"Victor and Gloria arrive in Hulbury, only to learn that Gym Leader Nessa isn't accepting any challenges until the Lighthouse is repaired. Helping her, our heroes face serious dangers, when they are saved by a mysterious Toxtricity. Now with the emergency averted, Victor and his Pokémon are all ready to challenge their second Gym Battle."
"Water War"
In the Hulbury Stadium's locker room, Victor, wearing his Gym uniform, is seated, looking at Scorbunny, Rookidee, and Pikachu.
Victor sighs, "Okay, today is the day. Everyone ready?"
All three Pokémon raise a hand or wing.
"Scor!"
"Dee!"
"Pika!"
Small sparks go off on Pikachu's cheeks.
"Righ…" Victor starts. "Well, Nessa uses Water-Types, so, I'm sorry Scorbunny, but I shouldn't use you."
"Scor…" Scorbunny looks down, as Rookidee pats it on the back with a wing.
"Which means I should use…" Victor says, as he notices Pikachu's cheeks spark again.
At the Pokémon Center, the nurse behind the counter hands Victor a tray holding three Poké Balls.
"Thank you very much," Victor says, as he takes the Poké Balls.
"You might want to keep a close eye on Pikachu," the nurse suggests.
"Pikachu, why, what's wrong?" Victor asks, holding a Poké Ball.
"Pikachu appeared to be fully healthy…" the nurse starts. "However, it seems to contain a high level of electricity, greater than any Pikachu of its level should."
"Pikachu…" Victor says, before looking at the Poké Ball in his hand.
"Pika?" Pikachu tilts its head as Victor watches it.
"Could've Pikachu absorb that extra electricity while protecting me from the lightning yesterday…" Victor wonders.
"Excuse me."
Victor looks up to see Julia entering the locker room.
"Your Gym Mission is about to begin," Julia says.
"I-I'll be right there," Victor says, before Julia turns to leave.
Victor then looked back at Pikachu, who had turned its head to watch Julia, before its cheeks spark.
In the stadium, Gloria is seated in the stands with Toxel on her lap, with Sobble and Dotter in the seat next to her, with Sirfetch'd on her other side.
Gloria looks down at Toxel, "So Toxel, are you excited for your first Gym Battle?"
Toxel looks down, with tears in its eyes.
"Sobbl, Sobbl," Sobble says.
"Toxe! Toxe!" Toxel waves its hands, as Gloria sighs.
Gloria looks over to Sirfetch'd, who is downtrodden with a sweat drop, "And you're disappointed you not battling?"
"Sir, fetch…" Sirfetch'd lowers it head.
Down on the arena, Dan is standing in the center, holding up an arm, "Now, everyone, we are ready to begin! For anyone who doesn't know, I am Dan the referee…"
"Dan?" Gloria sweat drops, as she remembers Dan from the Turffield Stadium. "He really gets around…"
"The first Gym Mission of the day is ready to begin!" Dan announces. "With the Gym Challenger, Victor from Postwick!"
Victor enters a large room, which is a maze of a platform, with water shoots down from pipes, blocking some of the paths. Victor looks around.
"In this Gym Mission," Dan's voice heard over a loudspeaker. "Gym Challengers have to find their way through this maze to the exit. The Gym Challenger can't use any of their Pokémon, but there isn't a time limit. However, there is a risk of the Challenger growing exhausted, which could have negative effects on their performance in the following Gym Battle."
"This doesn't seem too bad," Gloria starts. "Victor should be fine, as long as he remains focused."
"Toxe!"
"Alright, let the Gym Mission," Dan says from the loudspeaker. "Begin!"
Victor breaths in, before he starts walking across the platform, coming across his first pillar of water.
Victor reaches out and touches the water, but quickly pulls it back, "It's too fast and hot to pass through."
Victor looks left to right, before noticing a control panel at the end of another path. He walks over to it, and after looking at it for a second, presses a button, followed by the water pipe, blocking his path, shuts off.
