan, all I have to do is follow it and if things get complicated, I'll figure something out. There's no turning back so the only plan of action is to keep moving forward. All this inward arguing is making me tired! I'm going to sleep! I threw myself into my sleeping bag to show myself I was serious and within a few minutes, I was asleep.
January 22nd-Route 32, Johto-8:00 A.M.
The next morning…
I awoke drenched in water. Gold decided that if this training was called "Gold's Boot Camp," the training should be as harsh as he could think of. Now 8 A.M. isn't exactly "Boot Camp" standards of early, but my mentor wasn't about to force himself awake anytime earlier. Anyway, Gold got his green frog Pokémon, Polibo, to spray water at my face until I woke up. He offered to dry me off with his Fire Type Pokémon but I chose the method of having the sun dry me off instead of getting burnt. We went into town and got breakfast as Gold gave me the rundown of what he had planned for the day.
"Alright, I'll take on Falkner first so you can watch and see the basic structure of a Gym challenge," he said. "You watch and take notes or whatever people do nowadays." I nodded and basically jotted down notes in my head. Speaking of which, 'Note to Self: Buy a Notepad.' "After I inevitably end up beating Falkner and getting through my interviews-"
"What do mean by interviews?" I intervened. I know when people win badges, the cameras in the Gym take a picture of them to post it on Trainer's Center later in the evening, but I didn't know they did interviews.
"Don't worry, it's just a me thing," he reassured me. "Remember yesterday when I told you about how I got a deal going on with Goldenrod Radio where they'd cover my trek throughout the Gyms; it's nothing major, really. They get a story of a DexHolder's journey to the top and I get some extra spending money." Sounds like a good deal to me. If I wasn't so worried about getting recognized, I'd try to get a bit of that action. "As I was saying," Gold continued, "then your turn comes, I'll watch and see how you do. Hopefully you also fight Falkner and best-case scenario we both leave with badges. Sounds like a plan?" he held out his hand for a high-five.
"Sounds like a plan, Stan," I joked as I high-fived him and we headed to the Gym.
The Gym's outside was a lot like Sprout Tower in terms that it was really tall pagoda-like building. Upon entering there were two lanes with turnstiles, one for challengers and one for guests. I went through the one for guests as the first time around, I would only be watching. Gold had to swipe his Trainer Card to go through where after going through, a computer screen and voice read and said, "Number of Badges: 4. Minimum required number of Gym Trainers to reach Gym Leader: 3." After a couple loading screens in big letters were "Welcome to the Violet City Gym!"
Gold turned to me to explain everything that just happened. "What just happened is the new Gym system Super Serious Gal told you about yesterday to change the whole Gym Leader order system. The number of badges you have bases how many Gym Trainers you have to take on while going through the maze to get to the Gym Leader."
"There's a maze?" I asked. Isn't a Gym challenge supposed to be the test in itself?
"Well, usually, yeah." Gold explained as we walked to the end of the hall. "Most Gyms have a simple maze or puzzle to get through with several Gym Trainers to face. Based on the number of Badges you have the minimum number of Trainers you have to face changes. Of course you can fight more, but the others are optional."
"Welcome Challenger!" a man in glasses called out, walking over to Gold.
"This is Clyde," Gold said pointing at the man. "He serves as a guide for the Gym and usually gives hints to Trainer's who see themselves having a hard time."
"Wait, is there one of him in every Gym?" I asked. With all the challenges done throughout all the Gyms every day, there's no way he can be at all the Gyms at once.
"Well, yeah."
"Well, if it isn't Gold," Clyde said walking up to him. "Is it safe to assume one of the DexHolders doesn't need my help for this Gym?"
Gold grinned, "You'd be right about that. Sorry 'bout that Clyde, I know it makes your job seem useless."
"It's okay," Clyde grinned back. "I'm mainly here for the newbies." He then turned to me, "Speaking of which, whose the little guy, a fan?" Little Guy?! Really? I am NOT that short, am I?
"He's my new protégé." Gold said, slapping me on the back. "His name's Quartz. I'm just showing him the ropes. He'll challenge the Gym himself after I'm done."
"Well, hey there!" Clyde said, extending a hand. "Nice to meet ya! If ya got any questions just ask me! I mean, that's my job here!"
I took his hand and gently shook it. "Nice to meet you, too." I took a good look at his smiling face before carefully asking, "Can I ask you anything?"
"Well, anything within reason, ya know what I mean?" he chuckled.
"Are all of you guys named Clyde?" I loudly asked. "I'm sorry if I'm being rude, but I'm just really confused." I remember back when I was studying for my Trainer's License for the first time and I had a similar problem coming to terms with the fact that all the nurses in the Pokémon Centers were named Joy.
"Well, my name's actually Ray," he said calmly. "My middle name is Clyde, however. Ya see Quartz; we Gym guides all have Clyde in our names whether it be our first name or a middle name. I know it's weird, but don't think too deeply into it. We're like the Nurse Joys that you see in all the Pokémon Centers. Trust me, when there's a family reunion during the holidays and such, it's crazy."
"O.K…" I managed to make out, not trying to make it too odd. Thankfully, we were reaching the point of the Gym where the "maze" began. Gold and I stood on a wooden platform that suddenly lifted us up several tens of meters up in the air until it reached a raised platform. On this raised platform there was a path that either led to a Trainer facing 3 Gym Trainer's in a row, or going around and avoiding them all. Both ways led to another platform, which undoubtedly would raise us to an even higher platform. I gotta say, being up here did give me the feeling like I was flying.
