You know I actually had this written before I published the first chapter but I wanted to wait until I could publish it alongside one of my main stories. It makes updates more meaningful when there is a gap between them.

I do not own pokémon as it belongs to The Pokémon Company, Game Freak and Nintendo. Long may they reign!

: :

: :

Chapter 2: How could someone this stupid be undefeated

I didn't see Latinum again until two weeks later in Jubilife City. I was staying at a hotel across the road from the pokémon centre. Funny thing about a tax paid free hotel services: You wind up with a lot of adults and older trainers acting like squatters so there are rarely any vacancies in pokémon centres. So here I am, minding my own business out the front of the hotel and giving my freshly caught Shinx a bath to get rid of any parasites it had. Any idea how hard it is to bath a squirming feline that doesn't trust you yet, frequently lets out electric shocks and can bite through your rubber gloves if your not careful. It's borderline stupid but Shinx's long term health is more important and the nurse Joy in this city is way too busy to be running extra complimentary services.

The doors to the pokémon centre open and out comes this huge group of people with Latinum at the lead.

"So then I ordered Chimchar to use ember one more time and I defeated that guys fifth geodude," bragged Latinum, "I mean, who uses nothing but geodude. So after that I got the last coupon I needed from that sales rep and that's how I got my free limited edition pokétch."

The crowd cheered and followed him as he saw me crossed the road to greet me, "Hey look guys, this is my rival Grey. Are you feeling up to a match this time?"

"Um, sure I guess," I replied as I lifted Shinx out of the tub and started to dry it with a towel, "What rules?"

"A full battle of course," said Latinum exuberantly, "You are going to be my 100th straight win."

I raised an eyebrow, "Most people ask for three on three but sure, if it's your 100th then I don't mind. My four against your uh . . . I can only see one poké ball on your belt."

Latinum waved his hand dismissively, "The local pokémon aren't worthy of my attention. Only truly special pokémon are worth training and I'm not going to leave them abandoned in the PC so I'm aiming to only have six pokémon. Besides, I see five poké balls on your belt. I asked for a full battle and you're trying to sell me short."

"Didn't anyone in your fan club tell you? Trainers never use all their pokémon outside of official tournaments because they won't have any way to defend themselves afterwards if they're attacked. That's why lots of trainers will only use one or two pokémon to battle while on the road."

"Really?" Latinum murmured, "I just thought they were incompetent losers. Also, these people aren't a fan club, they're just some people who were interested in my new pokétch. Now . . . let's battle. Feel the wrath of my Chimchar!"

He made a ridiculous pose before throwing his poké ball. Maybe it was the latest craze or something. I told Shinx to sit and watch while I sent out Bidoof. If it was four on one then I would win, even if I did have a type disadvantage. We tapped earpieces that caused our vision to pixilate for an instant before displaying augmented reality health bars and levels above our pokémon. Bidoof was level six, Chimchar was level twelve. That still didn't explain his self proclaimed 99 win streak. Stronger trainers occasionally picked on beginners, especially if they had had a losing streak or needed some quick easy money. It made it very difficult for beginners to remain undefeated for so long, especially when they travelled alone.

"Growl,"

"Chimchar, use ember!"

Bidoof growled before taking the ember straight to the face. It spun, flipping end over end several times before coming to a stop unconscious at my feet.

"Now that's what you get for using a generically weak pokémon like bidoof," Latinum fist pumped.

"Local pokémon are all that's available. If you don't catch more soon then you will find yourself in a sticky situation were Chimchar is too exhausted to fight. Not to mention that collecting lots of pokémon is the whole reason we were given pokédexs in the first place," I replied, "Go Kricketot."

"Why would you use that pokémon! I understand that you're one of those catching people that only try to catch the weak pokémon they can handle but bug types are weak," said Latinum with a real stinker of an expression.

My Kricketot puffed itself up indignantly.

"Personally I think Krikitot is adorable. Besides, having a nocturnal pokémon is practical to keep an eye on me while I'm asleep," I answered, "Now Krikitot use sing."

"EMBER Chimchar! Your way faster then that level five so it will be a one shot knockout," Latinum grinned.

However while Chimchar WAS faster then Kricketot, the small fireball it was about to launch was not faster then the speed of sound. The monkey immediately became woozy and the ember attack missed by two feet. Chimchar's trainer stared in horror as his pokémon slumped on the ground.

"-and follow up with fury cutter," I ordered.

"CHIMCHAR! YOU'VE GOT TO WAKE UP!" yelled Latinum.

I shrugged, "If a pokémon won't wake up from being hit in the face, I doubt your yelling is going to have any effect."

Latinum posed theatrically, "I will not fall to your cheap tactics. Chimchar and I will prevail. COME ON CHIMCHAR!"

The fire monkey's eyes snapped open and it hit Kricketot with a savage uppercut on the nose. The beetle sailed into the air and landed on its' head. I sighed, it was unconscious and fury cutter didn't have a chance to build up momentum, "Return. Go Turtwig, use tackle."

"Ember Chimchar!"

FOOM

"Well that was quick," Latinum shrugged.

That . . . should not have happened. Two or three hits sure but not one hit. The level of our pokémon simply wasn't high enough to be knocking out opponents within a five level range in one hit. Oh well, guess it must have been a critical. That just leaves Starly, which should have a slight advantage now that Chimchar has fought 3 pokémon.

"Go sky high Starly," I commanded as I sent out what would be my last pokémon.

"Use ember for another O.T.K.," shouted Latinum.

Starly was about 10 to 15 metres straight up. It was very small and could see the on coming attack from a mile away. Chimchar couldn't really aim at a target at that distance and ember lost any potency it had to inflict damage. The result was an effortless dodge.

"Spam ember!" Latinum shouted again.

Wait, seriously. I gave Starly a nod to keep doing what it was doing and stood back to watch Chimchar's futile attempts while Latinum started cursing.

"What the hell. Call an attack already," he eventually called out.

"I don't really need to," I replied, "You're doing a fine job of exhausting your pokémon all by yourself."

"Fine," he growled, "CHIMCHAR jump in the air so you can hit it with ember."

For a beginner pokémon that's just going to cripple its' accura-. . . HOW ON EARTH did that tiny monkey jump 15 metres into the air!

FOOM!

Thud!

"Alright, I won my 100th match, I'm awesome, I'm awesome," started Latinum in a victory dance.

That should not have happened. Ember had over half its' PP depleted so it should not have been able to knock out my Starly in one hit let alone actually hit. How could this person use such a stupid tactic and win. Just how broken was his starter. Latinum snapped his fingers to get me out of my daze. Oh, right. I held my digitised trainer card over his so that it would transfer half the money across (Just like that movie where they use time as currency). After that he left and I carried my pokémon across the road to the centre. Losing didn't really bother me, after all everybody loses. It was how he did it that bothered me. Something just didn't quite add up. I had a lot to think about it seems.