Chapter 18:
"Miss Wexler, please control your Pokémon or I will have to disqualify you!" the referee shouts.
"Don't worry, I've got this," Thomas shouts, "Raldo, Rapid Spin!"
Donphan emerges from its Poké Ball spinning and lands in the path of Goodra's attack. The purple energy is deflected and dissipates. Donphan uncurls itself and stares at Goodra. Goodra lets out a roar that sounds playful but is as threatening as Goodra gets. It glares down at the new obstacle and prepares its next attack.
"I'm going to have to suspend this battle while Miss Wexler receives treatment," the referee says.
"No need," Thomas says smugly, "Goodra won't listen to her clearly, she'll just be a distraction. Goodra wants to fight and I'm the only one qualified to stop it."
The referee looks to me. I twist my face disapprovingly at Thomas only to realise that doing that hurts. I then nod to the referee. As much as I don't like Thomas' comments, he's probably right. Goodra doesn't listen to me on good days. After that punch, I'm in no condition to even try. My dad was right. This wasn't the way to try and deal with the problem. He probably can't even look at his television screen right now.
I give in and let the paramedic attend to my injuries on the condition that I'm in a position I can see the battle unfold.
"Ice Shard," Thomas calls out.
Thomas' Donphan stretches out its trunk and fires a few glassy missiles from its mouth. Goodra does not look impressed by this and swats them away with a swinging arm. It then launches its own attack, a Flamethrower that strikes the ground harmlessly as Donphan quickly curls up and rolls away. Donphan circles Goodra awaiting its next command. Goodra watches intently. It understands that wild firing off of attacks would be pointless. It wants to bide its time until it knows it can land a hit. I fear for how much of a cold and calculating psychopath my Pokémon has become. That said, this is how I would want it to battle.
"Stone Edge," Thomas says confidently.
Donphan twists around to direct its charge at Goodra. However, it stops abruptly. The skid forces up stones from the ground, aimed directly towards Goodra. The barrage of stones is met by a wave of purple energy. Donphan has to shield its eyes from the dust thrown back at it. This is the opportunity Goodra wanted. A second consecutive Dragon Pulse is fired. This one crashes against Donphan's tough outer body. Donphan digs its feet into the ground as it tries to resist the attack.
Thomas appears to be struggling to deal with Goodra. After his bold proclamation that he was the only one qualified to deal with it, he could soon look rather foolish if he doesn't up his game. I watch as Goodra launches yet another attack and Thomas tries to counter with Rapid Spin. It seems a solid enough defensive manoeuvre. Donphan will either dodge or reduce the damage taken by deflecting it. As Donphan spins out of Goodra's line of fire, I realise that I am conflicted in this battle. Technically, Goodra is fighting my semi-final match for me and putting up a good fight. However, I find myself wanting Thomas to win and inflict on me the defeat I deserve. I can't control my Pokémon and the whole world can see that. I don't deserve to win a thing.
"Earthquake!" Thomas calls out.
The paramedic next to me curses under his breath as the stadium begins to shake. I accidentally bite down on his fingers that were in my mouth at the time as the ground beneath me rocks. Goodra is surprisingly nimble and jumps between chunks of the battlefield that are being thrown up into the air. It moves towards the part of the battlefield that had been soaked in the melted ice and water splashes over it. Goodra finds the water refreshing and puts it in a place where Donphan can't get too close.
"Ice Shard," Thomas says. He's still confident.
As Donphan trumpets with its trunk, Goodra launches its counter attack. It fires a thin, but pinpoint accurate and deadly, Ice Beam. It hits Donphan and freezes its face into an expression somewhere between cheerful and horrified. Goodra moves onto the offensive and sprays purple energy from its mouth. Donphan has not realistic means of moving away in time with a frozen face to deal with. The attack connects, shattering the layer of ice covering Donphan's face and striking the vulnerable underside of its body. Donphan is flung backwards and crashes to the ground, skidding through the torn battlefield.
The referee declares Donphan unable to battle and Thomas grits his teeth. This certainly isn't how he expected things to go. I see from my Battle Gear that Goodra has taken little to no damage, but has been exerting a fair amount of its strength. Thomas is actually in a predicament now. He's struggling to overcome something that is unpredictable because the trainer he had figured out isn't the one controlling how it battles. He has the same number of Pokémon left as me and has to take into account that Goodra isn't the last thing I have.
"Let's go Romulan!" Thomas says and tosses his latest Poké Ball forward.
Exploud is the next thing to be put in Goodra's path. I remember Exploud from Thomas' battle with Daedalus. This is probably what Thomas needs to finish it.
After sticking a painkiller in my mouth and forcing me to swallow, the paramedic pats me on the back. He stands and holds out a hand to help me up. I can't really tell how I feel. I'm so caught up watching the battle as an outsider that my own existence seems numb. I let the paramedic pull me to my feet and support me for a moment.
Goodra doesn't even notice I'm back on my feet. It doesn't care. It's more focused on knocking down whatever Thomas puts in its way. A brown wave of water washes over Exploud as I stagger back to my area.
"Good of you to re-join us," Thomas says mockingly.
I just grunt in response. I'm still coming to terms with actually standing up and being involved again.