Turning away from the control panel, Victor continues down the path. Taking a left, Victor follows the path around a curve before finding another blast of water blocking him. He retraces his tracks, taking the right path he passed earlier, which leads to another control panel. Pressing the button like last, a pipe turns off, shutting off the water.
"Pika Pi!" Pikachu smiles, as its cheeks spark.
Staying at the control panel for a couple more seconds, Victor turns away, returning to the spot where the second water blast blocked him, and continues onward. After a couple more turns, he finds two split in the platforms, with the right side leading to a control panel. Without skipping a beat, Victor goes to the right side, pressing the button on the control panel.
Victor then turns back to the split, but is stopped by a blast of water shooting from a pipe overhead, "What? This path was clear a moment ago…" Victor turns back to the control panel. "Until I turned the water on…"
Victor turns back, returns to the control and presses the button, watching as the water pipe shuts off.
"Toxe?" Toxel tilts its head slightly.
"Victor is distracted?" Gloria realizes. "What could be wrong…?"
Victor continues through the maze, reaching a water blasting deadend, before he turns back to another split and finds another control panel, pressing the button to clear his path.
"Could the extra electricity put a strain on Pikachu's health? Should I put off on using it in battle?" Victor continues on the path, barely paying attention. "Of course I should, Pikachu's health is more important than a Gym Battle. But Pikachu looked forward to battling today, and it won't be okay sending Scorbunny against an opponent it has a type disadvantage against…"
"Gym Mission is completed!" Dan is heard announces. "Victor passed!"
Victor comes to a stop, looking up before noticing that he had reached the end of the platform maze.
Gloria breathes a sigh of relief, "For a minute there, I thought Victor won't be able to find his way through that maze…"
"Toxe! Toxe!" Toxel happily cheers, as Sobble and Dotter smile at it.
Gloria smiles at Toxel, before looking ahead, "I just hope that he will be able to stay focused on this Gym Battle."
"Now, it is time for the Gym Battle to commence!" Dan announces, over a round of applause. "First, is the Hulbury Gym Leader, Nessa!"
Ness enters the arena, waving a hand and bows a kiss at the crowds, to a lot of applause.
"And now, the Gym Challenger, Victor!"
Victor enters the arena from the other side, looking slightly downward, as he walks toward his spot on the arena.
"I look forward to seeing what you're capable of in a Pokémon Battle," Nessa says, with a smile.
"Right…" Victor nods his head.
At that moment, transmitters start to emerge from the ground around the edge of the arena, before bright lights emerge from them, creating a large dome-shaped barrier around and above the arena.
Then four large areas of the arena floor slide open, revealing a large water filled tank, with the four areas form a large circle around the arena.
"What in the…?" Victor asks.
"The first Pokémon I always used in Gym Battles have trouble on dry land, so it requires this special water field," Nessa explains.
Gloria holds a hand to her chin, "It makes sense." She starts to think about Drednaw climbing onto the dock. "But that also means Drednaw won't be her first Pokémon since it had no problems on dry land."
"Both Challenger and Gym Leader are allowed the use of two Pokémon, but only the Challenger is allowed to switch out," Dan says, before he raises a hand. "So, if everyone's ready? Begin!"
"Okay, then, c'mon on out, Arrokuda!" Nessa throws a Dive Ball, which opens midair and shoots out red energy and forms an Arrokuda in the water field.
"Arrokuda…?" Victor repeats.
Victor's Rotom Phone flies up and floats in front of him, "Arrokuda, the Rush Pokémon, If it sees any movements around it, this Pokémon charges for it straightaway, leading with its sharply pointed jaw. It's very proud of that jaw."
"So Arrokuda's fast," Gloria starts. "Well, so is Pikachu, and with its electric attacks, Arrokuda shouldn't be too much of a problem."
"Go, Rookidee!" Victor throws a Poké Ball, which opens and shoots out red energy, forming Rookidee.
"Dee! Dee!"
"Well, that was unexpected!" Gloria nearly falls to the side.
