It's an O-phish-al Match

The next day, the three trainers woke up and decided to go to train on Route 117 to prepare for the upcoming battles and contests. When they got there, Brendan and May both couldn't believe how beautiful it was. There were multiple tall trees, and two ponds. To the north, there was a small building with a massive fenced-in area that was full of Pokémon. At one part of the fence that was close to the house stood an elderly gentleman who waved to Wally as they passed.

"You know that guy?" Brendan asked.

"Yeah, he and his wife run the Pokémon Day Care," Wally said. "He's actually the one who gave me the Dawn Stone for Sam." They continued on, Wally waving to multiple other trainers and one breeder as they passed by.

"You trained with these people a lot, didn't you?" May asked Wally.

"Yeah, this is where I did the bulk of my training recently," Wally said. "Anyway, I actually did plan to meet with a training friend today for a rematch, so I'm going to head over there. Good luck to you two over here."

"Thanks, and good luck in your rematch!" Brendan said. Wally waved as he departed, heading west toward Verdenturf Town.

"So, May, where do you want to start?" Brendan asked.

"Why don't we explore the grassy areas first," she said enthusiastically. "Then we battle some other trainers, and then we head back to Mauville for lunch at their food court."

"Well, that sounds like a plan and a half," Brendan said.

Yeah, I like it too, Gwen said. By the way Brendan, there are some really strong Pokémon here too.

"Alright, May, do you want to go together, or search separately?" Brendan asked.

"I say separately. If we start to search together, we will only scare the Pokémon away," she said.

Brendan just nodded in understanding. "Alright, just remember to call or text me when you're ready to meet up again."

"Of course," May said before she went to the northern portion of the route.

"Alright Gwen, I say we go toward one of the ponds and see how it goes," Brendan said.

Sounds good, and I will gladly battle if I need to, Gwen said. Brendan began to walk into the grass, Gwen not far behind. There were a couple Oddish and even one Rosalia who appeared, but Brendan already had a powerful grass-type with Clint. He needed something else for a more diverse team.

Hey, Goldenrod, I think I sense someone strong nearby, Gwen said.

"Oh?" Brendan said, lowering his voice so he wouldn't be heard.

Yeah, I think it's a water type.

"Nice, we could use a water type on the team," Brendan said.

I know, let's go for it, Gwen said. Brendan advanced forward, heading toward the pond. When he got within a few feet of the edge of the pond he saw the Pokémon that Gwen was talking about.

It looked like a small, orange crawfish, and it was currently walking around in the shallows of the pond. Brendan pulled out his Pokédex and scanned the Pokémon.

Corphish, the Ruffian Pokémon. Corphish were originally foreign Pokémon that were imported as pets. They eventually turned up in the wild. This Pokémon is very hardy and has greatly increased its population. Corphish catches prey with its sharp claws, and it has no likes or dislikes when it comes to food-it will eat anything. This Pokémon has no trouble living in filthy water.

"Huh, that sounds like a very sturdy Pokémon," Brendan said as he turned to Gwen. "You ready for a battle?"

Duh, of course I am! Gwen said.

"Good, then use Psychic," Brendan said. Gwen leapt out from the grass, her eyes and body aglow with the blue aura of her psychic power. The Corphish looked up in surprise, but then it took on a confident look, like it wanted to battle. That was when Gwen took hold of him. There was no chance of escape there, but Brendan could tell that this Pokémon didn't want to run. Gwen pulled it into the air, before slamming it into the ground. However, the Corphish used Harden just before impact. That reduced the damage significantly.

"So, it's smart about defense," Brendan noted. "That's good. Now, Gwen, use Disarming Voice!" Gwen shrieked loudly, the attack hit Corphish in the chest and sent it skidding across the ground. "Now, use Psychic once more, and hold that Corphish in place!" Brendan called out. The blue aura reappeared as Gwen used her power. Corphish froze in place, struggling to move against the psychic energy. Brendan pulled out an empty Pokéball from his bag's side pocket. "Alright, Corphish, you're mine!" he called as he threw it at the ruffian Pokémon.

Corphish's eyes widened slightly before the Pokéball hit its head perfectly. He was taken into the Pokéball, which bounced on the ground and began to roll around. The center button glowed red as it shook. On the third roll, the ball stopped and three sparks flew from the sides. The Pokémon had been captured.