Gold looked at the 'maze' before him with a huge smirk on his face. "You gotta hand it to Falkner. Can't be anymore straight forward than that." He was right about that, there was no maze, but rather a straight path to the Gym Leader with a couple of Gym Trainers as your obstacles.
Gold threw 3 Pokéballs into the air, releasing Polibo, Pibu, and Aibo. Immediately, all three Pokémon each went off in different battles as they faced the Gym Trainers as Gold just walked through the middle pathway to the next platform.
"Shouldn't you, well, command them or something?" I asked as he ignored the 3 simultaneous battles going on beside him.
"Nah, my Pokémon know what to do without my saying anything," he replied gesturing to his Pokémon running over to him, already finished with their respective battles. I've got to say, in any case, that's pretty impressive.
We then got on the next platform that raised us to the top floor. This floor was simple with only a battlefield and stands for viewers. At the opposite side of the field, there was the man we saw yesterday on his knees with his eyes closed, like he was meditating or something. Gone was the police outfit and now he wore a sky blue shirt with white buttons with a blue kimono-like undershirt, a white sash, blue shorts, and black armbands with red on the ends.
"So, you finally made it, Gold," he said, opening his visible eye and getting on his feet. Wow, socks with sandals, this guy has terrible fashion sense.
"Here I am," Gold said, now with a much more serious disposition. His smile was still on his face, but he had more a look of determination rather than his usual casual look.
"So, you're his new apprentice," Falkner said turning towards me. "Quartz, was it not?"
"Y-y-yes sir!" I said surprised he'd even talk to me. I'm still a bit nervous 'cause he's a cop when he's not in the gym and I'm still not sure if I'm a walking crime or not.
"It's nice to meet you in person," he said in a very polite voice. "I look forward to our match after my match with Gold."
"Uh, yeah. Same here." I went over to the stands to watch the soon to begin fight.
"Hey kid," a voice behind me said. I jumped out of my seat in surprise. Behind me was a short man with a mustache with a black shirt and khakis with a pink sweatshirt tied around his neck. Behind him was a cameraman. "Oh, sorry to startle you. So, I hear you're Gold's new apprentice?"
"Well, yeah. Um, excuse me, but who are you?" I asked, still a bit confused.
"Oh, the name's Hirō, I'm the director for Goldenrod Radio." Oh yeah, Gold did say he was getting interviewed after his match. "We're here for Gold's match, but you are something I wasn't suspecting. Would you mind doing an interview after your match?"
"Uh, well, the thing is…" I tried to think of an excuse to not have to go through with this. I mean, being on TV would be awesome, but what if I lose the match? Besides that, there's the chance of being recognized to factor in this situation. "I'd rather not. I'm kinda camera shy. " I lied. "Maybe next time, okay?" He nodded and turned back to the field as Gold and Falkner finished their greetings and seemed prepared for battle. Pete hopped on the rail bars to get a better view.
"Gold, I know that the Gym rules state that since you have 4 badges, normally our badges would be 3-4 against your team of six," Falkner said. "However, considering your "reputation" and our previous acquaintanceship, would you mind if we just stick to a 3 on 3, basic match."
"Sounds, good with me, Falkner," Gold replied, smiling in anticipation, Pokéball in hand. "Ready when you are!" A referee stood in the middle of the battlefield, checking both sides before signaling for the battle to begin.
"Pidgeot, let's go!"
"Pibu!"
The bird with colorful plumage going down its back soared overhead as it faced the tiny electrical mouse. "You're starting off with a Pichu," Falkner commented. "I thought this was going to be a serious match."
"It is," Gold replied. "Don't underestimate it just 'cause it's not evolved. I'll even give you the first move, I'll show you what I mean."
"Fine, Pidgeot, Aerial Ace!" Falkner yelled out. The large bird flew directly at Pibu at top speed, while Pibu just stood there. Pibu looked back toward Gold who just gave it a grin with a twinkle in his eye. That being all the orders it needed, Pibu sidestepped the attack as soon it zoomed by. However, the bird did a quick U-turn and hit Pichu immediately after, not losing any speed during the entire process. "Nice dodge Gold, but you forgot that Aerial Ace is a move that never misses its target."
"Oh yeah," Gold said, realizing his mistake. He scratched the back of his head, "I forgot about that, sorry Pibu!"
"No time for that" Falkner continued, "Pidgeot use Heat Wave!" The bird flapped it wings sending a scorching heat down on the electric mouse.
"Pibu, use Substitute to take the damage, then jump as high as you can!" Gold called out in response. Pibu created a replica of itself and used it as a spring to jump high into the air as the replica below faded away as it took damage from Pidgeot's attack. "Now, shoot it down with Thunder!" Pibu generated a bolt of lightning from itself and struck Pidgeot directly. The bird started to fall, taking immense damage from that one hit.
"Pidgeot, regain your composure-" Falkner tried saying before he was interrupted by…
"Dive after it and use Volt Tackle!" Pibu took a swan dive at its now elevated height and surrounded itself with electricity and headed for its target. Pete was especially focused during this moment, as Volt Tackle was both our trump card and kryptonite. Pibu had no trouble using it and the electricity surrounding it was on a whole other level to what Pete was capable at the time.