"Interesting… Victor's seem to be a smart kid, knowledgeable of type advantages…" Nessa starts to think. "So he might have a specific strategy in mind with Rookidee, or he trying to test Arrokuda's abilities and saving Pikachu in reserve…"
"Anyway, there's no point in speculating," Nessa throws down a hand. "Arrokuda, begin with Fury Attack!"
"Arro!" Arrokuda swims around in the water field, as its beak glows, before it jumps out of the water. "Kuda!"
"Rookidee, quick, dodge it!" Victor instructs.
"Dee! Dee!" Rookidee flies left to right, as Arrokuda jumps pass it four times.
"Not bad, not many can dodge my Arrokuda's Fury Attack," Nessa says.
"Rookidee's dream is to fly for Corviknight Taxi, which not only require strength but speed, and Rookidee already increased its speed a great deal before we met," Victor explains.
"I see, it's good to have dreams," Nessa says, before pointing ahead. "Now let's put its speed to the real test, with Aqua Jet!"
"Arro, Kuda!" Arrokuda swims around in the water field, surrounding by a veil of water, before shooting out of the water field, still surrounded by water, striking pass Rookidee.
"Dee!" Rookidee yells, before Arrokuda, surrounded by water, shoots past it a couple times, hitting Rookidee every time. "Dee! Dee!"
"Arro, Kuda!" Arrokuda shoots forward one more time, striking pass Rookidee.
"Dee!" Rookidee falls backward into the water field.
"Rookidee!" Victor calls out.
"Now, here's our chance, Arrokuda," Nessa says, before closing a fist. "Whirlpool!"
"Arro, Kuda! Arro, Kuda!" Arrokuda swims around the submerged Rookidee repeatedly, creating a whirlpool, as Rookidee is thrashed around.
"Rookidee!" Victor calls out again, as the whirlpool fades away, before Rookidee resurfaces, with its eyes whirling.
"Rookidee is unable to battle!" Dan calls out.
Victor picks up Rookidee in his arms, "Rookidee, I'm so sorry." Victor holds up a Poké Ball, which shoots out a red beam, turning Rookidee into red energy and flies back into the Poké Ball.
Victor sighs, "Scorbunny won't stand any chance against Nessa's Pokémon, especially on a water field… so I have no choice."
Victor throws another Poké Ball, "Go, Pikachu!"
The Poké Ball opens up, shoots out red energy, which forms Pikachu.
"Pika, Pika, Pi!" Pikachu's cheeks spark.
"Not good…" Victor thinks.
"Alright, now that Pikachu is out, it can just electruce the water field," Gloria realizes.
"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Victor calls out.
"Or not!" Gloria nearly falls to the side.
"Pika! Pi!" Pikachu runs speedly ahead.
"Arrokuda, dive beneath the surface!" Nessa instructs.
"Arro!" Arrokuda dives under the water, as Pikachu skips off the surface, just missing it, and lands on the land in the center of the water field.
"Pika, Pika," Pikachu's cheeks spark.
"I don't know why you are holding back Pikachu's true power, but I'm not gonna hold back," Nessa starts. "Arrokuda, Aqua Jet!"
"Arro, Kuda!" Arrokuda swims around in the water field, surrounded by a veil of water, before shooting out of the water field, still surrounded by water, striking past Pikachu.
"Pika!" Pikachu is knocked through the air and into the water surface.
"Pikachu, no!" Victor calls out.
"Now, Arrokuda, use Whirlpool!" Nessa instructs.
"Arro, Kuda! Arro, Kuda!" Arrokuda swims around the submerged Pikachu repeatedly, creating a whirlpool, as Pikachu is thrashed around.
"Pikachu!" Victor yells, as he thinks about Pikachu's cheeks sparking in the locker room. "I have no choice… Pikachu… use Thunder Shock!"
"Pika…" Pikachu grasps underwater, in the center of the whirlpool, as its cheeks spark even more. "Pika! Chu!"
