Chapter 64: Lucas vs the Verdanturf Gym
After healing from an infection in Mauville, Lucas and Skyler headed back onto the road for the next Gym for Lucas' next badge. Because of recent events in Hoenn, the next Gym was located in Verdanturf Town. Along the way Lucas stopped at the region's Daycare Center where he ran into his old rival, Morgan, a dark type Trainer from his home city of Cherrygrove, who was on a journey of her own to open her own dark type Gym. Though the two Trainers spent most of their time together bickering and hurling insults, they did respect each other and had a certain fondness for one and other, though neither would quite declare it officially a friendship. Having met each other on the road, Morgan decided to join up with Lucas and his new traveling companion Skyler as they continued down Route 117.
The road to Verdanturf wasn't long, but there was still at least an hour of walking before the three would see the city limits. Compared to the stretches of shore and thick jungle-like settings that made up most of Hoenn, Route 117 was more urban, a paved route with more than the occasional building and highly populated with other Trainers coming from or going to Verdanturf either to face the Gym, or to use it as a shortcut to the western part of the region through the now open Rusturf Tunnel. Lucas and Morgan used their walk to catch up on the events that happened since their parting back in Sinnoh. Last time they had seen each other, they had parted at the home of the eccentric Mr. Backlot, where Morgan helped Lucas avoid getting arrested for a fight during a party. Since then, Lucas had gotten all eight Sinnoh League badges, took down the Sinnoh branch of Team Cosmic and become the region's Champion. Meanwhile Morgan had been spending months in Hoenn, catching new dark types, training her own Pokemon and appealing to the Pokemon League to open a dark type Gym in the tropic region.
"It's been a bureaucratic nightmare. When the Gym in Fortree City closed, they opened a Gym in Verdanturf instead, with one of the former Champions becoming a Leader there. Then a few months ago, he ended up going back to being Champion. In the meantime, the Gym doesn't have an official type but they aren't willing to hear my case because apparently being a former Champion of Johto/Kanto doesn't carry much clout. Even though I would already have several sets of organized, Gym appropriate teams and a predetermined type, they would prefer a Hoenn native to be a Leader, and so they let this other guy take over," Morgan explained, "So I'm on my way to the town to see if I can talk with this guy and see if I can convince him to give the responsibility of the Gym to me,"
"It'll probably help if I wipe the floor with the Leader," Lucas joked.
"Don't get too cocky, Rooster Boy. You might have gotten good, but don't forget that little temper tantrum you had when you lost against Barry," Morgan chided, reminding the Trainer of the one major loss he was dealt on his road to the Sinnoh badges. When he lost against Barry, Lucas had considered quitting.
As the two continued to jab each other and reminisce, with Skyler listening eagerly to their stories, a loud argument came from the road ahead. Just outside of Verdanturf's city limits, three middle school aged boys were surrounding and teasing a smaller, younger boy with an Eevee cradled to his chest.
"What are you, stupid or something? You'll never be any good at Pokemon if you don't evolve that Eevee," said the largest boy.
"You're such a loser. Everyone knows an Eevee isn't worth anything until you evolve it," said the thinnest.
"I-I like my Eevee as he is! I don't wanna evolve him yet!" the small boy stammered, sticking his chin out to make himself seem bigger and braver than he obviously felt.
"Well if you're gonna be such a wimp we're just gonna take it so it'll actually be a good Pokemon," the boys' leader crowded in on the child and made a gesture towards the Pokemon.
"HEY!" Before any of the three could make any real attempt at seizing the younger boy's pet, Lucas bellowed and raced towards the children, snatching the leader by a fist full of the boy's hair and pulling his face to meet the Trainer's. Though Lucas wasn't tall for a man, he was tall and intimidating enough to have even the boys he wasn't manhandling have their faces turn white, "What do you little shits thing you're doing?!"
Pain mixed with bravado caused the boy in the Trainer's grip to try to stand up for himself, "Jimmy's wasting a perfectly good Pokemon so we were just going to take it so it'll actually be useful. It's not that big a deal!"
"Like hell it is! Don't you twerps know? You don't steal another Trainer's Pokemon. That's only the kind of shit petty thieves and assholes like Cosmic pull off. Now you little bastards better leave my sight now before I drop kick you all into the next city," Lucas dropped the boy unceremoniously to the group and stomped his boot near his head to put the appropriate amount of fear into him.
