POKÉMON: INFINITE LEGACIES
THE CIPRYS REGION
CHAPTER 19
FIGHTING SPIRIT: THE CLASH FOR THE PHANTOM BADGE CONTINUES!

But doubt emerged in Flame's mind. The longer he looked at Litten, the more his confidence waned. Thinking about what to do next, he was only half listening to Declan.

". . . but your Litten is a fast one," he heard the last of the gym leader's words, as he held out his Dusk Ball and Shuppet was absorbed in a bright red light.

"Your Shuppet wasn't bad either," said Flame absently, eyes elsewhere.

Despite Blaze, the flames around Litten were wavering. Determination shone in his yellow eyes, but his flanks were heaving with exertion, his mouth open to suck in oxygen, as he glared towards Declan, itching to face his next Pokémon.

"But I'm afraid the page is about to be turned my way, my boy."

"We'll see," Flame responded.

Declan delved into his jacket pocket, but instead of pulling out another Dusk Ball, he emerged with what looked like a diary, leather-bound and its pages yellowed.

If Flame hadn't been so concerned with Litten, he might have said, What are you doing?! This isn't the time for reading! We're in a battle! But whatever Declan was doing, he didn't mind; it gave him more time to decide on Litten.

Declan gave Flame a confident stare (not that Flame was really paying much attention) before opening up the diary and then throwing it, carelessly, forwards. The diary did not hit the floor, though. It floated in mid-air and doubled in size: black, tattered, and arcane symbols becoming visible.

"Meet Cursiary," said Declan. "The cursed diary Pokémon. And now, my boy, you really don't have a, wait for it . . . ghost of a chance! Mwahahaha!"

Selina felt like facepalming herself. "How original . . ." she mumbled. But Flame's got to be careful. Cursiary has beaten Drifloon and Eevee in the past more times than I can count.

Flame didn't see the funny side either, too preoccupied with Litten's condition. He breathed out. He wasn't sure it was the right call, and he knew Litten wasn't going to like it, but he suspected Litten wouldn't last much longer in his current state. "Litten," he called, "take some time out for now."

Litten's head snapped round. He muttered something under his breath.

"Litten, do as I ask. Please. You need some rest."

Litten glared at Flame as though he was going to disobey, but he knew his own strength and, however much he wanted to continue, he knew there was truth in his trainer's words. Without any further protest, he prowled back to Flame's side, head lowered.

Flame flung his next Poké Ball forwards. The dark grey Poké Ball with gold and red, orange and silver highlighting opened up. Golden light sparkled before plunging downwards and forming into a brown-furred Pokémon. "Eevee! Help me out!"

Eevee posed, chest puffed out and tail high, upon appearing. She looked at Flame before he gestured the other way. She turned and faced Declan's Cursiary with a bright, determined gaze. "Ee-vee," she growled.

So, he's using Eevee instead of Oriota, thought Selina. Interesting.

It had been a tough choice for Flame to leave Oriota out, but he felt they still needed some more time to better understand each other, and he didn't a think a gym battle with what's at stake was the right time to do that.

Flame eyed Cursiary warily. He'd heard of the Pokémon before, but had never seen it in battle. "Watch closely," he told Litten. "If Eevee doesn't win, it's on you to beat Cursiary."

Litten mrrowed in agreement. About facing Cursiary or about Eevee not winning, Flame wasn't sure.

"A Normal-type," pondered Declan. "I'm interested to see what effective moves Eevee has against a Ghost-type like Cursiary."

Flame grinned. "And vice-versa."

"Of course." Declan smiled back. "Now, Cursiary, your best Will-O-Wisp please!"

Cursiary opened its outer shell so that its inner pages were visible. They glowed with a mysterious purple and orange hue. Several pages erupted into flames and turned into dark purple, pink, and blue fireballs. The fireballs rotated around Cursiary, now closed, before hurtling towards Eevee.

Apprehension widened Eevee's eyes as Cursiary's attack approached, her tail twitching nervously.

Flame waited until the last moment: "Dodge with Quick Attack!" he shouted.

Energy surged into Eevee's body. The evolution Pokémon bounded out of Will-o-Wisp's reach with ease, leaving the Fire-type attack to fizzle out, floating to the floor and fading away.

Clever, reflected Selina. Quick Attack may have no effect on Ghost-types, but he's improvised so that Eevee can use it to stay away from Cursiary's attacks.

