Chapter Ten
The Battle of the Century

Violet City. Finally a place that Paul knew. As he and Annabelle dragged their exhausted bodies up the familiar streets, he had never been so glad to see a city, and only the amenities it could provide, rise up from the horizon.

The Beedrill gave up chasing them half a mile from the end of Route 31. Even Pokemon get bored eventually, Annabelle had chuckled when they were in the clear, trying to find the funny side. Paul's steamy silence had spoken otherwise. While they had luckily escaped with only minor cuts and bruises, it had soured his temper further, and they progressed the rest of the way without speaking a word to each other.

Stepping foot in Violet City, Paul's demeanour changed instantly. While before he had been content for Annabelle to take the lead, he now overtook her and strode confidently ahead of her.

"You know Violet City then?" she ventured when she was quite sure he wasn't about to explode at her question.

"Yeah. Been here loads of times."

"Really? What for?"

"Pokemon Trading Card Championships."

"Oh." Annabelle couldn't think of anything to say to that. "Did you win?"

"Course I did."

They crossed the road at a set of traffic lights and he then led her down a street she didn't know. She faltered on the street corner, torn between chasing him and staying still. "Hey, where are you taking us?"

"Pokemon Centre."

He was beginning to put distance between them. "But the Pokemon Centre is down near Sprout Tower, though." He wasn't listening and she had to jog after him. "Paul! Hey! The Pokemon Centre is back the way we came."

Paul sighed. "There are two Pokemon Centres in Violet City, Annabelle. The second one is newly opened – they had just opened it when I left. It's closer to the shopping district. Much more convenient. Don't you think?"

She hadn't known that. Then again, it had been a long time since she had the time, or the funds, to pay a visit to the neighbouring city. She murmured in agreement and followed him, torn between feeling impressed and feeling stupid.

The towering, unmistakable sign of the Pokemon Centre drifted into her vision along the stony streets and she let out a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding. She had always loved Pokemon Centres – relished every rare opportunity she had been given to enter one – and it was a peculiar feeling that hit her every time. Today was no different. Stepping inside, she felt instantly at home – like returning to a favourite place, a childhood bedroom, after a long time away.

This new Pokemon Centre was one of the fancy modern ones made fashionable in Unova. Of course it had all the necessities - a counter staffed by several nurses and Chansey assistants, an upstairs dormitory with rooms for travelling trainers, a block of PCs and video phones, but there were several updated features she had never seen before. A Pokemon mart had been built within the interior of the lobby; shelves stuffed with items and goods you could only get at some of the larger department stores. Even the standard cafeteria had been given a new lease of life, set up with coolers and chillers and a hot food section. All sorts of artwork and maps from every region adorned the bright, cheerful walls and the bright polished tiles looked freshly scrubbed. Annabelle's muddy shoes squeaked, scattering little drops of water and dirt as they walked through.

"There's a lot of people here..." Paul said, as they joined the queue.

"Don't tell me you've never actually been in a Pokemon Centre before?" she teased.

"Of-of course I have!" he stammered. "Just never as…busy as this one."

The line surged and they found themselves at the front of the counter. The nurse facing them was not the jolly, pink-haired young woman that Paul had been expecting. She was middle-aged, portly and had dark hair slicked so far back she looked like the product of an unfortunate facelift. When she smiled, though, she was warm and welcoming, and Paul felt some of the tension leave his body.

"Welcome to Violet City Pokemon Centre, how may I help you?"

Paul opened his mouth to speak when it occurred to him that he had no idea what the hell to say to her.

"We need a bed for the night," Annabelle interjected, laughing nervously. She was suddenly aware how bedraggled and smelly the two of them must have looked. "And Pokemon for healing."

"Trainer's licenses?"

Annabelle flashed her ID card with a flourish while Paul spent the better part of five minutes digging around in pockets and bags for his wallet until he found the ID wrapped up in several old receipts.

The nurse nodded at its eventual presentation. "Lovely. And how many Pokemon?"

