Chapter 14: Gym battle!
(From the perspective of Kitsune, the Ninetales)
Ryan I know what your hiding, I know what you really are," I had gotten up early so as Lilac would not have to hear my conversation. I might have only met Ryan yesterday but it was already clear how things were. It just wasn't time for Lilac to find out about it, "I also know how much work you have put in to hiding the facts. The one mistake you made wasn't even one a human would have picked up on. Humans just don't have the sense of smell to notice."
"Kitsune…don't tell Lilac," Ryan replied, his understanding of what I was saying was discomforting even though I knew why he could. His nervousness was still delicious, "there's no reason to. Besides, having human company in any form is making her happy. Would you really destroy Lilac's happiness just because I'm not what I appear? Everyone lies sometimes, Kitsune. I just tell the same one constantly."
"Exactly why I haven't told her already," I cared nothing about my tails portraying how I felt. It was not like him knowing my joy would cause any problems, "you're potentially useful and have already shown some intelligence. If we work together nothing could get in our way, as it is certain we both want the same thing in the end. To make the world a better place. The question is, are you willing to serve me and help my plans?"
"We've just met," his response was not that of total loyalty. It was too optimistic of me to think that would happen. The scent of fear betrayed his attempt to hide that he didn't have the goals I assumed he did, "I'd be happy to chat and everything, but I don't think we should really be rushing things like this. Who knows how different our plans really are? Now that we're up we might as well prepare breakfast for everyone before heading off to "
Once Lilac was up there wasn't much of a chance of continuing to talk to him, and soon we were off on the uneventful short trip to the Rustboro Pokémon centre. Even Omega and Katar didn't speak with each other, even though they stuck together.
It looked very much the same as the other two Pokémon Centres I had been to. A gym battle would be a new experience and it wasn't far off now that we were here. A win would be guaranteed anyway, as I was strong enough to make up for the weakness of Katar and Omega.
"Remember I don't want to be involved in the gym battle," Omega barked at Lilac as she approached the front desk to ask for Nurse Joy, "I'm not into fighting... I always lose."
"Before Lilac gets any strange ideas because none of her Pokémon actually have Poké Balls at this time, I'm only here to watch Kitsune cause serious harm to someone as a build up for her big rampage," Katar stayed back away from everyone else all of a sudden, even away from Omega. He was slightly scared, but not the same fear as if he was hiding something. "If I'm given a single order from her I'll show her what I would have done when I was ordered to kill her if Omega didn't stop me."
"Lilac which two Pokémon are you going to use in your gym battle," Ryan emphasized the word 'two' since he had picked up on the fact I was the only one willing, "I'd happily let you have your gym battle before mine, but your team doesn't look like a good one to take on Roxanne, the gym leader here. Perhaps lending you one of my Pokémon would be of some help."
There was too much talking to get points through to Lilac. Needing two Pokémon for the gym battle would cause a problem. Who out of Omega and Katar would be best to force into this? It's not like I approve of gym battles, only that I promised Lilac that we would to cheer her up.
"Ah, Lilac Blossom All-Weather I assume," Nurse Joy said, coming out of a back room. "I just had a call from your brother Shisso who said you'd arrive now. Odd how he got the timing perfectly right, must be the espeon he has… Well he sent a Pokémon for you, saying something about it being too powerful to keep as a pet. Referred to it as Biohazard for some reason. Here!" She tossed a Pokéball to Lilac…
… Lilac fumbled with it, dropping it to the ground. It popped open and red energy flowed out, taking the form of a Pokémon. As soon as it finished I recognized what it was.
It was an umbreon, though not perfectly normal for one. The fact that he looks noticeably smaller, not much really but still noticeable, was not the only thing different, the rings on his body were a pale blue, exactly the same shade as my eyes on the rare occasion I got a chance to see them in a reflection. The rest of the fur was certainly black, but there was just something odd about how light shined off it in a rainbow pattern. His eyes were like emeralds, looking almost like they were compound eyes because of the illusion of crystal shape the impurities in the colour created. The most noticeable thing was a yellow piece of fabric tied round his head, with a black symbol on the front. The same one that my will-o-wisp had burnt into rock yesterday.
"Greetings mortals," he barked, his stance with his tail erect showed he thought he was dominate, "I shall never fear anything like you mortals do as I am no longer like you. I cannot be harmed till we walk out into the light of a new world, as that is what my sister, the only other one that wasn't born dead out of my litter, predicted… Of course a Poké Ball does bind my loyalties somewhat. No time for hanging around here, I have to get to the gym to show off my immortality," he turned to look at me, his stare felt quite insulting, "then I shall have my fun with you, my vixen."
Problem solved. Lilac certainly looked shocked, though Nurse Joy would probably just see it as shame of dropping a Poké Ball. I'd have to let him get hurt quite a bit in the gym battle so his pride would be ruined when I come to save the entire match by myself.
"Off to the gym then," Lilac said, "Kitsune we'll get your surgery to allow you to breath fire afterwards, if there aren't any problems that'd get in the way."
The gym arena wasn't as large a battlefield as I was used to. Fights in confined spaces would quicken a fight, and removing many advantages I was used to exploiting. Certainly unfair, as was the fact the terrain was rocky with a few rocks bigger than I was. The rules that were called out by Roxanne seemed simple enough, though fights weren't meant to have rules, and the battle was about to begin.
"Lilac, send Biohazard out first," I barked, seeing how quickly Lilac obeyed me certainly gave hope to my long-term goals, "if he's powerful then I might not even have to fight."
"Go, Biohazard!"
