Chapter 4: The First Gym
The group was out of the forest in five days total and made it to Orania Town that evening. They made it to the Pokémon Center, everyone looked forward to a shower and bed. The Center was crawling with their fellow classmates, some called out greetings while others didn't pay them mind. One group of three looked crestfallen as they waited for their Pokémon to be healed.
The four of them got in line to heal their own Pokémon then moved to the cafeteria for dinner.
"So, strategies for tomorrow?" Sora asked between bites of spaghetti.
"Elizabeth," Ken said.
"Here," Tala put their Pokédex on the table. Everyone leaned over to watch the screen as it displayed a video of two trainers battling.
"It's an exhibition match between the Dragon-type Gym Leader here and the Poison-type Gym Leader. They're both using their strongest Pokémon," Tala explained.
The match featured a Garchomp and Gengar, both glowed orange for a few seconds before coming out Mega Evolved. The battle was intense, but was ultimately won by Mega Garchomp getting in a lucky Earthquake before Mega Gengar could escape.
"We have to fight her?!" Astrid freaked.
"She won't use Garchomp," Sora said, "she'll use weaker Pokémon since we're all rookies."
"Type advantages are usually fine for first gyms," Tala added. "Still weird it's a Dragon Gym though."
Astrid didn't look certain, but nobody pushed it.
XXXXXXXXxxxxxx
The next morning none of them got up early. Their beds were far too comfortable, even their Pokémon slept in, so they didn't get to the Gym until after lunch.
The Gym was easy to find. It sat at the edge of town and was the largest building around. It was at least twenty stories and made of shiny black stone. The top of the building spiked out in two areas like horns and a Salamence was coming in for a landing at that moment.
"Ready?" Ken asked. The others nodded, though a bit hesitant before entering the building.
The inside was far less intimidating. The lobby had a few large, plush red couches, a couple people – none they recognized – sat on them chatting. A couple elevators were against the left wall and the right had a hallway leading to who knows where. A receptionist desk sat on the opposite side from, the occupant smiled in their direction and waved them over. Behind him was a tranquil waterfall that poured from a hole in the ceiling.
"Welcome," the receptionist smiled, "come to challenge the Gym?" The group nodded.
"Excellent!" He was unfazed by their hesitance, "If you'll hand over you Pokédexes, I just need to scan them." He looked at Ken's like one would at a fossil Pokémon, and admitted his envy at Sora and Tala's, both Porygons' expressed their thanks.
"Alright," he nodded once Astrid's was scanned and handed back. "She's finishing her last challenge now, when she's done you four can go in. Please have a seat and I'll call you when it's your turn." Tala and Ken nodded and started walking off first so they didn't hear the receptionist next question. A moment later Astrid and Sora joined them looking pleased.
It was only about five minutes before the last challenger came walking out of the elevator. The group knew him from school, Ryan Addle, he wasn't the best student, but given his smile he seemed to have won.
"Hey! Ken! Check it!" Ryan held up the small silver badge with a green stylized dragon curling over itself. "Pretty neat right? She knocked out all but one of my Pokémon but I still won!"
Ken gave him a thumbs up.
"Thanks! Maybe we can battle later! If you win that is," Ryan said and walked off.
"Trainers of Awesome Kindred Spirits!" The receptionist read out with a straight face, "The Gym Leader is ready for you."
Astrid and Sora stood up looking pleased, Ken and Tala gave them looks.
"Or TAKS for short," Astrid said.
"Why?" Tala asked as they went back to the receptionist.
"He asked if we had a team name," Sora said.
"And what kind of trainers would we be without a proper name," Astrid added.
"Floor 12," the receptionist told them and nodded to the elevators.
The four of them stepped out of the elevator into a standard arena, though the throne on the opposite side of the room was anything but standard. The Gym Leader sat on the throne, her Garchomp on one side and a Dragonite on the other.
"Welcome challengers!" She called as she stood. She was in her mid-twenties, with pink and green hair and a bright orange jumpsuit. A black cape hung off her shoulders, normally it'd make someone look ridiculous, but the two dragons kind of stopped that affect.
