Chapter Thirty:
Thunderstruck
Disclaimer: I do not own the series Pokémon. Like, at all. It and all its respectable characters are © to Game Freak and Satoshi Tajiri. However, all writing contents and semi-plots here are © to me; unless it is stated otherwise. All shows/ books/ video games/ songs that are mentioned in this chapter are all © to their respective owners, I do not own them.
Notes: I'm pretty sure everyone knows what has recently happened in the last several months. Let me try to help by taking your mind off things, even if it's just for a little while.
Current Team: Keno the Marshtomp, Sela the Poochyena, Ambrose the Kirlia, Faye the Taillow, Breela the Breloom, Luna the Skitty
Badges Won: Stone Badge, Knuckle Badge
"No rain, but thunder, and the sound of giants."
— "Hellboy Vol. 9: The Wild Hunt" by Mike Mignola
OoOoOoOoOoO
Her legs were sore. It had been leg day yesterday, and leg day meant cardio. Cardio meant a run. (It was the only thing Shay was willing to do; stretch them out before hitting the pavement. No weight stressors of any sort for her, thank you very much, her body wasn't meant for all that heavy pulling and lifting and pushing.)
Shay used to love to run.
Now, with her fucked up back and fucked up hip, it wasn't as pleasurable to partake in nowadays. Shay hated the peppy, go-getter, "you can do it" types that tried to encourage her, push her further, keep her spirits up. It pissed her off more than it helped and made her madder when they tried to make her feel like she can do it, don't give up!
She'd wallop them in the face if she could.
Which was quite possibly why none of her team—the members that could sustain a long-term run anyways—has ever tried with her.
She probably had Ambrose to thank for that.
But the soreness of her legs and broiling feelings for go-getters were not the forefront of Shay's thoughts.
Her gym match with Wattson was.
From the documentaries she's watched, and the articles she gleaned online, he was a pretty jovial fellow, easy to get along with—as far as people claim to attest to. He was also rather ruthless in his battles. His gym was imbedded with conductive coils of a special kind of metal that gave his electric-types a special kind of edge, that little pick-me-up charge they needed to stay at their best.
Apparently, all gym leaders incorporated some element like that into their gyms for their pokémon. Shay was more than a little miffed yet also rather impressed at the cleverness upon learning this. There was a literal homefield advantage built right into their places of battle.
She already had her strategy played out in her head. Wattson was partial to using Magnemite, and in addition to being electric-types, they were also steel-types. Sela was, as it stood, to be the best bet against them, with her Fire Fang attack. Keno would also be a surefire way to bring victory. He was part ground-type, and none of Wattson's electric-based attacks would affect him despite him being a duel water-type, but Keno's Mud Slap attack sure as hell would affect them. If all else failed, Breela had her fighting-type moves that could put some serious dents in any steel-type…
"You're overthinking again," a soft voice said. Shay opened her eyes and searched the room. It hadn't been Ambrose's voice in her head. She saw movement from the desk chair. Shay's eyes adjusted to the grey murkiness of the room, the sun not having risen just yet, but she knew it was early.
It was Faye. The Taillow was preening herself, meticulously so, from her perch.
"You fidget more when you overthink."
"I do not," Shay immediately responded sourly. She wanted to kick herself upon hearing how childish and whiny her voice sounded. Faye half-fluttered, half-leapt from her perch onto the bed. She hopped across the comforter until she settled on Shay's chest.
"Do too," Faye replied, sounding smug. Her voice softened as she next spoke. "You'll be fine. Keno and Sela are your heavier hitters this time around, and Breela isn't half-bad in a fight, either. She's gotten better. More confident."
It was as though Faye had read her mind, almost as spot on as Ambrose usually did.
"…you wouldn't happen to have any psychic-types somewhere down your lineage by any chance, would you?"
"No. But my father was Braviary, and from what my mother has told me, he used to tell her that his kind had, once upon a time, had those capabilities. So actually…maybe."
