Nimbasa Arc: Bad Prospects
Jacky looked at the gym leader. "I will come back tomorrow," she said. Elesa smiled. "I look forward to your visit, young lady." She waved. Jacky waved back, then returned to the Nimbasa Pokémon Center with Mari. Mari's Pokémon didn't stay in treatment for long, so they were soon sitting in their room with their Pokémon out.
Luxio in particular looked surprised when he saw Zoroark. Zoroark caught its gaze and grinned widely. "Now I'm too big to get on their nerves, huh?",
"You look so different", Luxio replied, visibly pleased. "Maybe later, I'll only have two legs, too."
Zoroark twitched its ears. "I have no clue what that's supposed to look like."
Gabite had its arms crossed and looked a little annoyed. "Congratulations. You knocked out two electric-type Pokémon.",
"Uh..." Zoroark looked at him, puzzled. "Than...ks?",
"You defeated electric-type Pokémon? I wonder if they're all as fast as me?" Luxio said.
"Don't blow your own horn," Kirlia philosophized, leaning against the wall. Luxio screwed up its face.
"Judging by the tone, he lost," Skarmory, who was standing next to Absol, said in a whisper. "Ouch," the latter muttered back. Skarmory tilted its head slightly to the side. "His pride has taken a few scars.",
"Everyone loses sometimes.",
"But losing to an electric-type Pokémon as a ground-type Pokémon must be pretty frustrating.",
"I know what you mean. But I can understand Gabite.",
"Oh?" Skarmory turned its head to him in amazement. "That's a whole new set of sounds I'm hearing coming out of your mouth.",
"Just shut your trap.",
"Beak, my friend. If anything."
Noibat landed on Zoroark's head. "You're so big all of a sudden! And fluffy!" It snuggled up in Zoroark's pigtail. The dark-type Pokémon laughed. "Hey, watch it!" Then, it looked at Absol. "I wish you good luck tomorrow. My claws are crossed.",
"At least, you have some now", Absol replied. "Thumbs, I mean.",
"Uh... Yeah." Zoroark looked at its hands.
The next morning, Jacky was waiting impatiently at the door. "Jeez, Mari! Come on!",
"Jeez, chill!" Mari shouted from the bathroom while fixing her hair. "Aren't you always the one telling me to slow down?",
"You've never been this slow before!"
Mari sighed, overwhelmed, and came out of the bathroom. "It's just a gym battle. The more you work yourself up about it, the more mistakes you're gonna- WHOA, HEY!" No sooner had she emerged than Jacky grabbing her and dragging her behind her as she ran towards the stadium. Mari nearly tripped over her own feet. "Third gym badge, here I comeeeee!" Jacky roared, and Mari would have loved to cover her mouth.
When they entered the stadium, many people were there again, waiting for it to start. Mari wriggled her hand out of Jacky's grip. "Well then. Good luck." Then she sat down in a seat in the spectator stands. When Elesa saw Jacky, she smiled. "Well, there she is! The challenger who announced her coming. Come to me, my dear.",
"Relax..." Jacky felt the curious looks of the audience on her as she walked up to Elesa. "What's your name?",
"I'm Jacky," she answered firmly. Elesa looked up at the audience. "Give her a round of applause!" The audience clapped. "So, you are here now to follow your friend's example. I hope you are ready for it. Now then, you already know the procedure. Take your position." Jacky nodded and took her stance. Elesa pulled out a Poké Ball. "Show me how bright you can shine. I'm going to give you a hard time, so you better show your best side! Eelektrik, fight with me!" Elesa's Pokémon appeared on the field. "Noibat, I trust in you!" Jacky shouted, sending the bat into battle. Mari's eyes widened in surprise. "What the... Really? Are you serious...?",
"I'll let you have the first move", Elesa said and Jacky nodded. "Screech, Noibat!" The little Pokémon let out an ear-splitting sound. "Now Tackle, full force!" It zoomed toward Eelektrik. "Headbutt, Eelektrik!" The eel let Noibat get close enough before smashing the little Pokémon onto the ground. "Now Acid!" Eelektrik sprayed poisonous acid at Noibat. "Gust!", Jacky shouted, and Noibat tried to keep the liquid away from itself with the rising winds, but it couldn't. It shrieked when it was hit and the liquid on its body burned like hell. "Now, use Discharge!" Eelektrik's body started to glow as it sent out electrical waves that hit Noibat and sent it crashing to the ground. "Are you all right, Noibat?!" Jacky asked. It whined, but it was able to move back into the air. "Tackle, go!" It folded its wings and then threw itself against its opponent. Eelektrik backed away. "Thunder Wave!" Elesa commanded. "Get out of its vicinity!" Jacky shouted, but Noibat's injuries hampered it and it was hit by the lightning that Eelektrik sent at it. It wailed out as the electricity paralyzed its muscles. It could no longer keep itself in the air and had to land on the ground. "Now Headbutt, Eelektrik!" Elesa stretched out her arm. "Screech, Noibat! Keep it away from you!" Noibat screamed again and Eelektrik hissed in discomfort. The sound was apparently too loud for it.
