Overcoming Defeat
The next morning, Brendan's attitude hadn't improved. His confidence was still shaken, and he wasn't sure how it would affect his gym battle later today. Like with the battle against Norman, Brendan had barely gotten any sleep the night before. Gwen, even though she had been able to sense his troubled mind, had decided to let him mull it over while she slept. She thought that it would be better for him to sort this one out by himself. Now, however, she saw that it may not have been the best choice. He now doubted himself as a trainer. He even had May worried.
At the moment, Brendan was sitting on a bench outside the Pokémon Center. He was so doubtful of himself that he felt like he was going insane. "I can't believe I was so stupid," Brendan said. "Why was I so eager to battle Steven? I knew that he was stronger than me, so why did I make that choice?"
May saw this, unsure of what to say or do. She wanted to help but she was unsure what she could actually do to help her. She had a few ideas, but she was worried that she'd just make things worse for him.
Is he still having trouble? Gwen asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yeah, he is, but I don't know what to do about it," May said with a regretful tone.
Maybe we just need to get him into a battle, and he'll feel better, Gwen said, knowing her trainer quite well. Let's get him to the Fortree Gym.
"Are you sure a gym battle will really help that much? It may make things worse," May said.
I know, but it's the only thing I can think of that could get him back to his normal self, Gwen said.
May nodded before moving toward the bench. "Hey, Brendan, are you ready for your gym battle?" she said gently. Brendan, however, simply gave an unintelligible grunt in response, standing up and he began to head west toward the ladders, barely waiting for May and Gwen.
"Oh boy," May said quietly.
Let's go, Gwen said. I think that he may need something more forceful if he doesn't get better.
"Agreed," May said. They all climbed the ladder to the east and moved two platforms to the east. They all climbed down the ladder to the ground, moving toward the gym. Luckily no unseen objects or Pokémon blocked their way to the building, and they entered without any trouble.
The gym was unlike any they had seen before. The ceiling was completely open, telling May that this was a flying-type gym. Whether Brendan realized this was unclear. "Hello there visitors!" said a woman with a very soothing voice. "I am Winona, the leader of the Fortree City Gym." She had long silver hair, but it was mostly held under an aviator's helmet. She also wore a form-fitting flight suit. Even May had to admit that Winona was stunningly beautiful, but when she looked at Brendan, he wasn't even paying attention to his next opponent.
He looked up. "I challenge you to a gym battle," he said with little enthusiasm.
Winona looked at him with a surprised expression. "That has to be the least enthusiastic challenge I've ever received," she said with a slight chuckle. "But as a gym leader, I can't say no. My battles are four-on-four. Are you up to the challenge?"
Brendan simply nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready," he said.
Brendan you'd better focus up, Gwen thought. Or you'll lose this battle too.
"Alright, take your position and we will begin the battle," Winona said.
Brendan walked to the challenger's box and took his position. "Alright, let's start," he said. Winona, still not sure what was going on with this challenger, pulled a remote for the new referee system that Wattson had installed in every gym across the region.
"Challenger, are you ready? You'd better be, because I choose Hannah!" Winona said. Brendan thought for a moment when he saw the Swellow, a large black and red bird with two sharp tails.
"I choose Turk," Brendan said, sending out the crustacean Pokémon.
"Hannah, use Aerial Ace!" Winona said. The Swellow flew into the air, looping around as a glowing current of air spiraled around her body.
Brendan, who still doubted himself, hesitated. "Turk, use Aqua Jet." The Crawdaunt tried to do as told, but he wasn't fast enough as the Swellow drilled into him, sending him skidding. It did damage, but it thankfully wasn't a lot.
"Another time, Aerial Ace!" Winona called. This time, Brendan didn't even react, he just seemed to be in a daze. Turk took the hit again, this time taking slightly more damage before turning to his trainer, a look of concern
That was when Gwen decided she'd had enough. DAMN IT BRENDAN SNAP OUT OF IT! She slapped him across the face, earning a shocked look from her trainer. You lost to Steven, and I get that it was the first time you and I lost while battling together. But it was an honest mistake. Stop doubting yourself and battle like you used to! Or do our battles together and my mega evolution mean nothing to you now?
