I hope everyone liked the last chapter. I wanted to eventually fit in Team Rocket, although this wasn't the way I originally planned. I needed a bit of filler for character building and to push back an event that I didn't want happening too soon, which will be brought in the next chapter now. So enjoy this one and the next one will hopefully be soon!
Chapter Five: If the Gauntlet Fits ...
Training with Misty continued day after day, and at the end of every day Kris felt like he was ready to keel over from exhaustion. However, he always got up the next morning without a fuss, with Quilava at his side, both eager to become better than they were.
The day of the gauntlet match in the Underground had arrived, and Kris and Quilava could barely sleep the night before, having stayed up all night going over battle strategies until Jule had come into their room that morning to get them.
"You guys didn't even sleep?" Jule said, astounded. "You're going to have a hard time in the fights, you know!"
"It's fine," Kris said with a big, cheesy smile as he donned his coat and affixed the goggles to his forehead, "Quilava and I have gone days without sleep." Quilava gave a yip of agreement. "We'll dominate the gauntlet, just you watch."
Jule shrugged with a depressing sigh. "If you say so. But if Quilava gets hurt out there it's all your fault!"
Misty waited patiently in an alley. Pikachu lie belly first on her head, looking bored from having waited so long. "Kris has come a long way in a short time," Misty mumbled, really to no one part in particular but Pikachu had replied with a soft coo of agreement. "I really hope he's ready for this match."
"You better believe it," Kris said as he rounded the corner into the alley, Quilava on his heels and Jule at his shoulder.
Pikachu's ears perked up, just now having noticed their arrival despite his exceptional hearing. "Pika!" he greeted excitedly.
Misty smiled at the approaching trio. "Jule, it's good to see you again. I didn't know if you were coming."
"Kris has trained so hard for this," Jule replied. "Even though I'm against Pokemon battles, I wouldn't miss this."
Misty looked to her pupil and his Pokemon. "Are you guys ready as well? It'll be tough."
Kris clenched a fist in front of him and a confident smirk on his face. "We're ready for anything they throw at us." Quilava gave a happy bark to agree.
The younger of the two followed Misty down the alley and into the usual store that acted as a cover for the Underground. They were given a nod by the store clerk and entered through the secret passage, traversing the long staircase until they came out to the waiting arena that was in an uproar as some pre-main event matches were underway. Kris was surprised seeing a third-stage Pokemon from the Kalos region, although he couldn't remember the name of it, battling a third-stage from the Sinnoh region—another Pokemon whose name escaped him.
He glanced to Jule who watched the thunderous battle in amazement, and then to Misty who was scanning the crowds for the reason of what seemed to be to find a good seat. "I'm going to register!" he said to them, having to speak up over the noise of the stadium.
"We'll be over there," Misty called back to him as he wondered off. Kris caught a quick glance of Misty pointing to empty seats in the fifth row from the front.
As the eager Master-to-be wondered off with his trusty companion at his side, Misty took Jule's hand in hers and guided her through the crowd to the seats she had indicated. Once there, they sat down and Pikachu replaced himself from atop Misty's head to her lap where he nuzzled in against her chest.
"So what are these gauntlet matches like?" Jule asked, her voice almost lost to the sudden cheering of the crowd as one of the Pokemon in the ring went down in defeat.
"They're actually pretty brutal," Misty explained. "Basically, one trainer goes in and tries to last as long as possible against other trainers, each one fighting one on one. If you're defeated, however, that doesn't necessarily mean you lose the match. The trainer who lasts the longest is declared the victor."
"Who lasts the longest?"
"Yeah. Say some guy has ten consecutive wins, and Kris gets eleven by the end of the gauntlet. Kris would be the victor. However, if the other guy has eleven and Kris only has ten, then that guy would be the champion of the gauntlet."
"Doesn't sound too difficult."
"Since Kris can't heal after each fight, it's very difficult. But he could be smart enough to bring his own items like a Potion to us."
Jule couldn't help but laugh at the comment. "Kris may be a lot of things, but being 'smart enough' to prepare for the future isn't one of them."
A strange smile crossed Misty's lips. Jule's face went straight as she studied the expression on Misty's. Even though the older girl looked straight at her, she wasn't actually seeing her. Misty's eyes saw something else completely, but what?
"Misty?" Jule asked, snapping Misty back to reality. "Everything all right?"
Misty shook a hand as if trying to bat away the passing moment. "Yeah, it's fine. Sorry, I was just thinking about something."