A large blast of electricity shoots from Pikachu, spreading outward, and blowing apart the whirlpool, knocking Arrokuda back, out of the water field and into Nessa's arms.
"Arrokuda?!" Nessa calls out, as Arrokuda's eyes whirl. "I guess you can't battle anymore."
"That's mine line…" Dan says, with a sweat drop, before he and Nessa notices that Pikachu's blast of electricity continues and grows in intensity.
"Pikachu!" Victor calls out, watching as blasts of electricity continue to shoot out from Pikachu's body, as it seems to yell without any sound. "No good, it can't control the attack, because of that extra electricity…"
Electricity shoots from Pikachu, colliding with the lightning bolt, creating a flash of explosion, sending Pikachu flying back, with Victor falling down.
"That's it!" Victor realizes, as he looks up at the sky, before looking ahead at Nessa. "Nessa, please, take down the Max Barrier, temporary."
After a second, Nessa nods her head and holds up a Rotom Phone, "Do it. Turn off the Max Barrier."
The large dome-like barrier around and above the arena disappears.
"Now, Pikachu, with all the power you could muster, fire your biggest Thunder Shock straight up, into the sky!" Victor instructs, throwing an arm up.
"Pika…" Pikachu grasps another breath, still shooting electricity from its body. "Pika! Chu!"
Pikachu fires a massive blast of electricity upward, into the sky, causing thunder clouds to form before despistating. At the same time, electricity in the water field fades away.
"Pikachu…" Victor watches the water field.
Suddenly, Pikachu reaches the surface of the water field, "Pika." Pikachu climbs out of the water field and approaches its Trainer. "Pika! Pika!"
"Pikachu, are you okay?" Victor asks as he pets his Pokémon.
"Pika! Pika!" Pikachu smiles.
"I see, Pikachu must have absorbed some of the lightning yesterday," Nessa realizes. "Victor, can Pikachu continue to battle?"
Victor looks from Nessa back to his Pokémon, "Well, Pikachu, up for it?"
"Pika!" Pikachu nods its head and turns around.
"I'm not sure what happened, but it seems everything worked out just fine," Gloria says.
"Toxe! Toxe!" Toxel cheers.
The large dome-like barrier reappears above and around the arena. Follows by the water field closing back up.
"Now, let's go, my partner, Drednaw!" Nessa throws a Dive Ball, which opens and shoots out red energy, forming Drednaw.
"Dred! Naw!"
"Sobbl!" Sobble quickly hides behind Dottler.
"Dot-er?" Dottler turns to face Sobble.
"I think it's safe to say that you had earned our full power," Nessa starts, as she holds out a Dive Ball, which shoots out a red beam, turning Drednaw into red energy and flies back into the Dive Ball. "Flood the stadium and make it our ocean, Drednaw!" Nessa then holds out her hands, with the large, glowing Dive Ball surrounding it, before Nessa starts to turn around, "Gigantanmax!"
Nessa throws the large Dive Ball which opens and shoots out a massive red energy, as it starts to take shape and grows, as Drednaw stands upright, with its shell growing and its headdress grows into a sharp horn, "Dred! Naw!"
"Sobbl…" Sobble shivers behind Dottler.
Gloria looks up at Drednaw, "So… that's a Gigantanmax Pokémon… in personal…"
"Incredible…" Victor looks up at Drednaw.
"So Victor, we are showing you our full power, so let's see Pikachu's spark," Nessa says.
"Pikachu's spark…" Victor looks down at his Pokémon. "You said something about that yesterday…"
Victor looks at the Poké Ball in his hand, and then his Dynamax Band, before closing his eyes. Pikachu looks over to Victor, then looks straight ahead and closes its eyes.
"I have no idea what Nessa's talking about, but I do believe in Pikachu's strength, now more so than ever..." Victor thinks, as he holds his Poké Ball in front of his chest. "If Pikachu truly has a great power buried deep within, I believe, no, I know, we can bring it out. Pikachu's power. Pikachu's spark…"
"Let's do this, Pikachu!" Victor's eyes open up.
