AN: The name's sort of a pun in case you guys didn't notice. (Naruto)
Ch. 21: The Eterna Gym Challenge Pt. 3: The Leaf Ninja of the Eterna Gym
With a "pop!" Gardenia's last pokeball was thrown out into the arena. But rather than a white light like Bryce had come to expect, black smoke poured from the pokeball in a downpour of murky exhaust that shaded the pokemon who was released from the pokeball. Bryce waved the smoke away from his nose and mouth before cupping a hand over his eyes so he could try and see the pokemon better. He managed to make out the pokemon's silhouette before the fumes from the ball capsule started to fade. A green pokemon standing on the tips of its small yellow toes was revealed. At first, Bryce was a little surprise that it had hair similar to a human's, but then he realized it was actually a formation of white rose petals. Her hands consisted of a bouquet of roses, a set of blue on its left, and red on the right with three small circles in each one. It held the bouquets in front of its face, making a sense of wonder radiate from Bryce. To him, it looked like a ninja that he'd seen in the movies. When it turned to face him, its leafy cape swirled to match its movements.
"My cute little Roserade just loves to make an entrance!"
At this comment, the pokemon stumbled off the tips of its feet, a shade of dark green rising in its face at the embarrassing observation.
"Roserade?" Bryce asked as he took out his pokedex.
Roserade, the Bouquet Pokemon and the final evolved form of Budew. It attracts opponents with its sweet aroma. Then, with the movements of a dancer, it strikes with whips hidden in its arms that are densely lined with poison thorns.
"So that's what are hidden in those circles huh?" Bryce murmured as he withdrawn into his head to think. He clearly had the advantage with three pokemon, one of them being Omen, while Gardenia only had one. But Gardenia had to have a reason for being so confident when she was down to her last pokemon. As he pondered over this, the droid whirred down and he scowled at the robot.
"Is there any way you can turn that off?"
Gardenia shrugged before pulling out a small remote from her pocket and pointed at the device. She pressed a button and the bot's screen went blank as it used its reserve power to fly towards its hiding place for the rest of the battle. Bryce smiled and threw Lash's pokeball back out before the Roserade. The stout pink pokemon appeared in a white light and shot Bryce an annoyed look, obviously still sore about the Leech Seed, and turned around to eye his new opponent.
"You can go first if you like!" Gardenia shouted with a little wave.
Bryce nodded before pointing at the ninja. "Lash, use Pound!"
Lash's tongue whipped out quicker than Bryce's eye could follow, shooting directly towards Roserade, but to his surprise, the grass type leaped sideways out of danger. "Keep it up Lash!" He shouted at the Lickitung. Lash made another attempt, his tongue shooting towards the Roserade who dodged it once more, but this didn't discourage the pink pokemon who continually shot it at the Roserade as if he was throwing punches. The grass ninja kept up its fancy footwork, stepping to the side, leaping, flipping, even leaning out of the way presumably to show off. With every movement, Roserade went back a little, causing the Lickitung to follow it to stay in range. Bryce's eyes widened when he noticed what Roserade was doing and called out, "Lash! Stop!"
But the Lickitung was far too interested in catching the nuisance of a Roserade to listen to him. Bit by bit, she was leading him out of the clearing and into the trees, causing Lash, Gardenia, and Bryce to follow them to keep them both in sight. Finally, they had arrived in the midst of the trees where Roserade gave a little smirk before leaping into the mass of leaves where Lash and Bryce lost sight of it. A sharp whistle reached their ears and behind them sat the taunting grass pokemon on a branch. Irritated, Lash shot his tongue out at it and Roserade dropped into the grass below, the tongue following its every movement. Roserade ducked and weaved, dashing left and right between the tree trunks, leaping over branches before it stopped and turned around to face the appendage. Lash smiled as well, thinking that he finally caught her, but when he used his powerful tongue muscles to propel it forward, he found himself flying into the air before hanging in the air from a tree branch by his tongue.