The boy scrambled a good distance away from Lucas, still terrified but not ready to give up his argument, "Fine. We won't take his stupid Pokemon. But he's still an idiot for not evolving his Eevee. Everyone knows Pokemon aren't any good until they evolve. And Eevee are especially useless until they become something else,"
"Oh, is that so?" Lucas smirked and his eyes narrowed. Just then, Lucas' own Pokemon, Gizmo, popped up from his spot on his Trainer's duffel bag and hopped to the ground between where the boys were watching the teen. It was at that point that Diablo, Morgan and Skyler had caught up with their traveling companion.
"What's going on?" Skyler had an edge of worry to his voice as he looked between the smallest, youngest boy, the middle school tormentors and the temperamental teen.
"These little snots just said an Eevee isn't worth anything unless it's evolved. I think I need to teach these boys a very valuable lesson," Lucas' sneer intensified, and when he met eyes with Morgan, she had her own slightly malevolent grin spread across her face. Skyler looked between the two and suddenly seemed to understand the plan as well. The Mohawked teen turned to the crowd of boys and announced his plan, "Alright asswipes. You think Eevee aren't anything, well, we're just going to test how true that is. You might not know who I am, but I'm actually the Sinnoh League Champion. And I've come to Hoenn to get more badges to face this region's League. So you little twerps are going to come with me and see what it really means to be a Trainer. And that includes the kid with the Eevee. I think you need the lesson most of all, Jimmy,"
The smallest boy went just as white as his tormentors, while the ring leader and his cronies eyed each other fearfully. Any plans to escape were foiled as Morgan circled around the back and gave them one of her patented death stares, daring them to try to cross her, and Diablo revealed his shining white teeth. The four swallowed nervously and started following the teen and his Eevee into town, with Skyler now wearing a bemused expression as he observed the scene.
Verdanturf Town was a clean, pleasant little town with fresh air and a gently blowing breeze. The city had very little, though a few construction sites showed that the town was starting to grow. The Pokemon Center was easy to find, and the Gym even easier as it was the largest building, and one of the newest. The paint still shown brightly, the caulking around the windows wasn't even starting to yellow, and in front of this newer building was a sign even younger than the structure. A piece of paper with permanent marker was taped over the official Gym sign, still not formally replaced for the new Gym Leader. The crude, handwritten letters announced: Vito, The Marathon Challenger. Lucas found the Leader description vague and unhelpful, not giving even a slight hint as to what this Gym's specialty would be. But it didn't matter, regardless of what the Gym Leader had, the teen Trainer was planning to use only one Pokemon anyway.
After a quick visit to the Center to refresh the three Trainers' Pokemon, Lucas, Skyler and Morgan herded the still worried boys to Verdanturf's Gym. Lucas led the pack as he pushed both of the Gym's doors open wide and strode confidently inside. The inside of the Gym was as plain as the outside, with no distinguishing features to demonstrate the Leader's specialty. As far as Lucas or Morgan could tell, it didn't seem like this particular Gym had any kind of theme at all. Instead, waiting inside the white painted walls, plain concrete floor and podium at the far end of the room, was a young man seemingly standing with his family. When the man noticed Lucas approaching him, he hopped up on the podium and made his Leader speech, the introduction all Gym Leaders gave to explain themselves to their challengers.
"I am Vito Winstrate, Leader of the Verdanturf Gym. When the previous Leader left to become Champion, he handed the reigns over to me. Unlike other Gyms that specialize in one particular Pokemon type, I chose to specialize in a unique battle type: marathon battling. If you want to get a badge from this Gym, you have to face my entire family in five separate battles, with no chance to heal or change your Pokemon. Walk away from any of the fights, and it's considered a forfeit and you'll have to start all over again. Do you have what it takes to dominate the entire Winstrate family?"
"Okay, I have to admit, while not having a elemental specialty is concerning, a battle specialty is pretty cool," Morgan grudgingly admitted about the Gym Leader.
The challenger then announced himself, "I am Lucas from Cherrygrove City, and by Pokemon League regulation, I am also informing you that I am the current Champion of the Sinnoh League, and will face your advanced team for a badge,"
"Advanced team?" Vito's confident posture slumped slightly as he exchanged confused looks with his family.