Thomas' Exploud spits out a jet of the muddy water that was swept into its mouth as a makeshift counter attack. Goodra jumps backwards to avoid it, seemingly more out of disgust than wanting to avoid being hit.
"Boomburst!" Thomas shouts.
An explosion of noise erupts across the battlefield. Shock waves ripple through the air and send Goodra flying. I dig my feet into the ground and clutch my head, trying to block out the sound. I remember witnessing the attack before. Facing it head on is something else entirely.
The noise dies down and I take deep breaths in an attempt to recover. Goodra lies curled up on the ground clutching its head. Thomas stands behind his Exploud with a confident smirk on his face.
"Goodra, are you ok?" I call out to my Pokémon.
I hear something like a cute sounding growl as Goodra raises its head. It glares at me as it climbs to its feet slowly. Thomas, his Pokémon and the referee watch on as Goodra gradually plods over to me balling its fists. I hold up my hands in a sign of surrender.
"Please, Goodra, listen," I plead, "I want us to be friends again."
Goodra scowls and continues on towards me at its lethargic pace.
"Remember how things used to be," I say, cautiously taking a step forwards, "I'm still the same girl you used to sit on the shoulder of as we played together and you're still the same Pokémon I played with."
Goodra's expression seems to loosen slightly, but it growls and keeps getting closer. I try to hide any fear of it attacking me again. I can hear cries from the stands. People don't want me to go near Goodra. Some sick people are calling for Goodra to go for it and attack.
"I don't know what you want, but I want you to have whatever it is," I continue, "If you want to keep fighting Thomas, I want to fight alongside you. If you want to attack me, then so be it. If you want to be free from me forever…"
I close my eyes and struggle to hold back tears at the very idea of what I was suggesting. I force my eyes open again to look Goodra in the eyes. I can't tell what its expression is anymore. It's conflicted. Then, it raises its head and prepares a Dragon Pulse.
"Goomy, please!" I cry.
My eyes slam shut and my head drops. I brace myself for the attack and tears stream down my face. The world around me is in stunned silence. I wait for what could be the end, what would certainly be the end for the relationship between me and one of my Pokémon. Time feels like it slows as I wait. Pain never comes.
A pair of slimy arms wrap around me and pull me in close to a sticky and squishy body. Goodra holds me tight and I sink my face into its chest to let the slime absorb my tears. Applause fills my ears. I don't understand what I've done. Somehow, with the whole world watching, I seem to have found some reconciliation with Goodra.
I peel my face away from the slimy body of my Pokémon and look up. I see Goodra's face looking down on me with a smile. I see the love and warmth in its eyes. It does care for me after all. We have both changed a lot on the outside since our days of running around without a care in the world. We just needed to understand that we are still the same trainer and Pokémon.
"Do you want to keep battling?" I ask, "I understand if you don't. I never expected this sort of thing from you before you evolved. It's my fault for changing that."
Goodra nods and a look of determination spreads across its face. Another tear trickles down my face. This one from happiness. Goodra lets go of me and steps back. I stand facing my Pokémon. I am coated in a disgusting slime, but I don't care. All I can do is smile.
"Let's do this together Goodra," I say.
Goodra turns to face Exploud. Our bonding seems to be driving Goodra on. Once wiped clean, my Battle Gear shows that Goodra was seriously hurt by the Boomburst and is getting quite tired.
"It's too late for kissing and making up to save you now," Thomas declares, "Romulan, use Blizzard!"
"Counter with Flamethrower!"
Exploud breathes in through the pipes in its back and a gust of icy wind blasts out of its mouth. Snow and shards of ice are carried in the wind towards Goodra. A moment I never thought would actually come to pass happens. Goodra responds to my call. The fire meets the cold wind. The attacks cancel each other out. The wind blows out the fire but the onslaught of heat stops the ice in its tracks.
"Ice Beam, block its mouth," I say.
Goodra nods and attacks. Exploud panics as its lips freeze in place and a wall of ice covers the open mouth. Thomas just laughs.
"Not today, Psycho," he says, "You seem to be forgetting that Romulan knows Fire Blast."
"I didn't forget, I just don't care," I say, "Dragon Pulse."
I spot the light of a fire beyond the ice in Exploud's mouth as Goodra lines up its attack. Purple energy smashes through the ice, sending the shards into the back of Exploud's throat. Dragon Pulse collides with the forming Fire Blast and explodes inside Exploud. There is a deafening cry before Exploud flops onto its back with smoke pouring from its mouth.
"I wish I could say I'm impressed for getting me down to my last, but I'm not," Thomas says, "Go, Froggo, Ice Beam."
Greninja takes to the stage replacing Exploud. Its speed and accuracy are incredible. Like Donphan before, it is attacking the moment it emerges onto the battlefield. Goodra has no chance to react and is struck squarely in the chest. The impact throws Goodra into a heap on the ground.
Goodra whines and slowly lifts its head to look at me. I can sense the despair in my Pokémon's eyes and I know it is over. I hold out my Poké Ball before the referee can even make his declaration.
"Thank you," I whisper to the ball in my hand as my Pokémon returns to it.
AN: Hello again. Miss me? Things are better now and I've got back into writing. Think it's going well, I'll leave that for the readers to judge.