Declan's face gave little away. "Hmm, you think that will save you?" he said. "Cursiary, Will-o-Wisp Feint Attack!"

Panic flashed in Flame's eyes. "Will-o-what?"

Cursiary opened up again. The cursed diary Pokémon scattered scrunched up pieces of paper with arcane lettering. They burst into flames and rose anew as dark purple, pink, and blue fireballs. The fireballs circled around Cursiary and, this time, stayed there. Then, with unexpected speed, Cursiary levitated towards Eevee.

Despite the gym's air-con, a bead of sweat trickled down Flame's forehead. "Quick!" he exclaimed. "Dodge! With Quick Attack!" Damn. I have to turn this around. He's got me and Eevee on the back foot.

Declan grinned. "You can try . . ."

Eevee sprinted away from Cursiary. Thinking she was in the clear, Flame began to think about how to counterattack—until Cursiary vanished. Eevee looked around herself in surprise, her trainer equally dumbfounded. And then Cursiary appeared suddenly beside her. A tentacle-like shadow extended from Cursiary's inner pages and lashed out at Eevee.

". . . but Feint Attack never misses," Declan finished.

Pain contorted Eevee's face, and she cried out in shock as Feint Attack raked her flank and the fireballs that encircled Cursiary scorched her side. The sudden impact at such a high speed threw Eevee sideways. She crashed against one of the four pillars that surrounded the battlefield and crumbled to the floor.

"Eevee . . ." moaned his Pokémon, trying to stand. But flames sparked across her body and she collapsed, her eyes shut.

"Eevee is unable to battle," came Selina's voice. "Both trainers have one Pokémon remaining."

Flame didn't know what to say. Even Litten had nothing to say after his rival's defeat. All Flame could think about was the moment when Eevee had hatched from her egg, and guilt crossed his mind: He should have done more; it was his fault Eevee lost.

"Flame, are you ready?" called Selina, the concern clear in her voice.

"Yeah," he replied quickly. He gritted his teeth. I should've realised Declan's attack was a combination of Will-o-Wisp and Feint Attack, and Feint Attack never misses. His battle against Alyssa flashed in his mind. Just like Magical Leaf.

Flame took out Eevee's Luxury Ball and returned his Pokémon, his hold tightening as he thought, Sorry, Eevee. He breathed out, his gaze turning to Cursiary and Declan. The battle's not over yet. "Are you ready, buddy?" he asked Litten.

Litten stepped forwards and mrrowed his name confidently as if to say I thought you'd never ask.

Flame half-smiled. "I'll take that as a yes."

Flames crackled across Litten's glossy black fur. The intense light, red and fiery, had reignited and surrounded Litten. Blaze, knew Flame, was a blessing in disguise. It would boost the power of Litten's Fire-type attacks, but also served as a reminder that Litten was vulnerable: If Cursiary landed even a single attack, Flame suspected Litten would share Eevee's fate.

Litten started growling at Cursiary.

Cursiary floated forwards and then back, its shadowy tentacle lashing to and fro. Whatever Litten had said had clearly upset the cursed diary Pokémon.

"Trash talk won't win you this battle," remarked Declan. "Cursiary, let's close this chapter quickly—Night Shade!"

I can't hesitate this time around. "Counter with Ember!" Flame shouted.

Litten's forehead glowed bright red and the fur along the ridge of his back spiked up. Fire energy formed inside his mouth, and then was unleashed in the form of a big fireball at Cursiary. Flame felt the fireball's heat from where he stood.

Cursiary started to spin, rotating at great speed. A purple aura surrounded its body and then crimson-coloured rings formed in front. A strange, crooked grin emerged on Cursiary's face (if you could call it that) as the rings darted for Litten.

Flame and Declan stared between their own and their opponent's attack. Ember and Night Shade clashed halfway. A small boom echoed across the battlefield, swiftly followed by a light cloud of smoke.

"Night Shade once more!"

"No backing down either! Ember!"

Litten and Cursiary relaunched their attacks. The result was the same: a small boom and a cloud of smoke.

A hand was raised to shield her face from the smoke, but if Flame had glanced towards Selina, he might have noticed the impressed look on her face. Their attacks are even, she noted. What are you going to do now, Dad? Flame?

"Ember Times Five!"

"Night Shade, as much power as you can muster!"

Determination radiated from both Pokémon; expressions hardened, they refused to back down. Litten, still cloaked in flames, relied upon the power of Blaze, blasting five smaller fireballs one after another towards his opponent. Meanwhile, Cursiary tensed up and then starting spinning again, a streak of crimson rings racing towards its opponent. The attacks collided at the centre of the battlefield.

