Chapter 2 - Hot Springs and Elite Battles Part 1
"One more Dark Pulse!" Logan called.
His Zorua breathed heavily through his nose before he leaped into the air. A ball of dark energy formed in his mouth as he howled. And then with a quick front flip, he launched the ball toward the rocks at the bottom of the waterfall. The ball exploded, sending water into the air, seemingly putting the waterfall to a momentary standstill. But then, Zorua came back to the ground, his legs collapsing out from under him, and the water resumed its neverending fall.
"You did great," Logan said. He knelt and put his hand on his Pokémon's head, petting him gently.
Logan had been traveling around the western edge of Johto, and he found himself taking lodge at the Cianwood Pokémon Center. It had been two months since his meeting with Mr. Goodshow, and he had yet to hear from him. He had trained every day with his Pokémon, training every day for the Psychic-type expert, Itsuki.
Itsuki was new to the Elite Four, which made him dangerous in Logan's eyes. The newest member had something to prove, but Logan wasn't ready to lose in his first battle.
Logan returned to the Pokémon Center. He had become accustomed to the public baths of Johto, but he still didn't enjoy it when people stared at him. He was nearing six feet in height, and his body was lanky, which made him self-conscious, so he'd wait until nighttime to take his bath. When the time was right, he handed over his Poké Balls to Nurse Joy and made his way down to the hot springs.
To his luck, no one was in the locker room. He placed his backpack into one of the straw baskets that was provided, unzipped the top, and pulled out a small yellow towel that was gifted to him by his old friend, Himawari. He then stripped off his clothes and shoved them into a locker. He looked down at his bag in the basket and considered putting it in a locker, but no one was around and he heard overwhelmingly positive stories about people respecting others' personal belongings in Johto. Without a second thought, he walked to the glass door of the hot spring, opened it, and was blasted with cool air.
He covered himself with the towel and quickly walked across the cold stone floor. It was such a contrast to how hot the water was going to be. He sat down on a small stool and turned on the showers, waiting as they slowly became steaming hot. It was common courtesy to clean your body with soap before entering the public portion of the baths. This was another thing that Logan learned from Himawari.
After washing his body and hair, he turned off the shower and rested for a moment. He watched the steam escape from his body into the air. He looked back at the giant baths, which were much hotter than he was used to in Unova. Even though he had been bathing in them exclusively for a few months, he still was not used to how hot they could get.
He slowly stood up and walked to the baths, his feet splashing in small cold puddles of water that only encouraged him to get in faster. But before he could, he heard a small uncontrolled rattling in the locker room. He looked toward the locker room, shrugged, and then stuck his right leg into the water first. The nerves had been damaged after he broke it a couple of years prior, and the sensation that he got when he put it in the heat was hard for him to get used to.
But then, the rattling continued. Logan wasn't used to seeing other people around this time, and the noises were too loud to be another shy patron of the baths. He quickly removed his foot from the water and then walked to the locker room doors. He covered himself up with the small yellow towel and opened the doors, finding his bag and its contents were strewn on the floor.
"What the-" he started to say before he noticed a small blue figure to his right. "A Pokémon?"
"Pah?" the Pokémon said as it turned back and looked at Logan. Its eyes were marble black, and in its wide mouth was the Master Ball that Logan earned.
"Give that back!" Logan shouted as he dashed toward the Pokémon. The creature panicked and darted out of the entranceway and into the Pokémon Center hallway.
Logan, not thinking about his current naked state, continued his chase into the hallway. The Pokémon's head was large in comparison to its body, and it lacked arms, which made it appear to struggle to run straight. Logan knew that he could catch it, but it was still surprisingly fast.
He dove and reached out, grabbing the Pokémon by the tail. However, it was much more slippery than anticipated, and the Pokémon leaped into the air. It turned around and smiled before winking at Logan. Then, it crashed into a nearby wall, spit the Master Ball into the air, and then fell to the ground with a light thud.
"You okay, buddy?" Logan asked, but before he could get an answer, he realized something crucial.
The Master Ball gained momentum as gravity took hold. The button faced downward and in a matter of seconds, the ball connected with the small blue Pokémon, opened up, and absorbed it.
Without a struggle, the Pokémon was caught. Logan couldn't stand up, as his body went into shot. He could have caught any Pokémon in the world, or even saved the ball to put on a mantel, but instead, he found himself naked in a Pokémon Center hallway with his newly captured Wooper.
