Save 4- Arashi

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Route 2 was a blur. All I knew was that by the time I had reached its end, I was tired, the sky was dark, and half my team had been knocked out. One wouldn't think a Trainer would ever get used to having their Pokemon K.O'd, but, as I discovered, a Trainer got used to it. This was a lesson I'd learned the hard way, one that I'd never anticipated learning anytime soon, especially not at the beginning of my journey.

I passed through the Route 2- Centauri Town gate, and welcomed the cool air against my face. I was EXHAUSTED. Something about walking the entire- what two kilometer?- route certainly took a toll on you. I looked back out at the long road behind me and once again realized how pathetic it was that I had trouble with even the shortest of routes in Altes. This was going to be a problem, I realized, when I arrived at the longer routes. I let out an exasperated sigh and took a much needed break on a bench.

I sat there for several moments and almost considered falling asleep, then remembered my unconscious Pokemon and made my way from the gatehouse into Centauri Town, proper.

It was a reasonably sized town. There were a couple of apartment complexes, a decent Poke'Mart, a Pokemon Center, and a Gym. As much as I wanted to visit the Gym, my Pokemon were in no condition to do any extensive battling. I did take the time to read the sign outside the Gym, though:

"Centauri Town Gym Leader: Arashi 'The Tempest of the Sea'"

I gave my Pokemon to the attendant in the Center and waited several moments for them to be restored to full health. With my Pokemon fully healed, I left the Center and excitedly ran all the way to the Gym.

A nice cold mist hit my face when I stepped inside. A large pool of water dominated the middle of the room, fans in the walls churning it and spraying it out in plumes of moisture in all directions. Several Trainers (Swimmers, mostly) were swimming around, some alongside their Water-type Pokemon, others were working out alone, breathing heavily from the strain of training. The Leader sat atop a large tower in the back, carefully observing the Trainers as a good lifeguard should. Sadly, I couldn't get a good look at my adversary from here.

"What's up, Trainer? Ready to work up a good sweat? Or maybe you're here to test your game against The Tempest?"

"Excuse me?" I said, confused.

A somewhat muscular man in a tight-fitting referee's shirt walked up to me, the whistle around his neck jingling like a Chimecho.

"You a Trainer?" he said, "Ready to do some massive Training? Want your Pokemon to-"

I blinked, clearly confused.

He dropped the over-excited-fitness-instructor routine.

"This is your first time in a Gym, isn't it?" he asked.

"What does that have to do with anything?" I responded.

"Since you're new to this, I'll cut the Bouffalant and say it how it is: this is your first Gym, obviously, so you don't understand how these things work. Look out there-" he made a grande gesture, as if he were unveiling a masterpiece "-what do you see? Trainers. What are they doing? Training. Why? Who knows. Why are YOU here? The answer, Mr Champion, is all the way on the other side of that pool. Leader Arashi, the Tempest of the Sea. You want what she has. The coveted- okay not precisely coveted, but just- okay? The coveted Dew Badge."
The fact that he said all that in one breath astounded me.

"That's right, you heard correctly: the Dew Badge. Prized treasure of Trainers everywhere- okay not exactly, but just go with it, okay? The prized treasure of Trainers all throughout Altes. Your first Gym Badge! All you have to do is best Lady Arashi in a challenge of skill, dedication, and honor. Actually, it's just a Pokemon battle, but just-okay? So, this is where I come in."

Wonderful. Can't I just go fight the Leader and be done with this? This guy was seriously getting on my nerves. But, something about his expression told me that it would probably not be in my best interest to skip out on this 'very important lecture.'

"I'm gonna help take you to the top, Mr Champion. Arashi here, she uses Water-type Pokemon," Really? All this water everywhere? She's called the Tempest of the Sea? My first guess was that she was a Ghost-type Trainer, but clearly I was wrong. "That means all her Pokemon are weak to Grass- and Electric- type Pokemon. Also, that means that Fire- types are at a SERIOUS disadvantage. So, with that in mind, plan your team carefully."
He grew silent. Was he done or did he have to stop and breathe? I might have fallen asleep once or twice throughout his speech.