"Is that why your beak is so hooked? Because you're part-Braviary?"
I guess I owe Brendan that three-hundred yen. Fuck.
"Yes."
"…huh. You learn something new every day."
"You're getting off track." Faye snuggled closer until she was pressed against Shay's cheek and neck, her voice still quiet, so as to not disturb the others. "You've got this."
The Taillow quietened, seemingly content to lapse in the calm that the dark offered. Shay was beginning to lull back to sleep.
"I didn't trust you at first, you know."
The words, at first, sounded distant and ethereal—not that unlike Ambrose's whispering voice in her head. But the soft, feathered head that moved back and forth against her cheek and tickling it brought her back to wakefulness.
"Mmm?"
"My…my mother, she was taken. By a trainer. I-it was my fault."
Shay stirred, bringing a hand up to grind the heel of it into her eyes to wake herself up.
"What do you mean, 'your fault', Faye?"
"I…I…" Faye faltered and shivered against the woman. Shay moved her hand and placed it ever-so-carefully on Faye's back. Shay rubbed little circles between the Taillow's shoulders, soft and reassuring.
"I fell out of my nest. It was nearing nighttime and Mother hadn't returned; it was so late. I-I was beginning to get worried, and it was so dark and…and I fell out. I couldn't get back up into the tree, and she never found me. I was left there all on my own and…that was it. Days passed and I never saw her again. A local Wurmple family eventually helped me back to my nest, but it…it no longer felt like home."
The feathers around Shay's fingers bristled and puffed up, another violent shudder wracking the Taillow. Her voice had grown so quiet, Shay could hardly hear her.
"I'm…I'm so sorry, Faye. But…what about your father?"
"Braviary are migratory pokémon. He left us at the end of his migration season, and he…never returned. Mother said he promised he would, and then he never did. He was either captured himself or he was…"
The word hung heavy in the air, even when it was left unsaid.
The two of them steeped in the silence, letting that weight settle atop them. Shay adjusted to press her cheek more firmly to the Taillow. "I'm sorry that happened, Faye. I really am. Is…is that why you attacked us that day we met?"
"…yes. I didn't think there were many good humans in the world, when they had taken my mother away, and possibly my father as well. But you and Brendan…you're good people. And not everyone else is bad, either. I'm glad to know it now." There was warmth in the little Taillow's voice, low and soothing to listen to.
Shay waited for more, but after listening closely, she realized that Faye had drifted back to sleep. It wasn't long before Shay too had done so as well.
She dozed for another hour or so before everyone slowly began to wake and move about. It was long until Shay rose with a yawn and a stretch. Faye dislodged herself from the crook of Shay's neck and fluttered back to her previous perch on the desk chair. Everyone attended to their morning ministrations before they all headed downstairs to the chow hall.
Brendan joined her halfway through breakfast, although she barely made a dent in her food. Her bacon was halfway nibbled on while her pancakes were congealing in a mess made of oversaturated maple syrup. Her coffee was nearly gone, and she was waiting for that blissful caffeine rush to hit her.
"You look tired. Did you get any sleep last night?"
"Some," Shay said, taking another draw from her mug. "I kept waking up and falling asleep."
"Nervous?"
"Not really. It's more like jitters from all the waiting. I hate the waiting part. I'm fine with the battling part of things."
"You'll be fine," Brendan remarked. "You've got a good head for strategy. I've seen you in action. You're not big on defensive maneuvers, but your whole…strike hard, strike fast approach has been pretty good so far."
He winked and chuckled, which earned a small smile from Shay. Shay forced herself to eat a little more of her food before the two of them bussed their trays and headed out. They dove into the innards of Mauville's urban inner cityscape and it finally hit Shay.
It wasn't dissimilar in concept to that of the mega-blocks of the Judge Dredd film. However, instead of going completely vertical, the city was spread out horizontally.
She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of that concept until now.
