Ex-Rocket Jackie
The Mahogany Town Rocket facility shook and rumbled at odd intervals. If it were a boat, it would have capsized twice over by now. Being constructed deep underground, the much more realistic fear of a cave-in was growing more and more likely by the second.
Sprinting down the barren halls, a lone Rocket grunt hurried along as fast as she could. Panic had become intimately familiar to her features as she raced the clock. This was too much. She couldn't remember why she signed up with the Rockets in the first place, but it certainly was not to be entombed half a mile below the surface.
Tucked tightly under one arm, a disgruntled and abused Magikarp flailed in a shortsighted attempt at freedom.
The grunt was never going to let that happen. She made mistakes, too many to count. If it was only this one thing, she was going to set it right. Hate her as it may, she was not going to let this thing die down here.
Rounding the corner toward the exit elevator, the grunt froze in her tracks. Her jaw dropped. Her eyes pulled back wide in fear. A cold sweat ran down the back of her neck as she stared at the one thing she didn't want to run into.
A man stood amidst a sea of flames and destruction of his own doing. His enigmatic black cape concealed his true silhouette. Cloaked in part by pitch black smoke from the electrical fires, he almost appeared like a wraith seeking vengeance for all of Team Rocket's sins.
His gaze met her direction from over his shoulder. It was more appropriate to say he was staring through her. His cold glare was undaunting, confident, and most of all, unfazed by the havoc surrounding him. In only that brief exchange of glances, she could feel the lifetime's worth of experience and harsh battles that amassed itself as the aura of destructive force that now suffocated her. It was as if a disparaging valley existed between them, one that the grunt felt could never be bridged. It felt wrong to even compare herself to him.
So lost and swallowed up by despair, the Rocket grunt only now took notice of the incredibly strong trainer's Pokemon. Stepping through the thick smoke, the mythical dragon towered over its trainer with an equally intimidating gaze.
"Dragonite..." The black dressed trainer began to command, his raised voice alone causing the puny grunt to flinch. "Hyper Beam." He decreed with utter ambivalence.
Opening its mouth, a single spark grew into a beam of raw unconquerable power. The walls to the hallway seemed to be erased as the grunt stared down the blast. The force grew in diameter the closer it got to her, and in a split-second, all shadows seemed to be stolen away, until only the light of the fierce attack remained in the world. Knowing full well how pointless running would be, The grunt did all she could at that moment. Shielding the Magikarp with her back, she braced for the attack.
… … …
The blinds to Jackie's room were yanked up by the cord, blasting her with the full light of the morning sun.
"Fuck!" The woman screamed, fumbling headfirst out of bed.
"It is Eight Thirty in the morning Jackie." A man informed without a hint of compassion for the woman's blighted state. "In case you need a reminder, the Gym opened thirty minutes ago." He made sure to explain, both slow and loudly.
Regurgitating a noise that rang closer to a hiss, Jackie dragged the comforter off her bed and buried her head beneath a mountain of its soft embrace.
"Oh no you don't." The man denied her, throwing the blanket back onto the bed. "You have been late three times this month already and I'm done making up excuses for you. You somehow fell ass-backwards into a Gym Leader position, the least you can be is appreciative."
Running a hand through her long and messy hair, Jackie dragged herself up into a seated position.
"Ugh." Jackie groaned, slouching over her bed. "Who cares? No one makes challenges before Nine anyway. So what if I feel like sleeping in?" She asked, poorly masking her complaint as a question.
Closing her eyes once more, the twenty-something year old was already preparing to fall back asleep despite still being half seated on the floor.
"Not today. A challenger showed up at Eight on the dot." The man informed, knowing better than giving the woman an inch of leeway.
"Just take a spare badge from my dresser drawer and battle him in my place." Jackie suggested pointing toward the askew furniture "I know you want my job anyway. Just tell 'im you're the Gym Leader. I don't care." She waved off, plopping her face into her bed sheets.
"I'm going to be the bigger man and pretend I didn't hear that." Her co-worker informed with a huff. "I'm also going to be a fool and not report you to the League for even suggesting something like that." He explained further, pulling at the ends of his short hair. "Now get dressed and hurry on down. We've only got so many trainers and he's probably already dealt with them by now."
Taking his leave, the more prudent man took off, leaving the woman's apartment as he headed back toward the gym.