As Pidgeot was starting to get over the previous attack, Falkner screamed out, "Pidgeot, we've got no time, use Whirlwind to blow Pichu back!" Pidgeot turned it back to the ground and flapped its wing furiously to repel the falling mouse. The two attacks collided with each other and fought for supremacy where one second it looked like Pibu would be blown out of its attack and the next it looked like it would drive through Pidgeot 's winds. The victor came as Pibu used all of its strength to force a hole in Pidgeot's Whirlwind and crashed with Pidgeot at full force. The explosive power of the move caused a smoke cloud to blow through, with Pibu the only one standing after it cleared and Pidgeot down for the count.
"It seems that Pidgeot's been bested," Falkner said, returning his bird to its Pokéball. He thanked his bird before returned to Gold, "Using the acceleration of falling to add to Volt Tackle's power was a brilliant strategy, I'm impressed."
"Told ya not to underestimate us," Gold replied before turning to his partner, "Great work Pibu!" The mouse gave him a thumbs up with a smile. Gold turned to me and grinned. I smiled back as he turned back to the battle.
'So this is a Gym Battle,' I thought to myself. It was incredibly fast paced with both Trainers always on edge and completely focused, always trying to one-up the other or take the advantage. It was way more intense than any normal trainer battle I've seen on TV where both sides kept it simple and exchanged moves turn by turn. Of course, the fact that Gold and Falkner were both good acquaintances made the match all the more thrilling. Hopefully my Gym Battle will be a bit calmer, 'cause I don't think I'm ready for quick back and forth with no stops.
"Now, here's my second Pokémon, Noctowl!' Falkner threw out another Pokéball, summoning a brownish owl, with an eyebrow like crest on its head. As the challenger, Gold was allowed to change Pokémon upon the Gym Leader bringing out new ones, but he held up his hands saying he was ok. Falkner once again, was the first to strike. "Noctowl, Psybeam!" Rainbow colors rays shot out of Noctowl's eyes.
"Pibu, dodge!" Gold called out. Pibu sidestepped the Psychic rays before facing the owl once more. "Now use Volt Switch!" Pibu created a ball of electricity and threw it at the owl. Upon contact, Noctowl flew out, a bit damaged and Pibu retreated into Gold's Pokéball. "Alright Pibu, you catch a break for a second. " He put Pibu away and took out another Pokéball. "Polibo, you're up!" The green alarm clock that woke me up this morning popped out, bouncing on its toes, readying itself for the battle.
"Switching out now, why do that when you could've done that when Noctowl came out?" Falkner inquired from his side of the field.
"Oh, I got my reasons," Gold replied before winking over in my direction. Is he going to teach Pete and I that move? Not only was it practical for switching, but it was pretty powerful, too! Gold turned back to the battle and was the first one to get things happening again. "Polibo, Hydro Pump!" The frog, or is it a toad, blasted a high-pressure torrent or water at the owl flying about.
"Noctowl, dodge the Hydro Pump," Falkner commanded, "Then, use Tailwind!" Noctowl avoiding the surge of water before blowing a turbulent whirlwind, much like Pidgeot's previous attack but different somehow.
"Fine, we'll just get up close and personable, " Gold gritted his teeth. "Polibo, use Double Slap!" Polibo's hand glowed and it jumped high into the air before trying to hit Noctowl. Despite Polibo's incredible jumping prowess, Noctowl was able to dodge each swipe just in the nick of time. In fact, it seems that every time Polibo was just about to hit it, a gust of wind helped blow Noctowl out of harm's way. "What's going on?"
"You see," Falkner explained, "Tailwind is a move that allows my Pokémon to become incredibly fast for a while by blowing a gust of wind that aids them in flying faster than their opponent. While it has a limit, the boost in speed helps even the slowest of birds to fly with the speed of a Talonflame." Gold grit his teeth, forced into a tough situation while Falkner took advantage of his Tailwind by getting ahead. "Noctowl, Psychic!" The owl Pokémon's eyes glowed as Polibo was surrounded by psychic energy before being flung into a wall. However, Falkner's onslaught did not end there. Followed by an Air Slash and later a Zen Headbutt, Noctowl was landing hit after hit on Polibo and despite Gold's calls for it to dodge, the Tailwind helped give Noctowl the boost it needed to adjust its move to hit its opponent despite Polibo's attempts to dodge.
However, Gold's determination didn't seem to waver at all. "Polibo, Belly Drum!" The frog beat on its stomach as its offensive capabilities rose. "For half of Polibo's health, Polibo's attack power reached its maximum potential," Gold explained.
"Hmmm, " Falkner seemed unimpressed, "What use is that if you can't hit me! Noctowl, Air Slash!" Although I hate to agree, Falkner's right. Even if Polibo can manage to one-shot Falkner's Noctowl, with Tailwind up, it doesn't have the speed to pull it off.
As Polibo seemed to struggle taking that last move as the wind on the field seemed to start to let up. Gold let out a huge grin, "Alright, here comes the counterattack: Polibo, Double Team!" The frog sent out dozens of illusionary clones and surrounded Noctowl. "Now, finish this off with Ice Punch!" All the Politoed's arms glowed a light blue before they jumped into the air and punched at the lone Noctowl. Noctowl flew its way through must of the clones before coming into direct contact with the fist of the real Polibo. Noctowl was hurled directly toward the ground with ice forming on its wings. However, having its wings frozen didn't make a difference as it was knocked out. Gold-2, Falkner-0.
"So you waited for Tailwind to run out," Falkner deduced as he returned his owl, "then took your chance to strike."
