Chapter 11:
After escaping the horrifying sight of Opal being secretly crazy, I got myself and my team into the next round, me seeing that the ref was waiting for me.
"Well, good to know you arrived on time. Only Bede remains," the ref smirked.
"He's a slight bit preoccupied getting Opal as his new sponsor, since Rose dropped him because I got dirt on the rich man," I said, him looking at me with a frown.
"Oookay, not going to ask further for risk of losing my job, instead, I'll explain the rules for your next gym challenge," he said as he showed me still images on the screen, as I told them that stills were okay. "In this challenge, you'll need to brave a bunch of dizzying trips in some teacups. You'll need to fight the gym trainers on the way to each one and then make your way to the end goal without hurling up your lunch! If you happen to puke at any point, you need to start over from the last set of teacups you've done. And if you puke thrice, you'll be disqualified," he said, me being concerned at that.
"So... what does keeping my lunch down have to do with Pokemon challenges?" I asked him.
"It's based on how durable the trainer is as well as the Pokemon, as the toughest trainers can keep their meals down. That's Bea's ideals, anyways. As for Allister, he insisted on the teacups to be the design of the challenge because his favorite Pokemon are Sinistea and Polteageist," the ref explained, me smirking at that.
"Okay, I'm ready, then!" I smirked as I then went through the door and then looked at my Pokemon with seriousness. "You guys joining me? Or am I the only one going for it?" I asked, them then joining me, but most were reluctant. The only ones that weren't were Blacephalon and Primarina. Pheromosa looked very uncomfortable as she sat in between me and Primarina, and for one good reason.
"Ugh... I have a feeling I'm going to be getting squished between you and the mermaid. And I don't like that," she complained.
"Then you can just walk the path and then wait on the other side, right mister ref?" I asked, him nodding.
"Right, the Pokemon don't need to join you, just the trainer," the ref said, that making all of the group minus Blacephalon and Primarina to walk the whole way to the other side in an instant, with Pheromosa needing to carry Binacle instead.
"They don't understand that this is going to be amazing! It's a joy for all entertaining Blacephalon to go to a theme park! This is basically a theme park ride!" he smirked as I then spoke.
"Question before I start, is this powered by Pokemon? Or is it something that'd break my strict Ransei rules?" I asked the ref.
"It's powered by Allister's ghost Pokemon making the cup spin around," he explained, me smirking at that as we started the ride and I smiled at how the spectral energy formed around the cup and I smirked at how we started to spin clockwise down the path, me then leaning our trio through the path so we could reach the end, using some special springs to save ourselves if we got sent off-course. And during the whole thing, I could feel the tingling in my stomach, which made me start laughing and cheering!
"WHOO!" I screamed in glee before we then finally reached the end and I got out of the cup with Primarina and Blacephalon, the duo looking to be just as dizzy as I was as I had to regain my sense of gravity on the way to the first two opponents. And after defeating them easily, I managed to get each of my allies as of current to level up and evolve! Binacle turned into Barbaracle, Skorupi turned into Drapion, and Klink had turned into Klang! And upon evolving, Klang then spoke.
"Leveled up... yay..." she said very shyly, me now realizing why she hadn't spoken since I'd found her. She was the shy and quiet type.
"How about you lead the troupe when we go fight Allister, Klang?" I asked her, which made her grind her gears a slight bit before then emitting a bit of electricity.
"I... I guess I could..." she said as I then went to the next two cup rides and I smirked at how the speeds increased for the last two, which made me feel a slight bit sick at the end, but I managed to keep my lunch down as I pushed the button and then fell down on my butt from the loss of balance, which is when Primarina and Drapion helped me up. Primarina refused to join me on the last two and Blacephalon opted out on the last teacup when he realized they were getting faster and longer. And when we went through the door, we then got to the arena and saw that Allister was waiting at the center stage and looked at us with a very gloomy look.
"H-Hi... miss Jo," he said, me smirking at how his voice was even more shy than Klang.
"Hello, Allister... it's okay, I know what it's like being shy," I smirked at him.
"It's all I've ever known... I can speak to spirits... all kinds... it's easier than speaking t-to living people..." he said before then lifting his head up. "But... you're different... both alive... and in stasis... a hidden side within you, in a deep slumber..." he said, me looking at him in surprise.
"That... might be the Wishing Star, then. I've found out it's the heart of a certain Pokemon... that does not get shared, okay?" I said, whispering that to his ear so he wouldn't share.