Sighing aloud, the woman slumped further before pushing herself up into a shaky stand. With a yawn and a lanky stretch, her whole body creaked and cracked. Taking off the tank top that acted as her casual sleepwear, she let the old but still heavy burn marks on her back breathe if only temporarily.
Jackie picked a shirt up from a pile of presumably clean clothes on the floor. Throwing the top on, she hopped into a pair of mostly unstained overalls. No time to comb her unruly hair, she opted to wear a baggy hat. Around her waist, she strapped on her belt of pokeballs. Stepping into some beat-up boots, she headed for the door. Grabbing a familiar and warn jacket off her nightstand as she did, the young woman stepped outside. Putting it on just beyond the doorway, the faded red 'R' on her back was put on full display as she shut the door behind her and went on her way.
… … …
Standing in front of the Cerulean Gym, a young boy barely in his teens stared up and the building from just a step away from the front door. He wore an eager, if only slightly nervous smile.
"Sorry about all this." The Gym staff apologized, lowering his head in embarrassment. "I'll be sure to have another chat with our new Gym leader about her punctuality. That I can promise you."
The boy let out a small sheepish laugh.
"It's okay." The gym challenger expressed in earnest. If he really was bothered, he certainly was not showing it. "Really, mister..."
"Just call me Lenard." The Gym worker introduced. "I'll be acting referee if that troublesome woman ever shows up."
"Oh yeah, she's just the worst." Jackie agreed, just now showing up.
Leaning most of her weight on her coworker, she wrapped an arm over the man's shoulders, pulling him in without permission or forewarning.
"Any other complaints you wanna let me know about, Lenny?" Jackie inquired, leaning in while giving the other the prettiest of stink eyes.
"There wouldn't be enough hours in the day." Lenard informed with the becomingly polite smile.
With a neutral expression, Jackie converted her resting arm into a one-armed choke hold. The man struggled, but Jackie, maintaining a much firmer physique over the man, barely had any trouble at all keeping up the hold. Only after a blatant tap-out on the other's part did the brash Gym Leader ease her up her hold and drop the man to the ground.
"And you... squirt." The late addition brought up, shifting her sights to the youth as she stepped around her coworker. "The working class need their beauty sleep. What's the big idea dragging me out of bed this early?" While accusatory, there was clearly no genuine malice to her tone or questioning.
"Brent has a promise to keep." Lenard informed, dusting himself off as he rose back up. "A friend and him both started out as trainers at the same time. They swore they'd both make it to the League by the end of the year." He informed, rubbing his still sore neck.
"Why do you know so much about this kid? Are you his agent or something?" Jackie mocked with a raised brow.
"Since you were so late, I figured I'd try and stall with some friendly conversation. Considering I found you in a coma a little while ago, I see now how foolishly optimistic I was being." The Gym staffer retorted right away.
"My friend already has eight badges." Brent mentioned happily. "I held the lead at first, but he snuck ahead underneath my nose. That means I've only got two weeks left to catch up to him."
"Yeah, well, don't expect me to just..." The Gym Leader's head whipped back toward the youth. "You have seven badges? I'm the last one you need?" Her lazy attitude was ripped away, replaced with a laser focus.
"Uh... yeah." Brent confirmed, blinking at the woman's quick shift in disposition.
"Oh no. I didn't catch that part earlier." Lenard sighed with slacking shoulders as he dragged a hand down his face.
A sinister chuckle reverberated from the woman's core, rattling her to a degree. At the same time, a disparaging grin grew from ear to ear.
"That means I get to go all out against you kid. I'm encouraged to get all rough and tough. I gotta warm you up for just how strong the League'll be, after all." A look of thrill claimed every corner of Jackie's face the further she went on. "Screw the indoor pool. We're doin' this in the back!"
… … …
The two combatants stood at opposite ends of the Pokemon arena behind the Gym. It was nestled between the building itself and a grassy hillside. Unlike the interior, this one appeared only barely maintained. The chalk outlines seemed mostly for appearances than any shade of regulation.
Taking a look around, Brent eventually met the eyes of his still grinning opponent.
"It doesn't matter to me where we do this, but why not inside?" The bright-eyed youth reasonably asked.
"I doubt your full team can take advantage of the pool arena." Jackie explained, tossing one of her pokeballs up in the air and catching it with her offhand. "I want you to be able to go all out here." It was more than raw eagerness, a ferocity laid just behind her sharpened eyes.
