Casteel Battle Zone, Sinnoh
Jacob stretched his arms and legs, letting out a few grunts. He was preparing for a battle. Specifically, a challenge battle against Dawn. He seemed to wear a little bit less than his usual lighthearted expression. He watched a few of Dawn's battles, knowing that he would have to be as mentally and physically prepared as possible.
"Are you sure about doing this?" Sophie asked as she and Oliver watched him stretch.
"There's no backing out now that I've accepted." Jacob replied.
"Yes there is." The Snivy's eyebrow lowered. "Listen to me, you don't know what Dawn's about. She's not who she seems."
"I'll find out when we battle." The Pikachu told her confidently.
"Whatever." She shrugged, sitting back next to Oliver. "It's your death, you should choose how you go out."
"There's no use in trying to convince him to change his mind." Oliver chuckled, looking at her. "It's like he has a one-track mind, and when his course is set, there's no veering off."
Jacob walked towards the battlefield, smiling softly. He wondered how he would be able to fare against her, especially after he saw how she battled against that Turtonator earlier. Once he reached the battlefield, he stood on the right, waiting for Dawn to come.
Meanwhile, Dawn sat on the stands, looking at Jacob's carefree smile. She was a bit confused, as she didn't really know why he was smiling. Was he just a happy person?
She stood up, walking down and to the left side of the battlefield and looking at Jacob.
The Pikachu's smile seemed to fade a bit as they both looked at the other. Jacob was getting a bit nervous. This wasn't a life-or-death fight like what happened with Lizard and that Charizard. He couldn't just go all-out like he did against them.
And what would his mother think if she knew he was going around fighting girls?
Jacob shook off the thought as the referee began the battle formalities. The Gallade raised his arm, beginning to speak. "Okay!"
"I want a good, clean match out of both of you! Is that clear?"
"Yeah." Jacob nodded, clenching his paws.
"Yes." Dawn replied, cracking her paws lightly.
"Good, this will be a challenge match between Basic Class participant Jacob..." The Gallade gestured towards the Pikachu before turning to the Buneary, "And Normal Class participant Dawn."
Oliver looked between them, beginning to think. From what he's seen from them, he knew Dawn had the upper hand first and foremost, with more experience than Jacob, but has she been through anything similar he and Jacob have gone through?
"Are the combatants ready?"
Both Dawn and Jacob prepared to battle, nodding their heads.
"Battle, begin!"
The two dashed forward, eventually meeting in the center of the battlefield. They both reeled back an arm and swung it at the other, clashing their paws. They remained like that for a moment before Dawn went for a hit in the gut, which Jacob was barely able to avoid.
Jacob swung his tail at her, which Dawn grabbed.
The Pikachu yelped before Dawn planted her feet, swinging him around in circles at high speeds.
"Hm... She knows Circle Throw as well..." Sophie thought aloud. "Depending on her other two attacks, Jacob might just be screwed."
"What if those are her only two attacks?" Oliver looked at her.
"Unlikely." The Snivy looked over to him. "She's been doing this for years. And having only two attacks in this, like Jacob, is a huge disadvantage."
Dawn threw Jacob towards the left side of the battlefield, making him tumble on the ground for a moment before he got up and quickly used Thunderbolt. Dawn stood still before using a Thunderbolt of her own.
Both Thunderbolts clashed together, cancelling each other out with a small explosion. This kicked up a lot of dust, making a small cloud of smoke. Jacob wiped his eyes before he saw the cloud in front of him moving in an abnormal formation.
It was Dawn, who jumped from the smoke with a glowing white aura. Jacob could recognize the attack.
"Quick Attack?" He thought, his eyes widening. Before he could think about it further, he jumped out of the way of the attack, barely avoiding it. The Buneary quickly stopped to try and continue the attack towards Jacob.
As soon as Dawn got close enough, Jacob reeled back his paw, the paw beginning to glow a white aura as he punched Dawn in the back of her head.