"In a nutshell, yeah"
"A most risky strategy," Falkner smiled, "but also one most suited to you, Gold. This match is getting really interesting!"
"Yeah, let's see your last Pokémon!" Gold's match was finally reaching its final stage. Both the Goldenrod Radio and I were on the edge of our seats.
"Gold," Falkner said, taking out his third Pokéball, "My ace Pokémon should be a trip down memory lane for us both. Skarmory, take to the skies!" He sent out his Skarmory, a bird that was covered in metal feathers. A steel bird, how does it keep flying?
"Wow, Skarmory," Gold said as Falkner nodded slowly.
"Yes, this is the Skar-"
"My cousin's got one just like it" Gold said, causing Falkner to look at him wide-eyed.
"Wait, what?"
"Yeah, my cousin. She caught a Skarmory herself a while back." Gold said. "Pretty powerful, too."
"That's all you have to say?" Falkner said, looking at Gold in disbelief.
"Pretty much, why?"
"This is the Skarmory YOU helped me catch all those years ago!" Falkner yelled at him.
"I did?" Gold looked off, deep in thought, probably trying to remember this occasion. His eyes grew wide in realization, "OH YEAH! I helped back all the way when I started as a Pokémon Trainer! It was back before you were even Gym Leader! Sorry 'bout that, must of slipped my mind."
Falkner sweatdropped, his usual calm demeanor gone, with strands of his blue hair sticking up, completely surprised of Gold's oblivious nature. Even his Skarmory looked like it was disappointed.
"Well, in that case," Gold smiled, continuing the battle from where they left off, "I think we go back to that same scenario. Polibo, come back!" He returned his Politoed and pulled out a different Pokéball. "How about we recreate that scene, just this time with Skarmory on your side? Exbo, come on out and say hi to an old friend!" He sent out a badger-like Pokémon that stood on its hind legs that let out a crest of flames on the back of its neck. "Here's Exbo, my Typhlosion, now evolved from the Cyndaquil that fought that Skarmory in the past."
Falkner closed his eyes in the nostalgia this moment was bringing him. His smile returned as he opened his eyes. "This is better, a true-"
"No Exbo, it's not Ami's Skarmory, it's Falkner's. Remember when we fought it way back when you were a Cyndaquil?" A confused Exbo was looking at Gold who was trying to explain who their opponent was. Everyone, including myself, came together in a simultaneous sweatdrop. I don't even really know the story, but from what I gathered, Gold helped Falkner catch his Skarmory way back and neither him nor his Typhlosion could remember it without someone walking them through the story. Oh well, like Trainer, like Pokémon I guess.
After about 3 minutes of explaining, Exbo's back exploded into flames, now recognizing whom its foe was. "That's right, Falkner's Skarmory!" Gold exclaimed, now Trainer and Pokémon on the right page.
"It's about time," the downcast Gym Leader said. Falkner shook off his obvious disappointment and was once again serious as the final bout of their match began. "Go, Skarmory!"
"You too, Exbo!" Gold started the final round, "Flamethrower!" Exbo shot a stream of flames from its back over at the Skarmory. The metal bird gracefully dodged the flames and slowly closed in on the fire badger.
"Alright Skarmory, start this off with Steel Wing!" The steel birds wings glowed in their metallic color and it struck Exbo before flying back up. The blue and yellow badger quickly got back up on its hind legs, barely phased from the previous attack.
"One more time, Flamethrower!" Gold's plan seemed to be use Flamethrower 'til we win. Unfortunately, as each wave of flames flew from Exbo's back into the air, Skarmory was given enough time to dodge each and every one.
"All right Skarmory, use Rock Slide!" Skarmory hurled a bunch of large boulders over at Exbo who tried to dodge them before eventually getting hit by a few. Where did Skarmory get the boulders? Heck if I know. I blinked and the next second and there were rocks all around it being thrown at Typhlosion. I'm guessing it made them.
"Flamethrower!" Exbo made a move from the rubble that seemed to signal a Flamethrower, but at the last second stopped mid-move. Gold was confused and called out to his partner, "Exbo, what's wrong?"
"Rock Slide has the chance to cause the opponent to flinch," Falkner explained from across the field. "Skarmory, don't give it time to regain its composure, Steel Wing!" Once again the bird's wings glowed and it flew straight into Typhlosion.
"Exbo, grab on!" Gold realized his Typhlosion was ready to move again right as the collision between the two happened. Skarmory tried to fly back up but was having a hard time getting any altitude lugging around its opponent.
"Skarmory, shake it off!" The steel bird tried every maneuver it knew from sharp turns to flying in circles in an effort to shake off the fiery badger whom in turn gripped it harder than ever.
Gold smiled and called out, "All right Exbo, Thunderpunch!" Exbo's paw glowed yellow before being enveloped in electricity, which it then used to sock Skarmory right in the face. As the bird fell down, Exbo hopped off and landed back on its side of the field as its opponent crashed into the ground. "And that should be that," Gold said as he waited for Skarmory to be on the ground unconscious as the smoke cleared up. However, the bird flew straight up into the air and after spreading its wings wide, seemed okay.
"What the hell?" Gold said as he watched the bird fly around, as if it took no damage. "That should've been a knockout blow, what gives?"
"You underestimate my Skarmory, "Falkner said slowly. "We pride ourselves in our defensive capabilities and taking moves that we are normally weak to."