"Alright!" Brendan cheered, and Gwen joined in. Brendan walked over to the Pokéball and picked it up. "Well, let's get out of the grass and find May. Then we can all meet this Corphish properly."

Okay, actually, I think May is starting to look for us now, Gwen said. I'm not sure where she is exactly, but she's close.

"Thanks for letting me know," Brendan said. Gwen leapt on Brendan's shoulder, and the two walked out of the grass, and back onto the main path. Brendan saw both Wally and May conversing with the Day Care Man. They seemed to be having a lively talk when Brendan approached them.

"Hey Brendan," May called out. "How was the searching?"

Brendan smiled as he lifted the newly occupied Pokéball. "Well, time for us to officially meet our newest team member. Come on out!" he opened the Pokéball, letting out the Corphish, who gave a strong cry of almost defiance.

The Day Care Man leaned forward with interest. "Is that you Turk? So, looks like you finally got yourself a trainer," he said. His nametag gleamed in the light, so Brendan looked, seeing that the man's name was George

"Wait, you know this Corphish?" Brendan asked.

"Oh yes, I know this particular Corphish quite well. He is arguably the strongest Corphish on this route," George said. "You must be one hell of a trainer to have caught him."

"How do you mean?" Brendan asked.

"Well, Turk is one of the more aggressive battlers among the Corphish of this route, and Corphish are typically aggressive as a species," George said with a slight smile. "He occasionally breaks into our fence and tries to battle with the Pokémon of other trainers."

Brendan just chuckled. "Well, that's perfect for him being on my team," Brendan said as he knelt down beside Turk. "Hey, Turk, I know you don't know me, but you should know that my goal is to become champion of the Hoenn League. Since you like to battle, I think you and I will get along famously."

Turk looked over at Gwen, a very competitive look in his eyes. "Corphish-Cor-Corphish!" he said. Gwen nodded.

He says that he can't just take that defeat we handed him earlier, so he agrees to come along with us so long as he gets to battle me every once in a while, Gwen said.

Brendan chuckled. "Well, that's good to hear. Just don't go too overboard in your battles with each other," he said. Turk nodded his approval, but kept his competitive gaze fixed on Gwen. Brendan pulled out Turk's Pokéball and recalled him.

"Well, that's all I had planned for this route. I think it's time for me to go and challenge Wattson," Wally said.

Brendan looked over at his rival. "Well, that's a good idea. I'll challenge him after you do," he said confidently.

"I'm okay with that," Wally said before waving to the Day Care Man and departing with Brendan and May. "I'll see you around George."

"Stop by whenever you can, Wally!" George said. "Linda and I will be rooting for you in the league."

"Thanks for everything," Wally said.

Brendan and May followed Wally to Mauville City, and they went straight to the Pokémon Center, getting all their Pokémon restored to full health and energy, taking less than an hour before they were ready for the Gym.

"Wally, Brendan, are you two ready to go?" May asked with a smile.

"Definitely," Brendan said as he pushed the doors open. What they saw was a lot of electrical pylons around an official Pokémon League battlefield. Behind those were grand stands. At the back of the gym was a small platform, and on that platform stood an older gentleman with a white beard and white sideburns, and he was wearing a brown shirt with yellow lightning bolt patterns over four-leaf clovers.

"Well, it seems I have some new challengers. Welcome to the Mauville Gym!" he said. "Allow me to give a shocking introduction; I am the electric-type specialist, and the leader of this gym, Wattson. Wahahahahah!"

Brendan looked at Gwen with a raised eyebrow. Did he seriously make a pun? Gwen said.

"I see three people there, but I don't know who I will be up against first. If you don't mind, I'd like to know the names of my challengers," Wattson said.

"Well, I'll be your first challenger of the day, and my name is Wally," he said.

"Perfect, and as for the lovely lady and the other young man?"

"I'm May Birch, but I'm only here as a spectator," May said with a smile.

"And my name is Brendan Maple. My Kirlia here is Gwen," Brendan said.

Wattson nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you, now, since Wally is my first challenger, would the rest of you please move to the grand stands? We don't want to have any accidents here."

"Alright, May, let's go into the middle row. Not too far from the action, but not too close either," Brendan said.

"Sure, sounds like a good idea," May said.

Just be sure you're watching the match, not May, Gwen teased.

"Hey, I can multitask," Brendan said.