"Three. Ledyba, Fletching and Shroomish." Annabelle had done this before, judging from the nurse's nods of approval. "Just for rest and minor healing. We had a run-in with some Beedrill." She added with another nervous giggle.

She placed her two Pokeballs in a tray the nurse handed over and she prodded Paul until he did the same. He dropped Ledyba's Pokeball in along with Annabelle's and felt a jolt of reluctance as the warm sphere left the comfort of his palm.

The nurse signed some paperwork, took their names and then handed Annabelle a set of keys. "You'll be in Room Fifteen tonight."

"Both of us?" Her eyes widened.

"It's a twin room." The Nurse replied calmly. "We're unfortunately very busy tonight, but the room is spacious."

"Well, if it can't be helped, it can't be helped." Annabelle said with an accepting nod. "So long as you don't snore," she grinned cheekily.

"I'll have you know—"

"Your Pokemon will be due for collection in a few hours." The nurse interrupted as the queue behind them started to lengthen again. "We'll notify you when they're ready. There's a little beeper on your keys that'll start buzzing and flashing. Is that okay?"

"Of course. Thanks."

"Great. Hope you have a nice stay,"

Annabelle was already halfway up the stairs to the dormitory block and Paul followed along, lamenting the final hurdle. Their corridor was loud, banging and crashing going on behind several closed doors, but Annabelle led them along as if she heard nothing. She unlocked the door and shouldered it open.

Paul looked in before Annabelle could get a chance. He found himself disappointed. The room was… basic. To say the very least. Like every cheap hotel room he had ever stayed in. Two beds with identical white bedsheets, a bedside table apiece, a small chest of drawers for storing a few scant bits of clothing, and that was it. No television. No radio. Not even an alarm clock. At least there was a power outlet to charge his phone, which had died a spontaneous death long before it should have. Paul looked around, frowning, at the scarcity of it all, but Annabelle threw her bags down and collapsed right on the bed nearest the window.

"Ohhh, yeah…" she moaned, stretching out all of her joints and sounding like she was in the lap of luxury. "This is the life…"

Paul perched at the edge of the other bed. It was surprisingly firm and held his weight well, so he leaned back until he found a comfortable position. Annabelle had her eyes shut and her chest was rising and falling rhythmically. Was she already asleep?

"So, why so long of a wait on the Pokemon? I thought it was pretty much instantaneous."

Annabelle giggled and rolled onto her side to face him. "Course not. That's just a gimmick the games use. Come on, people don't go into hospitals, get zapped by some machine and everything is fine again. It takes time. Bed rest. And when you get serious injuries, believe me, they happen," she added, seeing Paul's incredulous look. "It can take even longer. Bones might need to be set. Stitches put in. Seriously. It can be an unpleasant job." She paused for a moment. "Don't worry, though. They'll buzz us when they're ready."

"…I'm not worried."

"Good." Annabelle said brightly, sitting back up. "Anyway. I'm going to go and shower. After that, you want to go and get some lunch?"

Paul's stomach grumbled before he could answer and Annabelle laughed "I'll take that as a yes, then. Shower blocks are just at the end of the hall – east side for men and west side for women. Don't get those mixed up." She imparted sternly, before disappearing out the door in a flurry.

"How old does she think I am? Twelve?" he muttered to himself.

He shoved his phone on to charge, grabbed some clothes from the bag and marched out the door, not bothering to lock it behind him.

He never did like communal showers. What sane person did? But thankfully, the block was empty and Paul spent a long time standing under the hot water, letting it wash over every inch of his aching body. He was amazed at just how dark the water went, lifting off a few days' worth of dirt and grime. The cuts on his arm stung; having to remove the bandages before stepping in had ripped some of them open again and for a while, the water ran with blood and dirt.

Despite it all, he felt a strange sense of gratitude for something as simple as a hot shower. He tried not to think about how long it would be until the next one as he padded barefoot down the corridor and back to the room.