He was so caught up in catching the elusive Roserade, that he didn't notice that his tongue was getting tangled around the trunks and branches. He desperately tried to shoot his weapon at the ninja, but he found that every time he did, the tongue tip would flop like a little worm and stop, just short of Roserade's face.
Gardenia giggled at the feat before hiding her pleased grin behind her hand. "I'm sorry Lash! Roserade, Leaf Storm!"
Roserade leaped into the air on a branch of the tree above it. It held its bouquet-hands over its head into the mass of leaves above it. When it pulled them back down, there was a sphere of leaves, packed together as if by some psychic ability with a green aura about them. It leapt down from the branch directly onto Lash's tongue. It dashed down it as though it was a sticky trail before it reached Lash's face. Lash wiggled a bit in the air, his eyes wide as he stared at the sphere of leaves, but he couldn't get down, having no choice but take the attack. Its grin growing wider, Roserade pushed its flowery hands forward, the leaves burst out as though from a hose with the sharp points directly in the poor Lickitung's face.
When the leaves disappeared, Lash fell limp, his eyes closed with his mouth still comically open. Roserade walked casually to the tip of its tongue before pulling on it and releasing. The tongue unwound itself at an unusually fast pace and found its way back into the Lickitung's mouth.
"Well I believe that's one for me." Gardenia teased, pointing at the KO'ed Lash. Bryce however, was speechless. His mouth was agape as he stared at the nonchalant Grass type. It had beaten Lash with a single order, but otherwise, it seemed to be able to handle itself without a trainer. Could he really beat something that strong? He reluctantly returned the laid out pink pokemon and tossed out another one.
"Lets go Omen!"
The ebony colored bird appeared on a branch and opened her wings calling out, 'Murkrow!' Before closing one of her wings and ducking her head under it to clean it. Bryce patiently waited, remembering that the bird did get easily annoyed. When she finished her preening, he called out, "Astonish!"
Omen opened her wings and called out as loud as she could, 'MURKROW!' Her voice boomed throughout the trees, amplified and echoing. In the shadows of the forest, she appeared to be larger than usual while her eyes seemed to give off an evil intent. Roserade, who hadn't been paying attention when Lash returned to his pokeball, stumbled back. Alarmed at the new appearance and perhaps even a little frightened before noticing it was just a Murkrow and shook its head as if in a daze.
"Now Wing Attack!"
Omen beat her wings, hovering above her branch for a moment before diving at the Roserade with her wings glowing white. Roserade's eyes widened at the speed of the pokemon and tried to leap back out of the way. But when she turned around to dash into safety's warm and inviting arms, she was hit in the back of the head by the attack and fell face first in the ground. Omen tilted her wings, using the current she created to glide upwards before flapping below the leaves but over Roserade's head.
"Roserade, go!"
With a nod, the pokemon was immediately on her feet and leaped on a tree branch before taking off through the trees, branch by branch.
"Omen, Pursuit!"
The crow flapped her wings twice, beating the air and testing the currents around her feathers before pumping her wings a final time, taking off as fast as much as the circulated air would allow her. She followed the leaf ninja through every branch and trunk, and what's more, she was catching up. Gardenia and Bryce had to dash after the pokemon to keep them in sight before Gardenia noticed the same thing, calling out, "Roserade, keep it up and use Toxic Spikes!"
Roserade turned around, still leaping from the trees with her acute senses and knowledge of the gym leading her rather than her eyes. Two holes in her blue bouquet opened to reveal two slender and purple spikes, the slipped into the crevices between her flower-like "fingers" She held her red bouquet behind her as if hiding something before flinging the two Toxic Spikes one by one at her pursuer.
"Night Shade Omen!"
Omen's eyes turned violet-black as she stared at the two oncoming weapons, shooting them down with purple beams from her eyes before they reached her. The Night Shade dimmed as she did this and she cackled at the ninja's incompetence before a third Toxic Spike came at her. She tilted her wings diagonally and tried to fly out of the way. Unfortunately, the spike hit her in her right wing and this allowed Roserade to make her escape while Gardenia followed her pokemon. Bryce ran to the left and found Omen on a branch, keeping an eye out for the elusive pokemon.
