Hey, people! It's finally time for the Coumarine City Arc, and this will probably be the best one to date. As stated at the end of last chapter, it will be focusing on the relationships of the group members with a lot less battling than the Shalour Arc, which should make it a lot easier to write because battles tend to take me an entire day to write. Getting back on track, last chapter was about Team Grim raiding the Tower of Mastery for all of the Mega Stones while Owen and Ariel tried to stop them. They weren't able to, but Gurkinn was so impressed by Owen he was given a Mega Bracelet and Charizard can now Mega Evolve into Mega Charizard X and Y! There's not much else to say other than this chapter is probably going to be short, so let's get going! Also, check out the poll on my profile! The voting will be closed sometime tomorrow, so make sure your voice is heard!
FlameStriker123: Well, he's not going to have too many people to battle for a little while, so Charizard will be subjected to training until later on in the arc.
guest: I think I could've done a better job with them interacting, but I appreciate the support :)
Emboar-Man (guest): To answer your questions: okay, no, and maybe. I've been thinking about whether or not Pikachu should evolve because if he does, Owen wouldn't have any fast Pokemon on his team aside from Frogadier/Greninja. To decide on this, I've put up a poll, so make sure to vote!
OPFan37: Haha, I'm glad to have you aboard the reviewer train, and thanks for the compliment! I didn't really like last chapter because I could've done so much more with the battle and how Owen, Ariel, and Frank interacted, but there will be another battle involving two of them in the next arc. And Dragonite will probably get on your nerves a couple of more times until Owen's final showdown with Frank ;)
Elodus: Thanks, I'm looking forward to writing Chapter 34, but that's going to take a little while
Spidey108: Ya know, I wanted to start this region off with a bang, so Charizard and murder showed up because that got the job done
MCMXCV: Even though they have Mega Evolution, Owen and Charizard are going to have to work on harnessing that power. And Ariel might be able to help them out if they fight Frank again ;)
ShadowDragon9000: Much delayed, indeed :P It's good to see you've caught up, and thanks for the compliments. Team Grim's going to be getting a lot more time in the next two arcs before the conclusion (which will be the eighth), so stay tuned for that. And the battles will start picking up once again after this arc because there'll be a lot more rival battles and face-offs with Team Grim. And Owen will only be using Charizard's Y form for the most part, unless there's an intense battle he'll be in. I'll most likely have Charizard switch forms during battles, though I'm unsure of that, at the moment
Owen's team
Frogadier, (m), level 26, Pound, Lick, Round, Quick Attack, Water Pulse*, Smokescreen*
Charizard, (m), level 70, Flamethrower, Dragon Claw, Seismic Toss, Blast Burn, Aerial Ace*, ?*
Pikachu, (m), level 28, Slam, Quick Attack, Thunderbolt, Nuzzle, Electro Ball*, Double Team*
Tyrunt, (m), level 27, Tackle, Stomp, Stealth Rock, Bite, Ancient Power*
Hawlucha, (m), level 34, Wing Attack, Karate Chop, Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Bounce*
Gastly, (f), level 22, Lick, Mean Look, Night Shade, Confuse Ray, Sucker Punch*
With Professor Sycamore
Butterfree, (f), level 34, Tackle, Silver Wind, Psybeam, Gust, Poison Powder*, Sleep Powder*
"What's taking Owen so long? He said he'd meet us at the ranch an hour ago!" Brooklyn shouted in frustration before pouting. It was noon and the group made sure to leave Shalour that day because of the terror caused by Team Grim. The Tower of Mastery had been closed off from the public due to the invasion and there being no Mega Stones left after they were stolen by Frank and his grunts.
"Watch out!" Suddenly, Charizard crash landed and the force of the impact launched Owen off the winged lizard's back. As Owen got up and brushed the dirt off his clothes, Charizard reverted back to his normal form. He and his trainer had been testing the power of Mega Evolution and were in awe of it. With both forms, Charizard's ability to fly and his defense were increased exponentially, but his attack stats were boosted differently. Moves such as Dragon Claw, Seismic Toss, and Aerial Ace were all much stronger when he was Mega Charizard X while Flamethrower and Blast Burn became stronger during the Y evolution.
