Track 18 - "The Wretched"
The adventure through Akala Island so far had been rather eventful. It was a smaller island in comparison to Ula'ula, but it had a lot for the two to do. However, they were nearing the end of their adventure on the island, and there was one more thing left for Leinani to do.
They stood on one of Route 8's many beaches, walking along the shore. Kaiko followed behind Leinani, but he didn't want to bother her while she listened to her music. Her toughest battle yet was about to happen, and she needed her music to get her into the fighting spirit. Also, if he remained behind her, she would be unable to see as Marshadow morphed around and avoided the ocean.
Then, they came to the gym. It appeared to be similar to a surf shack and unlike the three gyms before, there was nothing particularly special about it. Sitting in the front was a teenager with blue hair. Upon seeing the two, his eyes widened, and he stood up.
"A challenger?!" he questioned. "Have you come to challenge Route 8's gym, man?!"
"Man?" Leinani wondered. "Watch who you're talking to."
"Sorry, it's a habit," the teenager said. "If you're here to battle, that's cool. But the gym leader ain't around, man. She's out working on the battlefield."
"And where might that be?" Leinani wondered.
The teenager pointed out into the ocean at a formation of rocks. There was a woman in her early 20's standing on the formation. It appeared like she had taken notice of Leinani and Kaiko and was waiting for them. After the teenager with blue hair waved at her, she motioned for them to come to the field.
"As you can see, our little shack ain't big enough to hold regular Pokémon battles. Plumeria prefers to have her battles out there as it is," the teenager explained. "The name's Clark, by the way."
"Leinani. And this is my brother, Kaiko."
Kaiko observed the teenager with blue hair, noticing his 'S' shaped pendant that hung from his necklace. It was the same pendant that the Team Skull members who were trying to catch Marshadow had. But this teenager didn't seem like those members at all.
The teenager took them to the small island by using a ride Pokémon. They arrived on the small rocky field, and Leinani observed her surroundings. This field was slightly different from the others. It appeared to have been carved out from the island. The dirt was grey, and rocks stuck out in random places. There were pockets of water that looked like they were connected to the bigger ocean.
The gym leader was a lot more intense than either Uhuli or Xerxes were. She had the same aura to her that Guzma did, but for some reason, she scared Leinani a little bit more. She didn't try to let it show, but she was unsure what kind of tact she should take when talking to her.
"I'm here to challenge you," Leinani said. "I'm hoping to earn my fourth badge today."
"Hope won't be strong enough," the gym leader said. "The name is Plumeria. I'm a former admin for Team Skull. If I'm remembering correctly, your name is Leinani, right? I heard that you got punked out by our former boss, Guzma. Is that right?"
Kaiko looked at her closely. She had more of a Team Skull vibe to her, but she didn't look evil. She wore a black tank top with the Team Skull logo and incredibly baggy pink pants. Kaiko was unsure how she kept her pants up, but he didn't want to get caught looking.
Leinani nodded. "Guzma did defeat me, yes. But, I trained hard and managed to beat him in my rematch. I haven't been defeated since!" Leinani just so happened to forget that Ulani beat her in the battle royal.
Plumeria eyed Leinani up and down and grinned. "I like your style. You're a punk, but you're the good kind of punk, ya dig?"
"I think so?"
"If you're here for your fourth badge, that must mean that you're pretty strong," Plumeria said. "Our battle will be three on three. Sound good?"
Leinani nodded and walked to her side of the battlefield. Kaiko found a small rock that he could sit on. He held Togedemaru close and then looked down at Marshadow. He figured that if Marshadow had been attacked by Team Skull, it'd be freaking out after seeing a couple of their members. However, the Pokémon remained calm.
"The following battle between challenger, Leinani, and gym leader, Plumeria will now begin. It'll be a three on three single battle, and only the challenger can make substitutions," Clark said while looking at the two. "Begin!"
"I'll show my hand first," she said. "Go, Muk!"