The Buneary was sent flying to the other side of the battlefield. Instead of hitting the ground, she landed on her feet gracefully.
Jacob breathed heavily with exhaustion. He knew that battling Dawn wouldn't be the same as battling a Basic Class participant, but this was ridiculous. She didn't even look remotely tired. She had the advantage, but now, they both know each other's attacks.
Meanwhile, Oliver was deep in thought, thinking about both of their fighting styles. It was clear that Dawn had the upper hand when it came to both fighting style and attacks. He put a paw on his chin.
"Maybe if Jacob could activate that strange power of his..." The Oshawott thought, "...He could out-strength her."
Dawn smiled confidently, "Another easy win." Her guard lowered a bit. "He just managed to get a lucky shot in there."
Both of them exchanged a glance before digging their feet into the ground and jumping forward, continuing the fight.
Dawn took the first move, using Double Kick on Jacob's stomach, which he took the full impact of. He slid back before realizing that she was going to use the attack again. The Pikachu clenched his paw before it was surrounded with a while aura.
"Dynamic Punch!" He managed to quickly block both kicks with the attack, creating a gust of wind. Jacob then quickly grabbed one of her legs before quickly throwing her back.
The Buneary hit the ground before quickly dashing forward at Jacob, using Quick Attack. Jacob went to dodge left, he was quickly intercepted by Dawn, who had anticipated his movement. She slammed her head into Jacob's chest, sending him flying back.
Jacob groaned in pain, clutching his stomach as he squirmed on the ground.
"Easy." Dawn smirked, beginning to walk away.
"I'm not..." A voice spoke, making the Buneary stop in her tracks. "...I'm not..."
Dawn looked back to see Jacob shakily standing up, smiling shakily. "I'm not done with you yet, Dawn." He strained, standing up straight.
The Buneary's expression darkened. "Why isn't he down?" She thought, beginning to lose her cool.
Jacob prepared for battle once again, smiling shakily. Meanwhile, Dawn's teeth were clenching together in frustration. "How many attacks could just one Pikachu take?" She began to walk towards Jacob.
"This girl is strong..." Jacob thought, breathing heavily. "...But I can't lose this money!" He began to walk over to Dawn.
Both of their slow walks quickly evolved into sprints and they approached the other.
"I'll make sure you don't get back up this time!" The Buneary shouted loudly, a note of hostility in her voice.
"What?" Oliver flinched, "Sophie, is this the version of Dawn you were talking about earlier?"
"Mhm." She nodded. "Around these parts, she's called the 'Hopping Terror'. The reason for that name is that a gentle Buneary is so unexpectedly hostile. I have no idea why she's like this. The Buneary species are generally docile."
"Maybe she's just different." The Oshawott looked over at her.
"Yeah, that might be the case."
Dawn growled loudly as she swung her paw at Jacob's head, which he managed to duck. Jacob went in for a punch to her chin, but before the attack hit, he was suddenly hit from the side of his head.
It was Dawn, who had managed to land a seemingly lightspeed kick to the side of the Pikachu's head. Jacob slid a few feet before opening his eyes to see that Dawn was trying to end the match with a Double Kick from above.
The Pikachu rolled out of the way of the attack before quickly standing up and backing away. The Buneary quickly rushed Jacob, using her Quick Attack to raise her speed. Jacob put up his arms in front of him, ready to block an attack, but Dawn quickly slid behind him before punching him in his back.
Jacob groaned in pain, his pupils shaking from the impact.
The Buneary then grabbed his tail, beginning to swing him around in circles. She smiled a toothy grin before throwing him towards a nearby wall at full speeds. "You fought well, but you're finished!"
Jacob blocked his face as he made contact with the wall.
Jacob found himself in a dark place, his body throbbing with pain. Being thrown into a concrete wall like that must've made him black out for a moment. Although he was aware of the current situation, he was unable to move. His arms were pinned down by pieces of concrete that fell onto his arms.
"Not... Yet..."
The Pikachu tried to struggle.
"I won't be finished yet..."