Annabelle was already back, dried and dressed. He cringed a little. Did he really take that long just to shower? His pride had once been set as the master of the five minute shower; getting in, washed and out before the water could even heat up properly.

Standing in front of the mirror, Annabelle ran a brush through her long hair, manipulating it into some sort of fancy braid. She had changed out of her usual baggy t-shirt and ripped jeans and was wearing a deep navy blue dress cut just above her knee. There was something different about her face too. The skin seemed much smoother and more defined, her eyelashes somehow darker and longer and she smelled pleasantly of strawberries.

"Are you wearing makeup?" he said, by way of greeting.

Annabelle flushed beetroot – even under the layer of foundation and blusher she was wearing. "Yes." She said stiffly.

"Why?"

"Because just because I run around after Pokemon and spent ninety-five percent of my time knee deep in mud doesn't mean I don't enjoy looking halfway girly from time to time!" Annabelle threw her brush down and turned away, but Paul could still see her blushing in the reflection of the mirror.

"Alright. Chill." He said, tossing his muddy clothes at the foot of his bed. "You just look a little different. That's all."

"Different good or different bad?" she queried, but her question was lost to Paul as he started digging around in his bag for a pair of socks.

"Reckon the Pokemon will be ready to be picked up yet?" He asked, squeezing his feet into the only pair he had that wasn't riddled with holes.

"Room hasn't been buzzed yet, so probably not." She answered curtly.

"Oh. Lunch then?"

"May as well."

The cafeteria was overrun with trainers by the time Annabelle and Paul made it down. Much to Paul's irritation, most of the tables and chairs were occupied, not by people, but Pokemon. He counted half a dozen Sentret and Hoothoot, a couple of rambunctious Geodude and one particularly stupid looking Dunsparce.

"Do people have no consideration for others?" Paul growled as he pushed his way towards one of the few empty seats available.

Annabelle bit her lip in an effort not to snap back at him. After staking their claim to an occupied table by plopping bags and hoodies down, they went to investigate the food on offer. Paul frowned as he studied the few offerings set out. There was nothing interesting in the chillers – only pots of fruit and some empty plates and bowls he assumed were supposed to be filled with… something. Even the hotplates were empty, leaving nothing but crumbs. All that was left was a pot of soup and a selection of sandwiches with uninspired fillings – cheese, egg, ham, all slightly hardening and curling up at the edges.

"They don't have much choice, do they?"

"Considering this is given out for free, I think it's pretty good." Annabelle pulled up the ladle in the soup pot and took a big, appreciative sniff. "Mm. Lentil."

"Wait, they give this out for free?"

"Course. Duty of care and all that. Notice how we didn't pay for the Pokemon care and the room for the night?"

"…good point." He nodded. "But I'm not really into eating this. If I remember right, there's a proper sandwich shop just down the road from here. Wanna go there?"

"Ah… no, it's okay." Annabelle ladled a generous portion of the soup into a bowl. "I'm good here. You go if you want."

"Ehh. Your loss." He shrugged. "I'll be back soon."

"Honestly…" Annabelle sat back down as the automatic doors breezed open and he disappeared out.

She cherished the warmth of her bowl of soup, dipping in sandwich after sandwich to soak up the last dregs. Belly satisfyingly full, she sat back and let the warm, full, happy feeling float through the rest of her body. She sat there a full twenty minutes, watching the coming and going of trainers around her. The little beeper on the end of her keys suddenly buzzed and it was with some reluctance that she pushed herself up from her little nest and approached the counter.

"Pickup for Room fifteen?"

The nurse handed over the tray of Pokeballs and Annabelle pocketed her own two, deciding to keep a proper hold of Paul's Ledyba until he got back.

She had just settled down at the table again when he came galumphing back, dropping a greasy wrapper with the remnants of some unholy combination of bread and what looked like every meat substance known to man. A few sprigs of lettuce peeped out, long since abandoned. Annabelle raised an eyebrow. "Do you eat anything healthy?"