A Salamence flew over from behind the throne and landed behind the Gym Leader.
"Oh welcome back," the Gym Leader rubbed his head. She kissed him and he cooed before she turned back to the trainers.
"Alright, I'm Gym Leader Cybil, and this battle will be a test as to whether or not you can continue your journey or need to return to school," she announced. "I hope all of you are better than the last wave of graduates."
"Wait what?" Tala asked. They ignored the looks the dragons gave them and continued to stare at the Gym Leader.
"Safria can be a dangerous region, most of it is untamed wilderness, I test new trainers to ensure they can hold their own," Cybil explained. "For this battle I'll only use one Pokémon while you may use all that you have."
"Who's first?"
"Um…" Astrid spoke up, "what if we don't want to do the Gym challenge?"
"The first two everyone must do, after that it's up to you," Cybil said. "Now, you first."
Astrid went wide-eyed as Cybil pointed at her.
"Good luck," Sora patted her shoulder and walked towards the spectator stands.
"Don't let the battle drag-on," Ken grinned at Sora's groan before joining her.
Tala took a moment longer than the other two. They placed a hand on Astrid's shoulder and looked her in the eyes.
"I know you want to give up and go home," they said, Astrid flinched, "but just think about the Pokémon you'll meet here, the stories you'll create, and the adventures we'll have. I won't tell you what to do, but… just think about it, okay?" They squeezed her shoulder and went to join the other two.
Astrid took a steadying breath, closed her eyes, and stepped into her box. When her eyes opened again they burned with determination as they sent out Surskit. Cybil sent out a Gible.
"This match will be a one on three match!" The referee – which no one noticed until then – shouted, reading something off a screen. "The challenger is allowed to switch Pokémon at any time. The battle will end when one side is out of Pokémon. Begin!"
"Smell!" Astrid called.
"Smell what?" Cybil blinked in confusion. She caught on quick when Surskit released a pink cloud of sweet smelling gas. Gible inhaled before she could warn him, a blush formed on his cheeks as he started to sway.
"Gible use Dig to get away!" Cybil called.
"Jump Beam!" Astrid said. Surskit Lunged forward and shot an Ice Beam at Gible as he started to dig. The Ice Beam clipped his foot and froze over the hole, but Gible got away.
Astrid had been whispering to her Starter ball since giving the order. Once Gible disappeared underground she made a quick switch.
Lightning released a Hydro Pump at the ground the moment she was released. She kept spewing water until the ground was muddy and gross. Gible popped his head out, gasping for air as the mud rolled off his body. He had no chance to dodge the incoming Ice Beam shot from Surskit as Astrid pulled off another switch.
Gible survived the blast, barely, and pulled himself out of his hole. He spat a Dragon Rage at Surskit. Surskit used Quick Attack to dodge and glide across the mud. He pushed himself up and into a Lunge that struck Gible in the stomach. The little dragon fainted.
"Gible is unable to battle!" The referee held up a green flag toward Astrid. "The winner is Astrid Thorppe, of Melemele Island!"
"Good combos, kid," Cybil said. "You sure you don't want to do the Gym challenge? I think you'd make waves."
"Maybe… I'll think about it," Astrid said.
Cybil nodded.
"I'll hand out badges once all the battles are complete," Cybil said. "Who's next?"
"Me!" Sora called and hopped over to the challenger's box.
"This will be a two on one battle," the referee called, reading off the screen again. "The battle will end when either side is unable to battle. Begin!"
Jacket came out opposite to a Deino.
"String Shot!" Sora called and kept calling it. Deino tried to dodge, but couldn't avoid all of the sticky strings. One wrapped around her feet and caused her to faceplant into the ground.
"Get up and use Headbutt!" Cybil called.
"Bug bite!"
Jacket latched onto Deino's neck before she could get up all the way. The dragon began to panic and ran around screeching as she thrashed her neck about.
"Deino! Calm down and roll over!" Cybil called.
Her voice made Deino snap back to reality as she followed the order and ended up scraping Jacket off.
"Razor Leaf to get away," Sora called.
"Fire Fang!"
