Chapter 4 - Gardens and Elite Battles Part 1
"Dear Logan,
I hope that your journey in Johto is treating you well! Sinnoh has been fun so far, but I do miss traveling with you so much. I've made a few new friends, and my new rivals are just as strong as ever. The new Pokémon that I've caught are cute as well!
A few months have passed, and I'm sure that your next battle is coming up soon. If it's on television, I'll be sure to watch it! Have you seen any of my contests? I'm not sure if they're broadcasted in Johto, but I hope that you can watch them! I haven't been winning every single time, but I'm still doing my best!
Please write back soon, if you can! I know you're busy, but I'd appreciate more letters! I know that it's hard to send them because you don't know where I'm at all the time. But, I promise that I read them all! And, you're always in the back of my mind. Let's find some time to call! I hope you're safe and healthy! Don't eat too much bad food!
Much love,
- Yurie Kawahara"
Logan smiled, but he couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy. The handwriting was much better than what he could manage, and it looked as though the paper was expensive.
He put the letter back into the plastic file. He wasn't good at putting his thoughts into words, and even worse, his words on paper. He would often stare blankly at a piece of paper, and he wasn't sure how to update people on his life. All he did was train, sleep, and eat. His fiasco with the Wooper made for a funny story, but he wasn't always eager to talk about it with people.
Three months had passed since Logan's battle with Itsuki. He had continued his intense training, but he didn't move around too much of Johto. He took a liking to Ecruteak City and its many beautiful shrines and temples. He had been there for roughly a month, but he found somewhere new to go every day.
One of the places that he enjoyed the most was the Silver Tower, because of its beautiful gardens. He'd bring his lunch and relax with his Pokémon when they weren't training. He fed his Wooper a rice ball and then peered over the plastic file with all of the information on his upcoming opponents, and now that he knew that the battles were televised, he always tried to keep up with the news.
He had learned that only a few days ago, Luna battled with the Elite Four member, Karen. And to Logan's surprise, Luna lost. Luna would be continuing her challenge because if she won enough battles or impressed the league enough, she would be considered for a position as a gym leader, possibly even a member of the Elite Four.
But, this meant that there was more pressure on Logan now. If he buckled under the pressure and lost, it would look like he was only following in Luna's footsteps. He knew that his battle was coming soon, and he knew that he had to defeat Koga.
He pulled out a blank piece of paper and pen while Wooper chewed on his food. He stared at the piece of paper momentarily before clicking the pen. He wasn't sure what to write, but he knew that he had to start somewhere.
"Dear-"
And then, his back pocket started to rumble. He pulled out his black Pokédex, taking note of Goodshow's name.
"Hello," he said.
"Logan! It's good to hear your voice! How have you been?" Mr. Goodshow asked with his usual cheerful voice.
"Busy, but that's nothing new. How about yourself?"
"I'm fine! Business is great! Where are you right now?"
"I've been spending time in Ecruteak."
"Ecruteak? That's perfect! How would you like to try a different kind of setting this time around?"
"Different setting?"
"Yeah! The rules will be the same, but I think that both you and Koga would benefit from a battle with a more relaxed vibe!"
"Relaxed vibe?" Logan asked. He never thought of battles as relaxing, but he was willing to hear Mr. Goodshow out.
"What do you say to no crowd? We'll still film it, of course. But since you and Koga are such strong trainers, you'd be allowed into the gardens of the Golden Tower. It's a great place for big Pokémon battles! What do you think?"
It didn't make a difference to Logan where they battled. He usually zoned out the crowd and only focused on his and his opponent's Pokémon. And since he had grown to enjoy his picnics in the gardens of Ecruteak, the thought of battling in one intrigued him.
"I'm in. When do we battle?"
"In three days! We'll keep this one a secret so we don't crowd the city with any more tourism. Do your best! I'll see you then!"
"See you," Logan said as he hung up the Pokédex. He looked down at Wooper. "It looks like you're heading to Juniper for a bit. Try not to destroy anything this time."
"Woopah?"
"The following battle will be a single-style full battle between Logan Stephenson from Nuvema Town in the Unova region and Koga Kyo from Fuchsia City in the Kanto region! No substitutions are allowed! There will not be an intermission! Trainers, are you ready?" the referee asked.