"Pika, Pi!" Pikachu's eyes open up.
Victor holds out a Poké Ball, which shoots out a red beam, turning Pikachu into red energy, and flies into the Poké Ball. "Let's go, Pikachu!" Victor then holds out his hands, with the large, glowing Poké Ball surrounding it, before Victor starts to turn around, "Gigantanmax!"
Victor throws the large Poké Ball which opens and shoots out a massive red energy, as it starts to take shape and grows, with Pikachu's tail electrified and lengthened, becoming longer then Pikachu's giant body, "Pika! Pika!"
"Sobbl…" Sobble looks out from behind Dottler, before a smile forms on its face. "Sobbl!"
"Toxe! Toxe!" Toxel cheers.
"Amazing, Pikachu Gigantanmaxed too," Gloria says, as Sirfetch'd looks over to it.
"I know your Pikachu has a special spark," Nessa says. "I'm glad you were able to unleash it."
Victor nods his head, "And we just got started. Pikachu, use G-Max Volt Crash!"
"Pika!" Pikachu gets into all four, as its tail raises up, before a large electric blast shoots from its body. "Chu!"
The large electric blast shoots straight up, skimming across the Max Barrier, before coming toward Drednaw.
"Drednaw, block with your shell!" Nessa instructs.
"Dred! Naw!" Drednaw drops onto all four, as the electric blast strikes Drednaw's shell.
"It blocked with its shell," Victor comments.
"That's right, with Drednaw weak against electric attacks, we have to find a strategy against it, and while blocking with its shell doesn't negate the attack, it does reduce the damage," Nessa explains. "Now, Drednaw, it's our turn. Max Rockfall!"
"Dred! Naw!" Drednaw slams its front legs down on the ground, causing a giant rock slab erupts up in front of Drednaw, before it starts to fall over.
"Pikachu, stop it with Max Strike!" Victor instructs.
"Pika!" Pikachu slams a hand on the ground, causing a part of the ground to crack, before a large explosion geyser shoots up, blasting apart the rock slab.
"Pikachu, quick, get in close!" Victor calls out.
"Pika!" Pikachu runs toward Drednaw, who gets back on its hindlegs, before it grapples with Pikachu. "Pika!"
"Big mistake," Nessa starts. "Drednaw, give them a close-range G-Max Stonesurge!"
"Dred! Naw!" Drednaw opens its mouth, as a large blast of a water stream shoots out, knocking Pikachu far back across the arena, as sharp rocks are also knocked around the arena.
"Pikachu!" Victor calls out.
"Advantage and disadvantage means little when it comes to a powerful close-range attack," Nessa says.
"Pikachu, are you okay?" Victor asks.
"Pika!" Pikachu manges to return to its feet.
"Good, then let's use Max Strike again!" Victor holds out a hand.
"Drednaw, Max Rockfall!" Nessa calls out.
"Pika!"
"Dred! Naw!"
Pikachu slams a hand on the ground, causing a part of the ground to crack, as Drednaw slams its front legs down on the ground, causing a giant rock slab erupts up in front of Drednaw, before it starts to fall over while a large explosion geyser shoots up, blowing apart the rock slab.
"Here's our chance, Pikachu, runs around the side!" Victor instructs.
"Pika! Pi!" Pikachu runs around the side of the arena, but it starts to run into large sharp rocks, as they explode alongside it, slowing Pikachu. "Pika!"
"What's going on?!" Victor asks.
"G-Max Stonesurge left behind those sharp rocks, although they are usually used to damage Pokémon that are switched in, but the exploding of Max Rockfall brought them up into the air," Nessa explains. "Allowing them to damage Pikachu."
"Wow, I don't believe how inventive Gym Leaders can get with their moves," Gloria comments.
"Toxe! Toxe!" Toxel holds up its hands.
"We are not gonna let this stop us, Pikachu, G-Max Volt Crash!" Victor calls out.
"Pika!" Pikachu continues to run toward Drednaw, as its tail raises up, before a large electric blast shoots from its body. "Chu!"