He tried to move his arms.
"Let me... Go!"
His eyes began to flicker an orange color as he continued to struggle, illuminating the small space he was in. He continued to kick his legs, trying to get his arms out.
"Push...!"
Meanwhile...
Oliver winced in second-hand pain, looking at the rubble produced from Jacob's impact with the wall. The rubble was covering anything he could've seen, so whether Jacob was still in the match was up to chance.
Dawn stood in the center of the battlefield, breathing heavily. The fight obviously took a lot out of her. She looked at the rubble produced from her opponent's impact, and smirked with confidence.
"Participant Jacob!" The ref shouted, "We will be giving you ten seconds before you're disqualified from the match!"
"Do you think Jacob's really done?" Oliver asked, looking over to Sophie, who was covering both of her eyes. "...Sophie?"
"He's... Not out..." Sophie spoke, looking up at Oliver and revealing her right eye. The eye was glowing a scarlet color, it's pupil thin running vertically.
"Your eye..."
"It's reacting to some strong energy..." She explained, "The only place it could be coming from is Jacob."
"Hm..." The Oshawott hummed as the two looked over to the rubble, which was beginning to glow. "...That's Jacob, then?"
"Probably."
"Three seconds remaining..." The referee spoke as the rubble began to shake. "...Two."
Suddenly, the rubble burst open, and a familiar Pikachu came flying out. It was Jacob, as anyone could easily guess, but he seemed a bit different. His eyes were glowing orange.
Everyone looked at him in shock, including Dawn, who thought she had already won the fight. The Buneary's expression quickly changed back to a hostile glare.
"This fight isn't over, Dawn!" Jacob spoke, beginning to fall down and towards Dawn.
The Buneary realized that Jacob was reeling back a paw before he got closer to her. She managed to avoid Jacob's punch, but could feel a strong wind push against her fur. The Pikachu planted his feet on the ground before spinning and decking Dawn in her face.
"Strike!"
The Buneary slid back before falling onto her back, holding her cheek. "...Where did all of this strength come from?" Her cheek hurt to the touch.
Jacob groaned in pain, holding his right paw. It stung with pain, just like back in the forest. But... It hurt less. He could punch again. He could still fight.
The Pikachu clenched his paw, smiling softly at the familiar strength. He seemed more used to the pain. He looked over to Dawn, who was standing up once again. The two looked at the other, ready to fight once again.
The two dug their feet into the ground, jumping at the other once again. Earlier, it seemed that Dawn had the upper hand in the fight, but now, Jacob's power was allowing him to have the edge.
The two traded blows for what seemed like an eternity. The two were both beginning to run out of stamina. But the longer the match proceeded, the more the two wanted to win. Dawn slid down before delivering a Double Kick to Jacob's gut, sending him flying back. The Pikachu slapped his cheeks before delivering a discharge of electricity.
This Thunderbolt seemed different than usual, as it was nearly twice the size of any of his normal Thunderbolts. Dawn tried to counter it with her own Thunderbolt, but Jacob's was too powerful and broke through, hitting Dawn directly.
A light shadow was cast over Dawn, nearly blocking the light from above. She slowly opened her eyes, being met by a smiling Pikachu. Before she heard anyone officially say it, she knew that the battle was over.
She flipped herself over, and tried to stand, but was unable to.
Jacob held out a paw, giving her a soft smile. "Good battle, Dawn."
The Buneary's teeth clenched together, looking down as she reached out a paw towards his. Jacob's smile seemed to brighten as her paw approached his, but soon faded when it was slapped to the side.
"I will beat you next time..." She snarled, glaring at the Pikachu.
Dawn shakily stood up before huffing and beginning to trudge off. Jacob shook his head with an irritated sigh before turning around to walk back to Oliver and Sophie. As he turned around, his legs suddenly buckled, making him begin to fall.
He was suddenly stopped by Oliver and Sophie, who put their heads under Jacob's arms for support. "...Huh? Guys?" He asked tiredly, "How... Did you know I was gonna collapse?"