A thick Pokémon seemingly made of gunk emerged from the Poké Ball, plopping onto the grey field. Its body was composed of different colors, and Leinani couldn't tell if it was supposed to be menacing or cute.
"Muk, the Sludge Pokémon. There are over a hundred kinds of poison inside its body. Chemical reactions between different poisons are the source of its vitality," Leinani's Pokédex rang.
"Be careful, Leilei!" Kaiko yelled.
She grabbed her Dive Ball and grinned. "I'm glad we're battling on this kind of field! Go, Mixtape!"
She threw her Poké Ball above one of the small pools of water. It exploded open, and Wishiwashi formed. He immediately panicked upon being chosen, and he started to glow. Energy spun around his body until it exploded, and he took his bigger form.
"When in that form, Wishiwashi arguably has more power than some legendary Pokémon. But battling with it won't be easy," Plumeria said. "I'm curious to see what you do."
We don't got a lot of options, since we can't battle together very often, but what we can do should be enough, Leinani thought. "Mix, use Brine!"
Wishiwashi emerged from one of the pools enough to where he could use his attack. He released a strong stream of water from his mouth, hitting Muk directly.
"Brick Break!" Plumeria commanded.
Muk fought through the stream. He waved his arm above his head and then trudged forward. He was surprisingly quick for his size and stature, and once he reached the pool, he swiped. But Wishiwashi was fast, diving back into the water before he could get hit.
"Use another Brine!" Leinani ordered.
Wishiwashi's body was large enough to move the water under the field, making the small island lurch. He came out from one of the pools on the other side and unleashed another blast of water from his mouth.
"Dodge it!" Plumeria commanded. "And then use Toxic!"
Muk flattened his body, avoiding the stream of water. He then zigzagged across the field towards Wishiwashi, his body taking on a sickening purple energy. He lunged and tried to do his attack, but Leinani quickly gave her command.
"Tearful Look!"
Although Wishiwashi was a massive beast, he managed to look at Muk in the eyes and get some pity out of him. Muk stopped momentarily, putting his arms down to examine Wishiwashi and make sure that he was okay.
"Another Brine!" Leinani yelled.
Wishiwashi's facial expression quickly changed, and he launched another blast from his mouth. It connected with Muk, pulling him from the field and into the air. He landed hard on the ground, but his body was malleable enough to avoid taking a lot of damage.
"I'm not sure how this is going to work, but use Dive!" Leinani ordered.
Wishiwashi erupted from one of the pools and straight into the air. He twisted his body and pointed directly at Muk. The Poison-type looked on in horror, but his grimace quickly turned to glee, as he knew what Plumeria would soon direct him to do.
"Toxic!" she commanded.
Muk opened up his arms wide and took on Wishiwashi's attack directly. There was a small explosion of purple energy while the two Pokémon mixed. Afterward, they parted from one another, but it was impossible for Wishiwashi to immediately get back to one of the pools.
"Venoshock!" Plumeria commanded roughly.
Muk sparked as though he were an Electric-type. He blasted a wave of purple electric energy from his body, which washed over all of Wishiwashi, making him roar loudly. With a little bit more of a struggle, he managed to get back into the pool where Muk couldn't do any damage to him.
"With a Pokémon poisoned, Venoshock does even more damage," Plumeria said. She looked into the pool where she could see Wishiwashi's giant form. "You won't be able to hide forever. Toxic will eventually do its job."
We have to do something. Even if that means taking damage, we can't just wait for Wishiwashi to faint, Leinani thought. "Alright. We'll strike! Use Dive!"
Although his movements were strained, Wishiwashi came out from the pool once again, taking to the air. Droplets from his body rained down onto the field while Muk looked up at him. Muk didn't imagine that the Water-type would have much more fight in him, and he was taken aback.
"Use Brick Break! Give it everything you have!" Plumeria yelled.
Muk karate chopped as Wishiwashi came down onto him. There was a sickening thud, and both Pokémon found themselves in a stand-off. Their energy gave in, and they were blasted back. Muk's body dragged against the ground while Wishiwashi was tossed into the air. His body started to glow and shrink before he returned to his smaller, pitiful form. He hit the field and started to flop around helplessly.