"Mommy, what's the strange boy doing?" a child's voice called from behind.
Logan's eyes widened.
It all felt like a bad dream, but Logan knew that it wasn't when he woke up the next morning. He found Wooper who stood over his black Pokédex as it chimed and buzzed gently on the nightstand.
Logan picked up Wooper with one arm and then looked at the Pokédex, finding the name GOODSHOW displayed. Logan's heart sank. Did Goodshow hear about his unfortunate adventures in the Pokémon Center, or was it finally time?
"Hello?"
"Logan! How have you been?"
"I've faced much worse."
"That's great! I wanted to call you to tell you that your first battle will take place three days from now. We hope you're ready. Where are you located right now?"
"Currently? Cianwood. Do you need me to go anywhere specific?"
"Cianwood! That's great! We can be there in no time. I'm sure that we can also ask Shijima to let us use his gym. Itsuki is very excited to meet and battle with you."
"I'm excited too."
"Do what you gotta do to prepare! The real challenge starts here! I'll contact you again in a couple of days, and we'll get the fine details ironed out. Until then, relax and let your Pokémon unwind!"
"We'll do our best."
"Good luck and goodbye!"
The connection ended, and Logan put Wooper back down on the ground. He sighed and then put his arms behind his head. He stretched and then looked out the window before a smile slowly crept over his face. He had been training, but he hadn't battled a single person in Johto yet. He knew that his Pokémon were prepared to shock the world yet again.
Slowly over the next couple of days, Logan noticed a slight shift in the air in Cianwood City. More and more people were staying at the Pokémon Center, and he even caught a few dozen or so people staring at him in the cafeteria. A young girl walked up to him holding a small cardboard square with golden trim. She held it out with a marker and smiled.
"Sign please!"
Suddenly, the cafeteria went quiet, and everyone looked on, waiting for Logan's response. He timidly took the cardboard and signed his name. He hadn't signed very many autographs in his life, and his cursive wasn't exactly beautiful, so he felt uncomfortable doing it.
"What's your name?" Logan asked.
"Kiko!" the girl responded.
Logan handed back the marker and his autograph to the girl who turned around and held up a peace sign. Her mother took a picture and then waved her back. Logan smiled and then turned to sit back down and enjoy his lunch, but he noticed that almost everyone in the cafeteria was now holding their own markers and the exact same square cardboard with the golden trim.
"Woopah!" Logan's newest Pokémon cheered happily.
The day of Logan's battle came quickly. He took Mr. Goodshow's advice to heart and stopped training. He knew how good rest was for his Pokémon, and he didn't want to risk any injuries before going into the battle. He had sent Wooper to his aunt Juniper in Unova, and he crafted his team of six Pokémon carefully. He had the advantage of knowing that Itsuki was a Psychic-type trainer, which meant that Logan could build his team and get the upper hand.
On the day of the battle, the Pokémon Center was quiet. He was instructed to wait in front of the Pokémon Center for Mr. Goodshow to pick him up. He did just that, finding a massive black limousine waiting for him. The driver opened the door, and Logan peeked inside, finding Mr. Goodshow, smiling ear to ear.
"It's good to see you! You look well! Come on in!"
Logan ducked his head and then took a seat. He hadn't been in a limousine before, and the leather seats surprised him. He had never lived a lavish lifestyle, and he wasn't quite sure how to handle himself.
"We'll be there in roughly ten minutes. Until then, I'll give you the details of this match. You know, Luna recently battled with Siba and defeated him. She seemingly had a counter for everything that he did. Do you think you're prepared today?"
"I'm as prepared as I can be," Logan said. "We've watched all of the footage you gave us, and my team should be strong enough to win. But, only time will tell."
"Did you happen to catch Luna's battle on television? It was in Mt. Moon of all places, so we couldn't sell any tickets."
"I didn't watch it. Tickets?"
"Yeah! For every battle that takes place in a public setting, like today's, we're able to sell tickets to people who want to watch the legendary battles take place. Ticket sales and pay-per-view buys are how we manage to pay the Elite Four and gym leaders."
Logan had never considered it a business, but it made sense. Everyone has to eat.
"Anyway! Your battle today. Six on six with substitutions not allowed. It's champions rules, which means that you're stuck with all of the decisions that you make. It could be the fight of your life, so don't get discouraged if you lose!"
Logan grinned. "I don't plan on losing."