They went into the stands, taking their seats just as the pylons began to spark to life, forming a fence of electricity around the field. Wattson gave a bellowing laugh. Then, the wall opposite the main stands opened to reveal a screen. "Well, I will be the first to choose a Pokémon, and my first pick is an electrifying one. Come on out Ed!" The Pokémon that came out looked like a Pokéball, except it had eyes, and it looked angry.

"So, a Voltorb. Then I choose Jet!" Wally called out, sending his Fletchinder onto the field. The screen then showed a picture of both Pokémon, each next to a green bar.

"Before you ask, that screen is a substitute for the referee. It tracks the stamina and health of your Pokémon with pinpoint accuracy. The bar will shrink as your Pokémon takes damage, and when the bar disappears, your Pokémon has fainted," Wattson said. "It's a new technology, but I've been steadily perfecting it with the help of the local Nurse Joy."

"Wow, that's an impressive piece of technology," Brendan noted. May nodded

"Well, you can have the first attack, Wally," Wattson said.

"Jet, use Flame Charge!" Wally called out. Jet became coated in flames as he flew at Ed, flying at high speed. His speed increased as he moved closer to the target.

"Spark!" Wattson said calmly, which seemed rather out of character for the jolly leader. Ed became coated in electricity and he began rolling at Jet. The two Pokémon collided and created a small explosion. Jet recoiled from the strike, but Ed just barely rolled away, relatively unharmed. On the screen, Jet's bar dropped to just above half, while Ed's bar only went down by a quarter.

Wally seemed to curse, he then refocused. "Jet, use Ember!" he called out. Jet spat a ball of flames at Ed. The orb of fire flew too fast for Ed to dodge in time, and he was hit head-on, this dropped Ed's health bar to below the halfway mark.

"Respond with Shock Wave!" Wattson said. Ed shook and leapt into the air, spinning on his x-axis as he discharged a constant stream of electricity. Jet had no physical way to dodge the incoming attack, and he was hit hard. Jet was thrown to the ground and stayed down as his bar was depleted. The screen gave a buzzing noise, indicating a loss for the round.

"Jet, return!" Wally said. "You fought well. Now take a good rest, I promise we will win this." He then pulled out Paul's Pokéball. "Come on out Paul!" He sent out the bipedal mud fish.

"A much more stable choice in an electric gym," Wattson said with a slight chuckle. Paul's picture appeared on the screen, and the match resumed. "Alright, use Sonic Boom!" Ed began to roll extremely fast as he approached Paul. Soon the airwaves around him formed a cone. A loud crack could be heard as Ed broke the sound barrier, and he slammed into Paul.

"Paul, use Mud Shot!" Wally called out. Just as Ed rolled away, Paul spat out a ball of mud at the Voltorb, and it was on a perfect trajectory to intercept its target, sending it flying and rolling back toward Wattson's feet. The screen buzzed as Voltorb's health bar hit zero.

"Alright, great job Paul. Keep it up!" Wally said.

"Time for my next Pokémon. Let's go Electra!" Wattson called out. This time, his Pokéball contained a floating metal eye with a screw on the top and a magnet on each side.

"So, a Magnemite," Brendan said. "Let's hope Wally can win this round as well."

"Paul, use Mud Shot!" Wally called. Wattson seemed to grimace at the sound of Wally's command.

"Electra, use Supersonic!" Wattson said. Electra made a piercing high-pitched sound, which disoriented Paul. Paul then began to fumble and stumble around the battlefield, tripping and hurting himself before he could launch the ball of mud as Wally ordered.

"Crap," Wally said under his breath. "Paul, use Mud Shot!" Wally said. Paul seemed to just barely hear his trainer, but that was enough for him to start to attempt an attack. This time, however, he managed to fire a ball of mud at Electra. The attack hit its mark and sent the magnet Pokémon spiraling through the air. The health bar on the screen went down rapidly, and was about to hit zero, only to stop abruptly at one point.

"And Sturdy comes through for us!" Wattson said. "Now, use Sonicboom!" This time, Electra began to spin in place. She picked up so much speed, that she broke the sound barrier, sending a wave of highly pressurized air at Paul. It moved too fast for Paul to dodge. The attack hit him head-on and sent him sliding across the ground. His health bar drop by a lot, but it wasn't enough for a knock out.

"Paul, once more, use Mud Shot!" Wally called out. Paul, now seeming to be back to his senses, fired his attack once more. This time, Electra's health bar hit zero and she fell to the ground, knocked out of the fight. Brendan gave a surprised smirk.