Logan and his opponent both nodded.
Koga was dressed in ninja garbs, something which Logan found slightly odd. He wore a purple scarf around his neck and mouth, so Logan could only see his angry black eyes.
"What's with the Elite Four members and covering up their faces?" Logan thought.
The battlefield was in the giant garden of Ectrukea's Golden Tower. The field was made up of small white rocks, and the battle lines were drawn with black rocks. Around them were small ponds of water. There was no crowd, only cameramen, a referee, and Mr. Goodshow.
"Begin!"
"It is my understanding that you also battled my daughter. My techniques are much more advanced," Koga said. "Prepare to lose! Go, Ariados!"
Logan had seen Koga's first Pokémon when he fought with Anzu, Koga's daughter. However, this one was slightly larger, and it stood still, staring daggers at Logan.
Logan took in a deep breath and then grabbed his first Poké Ball. It was a relatively new Poké Ball, and he was unsure of how well the Pokémon would perform. However, with the kind of Pokémon that he knew Koga would be using, he felt as though he had no choice.
"C'mon out, Melmetal!"
Logan's large Pokémon materialized on the field and immediately flexed its liquid-like arms. It slammed its hands into the ground, shaking the garden.
Koga stood up straight and eyed the Pokémon. "Interesting. I've never quite seen a Pokémon like it. Ariados, use Double Team!"
"Melmetal, start with Thunder Punch!"
Ariados started to slide from side to side, slowly getting faster. Meanwhile, Melmetal lugged down the field, charging up electricity in its right arm. When it was close enough, he swung, but Ariados was now much too fast. Melmetal managed to hit Ariados on the side, but the Bug-type slid, letting the momentum of her maneuver turn what would have been a devastating blow into a graze.
Koga closed his eyes. "Continue your Double Team."
"What is he doing?" Logan wondered. "Melmetal, we have to make our next move count! Use Double Iron Bash!"
Ariados was not too far away this time. Melmetal lunged forward and swung its long liquidity arm across the field. However, Ariados was more than prepared. She easily ducked under the first strike. Then, Melmetal attempted to swing with its other arm, going lower. This time, Ariados leaped only a few feet into the air, easily dodging Melmetal's strong attack.
"That's not good," Logan muttered.
"Sticky Web!" Koga commanded.
While still in the air, Ariados blasted a thick glob of web from her mouth. The glob dispersed and landed around Logan's side of the field. It didn't do any visible damage, but Melmetal did appear curious by the web, lifting its massive leg and looking at bottom of its foot.
"Use Giga Drain!" Koga shouted.
"Fight back with Thunder Punch!"
Ariados leaped forward and screeched. Orbs of green energy slowly made their way out of her body and wafted down the field. They attached to Melmetal as it ran down the field with its liquidity arm sparking with electricity. The attack slowly sapped its energy, but it fought through it and then swung its arm wide, clotheslining the entirety of Ariados. The Bug-type was tossed into the air but managed to land on her eight legs with ease.
Koga folded his arms. "Baton Pass."
Ariados was then enveloped in a blue light, and she retreated back to his Poké Ball that was tucked into Koga's belt. Then, another Pokémon materialized in her place. This one was large and round, floating still in the air. It had a cocoon built of iron and looked at Melmetal and Logan through two perfect circles.
"Forretress, use Toxic Spikes now!"
"That's not good! Body Press!"
Forretress clamped his shell down and started to spin. Toxic spines flew into the air and landed on Logan's side of the field, but they did nothing to Melmetal. Melmetal continued down the field and tucked in its arms. It drove its powerful shoulder into Forretress, tossing the Bug-type backward. Forretress bounced off the ground and struggled to find his balance in the air.
"Keep up the pressure!" Logan ordered. "Thunder Punch!"
Melmetal swung his body and sent its long arm forward. Sparks blasted off its lugnut fist, but Forretress easily maneuvered out of the way.
"Start your Rollout!" Koga instructed.
Forretress closed his shell again and rolled forward, building up a rocky barrier around him. He weakly collided with Melmetal once before he retreated and continued to build up energy.
