Joseph knew he had to go past Ecruteak City to go to the next city, where his sixth Gym Badge would be waiting for him. But Delibird just left and Zygarde just joined, so it was time for his Pokémon team to meet once again. Zygarde was a Dragon and Earth type. Joseph went once again to Goldenrod's library and read the Kalosian legends of Zygarde: It wasn't quite ancient, as a few months ago there was almost an apocalypse caused by the misuse of Zygarde's incredible powers. Nonetheless, the Pokémon was still in Kalos. Joseph didn't doubt it for a second, though: Mystery Gifts were just like that. It was highly likely that his Zygarde wasn't the same as the Kalosian Zygarde.
So, he left the library and went to Goldenrod's Park, where he took his Pokémon out. Everyone around him began to admire his Pokémon, but Joseph didn't really mind.
Zygarde looked around themselves, confused. Joseph smiled at him.
"If we're on the same team, we might as well be friends, correct? Let's play together!" Joseph said, smiling.
Dragonair and Heracross dared each other to race across the park, while Ursaring slept like she deserved, and Pikachu was eager to play with Joseph and Zygarde. Joseph took a ball of catch, and played along with Zygarde and Pikachu. Zygarde was compliant, at least for a while. But a few minutes later, Zygarde sat down and refused to play.
"Zyyygarde!" They refused to play any further. They wanted to train or to battle.
"Come on, Zygarde" Joseph smiled. "We gotta be friends. If we're not, we may not work well in battle"
But Zygarde wasn't budging. Joseph sighed.
"Why does fate keep giving me the difficult ones?" He cried. Then he looked at Dragonair, Ursaring and Pikachu. "Then again..."
Joseph got up and clapped to call the attention of his Pokémon.
"Alright! To the balls, guys!" He said, putting all of his PokéBalls inside. "We gotta go to Ecruteak City"
He went outside of Goldenrod City and deep into Route 37. He found Falkner training a legendary Pokémon! More specifically, a Lugia.
"Ah, Joseph" Falkner smiled upon seeing the fellow Trainer. "How are you?"
"Fine... you didn't tell me you had a legendary" Joseph said.
"It's recent. I was well-behaved, and Father Winter gave me a gift. I was training them so we would develop well in battle, you see?" Falkner said.
"Ah! I understand!" Joseph smiled. "I got a legendary too for Toy Day"
"I won't ever understand how the Mystery Gifts ever work" Falkner stated.
"Yeah, me neither" Joseph sighed. "Do you want to have a Pokémon battle? Nothing of the Gym stuff, just you against me, as rivals!"
"Do I?" Falkner asked, smirking. "I gotta tell you, though. Without Lugia, I'm pretty strong"
"I think I heard somewhere that you were the weakest Flying Type Gym Leader around the world" Joseph smirked.
"That's why I'm travelling through the region, improving my Pokémon team!" Falkner said. "Did you know that you can attract Pokémon native from other regions with the radio and the regional sounds?"
"That's so cool!" Joseph said. "It won't distract me from having a battle against you, though. How about three vs three?"
"Got it" Falkner said. "We'll heal later back in Goldenrod"
"Yeah!" Joseph smiled.
They went into position, and Falkner took out his Staravia.
"Staravia!" She chimed.
"I'm still training my new team, so Staravia is not as strong as she could be" Falkner said.
"Alright... Go, Dragonair!"
"Drago!" Dragonair said, celebrating.
"So Dragonair is your first choice!" Falkner smiled. "I want to see how far can you go! Staravia, use Quick Attack!"
"Dragonair, use Thunderbolt!" Josseph ordered.
Staravia couldn't even answer. It resisted the attack thanks to it's Focus Sash.
"Use Endeavor!" Falkner ordered. "And then finish with Quick Attack!"
Staravia's combination of attacks were enough to make Dragonair faint. Joseph couldn't believe what he just had seen.
"What in the actual heck was that?!" He asked.
"Focus Sash is an item that allows the user to tank an attack that would otherwise make them faint" Falkner explained. "Endeavor is an attack that makes the objective as hurt as the user, and as Staravia was in the brink of fainting, a single Quick Attack after the Endeavor was enough to bring Dragonair down"
"That was so clever!" Joseph said, amazed. "No wonder you're a Gym Leader"
"And I'll be the Champion!" Falkner said.
"Don't get so cocky!" Joseph smiled. "I haven't finished yet. Go, Pikachu!"
"Staravia, go back!" Falkner ordered, putting Staravia back into the PokéBall. "Just rest a bit, my girl. Go, Aerodactyl!"
"Dactyl!" The fossil Pokémon screamed.
"What's that?!" Joseph screamed, surprised.
"Aerodactyl is a fossil Pokémon from ancient times!" SmartRotom explained. "Its typing is Rock-Flying"
"Rock-Flying, eh?" Joseph asked. "Luckily, I had just something reserved for this. Pikachu, use Iron Tail!"
Pikachu jumped in the air, covering his tail with Iron energy.
"You taught your Pikachu that attack?!" Falkner asked.
"Yeah, I know Ash Ketchum's Pikachu knows that move, so I wanted mine to learn it as well!" Joseph said. "It was hard to find a tutorial that explained the training, though!"
Pikachu hit Aerodactyl hard.
"Aerodactyl, use Stone Edge!" Falkner ordered.
"Pikachu, use Quick Attack to avoid it!" Joseph ordered.
Pikachu's movements became quicker, much quicker than before. It began to be surrounded by electricity, and in a swift attack, he hit Aerodactyl, bringing him to the ground. He wouldn't faint still.
"What was that attack?!" Falkner asked. "It has never been seen before!"
"I'll name it... Zippy Zap!" Joseph said. "Because... it zaps the enemy like... zip zap!"
He laughed upon his joke. Falkner groaned.
"We aren't finished yet! Use Stone Edge!" Falkner ordered.
"Pika!" Pikachu was hit by the Stone Edge, getting up again. "Pika..."
Joseph felt that Pikachu had been weakened. He sighed, and thought his strategy. Aerodactyl wouldn't last another Zippy Zap, for sure. But it seemed like Pikachu didn't domain the attack yet. So he decided to play safe.
"Thunderbolt!" He ordered. Aerodactyl fainted. "Yes!"
"Come back, Aerodactyl!" Falkner ordered. "Go, Pidgeot!"
"Geeeeooot!" Pidgeot roared.
"Pikachu, come back!" Joseph said, putting Pikachu back in the PokéBall. "Go, Zygarde!"
"Zyyy!" They went serious. Joseph felt how focused the legendary was in battle.
He looked at Zygarde's attacks.
"Use Stone Edge!" Joseph ordered.
Pidgeot tried to avoid them all, but the hit was too strong. The Pokémon fainted.
"Ah! Staravia!" Falkner said, trying to use a desperate strategy. "Use Endeavor!"
"Zygarde, answer with Take Down!" Joseph ordered.
Zygarde won the struggle, and Staravia fainted. Falkner had lost.
"Ah! It's not fair!" Falkner put his Staravia on the PokéBall, but he sighed. "Ah, don't worry about it. I'll be better"
"This battle was incredible!" Joseph hugged Zygarde. "You were amazing, my friend!"
"Zy!" The Pokémon celebrated.