"Don't be upset when this decision comes back to bite you." Brent playfully called out. "I shifted my team around to give me an edge against your water types. I'm not risking anything when my deadline's this close." The youngster affirmed.
"That's good. You'll need all the help you can get." Jackie goaded on.
The young teen faced the decree of challenge with a confident smile and serious gaze.
"Ahem." Lenard cleared his throat, standing tall and proud just off the center of the field. "The challenge between Gym Leader Jackie and Challenger Brent will now start. Begin!"
With a clear hand signal from the referee, both challenger and Gym head reached for their match starters. Reeling their arms behind them, both tossed out their Pokemon toward the arena's center.
"You're in charge! Mudrutter!" Jackie called out.
The light of her pokeball fading, a Quagsire stood hunched in place with a pleasant expression.
"Set the pace! Blitzkrieg!" Brent shouted at the same time.
Following the pop and flash of his ultra ball, a proud Electabuzz stood out in the center. Letting out a battle cry, it beat its chest as electricity built up around it.
"Amnesia!" Jackie commanded.
"Calm Mind!" Brent called out just as quick.
The challenger's Electabuzz focused its gaze. In doing so, the electricity culminating around it surged, becoming even more impressive.
In contrast, the leader's Quagsire simply tilted its head.
"Goin' for a sweep? Now where's the fun in that?" Jackie criticized with a frown.
Rubbing his nose, the young challenger couldn't help but smirk.
"Blitzkrieg," Brent shouted. "Take 'em out now! Thunderbolt!"
At the decree, a mighty convergence of electricity shot out from the creature, straight for the water type. Right before contact, Jackie's frown deepened even further.
The electricity died off the moment the attack hit its target. Standing unfazed, the Quagsire simply scratched the side of its head with one of its large flipper-like appendages.
"W-What?" The challenger gaped in confusion.
"Kid, did you forget Quagsire is a water and ground typing?" Jackie called out, asking from across the ring with a heavy sigh and slumped shoulders.
Rubbing the back of his head, the young teen laughed to himself awkwardly.
"I guess I kinda forgot." He admitted, more than a little red in the face.
"That's alright. Mistakes happen." The Gym Leader accepted with a harrowing look that was anything but. Soon after, a cruel expression retook its hold over her. "In fact, I'll give you a mean reminder. Earthquake." Jackie ordered without remorse.
The challenger's eyes widened in panic. Before he could do anything, the ground rocked and split all over. A mighty fissure cracked the surface in front of Electabuzz ripped open before quickly jutting rock hurled the Pokemon clean out of the arena, landing it on its back.
Electabuzz painfully tried to sit back up, but it ended up falling right back down.
"Electabuzz has left the arena and is unable to battle." Lenard decreed. Signaling with his left hand, he gestured toward his coworker. "The first battle goes Leader to Jackie!"
"Listen up, runt!" Jackie shouted from across the battlefield, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm not handing over my badge without a fight. You want it? You step up and take it from me." She fiercely barked out.
Rather than say anything, Brent returned his opening Pokemon to its pokeball. Putting it away, he grabbed his second. With a more serious expression than before, he sent out his next partner.
"Let's swing this back! Venus!" The younger fired back.
With a flash of light, a full grown Victreebel let out a high-pitched cry as it took the field.
"Venus! Razor Leaf!" The challenger cried out, desperate to retake what ground was lost.
"Rain Dance!" Jackie instructed, ignoring offense all together.
A series of razor-sharp flora shot out from the living plant, striking Quagsire from all angles. The Leader's opener wobbled back and forth but remained standing. Shaking its head for clarity, it rose both hands overhead. Swaying back and forth, clouds amassed over the Gym as a light rain soon drenched the arena.
Bending down, Lenard revealed a small previously tucked away clear umbrella from behind a nearby crate.
"You'd think I'd be smart enough to stop wearing new shoes to work by now." The referee quietly complained to himself.
"It took a four times weakness and it's still standing?" Brent called out in disbelief.
"Either come out swinging or don't bother coming at me at all." Jackie ridiculed.
"Razor Leaf! One more time!" The young challenger repeated, beginning to get worked up.
"Earthquake!" Jackie ordered, knowing full well she lacked the speed advantage.
As expected, the second volley of razor leaves hit their mark cleanly. Wobbling like before, the Gym Leader's first Pokemon could only take so much abuse. Swaying further and further, it eventually plopped forward, landing flat on its belly.