Clark held up his pink flag. "Muk is unable to battle! Wishiwashi wins!"
Leinani looked at Wishiwashi. She wanted to run out onto the field and help him back into the water, but even if she was allowed to do that, the fact that he returned to his solo form meant that he was nearing a knock-out. She raised her hand and caught the referee's attention.
"I'd like to withdraw Mixtape from the match. He's no longer in any condition to continue," she said.
Clark nodded and held up a white flag. "You got it. Wishiwashi has forfeited and is no longer able to battle!"
Leinani recovered the fishbowl from Kaiko before running onto the field. She picked up Wishiwashi by the tail and plopped him into the small bowl with a Pecha berry. He swam around in circles before making eye contact with Leinani. He shook with fear, but he was relieved to no longer have to battle in such a high-pressure situation. Leinani gave the fishbowl back to Kaiko and then asked him to go back to his rock. Kaiko and Wishiwashi could then watch the rest of the battle together.
"That leaves us both two Pokémon. Are you sure that's a good choice?" Plumeria asked.
Leinani nodded. "I don't want my Pokémon to be in any unnecessary battles."
"Fine with me. Go, Crobat!" Plumeria yelled while tossing her next Poké Ball onto the field. A large purple Pokémon emerged in the air. It had four wings that it flapped in what appeared to be a random sequence. But somehow, it remained afloat.
"Crobat, the Bat Pokémon. It feeds on the blood of living people and Pokémon. If it can't drink any blood for even a short while, it becomes weak and unable to fly," the Pokédex beeped.
Kaiko cringed and looked at Wishiwashi. "It's a good thing you're not battling, Mr. Mix!"
"Wishi!"
Since this is a Poison-type gym, that means that DJ won't be able to battle. I'd love to have her go up against Crobat, but it's not looking like a good idea. Maybe Boombox instead, Leinani thought. She grabbed her Poké Ball and released the rectangular Charjabug onto the grey field.
"A Bug-type going up against a Flying-type. Interesting choice," Plumeria said.
"Boombox, use Spark!" Leinani commanded, not wanting to delay the battle any longer.
Crobat was well out of range for Charjabug's attack, but that didn't stop the Bug-type from trying. She charged up her body and then took off into the air. She would have reached Crobat had the Poison-type not been one of the fastest Pokémon alive. Crobat easily swooped above Charjabug, letting the Bug-type hit the ground.
"Fly!" Plumeria ordered.
Crobat went higher into the air at a blinding speed. She disappeared into the clouds for a few seconds while everyone waited. Then she came swirling back to the ground, smashing her four wings into Charjabug. The Bug-type scraped against the field, landing all the way on Leinani's half. She quickly got back to her stubby feet and then prepared for Leinani's next command.
"X-Scissor!" Leinani ordered.
"We'll fight back with Leech Life!"
Charjabug crossed her two small mandibles. They grew in size and started to glow with dark green energy. After she let out her battle cry, she dashed down the field and jumped into the air. Crobat responded by opening her mouth. Her fangs grew in size, and she dove downwards. The two Pokémon collided, and it appeared like they were even momentarily. Crobat was much stronger naturally, but Charjabug was using a move that blended well with her typing.
They broke apart from one another, and instead of changing her strategy, Leinani decided to try one more time.
"Put all you have into X-Scissor!" she ordered. If Plumeria were to command the same attack as before, then Leinani had a counter.
Unfortunately for Leinani, Plumeria shouted, "Poison Fang!"
Crobat's massive teeth changed from sharp and dark green to a deep purple. She unhinged her jaw and prepared to chomp down onto the smaller Bug-type.
"Last second Spark!" Leinani yelled, going with her original strategy anyways.
Crobat bit down onto Charjabug, but the Electric-type started to spark, sending shocks throughout the Poison-type's body. Crobat let go, dropping Charjabug to the ground. The two eyed one another while slowly backing away. Then, a poisonous aura surrounded Charjabug, and Crobat sparked slightly. Both of them had been inflicted with status conditions.