The lights of the stadium suddenly went dim, along with the crowd's noise dying down, and a large spotlight hit the center of the arena. The girls' eyes—and Pikachu's—moved to the older man standing in the arena wearing a black suit and, strangely, dark sunglasses that covered his eyes as if he didn't want anyone to see his true identity.
"It's the time you've all been waiting for!" the announcer cried out into the microphone he held in his right hand. A small cheer came from the crowd. "It's our third annual PokeKing gauntlet match! Our contestants are fired up! They look like they have way more potential than last year.
"So now, time to give a warm welcome to our first contestants!" the announcer shouted with the utmost enthusiasm as he held out a hand to signal for the trainers to come into the arena.
"It doesn't look like Kris is first," Jule said, disappointed.
"That's good," Misty said. "Being able to watch the fights going on first will help him prepare for what he's up against."
"Is he coming back to watch? We've been waiting a while now."
"I'm sure he's watching from the waiting rooms they have."
A loud crunch brought their attentions back to the arena. The first round was already at a close with a Sneasel having overcome a rotund Hariyama using a mixture of speed and icy attacks. Sneasel's next opponent, Talonflame, made short work of it with its fiery attacks breaking through the ice.
"Looks like it'll be rough on Kris for sure," Jule said.
Pikachu looked up at Misty as he said, "Pika-Pika."
Misty smiled and nodded. "Pikachu's right. Kris will be just fine. He trained hard for this moment."
Kris's leg couldn't stop shaking as he sat in the waiting room, watching the battles in the arena on the television monitors. It was nerve-racking to say the least, watching such talent out there, wondering if he was even close to good enough to compete with them. Quilava definitely shared his thoughts, who sat beside him on the bench as close as he could get, shaking with anxiety as he glanced around at the other trainers with their Pokemon, going through warm up exercises and psyching up for the battle.
It caught Quilava off guard as Kris put a hand on his head. The Fire Pokemon quickly turned to look at Kris who had a big smile on his face. He grinned even wider as he said, "It'll be okay, buddy. None of them have the same fire burning that you have, literally and metaphorically." Quilava could only nod, but it didn't ease him any, and Kris knew he was feeling just as bad.
The one in the arena now was on his seventh straight victory using a Sceptile. If he made it to Kris, he knew he had the type advantage, but at the same time lacked in speed. The Sceptile maneuvered perfectly and could escape almost any attack, but it also lacked the speed boosts that Quilava had, so maybe that could be their edge.
But Kris's strategy came too soon as Sceptile, on his twelfth victory, lost against an Aipom due to the exhaustion that finally caught up with the grass Pokemon. Aipom, however, lost its next fight, and the battles continued with no one reaching the same amount of victories as Sceptile.
"Next up is Kris Kantu!" the announcer cried, his voice echoing into the back room as well as blaring through the TV.
Eagerly but still shaking, Kris stood with clenched fists. "That's us, Quilava. Time to shine!"
Kris and Quilava both rushed from the waiting room, down the short hallway, and out into the arena where he was welcomed by a mild applause, most of the noise coming from his right where he caught a glimpse of Misty and Jule, along with Pikachu, calling out to him with flailing arms and Misty letting out a loud whistle of encouragement.
Before him, in the middle of the arena, stood a Rhydon that towered over Kris and Quilava. It looked to be slightly winded, but barely had any scratches on it. Kris's mind was already turning to help him figure out the easiest and fastest way to take it down.
Rhydon's trainer quickly called out, "Start off with Horn Drill!"
"Agility, Quilava!" Kris countered immediately.
As Rhydon stampeded for Quilava, the tinier Pokemon swiftly darted from side to side, picking up speed with each zig and zag it made. He darted underneath the goliath Pokemon, mere inches away from being hit with the spinning horn. As he came up from the other side of his opponent, Kris gave another command, "Flamethrower!" Quilava obediently released a flurry of flames that just seemed to ricochet off of the Ground Pokemon's rocky back.
"Slam!" the opposing trainer called out.
Rhydon burst through the flames, much to Quilava's dismay. It picked him up by the throat and slammed him hard into the ground, living an impression the shape of the fiery Pokemon's tiny body. All Kris could do was cringe and hope his buddy would rise from the cloud dust.
Flames rose from the dust, and Kris knew at once that they were the billowing plumes on Quilava's head and back. Now he was fired up and ready to go. "Quilava, Flame Charge!"
A circle of fire appeared around Quilava as he raced toward Rhydon. His speed only increased dramatically as he near the opponent and bash his head right into the thinner armor of Rhydon's belly. The monstrous Pokemon gave a roar of pain as it staggered backwards, but it was far from done.