"Thunder Punch will have trouble breaking through the rocks, and Double Iron Bash takes too long to use. We don't have very many options right now," Logan thought. "When he's in range, use Darkest Lariat!"
Melmetal stuck out its arms and waited for Forretress to come back. A dark aura surrounded its arms and it slowly started to spin. However, Forretress easily avoided the strike and then rammed his body into Melmetal's face. Logan's Pokémon was knocked back but quickly found its balance. It eyed Forretress as he picked up speed and built up more energy.
"You can do it!' Logan cheered. "Focus and swing when he's close!"
"Mel-met," the large Pokémon grunted.
Forretress barreled down the field once again and when he was in range, Melmetal swung. However, Forretress was too fast now and managed to quickly hit Melmetal in the mid-section with enough force to knock it to the ground. Melmetal huffed, smacked the ground, and then stood back up. He looked around for Forretress, who was now completely engulfed in stone.
"Let's change up our tactic!" Logan said as Forretress came down the battlefield once again. "Body Press! Hold your ground!"
Melmetal nodded and tucked in his arms. He jutted out his shoulder and waited. Forretress crashed into Melmetal, and the two Pokémon held their ground momentarily. However, it was now Forretress who was overpowered. The rock barrier shattered, and Forretress was thrown backward.
"Alright! You did it!" Logan cheered.
"Explosion."
"What?!"
Forretress started to glow with bright white energy. Then, he unleashed all of the energy within a second, sending a massive explosion all across the field. Melmetal was caught in the epicenter of the explosion, and Logan lost sight of it in the blinding light. When the energy faded away, Forretress was left on the ground, and Melmetal remained standing. However, it breathed heavily. Even though it was a Mythical Pokémon, Logan knew that it had its limits.
"Forretress is unable to continue! Melmetal is the winner of this battle!"
Koga raised his eyebrow while he withdrew Forretress. "It's not every day that a Pokémon makes it through my Forretress's explosion. I'm impressed by your Melmetal's bulk. But, it won't be able to last much longer." With that, he released his next Pokémon, and Ariados returned to the field.
"Gonna try to run again?" Logan wondered. Koga was silent until the referee waved their flags.
"Double Team!"
"Here we go again. Try Double Iron Bash!"
Melmetal was even slower than before, but it did its best with the energy that it had. It swung and extended both of its arms down the field, but Ariados quickly multiplied, and Melmetal only managed to connect with one of the clones.
"Giga Drain!"
Suddenly, Ariados appeared behind Melmetal, and she started to sap a little bit of health away once again. Melmetal collapsed to one knee, and its shoulders slumped.
"Thunder Punch!" Logan ordered before Melmetal could completely fall to the ground.
Melmetal suddenly woke up. It quickly swung around and jabbed its fist outward, sending Ariados into the air. Ariados came to the ground safely, but now electric sparks emitted from her body as her movements stuttered.
"Ariados, get out of there with Baton Pass!" Koga commanded.
But, Ariados was still. The sparks came off her body as she shook from fear.
"This is our chance! Hit 'em while they can't move! Use Double Iron Bash!" Logan shouted.
Melmetal flexed its liquidity arms and then rapidly spun around. Silver energy emitted from its lugnut fists before it drove them simultaneously into Ariados. The Bug-type was thrown back, landing with her legs up and curled on the hard battlefield.
The referee raised his flag. "Ariados is unable to continue! Melmetal is the winner of this battle!"
Melmetal's lug nut fists dropped to the ground, and it fell to one knee again. Most of its energy had been used up, but Logan was surprised that it managed to knock out two of Koga's Pokémon.
"I'm impressed by your Pokémon. But, it won't be able to last much longer," Koga said as he drew out his next Poké Ball. "Go, Venomoth!"
His next Pokémon exploded from the ball, and its cry echoed throughout the garden. Logan wasn't intimidated by the Pokémon, but he knew that Melmetals' share of this battle was coming to an end.
"Use Psychic!" Koga ordered.
Venomoth spun around, and his eyes started to glow purple. The air around Melmetal shifted and warped suddenly, making Melmetal stumble back a few feet.
"Fight till you can't fight anymore!" Logan yelled. "Darkest Lariat!"