The fire in Deino's mouth incinerated the leaves shot by Jacket, making her escape trickier. She shot a hasty String Shot into Deino's face, causing the dragon to charge recklessly forward.
"Look out!" Sora called. "String Shot and Bug Bite, quick!"
Jacket followed through, using the String Shot for leverage, swinging around Deino and chomping into the back of her neck. Deino screeched in pain.
"Return!" Sora made a quick switch and released Spoopy. "Flurry!"
Spoopy shot a barrage of Shadow Balls at Deino. Normally not very effective, but many Shadow Balls at once did a number on the weakened dragon. Spoopy followed with a Lick and that was it.
"Deino is unable to battle!" The ref called. "Sora Mikia of Aliane City is the winner."
"Nice tactics to slow your opponent down," Cybil said, "and effective use of ineffective moves. Good work."
"Thanks!" Sora and Spoopy went back to the seats.
Cybil was about to call next when Ken appeared in the challenger's box. Elizabeth waved, proud of her Teleport.
"Alright…" Cybil nodded and sent out a Dratini. Dragonite cooed at the little blue dragon, who turned and made a noise back.
"She's his daughter," Cybil explained. Dratini preened before turning to her opponent.
"This will be a two on one battle!" The ref repeated the same words from before then called for the match to start.
"Teleport, Teleport, Teleport, Teleport," Ken continued to say the word until it no longer sounded like a word. Elizabeth flashed around the field, avoiding every move Dratini used.
"Would you take this serious?" Cybil stomped her foot in frustration. Ken continued to say Teleport.
"Alright, you know what? Enough!" Cybil yelled. Dragonite and Garchomp patted her shoulders, but she was too annoyed. "Hyper Beam the entire field."
"Return," Ken made a quick switch. Rattata hissed at Dratini as she built up the Hyper Beam. The plasma beam shot out and struck Rattata dead on, blinding everyone for a moment. When it finally died, Rattata was still standing, tired, bruised, and on the verge of collapsing, but still standing.
"What? How?" Cybil asked.
Rattata began to glow red, the red light beamed off him and hit Dratini while she recovered. Her condition changed from perfect health to nearly unconscious, then Rattata used Quick Attack.
"Dratini is unable to battle! Ken Hendricks of Palia Village is the winner!"
"I… what… how?" Cybil stood gaping.
"Endure and Endeavor," Tala said as they switched places with Ken.
Cybil facepalmed and groaned. "I forgot about those." She shook her head and eyed the three sitting down.
"Are you sure you're all rookies?" She asked then sighed. Dragonite tapped her shoulder and she released Dratini again. The little blue dragon looked sad before Dragonite scooped her up and hugged her.
"Alright. Last battle," Cybil smiled at the display before turning back to the field. "I hope… what are you doing?" She looked at her other dragons who were staring intently at Tala.
"Uh… this happens," Tala waved off and pulled out their Starter ball.
"Right…" Cybil eyed her Pokémon for a moment longer before reaching for a ball on her belt. Garchomp stopped her and gestured toward a different ball.
"Are you sure?" Cybil asked. She received a nod in return. She shrugged and switched Pokéballs. The ref gave the same announcement as before, three on one, and called to begin.
Luke landed on the field opposite a Jangmo-o. Both Fighting-type Pokémon bowed to the other before moving into a fighting stance. Neither moved as they stared each other down.
"Work up!" Cybil broke the silence. Jangmo-o's body glowed as he shouted with rage.
"Use Quick Attack to get close and use Force Palm," Tala murmured. Luke's ears twitched before he followed through the orders. Luke appeared in front of Jangmo-o and slapped his face.
"Brick Break!"
Jangmo-o leapt forward and slashed at Luke with a glowing paw. He cuffed Luke in the side as Luke dodged backwards. The Riolu twisted in the air and skidded on his feet until he found his grip. He moved into another Quick Attack, looked for an opening and struck for Jangmo-o's side with an Ice Punch. Jangmo-o retaliated with a Shadow Claw and almost hit Luke with a quick Dragon Tail.
Both Pokémon charged and struck each other, one with Ice Punch, the other with Brick Break. They strained for control before breaking away at some unseen signal.