"Yes... if you succeed here and in Ballonlea... you'll go back to Hammerlocke... and something big happens... promise me that nothing bad happens... and do your best," he said, me nodding at him.
"I promise, Allister. Now let's have a fight!... But if I win, can I also see your face? Or is that a no?" I asked, him sighing after.
"Meet me in the Glimwood Tangle... I'll be waiting in the first bush..." he said, us then going opposite each other and us then sending out our first Pokemon with Allister sending out a Yamask... one that was different than the one I was used to in Ransei! It looked more purple and had a rune in its grasp instead of a mask. I then looked at Klang and smirked at her.
"Klang, front and center," I said, her then going into the fray with concern as we then had the coin flip happen, with me then doing the first attack. "Klang, use Gear Grind!" I smirked, Klang then going to Yamask and using the move, it connecting and managing to get Yamask down to half health, Allister then speaking.
"Yamask... Disable," he said, me gawking at how Yamask then made it so I couldn't use Gear Grind anymore! So that meant that Klang could only use one more offensive move that could attack Yamask, that being the TR I used on him that I got from the Wild Area, Power Gem!
"Okay, time to up our stats! Use Autotomize!" I said, Klang then using the special stat move that made the gear set gain double speed and made it weigh much less, which Allister then spoke to Yamask.
"Use Brutal Swing..." Yamask then tried to attack with a very strong dark attack, but Klang instinctively dodged it and continued to do so until I then spoke.
"POWER GEM!" I shouted, Klang then shooting a flurry of special stones at Yamask, the crowd gawking at how it was a critical hit and Yamask fell to the ground and fainted!
"Come back, Yamask..." Allister said before then sending out his next Pokemon. "Come out, Mimikyu..." he said, me smirking at how the next Pokemon was the ghost and fairy type that really wanted to be Pikachu, but just couldn't.
"Aw, is that a Pikachu?" Klang asked, Mimikyu then looking pissed at hearing Klang say that.
"Do not mention that name to me!" he growled in anger as I then looked at Klang with seriousness.
"Okay, Klang, use Charge beam!" I said, knowing for a fact that it wouldn't do a thing, so I used his least-effective attack on Mimikyu, which broke its disguise and did no damage. My studies of Alolan Pokemon had taught me well.
"Use Hone Claws," Allister commanded, which made Mimikyu's true arms come out from under it and he then started to slash its claws together numerous times to up his attack and accuracy.
"Okay, now use Gear Grind!" I smirked, Klang about to move before Allister spoke.
"Use Shadow Sneak..." he said, Mimikyu then moving faster due to priority and slamming into Klang, me gawking at how, for the first time in my gym challenge, I'd gotten a Pokemon knocked out!
"Klang! You did well, come take a rest in the backlines," I said, her then klinking a bit as I healed her slightly, but knowing that I had to focus. "Impressive work, Allister. You're the first one to knockout one of my Pokemon in this gym challenge! So now I'm going to up my game, too. Come out, Blacephalon, you're next on the list," I smirked, the Ultra Beast then leaping into the fray and doing its signature bow with its head detaching and reattaching.
"What are you?" Mimikyu asked.
"An Ultra Beast of the performing arts! Now, what should we attack with first?" Blacphelaon asked with a snicker.
"Shadow Ball," I smirked, Blacephalon then attacking with the long-range spectral energy and hitting Mimikyu in a big explosion, it making Mimikyu knockout after.
"Come back, Mimikyu... you did well..." Allister said before then speaking. "Now for my next one... come, Cursola," he said, me being confused before the next appeared, me gawking at how it was a Corsola that was completely bleached all over and it had a large ectoplasmic face emerge from the lower portion! Definitely a ghost type variant that made me feel sorry for it!
"Man... my heart, it's breaking," I said in a somber mood before then shaking myself from it. "Regardless, Blacephalon, use Shadow Ball again," I said, him then doing so, and me gawking at how Cursola was only sent down by a fourth! She barely looked phased!
"Cursola is a special tank... now use Curse," he said, me gawking at how Cursola then cut its health in half and then sent a curse at Blacephalon, one of the nastiest afflictions ever! I then looked at Blacephalon with seriousness.
"Blacephalon, use Shadow Claw!" I said, him then doing so and me smirking at how it managed to get Cursola down to 0 and made her faint after.
"Well done, Cursola... now for the final test... I'm going to send you to the netherworld..." Allister said with seriousness as I then looked at Blacephalon with seriousness.