"Rhydon, use Bulldoze!" its trainer called.
Rhydon roared in compliance and raised a heavy foot, bringing it down hard to the floor. A shockwave of ground rippled across the arena, tripping up Quilava, catching his foot in a pothole created from the attack, leaving him vulnerable to another attack.
"Quilava, quick, you gotta get out!" Kris called urgently. He couldn't lose his first match, he just couldn't!
"Hammer Arm!" the other trainer called. The Rhydon rushed at Quilava and hit the poor puppy hard with its enormous fist, sending him rolling across the ground, his plumes burnt out.
The crowd was cheering for Rhydon's victory now. Kris's brow twitched in frustration. He glanced to the stands and saw worry on his friends' faces. He had to pull out a stunning plan in order to get back into the fight—if Quilava could still go on, that is.
And it seemed Kris's prayers were answered; Quilava slowly stood on his four stubby legs, his plumes reigniting as he barked in anger, eager to continue. The crowd cheered even more now for the underdog—or perhaps to continue to see Quilava get slaughtered.
"Here goes," Kris muttered to himself, and then called out, "Agility again! Boost that speed you lost!"
"Bulldoze again! Stop that mutt in its tracks!"
Kris watched for the perfect moment as Quilava darted across the arena toward Rhydon as the bigger Pokemon raised its foot once more. Finally Kris shouted, "Jump!" Quilava sprang into the air as the shockwave shot across the ground once more. "Now grab onto the horn with your mouth and don't let go!" Quilava obeyed as he landed on Rhydon's head and bit down on the metal horn.
"Horn Drill!" the frustrated opponent exclaimed.
Rhydon's horn began to spin fast, cause Quilava to spin with it, but he continued to hold on like he was told. There wasn't anything that would make Quilava fail to listen to his trainer's orders.
"Fell right into my trap," Kris said with a devious smirk, causing worry to appear on his opponent's face. Kris held a hand out as he called for the next move, "Hit 'em with a Spinning Flamethrower! Shut him down!"
Quilava released a might fire attack that engulfed him and Rhydon. The spinning momentum caused the flames to whip about, covering a quarter of the field. Soon, though, a large fiery lump released from the standing bonfire, and as the flames died almost immediately, Quilava as seen flying through the air, landing gracefully, but the opposing Rhydon stood a charred mess as it collapsed to the ground, no longer able to battle. The crowd roared in amazement at Kris turning the tides of battle in such a magnificent way.
"That was amazing!" Jule cried out gleefully, Pikachu sharing her enthusiasm with a loud squeak of his name. She turned to Misty and asked, "What happened there, though? One Flamethrower couldn't do that much damage, could it?"
"Kris learned a lot training with Pikachu and me," Misty said. "He knows how to think outside the box now. You see, Rhydon's horn is made of metal, which also makes it a perfect lightning rod. When it uses Horn Drill, the attack causes a lot of friction at the base of the nose. All Kris has to do is heat that up even further and Rhydon can no longer stand the heat."
Jule watched the confident Kris with amazement. It was insane to see that he could improve so much. While he still relied on speed, he had no reason to hide in smoke, all he had to do was watch for his opponent's vulnerabilities.
The next opponent faced Kris, who had a weak Bellsprout that Quilava made short work off, causing a stir of laughter in the stands. The next few challenges were tougher, but Quilava continued to beat them down with Kris's precise moments of commands. It wasn't long before they had racked up eight consecutive wins, and Quilava still had plenty of energy to spare.
"He's doing great," Jule commented to Misty.
"I'm sure he worked harder for this than anyone else here," Misty said with a nod. "Those boys are determined to show their worth today."
"You think they'll get the most wins?"
Misty smiled as she said, "Not a chance, but they'll be a close second for sure."
Jule blinked in confusion behind her thick glasses. "You don't believe in them?"
"I do, but I think it'd be best for them if they were runner-ups. It'll prove to Kris he and Quilava have what it takes to win, but at the same time show there are others better than them and make them work harder to reach their goals."
"That sure sounds like Kris."
"Yeah," Misty said, with a hint of something in her voice that Jule picked up on, but decided to pay it no mind.
"Flame Charge!" Kris called to his partner and once again Quilava fell another opponent, a Staravia.
"Look at that, folks!" the announcer's voice called out. "He's three victories away from reaching the number one spot! Does he have it in him?"
Kris brushed the tip of his thumb across his nose. "Of course," he replied to himself.