"Well yeah, you're a Gym Leader, you probably should have that," Gold acknowledged. "However, Exbo and I pride ourselves in our power and I know that was a direct hit from point blank range!"
"True," Falkner replied, "so I took the necessary precautions." Gold gave him a confused look as he continued, "Do you know why I chose to use Steel Wing, even though I know it has little to no effect on a fire type like Typhlosion?"
"I don't know," Gold answered. "I always thought people did that to show off their move pools. I just use whatever works. The only reason I used Thunderpunch instead of Flamethrower was because of our close range."
"Well, instead of just showing off, we had an ulterior motive," Falkner explained. "Steel Wing has the added effect of sometimes increasing my Skarmory defense against direct hits after successfully hitting an opponent's Pokémon."
"Huh, how about that?" Gold said, impressed. "Not bad, Falkner, not bad."
"I'm not the Gym Leader for nothing." No he's not. Not only did Falkner plan that out, but every one of his Pokémon had moves that helped diversify the types of foes he could encounter. Heat Wave on Pidgeot, Psychic on Noctowl, and finally Rock Slide with his Skarmory. His variety of moves made his team of birds a lot more threatening then it would seem. "Skarmory, let's up the pressure, Brave Bird!" Skarmory flew at such a high speed, it started to cloak itself in an energy akin to that of a Volt Tackle.
"Exbo, intercept with Flamethrower!" The two collided with Skarmory's incredible speed going straight through the Flamethrower instead of dodging it on the way down. The sheer force of Skarmory striking Exbo caused the badger to hit the wall next to the bleachers where we were sitting. "Exbo, you okay?" The badger answered by slowly getting up and letting its back ignite as it gave a roar to proceed.
"Skarmory, one last time, Brave Bird!" Falkner called out, determined to finally take out Gold's ace Pokémon.
Gold stayed quiet; waiting for Skarmory to line up perfectly with Exbo before giving his response, "Let's end this, Blast Burn!" As the bird flew directly at Exbo, an enormous inferno of flames erupted from its neck, far greater than that of Flamethrower. The sheer force made Flamethrower seem like a lighter compared to this bonfire of a move. The heat was so great, everyone in the stands, including myself, had to shield out eyes from the intensity. When the smoke cleared and I reopened my eyes, Skarmory was on the ground, unable to battle. With a score of 3-0, Gold won the match.
"All right, Exbo! We did it!" Gold ran over to his Pokémon on the field and hugged it in joy. He looked over in my direction and gave me a thumbs up. I stood up and returned the gesture. For the first Gym Match I ever saw, it truly set the bar pretty high for my turn next. Behind me, Hirō and his camera crew started rolling their camera's as the match finally finished and their reason for being here was about to start.
Falkner sighed in defeat and returned his defeated metallic bird to it Pokéball. He thanked it for its efforts before meeting Gold on the other side of the field. "A wonderful match, Gold. I thoroughly enjoyed it." He handed out his hand to Gold.
"Hey, same here," Gold took the hand and shook it. "We should do this again sometime."
Falkner smiled and walked over to his side of the field where he picked up a metallic pin which he then brought over and handed to Gold, "Here, as proof of your victory, I present you with the Zephyr Badge." Gold took it, thanked him and flashed the shiny badge over in my direction. The badge was a shiny silver and looked like a pair of wings, fitting of a flying type Gym.
I walked over to Gold with Pete, now that the match was over to congratulate him. "It was an amazing match, Gold-san. Congrats."
"Thanks, Quartz," he smiled. "Did you remember to take notes, remember you're next!" Damn it, I thought he would have forgotten in the spur of the moment.
Falkner joined in, saying, "I look forward to facing you later today. I want to see what kind of student Gold has trained."
I tried to wave some of it off, "I only became his student yesterday. We've barely done any training." I really don't want him to go any harder on me because I'm Gold's apprentice.
"In any case," Falkner finished, "I'll be here waiting." He then walked over to his side of the field was, where there was a machine where he could heal up his Pokémon quickly in case of another battle.
With that, the radio director and his crew came over for their interview with Gold. "Gold, congratulations on your win! How's it feel to get your fifth badge?"
Gold scratched the back of his head embarrassed, "Pretty good. Hey, can you guys give me a sec?" He turned to me, "Hey Quartz, can you wait outside for a bit? This should only take about 5-10 minutes."
"Sure, no problem," I told him as I took the platforms back down the Gym. I spoke to Clyde a bit about the match at the bottom floor before finally exiting the Gym. I found a nearby vending machine and bought myself a Soda Pop that I slowly drank as I replayed the match in my head.
Both Gold and Falkner both replied almost immediately to each other's attacks, always planning their next move. Of course, they sometimes stopped in the middle to explain certain effects from their moves or complement the other on a strategy to give the match a bit of breathing room, but besides that it was intense. I do remember that their Gym Battle wasn't the basic traditional style because of the terms they agreed on previously, but that was only a small difference. How different would a battle against me, a new guy who just started, be compared to the battle I just witnessed? Could I take the intensity and manage to keep up without hesitating mid-match? All this thinking about what-ifs and what could happen was starting to give me a headache.
Then, Pete gave me a tiny shock from down where he stood. He gave me a reassuring smile and a fighting pose, showing he was ready for anything. The little guy's smile really helped out. If he can look to the future with a positive outlook, why can't I? We may be a team, but in the end he's the one doing the actual battling, not me, so if he's okay, so should I.