By all the Legendaries in this Region and every other, please let this be the only coach in the Pokemon League.

I kept my hand on Shinx and Joltik's Pokeballs, ready to battle the first Trainer I met.

He introduced himself as Swimmer Joseph.

"Get ready for the fight of your life!" he said, throwing his Pokeball high, though I wasn't one hundred percent sure from WHERE he had thrown it, "Come on out, Staryu!"

The golden-bodied Star Shape Pokemon landed soundlessly. "Yu yu!" it cried.

I threw Shinx out and commanded him to "Charge!"

The Flash Pokemon jumped back and assumed an offensive stance, electricity growing and surging under his fur, sparks jumping from the pads of his paws.

"Water Gun!" called Swimmer Joseph.

Staryu jumped into the air and spun rapidly, releasing a pressurized stream of water from the core on its chest, hitting Shinx directly in the face.

Shinx choked and coughed for a second, then shook it off.

"Spark!" I ordered.

Shinx steadied himself and let out a crackling cry as raw static electricity burst from his fur.

Staryu was very quickly unable to battle.

Swimmer Joseph returned Staryu to its Pokeball. "Yeah," he mumbled, "The fight of your life." He paid me the agreed upon 200P, then returned to the pool, sulking.

Oh well, I'd gotten used to sulking Trainers. Every victory of mine seemed to yield sulking results.

Two more Trainers challenged me, one using a Staryu, which fell easy prey to Shinx's Spark attack, the other using a team of Krabby and Wingull, which Joltik swept through with Electroweb.

I stood patiently in front of the lifeguard's tower, the Gym's bright lights hiding the Leader in twisting shadows.

With a swift and sudden movement, the Leader leaped down from atop her tower, landing gracefully before me.

She was young and fit, wearing a pinkish-blue bathing suit, a whistle around her neck. Hair short and dyed blue, eyes bright and green. A set of Pokeballs dangling next to her whistle.

"I am the Leader of this Gym," she began, "Arashi, the Tempest of the Sea, wielder of the mighty Dew Badge. I've seen you, sweeping my fellow Trainers, battling diligently for a chance to go big. Trainer-"

She paused.

"I ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE!" she cried, leaping back to allow room for our Pokemon to fight.

She threw a Pokeball and released before me. A strange star-like Pokemon with a purple body.

"Mie!" the Mysterious Pokemon cried, echoing from the red gem which was the heart of its body.

A split second's decision lead me to send out Shinx, whose body crackled and flashed in anticipation for battle.

"Charge!" I ordered.

"Water Gun!" called the Leader.

A numbing blast of pressurized water slammed into Shinx, nearly rendering him unconscious in that single instant. But Shinx held on.

"Spark!"

"Rapid Spin!"

Shinx fell in that moment with a halfhearted cry. Starmie was breathing harshly, but still remained.

I threw out my semi-conscious Joltik, knowing already that his Faint was inevitable. But I had to try! As long as Joltik survived, I was at an advantage.

"Electroweb!"

"Hydro Pump!"

Starmie was wrapped in a statically charged web in the fractional second it took to hear its Trainer's call. With an arcing spasm, the Pokemon fainted.

"That's one, Trainer!" said Arashi, withdrawing her Starmie. "But I've still got one more Pokemon! Let's get 'em-"

From her Pokeball burst a mammoth Pokemon of intense size and weight. Its shell was spiked with massive barbs. The grin on its face sent chills down my spine. I didn't need to hear its name to tremble in fear at the beast that would fight against my poor Joltik, but hearing it made me feel that Joltik's defeat was destined:

"CLOYSTER!"

The Bivalve Pokemon roared its name with her and I felt loss weigh heavily upon my chest.

"Toxic Spikes!"

Cloyster rose several feet into the air, achieving a height that startled me, on account of the Pokemon's presumably massive weight.

Its shell began to glow a sick purple, the barbs grew to an incredible sheen that flashed as spikes and barbs exploded forth and rained down upon the linoleum. Cloyster settled itself back onto the ground with a satisfied laugh.