"The following battle will be a single-style full battle! No substitutions are allowed! There will not be an intermission! Trainers, are you ready?"
Logan nodded and looked down the field at his opponent. Itsuki had mid-length purple hair and a black mask that covered only his eyes. He wore formal clothes, a black and pink tuxedo complete with a white ascot. Logan couldn't tell if he was staring back at him or not.
"Begin!"
"I will show you my hand first, Logan. However, you won't be able to comprehend my excellence. Go, Xatu!" Itsuki shouted as he threw his Poké Ball onto the field.
A massive bird Pokémon with a green body and white birds materialized. He stood still as stone, eyeing Logan and waiting for his move.
Logan thought for a moment before selecting his Poké Ball. "Dusclops, let's go!"
The light from Logan's Poké Ball was blinding, but once it dimmed, Dusclops appeared on the field. He rubbed his two hands together and chuckled at the sight of Xatu.
"We've started this battle with one of Itsuki's signature Pokémon, Xatu! And Logan goes with Dusclops, a great counter to Psychic-type Pokémon!" the announcer yelled.
"Use Dark Pulse!" Logan ordered.
"Xatu, into the air!"
Dusclops put his hands together and formed a ball. He plunged the black ball of energy into the ground, sending a dark wave across the field. However, Xatu was fast, and he flew into the air to avoid the attack with ease.
"Confuse Ray," Itsuki commanded calmly.
Xatu put his wings together before releasing a calm but effective ray at the ground. Dusclops was hit directly, and he started to wobble, the confusion setting in immediately.
Itsuki snapped his fingers. "Easy. Now, Psychic!"
Xatu landed and then focused his energy. The entire gym shook as a purple aura shot from Xatu to Dusclops. The attack surrounded Logan's Pokémon, but to everyone's surprise, Dusclops was not affected. Instead, he continued to chuckle in his confused state.
"What is happening?" Itsuki asked, just as confused as Dusclops.
"Dusclops," Logan said with a grin. "Use Dark Pulse!"
Dusclops quickly put his hands up and slammed them into the ground, sending the wave of dark energy across the field. The energy washed over Xatu, toppling him over in the process.
"Get back up, and use Shadow Ball!"
Xatu swiftly flew back into the air. He created a ball of ghostly energy at the tip of his beak before launching it at Logan's Pokémon. The attack was a success, and Dusclops suddenly exploded into smoke. When the smoke faded away, Zorua remained in his place, wobbling from confusion.
"What's this?! It appears to be one of Logan Stephenson's signature moves! Zorua manages to fool everyone, which gave Logan the advantage for a moment!"
"Well, now we have to go with what we know," Logan muttered. "Try Aerial Ace!"
Zorua composed himself and tried to bound forward. However, he tripped over his two front legs and planted himself on his face.
"Quick Attack!" Itsuki yelled, his cool demeanor already gone.
Xatu raced forward with his wings out. When he was within range, he swiped, knocking Zorua back with ease.
"And follow with Shadow Ball!"
"Fake Tears!" Logan shouted.
As Xatu reared around, Zorua rolled onto his back and started to wail. Xatu suddenly stopped his attack and observed Zorua, giving Logan his opening.
"Hit 'em with a Dark Pulse!" Logan ordered.
Zorua smirked and then attempted his attack. However, before he could launch the wave safely into the air, the energy that he quickly built up exploded immediately, leaving Zorua in a pool of smoke.
"Quick Attack!" Itsuki commanded.
"Zorua, if you're in there, use Aerial Ace!"
Xatu raced for the smoke while the crowd waited for Zorua's action. Then, Zorua emerged from the smoke with a look of clarity on his face. White energy emitted from his mouth as he targeted Xatu. The two collided, but neither one of them wanted to give an inch.
"Dark Pulse!" Logan yelled.
Zorua snickered as his white energy transformed into black. He unleashed it around his body, forcing it to wash over Xatu. Both Pokémon came back to the ground, but only Zorua landed safely. Xatu hit hard, and his body remained still.
The referee raised a purple flag. "Xatu is unable to continue!"
"And that's one Pokémon down! Logan takes a hefty lead over Itsuki in the first match-up of our battle!"
Logan took a deep breath. "Alright. We can do this."
Itsuki withdrew his Pokémon and then quickly made his selection. "Unfortunately, there isn't a lot that I can do to counter a Dark-type Pokémon. It's one of the cons of being an Elite Four member with my information made public. You can prepare a perfect team. However, I am in my position as an Elite Four member because I am one of the best trainers in the world. We won't lose to you, Logan Stephenson."