"You're such an idiot," Brooklyn muttered as she watched Owen pat Charizard on the head before sending Frogadier out. "Let's go. I want to check in on Gogoat." Owen nodded along with his Pokemon as they followed Brooklyn, Cindy, and Eddy into the Gogoat Ranch. As they walked along the path they eventually reached Ernest's house, and the man was sitting in a rocking chair on his porch.
"Howdy, kids. What're you doing back here so soon?" the friendly farmer inquired with a warm smile while he rose from his chair to greet the group of trainers.
"Owen won his gym battle the day we left here, so we're on our way to Coumarine City," Cindy answered. "Brooklyn and Eddy wanted to check on the Gogoat, too," she added.
"Feel free to! I just fed them, so they should be busy for a while." Ernest led the group towards the large amount of Gogoat and walked into their pen with more food. As he poured the buckets of meat onto the ground, the grass types began to fight for their meal.
"Are they usually this feisty?" Eddy asked the old man as he stood on the fence to get a better look at the tamed Pokemon. "It looks like they're getting pretty violent." As Eddy pointed that out the large Gogoat from the day before barreled through the smaller Gogoat and Skiddo before guarding the meat as if it was all for him.
"Well, the Gogoat species are well known for their clashing with each other, so it's not uncommon for a few fights to break out once in a while." The Gogoat began to plow through the others once again in order to send a message, but one Gogoat stepped forward and began swiping its hooves against the ground angrily.
"Wait, aren't those the two Gogoat the fought the day before?" Cindy asked, looking at the others for a response.
"I think so. Those two are always fighting, even since they were born. You see, they're brothers, and the smaller one is the younger of the two. So I guess there's a chip on his shoulder about his older brother being bigger and stronger," Ernest explained while looking at the younger Gogoat with a smile. "Some of you have to know how that feels, right?"
"Nope, I'm an only child," Eddy answered.
"I've got younger sisters, but I don't really know what I'm going to do yet, so there isn't much for us to argue about," Cindy explained.
"I have an older brother, but I haven't seen him since he left for his journey three years ago. What about you, Owen?" Brooklyn quizzed as she looked at the boy her age. Owen was thrown off by the question, not knowing whether he had any siblings or not.
"None that I know of," he answered with a joking tone, which made everyone laugh. As they refocused their attention on the combating Pokemon, Owen couldn't help but think about his stepparents in Kanto and his birth parents in Kalos. There was a strange feeling in his stomach that he was getting closer to them, but he didn't know how he'd get to meet them with Brooklyn and the others always hanging around.
"Goat!" the larger Gogoat cried, snapping Owen out of his thought. The powerful Pokemon charged towards his younger brother and they smacked heads, making a loud thud echo through the air. As soon as he backed away, his younger brother was down for the count, and Ernest shook his head as he pulled out a Pokeball and zapped the downed Pokemon into it.
"I can't help but feel bad for Gogoat. All he wants to do is beat his brother in one battle, but he can't," Eddy pronounced as he shook his head in sorrow. "I've got an idea!" the eight year old shouted as the group of five walked back to Ernest's house to heal the injured Pokemon. "We could help Gogoat by training!"
"That's actually a great idea," Cindy complimented, making Eddy grin.
After healing his Gogoat Ernest met the trainers outside along with all of their Pokemon, and he sent Gogoat out. The strong Pokemon looked around at all of the new people and their Pokemon before turning to Ernest, who urged him to trust the strange people.
"Hi, Gogoat, I'm Brooklyn and we're going to help you beat your brother!" the blonde proclaimed excitedly while her three Pokemon cheered. Gogoat smiled at the enthusiasm displayed by the girl and her Pokemon, and he figured it'd be worth his time to train with them. "So, when we were watching you're first fight yesterday, I noticed you weren't trying to dodge any attacks. I don't know if it's a thing with your species, but you have to be smart in your battle instead of trying to overpower your opponent."
"That's right," Eddy agreed as he stepped forward. "It may seem cowardly to bait your opponent into making a mistake, but it's not as emasculating as you think, especially if you win."