"Electroweb!"

Jumping to avoid the Spikes, Joltik launched a net of electrically charged fibers from its mouth. The web connected with the enemy Cloyster and sent charges of electrical energy into the foe. Cloyster shook the web off and retaliated at Arashi's command with a Tackle. Joltik twitched once, then fainted.

I let out a frustrated growl as I withdrew Joltik. She'd knocked out two of my Pokemon, the two who had been best suited for this fight. I considered the rest of the Pokemon in my team, all of whom were at full health. Espurr is a Psychic-type, which wasn't very effective against a Water-type like Cloyster, not to mention, he wouldn't obey anything I said, half the time. Caterpie's a Bug-type, also not very effective, but a viable option. Riolu being a Fighting-type wouldn't be very useful, either. Hmm.

I had to send someone out, if anything to bide time until I figured out a strategy.

"I'm sorry, my friend," I whispered, knowing perfectly well that whoever I sent out would probably be KO'd instantly. Frustrated, I made my decision.

"Just hold a little more," I said, throwing my selected Pokemon out into the fray.

Riolu landed, then shrieked in pain as he landed on the Toxic Spikes. I hissed under my breath. I had temporarily forgotten about them.

"Tackle!"

"Counter!"

Riolu took a defensive stance, and took the full force of the Tackle, and pushed back with all his might. Cloyster flew back several feet.

Riolu was panting. Cloyster was steadying itself, a look of shock on its face.

Hmm. Cloyster seemed to have been affected by the attack considerably more than I had anticipated. Several thoughts ran through my mind. Counter had been a super effective move.

I hissed at my stupidity. Cloyster was a dual-type Water/Ice Pokemon. Why had I forgotten that? Counter had been the perfect move against him. I smiled to myself, feeling certain of myself and the outcome of this battle.

"Quick Attack!" I called.

"Cloy... ster..."

The Bivalve Pokemon fainted.

Riolu jumped into the air, excited for his victory. He startled himself suddenly, as a flash of brilliant energy engulfed his paw, then faded away. He looked at me in confusion. He stared at his out-stretched paw and another surge of energy burst outward.

I laughed at the startled Pokemon, who shot me a dark look.

Riolu had just learned Force Palm.

The Leader summoned her Pokemon back into its Pokeball and I did the same to Riolu.

Arashi walked out to be and held out her hand, something gleamed in the misty light.

"You have defeated me. By besting me in battle, Trainer, I am both required and honored to present you with this."

I took the Badge and looked at it for a moment. Smooth, blue metal; it resembled a tear-drop.

"The Dew Badge. In recognition of your victory today, all Pokemon will see your success and will begin to obey you. Stronger Pokemon, mind you, will still ignore you, but weaker ones, even those obtained in trades, will not. With this, you are also legally allowed to use the move Cut outside of battle."

Her wording of that baffled me a little. Legally? Did that imply that, before now, I couldn't legally use Cut? Like many things that confused me, I dropped the thought and listened to the Leader.

"Now, this," she said, handing me a small disk-like object, "is a gift from me. This Technical Machine, or TM, can be used to teach your Pokemon the move 'Water Pulse', which is capable of both inflicting damage, and confusing the opponent."

"With your first gym Badge, you are also allowed to battle the Gym in Carina City." she concluded.

I left the gym, healed my Pokemon at the Center, then pulled out the Town Map.

From Centauri Town, my next stop was Route 3, followed by Taurus Town. Route 4, then Carina City.

I looked at the map a while longer.

The Professor's journey rung heavily in my mind. That was my goal. Learn the secrets of Delta Transitioning. That was my duty, to the Professor.

But there couldn't be any harm in tackling the Gyms along the way, was there? Besides, I didn't have any leads to go on. I didn't have any clue where to find information for the Professor's research. At least by taking on the Gyms, I had an idea where my journey would take me.

With that decided, I rolled up the map, and left the Center.

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Not to bad for our first Gym Battle. I hope it wasn't too short or anything. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this Chapter, and I'll have the next one up soon.

[Over and out]