At least we aren't stuck in some dystopian hellscape, battling it out with a crazy drug overlord's empire. She paused on that reflection before internally groaning. No, we're just having to battle it out with a crazy eco-terrorist empire.
This was certainly not how she would have seen her life turning out if someone had asked her a year ago.
OoOoOoOoOoO
The thermos she had bought had a fierce-looking Charizard adorning its black finish. It looked how Shay had expected a Charizard to look like—almost. The horns were still quite stubby, and it was more compact, but it had the more draconian design she had always envisioned. It wasn't a dopey, pot-bellied winged lizard she had remembered growing up watching as a child. It was a proper dragon, and it was a crying shame it wasn't an actual dragon-type.
That was her thought when she had bought it, but not now. Her fingers traced along the tiny, fierce face. Her coffee was still piping hot, even almost two hours after she had filled the thermos up.
There was an electric tingle in the air, and when she tilted her head slightly, she could detect a ringing in her ears. Shay took a sip of her coffee, the slight bump in the engraved design running along her fingers. It was soothing to trace, lessening the friction of thoughts that were racing through her mind about the upcoming gym match.
Itch-shiver-scratch.
'You're overthinking and hyper focusing on things again, aren't you?'
Shay turned her head to stare at Ambrose's face. The Kirlia's blind eyes were poised toward the far wall. It suddenly dawned on her that his profile looked strikingly like that of a young fawn's. She could see it more clearly now that he was Kirlia. She could even make out little nubs where antlers may grow, poking out of his forehead. The fur around his tapered snout was soft and short. At first, she had thought his fur was snowy white like it had been when he was a Ralts. Upon closer inspection however, she found it was a green so light and so pale, it could have been mistaken for white.
His eyes were closed now, and she could see they were covered in the same pale mossy green fur as some the dappling spots that were smattered across his shoulders and backside.
'Your train of thoughts aren't very subtle. You do know that, right? You're quite blunt.'
Sorry, Shay remarked back, sipping again on her thermos. Ambrose's eyes remained closed, but he reached over toward her pantleg and gently gripped her calf. A smile creased his muzzle.
'Most humans are blunt. Try not to worry about it too much.'
A hand on her shoulder pulled Shay out of her thoughts and she cursed as she startled. Brendan yanked his hand back, grinning apologetically at her.
"Shit, sorry Shay. I thought you heard me. They're, uh…they're calling your name."
Shay only blinked once before his words clicked and she jolted upright to her feet. The rest of her team did as well, and one-by-one, she recalled them until only Keno and Ambrose were left. Ambrose inclined his head toward Keno silently.
"Knock 'em dead."
"But, not really," Keno chuckled back as Shay recalled the Kirlia. The Marshtomp offered his signature toothless grin at her. "You ready for this?"
"Born ready," she said breezily, her heart racing so fast and loud, she was sure the secretary across the gym lobby could hear it. Keno offered his fist to her, and she bumped it with her own.
"Let's get down to business, then."
"To defeat the Huns?"
Keno gave her a quizzical look and Shay smiled sheepishly. "It's from a movie I watched growing up. I'll have to show you guys…once I get my hard drive from Norman. And a computer…oy vey. Should I get a computer?"
"Probably not the time to worry about." Keno gently reminded her, and she nodded.
"Right. You're right. We'll worry about it later. But seriously, I need to show you Mulan now because you guys not knowing some of the references that I have playing on a continuous loop in my head is driving me nuts."
The battling arena for Mauville's gym held a different foray of design from Dewford or Rustboro. There were slightly raised platforms, each a shining pillar with handrails and stairs, but there was a disconnect between them and the battling floor. Poles stood at each corner of the arena, bearing vague resemblance to tesla coils at their tops. There was a small row of bleachers for on-lookers, supporters, and awaiting participants alike. Brendan and Sienna sat together, side-by-side, looking eagerly on.