"Do you eat anything?" Paul countered, letting out a massive belch for good measure.

"Ledyba's back, by the way." Annabelle handed the Pokeball over.

"Sweet." Paul said, stuffing the ball into the pocket of his jeans. "Now I can get down to business."

"What business?"

"Getting this Ledyba trained and catching some new Pokemon. I already saw a bunch of bird Pokemon hanging around the park when I went up to get my food. I'm heading there."

"Well you won't get anywhere without any Pokeballs!" Annabelle trilled, stopping Paul in his tracks as he approached the door.

"Good thinking."

Annabelle watched in shock as Paul laid down a £100 charge on his credit card for five Pokeballs, like it was spare change. Memories of the hours of overtime she had to pull just to save enough for her first Pokeballs so she could be considered a proper trainer resurfaced, and she found a tiny prick of resentment at just how easy some people had it.

Shoving the Pokeballs into his bag, he was off and out the Pokemon centre immediately. He led them to a park, one of many dotted around the peaceful city. The sun was at its peak, shining brightly, and had attracted several trainers. They all congregated in the grassy areas sheltered by trees and sat beside calm ponds. Paul cracked his knuckles, his keen gaze searching out the Pokemon he had seen before.

"You're sure you saw Pokemon here?" Annabelle struggled to conceal a yawn after ten minutes of futile searching. "The only Pokemon I see belong to other people."

"Well, I did. These other stupid people scared them off." He grunted. "I thought Pokemon who lived in the cities weren't supposed to be this scared of humans?"

"Doesn't mean they're going to hang about and wait to be captured." Annabelle took a seat on a nearby bench. "I think you're wasting your time, Paul."

"Great. Perfect. Fan-tas-tic!" Paul aimed a kick at a nearby stone.

With a soft thunk, the stone skittered away in the distance, coming to an abrupt halt as it collided with something round and blue standing at the front of a nearby pond.

"Shit."

The tiny blue thing, upon closer inspection, was an Azurill. Which had promptly burst into tears. A little girl standing a few feet away scooped up the Azurill and was now looking furiously around for the source of the missile.

Paul seriously debated running away. "She didn't see me, did she?" he hissed to Annabelle.

"You better pray she didn't."

"Hey! You!"

"Yep. She saw you."

The little girl couldn't have been any more than nine or ten years old, and wearing a shirt stamped with a Skitty pattern and a frilly skirt, the last thing she ought to have been was intimidating. Despite the fact she stood at barely half Paul's height, he still grimaced when she squared right up to him. This was not going to be pretty.

"You! You hurt my Puddles!"

"Your… Puddles?"

"Yeah! My 'Zurill!"

"Look, I'm sorry, kid. I didn't mean to hit your… 'Zurill." He winced, unsure which of the ridiculous names to use. "It was an accident."

"I demand satisfaction!"

Paul stopped in his tracks. "You demand… what?"

"Satisfaction!" She puffed out her chest. "For hitting my 'Zurill! I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!"

Paul blinked. "Kid, no."

"Wha?" she cried. "W-well, why the heck not?"

"I'm not battling a Pokemon that's basically a glorified punching bag."

The little girl looked confused, Paul's rhetoric sailing above her head. "Yeah?" she challenged. "Well… you're a butt!"

Annabelle choked on a mouthful of water she had just put to her lips. "Can't argue with her there," she giggled.

"Butt?!" Paul was incensed. "Kid, you don't know what you're talking about!"

"Butt-face! Butt-face! Butt-face!" The little girl chanted.

"Ugh!" Paul dug his hand into the pocket of his jeans. "Fine! You want a Pokemon battle, then you've got it!"

Annabelle was fighting with the urge to burst out laughing. "Azurill vs. Ledyba." She choked out. "Oh, Arceus, it's the battle of the century."

"Oh, will you shut up?" Paul yelled back, before turning back to the kid. "So, kid, what's your rules?"

"I'm not 'kid'! I'm Emily!"

