Chapter 5 - Counterbalanced
The battle would take place in the park-like square in Accumula Town.
As soon as Alex had taken his place at one side of the large patch of grass, Yena ran up to him and clutched his arm.
"Alex, I'm so sorry. Professor Juniper approached me in the Pokécenter, and before I knew it, she was storming outside to find you."
Alex pushed her away from his arm, but did so quite gently.
"Don't worry too much about it. There's no telling lies to Professor Juniper, she looks right through them. I swear the woman's psychic.
Running into her is just another case of bad luck that I'll have to overcome, and I will. Now, go and stand over there, so you won't get in the way."
Looking relieved, Yena ran off to sit on one of the benches on the side.
Alex turned back at Professor Juniper, who was standing at the other side of the grass patch.
The professor was currently talking to a small crowd of people that had gathered at the first signs of a Pokémon fight.
They seemed to have come to some kind of agreement, because Professor Juniper waved at Alex, while one of the men made his way to the side of the battlefield, close to where Yena was sitting.
"Alex! This nice man said he'll be our referee! Let's make this an exciting battle!"
Alex simply nodded, holding Zigzagoon's Pokéball in his hand, ready to begin.
The referee held up his hand to get their attention.
"This is a battle between Professor Juniper and this young lad Alex. They will each use one Pokémon.
The battle will continue until one of the Pokémon is not able to fight anymore, or if one of the trainers gives up.
If both of you understand this, the battle may commence."
Professor Juniper's usually cheerful face got a little more serious when she got out her own Pokéball from her lab coat.
"Don't expect me to go easy on you, Alex. Show me how much you've learned since the last time we met."
She threw the Pokéball in the air, causing it to open up, and her Pokémon to appear on the grass in a flash of light.
Yena leaned forward. "Wow, professor! Did your Mincchino evolve?"
Professor Juniper smiled.
"That's right. One of my tasks on this trip was to get a Shiny Stone, Mincchino was so eager to evolve.
I managed to find one, so get out your Pokédex, Yena, and learn more about… Cinccino!"
A metallic voice came from Yena's red Pokédex, as it told her:
"Cinccino's white fur feels amazing to touch. It is coated in a special oil that makes it easy for them to deflect attacks, repel dust and prevent static electricity from building up."
The grey Pokémon was innocently studying Alex, while stroking the piece of white fluff around it's neck.
The rest of its spotless tail was moving softly in the wind.
"She's really beautiful, professor!"
Yena couldn't stop looking at the rodent-like Pokémon.
Alex held his arm back for a moment, then tossed his own Pokéball on the grass.
As Zigzagoon appeared, he stated:
"I'm not really impressed. That tail will just get in the way."
He snapped his fingers. "Zigzagoon!"
His Pokémon lifted its head, focusing completely on Alex.
"This is an important battle, so pay attention!"
Zigzagoon nodded with great determination, turning his head back to Cinccino.
Professor Juniper looked at the referee, and the man called out:
"Ready? …Begin!"
Professor Juniper wasted no time.
"Cinccino, start moving around as fast as you can, show us your Double Team attack!"
Cinccino lowered herself on all four legs, and started to run, increasing her speed with every leap she took.
Noticing his own Pokémon's increasing confusion as it tried to keep an eye on Cinccino, Alex called out.
"Zigzagoon, close your eyes!"
As the raccoon-like Pokémon did so, Alex brought the thumb and index finger of his right hand to his mouth, closely watching Professor Juniper's Pokémon with his eyes. After a couple of seconds, he suddenly breathed in deep, and produced one short, sharp whistle-tone.
Yena gasped as Zigzagoon jumped forward without hesitation, faultlessly tackling its opponent, that was just passing by during its Double Team maneuver. Cinccino squealed as she rolled over the grass, but quickly got back to her feet, awaiting new orders from Professor Juniper. But before the professor could say anything, Alex had produced a new sound: a series of four short whistles, much lower than the one he did earlier.
Zigzagoon opened his eyes, running forward in a zig zag, the fangs in his lower jaw clearly visible as he opened his mouth.
"Cinccino, jump away!"
Professor Juniper's voice sounded over the square.
Her Pokémon bounced to the left, immediately followed by Zigzagoon, directed by short whistles coming from Alex.
Yena was watching with wide eyes, trying to take it all in.
She looked back and forth between Professor Juniper, Alex and the fighting Pokémon.
Professor Juniper seemed to be having a lot of fun – her eyes were twinkling, and hints of a smile could sometimes be seen around her mouth. The professor was doing her best to give her Cinccino commands, and keep an eye on how Alex was doing at the same time.