He clapped a few times when she glanced his way, tearing her eyes off the battlefield for a split second. "Go, Shay! Go!"
The humming and ringing in her ears intensified as Shay leaned on the railing of her designated platform. Her knuckles ached as she tightened her grip. Her eyes flicked over to the referee standing beside the upraised arena, right at the middling line.
Breela was tucked in tight on herself on one end, and her opponent stood opposite her, a sizeable Electrike with bristling fur that was bright with errant sparks.
"Let's show 'em what we're made of, Amp! Use Quick Attack!"
"Stun Spore, Breela—don't let him get close to you!"
A cloud of spores burst forth from Breela's mushroom cap, rising quickly as the Electrike rolled right through it. Breela screeched as the pup rammed right into her. They went tumbling across the metal field, head over heels through the spores.
At first, Shay couldn't tell if it had worked. By the time the dust settled, relief swelled inside her as she saw that the defensive maneuver had worked. Breela rolled up right onto her hind feet, shaking her head clear. Her opponent remained still on the ground. Breela wobbled at first, from one foot to the other before stalking closer toward the paralyzed Electrike.
His snout was curled into a spasming grimace, unable to move or speak. Shay could just hear him whimpering, watching with wide eyes as Breela circled him. Her head bobbed gently, not unlike that of a bird.
Or a dinosaur, she thought absently. Breela lifted her head to look up at Shay.
"Headbutt, Breela. Knock him out of the ring." Shay found herself strangely calm as she said that. There was no need to rush this anymore. There was no need to rush, period. The adrenaline high was coming to a proverbial crash.
Breela prowled around the petrified Electrike, squared herself at his backside and charged at him with a decisive strike. He rolled right off the arena and the referee called it as soon as he did.
"Challenger Shay Kenway is the winner! Now she has the choice of fighting the rest of the trainers in the gym, or she can choose to go up against Gym Leader Wattson."
"I'll take the second option," she called out to the referee. And that price sounds about right, doesn't it, Bob Barker?
The referee gave her nod as her opponent rushed around the edifice of the arena to retrieve his pokémon.
"Hey, um…you did pretty good, dude." Shay called to the other trainer. He gathered the paralyzed Electrike up in his arms and gave her a sneer before leaving in a huff without a word. He was gone before she knew it, disappearing out of the chamber entirely.
"Okay, geez. Sorry. No compliments for you next time, then. Message received."
Her half-hearted ire at the non-verbal snub was short-lived. Shay's hands were already working automatically as she dove into her sling-pack and pulled out a few bottles of medicine to heal Breela up. She moved agilely up the raised platform's steps, but Shay found herself frowning at the slight limping gait she presented.
"You okay?" The woman massaged her fingers into the meat of Breela's thigh, firm and quick, but felt nothing out of place.
"Landed on my leg funny, but I'll be fine. I-I think I can do this."
"I know you can do this," Shay affirmed, lips quirking into a smile.
A sudden boom of laughter echoed off the cacophonous walls, filling in the empty space. Shay stiffened and her eyes raked the room for the source of the laughter until she found it.
Wattson. He was stocky in form, donning a bright and loud shirt reminiscent of Hawaiian shirts that seemed to both clash and complement the worker's jumpsuit he donned. His shock of white hair and beard were surprisingly well-kempt. A Magnemite and Magneton drifted close behind him, while a Voltorb came rolling along the ground, hot on his heels. Wattson moved at a brisk pace, quickly moving toward the platform across from Shay's.
"Damn good show, girl! You really got some smooth moves, don'tcha? I can already tell you'll be trouble for Flannery once you start heading her way, never mind today's match with me!"
Wattson was quick to mount the platform across from Shay's. The Voltorb rushed over toward the battlefield, silently taking its place without needing to be told. The Magneton and Magnemite both remained by the platform, dutifully waiting for their turns.