"We can take whatever you dish out!" Logan fired back with a grin.
"Exeggutor, use Egg Bomb!" Itsuki commanded as he threw his next Poké Ball into the air.
His Pokémon emerged from the Poké Ball and used his attack as he fell to the ground. His attack exploded once it reached the field, blowing debris past Zorua.
"Exeggutor makes a splash upon his entrance! What a maneuver!"
"Since we're no longer looking to hide, use Night Daze!" Logan ordered.
Wind-like black energy whipped around Zorua's body. As soon as Exeggutor finally came to the ground, he unleashed his attack, getting a direct hit.
"Exeggutor, use Hypnosis!"
"Get out of the way!"
Exeggutor moved into a position where all of its faces could see Zorua. Their eyes turned blue as they tried to put Logan's Pokémon to sleep. However, Zorua closed his eyes and avoided their gaze. When Exeggutor realized that his attack wouldn't work, he stopped wasting his energy and relaxed.
"Aerial Ace!"
"Reflect!"
Zorua rocketed forward by using the white energy. However, inches before he could hit Exeggutor, he collided with an invisible wall. It took a moment, but he eventually made his way through the wall, hitting Exeggutor with a weak attack. Zorua bounced off of Exeggutor and landed in front of the larger Pokémon. He stood up and wobbled before looking up at the beast.
"Hypnosis."
"Exeg-gutor," the Pokémon cooed as it looked deep into Zorua's eyes. The Dark-type's legs gave out from under him before he fell into a deep sleep. The referee looked closer, but he knew that the battle wasn't quite hopeless just yet.
"Use Night Daze!" Logan called, hoping for some luck to be on his side.
"I don't think so. Finish this with Egg Bomb!" Itsuki commanded.
Exeggutor stomped and lobs of white energy exploded from the top of his body. They quickly plummeted back to the earth before exploding and sending Zorua back to his side of the field. His body was limp, which gave the referee all of the information he needed.
The referee held up a white flag toward Logan. "Zorua is unable to continue!"
"And just like that, this battle is even yet again! Itsuki is showing us why he earned his spot in the Elite Four!"
Logan withdrew Zorua and smiled at his Poké Ball. "You did awesome. You always do. Let the rest of us handle it."
"We won't fall for any more of your cheap tricks, Stephenson," Itsuki exclaimed.
"I don't plan on just relying on tricks," Logan stated while he pulled a Heavy Ball from his belt. "You're Exeggutor is a powerhouse, but we have one of those ourselves. Snorlax, you're up!"
Snorlax emerged, and the gym shook when she hit the field. She huffed and then glared at Exeggutor, ready to make a meal of the Grass-type Pokémon.
"Show them your power! Use Thunder!" Logan yelled.
Snorlax took in a breath and tucked in her arms. She huffed and then unleashed her attack into the air, her body jiggling violently in the process.
"Stop it with Psychic!" Itsuki commanded.
Exeggutor looked up at the electricity as it came down from the sky. They focused, stopping Snorlax's attack in midair.
"And now, Egg Bomb!"
Exeggutor let out a groan as they unleashed their attack once again. Some of the egg-shaped energy collided with the electricity, destroying it. But the remaining attack rained down on Snorlax, who barely reacted to the powerful strike.
Logan pointed at Exeggutor. "Give 'em your Mega Kick!"
Snorlax took a step back before he launched his massive body forward. He stuck out both of his legs, colliding first with the invisible wall and then with Exeggutor. Both Pokémon hit the ground with a heavy crash, shaking the building. The crowd ooed and awed at the powerhouse Pokémon, and when both of them stood back up, the cheers got even louder.
"Now, you're not getting away!" Logan yelled. "Thunder!"
"Lax!" Snorlax called while unleashing the electric bolts from her jiggly body. They immediately crashed down onto Exeggutor, stunning him momentarily.
"And finish this with Mega Kick!"
"Stop it with Psychic!"
Snorlax shifted her body and then lunged. However, she was quickly stopped in place by a purple aura. She struggled, but it was no use against the up-and-close psychic attack.
Itsuki grinned. "Hold her steady, and use Hypnosis!"
Exeggutor let out a chime as all of his eyes looked at Snorlax. In a matter of seconds, Snorlax slowly slumped to the ground, shaking the gym.