As I shake off the rest of my worries, the Goldenrod Radio people walk out of the Gym, done with their interview and walk off towards a van. They pack up and drive off to Goldenrod, I'm guessing. As they drive off, Gold walks out of the Gym, more exhausted and annoyed than even during the Gym Match.
"Gold-san, how was the interview?" I asked. He sighed deeply and gave me a 'do you really want to know' look. That only made me more intrigued, so he sighed before telling me what happened.
"Well, it kinda went like this…
Gold's POV
"All right, guys, ask away!" I turned to the guys and prepared myself for another one of these interviews. Just answer the questions and you make some extra cash, like you're a guest on a talk show or something.
"So Gold, this is your fifth badge, past halfway to that grand total of 8, how does it feel?"
"Great, I'm headed for the title of League Champion this year, so skipping all the preliminaries would be a great start!"
"League Champion, eh? What makes you think you'll do better than last year?" Here we go…
"Well, I, uh, think the team and I have, uh, trained a lot since then and are ready for any surprises we may face." Yeah, that's pretty good.
"Now Gold, as an aspiring League Champ, are you trying to prove you've finally matured as a Trainer?"
"Uh, come again?" What's he trying to say?
"Well, you've managed to cause quite a bit of havoc every time you seem to try to, um let's see if I can find the right words, uh: go out and explore."
"I'm not really sure I follow, can I get an example?"
"Well, there was the time you went to the newly opened Pokéathlon, while you did clear all the events, you also caused untold amounts of damage when a Dragonite attacked the stadium with no warning whatsoever?"
"Well in my defense, that wasn't my-"
"Or that time shortly after, where the Gym of Ecruteak was completely destroyed by Arceus when you just happened to be there?"
"Oh come on, I had no contr-"
"How about any of those times swarms of Pokémon ran into cities when your training in the nearby Routes got a bit too extreme?"
"Hey! I made sure to fix everything afterward!" By the name of Mew, these guys are harsh.
"In any case, we just want to know if battling more respected members of society like the Gym Leaders is helping fix your destructive tendencies?"
"Come on already!" These guys were really getting on my nerves. "I've saved the entire region of Johto several times, doesn't that count for anything?"
"Well, based on our accounts, your fellow DexHolders, Silver and Crystal, were much more instrumental in saving Johto during these incidents."
"What?" Who the hell is giving them these sources? "Sure Super Serious Gal and Silver were nice help, but yours truly here is the true hero!" I puffed out my chest and smiled. Wait, isn't Crystal going to see this later? I turned to the camera, "Hey Crys, love ya babe!" Nailed it.
"So what you're saying is, you're tuning down your troublemaking?"
"Well…"
Zircon/Quartz POV
"And all they did was ask me if I'm cleaning up my act or something," Gold said, clearly offended. "I mean you destroy 2 or 3 buildings like 4 or 5 times when trying to do something for the region, and you're suddenly some destructive monster." A single sweatdrop when down my face. When he's around, things do get a bit crazy. Personal experience right here. "Besides, half those times I was just trying to stop Team Rocket or something. I couldn't do anything about it. I am an upstanding member of society! If anything, I'm just giving them more interesting stuff to cover, so if anything, they should be thanking me."
"Well, at least you got some money out of it right?" I asked, trying to lift his mood.
"I guess," he muttered, "since Gym battles don't give you any prize money and normal Trainers won't face me, it's some of the only times I get any money…"
"Wait a second," I interrupted. "You don't get any prize money from Gym Battles? Since when?" I was hoping to make some extra cash from beating the Gym Trainers so I could stock up on items before taking on Falkner or something like that.
"Yeah, it's part of the whole change in the structure of the Gyms," Gold explained. "Since there's no order in which you face Gym's, some Gym Leaders have to go easy on a much larger amount of people who come in prepared with a type advantage because they either have a couple of badges or none at all." "Due to this, several Gym Leaders started losing lots of matches early on and were running low on cash since their only real income is their salary they get from the Pokémon Association. Plus, part of that salary is dedicated to their Gym Trainers. Therefore, they had to go full throttle on every match with close to no leeway on giving victories to the challengers. Before, a Gym Leader could choose to throw a match here or there because a challenger just nearly lost or tied the match, but showed they were deserving of the badge anyway, but then they couldn't afford that, literally. Thus, all matches done inside Gyms were stated to be done without prize money to the victor, be it the challenger or the Gym Leader." Wow, that's a lot of changes to the system due to making Gyms a little more accessible to all Trainers. "In either case," Gold continued, "Gym Leaders sometimes make too little as it is. Some of them have extra jobs, like Falkner being a police officer part-time."
"Okay, so that's why you do these interviews?" I asked. "Is it more of a financial thing?"
"Well, kinda," he answered. "Being a Trainer isn't the most high-paying job out there. Get good like me and people avoid battles with you. If you're bad, you'll be broke within days. Be part of the Gym system or something and you're stuck with a monthly salary." Wow, looks like I better figure out how to stay above too weak, and below too strong, and fast.
"In other news, " Gold began, "You still got a Gym Battle to do. It's almost noon, so I'll give you a quick briefing with some pointers, and you can get ready and then it's your turn!"
"W-w-wait, Gold-san. I just started yesterday, am I really ready for a Gym Battle?" I asked. Yeah, I know, Pete helped lift my spirits back up, but the facts were facts, and besides, I only had Pete on my side, with no backup.