Shay glanced back at Breela, who inclined her head toward her trainer. Shay straightened, watching from the corner of her eye as the Breloom skittered down the steps and made her way up on to the arena floor. She situated herself on the opposite end of the Voltorb as it glowered ominously back at her. Shay could see why people could mistake it for a pokéball. Its glossy surface was a shiny trinket that just begged to be plucked up.
"Let's get this party started, shall we? I'm Wattson, the Mauville City Gym Leader! Welcome to my battleground, where we'll shock and awe you!"
A shower of sparks suddenly exploded from the tesla coil towers around the arena in a flash of light, making Shay jump. Wattson's laughter was boisterous, even above the sudden spike in noise. She didn't hear the referee shout for the match to begin, but she just caught the sight of his arm slicing downward. Wattson wasted no time at all, bellowing with gusto, "Tackle attack!"
Breela dropped down just in time, legs splaying outward at awkward angles in an attempt to duck out of the way. The Voltorb grazed over the top of her mushroom cap, just missing her. Shay's gut clenched. Shay had timed it just right. Without hesitation, she gripped the railing and yelled, "Headbutt!"
Breela exploded upwards, smashing into the Voltorb from below. "Now Mach Punch! Hit 'em while they're flailing!"
Breela momentum carried her through into the follow-up attack. Energy coalesced and manifested into her coiled forelimb bright and white-hot. The glow around her arm and claws illuminated but the attack was over before Shay could even blink.
The Voltorb went flying at an angle, the blunt sound of metal be struck ringing in the air. It amplified, echoing harshly in Shay's ears when Wattson's pokémon struck one of the poles before smashing to the ground. She watched with baited breath as the Voltorb struggled to roll upright.
It crumpled after a few agonizing moments of struggle, growing still.
"Shay Kenway and her Breloom win this round!" The referee declared. Shay's heart raced with excitement and relief. Shay ran her gaze over Breela, almost ready to keep her going. She stopped herself, her stomach dropping a little lower in her abdomen. No, no. Shay could see it now. Breela was favouring one leg over the other, trying not to move so much. That dodge had looked rather wonky and one leg hadn't looked right when she had ducked.
"Breela, come on back now. I'm switching you out."
The Breloom hesitated, casting a doubtful and questioning stare Shay's way. The woman gave her an encouraging smile. "You did good. Let's give Sela a go, huh?"
Breela hesitated only a moment longer before limping off the arena and circling around the platform up to Shay. As she did so, Shay called out Sela and the Poochyena appeared in a flash of light from her pokéball. Sela shivered and shook before settling, her scruff bristling as Wattson laughed.
"Good strategy! You're not taking any risks today with your team, I'd wager."
He motioned to the Magnemite and his pokémon came floating up onto the arena floor. The Poochyena sized up the Magnemite, its little magnets and screws swirling around the central metal hub that made up its body. The white of the eye remained wide and still, unblinking. Sela lowered her body to the ground, tail held at a crooked angle, fur remaining at a bristled state.
The referee once more motioned for the match to begin and Shay wasted no time in shouting, "Fire Fang!"
A look of surprise flashed across Wattson's face, but there was no malice or anger—there was delight.
Sela's stocky legs churned as she launched herself at her floating opponent, teeth catching on the slick metal surface. Fire bloomed and sprouted, feathery tongues superheating the Magnemite's body, Sela fiery teeth dug in deeper, even as the Magnemite tried to wrench itself from the Poochyena's grip.
"C'mon, Diode! Try to break free, use Thunder Wave!" Wattson cried out encouragingly. Shay leaned over the railing, catching herself just in time to keep from going over completely.
"Let go, don't let it shock you!"
Sela released her grip too late, and a screech emanated from her as a bolt of lightning danced across her body. She remained frozen in place; limbs locked. Her snout, much like the Electrike from earlier on, was caught in a grimaced snarl. She struggled to move a paw forward, muscles spasming involuntarily as she did so.