"Itsuki's Hypnosis strikes again! Will this be the end of Logan's Snorlax?!"
"Exeggutor, Egg Bomb and Psychic! Don't relent!" Itsuki commanded.
"Snorlax, wake up!" Logan yelled. He saw no use for Snore or Sleep Talk, so he had Snorlax learn different moves before the Indigo Conference. However, he was beginning to regret that decision as he watched Exeggutor repeatedly strike with explosive white energy and a purple aura.
Snorlax was flung back to his side of the field, however, his body still had a hint of power, which told the referee that she wasn't quite finished yet.
Logan clenched his fists and then looked at Exeggutor, who smiled back at Logan with a sinister look on all his faces. In front of him, the nearly invisible wall finally cracked and then disappeared.
"Keep your attacks going!"
"Wake up!"
Exeggutor heaved and shot one last flurry of rounded white energy into the air. It fell back to the earth and crashed around Snorlax, kicking up debris. The Logan, Itsuki, and the crowd all waited for the results of the attack. And the crowd erupted into cheers once Snorlax emerged, an angry expression on her face.
"That's how you do it!" Logan yelled. "Finish this with Giga Impact!"
"Lax!" she called back before bounding forward with an unexpected hop to her step.
Itsuki wasn't prepared, so all that he could do was watch as Exeggutor was launched across the field, slamming hard into the wall behind his trainer's box. Exeggutor slid to the ground, his body limp.
"Exeggutor is unable to continue!" the referee yelled while holding up his purple flag.
"And just like that, Logan is back in the fight! It was a close call with the Hypnosis and barrage of attacks, but Logan's beefy Snorlax has made a comeback!"
"We're still ahead, but that was too close for comfort," Logan thought.
Itsuki withdrew Exeggutor and then closed his eyes. "Logan, I'm going to now reveal to you a Pokémon that I have never publicly battled with. It's a Pokémon that hasn't been seen in nearly a hundred years, and some believed that it was only a myth. Please be thankful for the loss that you'll be receiving from this special Pokémon."
"A legendary?" Logan muttered.
Itsuki threw his next Poké Ball into the air. A large grey Pokémon with a white mane and bushy white tail emerged from the Poké Ball's light. It slowly walked forward while staring directly at Snorlax before it stomped its two front hooves and bleated angrily.
"Wyrdeer?" Logan wondered.
"What's this? What did Itsuki call it? A Wyrdeer? I don't know about you, folks, but I've never heard of this Pokémon before!" the announce yelled into the microphone.
"When you're connected to your Pokémon through a psychic link, you'll be able to unlock forgotten abilities that others might not be able to even fathom, Logan. This is Wyrdeer, the evolution of Stantler," Itsuki explained before slyly grinning. "No amount of preparation could be enough to battle me."
Author's Notes: FINALLY! I've started to work on these battles. This will mostly be how the chapters are laid out. Every chapter will be a part of one of Logan's battles, with significant times skips between Elite Four members.
What do you think of Logan getting Wooper with the Master Ball? What do you think of Itsuki managing to use a Wyrdeer?
REVIEWS:
wisdom-jewel - "I like the idea that the Indigo and Silver Conference winners battle the same Elite Four but in a different order. Are they facing the same champion, or do Johto and Kanto both have other champions? Like is Lance the champion of Johto while Blue (or your version of Blue) is the champion of Kanto. You might have explained it at some point, but it has been a while." - So, in my head, there is one champion between the two regions (probably Lance), however I haven't decided who that is (it's probably Lance).
CrescentApple - "This story really imposes the importance of how long, difficult and serious it takes just to get the chance to battle an Elite Four member, let alone win. I like that. It signifies why not everyone can just do it. I'm excited for the new people and pokemon Logan meets." - I have to do my best to show off the importance and strength of these characters through their battles. I hope I can do a good enough job.
pokemonking0924 - "Can't wait to see how Logan trains and what Pokémon or items he gets to prepare for the elite four. Something tells me there's going to be quite a few time skips or flashbacks during this story." - Mostly working with timeskips! As for Pokemon Logan gets, I only have Wooper planned out.
Makisotu Douraji - "Finally I caught up with the story of Logan o3o. It was obvious that Luna won the Silver conference she is just too good. I wonder if they will travel together again O: Hoping to see the next episode! Thanks!" - Luna is traveling in Kanto, so they won't be meeting again until the very end of the story.