"Emily, whatever. Your rules?"

"I dunno." Emily scuffed her shoes and wrung her hands behind her back. "First Pokemon to faint loses, I guess?"

"Simple enough. Alright," Paul tossed his Pokeball forward and Ledyba popped out. Dazed and confused from so long in the Pokeball, he took fright at the sudden change of scenery and scuttled behind Paul's leg. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me."

"Cool!" The little girl scampered forward to get a closer look at the Ledyba behind Paul's legs. "I've never seen an 'Edyba before!"

"…'Edyba? You mean Ledyba."

"Yeah! They're so cool! I like all Bug-types! Like 'Pinarak and 'Eracross!"

"…sure." Paul muttered. "Look, can we battle and get it over with?" He was suddenly conscious of many people walking by, laughing at the paltry offerings of the impromptu battle. He could practically hear their insinuations. He, a twenty-four year old with a Ledyba, a Pokemon hardly any more impressive than a nine year old's Azurill.

"Okay then! Puddles, go use Water Gun!"

"Hey, no, wait, I wasn't ready!" Paul cried out before both he and Ledyba were blasted with a torrent of water.

While Emily and Annabelle both roared with laughter, Paul shook himself like a dog and looked up at Emily through dripping wet hair. "I already showered today!" He grunted, stepping aside to allow Ledyba to face his opponent. "Goddammit. You better pull through for me."

"Le?"

"Well go on, then," he flapped his hands at Ledyba, hoping the Pokemon would understand. "Use Headbutt on the Azurill!"

He fully expected the little Pokemon to either not understand or disobey completely. But to his surprise, the Pokemon steadied itself on his feet and stared at the Azurill, bobbing away to herself. It was an agonising wait as Ledyba tried to figure out what to do.

"Headbutt!" Paul tried again. "That thing you were doing earlier! Headbutt!" He mimed the action at a last resort and then, Ledyba's eyes lit up.

"Le!" he cried, bouncing forward. "Le! Ledyba!"

He moved before Paul could register it as fact. He was surprisingly fast. It was a pleasant realisation as he watched his Pokemon dart towards Emily's Azurill, head bowed and ready to mow down the opposition.

"Dodge it, Puddles!"

"No!" Paul cried out as Puddles effortlessly moved out of the way and Ledyba crashed headlong into a tree. "Oh, come on! Dodge is not a move!"

Emily giggled manically. "Look! Your 'Edyba's a butthead too!"

"You're really starting to annoy me, kid!" Paul's temper suddenly flared. He found himself aching for the familiar – the computer inputted commands, the carefully calculated odds, the knowledge – and the abilities – to take out any opponent he was faced with. Now, he was battling with a Pokemon with barely anything to offer against a little girl with an Azurill. And he was losing.

"Puddles! Use Charm!"

The Azurill bounced forwards and propped itself up on its tippy-toes. It waggled its body and its tail back and forth in a strangely adorable sidestep-to-sidestep dance, its wide eyes blinking and adoring. Ledyba backed off, looking up at Paul in distress.

"Shit. Attack lowered by two stages. This isn't good." Paul muttered to himself. "Oh my God, man, think. Azurill have a base 20 attack and Ledyba… also 20, goddammit. Okay, okay, think again. If the Azurill knows Charm, it has to be at least level 10. Means it has access to Bubble. Maybe Bubble Beam if it's any higher. But Ledyba's got decent Special Defence. Means even if it has Bubble Beam, it shouldn't be doing that much damage. And it doesn't get a physical move until what, level 20? It's not that big of a threat, not really."

"So why can't I keep calm?"

He pushed that thought away.

"Hey, butt-head! Hurry up and make a move!" Emily was taunting him, as best as little girls knew how to do.

Paul growled. "Come on, Ledyba! Headbutt again and make sure you hit it this time!"

"Leyyy!"

Ledyba collided with the Azurill, sending them both sailing clumsily to the ground. Emily's hand flew to her mouth and she gasped. "Puddles! Oh no, Puddles!"

