Slateport City was ten times better than Mauville City. Small, family run shops lined the stone paved streets compared to the multiple skyscrapers in Mauville that dwarfed everything else which somewhat reminded me of home. Oliver and Spirit quickly acclimated to the change in scenery too, although we just arrived at Slateport a night ago. Naomi on the other hand had been to Slateport multiple times before and was busy spending her day sleeping at the PokeCenter.
"Welcome." An elderly woman greeted me as I entered her small shop. Her face looked a little bit leathery, like she had been getting too much sun or something, but that was an attribute I noticed all inhabitants of Slateport City had.
"Hello." I said as I started to browse over her goods, which were an assortment of fruits and vegetables.
"You don't look like you're from around here," she said to me as she looked me up and down with smile on her face. Maybe I don't look like I'm around because I don't look like I'm aspiring to be a leather couch when I grow up. "You must be a tourist," she continued, "did you come here for Slateport Saturday?"
"Slateport Saturday?" I repeated quizzically as I scratched my head.
"You don't know of Slateport Saturdays?" She seemed stunned as she asked the question. "On the first Saturday of every month, a wonderful thing happens in this city. Most of the back roads and alleyways of the city are shut down and used for a multitude of festivities. There's dancing, food, and Pokémon trainers, such as yourself," she said as she looked over at Oliver who was now standing on Spirit's head attempting to get a few oran berries, "battle each other all over the place. It's pretty much an unspoken rule that you have to battle when you're challenged to a battle on Slateport Saturday." With a grin on her face she walked over to the oran berries and gave one to Oliver who gobbled it down almost immediately. She offered Spirit one as well but as soon as he saw it wasn't meat, he quickly became uninterested in the berry.
"Battles?" I said quietly to myself. I gulped as I thought of me having an actual trainer battle. Technically Oliver's battle with Martin and his Taillow was a trainer battle, but they had obviously been holding back on us. So I truly never had a real battle with a trainer and I was about to be thrown in some festival where I would be forced to face trainers with more experience than me.
I waved goodbye to the elderly lady then beckoned for Oliver and Spirit that it was time to go. I started to sweat as we headed back to the PokeCenter that Naomi was sleeping at. Not because of the heat that could give Oliver's Embers a run for their money (well that might have contributed a little bit), but because in a little less than a few hours I would be thrown into the world of battling.
"You've never participated in a trainer battle?" Naomi questioned incredulously. I flinched as she said it only reminding me even more of how badly tonight was going to end up going.
"You know…maybe I'll just skip Slateport Saturday. It's not manda—" I started before being cut off by Naomi.
"No! Slateport Saturday is an experience of a life time!" She exclaimed.
"Really…an experience of a life time? Wouldn't it be more like an experience of a month?" I sarcastically replied as I plopped down on my bed.
"You're going…that is unless you would like to battle me." As she said that a somewhat evil smile crept across her face as she eyed Oliver and Spirit. I took my eyes from her then looked at Ace the Absol who looked like he was ready to pounce just from the thought of a battle going on.
"I'll just stick with the other trainers," I replied dejectedly with my head hung low.
Naomi, as expected, had beaten her first two challengers that night. I on the other hand hadn't gotten a single challenge yet (not that I was complaining). Oliver seemed to be enjoying the walk we were having, seemingly not aware that any moment I might be throwing him into vicious battle with another Pokemon. Spirit on the other hand knew we were waiting for a battle and I could tell that he was eager. A bit too eager.
Battles raged on around us as I felt out of place in the streets full of clashing Pokemon. I brought my attention to the battle to my left. A girl with a Linoone was battling against a young boy with a Lombre.
The Lombre fired a barrage of bubbles at the Linoone, in what I assume was a Bubblebeam. The Linoone swiftly dodged the majority of the bubbles then used a Slash attack on the Lombre, successfully knocking it out.
Almost as soon as the battle was over I felt a firm hand on my shoulder. I hesitantly turned around to see who my soon-to-be opponent was. I turned to see a sun baked boy (I assumed a native of Slateport City) around my age holding a Pokeball.
"Battle time!" he cried while locking eyes with me.
"So we can have a two versus two battle." Burnt-boy called as he looked at Oliver and Spirit. I nodded my headed to agree with his terms. He snagged a Pokeball from his belt then tossed it out. "Go Wicker!"
As burnt-boy released the Pokeball, a floating specter with one red eye that changed from socket to socket appeared on the makeshift battlefield.
I pulled out my Pokedex and quickly scanned the Pokemon.
Pokedex entry:
Duskull, the Requiem Pokémon
It loves the crying of children. It is rumored to spirit away bad children that don't listen to their parents.
LV13
Known Moves:
Move List Disabled
A quizzical look came across my face as I wasn't able to see the ghost's known moves. "Why can't I see your Duskull's moves?"
"Well there's a function on all Pokedex that allows you to hide the moves of your Pokemon from other Pokedex." He smirked as he scratched his chin. "I just can't have everyone knowing my strategies before I even battle."