"That's what we're going to focus on, because you're definitely strong enough to knock your brother out. Amaura here is going to help you learn to dodge and counter, right?" Brooklyn asked her prehistoric Pokemon, who nodded in response and smiled at Gogoat. As Brooklyn and Gogoat began to train, Owen watched on with his six Pokemon and he sighed.
"Listen up, everyone." The six Pokemon turned to their trainer and waited for his next words. "We've got a gym battle coming up soon, and we need to train hard. I know that our main goal right now is to focus on the Kalos League, but there's another reason I'm here in this region, and I think you all deserve to know why." The Pokemon stared in confusion as Owen took a deep breath and looked around with a stern expression.
"Try to stay light on your feet, Gogoat. It'll help your speed if you don't put all of your weight on the ground," Brooklyn instructed as Fennekin, Smeargle, and Amaura demonstrated their quick dodging skills. The bulky Pokemon hopped to his left as Fennekin shot a light Ember towards him, and the speed of his dodge was much quicker than it was earlier.
"Awesome job, Gogoat!" Cindy exclaimed as she and Litleo cheered for him, making Gogoat nod thankfully.
"Try to do it again and followup with a counter," Brooklyn told the grass type as she and her Pokemon prepared to continue their training. Once again, Gogoat leaped away from Fennekin's Ember and he charged towards the fire fox, but he stopped right before their heads were about to collide. Brooklyn smiled and clapped excitedly before they amped up the training once again, both sides determined to better themselves.
000
After a whole day of training, Brooklyn and Gogoat were ready to take on the leader of the Gogoat herd. Ernest was already waiting by the fence when everyone else had woken up and gotten outside, and an anxious grin was on his face. As Brooklyn led Gogoat into the cage, there weren't any other Pokemon inside. Suddenly, Ernest threw a Pokeball forward and the older Gogoat appeared inside the fence.
"You've got this, Gogoat! Just remember our training," Brooklyn told the Pokemon she had helped the day before. Gogoat nodded at her and began to swipe his hooves against the ground while Ernest called for all the other Gogoat and Skiddo to watch the battle. Owen, Frogadier, Charizard, Cindy, Litleo, and Eddy all watched from afar while Brooklyn was up close to the fence in order to communicate with the Pokemon she wanted to win.
"This here will be a battle between Gogoat and Gogoat," Ernest informed the other members of the herd as they watched in suspense. "The leader may get the first move."
"Goat!" the larger Pokemon grunted as he charged towards his younger brother, who lowered his head and began charging, throwing Brooklyn off. The two Pokemon collided head first, but the pushing ended quickly as the smaller Gogoat was launched into the air. He soon landed hard on the ground face first, and the spectators all winced at the violent smack sound that echoed through the air.
"Gogoat, stick to our strategy. Use Energy Ball!" Brooklyn commanded as the grass type slowly got onto his feet. Gogoat's head suddenly shot up and he fired a ball of green energy, which struck his older brother and sent him skidding backwards. The crowd of Pokemon gasped collectively as their leader shook off the pain and stared at Brooklyn and the Pokemon she was assisting before he released a large amount of air from his nostrils.
"Goat-Goat!" the elder Pokemon cried as he started charging across the mock battlefield, but Brooklyn and the younger Gogoat were more than ready to counter. After the teenage girl snapped her fingers, Brooklyn watched as the Gogoat in front of her quickly jumped out of the way of his attacker just like he had done against Fennekin's Ember attack, and the larger Gogoat crashed into the fence.
"Now use Take Down!" As the larger Gogoat tried to turn around, his younger brother slammed into his ribs, knocking him onto his side.
"Froga!" Frogadier exclaimed excitedly as Gogoat ran back to Brooklyn and bowed thankfully to the trainer who had helped him in the ongoing battle. Litleo cheered alongside Frogadier, but the two stopped when the leader of the Gogoat herd got back up and began swiping at the ground before charging.
"Gogoat, dodge and use Razor Leaf!" Gogoat hopped out of the way once again before firing a series of sharp leaves towards his brother, who cried out in pain as the leaves cut his body. After that happened, Brooklyn noticed that her opponent's legs were beginning to shake slightly, so she shifted her battling style to one of aggression. "Use Energy Ball again!"