Brendan was shocked at how angry Gwen was, but he knew she was right. Had she let him continue on that spiral, he would have let his Pokémon down. He nodded, closing his eyes. "You're right, it wouldn't be fair to any of you if I were to give up after two losses," he said as he turned to face Winona again, the fire in his eyes reignited. "I'm sorry I wasn't fully here when this battle began. My mind wasn't in the right place. But now, I can show you what I can really do," Brendan said. "Turk, use Razor Shell!" Both of Turk's claws began to glow a light blue color as they sharpened. He leapt across the field at Hannah, ready to attack.
"I see that you've got a fire in your eyes now, alright it's time to see what young Mr. Maple can really do," Winona said. "Hannah, fly up and dodge it!" As Turk closed in, Hannah flapped her wings and got above Turk.
"Turk, go after her with Aqua Jet!" Brendan commanded. Turk leapt into the air, surrounded by a torrent of water as his claws still glowing with the Razor Shell attack. Gwen smiled as Hannah's health bar dropped by half.
It seems I got you back to yourself, she said.
"Brave Bird!" Hannah surrounded herself with blue fire as she dove at Turk, sending him flying, but she felt the pain of recoil from such a strong hit. "Now Aerial Ace!" Hannah flew underneath Turk and hit his underbelly hard. Turk flew into the air before falling back to the ground. The buzzer sounded indicating a knock out.
"Turk return," Brendan recalled his Pokémon. "I'm sorry Turk. I promise, I won't let anything like that happen again." He then pulled out his next Pokéball. "Let's go Nikki!" The Slaking appeared, lying on her side, seemingly asleep.
"Uh oh," Winona said. She had seen the battle between Brendan and Norman, and she knew that Norman had given his son Retaliate.
"Nikki, use Retaliate," Brendan said. Nikki got up and she leapt through the air and hit Hannah hard, sending her into the ground, and making a crater from the impact, as the buzzer rang again. It was a knock out.
"Hannah, return and rest," Winona said. "That was well thought out, but you're nowhere near done. Go, Lois!" she said as she sent out her next Pokémon. What came out was a Pokémon much like Graham: a Pelipper. Thankfully Nikki had her time to recover before Winona issued her next command. "Use Water Pulse." Lois fired three rings of water at Nikki.
"Nikki, dodge that and use Slash!" Brendan said. Nikki leapt to the side as those rings flew by, and then toward Lois, her clawed fingers glowing white.
"Lois, Stockpile," Winona said. Lois started to inhale, energy gathering in her beak. Nikki hit the Pelipper hard, sending her tumbling back, her health bar dropping swiftly to less than half. "Once more!" Lois gathered more energy in her beak. "Now Swallow!" Lois lifted her beak to the sky as she swallowed the energy, her health bar increasing to about three-quarters.
"Damn, she can heal herself," Brendan said. "We'll just have to beat her before she can do it again." Nikki looked back and nodded to Brendan confidently.
"Lois, use Water Pulse!" Winona called. Lois fired three rings of water at the sloth ape
"Nikki, dodge then use Slash" Nikki rolled to the side and ran at Lois, slashing the Pelipper across the face, and dropping her health bar to zero. The buzzer sounds, indicating a knock out.
"Well, you've turned it around, but you're not done yet, go Jim!" The Gym Leader sends out a Skarmory, who shrieked loudly and defiantly.
"Nikki, start with Brick Break," Brendan said. Nikki leapt at the Skarmory, but Winona would not let that go easily.
"Jim, Steel Wing!" Jim's wings begin to glow white as he flew at Nikki. Nikki hit the steel bird hard, but Jim's wing hit first, and harder, sending her into the ground, and her health bar dropped to a sliver.
"Nikki, use Façade," Brendan said. Nikki leapt at the Skarmory again, her hands glowing yellow.
"Air Cutter!" Winona said calmly. Three cyclones of air flew at Nikki, and turned into blades as they connected with her, throwing her back into the ground and knocked her out of the fight. The buzzer sounded and Brendan recalled Nikki.
"You did well Nikki, now rest up," Brendan said before throwing his next Pokéball. "Let's go Jack!" The Camerupt came out of his Pokéball and immediately spat a small tongue of flame.
"Jim, use Aerial Ace!" The Skarmory swoops down, a white spiraling streak surrounding the steel-type.