Alex was slightly leaning forward, his eyes were squinting, as if he were on the battlefield himself.
He was letting Zigzagoon know what to do without using even one word, with low and high tones, short and long whistles.
As Yena watched him, he produced a long, loud whistle that went from a high tone at the start to a low tone in the end.
"Oooh!"
Yena looked back at the fighting Pokémon when onlookers around her made surprised noises.
She was just in time to see Zigzagoon's tail disappear underground, after he had started digging his way down.
There was a moment of silence on the battlefield.
Cinccino was standing in the middle of it, panting slightly, and looking around for a hint of Zigzagoon coming up again.
Professor Juniper waved at Alex.
"That's a nice move, Alex! Well done!"
Alex, however, paid no attention to her enthusiasm, or anything else but his Pokémon.
He continued to whistle a series of varied notes, and while nothing seemed to be happening above ground, Yena was sure Zigzagoon was closely following his instructions underground.
A gasp went through the crowd as the ground under Cinccino's feet began to crumble.
Professor Juniper gaze went back to her Pokémon.
"Get out of there, Cinccino!"
Alex acted immediately after Cinccino jumped away to the right.
Two high tones, followed by four short ones.
There! The ground burst open, but not where Cinccino had been standing before!
Zigzagoon came flying from underground, right where Cinccino was about to land, jaws wide open.
His opponent, already on her way down to the ground, could do nothing to dodge the attack, and squealed loudly when Zigzagoon's fangs closed around her little body.
Zigzagoon let go of her when they both landed on the ground, but only for a moment.
A whistle-command ringed clearly across the square, and the Pokémon attacked again, tackling Cinccino before she even had the time to stand up from her fall.
Professor Juniper watched her beloved Pokémon roll over the grass with disbelief.
"Cinccino, are you okay?"
Cinccino cried out to her, standing up in a wobbly manner.
She was bleeding slightly from a wound inflicted by Zigzagoon's Bite attack.
After a moment of silence, Professor Juniper realised Zigzagoon was no longer chasing after her Pokémon.
As she looked up, she saw Alex at the other side of the patch of grass, standing tall.
"Do you want to continue fighting, or do you want to give up now, professor?"
Professor Juniper smiled at him.
"It's nice of you to offer a way out, Alex."
"Don't think too much of it. I will win either way, and you giving up is the quickest option."
She winked at him, not believing a word he said.
"Right. Well…"
She eyed Cinccino, who was desperately trying to lick the blood off herself, and refrain from falling over at the same time.
"That was quite an impressive strategy you thought out, and well-executed, too."
Professor Juniper looked at the referee, who was also observing Cinccino closely.
"Referee, I can tell when I've lost a match. I give up, before my Pokémon gets hurt even worse."
The man nodded, holding out his hand to Alex.
"Professor Juniper gives up! Alex is the winner of the battle!"
...
Professor Juniper wouldn't let them leave until the next morning.
After being treated to a tasty, warm meal at the Pokécenter, Alex had insisted on moving on, towards Striaton City, but Professor Juniper had rubbed his face and pulled his hair, telling him he was going to take a bath before anything else. And, even though he protested loudly against how Professor Juniper was treating him, Alex eventually gave in and agreed to let the professor book two separate rooms for him and Yena.
In the morning, after a hearty breakfast, Professor Juniper met them in front of the Pokécenter.
With a warm smile, she handed the yellow Pokédex over to Alex.
"I was going to program it for you, but someone somehow beat me to it."
She winked at Yena, whose face turned red.
"Don't worry about that, Yena. I'm glad Alex found someone he can call his family."
Her words were interrupted but Alex, who coughed.
"I'm really not interested in sentimental stuff."
"Alright, alright, we'll make it a quick goodbye then."
She briefly hugged Yena, smiling at the girl.
"I hope you'll have your first battle soon, and maybe even catch another Pokémon!
Keep me updated, okay?"
After Yena nodded, Professor Juniper turned to Alex.
Before he could protest, she pulled him into a hug.
While he weakly struggled to get out of her arms, she told him:
"I hope we'll see eachother again soon, Alex. Don't forget that I'm your friend."
She took his face in her hands, staring into his eyes.
"And you can't keep hiding like this forever, you hear me? You'll have to tell Yena soon.
You'll feel better, I promise."
She kissed him on the forehead, then let him go.
After a moment, looking slightly upset, Alex turned away.
"Well… See you."
At a quick pace, he started to walk towards Route 2, that would lead them to Striaton City.
He gestured with his hand.
"Yena! You're so slow… let's go!"
With an apologetic smile and a last quick hug for Professor Juniper, Yena rushed after Alex, catching up to him right before the end of Accumula Town.