Tala kept whispering commands to Luke while Cybil shouted her own. Tala's hands curled into fist as the battle sped up. When both Pokémon locked into another standoff Tala whispered:
"Fling."
Luke's other paw struck out and grabbed Jangmo-o's leg. He twisted his body and flung the quadruped dragon away. Jangmo-o rolled on the ground but got back up. He shook his body out and at Cybil's shout charged into a Headbutt. Luke didn't have a chance to dodge.
The wind was knocked out of him as the dragon slammed into his torso and sent him flying backwards. Tala cried out in pain.
"Are you alright?" Cybil called. She glanced at the ref, wondering if she should call for a time out. Tala was bent over, their arms wrapped around their stomach.
Unseen by anyone was the flash of purple in their eyes before they straightened at the same moment Luke stood up. Both of them had the same glint in their eyes as they moved in perfect synch. Tala and Luke slid their right foot behind them, their fist in front of their faces. They punched out as one, Luke when propelling forward with Bullet Punch and slammed into Jangmo-o. Without stopping he uppercut the dragon in the jaw with an Ice Punch, Tala moved their fist as he did. Both crouched and leapt into the air, they twisted and kicked down, Luke's leg connected with Jangmo-o's head.
Luke and Tala landed in unison and took a fighting pose, but relaxed when the referee called out.
"Jangmo-o is unable to battle! The winner is Tala Gibbons from…" He trailed off as he read from his screen. "Um… from all over?" He tried and glanced at Tala.
They weren't paying attention, a smile split their face as Luke turned to face them. Both of them grinned before charging towards each other. Tala gathered their starter into their arms and hugged him tight.
"Did you see that? Did you feel it? That was amazing! I never thought I would get there! But I saw you get hit and I could stand the thought of you being in pain and then…" Tala trailed off as they grinned at Luke.
"It was incredible!" Luke agreed.
"Truly amazing," Dragonite said. He and the other evolved dragons were in front of Tala now, with Dratini around his neck. "Not that we expected any less."
Tala blushed as Garchomp patted their shoulder.
"Why are you acting so weird?" Cybil asked walking over. "You'd think they wanted me to lose to you."
"Not… entirely…" Salamence said, looking guilty. "We wanted to ensure your safety."
The other three trainers joined up on the field, congratulating Tala.
"You did that awesome flip and then bam!" Sora said doing a play by play.
"Are you okay, though?" Astrid asked, placing a hand on Tala's arm.
"I'm fine," Tala said. They ignored the throbbing in their gut.
Cybil gained their attention back before presenting them each their own badge. They looked similar to the one their classmate, Ryan, had shown them earlier, except the dragon on their badges were black.
Astrid asked the question everyone was thinking.
"Why is ours black and not green?"
"Hmm? Oh, you knew my last challenger I guess," Cybil said, making a face of displeasure. "You see, all of the Gym Leaders in the region have color system in place with their badges. There are five colors that can be presented to the challenger depending on how well the Gym Leader deemed the challenge. Purple is the highest for me, I only give those to trainers that complete my high-tier battles," she added at their looks. "Black is the second highest, while green is the lowest. Before you leave town there's a gate you have to go through to move on. The attendants there will use the badge to assess which paths would be best to inform you of."
"So the better the color the more choices we get?" Sora asked.
"Yup!" Cybil nodded. "It is mostly for the first two badges, to ensure the trainers can handle themselves in the rest of the region, but still it's useful in every area. Your friend will only be told about the most straightforward path to the next town."
"What's to stop someone from changing direction once they're in the wild?" Sora asked.
"Nothing," Cybil shrugged. "By then it is their choice, but most people tend to stick with the directions they were given. Especially if they don't know any other way is possible. So don't go spreading this knowledge around too much," Cybil winked, "but that's enough of that. Off you go! Oh and come back when you're all stronger! I'd love a rematch!"
The group left, high on victory, and made their way back to the Pokémon Center. They wouldn't leave until tomorrow morning, so tonight was dedicated to celebrating.
AN/ I hope you enjoyed the gym battles. They were a little easy but hey it's the first gym. They will one day return for a more explosive match against Cybil.