The Magnemite seemed to be catching its collective breath—if it even breathed at all—and drifted away unsteadily from Sela's range. Scorch marks marred its body, blackened streaks and dents from where Sela had gripped it. Shay's thoughts raced as she ran through possible scenarios to fix this.
"I'm okay!" Sela barked, as though coming to the same conclusions as Shay. She panted from the struggle to speak. An errant spark danced across her fur, bright and sudden. Shay squinted, realizing that there was a faint glow to the Poochyena's fur, one that hadn't been there before. One that had nothing to do with the errant electrical attack.
The glow within Sela's grey fur persisted, unrelenting as it grew in intensity. The realization of what was happening dawned on Shay quickly.
Yes, yes, yes! The chant was endless as it ran on a loop inside of her head. The buildup was slow, excruciating while the anticipation ran wild and fast. The light encompassed Sela completely in a sudden burst. Shay shielded her eyes until the glow had dimmed away. Through the cracks of her fingers, she could see glimpses of Sela.
When she pulled her hand away at last, Shay gasped.
Sela stood there, tall and proud. No longer was she a diminutive Poochyena. She had grown, bursting upwards into her evolved form as a Mightyena. Black fur, jagged and sleek, dominated her backside instead of the stormy grey while her legs, still stocky and strong, had lengthened out. Even the tiny horn nubs atop her skull had extended out, gleaming smooth.
Shay swallowed past the sandpaper texture of her throat, struggling to force down some spit. Sela's entire body shuddered, overly large and rounded ears—not unlike that of a hyena's—flopped around almost comically. Whatever spell of paralysis that had gripped her was beginning to lose its traction.
"Are we still doing this, or what?" Sela called, craning her head to look over her shoulder at her trainer. Shay gave her an encouraging nod.
"Let's do this, Sela! Use Fire Fang again!"
She took Sela's evolution as a good sign. Shay had been hoping to allow Sela to evolve before the gym match, but even with all the training, it seemed to have eluded them. No time like the present, she thought as Sela charged. Her longer legs carried her swiftly across the arena's surface, and she caught up with the doddering Magnemite far quicker than Wattson seemed to anticipate.
Sela collided with her opponent, catching the Magnemite in her mouth and once more flooded it with fire. Shay heard Wattson yelling, but the ringing was back again, and she couldn't make out what he said. Judging from the sudden rush of electricity, she guessed it was another electric-type attack. Sela didn't relinquish her hold, and only seemed to lock her jaw into place at the sudden and unwelcome jolt that ran through her.
The attack was as brilliant as it was blinding. Shay's heart was a runaway train as she waited for the spots in her vision to stop blinking about. Sela remained rooted in place, still standing tall and clenching the Magnemite in her jaws. Flames still licked away at its steely surface, blackening the silvery finish. One of the magnets that Shay could see was wobbling unsteadily across the surface of its round body before it slumped completely, limp in Sela's mouth.
A beam of light sniped across the arena and the little Magnemite disappeared.
Shay lifted her gaze up to meet Wattson's. Without breaking eye contact, he gave a nod to his Magneton.
"Quite a show you're putting on, Miss Kenway. You've definitely put a lot of time and work into training with your team! Commendable, if I do say so m'self!"
Shay eyed Sela's backside, her tail stiff and crooked still as she assessed the Magneton floating across from her. She was once more sizing up her opponent, looking ready to keep going.
"Sela," Shay called on reflex as she saw a flare of electrical discharge still dancing between fur tufts. The Mightyena inclined her head just enough to catch Shay's eye. "Come back. I'm switching you out."
"I can do this," she barked back, black lips peeling back to reveal her grown fangs. She could see that it was struggle, however. She had exerted all her energy into one attack, pushing all her strength into fighting the paralysis that was beginning to creep back into her.
"I know you can. Let's not push our luck, though."