"Yes!" The youngster cheered with a fist pump.
"Quagsire is unable to battle. The second battle goes to challenger Brent!" Lenard decided, gesturing toward the challenger with his free hand.
Returning her Pokemon, Jackie put the ball away and grabbed her second.
"You're turn! Guillotine!" The Gym Leader roared.
With a strong throw, a Kabutops joined the fray of battle.
"Venus! Razor Leaf again! Keep it going!" Brent instructed, spotting another four times grass weakness in front of him.
"Rock Slide!" Jackie ordered at the same time.
Just as Victreebel reeled back in preparation for its attack, Kabutops sprinted across the battlefield in record time. Dashing in bullet-like sprints, Kabutops zigzagged between each projectile with ease. Almost in the blink of an eye, it appeared at the edge of the grassy hillside on the challenger's side of the arena.
"The rain doesn't just just make water moves stronger. In Guilotine's case, it also doubles his speed and reaction time." Jackie informed her soon to be victim.
With a scrape of its scythe-like limbs, Kabutops slashed at the base of the hillside. Unable to respond, Victreebel took the full force of a landslide.
Large boulders rained down on the challenger's side of the arena. As more and more debris hit, the poison type could only do so much. Yet, even after a heftier crash, the plant remained upright.
"Swords Dance! Then, brace yourself." Jackie commanded.
"We have to stop them now! Venus! Use Giga Drain!" The challenger called out, far more worried than he was comfortable with.
Kabutops sharpened its claws until the point where their sheen was borderline reflective in the rain. Just then, a greenish aura overcame it. Its strength sapped; bright clumps of vitality drained from its center toward its opponent.
The wounds and scratches that Victreebel had accumulated diminished, taking the picture of perfect health, it stood ready for more.
In the opposing side of the ring, Kabutops swayed back and forth. It tensed, about to fall, only to stop just before. Widening its stance, it could fight gravity no more, and it collapsed onto the ground.
"Pesky weed." Jackie muttered to herself, baring some teeth.
"Kabutops is unable to battle. The third round goes to challenger Brent." Lenard declared with a systematic motion by this point.
"Great job, Venus! We've got this one in the bag!" The young teen happily cheered.
"Think so?" Jackie questioned with an intimidating glare as she called back her defeated Pokemon. As she did, her hand tensed into a fist.
"Thrash 'im. Justice!" With an underhanded toss, her next pokeball fell only a few feet in front of her.
A gargantuan Gyrados emerged to take the field. Its full stature dwarfed the building. The sea leviathan's shadow eclipsed both the opposing trainer and his Pokemon.
"Hyper Beam." Jackie uttered ruthlessly.
"V-Venus! Giga Drain again!" The teen ordered, acting as fast as he could.
The slipstream of devastation mercilessly shot down on the challenger's end of the battlefield. It struck instantly with enough force to erase a mountain off the map. The ground shook and the challenger was thrown back. From its point of impact, a massive smokestack fed toward the sky.
Lost for breath, the young trainer stared in awe at the aftermath that a single attack could unleash. The smoke beginning to disperse, he could see his fainted grass type.
Jackie stood tall from across the arena, hands in her pockets. Leering down at the younger, her eyes lacked a hint of compassion.
"If you can't overtake me, don't even bother challenging the League." Jackie bluntly informed. "They'll eat you up and spit you out." She tacked on with a similar amount of crass.
Clenching his teeth, Brent scrambled to his feet, rushing back to his spot on the edge of the battlefield.
"Victreebel is unable to—"
"Return! Go, Storm!" Brent called out, not even letting Lenard finish.
"Oh, uh... Fourth round goes to Jackie!" The referee quickly announced, picking up his pace to match both combatants.
From a flash of light Raichu leaped into battle. Smirking, the electric marsupial jumped back and forth on each of its two feet.
"The rain is a double edge sword." Brent brought up, a fair bit more serious than before. "Your water Pokemon are stronger, but it also means my lightening will never miss." The teen boldly declared.
"Put your money where your mouth is, kid." Jackie barked, quick to instigate.
"Storm, do it now, while she's recovering! Thunder!" Brent commanded.
The heavens crackled, and down from the shifting clouds, a massive vortex of lightning struck the earth directly over the leviathan. The flash was so strong that both the referee and the challenger had to avert their eyes. Jackie simply tilted the rim of her hat downward.