"Crobat, use Fly!" Plumeria ordered first. She had more experience with battling and didn't want to wait for Leinani to figure out what was happening.
Crobat tried to take into the air to use her attack once more, but the paralysis was too much for her. Her movements were stinted, and she was unable to move.
"In that case, we'll use X-Scissor! Give it all you got!" Leinani commanded.
Charjabug howled as she fought through the pain. Her mandibles extended, and then she leaped into the air. With Crobat left with nowhere to run, it was easy for Charjabug to get in her strike. She then came back to the field after a powerful slash, bringing Crobat down.
"Yeah!" Leinani cheered, but her smile soon faded as Charjabug's body went limp. "Boombox?"
"Charjabug is unable to battle!" Clark declared. He looked towards Crobat to see if he should also take her out of the match, but she slowly took back to the air, even if it was only barely.
"I guess poison was just too much for her," Leinani said while withdrawing Charjabug. "You did a good job, though." She looked up and watched as Crobat struggled to keep in the air. Sure enough, it'd only take a couple more attacks to bring her down.
"C'mon out, Shure!"
Sandshrew appeared on the grey field and waved his arms above his head. He looked around, taking note of all of the water that surrounded the small island. His heart skipped a beat, as falling into the ocean meant certain death for him.
"Crobat, use Fly!" Plumeria commanded, not waiting for Sandshrew to observe the field anymore.
Crobat managed to fight through the paralysis, and she soared through the air. She didn't get up as high as she had before, but she was able to gather enough momentum to use her attack.
"Defense Curl!" Leinani directed.
It was the attack that Sandshrew was the most comfortable with. As Crobat came diving down, Sandshrew curled into a ball. He took the hit, but his body remained unmoved.
"Now, Rapid Spin, Shure!"
While remaining curled up, Sandshrew started to spin. He shot his body across the field and then bounced it into the air. He was fast, taking Crobat by surprise, and with one blow, he sent the Poison-type to the ground. She crashed hard, her body now limp from the tough battle.
"Crobat is unable to battle!" Clark declared.
Sandshrew came back to his feet and then waddled his way over towards Leinani's side of the field. The two smiled at one another. Shure was Leinani's secret weapon for this battle, as he couldn't be hurt by Poison-type attacks.
Plumeria withdrew Crobat and then raised her last Poké Ball. "This has been an interesting battle, but this is as far as you go," she said while throwing her next Poké Ball forward. A Salazzle, slightly smaller when compared to the one they saw on Wela Volcano, emerged. She observed Sandshrew, and a devious smile came across her face.
We gotta be careful. If they stick to Poison-type attacks, we'll be fine, but Salazzle can use Fire-type attacks, Leinani thought.
"Salazzle, let's poison them with Toxic!"
"What?! Sandshrew, dodge it!"
Salazzle heaved and venom began to ooze from her body. She slithered across the field, but Sandshrew quickly retreated back to his side, jumping over one of the pools to give himself some distance from the Poison-type.
"Then we'll change our plan," Plumeria said. "We can one-shot you! Use Flamethrower!"
"Not good!" Leinani shouted. "Dodge with Rapid Spin!"
As powerful flames billowed from deep inside Salazzle, Sandshrew tucked his body and rolled around the field, ricocheting off the wall and narrowly avoiding the dangerous attack. He managed to get close to Salazzle once she needed to catch her breath, taking her by surprise.
"Metal Claw!" Leinani yelled.
Sandshrew snapped forward and slashed with his iron-hard claws. The attack was direct but very weak. Salazzle simply laughed it off before glaring down at the impish Sandshrew. She could now do whatever she wanted with him.
"Toxic!" Plumeria commanded with the same sinister grin as Salazzle's.
Salazzle oozed with venom and then snapped forward, enveloping Sandshrew. It was an unfamiliar pain for the Steel-type Pokémon as the poison entered into his body. He stumbled backward and started to choke, unsure of what to do with himself.