I grimaced a bit. Strategy…I haven't even thought about strategy. And here I was about to have to go face-to-face with his strategy, with no hopes of countering with my own. "Oliver, you're up." The words came out a bit meeker than I had hoped, which was only met by a snicker from both the severely tanned trainer and his Duskull. Oliver nervously waddled out on the battlefield and shivered when he looked at the Duskull.
"Go Whicker, use Confuse Ray!"
"Get out of the way Oliver and hit him with an Ember!"
The levitating ghost's bright red eye let out a black beam that was targeted straight at Oliver. Oliver nimbly dodged the attack then responded by blasting a stream of fire sparks at Whicker, who unlike Oliver didn't have enough speed to dodge the attack. The fire blasted Whicker and he started losing altitude.
"Now, Oliver while he's falling, get him with Focused Aerial Ace!" While traveling Route 110, Oliver had perfected the use of utilizing Focus Energy to achieve a pseudo-Aerial Ace on the Zigzagoons that often would swarm us in what seemed like all out war.
"Quick Whicker, you've got to get yourself together!"
Oliver's whole body started to glow with blue energy as he focused on getting ready to attack. The energy then started to concentrate itself around Oliver's beak as his beak also started glow white and double in size. In a flash, Oliver launched himself at the struggling Duskull. The attack was a clean blow on the Duskull and caused him to lose more air.
A smile crept across my face as I thought about what the outcome of this battle would probably be. He said he had a strategy, but I didn't see a strategy, unless having his Duskull getting beat senseless was his strategy. If that was his strategy…then I guess he was doing pretty good with it. The smile dropped off my face as I saw Whicker grab hold of Oliver as soon as my Torchic got back on the ground from using Aerial Ace.
"Now Whicker, Confuse Ray once again!"
"Oliver, get him off you somehow. Ember him in the face!"
Oliver opened his mouth and unleashed an Ember into the ghost's skull-like face, but the Requiem Pokemon kept his grip on Oliver. Whicker then let loose a black beam from his eye straight into Oliver's face then threw my Torchic away from him as he regained height. Oliver blinked a couple of times as he shook his head. I could tell something was off when he got up shakily. His gaze wasn't on Whicker anymore, as a matter of fact, it wasn't really on anything. He was just looking around sporadically.
"Now Whicker hit him with Toxic!"
"Quick Oliver, Ember!"
Oliver fired an Ember attack, but to my dismay it completely missed its target by many feet. Whicker quickly took advantage of the situation and formed a sphere of purple smog in between his paws then shot the gas ball right at Oliver.
As soon the ball hit Oliver, it dissipated into a fog surrounding him causing him to go into a severe coughing fit. The ghost Pokemon started to snicker sinisterly as Oliver struggled to breath and was starting to look ill.
"Oliver," I cried frantically, "use Ember." As I called for the move, I realized my mistake a little bit too late.
"Hmmm, try using Poison Gas." The Muk opened its mouth and covered the field in a thick purple cloud. "Now finish it with Flamethrower." Nothing could be seen through the thick fog. Then the whole field exploded with a giant fire. She had used the flammable gas to expand her reach of Flamethrower to the whole field. When the dust had cleared from the explosion, it was revealed that both Pokemon were knocked out.
The poisonous gas surrounding Oliver was flammable…and I just ordered him to use a fire-type move. Oliver blinked around a few times trying to locate Whicker. I could only imagine how tough it was to find the Duskull while confused and surrounded by a thick fog of purple. It must have been extremely hard because by the time Oliver started to prepare his attack he was facing the opposite way of Whicker, but it didn't matter, because as soon as he let out his Ember…
BOOM! Oliver was sent flying as the entire area around him exploded. Before Oliver had time to land, burnt-boy was already on to the next move.
"Now Whicker, Shadow Ball!" A black blob was tossed from Whicker straight into Oliver, who was still sailing through the air from the explosion. As soon as the Shadow Ball hit, Oliver was knocked straight into the ground and I was sure he wasn't going to get up after that blow, but honestly, when have I been right? Oliver shakily stood while staring down Whicker. Wait…he was staring down Whicker which meant those hits he took must have knocked some sense back into him and confusion was officially worn off.
Oliver's eyes started to glow red like I had seen in the desert. After looking into that while I was bedridden in Mauville, I learned that it was his ability known as Blaze which pumped up his fire attacks to an extraordinary level. "Alright Oliver, let's go all out. Hit him with a Focus Energy Ember!"
Oliver's beak started to glow a bright blue as he opened his mouth. The blue from his beak drained as it started to form into a ball of fire in his mouth. Before burnt-boy or Whicker could react, Oliver let out a brilliant blue stream of flames straight at Whicker. The flames completely engulfed the ghost Pokemon bathing the area with a weak, blue light.
The stream weakened, and Whicker dropped straight from the sky, unconscious and at the same time Oliver fell over, finally succumbing to his previous wounds and poisoning.