"Oh, this is unexpected!" the announcer said suddenly. "Three opponents have entered the arena to face Kris! This doesn't normally happen, but the crowd seems eager for the battle, as does our contender Kris!"
Kris stared on at the three trainers who all released their Pokemon; two Bronzong that floated through the air and a large Camerupt. This would definitely be a challenge. He had to come out on top, no matter what!
"Quilava, Flamethrower!" Kris commanded. The Bronzong were weak to fire, so if he could just knock them out he could focus on the more immune Camerupt.
Quilava let out his fiery attack. Before it connected, however, the Bronzong's trainers both called for Protect, guarding them from the attack. Camerupt roared as he stomped the ground, causing an Earthquake. Kris didn't know how to react with this sudden combination, but he had to act fast.
"Jump!" Kris commanded, and Quilava obeyed, shooting into the air over the attack that split the floor in half.
"Psychic!" one of the Bronzong's trainers called. The eyes of the Bronzong on Camerupt's right lit up a purple glow and it used its telekinetic powers to grab hold of Quilava in midair. Kris watched in horror as his best friend writhed in pain. He had never dealt with something like this before. But as Bronzong used its attack, Kris noticed something.
"Quilava, pull through and hit that Bronzong with Flamethrower!" Quilava shakily moved its body in the powerful hold. It let loose a burst of flames that hit that specific Brongzong. "Now use Smokescreen!" Free from the Psychic attack, Quilava fell to the ground and released its puff of smoke that covered the battlefield.
All three trainers opposite Kris looked on in confusion. Finally one called out, "Bronzong, Protect!"
"You too," the other called to his own Bronzong.
The calls proved futile though as the smoke cleared and both Bronzong lie on the ground in a heap, both showing cases of severe burns. Quilava stood before Camerupt, its plumes raging with flames thanks to its Blaze ability.
I'm not sure how, but we're doing this, Kris thought. Only two more to beat, but Camerupt will be tough.
"Camerupt, Take Down!"
"Dodge with Agility!"
Quilava was quick to listen. Camerupt's attack didn't come at a very fast pace, but he was quick enough to just nick Quilava's left hind leg. Quilava stumbled over the open crack in the floor and looked up as Camerupt turned back to him.
Already the wheels were turning in Kris's head. He knew only one way of taking out Camerupt now, although it'd be a long shot. "Get some distance before it comes back with another Take Down!"
Quilava, not taking his eyes from the massive opponent, started leaping backwards to make room between them, keeping off of his injured leg. The Camerupt took a moment before it decided to charge again. Quilava found himself against the wall of the arena with the running volcano coming right for him.
"Smokescreen and Agility!" Kris commanded.
The frightened Pokemon released a puff of smoke to cover the field. Kris watched and waited as the arena shook with a tremendous thud. He only hoped that Quilava made it out fast enough with his injured leg, but Agility had also been used too much, making the chances of it even being used very slim.
The crowd was silent as the smoke began to dissipate. Camerupt's head was stuck into the wall of the arena, and Quilava was nowhere to be seen. Worry welled up inside of Kris, wondering what happened to his companion. Soon the Camerupt fell over, knocked out, and underneath him lay a cowering yet safe Quilava.
"Yes!" Kris cried, his chant drowned out by the uproar of the crowd. He quickly rushed over to Quilava as the other trainers returned their Pokemon to their Pokeballs. Kris picked Quilava up in his arms, smiling as the Pokemon looked back at him with an expression as if to say, "Did I do good?" Kris nodded as he replied, "You were awesome, but we're done."
"It's a miracle, folks!" the announcer had been calling out over the roar of the crowd. "Who'd have thought this nobody rookie would make it so far to tie for the potential first place spot! Does he still have what it takes to continue one more round?"
"I'm done!" Kris called to the announcer on the sidelines. "Quilava can't go on anymore!"
A boo came from the stands. They wanted to see Quilava continue, and Kris wanted to, but he knew Quilava's limits, which were already surpassed upon taking that first Take Down.
"Kris forfeits the round! Will our next contestants—"
"Hold on!"
The announcer stopped mid-sentence and looked around to see where the voice had come from. From the opposite side of the arena a boy a few years older than Kris stood. He had nappy black hair and wore a long, black trench coat, a black-gloved hand holding onto a red and white Pokeball.
"We have another challenger looking to face Kris?" the announcer questioned.
Kris studied the opponent. He had a very piercing stare that just seemed to break through any of Kris's previous confidence. Something about this guy scared him, a darkness that just bore through him. At the same time, though, he seemed familiar, with a face he knew he had seen before.