"What's happening?! Shure shouldn't be able to get poisoned!" Leinani yelled.
"Looks like you don't know too much about Alola's Pokémon," Plumeria said. "With Salazzle's special ability, Corrosion, she's able to poison Pokémon that it normally wouldn't be a problem for."
"No way," Leinani muttered. "Shure, use Rapid Spin!"
Sandshrew knew that he had to continue battling, even if he was fighting an unfamiliar ailment. He curled into a ball and drove his body into Salazzle's midsection, knocking her for a loop. Then, he quickly returned to his side where he fell to one knee as the poison coursed through his veins.
She's a Fire-type, but even so, if we can hit Subzero Slammer, we can still pull off the victory, Leinani thought. She needed the right opportunity to do the attack though, something that Plumeria wasn't going to give her.
"Salazzle, use Flamethrower!"
Salazzle roared, sending the stream of flames from her mouth.
"Dodge!" Leinani yelled desperately.
Sandshrew jumped into the air, hit the ground, and then ducked, seemingly avoiding the fire. There was a small splash, and Leinani stopped breathing. The fire faded away, and Sandshrew was nowhere to be seen.
"Shure!" she screamed.
"Fried to a crisp," Kaiko muttered, making Wishiwashi quiver.
But then, something caught Leinani's eye. One of the pools of water had been bothered, and hanging from the ledge was Sandshrew. He held on for dear life, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to face the flames or the ocean.
"We have to do this now!" Leinani said. She lifted her Z-Ring and quickly did her poses, sending energy towards Sandshrew. With his newfound power, the water below him froze. He leaped from the hole and into the air.
"Interesting," Plumeria muttered.
"Shure's Subzero Slammer!"
"Flamethrower!"
Sandshrew formed a ball of ice in front of his body that almost doubled him in size. He reeled back and then tossed the ball forward, sending it on a path straight towards Salazzle. But she wasn't intimidated. She released the straight line of flames once again, burning a hole through the ball of ice and hitting Sandshrew directly. The ball of ice melted and then rained down onto Salazzle, not damaging her in the way that was intended. Sandshrew then hit the ground. Although the blast of fire was strong, he remained standing through sheer power of will.
"Yeah! You're the dude, Shu-"
"Sand-shrew," Shure muttered before the poison finished running through his body. He fell forward on his stomach, unconscious.
Clark held up his flag. "Sandshrew is unable to battle. Salazzle and Plumeria are the victors!"
"No," Kaiko muttered. "After she trained so hard."
Leinani ran onto the field and knelt to pick up Sandshrew. She looked at her Pokémon in the eyes. He had a glassy look before eventually closing his eyes and fading away. It then dawned on Leinani that she had lost yet again.
"Do some training and then come back in a couple of days or weeks," Plumeria said. "I'll accept your challenge any time, but I'd prefer it if you did some more preparation. Don't just work to make your team stronger though. Read up on the Alolan Pokémon from Akala Island."
This had angered Leinani. She was very well-read, and the way that Plumeria talked to her made her feel stupid. She didn't want to snap though, as she knew that Plumeria could probably out anger her. She withdrew Sandshrew.
"I'll be back."
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Leinani suffers a relatively bad loss. She won't challenge Plumeria again for a couple more chapters. I want to take some time for her to reflect and train. And then, I'll be working on the first Ascending Alola 'movie' story. I'm going to follow the pattern I've established in KiiK, and the Koa siblings won't be the leads in the movie.
Anyways, time for a relaxing chapter! I'm sure that Leinani is going to take her loss very well (that was… sarcasm).
CrescentApple - "Aha. Gladion. Nice. It was hard watching Leinani fail to catch any pokemon. So much bad luck! For a moment I thought she would capture the Kangaskan while she had Magby on her pouch, making it a double capture haha." - Gladion will make his first speaking appearance in a later chapter. I did have the idea to catch Kangaskhan with the Magby in her pouch, but I ultimately went against it. I want Leinani to wait a little bit longer until her sixth Pokemon.