"Before that, Blacephalon, switch out with Barbaracle. I made a promise he'd be the next to Gigantimax, after all," I smirked, that making the jester bomb lose his cursed status as Barbaracle then took the fray.
"Hit us with your best shot!" Barbaracle spoke.
"With pleasure... come out, Polteageist," Allister said, me being shocked at how he looked like he understood him! And then, a small teapot appeared with a ghostly liquid within it. "Now, for the fans to smile and chant... time to Gigantimax... and for my own secret to be revealed..." Allister said before then returning Poleteageist and making the ball giant, him then sending it behind him with his mind, me gawking at how, shortly after, Poleteageist wasn't Dynamaxed. It was Gigantimax! And it was in the form of a giant tea set to match his now-giant tea kettle and that the ghostly liquid swirled around out of the kettle and above with ectoplasm!
"GIGANTIMAX!" Polteageist shouted, me gawking as Rotom took a picture for me.
"Incredible! Polteageist hasn't been recorded as having a Gigantimax form! This means this is a new recording!" Rotom shouted, me then touching my Wishing Star and then focusing on Barbaracle, him then growing gigantic and getting a different thing to happen to him. He now had 10 different arms/legs on him and tons more barnacles on his rock center, and his top-most arm was now the biggest one with a plume of seaweed atop it in the form of hair!
"OH YEAH!" Barbaracle shouted before the crowd started to chant!
"GO! JO! GOGO JOJO! GO! JO! GOGO JOJO!" they shouted, me smirking as I then looked at Barbaracle and smirked.
"Okay, Barbaracle, use G-Max Barnacle Bash!" I shouted, causing a water attack to burst from him that attacked Poleteageist, which, after it connected, it then forced Polteigeist to lose 2 stages of defense!
"Polteageist, use G-Max Tea Party," Allister said, Polteageist then using its G-Max attack and causing Barbaracle to go down to half health and also caused him to get badly poisoned!
"DANG! Barbaracle, now use Max Geyser!" I shouted, it being of his physical water move, Razor Shell! And when it connected, it caused Polteageist to explode and lose its giant size before then retreating into Allister's Pokeball as the crowd cheered wildly, me smirking as Barbaracle returned to normal and I then healed him and the other members of my team as Allister then walked forward with his lumbering stance, him then smirking and lifting his mask just slightly, only to show his mouth underneath.
"Good fight... you've proven your worth... take the Ghost Badge... and Hex... it's stronger on enemies that have a status effect..." Allister said before then touching my hand and giving them to me... and when I did, I gawked at how, when this happened, I saw something appear in my right eye! What did I see? I saw something that made me immediately close my left eye. Sonia was in Hammerlocke Stadium and she was going through the vents to try and find out stuff... and I saw that she was being followed by a Klink. And then, alarms blared as Sonia rushed forward more before then falling through a grate... and seeing the sight of a giant orb of purple! She then took a photo of what was going on and the numerous hoses that were stuck into it and sent them to Magnolia and me! And shortly after, she turned around... only for the alarms to go off and for her to start running!
"U-Um... uh..." I said in shock before Allister spoke.
"That is going to happen in the near future... I do not want it to happen... for if it does... something bad happens to her... not arrested... something worse," he said, me gulping at that as I then looked at Rotom with seriousness.
"We need to send Sonia a message," I said, him nodding as we then left the gym and Allister then moved forward and towards the Glimwood quickly, making sure he wasn't seen by passersby. We then had Rotom call up Sonia and she spoke.
"Hello? Who is this?" she asked.
"Sonia, this is Jo. I need to ask what your plan is at Hammerlocke," I said, her then responding after.
"I'm going to try and shimmy through the vents to find out anything that may be of use. I just have to wait until my special brew I made for the guards kicks in," she said.
"You're not going in there alone. I recommend bringing some of my Pokemon to assist you, just in case something happens, okay?" I said, her nodding at that afterwards.
"Good thinking. I think I'll recruit Vespiquen, Gardevoir, Steenee, and Croagunk, then," she said, me nodding at her. "I'll be careful and I promise nothing bad will happen to your partners," she smiled.
"I sure hope so," I said, her then hanging up and me looking at Rotom with seriousness. "Now to catch up to the others. We're way behind schedule," I said, him nodding as we proceeded on foot into the Glimwood. We had to meet with Allister and hope that nothing bad happened to Sonia. And that, if something bad did happen, that I could stop it from happening.