The lightening dissipating, Gyrados crashed into the ground hard without a hint of a fight. The massive creature's girth touching down shook the ground just as much as the earthquake attack from earlier, if not more. Calling back her behemoth, Jackie quickly swapped one pokeball out for the next.
"Fifth round, Brent!" The referee quickly shot out.
The sun returned as the passing rain came to a halt.
Taking notice of the change in weather, Lenard knelt back down, returning his personal umbrella to its hidey-hole.
Jackie spun her next pokeball in her palm. As she did, she glared at the young teen who managed to meet her strong-willed gaze. Releasing the ball, she let it fall toward the ground. As it did, she pulled back her dominant leg, swinging it behind her. Right before the ball could land, she kicked it with the tip of her boot, sending it straight toward her opponent's Raichu.
"Storm! Get ready!" Brent advised.
Jackie's pokeball flashed, from the ball, a fully cocooned Cloyster was summoned directly in front of her opponent's electric type.
"Explosion." Jackie instructed without skipping a beat.
Brent's jaw dropped, the last thing he saw before it was too late was Cloyster's grinning face as it opened itself up only partway. Before he could make any type of command, his opponent's Pokemon detonated, catching his within the dead center of its blast radius.
The battlefield rocked and shaked. It was an arena in name only at this point as multiple massive craters littered the surface in an uneven lopsided pattern.
All set and done, both Pokemon laid face down on the ground.
"Round six, draw! Neither participant's Pokemon is able to battle." Lenard judged accordingly in the aftermath.
Brent grimaced, returning his Raichu to its ball.
Bending down, Jackie caught the pokeball that was sent rolling back toward her direction. Standing back up, she returned her fainted Pokemon as well.
"It's almost over! Go! Petunia!" Brent called out, throwing out his next Pokemon.
From a great ball, Brent's Vileplume took front and center.
"Bite down and don't let up! Undertow!" Jackie called out, throwing out a ball more regularly this time.
The flash subsiding, a lean and mean Feraligator stared down the opposing Vileplume with the eyes of a predator.
"Petunia, use Solar Beam!" The challenger instructed, taking a chance.
The plant creature widened its stance. Bending its head forward, the bulbous petals that ordained its head were aimed directly toward the sun above. Slowly, energy was collected in visible particles, amassing in the center.
"Crunch!" Jackie hollered right back.
Stomping in close, Feraligator's ferocious maw opened up only to snap right back down like a vice. Swooping in as it did, it captured most of the grass type's flower petals as well as part of its body.
"Use Solar Beam now!" Brent called out frantically.
Vileplume tried to fire off its collected energy, but it flinched from the pain.
"Undertow! Fire Fang!" Jackie decisively ordered, seizing the opportunity before her.
Feraligator, still biting down in a lock jaw, pressed even further. In doing so, a spark of fire began from his teeth that quickly consumed its prey in a full combustion.
"G-Giga Drain!" The teen cried out, trying to hold on as best he could.
The flower Pokemon drained some vitality from its attacker, but one attack was not enough to subdue the gator. Similarly, the rejuvenating effects could only counter so much of the damage it had amassed in such a short period of time.
"Finish it! Ice punch!" Jackie roared.
Unclenching its jaw for the first time since contact, Feraligator made a fist. Pulling back, ice grew out from its knuckles. Lunging in, it sucker punched the wounded Pokemon, sending it flying clean out of the arena.
Vileplume bounded off the ground a few times, fainting along the way.
"Round seven, Jackie!" Lenard declared.
Brent called back his defeated Pokemon yet again. The battle was close, far too close. They each had two left. If he could establish himself now, he could still win.
"It's up to you now! Champ!" Brent encouraged, sending out his second to last teammate.
Jumping out of its pokeball, a strong Machamp flexed its powerful muscles.
"Undertow! Use Waterfall!" Jackie shouted with passion.
"Champ! Thunder Punch!" Brent instructed, going for the clear counter.
Feraligator bent low underneath its muscular foe. Leaping up using its hind legs, it launched into a powerful uppercut. Upon collision, a geyser of water shot up beneath them, slamming into their opponent.
Machamp staggered back, but it did not fall. Pulling back one of its four arms, the fighting type Pokemon belted Feraligator clean in the jaw. As sparks of lightening joined the blow, Machamp flung the ferocious beast straight into the ground, punching into creation an outline of the Pokemon deep into the mesh of rubble.