That was well done, but there's still one more in Wattson's arsenal, Gwen said.

"Yeah, we'll see how Wally does in this next round," Brendan agreed.

Wattson recalled Electra and pulled out his next Pokéball. "Go, Nikola!" The next Pokémon was a Magneton. It looked ready for battle.

"Alright, let's do this!" Wally said. "Paul, just keep spamming Mud Shot!" Paul fired two smaller balls of mud, rather than a single larger one.

"Nikola, use Protect, then Flash Cannon!" Wattson said. The Magneton became surrounded by a green sphere of energy, the two balls of mud hit it and slid to the floor. The force field fell, and a stream of silver light flew at Paul. Brendan looked at the screen and saw that Paul's health bar was already almost empty. If this attack landed, Brendan was certain it would end the round.

Wally noticed that too. "Paul, dodge it, then use Mud Slap!" Paul leapt to the side as the stream of metallic energy passed by, striking the ground and making a small crater. Paul, who was still slightly airborne, stuck his hand into the ground and scooped out a handful, hitting it with a small stream of water to make mud. He then threw it at Nikola. The mud hit its target easily, even if it didn't do as much damage as a Mud Shot.

"Finish this with Tri Attack!" Wattson called. From each of Magneton's segments came a triangle of energy, each one colored differently. The three flew out, weaving around each other before colliding with Paul. This attack sent him rolling as his health bar dropped to zero. Paul slid to a stop, but he wasn't about to get back up.

"Thanks Paul, please get a good rest," Wally said as he recalled the Pokémon. "Now, I need your help Sam!" He threw his last Pokéball, releasing his Gallade.

Hey, Sammy, DON'T SCREW THIS UP! Gwen said, earning a mild glare from Sam.

"Alright Sam, use Close Combat!" Wally called. Sam leapt at Magneton, punching and kicking rapidly, doing serious damage. The screen showed a significant drop in health for Nikola.

"Nikola, use Thunderbolt!" Wattson commanded. The Magneton's six magnets all began to arc electricity before it coalesced into a single point and flew at Sam. There was no time to dodge, and he was overcome by the electrical attack.

"Sam, Protect, then use Swords Dance!" Wally said. Sam was surrounded by a green sphere as he pushed the electricity back. Inside that sphere, blue swords materialized out of energy, circling the Pokémon and creating a red aura around him. "Now, use Close Combat once more!" Sam broke open the sphere of energy, jumping to the side to avoid the electricity before sprinting at Nikola.

"Nikola, use Tri Attack to stop that attack!" Wattson called. Sam arrived and began to hit the Magneton hard, but he wasn't in time to stop the incoming triangular energy beams. He was hit hard, but he manage to continue fighting. Brendan looked up and saw that both Sam's and Nikola's health bars were about to be depleted. Nikola's health just hit zero a split second faster. The magnet Pokémon collapsed, and the battle was over. Wattson sighed before recalling Nikola. "That was an excellent battle young man. Please, take both the Dynamo Badge and TM34." Wattson pulled a remote from his pocket and pushed a button, which caused a single stand with the badge and the TM disc to rise from the floor.

"Thank you Wattson, sir," Wally said. "Now, I guess Sam and I will get off the battlefield so Brendan can start his battle."

"Thank you young man, I will properly congratulate you once this next battle is over," Wattson said.

Brendan and Gwen both stood up, Brendan only stopping to give May a quick peck on the cheek for luck. He then made his way to the field, Gwen simply leaping onto his shoulder for the ride.

"So, Brendan, you definitely look like your father," Wattson said.

"You figured it out?" Brendan asked.

"Well, Maple isn't exactly a common last name, and when a gym leader from Johto who has that same last name and an eighteen year-old son is transferred to Hoenn, it does logically follow that you are Norman's son," Wattson said. "But you didn't come here to exchange pleasantries, so let us begin this match. First, though, I would like to know how many Pokémon you have with you."

"I have four currently," Brendan said. Wattson nodded.

"That works then. See, the team I just used against Wally will need rest time. So, I will be using my other team, which has four Pokémon on it. What do you say to a four-on-four match?"

Brendan looked at Gwen, who just nodded to him. "Sounds good to me," Brendan said to Wattson.