"Discharge! Let's end it!" Eelektrik reared back and the next wave of electricity finished Noibat off. It toppled to the side, defeated. 'I could have told her that right away...' Mari thought to herself in her seat. 'It was bound to end that way. That was most likely the most stupid thing she's ever done... Using an unevolved, insufficiently trained, underlevelled flying-type Pokémon in an electric-type gym... What exactly was she hoping to get out of that? Did she honestly believe Noibat would make it? What was she thinking? I just can't get behind it...',
"You were great, Noibat. That was way out of our league." Jacky withdrew Noibat contritely. She was growing increasingly nervous. She reached for her second Poké Ball. "Now we have to double our efforts... Absol!" Her Absol appeared on the field.
'That's her go-to answer in a pinch...' Mari crossed her arms and her eyes narrowed. 'Going straight to her strongest Pokémon, regardless of the situation and the opponent. I wonder for how long that's gonna work out for her...''
"Eelektrik, Thunder Wave!" commanded Elesa, and her Pokémon sent out lightning bolts again. Absol dodged them. "Razor Wind!" Glistening blades shattered against Eelektrik's body and the eel writhed, hissing. "Acid! Don't let up!" Eelektrik retaliated, but Absol dodged again. "Psycho Cut!" Absol dashed forward and his glowing blade struck Eelektrik with full force. The eel was flung into the air. "Now Slash!" Jacky's starter followed up, leaping off and knocking its opponent to the ground with a swipe of its claws. The foe was done for. Absol landed back on its paws and jumped back. "You're fighting your way back, but this was just the beginning." Elesa smiled and withdrew Eelektrik. "I'm nowhere near the end. Let's go! Manectric!" With a roar, her next Pokémon appeared on the field. Lightning flashed around the electric-type Pokémon's body. "Manectric... That one's pretty strong. But we can do this, Absol! Razor Wind!" Absol sent blades at its opponent. Manectric dodged them nimbly and quickly. "Woah...!",
"Electric Terrain, Manectric!" Roaring lightning twitched around Manectric as yellowish mist spread, like Flaaffy's the previous day. "It strengthens Manectric... Be careful, Absol!", "Charge!"
Sparks jumped from Manectric's fur and its body briefly glowed with energy. "Razor Wind, go!" Absol growled and attacked again. Manectric dodged the blades again and the attack hit the ground without effect. The blades shattered like glass. "Now, it's our turn! Use Rising Voltage!" Manectric discharged the pent-up energy and a furious barrage of lightning bolts hit Absol. It howled loudly as the attack did a lot of damage, whilst Manectric remained unharmed.
'There we have it... Rising Voltage does a lot more damage with Electric Terrain being active... Plus the Charge from before... that attack hurt badly', Mari thought and looked around. 'It looks really bad for her now... The spectators don't seem too impressed with her either. She played herself by wasting the first round of the battle like this...' With difficulty, Absol rose up again and Jacky clasped her hands together. She was on the verge of giving up. She became painfully aware that she had made a huge mistake. A very serious mistake.