"Okay, I changed my mind, this guy is a moron," Morgan groaned and then addressed the Leader, "Pokemon Gyms are to have at least two sets of Pokemon: one for basic Trainers, and one for advanced Trainers who may be current or former members of the Elite Four or Champions, so that the challengers can't just railroad their way through the Region to get to the next Elite Four challenge. For the love of God, please tell me that the Pokemon League told you this when they established you as the Leader here,"
"Um, well, they might have, they ran through the lecture of my responsibilities and things kinda fast, and that Pokemon League rule book is pretty long, I haven't had a chance to read it all the way through. Yet, at least. I am working on it..." Vito admitted sheepishly, "Oh well, even though my family and I don't have an advanced team we're no pushovers. We're still one of the most advanced Gyms in Hoenn,"
"Oh. My. God. The Pokemon League is so going to get a piece of my mind when we get out of here. I have been petitioning the League for over a year for a Gym anywhere in any of the Pokemon Regions and they turn me down but let this...this imbecile run a Gym. I think I'm getting an aneurysm," Morgan snarled as she started to rub her temples.
"It's fine. This will just make this Gym that much easier. Besides, whatever the format for this battle or whatever level their Pokemon are at, even before showing up here I had plans to win this Badge with one Pokemon and one Pokemon only," Lucas stepped forward and turned his head towards the four boys that had been ushered into being the battle's audience, "Okay brats, pay attention, because I'm going to take out this entire Gym...with an Eevee,"
With a small gesture of his head, Lucas motioned for Gizmo to join the battle and the first of the Winstrate's came forward, "I'm Vito's baby sister Vivi, first of the Winstrates. Your Eevee's cute, but it's no match for my Pokemon. Go Skitty!"
The young girl's Pokemon was a respectable level 30, and would be a challenge for a Trainer with even four badges, but Lucas knew it had no shot against the higher level Gizmo, "Gizmo, keep this short. Use Return!"
"Skitty, use Wish!" Vivi replied. The pink cat-like Pokemon started the battle by sitting in the middle of the arena and closing its eyes. It glowed slightly as a glittering shower that looked like stars rose up in the air and faded away. Gizmo's own body was glowing with energy as well as it went careening into the other normal-type, causing it to go flying across the arena. It wasn't quite a knockout hit, but the Skitty was already on its last legs, "Faint attack!"
"Finish this with Bite, Gizmo!" The Eevee took no damage as it sank its teeth into the Skitty before the other Pokemon could attack.
The next Winstrate took the plate, "I'm Victoria, Vito's mother. I became a Trainer so I could share an interest with my son. That Pokemon can't defeat a mother's love and devotion! Go Kirilia!"
Lucas didn't hold back from his strategy. In order for his Pokemon to make it the five fights, he would have to take down each creature as quickly as possible. Thankfully the psychic type would make the second fight as short as the first, "Bite again!"
Gizmo rushed the graceful Pokemon without any hesitation, and like the similarly leveled Skitty from the fight before, the damage from attack was intense. Added with the type advantage, the Kirilia was hanging on by a thread, but the lady on the opposite side of the battlefield seemed little concerned. Suddenly, the Gym darkened as though the night sky had drifted inside. Sparkles of light glimmered in the gossamer darkness and surrounded the badly wounded psychic Pokemon. The battle instantly turned around as the opposing Pokemon returned to full strength, "My darling daughter is a good girl. She made sure her Pokemon's Wish attack would help out her mother in a pinch. And now it's time I did the same. Kirilia, Reflect!"
The Kirilia did a delicate dance as a barely visible barrier appeared all around itself and the battlefield. Lucas understood that the Pokemon's defensive move would force him to shift focus as now all physically based attacks powers would be lessened. Luckily, the teen was ready for a change in tactic, "Gizmo, go for Shadowball this time!"
Once again, the type advantage went to the Eevee as ghost moves would be as effective as dark moves. Plus it wasn't strictly a physical strike, so the Reflect wall would have little impact. The Kirilia wasn't lucky a second time. The Pokemon collapsed like a wilted flower as the concentrated ball of blackened energy struck it head on. The older Trainer gasped as she ran to her Pokemon's side and scooped it up gently while shooting a wounded look at the younger man who had so rudely disrespected her by defeating her. Two Trainers down, two more before Lucas would face the Gym Leader himself. He was in good shape for now, but his fortunes were about to change.