Melmetal puffed out its chest and then extended its arms. The dark energy that surrounded its body ripped through Venomoth's kinetic attack. It then moved as quickly as it could, essentially throwing its arm down the field. It connected, but Venomoth took into the air to avoid any more damage.
"Stun Spore! We can't give them any more chances," Koga exclaimed.
Venomoth swiftly descended and flapped his wings violently. He released a thin yellow powder over Melmetal, instantly paralyzing the Steel-type.
"Melmetal, try Body Press!" Logan ordered, knowing that the chances of Melmetal successfully doing it were slim.
And he was right. Melmetal staggered as it looked up into the air at Koga's Bug-type.
"Psychic."
Venomoth lifted Melmetal off the ground and tossed it backward. Melmetal crashed into the field and rocks, and finally, after going through two of Koga's Pokémon, Logan's Pokémon fainted.
"Melmetal is unable to continue! Venomoth is the winner of this battle!" the referee declared.
Logan smiled and then withdrew his Pokémon. "You were awesome. Thank you so much for your hard work. Get some sleep."
Koga folded his arms. "Unless you've got any more Pokémon of your Melmetal's caliber, I don't see you winning this. Take a look at the field. It's scattered with my Toxic Spikes and Sticky Web. You can't win this, Logan. You may have gotten an early start, but we play the long game."
Logan showed off his Level Ball. "Well, we're not playing any games! Go, Nidoking!"
Nidoking emerged and roared. Upon coming to the field, he absorbed the Toxic Spikes. Koga cursed under his breath.
"You may have gotten rid of one issue, but you have seem to have forgotten something important. Venomoth, finish this quickly with Psychic!"
"Use Ice Beam!" Logan ordered.
Before Venomoth could start his attack, Nidoking unleashed a jagged beam, cold as ice from his horn. Venomoth's attack was instantly stopped, and he retreated back into the air where Nidoking would have trouble aiming.
"In that case, we'll use Stun Spore!"
Venomoth's voice echoed throughout the field as he swept down low, ready to release his attack into the air.
"Thunder! Shield yourself!"
Nidoking roared and then stomped his feet. He emitted energy from his body, and electric energy exploded into the air. It wasn't aimed though, only surrounding Nidoking. Venomoth's attack was blasted away, and the Bug-type had to escape to the other side of the field.
"You're showing off that defensive style of yours, Logan. Don't think that you've been the only one studying," Koga said. "If this is the case, then we'll have to get more offensive. No more playing around. Use Silver Wind!"
Venomoth stayed still as he started to flap his wings aggressively. Silver energy surrounded his wings and was unleashed forward, ripping up the ground below.
"We'll respond with Thunder! This time, aim directly for Venomoth! Don't hold back!"
Nidoking stood still and charged his energy as he was blasted with the silver energy. It pushed him back slightly, but when he was ready, he jutted out his arms, and the powerful electric energy shot into the air. It flew overhead before crashing down onto Venomoth, forcing him into the ground.
"Get close and use Psychic!" Koga commanded.
Venomoth darted forward as quickly as his wings could carry him. His eyes started to glow purple again, and he unleashed kinetic energy from his body.
"Ice Beam!" Logan shouted.
Nidoking lowered his head and roared. The jagged beam exploded from his horn and shot directly toward Venomoth. The Bug-type stopped his attack and then barely dodged, taking back into the air.
Koga put his hands together in a ninja pose with his fingers. "We can now see what techniques you fear. Silver Wind!"
"Veno-moth-moth!" the Pokémon called while he blasted the silver energy from his wings. The energy connected with Nidoking yet again, making him fall backward. He did a roll and quickly came to his feet, shaking off most of the attack with ease.
Logan grinned. "Looks like you'll have to hit us with something harder if you want to win!"
Koga relaxed and put his hands at his side. "You think you're Nidoking is safe? Take a look at him."
"Huh?"
Suddenly, small electric sparks emitted from Nidoking's shoulders and legs. His arms slumped and he struggled to walk forward.
"Paralyzed?!" Logan wondered out loud. "How?"
"A great trainer can communicate with their Pokémon without words," Koga stated.
Logan looked at Nidoking and then Venomoth. "The hand sign? Did he just have Venomoth use Silver Wind to carry Stun Spore?"