Suddenly, the forest's darkness lifted as the sun above them grew brighter, bathing the arena in a bright hot light. Murkrow screeched and covered her eyes with a wing while beating wildly with the other. She fell from the branch as she did this and Bryce caught her while she squirmed in her eyes.
"Sunny Day huh? Well I know the remedy for that."
He put Omen in the shadow of a tree opened his mouth for his next command. Suddenly, a group of long, thick grass shot out towards Omen. The grass wrapped around Omen with a "Snap!" and pulled the Murkrow away, the grass retracting from where it came as fast as a whip. Bryce ran after her alarmed before he saw it was Roserade who had pulled Omen back into the clearing where the sun was the brightest. Gardenia was back in her original place behind her and Bryce scrambled to his old position in front of the two.
"What do you think of Roserade's Grass Knot Bryce?" Gardenia asked playfully. Roserade was swinging the poor bird over her head, Omen was disorientated in the bright sunlight and could do little more than give a pathetic, "Krow..." Finally, Roserade slammed the poor bird into the ground. Omen laid still for a moment before using a wing to push itself up. It looked to Bryce as if she'd be able to continue before she cringed. She suddenly grabbed at her right wing with the left and clenched her eyes in pain.
"Looks like Toxic Spike is taking effect. If you were smart, you'd return her." Gardenia observed. Bryce sighed, he knew even if she was standing up, she was done. He held her pokeball out and shot out the red beam at her, returning her to her confines. Bryce took out his other pokeball and looked at it. It was down to Grotle and he knew it was probably a lost cause, they just weren't used to her lack of speed. But even so, if there was a chance for him to win, he was going to take it. He nodded towards the sphere for luck before throwing it in front of him. Grotle raked a foot across the ground, she seemed to believe the opposite of what Bryce was thinking. Gardenia gave a small sigh and held her hands together.
"Y'know, I'd hate to see sweet little Grotle have to lose to my Roserade! You sure you don't want to trade her for my Turtwig? He knows Leaf Storm and he can still battle."
Bryce cleared his throat and Gardenia gave a little pout and crossed her arms, falling silent for the moment.
"Ok Grotle, use Razor Leaf!"
Grotle shook her body, her bushes rustling before a wave of leaves shot of towards Roserade, spinning rapidly as they traveled through the air.
"Toxic Spike!"
Roserade released a single spike contrary to before and closed the hole on the spike while it was halfway out to hold it in place. She waited for a moment before slashing wildly at the oncoming leaves, her body a blur to Bryce's eyes. The leaves seemed to hang in the air in front of her before falling to the ground, a long purple line visible through each leaf, splitting each of them in half.
Bryce clenched his fists before pointing at Roserade, "Use Tackle!"
Grotle was on her way towards the waiting pokemon when Gardenia shouted, "Grass Knot!"
Roserade's eyes turned green for a moment which confused Bryce for a moment, where was the grass? When Grotle suddenly fell on her chin. Roserade had used Grass Knot differently than before, for around Grotle's front leg was a tangled mass of grass tied together intending to trip her. Bryce frowned, expecting Gardenia to call another attack while he was incapacitated, but instead, she stood there with her arms crossed, with an amused smile on her face. It was obvious to him that the gym leader was expecting him to come after her like he did with Cherrim. The image of Grotle looking hurt and embarrassed after the incident flashed in his head and he decided, it was time to think.
"Until you learn how to use your Grotle's strengths, I suggest you recall it."
'What are her strengths?...' Bryce thought as he stared at Grotle with intense concentration. 'She's powerful, that's for sure, but whenever I go to attack, Turtwig was able to dodge her easily and Roserade is definitely faster than Turtwig. It's not possible that she evolved into a weaker form is it? There has to be something..."
He continued to stare at her, lost in thought while Gardenia waited for the attack she was sure eventually would come. He glanced over his pokemon, her bushes, her short legs, her heavy form, the armor that covered the top of her body. Bryce's eyes widened in realization.