Next up was an older man, who looked more than slightly angry at the teen, "I am Vincent Winstrate, Vito's father. You made my wife and daughter sad and as the man of this house I cannot all that to be forgiven! You're not facing my son this day! Graveller!"
Lucas suddenly understood the gimmick of this Gym and its battle strategy. There was more to keep a Trainer off kilter than just the marathon fights. In addition to simple exhaustion from back to back fights, each member of the Winstrate clan would use an attack that would help their family member in the next battle. Vivi had used Wish to preemptively heal her mother's Pokemon, and now his devoted wife had used Reflect to increase the defense power of Vincent's Graveller. This fight would be especially tough. Not only did the ability increase the rock-type's naturally high physical defense, Gizmo lacked any real attack that would be overly effective against the boulder-like monster. The teen could have easily summoned another Pokemon that would quickly ended the fight with a fighting, water or grass move, but that was not the point. He glanced away from the battle to the four young boys who were watching the battle in awe, particularly little Jimmy and the Eevee clutched lovingly to his chest.
Gizmo knew as much as his Trainer how tough the fight would be, but he trusted Lucas implicitly, and would keep fighting until his little body no longer had strength. The fight between the Eevee and Vincent's Graveller was brutal. Bite and Return were hardly effective, even with Gizmo's devotion, and Dig often left the normal-type vulnerable to Magnitude attacks. Pure luck was on their side when the last of the Graveller's mini earthquakes proved weaker than its Trainer had hoped. It took several rounds of slowly chipping down the rock Pokemon's attack until finally the Graveller was down for the count. And it was not without severe damage to Gizmo, as he stood panting and wounded.
Next up to the podium was a jovial old woman who walked with a cane. Lucas was no fool. Little old ladies who were Pokemon Trainers were not to be underestimated. One of the strongest Trainers the teen had ever faced was older than his grandmother, "I am Vicky, matriarch of the Winstrate family. I may be passed my heyday, but I'm the reason young Vito became a Trainer in the first place. You're very talented, young man, but I'm not going to roll over for you. Go! Machoke!"
Vicky's selection was both the best and worst case scenario for Lucas. On one hand, Gizmo knew the right kind of attacks to take down the Machoke with ease. On the other, Gizmo was so hurt that Lucas was forced to take up a valuable turn to heal his Pokemon. One that if he gambled incorrectly, would result in a super effective attack in the next turn that would end the match. It was a risk he had to take as he took out a Super Potion from his inventory and brought the exhausted Eevee from the brink. As he had wagered, Vicky took the bait and used her first move to use a fighting attack. If Gizmo would just survive, the match against the old woman as well as the Gym Leader would be in Lucas' hands.
Gizmo was thrashed by the uppercut of the Machoke's Karate Chop attack, but the break with the Super Potion renewed his resolve as much as his body. A singe Shadowball was enough to take the fighting type down. Lucas knew he had the advantage now. The grandmother's decision to go for a physical attack rather than continue the family's strategy of offering an advantage to the next member in line meant he would be facing the Gym Leader on equal terms, no tricks. He knew the match would be almost over.
Finally the Gym Leader too the field. Though Vito had already made his Gym speech to the Trainer, he had one more thing to say before he started this final battle, "It's pretty impressive that you've made it this far, especially with that one Pokemon, but make no mistake. I'm the strongest of my family, so whether you choose to use just one of your team or the entire six, I am defeating you. Go, Altaria!"
Altaria would make for a tough final battle, the dragon and flying Pokemon was not particularly powerful for a dragon type, but was fast, and its type mix made any challenges that much harder. Lucas could practically see that thought in Skyler's eyes as the Pokemon was summoned, the Dragon Tamer's entire life dedicated to understanding and mastering this particular specialty. Morgan's face was harder to read, her face impassive as to what her thoughts on the battle were. As much as he valued the opinions and thoughts of his friends, only one set of opinions mattered right now. Once again Lucas took a moment from the battle to look at the little boys he had met at the entrance to the city. There was awe and wonder in all of their faces, and if Lucas messed up now his hard work would be wasted. Another member of his team would be a better fit for the challenge, but the teen declared his intentions, he would win this fight with Gizmo alone. The tiny Eevee would have little advantage in this fight, with Lucas only having avoided some gimmick being applied by the Gym Leader's grandmother, as well as the difference in the two Pokemon's levels.