"Now you can't escape so easily! Use Psychic!"
"Nidoking, one more Ice Beam!"
Nidoking attempted to move, but his body was shocked into staying still. Venomoth manipulated the energy around him and brought him to the ground. He lifted him once and then threw him back, making him crash into the ground in front of Logan. Nidoking managed to stand back up, and he angrily roared at Venomoth.
"Aim directly for it! Use the strongest Ice Beam you can!" Logan instructed.
Now his muscles let him move, and Nidoking released the jagged beam once again. This time, it connected with Venomoth's midsection, and the Bug-type let out a terrible screech. Ice crystallized over his body, and he fell to the ground. He crashed, but the ice didn't break, and the referee could see movement in his eyes, which indicated that he was yet to faint.
Logan took in a deep breath. "That was so lucky. Can you move, Nidoking?"
Nidoking took one step forward, and then his body came to a stop. His muscles had tightened, and he couldn't move even if he tried.
Koga crossed his arms and examined his Pokémon. The ice had already started to melt, but it'd take a while. He'd have to get lucky, and Nidoking would have to stay in shock for a while before Venomoth would regain mobility.
"Now it's a game of waiting," Logan said. He could see the ice weakening, and Venomoth began to stir. "C'mon, Nidoking! You can do it! Let's move!"
"King," his Pokémon muttered back while trying to get feeling back into his body.
Some of the ice broke from Venomoth's right wing, and he tried to flap it to speed up the thawing-out process.
Then, Nidoking's foot came back to the ground, and he roared.
"That's it! Drill Run! Let's do this!"
Nidoking shifted his body, and the horn on his head extended with energy. The ground below him broke and surrounded him, creating a cocoon from pieces of the field. He then charged forward as he spun within the cocoon.
Koga sighed and resigned to his Pokémon's fate. "Toxic Spikes."
Seconds before Nidoking crashed into the frozen bug, Venomoth released the poisonous spikes into the air. The spikes rained down onto the field, but Nidoking didn't notice. He collided, and there was an explosion of dirt and dust. When it calmed down, Nidoking stood over the fallen Venomoth. He let out one more roar and then stumbled back a few feet. He wanted to get as much distance from Koga's side of the field before his body became immobile again.
"Venomoth is unable to continue! Nidoking is the winner of this battle!" the referee announced.
Koga withdrew his fainted Pokémon and then sneered. "Well, you have certainly pushed us into a corner. We don't often lose three Pokémon so quickly. However, the challenge now begins, Logan. My final three Pokémon are going to pick you apart. Are you ready?"
Logan tried to relax his posture. He never took his eyes off of the stern-looking Koga. "Bring it on."
Author's Notes: So, in a twist of events from some prior battles, Logan is in the lead when it comes to this one. Will he be able to maintain that lead, or will Koga's techniques be too much?
Also, sorry for this coming out a little bit later than I had hoped. I lost internet at my place for two weeks and then SV released, and all of my free time went to playing that.
If you got the time, please check out Cyan's newest story, Alola! Championship Battle! (I might change the name) The battle in that is one of the most intense I've ever written.
REVIEWS:
pokemonking0924 - "If Logan ever gets a break from these elite four battles maybe he should expend his options. Maybe go to Alola to get a few more common Z-Moves to help his other Pokémon in a pinch, find a get mega stone for one of his older Pokémon if one of them can mega evolve, or get a Dynamax Band Pokémon that can Dynamax/Gigantamax (maybe go to the isle of armor to train and get some max soup) But given his schedule it would be unlikely." - Logan already has most of the basic Z-Moves. He just doesn't always think to use them, unfortunately. I don't see any big surprises coming from Logan. I think it's more interesting to have the surprises come from the Elite Four. However, I'm always open to writing something surprising.
Besprizornye - "I had nearly forgotten what a prolific writer you are, but as I was working on a review for chapter three, you went ahead and posted chapter four! In any case, it is good to see you back writing and turning out your usual output of exciting battles, humorous situations, and heartfelt characters." - Thank you so much for the lengthy review! As you can see from this chapter, Luna has lost a battle! She'll turn up again at the end when they go over their results. But, I don't have any huge interest in having them battle again... in this story.