This will be a fun match, I can tell! Gwen said. Brendan didn't question how she knew that, he'd learned a while ago to stop questioning Gwen on this sort of thing.

"Alright, then I choose Art!" Wattson called as he sent out his first Pokémon. This one was also a Voltorb.

"Alright, I know I just caught you, but let's give it a try. Let's go Turk!" Brendan called as he sent out the ruffian Pokémon. Turk showed up with a confident look in his eye that screamed 'Come at me!'

"You and Wally both have made strange choices in first Pokémon in an electric gym. Oh well, let's see how this goes. You have the first move young man," Wattson said.

"Turk, start with Bubblebeam!" Brendan said. Turk fired multiple bubbles from his claws which flew toward Art.

"Art, dodge and use Screech!" Wattson said, seeming to have become much more focused. Art rolled to the side just as the bubbles were about to hit. It then gave a very piercing screech, sending a sonic wave at Turk, severely lowering his defenses.

"Turk, get in close and use Vicegrip!" Brendan called. Turk started to sprint at Art, his left claw extended forward for the attack. Wattson, however, didn't give any command to dodge. That was when Brendan realized that he'd taken the bait.

"Use Spark!" Wattson called. The Voltorb began to emit electricity rapidly, sending it through Turk's body.

"Damn, Turk, throw Art into the air and use Bubblebeam!" Brendan said. Turk didn't need to be told twice. He lobbed Art into the air and fired a stream of bubbles with his right claw simultaneously. The sentient Pokéball was hit perfectly with the attack. Brendan stole a quick glance at the screen and watched as Art's health dropped faster than it should have from that attack. In fact, it did enough damage to drop its health to zero.

"Ah, I hate critical hits!" Wattson said as he recalled Art. "But you dealt with that bad situation well, even if you did take my bait. Now, how will you deal with Jackson?" He threw out his next Pokéball. It released a green and yellow dog-like Pokémon.

"Huh, that's a new one for me," Brendan said.

"Oh, right, a Johto native has never seen an Electrike," Wattson said. "Well, this is an even greater test of your skill. Now you must adapt to an unfamiliar opponent."

"I guess you're right," Brendan said. "Well, there's no use standing here, Turk, use Bubblebeam!" Turk fired off a stream of bubbles at the Electrike.

"Don't try to be sly, Jackson, dodge that!" Wattson said. The electric dog moved blindingly fast, too fast for Brendan to follow it. "Now, Thunder Fang!" Jackson's teeth began to spark with electricity as he ran at Turk, biting the crawfish with all his strength. That was enough to drop Turk's health bar to zero, as he collapsed to the ground. Jackson simply let go and slid back to where he began.

"Turk, thank you for battling so hard. Now, return and rest up!" Brendan said as he recalled the Pokémon. "Now, let's step things up, go Clint!" He threw his next Pokéball, letting out the wood gecko.

"Alright then. Jackson, use Howl!" Wattson called out. The little Pokémon gave a loud howl, as a red aura surrounded him, showing that his attacking strength had risen.

"Clint, use Agility, then Mega Drain!" Brendan called. Clint began to sprint around the battlefield, his speed gradually increasing. Then three tendrils of green energy extended from Clint, latching on to Jackson. Once they had attached, they began to sap him of his energy.

"Jackson, use Thundershock, send it through those tendrils!" Wattson called.

"Let go and then use Fury Cutter!" Brendan called. Clint reacted just in time as the electricity had just begun to hit him, dropping his health bar slightly. That was when Clint began to show his true speed, sprinting across the floor, his arm leaves glowing with a yellow-green energy. He closed the gap between himself and Jackson as he began to rapidly and relentlessly slash the Pokémon. Brendan glanced up at the screen, only to see that Jackson's health bar was getting low, but Clint's bar was now outlined yellow. Just as the fifth attack was about to hit, Clint froze and a lot of electricity could be seen coursing through his body.

"Damn, that thing must have the Static ability," Brendan muttered to himself. "Alright, I can still win with this hand." He took a calming breath. He needed only one more solid hit, but with Clint paralyzed, that would be difficult. There was only one option open to get a quick hit in. "Clint, use Quick Attack!"

Clint gave Brendan a confident smirk as he leapt back from Jackson to gain distance. He then began to sprint across the battlefield, a streak of white light extending from his back. Jackson didn't have any time to react, even though Clint was paralyzed. The impact sent Jackson flying across the battlefield, but Clint was forced to stop as electricity once again coursed through his body. The screen gave a buzz, indicating a knock out. Wattson recalled Jackson and simply sent out his next Pokémon.