"Sophie said she felt your power suddenly fade." Oliver answered with a nervous smile, holding up Jacob's right arm.
"You put way too much into that fight." Sophie spoke bluntly, holding up Jacob's left arm. "At least you won."
"I'm so tired..." The Pikachu whined as he was helped off of the battlefield. "...Back to the center now?"
"Yeah, we have to get some rest." Oliver nodded. "It's been so long since we've had a decent sleep in a good bed..."
Sophie looked away at the statement, looking down at the ground. "...Let's just go back to the center."
"Right, right..." Jacob yawned.
"Is your arm okay?" Oliver asked as he and Sophie helped him out of the building.
"It hurts, but less than last time." Jacob replied, "I guess I'm starting to get used to the pain."
"That's not a good thing..." Oliver chuckled as he and Sophie continued to help Jacob walk into the night of Casteel City.
Casteel PKMN Center, Sinnoh
After finally booking a room in the Pokémon Center, and checking Jacob out for any injuries, all three flopped onto their respective beds while using the fourth bed to hold Jacob and Oliver's backpacks. The trio all let out a simultaneous sigh of relief.
"Finally... A bed..." Jacob smiled, picking at the bandage wrapped around his arm. "I've been waiting for this..."
"Yeah, after all that's happened, I think we deserve this..." Oliver smiled, sitting up. "...But what do we do next?"
"What do we do next?" Jacob asked, sitting up. "We find more adventure, of course!"
"That's probably a bad idea." Sophie sat up as well, "We probably should wait a little so Jacob's injury can heal somewhat."
"How long are we talking?" Jacob raised an eyebrow.
"I'd say about... Two days." The Snivy replied. "Didn't you two just get to Casteel City before we... Kidnapped you?"
"Yes, why?" Oliver adjusted his body so he was sitting against a pillow.
"We should probably take those three days to explore around." Sophie explained, "There's a lot of things you two don't know about this place yet."
"You have a point..." The Oshawott put a paw on his chin.
"Then it's decided!" Jacob exclaimed, "We stay here for a while before setting out to new adventures!"
Later on in the night, Jacob awoke silently. He sat up from his bed, looking around slowly. He got up from his bed, walking out and onto the balcony of the room. Oliver woke up to the sound of movement, and almost instantly realized that Jacob was gone.
The Oshawott walked onto the balcony, where he saw Jacob sitting on the railing, looking up at the sky above.
"You okay, Jacob?" Oliver asked, sitting next to him and looking at the sky as well.
"Yes... No... I dunno, to be honest." The Pikachu answered.
"What's wrong?"
"This power of mine..." Jacob looked down at his bandaged paw. "...I can't but help but wonder where this power came from in the first place."
"Why is that?" The Oshawott looked over at him.
"I can tell... That this power isn't supposed to be mine." The Pikachu explained, "But I keep wondering why I have it."
Oliver listened to him silently.
"I mean... I know that voice said that it was 'to protect' and all, but it's not like there's much to protect others from."
"Voice?"
"It's just so weird..." Jacob put a paw on his forehead. "...I want to learn how to use this power, but how can I learn to use it if I still can't activate it properly?"
"Didn't you activate it against Dawn earlier?"
"I didn't activate consciously. It just did." The Pikachu looked over to Oliver. "I was just as surprised as everyone else, but I just rolled with it."
"Luckily, that won you the match."
"Yeah..."
"But Jacob, whatever you're dealing with, I'll help you." Oliver smiled, "I can even help you make some really cool moves. Doesn't that sound good?"
Jacob stifled a laugh, "You know me way too well..."
"Why wouldn't I?" Oliver laughed, "You're so simple minded."
"And you're not?" The Pikachu joked, lightly punching the Oshawott's arm
The two laughed loudly, Jacob's worries being washed away by the glee he felt from talking with his best friend.
"Hey, Ollie?"
"Hm?"
"Thank you..."
"For what?"
"Being right here with me on this adventure."