"The best offense, is a good defense." He murmured. She was slow because she had that extra armor on her back which could block and possibly even reflect attacks. Along with that, she had her extra body weight to compensate for, which could brace her for the shock of attacks. In the right conditions, his Grotle could be a tank! (Figuratively)
"Grotle, Stay right there!"
Surprised Gardenia blinked, "Really? That's what took you so long?"
A confident smile, Bryce nodded.
"Ok then, Roserade, Grass Knot and Toxic Spikes!"
The Grass Ninja of the Eterna Gym happily complied, all six holes opening as six long thick blades of grass emerged. They tied themselves together in groups of three until they looked like two large vines coming from each hand. Finally, the Grass Knots grew slender purple spikes, covering the length of each one. They both fired towards Grotle, twisting and turning around each other like two dancing Ekans.
"Withdraw!"
Grotle tucked her legs underneath her and lowered her head, the armor and her tough sides the only body parts visible. One by one, each one hit Grotle's armored head, but to Roserade's surprise, they didn't seem to do any damage and the thorns on her vines had their tips broken from where they'd attacked Grotle. She was so surprised, that she forgot to retract her vines.
"Grotle, use Bite on the Grass Knot then use Withdraw again!"
Grotle lifted her head and bit hard on the vines, taking care not to bite the poisoned thorns. She yanked the Roserade forward, knocking the ninja off her feet and towards Grotle. Just in time, Grotle lowered her head once more when a soft "thud!" was sounded and Roserade slammed her head into the effective defense mechanism.
"Roserade, Weather Ball!"
Roserade grimaced at the Grotle, leaping onto her back before jumping in the air. She held her bouquets together as she retracted her Grass Knot. When they had returned from whence they came, she kept the holes open, beams of light coming together in the open area between her hands. The Sunny Day from earlier shined directly on the light she was creating. Bit by bit, a sphere of shining light came to be, rotating and spinning. From the center of it, there was a bright and intense flame that seemed to grow bigger and bigger until the light ball was engulfed in it. It was obvious that Roserade was giving it all she had from the intense and furious look on her face. Finally, when it was finished, she reared it back behind her head and flung it directly beneath her, the intensity of the flames making it look like a comet.
"Grotle, step back and toss your head!"
Grotle slowly got up, taking a step back so the flames wouldn't burn her bushes like Gardenia and Roserade intended. She waited until she felt something heavy hit the top of her head. For a moment, she kept it perfectly still, fighting the urge to shake her head from the heat before she was sure it was perfectly balanced. When this was accomplished, she tossed her head, fling the flaming Weather Ball back up to the falling Roserade who was completely defenseless in mid-air. With wide eyes, she watched her own attack come before it hit her on her red bouquet. Immediately, the ball burst like a Molotov cocktail and engulfed the Roserade in its embers and the ignited Roserade slumped and continued her descent.
"Now Tackle!"
Grotle reared a foot back into the grass, waiting for the Roserade to be just above ground level before lowering her head and running at her, her armor guarding the tortoise from the fire. Roserade went flying through the air and fell in front of Gardenia's feet who returned the fainted pokemon before the flames could spread.
Gardenia held out a shining green badge which was a formation of three green triangles pointing up which remind Bryce of Razor Leaf.
"Congratulations Bryce, you've earned it. Just in time, you found Grotle's strength and won the battle."
Grotle grinned at the compliment and nibbled affectionately on Bryce's jeans leg but Bryce was too caught up in the badge at the moment to notice. Awe-struck, he reached forward and took it, holding it up in the light so he could admire it.
"And remember, if you ever find a grass pokemon you want to trade, you know where to find me." Gardenia added with a wink. Bryce grinned at her before remembering something he'd seen on TV once. He let out Omen and Lash and jumped in the air holding his badge while shouting,
"I got, the Forest Badge!"
He waited for an enthusiastic response from his pokemon only to find Omen and Grotle staring at him. Suddenly, there he felt something extremely hard and sticky hit him in the back of the head, striking his hat and knocking him to the ground. Lash stood behind his fallen trainer, pointing at him while yelling,
'Licki Licki!' (You're not funny!)