Shay stared her down, but Sela finally relented, ducking her maraschino-red gaze. Shay returned her to her pokéball before plucking another off her belt. She tossed it and out pour Keno from the coil of light energy. The Marshtomp blinked into the dazzling lights of the arena before gathering his bearings and settled on all fours.
"Are you both ready?" The referee called, glancing at both Shay and Wattson. They both nodded, and with that silent admission, the referee began the match.
Wattson didn't strike first. He contemplated the field and the Marshtomp across from himself and his pokémon. That gave Shay pause as well.
"You definitely did your homework; I'll give you that! Utilizing fire-type attacks from an unconventional team member, and a dual water-type and ground-type for these matches is certainly a smart move! Not to mention, grass-types don't really suffer too badly from electric-type attacks." Wattson laughed, and it wasn't mirthless or cold. It was still the same jolly sort of laughter that hadn't been defeated despite the situation.
Which is why I didn't plan on using Faye, Luna, or Ambrose. They don't have those type advantages, Shay quietly mused.
"Norm was telling me you were apparently quite the pistol with your team, especially after he talked with Roxanne and Brawly!"
The comment took her by surprise, and Shay faltered, words catching in her mouth, gagging the back of her throat. Had Norman really been keeping that close of an eye on her? Did he really that little trust in her or was he purely worried? Her head picked up a whole slew of questions that she needed answers to and couldn't get access to them. She steeled herself and pushed the thoughts out of her head for now. Enough time had passed. Shay took heed of the clench of her gut and barked out, "Mud-slap attack, Keno!"
It was her turn to surprise Wattson. He made a loud, strangled noise at her sudden command, but his shock didn't last long. "Oh! Right out the gates, okay then! Maggie, let's electrify this youngster, use Thunderbolt!
Keno's weaved and dodged the electrical attack, and in turn fired off his own with crack-shot accuracy that slammed Wattson's Magneton with blinding speed.
All that time out in the wilds, picking purposeful fights with Minum, Plusle, and Electrike for their training had paid off. Even if Keno wasn't truly affected by electric-type attacks, thanks to his ground-type immunity, he still admitted to feeling great discomfort he wanted to overcome. Or, at the very least, get used to it for the context of the gym match.
One of Maggie's bolts struck Keno in the chest, and he yelped loudly, more from surprise than actual pain. He spasmed a few times, halting his attack, but held his ground. The Magneton's attack came to a halt as its magnets twitched curiously, triple eyes as wide and unblinking as its single-eyed counterpart. Maggie floated closer and closer toward Keno, who was only just beginning to shake off the uncomfortable jitters that gripped him.
"You doing okay, Keno?" Shay called worriedly, lips pursing together tightly.
"I-I'm fine. I can do this. Let's keep going."
He shook his head back and forth, as though to clear the last remaining remnants of the last attack. His opponent suddenly rushed forward just as he was regaining his bearings. Its steely body was alit with silvery lightning that grew in intensity as it charged.
"Keno, look out—!"
Keno was already reacting before Shay had blurted out her warning. He twisted on his heel, smashing a glowing fist into the approaching Magneton. For a moment, all three segments of Magneton's body disconnected, hovering, before violently slamming back together again as it sailed high up into the air. It spun on an axis as though it was an oddly shaped, wayward planet moving aimlessly, without orbit.
"Great Rock Smash, Keno! Now hit it again with Mud-Slap!"
Keno obliged and out spewed the barrage of his attack, once more hitting his mark without fail. The still-recovering Maggie was struck repeated until the Magneton unceremoniously dropped to the ground with a dull, metallic thud. Maggie didn't move an inch, even as Shay sucked in a breath and held it, waiting.
The referee's moving arm caught Shay's eye and she snapped her head to him. He motioned to her end of the arena, and her stomach flipped with relief.
"Shay Kenway and her Marshtomp are the victors! The match is over!"
Extra Notes: I honestly wrecked Wattson in my playthrough. I tried to play out things as best I could without every match ending in a K.O. every time. I hope that I succeeded in this!