"Go, Tesla!" he called. The Pokémon was another Magneton, but just by looking at it, Brendan could tell that it wasn't quite as strong as the one Wally had just faced.

"Clint, use Mega Drain, get some health back!" Brendan said. Grovyle complied, sending more tendrils that latched onto Tesla's body, glowing brightly momentarily. This just made Brendan uneasy. Wattson hadn't even bothered to call for a dodge. That meant he was planning something.

"Tesla, use Hidden Power!" Wattson said. A ring of little icy blue balls of energy formed around the Magneton, circling quickly before coalescing into a single sphere. That sphere then flew at Clint with almost pinpoint accuracy.

"Clint, dodge that!" Brendan called. That was when the paralysis picked the worst time to act up. Clint stopped moving as more electricity ran through his body, making him take the full force of the hidden power attack. Brendan looked up at the screen and watched as Clint's health bar dropped to zero within a few seconds. "What?!"

"You're confused, right?" Wattson said. "Well, I taught this particular Magneton Hidden Power to counter ground types. It just so happens that his hidden power is ice-type, so it works pretty well on grass types too."

Brendan recalled Clint, and took another steadying breath. Hey, you can still do this. You still have Nikki and me.

Brendan smiled at Gwen. "Yeah, you're right, there's no reason to be worried," he said as he pulled Nikki's Pokéball off his belt. "Let's go Nikki!" The Vigoroth came out of her Pokéball, raring for a fight.

"Good, I should've expected a normal type from the son of Norman," Wattson said.

"Well, let me show you something you won't be expecting," Brendan said. "Nikki, start with Bulk Up, then use Rock Tomb!" Brendan said. Nikki took a deep breath, getting stronger offensively and defensively. She then stomped on the ground, causing four rocks to erupt from the ground around Tesla. Tesla's health bar dropped significantly, but it wasn't nearly what Brendan expected.

"Tesla, break out of there with Thunderbolt, then aim it at Nikki!" Wattson said. That was when lightning began to arc through the battlefield, centering on the rocks around the steel type.

"Nikki, it's time for that strategy we've been practicing, use Endure!" Brendan said. Nikki crossed her arms in front of her body as Tesla's attack began to form a single stream of electricity. The Thunderbolt hit her arms as she braced herself against the attack. Brendan watched as Nikki's health bar dropped until it remained at one point. "Great, now use Reversal!" Nikki leapt at Tesla with her claws raised high. She grabbed hold of the Pokémon, did a sideways barrel roll, and threw it into the ground hard. There came a buzzing from the screen, indicating another knock out, and Magneton was clearly out of the fight.

"Return Tesla," Wattson said as he recalled his Pokémon. "Well Brendan, you certainly have a very strategic mind. There is, however, one flaw with the strategy you just employed. You used it when there was another Pokémon coming out. And since you weren't familiar with Jackson, I am certain you don't know this Pokémon either. Go, Voltaire!" The Pokémon that came out of the Pokéball looked similar to the Electrike from earlier, but it was taller, with blue and tan fur.

"Damn, he's right," Brendan muttered. "I have never seen that one before, but I'm guessing it evolved from an Electrike."

Yeah, that's a Manectric, they're blindingly fast and they have strong electric attacks, Gwen said.

"Well, this should be an interesting match in that case," Brendan said, a bead of sweat forming on the side of his head. He then spoke up, ready to continue the match. "Nikki, use Reversal again!" Nikki ran at Voltaire, ready to give her the same treatment she had given Tesla.

"Thunder Wave," Wattson said calmly. Voltaire formed a ball of purple lighting in front of her before firing it directly into Nikki's chest. The attack caused Nikki to stop in her tracks, electricity coursing through her like it had done to Clint. "Now, Ice Fang!" Voltaire's teeth began to glow lightly as her breath came out in a cold, frosty cloud of steam. She lunged forward, closing the small gap between herself and Nikki in a second, biting the sloth on the shoulder, causing ice to form on Nikki's fur. The screen buzzed once more, indicating that Nikki had been knocked out. And Brendan couldn't agree more. Nikki was in no condition to continue.

"Nikki, that was a great battle, now rest up. I promise we will win this battle," Brendan said. He then looked to Gwen. "Ready?"