"Drednaw, Max Rockfall, again!" Nessa instructs.
"Dred! Naw!" Drednaw slams its front legs down on the ground, causing a giant rock slab erupts up in front of Drednaw.
Pikachu slams into the rock slab, blowing it apart, as the electric blast shoots into the sky and back down, slamming into Drednaw's shell.
Pikachu is knocked back across the arena, "Pika…"
Victor looks at Pikachu, "This isn't good, Pikachu is low on energy, we need to find a way around Drednaw's shell, but how…?"
Victor then looks up, seeing the clouds high above the Max Barrier, "...Lightning!"
"This has gone on long enough, Drednaw, end it with G-Max Stonesurge!" Nessa calls out.
"We only have one shot at this, Pikachu, fires a G-Max Volt Crash, straight in the center of the arena!" Victor instructs, throwing a hand to the side.
"Why would Victor…" Nessa wonders, before her eyes widen and she turns to her Pokémon. "Drednaw, stop!"
"Dred! Naw!" Drednaw fires a large water blast stream from its mouth, with Nessa holding up her arms.
"Pika! Chu!" Pikachu gets onto all four, as its tail raises up, and a large electric blast shoots from its body, straight up, skims across the Max Barrier, and shoots straight down in the center of the arena.
The water blast stream hits the electric blast, causing electricity to run back across the water stream, until it reaches Drednaw, blasting it with electricity, before a large explosion goes off around the Pokémon.
Pikachu is glowing and then shrinks down to normal size, as it stands back up, breathing heavily, "Pika… Pika…"
Victor runs over to his Pokémon, "Pikachu, are you okay?"
"Pika!" Pikachu looks over to its Trainer, smiling.
The two then look ahead, to see the smoke clears, revealing that Drednaw, having returned to normal size and form, is lying down with its eyes whirling.
"Drednaw is unable to battle," Dan calls out. "The winner is Victor!"
"We did it! We won!" Victor pumps a fist into the air.
"Pika! Pika!" Pikachu jumps up and pumps a fist in the air.
Victor, smiling, holds out two Poké Balls, with both open up and shoot out red energies, which form Scorbunny and Rookidee.
"Scorbunny, Rookidee, we won our second Gym Battle," Victor tells them.
"Scor!" Scorbunny pumps a fist in the air.
"Dee!" Scorbunny flies a few seconds off the ground before landing.
"Pika, Pika," Pikachu walks over to them, before it waves its hands around in a round shape and then stands tall with its hands on its sides. "Pika, Pika, Pi."
"Dee," Rookidee happily says.
"Scor, Scor," Scorbunny rubs the back of its head, while blushing.
"So, Toxel," Gloria looks down at the Pokémon in her lap, who looks up at her. "What do you think of your first Gym Battle?"
"Toxe, Toxe!" Toxel excitedly responds.
Nessa knees next to Drednaw, holding out a Dive Ball, "You did well, Drednaw."
Drednaw turns into red energy, which flies into the Dive Ball, before it closes.
Nessa then stands up, crossing her arms, watching Victor and his Pokémon, "I wonder, could all of Victor's Pokémon have the same special spark?"
Nessa then walks over to Victor and his Pokémon, "Congratulations, to you all. And now, it would be my honor to present to you the Water Badge." Nessa hands Victor a badge that is designed to resemble three water droplets in a circle.
The Water Badge is added to the metal ring.
"Alright, I got the Water Badge!" Victor holds up the metal ring.
"Scor!"
"Dee!"
"Pika!"
"Victor and his team did great," Nessa thinks, as she watches Victor talking to his Pokémon. "But next up would be Kabu at Motostoke. He might put Victor and his Pokémon to the ultimate test."
"Another Gym Badge claimed. But what of Nessa's foreboding prophecy? Will Victor be able to overcome his next Gym Battle? Or is Kabu too powerful for our young hero and his Pokémon?"
"Find out, as the journey continues..."