"Go, geodude," Roxanne called out releasing her Pokémon from its Poké Ball. There is nothing special about a geodude. Hopefully she had better than that to come, "use rollout attack."
The ball of rock came rolling towards the umbreon, "Biohazard dodge!" Lilac called out, but he didn't move. He crouched down, preparing to jump. He was waiting for the last moment… When that moment came, he did the stupidest thing he could have done. Who would jump on a rolling geodude and run on it to stay on top?
As the geodude curved its path so as not to hit anything, Biohazard had no trouble staying on it. He winked at me, and his tail was wagging. An immortal would quickly get bored of such dangerous stunts, thus it must be a new thing for him, if he was actually immortal. There was no way his immortality wasn't a lie from him, or maybe from his sister. My tails wagged in anticipation for when the truth would come suddenly to him as a shock. Lilac was silent in anticipation of the same thing, though I could sense she was dreading the moment unlike me.
"Kitsune, I'd hate to ruin it for you but he's not going to get hurt," Katar whispered to me, still delusional that he could sense the future. I'd save bringing that up with him because I need the pleasure of his reaction, "I actually think he might be immortal, or at least he's going to have some extreme good luck."
"Geodude, speed up to get him off!" Roxanne called out, "that tactic he's using is against what his trainer called out and it is a stupid one too. Victory is ours as soon as he falls off."
"Biohazard, jump off!" Lilac screamed, breaking her silence.
"I'm immortal!" Biohazard barked in reply, "I'll just show you how harmless this geoude is to one such as me."
He stopped running. It only took a split second for the spin to throw him out in front of the rolling rock, and from it to run right over him with a crunch. I couldn't see any movement from him as he lay there. Was he dead? Possibly. The geodude was already turning to take another pass at him just in case.
Lilac lifted her hand holding his pokeball, tear running down her cheeks. Win or lose, she would never forgive herself if she had caused the death of a pokemon. She was soft like most good humans were, too soft to change the world. Something I had to change about her.
"Wait, I'm fine," Biohazard coughed, as he spontaneously got back on to his unsteady feet, "give me an order of how I should attack to win this, I don't think showing off is having the same effect it used to."
"Biohazard, quick attack," Lilac called out. Either she couldn't see that the umbreon was in pain or she had hardened up quite quickly.
His burst of speed was great considering his condition. He ran head on towards the geodude. Lilac was too new at fighting to know how this would end, and I couldn't just point it out, as Biohazard would assume it as a sign I liked him. His impacted against the rock shell of the geodude with his head, the momentum of his body pushed him forwards. Moving a rock isn't easy, and his force bent his neck at an uncomfortable angle before he bounced off. As he tumbled and bounced across the ground with every part of his body limp, the geodude came right for him. With its impact and rolling over him, I could see his neck get bent further than safe for one's health as well as his other limbs being twisted out of place.
It all happened too quickly for Lilac to call him back. It was too late for anything but to hope Nurse Joy could repair whatever damage had been done. Not like that seemed very likely either. As he finished tumbling it seemed everything had been knocked back into place, but that meant nothing about whatever damage was caused.
"Biohazard return."
He didn't live up to his name or being as powerful as Nurse Joy had said. Perhaps there was some misunderstanding. There would have to be. Could even humans be so stupid they would think he was actually powerful?
"Kitsune it's your turn," Lilac wiped her tears from her face, determined not to give up. She would not leave Biohazard's sacrifice in vain, though I was only doing this for her, "iron tail!"
I broke into a run, focusing my energy into my tails. I knew I was moving faster than Biohazard did when using quick attack, and the geodude didn't have time to get out of the way while it was still rolling. I pounced knowing it didn't have a chance.
As I went over it I gave it a full force hit with one of my tails, hearing the sound of rock shattering. I didn't need to look to know that blow alone had done enough damage that it wouldn't be able to do any harm. One of my other tails clipped it, putting a spin on it as it flew towards a large rock formation, shattering it upon hitting. Now to deliver a killing blow…
"Geodude return!" Roxanne called out, with the geodude dissolving into red energy before I could get to it. It wouldn't have been considered Lilac's fault or mine if I had gotten to it first. Lilac said the well being of a Pokémon was the trainer's responsibility, meaning it would have been the gym leaders fault. She wouldn't be quick enough with her next Pokémon.
Katar caught my eye. It looked like he was trying hard to resist saying something, "Just say it, what you say cannot influence the out come of the fight," I barked.
"Go Nosepass,"
"Well if I don't talk then you'll dodge Nosepass' zap cannon and kill it by hitting it with nine iron tails at once," he grinned, "Lilac would be quite upset by your accidental killing of it… But now I've told you it won't happen like that."
"Use Zap Cannon."
I turned back to the fight too late. I was engulfed in the thick burst of electricity, feeling the pain of it surge through me. The pain caused me to close my eyes too quickly to get a glance at my opponent. I felt my every muscle jerking as it fried my nerves far too effectively to be a normal electric attack.
"Rock Tomb."
I had to dodge whatever rock tomb was. It would only take a moment to focus my mind to break the paralysis, a trick that had saved my life more than once… too late. Pain struck me as it felt, and sounded like, like rocks had quick lunged out of the ground at me and had plunged into my flesh thus restricting my movement further.
"Finish this with body slam."
I had to focus. I was getting weaker by the second and I had to break the paralysis and the rock tomb to be able to fight back… I couldn't. I heard parts of the rock tomb shatter before I heard the sound of my joints cracking under the force. There was no pain. It was just over.
"Kitsune!" Lilac called out, as I lay there unable to feel anything below my neck, "you did your best Kitsune," her voice must have been closer, yet it seemed further away and was drifting away further…