"Yes!" Paul punched the air. "Come on, Ledyba! Get up and use Headbutt again!" He suddenly hesitated and looked back at Annabelle. "Wait, can I do that? Can I take another turn before she does?"

"YES!"

Emily wailed as Ledyba struck Azurill again. "Please, Puddles! Get up and use Bubble!"

Puddles jumped obediently to her feet and let loose a stream of clear bubbles that powered towards Ledyba.

"Dodge, dodge, dodge!" Paul screamed.

The bubbles had spread to such a widespread area it was nigh on impossible to completely avoid them. Thankfully, it worked in Ledyba's favour as only a tiny number of bubbles actually came into any contact with him – leaving him no worse for wear once the attack died down.

"Headbutt again! Quickly! While it's tired!"

Ledyba struck again. And then again. Gradually forcing the tiring Azurill back a few feet, only for it to regain some ground with another Bubble attack. In the aftermath, Ledyba would resume the Headbutts and the whole cycle would repeat again. Annabelle, still watching, let out a noisy yawn as the battle struggled on.

"How enthralling…" she mimed falling back on the bench in boredom.

This is madness, Paul thought in exasperation. Sure, the standard Azurill had the potential to have a pretty good defence, at least in comparison to its offences, but by Paul's calculations, this many Headbutts at point blank range should have worn it down long ago. It couldn't be much longer now, could it? Surely it couldn't withstand much more? He chanced a worried look at Ledyba. It didn't look like he was going to last much longer either.

He clenched his fists. He was not going to lose his first Pokemon battle. Even with a Ledyba. And certainly not against a little girl half his age with an Azurill.

"Come on, Ledyba! One last Headbutt! And give it all you've got!"

"Leeeee!"

Ledyba gathered itself together, buzzing fiercely and shot forward towards Puddles. It moved at such speed that Emily didn't get a chance to call out another command. Ledyba rammed straight into the Pokemon's rounded belly and the two of them went flying backwards until they collided with the back of a tree.

"Holy shit!" Annabelle sat bolt upright.

Paul was already cheering. Emily was fighting back tears, crying out her Pokemon's name. Neither of them moved towards the Pokemon lying on the ground, but Annabelle had spotted something that gave her concern and she raced up to them.

Her suspicions confirmed, she let out a soft murmur. "Oh no…"

Puddles the Azurill was stirring. Ledyba was not.

"Guys?" she called, trying to catch their attention. "Guys!"

She gestured wordlessly at the two Pokemon. Puddles had roused herself and was now standing up, looking from the unconscious Ledyba back to her trainer, waggling and bouncing her tail like nothing had happened. Paul's face fell and he looked like he wanted to sink into the ground.

"Come on, Ledyba. Get up…" he willed, hardly able to believe it. "I don't understand…" his voice came out as a mere croak. "He had it… he had it with that last Headbutt."

"Looks like the force from the attack knocked Ledyba out…" Annabelle knelt down and picked up the unconscious Pokemon.

"No… no, no, no!" Paul protested. "No, surely he can get up?" Then, tinged with anger. "He's got to get up."

"I'm sorry, Paul." Annabelle put a hand on his shoulder. "It's over. You've lost."

Author's Note

Dun dun duuuun! Heh, excuse the dramatics, guys. I just couldn't think of any other way to end this already really long chapter.

But yeah, this turned out to be a lot longer than I thought it would be. I originally planned on a whole other section to this chapter but that'll be the next one now.

I'm not sure whether to keep Emily as a main/recurring character. I ended up liking her a whole lot more than I planned.

Anyway, I don't have too much to say about this one. I'm sorry if the battle sucks - I'm a bit out of practice on battles and there's only so much you can do with Azurill vs Ledyba.

Thanks as always go to The Neverending Meep for the beta-reading and all the competitive stats help (go read his fic - Pokemon Generations Online if you like the sound of Pokemon Go meets Sword Art Online)

Until the next one!