And there was an eruption of energy—the hissing of sparks and the flashing of flames. A boom! It was much louder than before—and clouds of smoke spreading out from where the impact had occurred. Neither trainer could hear or see the other. Flame muttered something to Litten while Declan waited calmly. Selina, hardly able to see both sides, watched with an excited glint in her purple-pink eyes.

Litten sprang forwards. All anyone could see was flames: Fiery energy covered Litten. He hurtled through the smoke and out the other side, crashing into . . .

The smoke started to clear. Wait . . . realised Selina, no, can it really be . . .?

Flame Charge had blazed a trail through the smoke and seemed to have hit its mark. However, as the smoke cleared, Litten was limping back towards Flame. The flames that surrounded his body looked weaker, less bright than before.

Confusion forced a frown from Flame's forehead. His heartbeat quickened. What in Ciprys just happened?! he thought. Our surprise attack should have worked! And then he heard it:

"Tomeinx . . ."

The voice boomed across the battlefield, and as well as chasing away the last of the smoke, the voice—and what it meant—sent shivers up his spine. He gulped as he adjusted his headband and ran his hands through his messy dark hair. This isn't good . . .

A larger, chunkier version of Cursiary had appeared. Whilst Cursiary had been a mere paperback and 200-pages long, Tomeinx had hard covers and must have been at least three times that length. The evolved Ghost-type towered over Litten, five times his height, and several shadowy tentacles extended from out of stale yellowed pages.

Flame wasn't sure what he was going to do next. How much fight did Litten have left in him? All he could do for now was get out his Poké Dex and look for a weakness.

"Tomeinx," confirmed his Poké Dex, "the cursed diary Pokemon and the evolved form of Cursiary. This Pokémon has no gender. It is said that explorers discovered Cursiary and Tomeinx in an ancient library. However, months later, all the explorers involved in the discovery had vanished, nowhere to be found. This led to speculation that Cursiary and Tomeinx were involved, that these Pokemon cursed those they encountered."

That's good to know, thought Flame.

"And still today, little more of the origins of these Pokémon have been uncovered. Be aware, if you come across one in battle or otherwise, caution is advised."

Well, I know that now, he thought. He turned his gaze to Tomeinx, returning his Poké Dex to his pocket. But what I really need to know is if Tomeinx has a weakness. I can't see one, and I know Litten can't sustain much more damage. We have to be—

"It seems my cherished Cursiary has decided to twist the plot of this battle in my favour, my boy," Declan interrupted his thoughts. "I'm afraid this battle is over for Litten and for you."

Litten protested with a growl. Sure, Blaze had weakened, but flames still ebbed and flowed through his fur and around his body.

Flame grinned: Litten's fighting spirit wouldn't be extinguished any time soon. "Litten doesn't think so—and neither do I!"

A smile dawned on Declan's face. "That's what I like to hear, my boy!"

Willpower squeezed Flame's hand into a fist and he punched the air ahead of him confidently. "Litten! Let's hit 'em with our biggest yet—Flame Charge!"

Declan didn't express the same strength of emotion, but his smile remained on his face. "Tomeinx, how about Hex!"

A bit risky perhaps, considered Selina. Tomeinx only learns Hex when it evolves from Cursiary.

Tomeinx opened to a page with a pair of what must have been eyes, misshapen and like something out of a young child's nightmare. Tomeinx emitted a harsh shriek. The page glowed to a dark purple and then the eyes seemed to extend from the page and stretch towards Litten.

Flames rolled over Litten, the muscles across his body rippling as the fire cat Pokémon bounded forwards—until, all of a sudden, he stopped.

"Lit-ten . . ." he moaned. He shuddered violently. Litten's pain chased away most of the flames from his fur, revealing patches of glowing purple.

Flame realised what it was at once. "No," he murmured. "No . . ."

Hex seized Litten. From a distance, the eyes of Tomeinx pulled Litten into the air. Dark purple and black energy circled and constricted Litten, who could do nothing but hiss furiously, suspended in mid-air. Head lowered and eyes darkened, Flame stared at the floor. He knew there was nothing he could do. However much he hated to admit it, the battle was over.

Hex released Litten, and the fire cat Pokemon landed with a heavy thump and did not move.