"Gizmo, use Return!" Lucas declared his attack and the final battle for the badge began. As he had feared the Altaria repeatedly used Dragon Dance to boost its own attack and speed, and had used Rain Dance to make its Thunderbolt attack more dangerous, but Pokemon and Trainer stayed the course.
"Return!" Lucas had used the attack before in this match against the Skitty, but because the battle had ended so quickly, no one truly understood how significant the attack was. The battle continued in brutality as Vito continued to sic his Altaria on his smaller opponent. Though still inexperienced as a Gym Leader, and obviously perfect in the eyes of his devoted family, the former Ace Trainer had earned his title trading between Thunderbolts, Dragon Rages and Dragon Dances to boost his power higher and higher. Morgan had remained silent after her earlier insults and Lucas had to use more than a few turns to recover with various healing items. But neither Gizmo nor his Trainer were willing to back down now, as the Altaria was now in the red zone from the small Pokemon's attacks.
"Gizmo, buddy, I know we can do this. We just have to do what we did against Dawn. I believe in you. You just need to do it one more time, one more time like against Dawn. That strength that you have when we fight together. Let's end this. Use Return!" Lucas shouted all his confidence to his Eevee. Suddenly, after months of weakness in their bond because of doubts and guilt, finally gone after the reconciliation in Mauville, Gizmo tapped into his inner strength. The memories of all the times with Lucas as his Trainer, and all the love and devotion he felt towards the young man who saved him boiled over in the tiny Pokemon's body. The single attack Lucas called out time after time, Return, the attack that's power was only as limited as the bond between Pokemon and Trainer sprung forth in the small, underestimated creature's body. In strength rarely seen in any Pokemon, let alone an Eevee, Gizmo rushed forward, his body shining, and slammed the bird-like opponent a final time. The larger flying Pokemon flew across the Gym and slammed into the wall with crackles of plaster and drywall flittering around it from the impact. The entire room became silent.
And then Vito spoke, "That was probably the toughest battle I've fought in a long while. Last time I lost that badly was against a former Champion before he made his Elite Four victory when we were both traveling Victory Road. And you managed to do it with a single Pokemon. I obviously need to prepare a little better for the next Gym match because I need an advanced team, but as much as I hate to admit it I'm not sure my family and I could have fared much better. I can see why you became Champion in Sinnoh, and I'm honored that I can be part of your story in becoming Champion here. With that, I present to you the Relay Badge as well as the TM for the ability Wish,"
Lucas scooped up his exhausted Pokemon and walked over to shake his opponent's hand, "Thanks man. I appreciate what you had to say,"
Now Morgan addressed the Leader, "You're obviously still a rookie at this whole Leader thing, and you better get your affairs in order or I'm going to get the Pokemon League on your butt. However, as much as I want this Gym for myself, you're also obviously a very competent Trainer and the former Leader left matters in the right hands, so, good luck Vito,"
Vito walked back to his family as the five members reassured each other after the defeat. With that part of his business finished, Lucas returned to the other part, to the four boys he had dragged in to teach a lesson, "I hope all of you understand what it was I was trying to show you. Any Pokemon, when used correctly, has to potential to be incredibly useful. And it's up to a Trainer and his Pokemon to decide how they want to train. Whether Jimmy chooses to evolve his Pokemon or not is his choice, and if he doesn't, that doesn't make him weak or the lot of you superior. Got it?"
The four boys nodded wordlessly, still overwhelmed by the prowess the tattooed Trainer had shown in battle, and the tiny Eevee whose Return attack had made it a Champion.
"Okay then twerps, motor. I have other things to do," The four boys ran off quickly without having to be told twice, though before leaving, the youngest, Jimmy, gave one more grateful smile to the powerful teen who had come to his aid. With the boys gone, Skyler began laughing. Lucas spun around to where the blue-haired Trainer stood, slightly confused and feeling his face redden, "What is it?"
"Lucas, you try so hard to come off as this huge tough badass, but the fact of the matter is you are nothing but a marshmallow," Lucas opened his mouth to protest, feeling the redness is his cheek threaten to make his face fully blush, but Skyler ruffled his Mohawk and leaned on his friend's shoulder, "Lucky for you, I happen to be a big fan of marshmallows,"