Burnt-boy's face was priceless. "My strategy," he yelped. "We've spent days practicing that. And to get a tie. Unacceptable! Well let's see how you deal with brute strength. Go, Wulf!" My opponent angrily tossed out his last Pokemon as Spirit stepped onto the field.
"Let's do this Spirit!"
Across the field stood a black and grey dog-like creature with blood red eyes, also known as the mean spirited Mightyena.
"Use Crunch Wulf!"
Before I could even call out an attack, the Mightyena had launched at my Trapinch griping his jaws around my Pokemon and shaking him around like a rag doll.
"Faint Attack Spirit!" I called as the Mightyena continued to use Spirit as a chew toy.
One second the Mightyena was shaking my Trapinch all over the place, the next my Trapinch had disappeared right from under his nose (literally) and appeared behind him ready to take a bite out of his hind right leg. But before Spirit could land his attack, Wulf jumped into the air right out of range.
"Follow up with Quick Attack Spirit!" I called out seeing this as a perfect opportunity to get a clean hit in since Faint Attack didn't hit. While Wulf was still in the air, Spirit lunged into the air getting a knocking Wulf in the chest and causing him to fall to the ground on his back.
Burnt-boy grit his teeth as his Mightyena stood to his feet. "Dark Pulse!" The Mightyena started to form rings of dark energy in his mouth then fired it quickly at Spirit.
"Sand Tomb to block the attack!" Spirit started glowing blue as all the dirt and sand on the stone paved roads rose forming a wall between my Trapinch and the incoming Dark Pulse. The sand barrier blew apart sending a gust of dark energy and sand when Wulf's attack connected with Spirit's sand shield.
Wulf closed his eyes as the sand stung them forming a perfect opportunity to get another attack in. Or at least I thought. "Wulf, use Odor Sleuth, then Hyper Beam." Wulf started to sniff around looking for Spirit. When he caught a hold of his scent, he pointed his head straight at my Trapinch then unleashed a bright blast of orange energy.
He thought he would finish us with this move, but it wouldn't be that easy. "Quick Spirit, retaliate with your own Hyper Beam!" The beam fired by Wulf was more than halfway towards Spirit, before my demon of the desert released his own blast of powerful orange energy.
The two blasts collided lighting up the whole area as if a pillar of daylight erupted from the ground, earning quite a few awed looks from the crowd that had started to gather to watch Burnt-boy and my battle.
As the light faded, both of our Pokemon stood in a kind of awkward stalemate unable to move after using such a powerful attack. It seemed like forever before anything happened, then Wulf's ear twitched signaling our Pokemon were able to move again.
"Wulf Take Down!"
"Sand Tomb, Spirit!"
The Mightyena charged towards my Trapinch at a fast pace race with a white glow enveloping him. Trapinch was slower to move as he constructed a half-built wall of sand to guard him, Wulf burst right through it, only slowing down a little bit. When he collided into Spirit, my Pokemon was sent flying but I could tell this fight was taking a toll on Mightyena, and if Spirit didn't faint from the Take Down, then the next attack would finish it.
Spirit rose steadily to his feet with the same determination I witnessed when we fought against the Crawdaunt on Route 110. He clicked noisily as the sand and dirt started to swirl around like a whirlpool starting to zone in on Wulf. The Bite Pokemon tried to get out of the way but he winced when he moved his right front paw, meaning he probably twisted it using that Take Down attack.
The sand and dirt surrounded the Mightyena as it attempted to blast off the layers of sand with Dark Pulses, but as soon as the sand was blown off, a thicker layer would apply itself reinforcing the cocoon of sand and dirt that was now engulfing Wulf.
Soon all of his was covered except for its face. He struggled weakly escape. "Wulf use Dark Pulse at the Trapinch instead." The dog-like Pokemon blasted a weak stream of dark energy at Trapinch but there was more than enough time to land a counter attack.
"Trapinch, Quick Attack!" Spirit, quickly dodged the attack and kept up the speed, hitting Wulf dead in the jaw ending the Dark Pulse and knocking him loose out of the Sand Tomb. I would have been worried…that was if Wulf was still conscious. Spirit and I were the victor which meant I was the winner.
I did a little happy dance while burnt-boy slumped off after returning his Mightyena. "Good job," Naomi said as she approached me. "I actually didn't think you were going to win that one."
"Oh thanks," I replied sarcastically as Spirit walked over to us.
"I mean hey that guy had strategy and you had well…but you countered it which surprised me. Where did you learn how to use your Pokemon moves like that? You haven't been training that long." She said as she scratched her head.
"Well maybe, I just picked it up from all those battles I watched on TV when I was younger." I thought back to when I accidentally used Ember while Oliver was surrounded by a thick poisonous fog. "I should have done better though, there were some mistakes I made that could have been avoided."
"Well mistakes are just a part of training," she added. "So let's go enjoy the rest of Slateport Saturday."