Selina stared at the dark-haired boy who she'd only meet a week ago. Flame . . . she thought, knowing how defeat, especially in such a major battle, would weigh on him. And then, with a heavy heart, she made his defeat official: "Litten is unable to battle. The winner is Gym Leader Declan and his Pokémon, Shuppet and Tomeinx."

Declan looked up at Tomeinx—because the Pokémon was floating, he was a little taller than his trainer—and patted Tomeinx on its front cover (or face, take your pick). "Well done, Cur– I mean, Tomeinx. You were simply riveting."

"Tomeinx," agreed Tomeinx proudly in its loud, booming voice.

Flame padded over to Litten and scooped up his fallen Pokémon. Litten looked up at him with half-closed eyes. He mrrowed softly.

That only made his trainer's throat tighten more. "I'm . . . sorry." He struggled to get the words out, eyes wet and unable to meet Litten's eyes. "It's not your fault. I can't believe it. After everything . . . the Academy . . . I lost. I lost . . ."

Litten mrrowed.

"I lost . . ."

Litten glared at him. "Litten," he growled. "Lit-ten!"

Slowly, Flame lifted his eyes away from the floor. He breathed out. He glanced at Declan and Tomeinx for a second before returning his gaze to Litten. He swiped a hand across his eyes. Then the beginnings of a smile crept onto his face. He shrugged. "You're right. So what?" He raised his voiced and stared at Declan for longer this time. "We're gonna beat you next time, Declan. You can be sure of that!"

"That's exactly what I like to hear," approval resonated in Declan's words and his smile had remained.

Selina had stepped onto the battlefield and was approaching Flame. She looked puzzled. "I thought you might be more annoyed."

"When I've lost battles in the past, I have been. And, sure, I could get annoyed and disheartened and angry about how it went. But your dad is a gym leader. Gym leaders are meant to be super strong and hard to beat, Litten reminded me of that. We came close this time. I know we did. With a little more training, I'm sure we can win next time." He turned and dipped his head. "Thanks for a great battle, Declan."

"The thanks is all mine, my boy. And Tomeinx is just as thankful."

"Tomeinx," agreed Tomeinx.

Confusion tipped Flame's head slightly to the side. "How you'd mean?" he asked.

"You and your Pokémon's fighting spirt, of course, my boy. I and Tomeinx had been waiting for such a fierce battle. If Litten—"

Litten, still nestled in Flame's arms, stopped licking his wounds and mrrowed. Loudly.

Selina giggled, Flame grinned, and Declan chuckled.

"—hadn't pushed Cursiary so hard, Cursiary wouldn't have turned a page and evolved into Tomeinx. It evolved only because you and Litten pushed us to new limits."

Flame rubbed the back of his head. "I just wished he hadn't decided to evolve in all that smoke. Then I'd have thought twice about using Flame Charge. That's where you won the battle."

"You noticed, I presume?" said Declan. "I might as well tell you."

"Noticed what?" commented Selina, surprised.

"Somehow Litten came back poisoned," explained Flame.

"Now do you realise?" Declan asked his daughter.

Selina nodded. "Of course. Cursiary's and Tomeinx's ability is Poison Touch. Whenever Litten made physical contact with Tomeinx, there would have been a chance of Litten being poisoned."

"Huh. They don't call Cursiary and Tomeinx the cursed diary Pokémon for nothing then."

"Tomeinx," Tomeinx agreed with Flame's assessment.

Declan's gaze focused on Flame; challenger and Gym Leader locked eyes. "Even if Litten had had more energy left, Hex might still have ended the battle—Hex's attack power doubles when the target has a status problem." He paused before adding, "You're planning to come back and challenge me soon, I hope, Flame? I suspect I would enjoy a rematch even more than that heated battle."

Flame nodded. "You bet!" he answered at once. "We're gonna train hard and be back here before you can say Magikarp!"

"Litten!" Litten growled weakly.

Declan chuckled. "I look forward to it."

Author's Notes:
Flame loses his long-awaited first gym battle, and although he did lose, he did regain face: Declan won in part because of his Pokémon's evolution. Normally it's the trainer's Pokémon who evolves at the climactic moment, but I wanted to spin that around and do the gym leader's Pokémon evolves this time around. I enjoyed it. Hope you did too.

And I don't want to spoil too much, but as suggested by a certain piece of above dialogue, I want my gym leaders to be hard to beat. It'll be commonplace in Ciprys that they aren't pushovers and trainers sometimes have to overcome them in multiple attempts.

Thanks for reading!