"Of course," Gold said with a smile. "You've proven to me already that you and Pichu are more than your average beginning duo and you got a type advantage already. That's pretty much all you need for the Gym Trainers, and for Falkner, you'll just need a bit of a strategy and creativity."
"If you say so, " I decided, "I guess I got no choice, right?"
"That's the spirit!" he said. He stood up straight and said, "Let's talk strategy over some lunch, whatddya say?" He then grabbed me by the back of my shirt and dragged me over to the nearest restaurant.
After getting our food and sitting down, Gold finally spoke up, "All right, so what did you learn from our earlier battle?" It went pretty quick, and the biggest thing I learned was how truly powerful Gold was.
"I guess I learned how good Gym Leaders are?" I guessed.
"Well yeah, that's a start, at least," Gold said. "The main thing you're gonna need remember when you go up there is that you got to think on your feet and always react to what's going on in real time. Gym Leaders aren't going to wait for you to regain your composure." I was taken aback by the change in tone of voice. Usually, Gold sounds like a laid-back joker who's always about having a good time, but when the time comes, he's able to be rather serious. "I know I've said having the advantage should be enough, but it wouldn't hurt to go in there without some creative strategies."
"So what should I do?"
"Well, for starters, do you have any Potions or healing items?" he asked.
"No, I just started training, remember?" I haven't really gotten in any serious battles, so potions haven't been my biggest priority. Besides, all the Potions I did have were used up in yesterday's Pidgey fiasco.
"Well, buy a couple," he said. "There's no rule against using a Potion during a Gym battle, and since Pete's your only partner, you got to make sure he's in top shape at all times."
"Okay," I replied. I guess that makes sense. "What else?"
"Falkner's probably going to take you on with two Pokémon," he said. He looked up before continuing, "Whatever you do, make sure you take out the first one quickly."
"Why's that?" Other than obviously conserving energy, of course.
"Because you're going to need to use everything to take out Skarmory."
"Wait, what?!" He's going to be using that thing against me? "I thought that was his strongest Pokémon! Why would he use it against a newbie like me?"
"It is his strongest Pokémon," he stated plainly. "Gym Leaders always use their strongest Pokémon in battles."
"Then how does anyone get their first badge?" I asked. If all Gym Leaders use their ace in the hole no matter whom they're facing, how can a new trainer be expected to win?
"He doesn't use Skarmory's full potential in the battle," he explained. "He and Skarmory battle to around the strength that's to be expected of whatever number Gym Leader the challenger is facing. The main reason Gym Leaders use their strongest is to avoid just giving away badges. They're obviously trying to win the battle as well!" Well, I guess that makes sense. That must be the reason why there isn't dozens of people with 8 badges every Pokémon League. Beating 8 Gym Leaders must truly be quite the challenge.
"Hey Gold-san? What about that move you used with Pichu during the match?" That move was pretty powerful and even had the bonus of allowing you to switch mid-match.
"Oh, you mean Volt Switch?"
"Yeah, that's it! Could you help teach Pete and I that move? It'd be perfect!"
"Why?" he asked confused. "You have no other Pokémon to switch into. Volt Switch is really a weaker move reserved for when you're switching while attacking at the same time."
"Its got more power than Thundershock, which is the only real reliable move we have now."
"Thundershock is good enough, " he said, "I'll teach you it after you get your second Pokémon. Before then, it's not really all that useful." Great, I got a teacher that won't teach me.
"Don't worry," he reassured me. "You should be fine. Besides, it won't be your first battle, you still have a couple of Gym Trainers to go through before hand so you can get yourself warmed up." Yeah, because a couple of extra battles is exactly what I need to be at full energy when I'm face to face with Falkner. Although, I have to admit he does make a good point. Despite my sarcasm, I have yet to be in a legit Pokémon battle other than the Trainer's Equivalency Exam's battle portion. Having a couple battles beforehand might be what I need to truly get my footing. Besides, as Gym Trainers, they'll be using Flying types as well, so it'll be like practice for when it's time to take on Falkner.
With stronger determination, I nodded and looked up, "Alright, I think I got this." I looked over to Pete who finished eating and gave me a thumbs up. I returned the gesture before returning to Gold.
He broke out a huge grin, "That's the way! Let's finish up here and get on our way! We can't keep Falkner waiting forever, can we?" So we finished our food and made a stop at a local PokéMart on the way there. I got about 5 Potions since I figured it was a good amount and I wasn't exactly swimming in cash either at the moment. Afterwards, we made sure all preparations were set and we headed over to the Violet City Gym for the second time today, only this time I was the challenger and Gold the observer.
Upon entering, Clyde was right there to greet us. "Well if it isn't Gold and, uh…"
"Quartz."
"Right, Quartz!" he quickly fixed himself. "So, is it the student's turn to take on the Gym?"
"That's the idea," I told him.
"Well, Gold may have already given you a clue, " he started. "But I get paid to give tips to starting Trainers, so just between you and me, Flying types aren't so keen on Electric type attacks."
I gave him a small smile. "Thanks," I muttered. 'Not so keen on electric types, huh. You don't say.' In any case, I gave him a weak wave as I moved onto the platform that would raise me up to the Gym Trainers. It raised us up to a platform that I noticed was lower than the one it raised us up to when Gold came, and I soon saw the reason. As Gold said, both the maze and Gym Trainers that Trainers face when entering a Gym are dependent on the number of badges they have. My maze was a lot easier. I had two choices, take on two Gym Trainers, or go straight to Falkner. Now the easy choice would be to go straight to Falkner, but Arceus knows I need the battle experience. I walked up to my first opponent, one of two Bird Keepers.
