Gardevoir and Zangoose

The sun shone bright over Route 114, making the small lake below and the gray mountains above sparkle. There was a mountain path that slithered around various boulders to lead to Meteor Falls. Before that path was a lovely field with tall grasses, fragrant bushes, and dozens of wildflowers. Lacking any breeze today, it was still and quiet.

Much too quiet. There wasn't a Swablu's song or a Geodude's rock thumping filling the air. It wasn't a peaceful quiet either. The Gardevoir could feel hostility and tension in this field. There was an unwanted truce here and he and his trainer had walked right into no-man's-land. He didn't like it. Among his kind, it was expected that you found your person and then protected the person all your days. This was not safe.

And yet the signs were confusing him. His powers allowed him to see glimpses of possible futures. Even his clearest glimpse was vague and symbolic, but this utterly baffled him. The signs were telling him that this danger was strong but necessary. A necessary danger? Unthinkable. He floated closer to his trainer with what used to be his legs billowing out like a light skirt. "Gwa, ve," he said in worried tones. They should leave this battleground.

"Hang on," she replied. "I have to find it." She pulled the tall grasses apart, looking for a telltale flash of metal. "I can't believe I dropped it. It couldn't have gone far."

She had slippery fingers and was always dropping things. And so close to Fallarbor too. After climbing all those ledges and wandering through that waterfall cave, then following this crazy mountain path, she was within sight of the town her aunt lived in. It was like her to trip up, drop the Pokenav, and then not realize it until five minutes later when she got out of this field. She couldn't have dropped it earlier; she'd checked it for her aunt's address before coming into the tall grass.

The Pokenav had to be around here somewhere. It was a pricy miniature computer. Would her parents insist she come back home if she lost something that vital to traveling? Ugh, it would be terribly embarrassing. She brushed some stray blond hairs out of her face and briefly touched a barrette by her ear. It had a lovely purple scale on it; her aunt had sent it on her birthday for good luck.

There was another in the field, and her attention was on the barrette as well. She knew what that scale meant. It had a dark violet luster that was unmistakable; it was a Seviper's scale. Did that mean this human and the Gardevoir with her were on their side? It could be. Her twin tails flicked, barely moving the grass. She crept up on the pair.

The Gardevoir noticed the slight motion of grass. Something was here, something aggressive and hostile. Territorial too, so perhaps the aggression was natural. Still, whether the aggression was right or wrong, he wanted nothing more than to take his Trainer out of this field immediately. The thing she had lost was far from his mind.

"There it is!" the trainer said triumphantly. She picked up the device, shaped like a large wristwatch. "Better latch it good this time so it doesn't fall off ag..."

"Zaaaa!" a loud cry interrupted. The Zangoose leapt out of the grass, extending her claws. She was of the mind to bash that scale off the girl's head. No matter if the girl got badly hurt; the scale was the sign of the enemy. The girl shouldn't be in the lands of their clan.

Instead of hitting the girl and the hated scale, the claws struck deep into the delicate body of the Gardevoir. He tried not to cringe at the biting pain and the loss of his life's blood. It was taken for the sake of his trainer, it was... good, that way. He redirected the pain back at the Zangoose, sending the white and red feline reeling. He'd always held back, but not now.

The Zangoose steadied herself on her back legs and snarled at the white and green blur in her vision. That attack was nothing like she had experienced. The splitting headache it induced was almost bad enough to make her want to retreat. But no, it wasn't in her pride and honor to retreat if she could still fight.

Startled at the sudden attack, the girl trainer shrieked. She had the Pokenav already latched, so she grabbed the next nearest thing, an empty Pokeball on her belt, and threw it hard at the Zangoose. Her Gardevoir was the only Pokemon she had and he looked to be in no state to fight. The Pokeball nailed the Zangoose between the eyes, which accidentally activated it. As she stumbled backwards, the ball grabbed her with a white light and pulled her inside. It quivered in the grass for a little while, but the Zangoose was too stunned to fight her way out.

"Gardevoir, that could have killed you," the girl said in a panic.

He smiled, but held onto her shoulders. He'd forgotten how gravity felt. "Ge va," he murmured, glad that she was okay.

She took his ball and recalled him so he would be safe. Then she picked up the ball with the Zangoose. For a moment, she thought of releasing her. She was more aggressive than the Trainer wanted to handle. Then again, the Zangoose might help. She put the ball on her belt and ran for Fallarbor.

…

Sapphire entry: Zangoose usually stays on all fours, but when angered, it gets up on its hind legs and extends its claws. This Pokemon shares a bitter rivalry with Seviper that dates back over generations.

Gardevoir Emerald entry: It apparently does not feel the pull of gravity because it supports itself with psychic power. It will give its life to protect its Trainer.

This actually happened to me in Ruby. I was trying to catch a Zangoose (level 16) when she used Fury Cutter on my Gardevoir (level 30). With type advantage, a critical hit, and being the second hit (Fury Cutter increases power with each successful hit, in case you didn't know like me), the attack knocked 60 HP off the 90 HP he had.

After the battle, I immediately pulled her out of the Box, stuck a Silk Scarf on her, and gave her a permanent spot in my party. She soloed Flannery's Gym... and Wallace's, and fainted two of Winona's four birds. When it came to Tate and Liza, I put the Zangoose and the Gardevoir together. First round Imprison (no Calm Mind!) and Sword Dance, then the fight was even easier than when I double-Surfed the Solrock and Lunatone.

While I kind of ignored the Zangoose before, it's now one of my favorites due to this one that nearly KO'ed my Gardevoir. And yes, both genders were what I had in that game.