"Lava Plume!" Brendan called. Jack's volcanic humps exploded and made lava rain down on Jim, stopping his attack and dealing severe damage, dropping the bird's health to below the three-quarters mark. "Great job Jack, now use Rock Slide!" Jack's back fired off multiple rocks that fell back to earth, hitting the armored bird hard, and finishing the rest of his health. The buzzer sounded, and Winona recalled her Pokémon.
"Only two more rounds maximum, but my Pokémon will win this round easily. Go, Fiona!" Winona said as she sent out an Altaria. This one, however, had a mega stone on a necklace around her neck.
"Shit," Brendan muttered under his breath as Winona activated Fiona's mega evolution. The Dragon-type's cloud wings puffed up like popcorn as it covered most of her body and shifted to a more pink color.
Brendan, Altaria is a fairy type now, be careful, Gwen said.
Thanks for the heads up, Gwen, Brendan said with a nod. "Jack, Rock Slide!" Jack fired multiple rocks from his back, which flew at Fiona.
"Protect, then use Dragon Pulse," Winona said. Fiona smirked as she was surrounded in a green aura and the incoming rocks merely broke on contact. When the shield dropped, a single massive beam of green energy flew at Jack, who took the full force of the attack, and his health bar dropping to nearly half.
"Damn it," Brendan said under his breath. "Jack, use Iron Head!" Jack lowered his head and began to charge at Fiona, but Winona would have none of it.
"Fiona, dodge and use Dragon Dance," Fiona flew into the air, effortlessly dodging the Camerupt, and became surrounded in a black and red aura as her speed and physical strength increased. "Now, Earthquake." Fiona dropped to the ground like a rock, hitting hard and sending a massive shockwave out. The attack hit Jack hard, nearly burying him with earth. Jack's health bar dropped to zero and Brendan withdrew him.
"Jack, thanks, I promise you I won't lose this," Brendan looked to Gwen.
We going mega this time? She asked.
I think we'll have to, Brendan replied as he touched his keystone. "Now, Gwen, Mega-Evolve!" Gwen's Gardevoirite began to glow and multiple tendrils of light extended from both stones, linking and causing Gwen to transform into her mega form.
"So, a battle of mega forms," Winona said. "Fiona, use Brave Bird!"
Gwen, use Double Team, then Hyper Voice! Gwen created multiple copies of herself before screaming, sending a massive wave of sound at the dragon bird. Fiona, who was flying directly at Gwen while she was coated in blue flames, couldn't dodge in time. She was hit with the attack and was sent flying back across the field, her health dropping below half.
"Fiona, use Aerial Ace!" Winona said. Fiona leapt at the real Gwen, hitting her perfectly, and sending Gwen sprawling, and dropping her health fast, getting below three-quarters.
Gwen, use Psychic to hold Fiona in place while you use Calm Mind, Brendan said. Gwen became surrounded with a green aura as Fiona was gripped tightly with a light blue aura. Now, Hyper Voice!
"Fiona, use Hyper Voice!" Winona said. Both Gwen and Fiona shrieked at the same time, their attacks close in intensity, but with her Calm Mind, Gwen's attack won out, hitting with less force than earlier due to the reduction effect. However, it was still enough to deplete Fiona's health and win the battle. Brendan couldn't contain his excitement, cheering as he ran onto the field and hugged Gwen, who reverted to her normal form. May simply smiled. Her Brendan was back.
Far away, in the Magma Hideout under the Jagged Pass, Maxie was standing over a pit of magma, looking at the massive stone behemoth of a Pokémon. It was the petrified Groudon. "Soon, Groudon, you will awaken," he said, the red orb in his hand.
Tabitha knocked on the door. "Sir, Team Aqua has arrived on Mt. Pyre, they're about to retrieve the Blue Orb."
Maxie looked unfazed. "It is of no concern. We can savor our victory now."
"And those two teenagers?"
"We needn't concern ourselves with them unless they interfere with us. If they do, kill them immediately," he said. "We are too close to have them ruining our plans."
Tabitha nods. "As you command." He left without another word. Once he was gone, Maxie set the orb on his desk and reclined, relaxing.
"I've won, Archie. I always was the smarter brother," he said.
Sorry this one took so long, been busy and I've been working on my novel. Next Chapter is Mt. Pyre.
As always, please review and be constructive.
Until next time - jmoul18