"Hey, hey, hey," he called out. "Looks like we got a newbie, here. The name's Bird Keeper Abe, how 'bout you?"
"I-I-I-I'm Quartz," I stuttered. Other than the practice battle I had with Gold, this marks my first real match, Trainer VS. Trainer, and if it wasn't obvious enough, Gym Trainers get their jobs since they're already considered a cut above the rest, so I'm not starting on the best foot.
"So, who's your frien-" he started, looking behind me, where Gold was standing looking at his PokéGear, before looking up and giving him a small wave. "Is that Gold? The Gold of New Bark Town?" Gold gave him a grin before Abe turned to the other Bird Keeper, "Hey Rod! Check it out! This newbie's got Gold Kaito of the DexHolders with him!"
The other Bird Keeper, Rod, looked over, and upon noticing, called out, "Hey, what gives?"
Gold raised an eyebrow at him, "What, Falkner didn't tell you guys? Quartz here is my protégé. I'm training him from the ground up, and lucky you get to be his first opponent." He smiled at me, and pushed me to go a bit forward.
"First opponent, huh? You're pretty brave kid, going' straight to a Gym as soon as you start," Abe said. "Quartz, right? I like you kid, you've got guts. Let me show you true Pokémon battle, Spearow, go!"
I looked down at my partner, cheeks sparking at the ready. "You ready, pal? Let's go!" Pete ran up across from the Spearow and just like that, my first battle was underway.
January 22nd-Devon Corporation-Rustboro City-Hoenn-2:55 P.M.
Normal POV
"Hey Idaisa!"
Zircon's father, Shinji Idaisa, jumped at hearing his name and almost dropped some of his papers. "Yeah?"
"Good work today," his boss responded. "We're thinking about sending one of our interns to work with you when you head back to Johto next week, you okay helping him out?"
"Sounds okay to me," he responded.
"Great, see you tomorrow," his boss finished before heading back to his office.
Shinji sighed as he left the office.
Shinji walked over to his hotel on the downtown area of Rustboro and fell on the bed as he landed. This constant travel between Johto and Hoenn was really starting to take its toll on him.
'Hmm, maybe I can check on Zircon,' he thought. He picked up the room's phone and called the house phone. After a couple of rings, he was surprised to see no answer. 'How about his PokéGear?' No answer. Suspicious. After contemplating it for a couple of minutes, he then went on his laptop and accessed a secret set of cameras he'd set up in the house in case of burglaries. He saw Zircon packing his bag and leaving the house, and not just for the day.
He smiled at looked up at the room's ceiling. 'So, you've finally done it, eh?' He opened the window and threw a Pokéball, summoning his bird Pokémon, Swellow. He wrote a small note and tied it to his Swellow's leg. "All right Tenshi, make sure Zircon gets this note. It's a long trip back to Johto, so you're free to stay at the house 'til I get back next week." His bird nodded and soared off into the horizon. As Swellow disappeared off into the sky, Shinji sat back on the bed as he looked out into the sky. 'Good luck son, I'm giving you one week."
A/N: That's Chapter 3 everyone! Before anything else, I want to apologize for this chapter coming out so late, last time I posted, summer was headed towards the end and the school year was coming. It's now the spring semester of my first year at a college away from home, so I kind of spent the first semester getting into the swing of things. Before I transferred here, I've been living at home, so I guess I had more time to write. Anyway, this change coupled with a couple months of writer's block, leads to said hiatus. Truth is, this chapter was intended to end after Quartz's Gym Battle with Falkner, but upon writing this section at the end, I felt this would be more appropriate. I'm starting upon the next chapter as soon as this one goes up.
Another reason this has been taking awhile is that when I probably should be working out this, I'm thinking about the story later on. I think I got the most of it mapped out in my mind now, so I think we're good to go. I should also probably note that I won't follow everything day by day in this story. There will be time skips, be it days, weeks, or even a couple months since, after all, the Pokémon League that this story is currently leading up to is chronologically a year and a half away and no one wants to follow every day over the course of a year and a half, especially when there's bound to be boring old basic training days within that timeframe.
I really hope I don't get too confusing in trying to explain the Gym system I'm making here. Since Zircon (I'll use his real name here and Quartz during the actual chapter) is more or less going to be taking on Gym's around the same time as Gold, I wanted to make sure the matches are differed based on their obvious difference in skill. If there's anything else you want cleared up, just PM or something and I'll do want I can to help clarify and possibly clear it up better in the future.
Lastly, I realize some people might feel that Gold is a bit OOC at times in this story. The main reason for this is that this is another 5 whole years since we've last seen him in the HGSS chapter and the man is now 21 years old as of this time in the story. I'm trying to imagine him a bit more mature than before. Of course, he'll be the same Gold we all know and love, but some of his more outrageous mannerisms will be toned down. Besides, he's dating Crystal in this story, so she's definitely going to keep him in line. On the topic of any other possible ships, if it isn't made canon when I introduce said characters, I probably will leave it at that. Even Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald are all already 19 by now, so I would assume any ships would have been resolved by then.
Next chapter, prepare for Quartz's VS. Falkner, his first capture, two helpers, and the first time the two plots of the story crossover each other.
Thanks For Reading and Reviewing,
MateiFire