Of course, Gwen said.

"Good, because it's your turn," Brendan said. Gwen shot a quick glare into the stands, directly at Sam, so Brendan assumed that he had just given Gwen some slightly sarcastic encouragement like she had done to him. She quickly refocused as she leapt to the center of the battlefield.

Alright, time to earn badge number three, Gwen said.

"No hesitation, Gwen, start with multiple Double Teams!" Brendan said.

Kage bushin no jutsu! Gwen shouted as she made multiple illusory copies of herself.

Brendan just shook his head at the bad joke. This is what I get for letting her watch that show a few nights ago, he thought. "Now use Calm Mind!" A green aura surrounded all of Gwen's clones as she powered up her special skills.

"Voltaire, use Odor Sleuth, then use Thunder Wave," Wattson called. Voltaire closed her eyes and seemed to be focusing on a scent in the air. That tipped Brendan off.

"Gwen, use Psychic, now!" Brendan said. Gwen's eyes lit up with psychic aura as she gripped her opponent, lifting her into the air. "Now drop her!" At the same moment Gwen began to send Voltaire plummeting, the electric wolf fired another ball of electricity, and Gwen could tell it was heading straight for her. "Dodge it with another Double Team!" This time, Gwen acted without making a joke. More copies of her filled the battle field, but that didn't change anything. Odor Sleuth ensured that the next attack would hit. Gwen couldn't do anything about it. She took the hit and could feel her body go almost numb from the electricity.

"Now, use Shock Wave!" Wattson called. Voltaire fired off a single ring of electricity, it passed through all the clones before it struck the real Gwen hard.

Damn, that hurt! Gwen said. Brendan took a look at the screen. Both Gwen and Voltaire were just below half of their health.

"Gwen, you can do this. I think one or two more attacks should do it. So, use Disarming Voice!" Brendan commanded. Gwen gave a piercing cry, sending a sound wave at Voltaire. The attack landed, dropping the Manectric's health to the one quarter mark.

"Voltaire, Thunderbolt!" Wattson called.

"Gwen, Psychic!" Brendan called simultaneously. Voltaire, however, was faster, firing off her electric attack just before Gwen grabbed and threw her across the battlefield. Voltaire hit the ground hard, just as the Thunderbolt hit Gwen.

Brendan watched as both health bars ran down rapidly, only for Gwen's to stop at the one-point mark. No, I will not lose. I can't let Brendan down! Gwen said for all to hear. Wattson raised his eyebrows in surprise at Gwen's determination and strength of will. That was when the buzzer sounded. Voltaire, and thus Wattson, had lost the battle. Wattson sighed.

"Well, I guess your power is beyond the norm an' I should've seen that coming," Wattson said, earning a groan from Brendan at the bad pun. "Sorry, well, you've earned the Dynamo Badge and TM34." As he said that, the same stand from before to rise from the ground, a new badge and TM ready for him. Gwen slowly started to make her way over to Brendan, who ran up and grabbed her before she could go any further.

"You were great today Gwen, but just relax and rest now," Brendan said as he carried her almost bridal style.

Thanks Goldenrod, I could use some time off my feet, Gwen said. Just as Gwen said that, May, Wally, and Sam came up behind Brendan; Wally patted him on the back.

"Man that was an amazing battle. I've never seen a Pokémon without Sturdy, a held item, or a defensive move manage to hold on like that," Wally said.

It was nothing, I just couldn't bear the thought of losing the battle, Gwen said.

"Well, I'm tired from watching those battles," May said. "I can only imagine how you two feel. Why don't we go relax at the Pokémon Center and call it a day?"

I'm game! Gwen said, exhaustedly, earning a chuckle from Brendan, who was already leading the way out of the Gym.

Wattson just stood in his gym, shaking his head. "Even at such an early stage in his journey, and that boy has a bond with his Pokémon strong enough that she stayed conscious just for him," he muttered to himself. "I guess I've seen it all now, haven't I?"

Hey everybody, sorry it took so long to update, but with classes starting up again, and with family-related matters to attend to, I've been busy as hell. On top of that, I decided to write one of the longest chapters in this story.

Anyway, as always thanks for reading. If you enjoyed the story, or if you saw something that you think I can improve on, please review. I'm open to critiques, just don't be a dick about it. Also, I know the title pun was really bad for this chapter. It was the best I could come up with for what happens in the chapter.

Until next time!