Feraligator struggled to rise up. Its muscles quaked. Its elbows, trembled as it fought to lift its own body weight. Crumbs of dirt rolled off its scales as it stared at its opponent. With a weak, guttural groan, its arms gave out and it ultimately fell back down.
"Round eight, Brent!" The referee made official.
Calling back Feraligator, Jackie swapped it out for her last pokeball. She ran her thumb along the release button. Taking a deep breath, her expression reset. Rather than fire, absolution now etched her features.
"This is it. Shiva." Jackie affirmed, letting loose her final Pokemon.
As the light faded, her last party member made itself known. Across the battlefield, Brent's face became pale. He felt his back leg instinctively inch further away. The sweat clinging to the back of his neck turned cold. Gulping instinctively, his breath hitched and he had to remind himself to breathe. Such was expected of one's first encounter with an Articuno.
Touching down on the ground, the majestic Pokemon of legend graced the challenger with its appearance. With each flap of its wings, the air grew colder, and soon, even both trainers breaths became visible.
"Th-Th-Thunder punch!" Brent instructed, almost letting his breathing run away from him again.
"Drill Peck." Jackie collectively ordered.
Before Machamp could even pull back his arm again, Articuno appeared before him in a single flap of its wings. The air cycled around the bird Pokemon and as it lunged its head forward, the air folded and ripped forward, lashing out at the other Pokemon. Rending air struck Machamp from all over. Even if it had not been somewhat weakened by its previous bout, it would not have been able to stand against that attack.
Dropping, Machamp collapsed backward against the ground.
"Round nine, Jackie!" Lenard officiated. "It is at this time that the referee would like to remind the current Gym Leader that Articuno is still an ice type, not water." The man criticized behind a polite well-mannered tone.
"The Gym Leader would also like to remind the referee that ice is still just cold water." Jackie retorted with a quick glance. "They'd also like to remind you to shut it." She added on, dropping any accidental guise of civility.
Brent tensed as he called back his penultimate teammate. Trembling, he held his last chance in his hand.
"It's all up to you! Go! Burner!" Brent desperately cried out.
Emerging from its pokeball, Charizard stared down the legendary bird.
"Burner! Fire Blast!" Brent commanded, trying to end things fast.
"Shiva. Light Screen." Jackie instructed, knowing well how disadvantageous a drawn-out battle would be for her opponent.
The mighty reptile stood its ground. Light peaking out from the back of its throat, the dragon's spitfire was shot out in front of it like a cannon, rupturing the ground around it as it did.
As the blazing attack approached the ice type, it simply folded its wings around itself. A heavenly veil of light surrounded it, coating it in what could only appear to be divine protection.
The fire hit dead on, and Brent's face lit up as it did. A moment later, Articuno spread its wings triumphantly, dispersing the fire in an instant. Witnessing his starter's most powerful attack being shrugged off like a fair breeze, any hope remaining drained from the youth's face.
"R-Rock Tomb!" The challenger squeaked out, his voice nearly cracking as he did.
"Soar Shiva. Use Fly." Jackie countered instinctively.
Charizard grabbed hold of a nearby boulder left behind by Kabutops Rock Slide seven rounds ago. Raising it overhead, it hurled it out toward the avian. Before it could hit, the legendary Pokemon took high to the sky, gliding in circles around the arena. Successfully, avoiding the attack, it swooped back down, dive-bombing the overgrown lizard and sending it backward.
"Burner! Use Flamethrower!" Brent called out, aiming for some consistent damage.
Caught right after an attack, Articuno could not avoid this move. Turning to its side, it took another direct hit.
"Yes!" The young challenger cheered, perhaps a little too preemptively.
Articuno stretched out its wings once more, subsiding the flames again.
"Light Screen lasts for five turns." Jackie informed plainly, neglecting the typical bite or insult that usually followed.
The youngster recoiled slightly at the grim reminder.
"Ice Beam." Jackie instructed.
"Quick, Burner! Fly!" Brent commanded, trying to steal a page from his opponent's book.
Unfortunately for the youth, Articuno struck first this time. A crystallizing beam of freezing cold shot out from the avian's beak. It froze the ground in front of it as it corrected its aim and made a direct hit on its adversary. Charizard spread its wings to take to the skies, but by the time it did, its wings had already frozen over, keeping it land-locked.
