"Alright Cyndaquil use Flame Wheel!" Ash called out.
Cyndaquil began spinning around the open field in a ball of flames.
"Now add Flamethrower!" Ash called out.
A stream of flames shot out from the ball that was Cyndaquil, causing fire to go in every direction out of control.
"Nope, Marshtomp use Muddy Water!" Brendan called out, dousing the flames before they spread.
"Thanks for that." Ash groaned. "It's official, I've got nothing for an appeal."
"What about your old Pokemon?" Brendan asked.
"No use. They're all battle trained." Ash admitted. "I'd run into the same problems I'm having with Cyndaquil."
"Pikachu made the transition." Brendan reminded.
"All of Pikachu's appeals were power based, and I just can't seem to control Cyndaquil's power enough for the stage." Ash sighed.
"Maybe the issue isn't you." Wally offered. "I mean you said it yourself, Cyndaquil is trained for battles, where more means more. But in contests less is more from what I've seen. Maybe you need to let Cyndaquil know that."
"That is him at less power." Ash groaned. "You know what I can't focus on this, let's look at the map again, the Battle Arena has to be around here somewhere."
Back at the Pokemon Center
"So you're sure you don't recognize any of these roads?" Wally asked.
"No, the closest I recognize is that one, but it doesn't seem to intersect with any of the others on the map at all." Ash said, pointing to a road on the far corner of the map.
"Thanks again Nurse Joy." A girl said.
"Not a problem, Umbreon has made a full recovery." The Nurse Joy said.
"Wait, it couldn't be." Brendan said, turning and seeing a girl in a blue and black gi. "Greta?"
"Yeah?" Greta asked turning around.
"It's Brendan from Dewford Island in Hoenn." Brendan said. "I'm here taking on the battle frontier now."
"Oh you are, are you?" Greta asked.
"Yeah, we've been trying to find the Battle Arena, but haven't had any luck, you wouldn't happen to know how to get there would you?" Brendan asked.
"As it just so happens, I'm heading there right now." Greta said.
"That's great, do you think we could come with you, you could even see how far Nuzleaf and I have gotten in our training when we take on the Frontier Brain here." Brendan said obliviously.
"Oh I'm sure I'll have a front row seat to all the action." Greta said.
A while later
"Wow, we were way off on where this was. We're almost in Saffron at this point." Wally said, looking over the cliff at the wide open ocean. "Ash? Hey it's okay, we found our way here."
"No, it's something else, I've been here before." Ash said. "I said goodbye to a friend here. Back before this building was built." Ash said, reminiscing.
"Brendan! Good to see you've finally made it!" Scott said, interrupting Ash's thoughts. "Come on the Arena Tycoon is waiting for you inside."
"Great, I'm ready to win another symbol!" Brendan said excitedly.
"Hey Ash, are you coming?" Wally asked.
"Yeah, go on ahead." Ash said. "I just came up with an idea."
"Should I get Marshtomp?" Wally asked.
"No, no we should be good." Ash said.
Inside the arena
"Alright Brendan ready for our actual battle?" Greta asked.
"How did I not realize you were the frontier brain for here?" Brendan groaned. "Alright how many Pokemon?"
"I don't know and that's for you to decide." Greta said. "Spin the wheel to find out."
Two students in white gis brought out a wheel split into six segments, each with a number one through three on it.
"So I spin the wheel and the number it lands on is the number of Pokemon that will be battling?" Brendan asked. "Alright, seems easy enough."
Brendan walked across the arena and spun the wheel, with it landing on three.
"A three on three match, we don't see those too often." Greta said. "Very well, these will be your opponents!" Greta said, tossing three balls into the air. Out came a Breloom, a Heracross, and an Umbreon.
"Fighting types… fun." Brendan groaned. Four of his five Pokemon were weak to fighting and he knew it.
"Is everything alright Brendan?" Wally asked.
"Yeah, just struggling to unclasp my Pokeball." Brendan lied. 'Where are you Ash?!' Brendan whispered under his breath.
"Let the three on three match between the Arena Tycoon Greta, and the challenger Brendan begin!" Scott called out.
"Breloom, let's go!" Greta called out.
"Come on out Raticate!"
"Breloom use Headbutt!"
"Raticate dodge it and use Scary Face!"
Breloom rocketed across the arena with incredible speed, stopping on a dime as Raticate barely dodged out of the way.
"That thing is fast!" Wally exclaimed.
"Not for long, use another Scary Face!"
"Use Spore!"
Raticate gnashed it's teeth together growling at Breloom as the grass type swung it's tail releasing powder over the normal type as it fell to sleep.
"Now use Focus Punch!"
"Raticate wake up!" Brendan shouted.
Breloom pulled it's fist back, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, before launching it forward, and sending Raticate flying into a wall.
"Raticate is unable to…". Scott paused, seeing a pair of red eyes in the dust. "Or not…"
"Raticate?" Brendan asked.
It was bruised up pretty bad, but Raticate was still standing.
"Alright then, use Super Fang!"
"Use Headbutt!"
Raticate leapt forward sinking his teeth into Breloom's head, causing the grass type to fall down in pain.
"Now use Hyper Fang!"
"Breloom get it off of you!"
As Raticate sunk his teeth in once more, purple spores shot into his mouth, and his body went limp.
"Raticate is unable to battle, the winner is Breloom." Scott said, seeing Raticate go down from the poison damage.