"Go!" the larger Gogoat roared as he was hit by another Energy Ball that exploded on contact, pinning him against the fence.
"Now finish this with Take Down!" Brooklyn screamed. Everyone watched as Gogoat sprinted as fast as his legs would allow, and he slammed his head against his brother's. Once the collision ended, both Pokemon stared at each other until the larger Gogoat fell to the ground with his eyes closed.
"The leader is unable to battle! That means Gogoat and Brooklyn are the winners!" Ernest announced as he pointed at Brooklyn and the smaller Gogoat, who were celebrating their victory. The Pokemon watching the battle erupted with applause for their friend as Brooklyn hopped over the fence and hugged him.
"You did an awesome job, Gogoat," Brooklyn told the Pokemon, who stuck his chest out pridefully. Fennekin, Smeargle, and Amaura complimented him also while Brooklyn's companions and Ernest made their ways into the arena.
"That was so cool, Brooklyn! It was almost like Gogoat was your Pokemon!" Eddy shouted in glee as he ran around in circles with Frogadier and Litleo.
"I hate to admit it, but that was pretty impressive," Cindy grumbled, making Brooklyn laugh as she turned to face Ernest. The old man was looking over at the young Gogoat that had just claimed the right to be the leader of the ranch, but he sighed.
"What's the matter, Ernest? Aren't you happy for Gogoat?" Owen inquired.
"Of course I am. I'm just sad that I have to make this decision," the man answered slowly as he turned to face Brooklyn. "Seeing Gogoat battle with you and interact with you're Pokemon has made me realize that he'd be much happier with you than he is here. Ain't that right, Gogoat?"
"Goat," Gogoat responded quickly as he ran over to Brooklyn and nodded. The coordinator locked eyes with the powerful Pokemon before smiling, and she nodded emphatically.
"I'd be more than happy to have you join. You could definitely add a punch to our performances."
"Well it's settled! Here, Brooklyn, this is Gogoat's Pokeball. Make sure you take good care of him, he's a special Pokemon."
"Yes sir," Brooklyn replied as she bowed and accepted Gogoat's Pokeball. "Come on, everyone. Let's go." With that, Brooklyn withdrew her four Pokemon and the group walked away from the ranch while waving to Ernest. As they headed down the road towards Coumarine, Brooklyn held out Gogoat's Pokeball and smiled to herself before feeling a hand pat her shoulder. She turned to see Owen beaming with his usual ear to ear smile, and his Mega Bracelet began to glow slightly.
"What you did for Gogoat back there was really cool. There's not a doubt in my mind you're going to win the Coumarine Contest."
"Th-thanks," the blonde stuttered as her face reddened like a cherry.
"Maybe after I win the contest, I'll win your heart."
Awww, Brooklyn. So Brooklyn was given the Gogoat that got his butt kicked the first time they visited the Gogoat Ranch, and now she's planning on making a move on Owen, or is she? Well, because of the holiday season I'm feeling pretty jolly, so the answer to that question is yes. Moving on to next chapter, the attention will be back on Owen and the group's arrival in Coumarine! Also, Ramos will be making his debut, and the events in next chapter will actually be occurring during Brooklyn's contest, so Chapter 31 will happen during 32. Till next time, peace out.
Next Chapter: The Garden Guardian Part 1: After arriving in Coumarine City, Owen and his Pokemon decide to train for their upcoming gym battle. What they didn't know about their training area is that it's the sight of a garden where Pokemon live. After causing a bit of damage to the area, the leader of the Pokemon appears and challenges Owen to a battle! Will Owen be able to defeat the Pokemon?
Coumarine Arc Chapters
Chapter 32: Coumarine Contest
Chapter 33: Shadow Punch: Haunter vs Gogoat
Chapter 34: Crouching Rival, Hidden Meganium
Chapter 35: A Mega Crossover!
Chapter 36: Daniel's Decision
Chapter 37: Double Date Double Battle
Chapter 39: The Plan Unfolds