"N-No…" Brent choked out, his hands shaking in a hopeless frustration.
Turning his sights toward the young challenger, Lenard studied his troubled demeanor. In doing so, he kept his next judgment to himself.
Brent, you performed well, but unfortunately, you aren't going to win. You misunderstood the point of this battle. Jackie made you think she wanted you to be able to match her in strength and overpower her, but that was never the case. You might both only have one Pokemon left, but this battle is anything but close. She goaded you into using the Pokemon that would be the most problematic for her, then eliminated them one by one. From the very beginning, Jackie's set the pace of this match. She started slow, then cranked it up more and more. Then, at the very end, she dragged things to complete and utter halt. She's nothing but composed, but you're still acting as if it's a sprint. Battles are more than just power or technique, they require a level of mental fortitude. The League are full of worldly trainers who each battle in their own way. Unless you can set your own pace, you aren't ready to face them. I'm sorry Brent, this is going to be one of the hardest losses you'll ever experience, because even when it's over, you won't know where to improve.
"Burner! Flamethrower!" Brent cried out one last time.
"Shiva. Ice beam." Jackie calmly ordered with an unfaltering resolve.
A stream of fire met a concentration of freezing ice. In contrast, the fire was messy and unfocused. As a result, when the two met head to head, ice won full out. Pushing straight through the hottest flames, Articuno's ice carved right down the middle, colliding dead center with the dragon.
The flames ceased as did the other's ice. Leaning forward, Charizard collapsed flat along the ground, fainting on the spot. Much like his partner, Brent dropped to his knees in defeat.
"Challenger Brent is out of usable Pokemon." Lenard announced, raising his left hand. "Gym Leader Jackie is the winner!" He concluded with one final signaling gesture.
Flapping its grand wingspan, Articuno rejoined its trainer. Recalling her Pokemon, Jackie kept her gaze locked with the young teen.
"Your precious little deadline. You won't make it, not as you are now." Jackie heartlessly decreed before giving the other her back and heading toward her Gym.
… … …
"Man, the water pressure here is way better than my place. It ain't even a competition." Jackie mentioned, stepping out of the Gym's communal showers in a loaner bikini top and some swim trunks.
Drying her hair off with a towel, she met the disapproving stare of her coworker. He sat in the corner, taking up a recently set up folding chair.
"Dude, are you seriously setting up camp outside the shower?" Jackie questioned with physical repulsion.
"I saw Brent head out toward the wild area as soon as he left the Pokemon Center." Lenard informed, disregarding the other's comment. "Despite your best efforts, I don't think that kid's through with you yet."
"Duh." Jackie breathed out, laying the towel over her shoulders.
"What's that supposed to mean?" The Gym staff questioned with a raised brow.
"Kid's got seven badges. The only people who drop outta the running of the Gym challenges are the ones who can only get the first couple or if real life gets in the way." Jackie imparted her wisdom, cleaning out her ears at the same time. "I still don't think he's ready for the League, but two weeks might be enough time to fill in some big holes he's got. Kid should be able to squeak out a victory against me in the process."
Lenard's glare seemed to harden two-fold by the end of the other's explanation. Upon realizing this, Jackie glared right back.
"What's your problem now?" She asked, resting the towel on her shoulders again.
"Why can't you act like this in front of the gym challengers instead of posturing yourself like some sort of villain?" The disgruntled worker brought up, frowning heavily.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Jackie plead ignorance, turning away partially.
"You wore a Rocket uniform to battle today." Lenard was quick to bring up.
"That 'R' could stand for anything." Jackie just as quickly retorted.
"What?" The man groaned in his seat. "Oh my god. Please don't tell me this is one of those, 'wearing your sins on your back' kind of deals. Just gag me with a spoon already if it is." The man complained only further.
"Hey, do me a favor and call the construction guys to fix up the back arena again. 'Kay. Thanks. Bye." Jackie asked in name only as she waved and walked out of the room.
"Slave driver." Lenard called back out from the showers.
"Stick-in-the-mud." Jackie retorted just the same, smirking as she did.
Smiling to herself as she walked down along sides of the pool that doubled as the Gym's interior arena, Jackie felt eager about the future, and the next challenge it would bring. Whether that challenge was Brent, or someone new, or even another curve ball that life was oh so fond of throwing her way, she would meet it head on.
The End