"Great work Raticate, you did your best." Brendan said. "Now come on out Shiftry!"
Back outside
"I really wish you were here right now, I could use someone like you." Ash said, looking out at the ocean.
Back at the battle
"Shiftry use Extrasensory!"
"Breloom use Headbutt!"
Shiftry pointed one of his fans outwards, easily lifting the fighting type into the air, before spinning the Pokemon a few times, and launching it into the gong with a resounding sound.
"I don't think even Breloom's head is thick enough to recover from that." Wally said.
"Breloom is unable to battle, the winner is Shiftry!" Scott said.
"You fought honorably Breloom, take a long rest." Greta said, returning the fighting type to it's Pokeball. "Now Heracross take him down!"
"Shiftry return!" Brendan said. "I may not have fought a Heracross, but from what I've seen they're tough. So I need my toughest defenses for this." Brendan said. "Come on out Lairon!"
"Heracross use Rock Tomb!"
"Lairon counter with your own Rock Tomb!"
Lairon slammed his hind legs on the ground launching a series of rocks at Heracross as the bug type had thrown its own attack via its horn.
"Heracross use Megahorn!"
"Lairon use Iron Defense!"
Heracross shot forward, its horn jabbing at Lairon's armor with a loud twang, barely moving Lairon an inch.
"Heracross use Retaliate!"
"Lairon use Iron Defense again!"
Heracross slammed it's arm down on Lairon's back, quickly recoiling from the pain from the impact.
"Heracross use Rock Tomb!"
"Lairon use Iron Defense once more!"
Lairon was obscured between the rocks trapping him in the center.
"Lairon may be tough, but I don't think they're great at moving." Greta said, seeing the trapped Pokemon.
"Lairon use Headbutt!"
Lairon dug his legs down, before launching his head forward, sending a rock right at Heracross.
"Heracross dodge it!"
Heracross dove out of the way of the rock before flying right at Lairon.
"Hey Wally, what'd I miss?" Ash whispered/
"Raticate went down to a Breloom, but Shiftry was able to finish the job. Now its Lairon vs a Heracross and that Umbreon is Greta's final Pokemon." Wally recounted.
"I should have come in with you, Heracross is a close range attacker, if Brendan had chosen Marshtomp…" Ash trailed off.
"Lairon use Rock Tomb!"
"Heracross use Reversal!"
Rock after rock struck Heracross as the bug type flew across the arena, getting ever closer to Lairon before finally striking it with a resounding thud.
"Lairon!" Brendan called out, seeing the heavy Pokemon not moving.
"Lairon is unable to battle, the winner is Heracross!" Scott declared.
"Lairon return!" Brendan said with a smile.
"Why is he smiling, he's down to Shiftry against a Heracross and Umbreon!?" Wally asked out loud.
"Because I know how Reversal works, the reason it didn't do much the first time is because Heracross was at full strength, but now, to take out Lairon like that, I'd say Heracross is about ready to fall over." Brendan said. "Now Shiftry come out and use Razor Wind!"
Shiftry leapt back onto the battlefield, flapping his fans as Heracross was tossed into the air.
"Heracross use Mega Horn!"
"Shiftry use Bullet Seed!"
Shiftry fired a barrage of seeds right at Heracross as the beetle flew forwards, only to come crashing to the ground in defeat.
"Heracross is unable to battle, the winner is Shiftry." Scott said.
"I knew you had potential even all the way back on Dewford, but let's see how far you've come. Umbreon use Confuse Ray!" Greta called out.
"Shiftry use Razor Wind!"
Shiftry flapped his fans to obscure the gaze that Umbreon was giving out, while also trying to damage the dark type.
"Umbreon use Double Edge!"
"Shiftry dodge it!"
Shiftry leapt out of the way as Umbreon slammed into the ground where he was just moments before.
"Umbreon use Confuse Ray!"
"Shiftry use Razor Wind again!"
Shiftry flapped his wings once more, but instead of creating a strong gust of wind, a barrage of leaves came out of his cloak, striking Umbreon from all directions.
"What move was that?" Wally asked.
"I have no idea, but I sure am glad it worked. Shiftry while they're distracted use Faint Attack!"
Shiftry dove forward, striking Umbreon from above, landing cleanly a few feet away.
"Umbreon use Double Edge!"
"Shiftry use that attack again!"
Shiftry flapped it's fans, releasing a storm of leaves that stopped Umbreon in it's tracks, defeating the dark type finally.
"Umbreon is unable to battle, the winner of the match is Brendan and Shiftry!" Scott called out.
"Way to go Shiftry!" Brendan cheered.
"Congratulations Brendan, its my honor to bestow upon you this, the Guts Symbol." Greta said. "Take great care of it, you've earned it."
"Your next challenge is at the Battle Dome, just south of Lavender Town." Scott said, adjusting the map. "I wish you all the best of luck."
"And hopefully an easier time finding it." Brendan joked.
Brendan's Current Team and their moves
Marshtomp: Ice Beam - Rollout - Muddy Water - Mud Shot
Shiftry: Razor Wind - Faint Attack - Leaf Storm - Extrasensory
Lairon: Headbutt - Iron Defense - Rock Tomb - Metal Claw
Rhydon: Mega Horn - Crush Claw - Aqua Tail - Rock Blast
Raticate: Super Fang - Hyper Fang - Scary Face
Authors Note
The poll is still open on my profile.