Welcome back everyone! Before we get started here, I want to take a moment to give a big shout out to kloop56 for being the first to correctly guess that Cleo and Lacy are named after Clotho and Lachesis, the Fates from Greek myth! I thought I'd be waiting until the twins evolved for somebody to figure it out but apparently it only took a day. Guess I'm not as clever as I thought, lol.
Chapter 10: House of the Ninja
It takes a couple days for me to get Cleo and Lacy ready for their gym battle. Days filled with a great deal of frustration and compromise. The twins are a major contrast from my first two team members, and prove a serious issue to work with.
There's no single thing that said issue can be narrowed down to. It's basically just a lot of tension on damn near everything. The girls are more mature than my other team members, were more skilled in battle at the time of joining, and have spent more time developing their own habits. And the clashes between the girls and I start immediately when I start trying to train them out of some of those habits.
Biggest problem I'm having? The girls are born killers. This is very literal. And contrary to what you might think, that is a serious problem for somebody trying to become a professional battler. Professional battling has its own set of rules that make it very clear that there are certain behaviors to be avoided. Certain behaviors that the masses don't appreciate seeing broadcast all over the world.
Drawing blood isn't unexpected in a Pokémon battle. It isn't common, since as powerful as Pokémon are they're also extra durable to match, but it definitely happens. But while drawing blood isn't seen as a huge deal, going for the kill absolutely is. Doduo have a reputation for constantly running away from fights, but as I found out from nearly losing Dart to the girls Doduo are still very much a predatory Pokémon. Cleo and Lacy are strong, and they became strong by learning exactly how to do the most serious damage possible in the shortest possible amount of time. They are fast, they are aggressive, and they don't hesitate to go for the eyes and throat.
I spend an entire day of training just breaking them of that habit. Thankfully I'm able to get some help with the problem. After a morning narrowly avoiding the death of more than a few wild Pokémon, I explain the problem to Janine, and am surprised when both Oichi and Axel step up to help. Oichi acts like a goofball, but she's actually the most skilled trainer in the gym other than Janine herself. And Axel's rhyhorn is able to shrug off pretty much everything the twins can dish out even when they really get worked up.
The three of us spend the afternoon training the twins out of being crazy murder birds by recalling them every time they slip up and go for the kill. Oichi keeps a close eye on the proceedings, giving me warning when the twins start to slip up and showing me what signs to watch out for. Thankfully the process is helped along by the twins themselves, as the girls are smart enough to quickly realize what behavior is and isn't acceptable, and that killing their opponents is pretty pointless now that they've secured an easy meal ticket (me). Once they've made that realization it turns into an exercise in breaking them of bad habits.
By the end of the day they've gotten a lot better at self-discipline, and we even manage a proper battle at the end of the day without incident. A battle which Axel wins handily, since the twins don't really have a good move for dealing with rock types yet.
"Sorry that you didn't get much out of the afternoon." I say to Axel as the three of us stop for the evening.
"It's fine." He shrugs, unbothered as always. "I was happy to help with something as important as this. And it will be good experience for when I catch an aggressive Pokémon."
Axel leaves the next day, setting off for the next stage of his journey. I see him off with Sara and everyone from the gym the next morning. Kinda sad to see him going. But I'm sure he'll do fine. The life of a wandering badass seems like it'll suit him well.
As for me, I go back to training.
Most of my work with the twins now revolves around getting them to work with me, rather than training them in any one particular move, though I also get them started on pursuit as quickly as possible. They take to using dark type attacks surprisingly quickly, and take to listening to me frustratingly slowly. We start to find a system that works for us over time though.
As for Dart, I find myself with damn near nothing to work on. Harden was a joke to learn for the guy, and thanks to his unfortunate meeting with the twins he's mastered iron defense way ahead of schedule. So I decide to pick up an old idea I had given up on before and get him to start trying to use electroweb. Now that he can use attack types other than bug and poison I'm hoping it won't be as much of a wall for him to overcome.
Finally, there's Ogrim. His shadow punch is coming along well, so I begin work on the other move I've been wanting to master with him: bulldoze. From what I've seen it's essentially a more advanced version of the mud slide move we've created. Both involve shifting a bunch of ground at once, but bulldoze involves a lot more finesse and energy control.
Mud slide involves heaving the ground in a wave onto or directly below the enemy, essentially creating an explosive blast of earth that can either bury or throw the enemy depending on when you use it. Bulldoze takes that blast of earth and forces the user to direct it. It's like a wave of earth that can knock the opponent's feet out from under them. I've even heard that advanced trainers can use the move to clear dangers away from the ground around them, like rapid spin does in the games.
Ogrim becomes the member by which I measure my team's readiness for the gym. I still feel like my team is strong enough to earn a first badge as they are, but since the twins and I are still getting used to working together I decide to wait until Ogrim has mastered shadow punch before booking my challenge There will always be something new to work on, so I need to just set a goal before I get too caught up in fixing things to ever move forward.
The goal is reached a few days later, when Ogrim's fistful of ghost energy erupts out and tears a chunk out of the dead tree he's been practicing against. The sound of splintering wood catches my attention, and I immediately turn away from supervising Lacy's first attempt at a pluck attack to see what happened.
Ogrim stares in bewilderment at the hole in the tree, looking between it and his hand in shock.
"Ogrim," I call out, walking closer, "Try that again."
Ogrim looks up at me, looks back to the tree, and throws a punch. The ghost energy fills his arm in an instant as he rears back, and as he strikes at the tree it erupts from his knuckles to tear another chunk out of the bark.
"Again." I say, watching closely as Ogrim repeats the process. "Looks good for now. Practice bulldoze for ten minutes, then we'll go once more to see how quickly you can get back to that point."
"Golett!" Ogrim nods eagerly, moving away from the tree and shifting his stance to start shifting earth.
I return to the twins, noticing the confused looks they're giving me. "Just because he used the move correctly doesn't mean he's mastered it." I explain. "He's been practicing shadow punch for the better part of an hour. I need to know he can use it first try. Really, I'm still being pretty lax with this, but this is only our first gym battle so I'm not going to get too worked up just yet."
The twins mutter thoughtfully to each other at that, so I leave them to their conversation and move along to Dart. "How's electroweb going?"
"Koh." Dart grunts, spitting up some string. As with all things, it simply doesn't compare to Dart's time as a weedle, but I remain hopeful that he's going to bounce back with a vengeance when he finally evolves in the next week or so.
"Alright buddy, let's see what we've got here." I reach down to touch the webbing and jump when the tiniest crackle of static electricity hits my finger. "Oh! Oh shit dude, I think you're starting to get it!" I grin in excitement, poking at the web once more experimentally. Yep, nice and tingly.
"Koh!" Dart grunts with a satisfied wiggle.
"Good job Dart. Keep at it. Remember, the energy has to jump." I nod, patting the kakuna on the head and receiving a determined grunt in response.
I honestly still have no idea what making the energy jump is supposed to mean. I haven't been able to talk much with Bianca lately so I don't know if she's figured out a better explanation. Between the Unova trio preparing for their eighth gym battle and helping Hilda deal with the Plasma bullshit they haven't had much time to chat other than a few quick updates.
Still, vague as the idea Bianca gave me is, it does seem to have had some sort of effect, because Dart is definitely making progress. So I figure it's better to just let Dart keep working off of what little advice I've been given rather than trying to muddle things with my own half-baked ideas. I leave him to keep practicing on his own and go back to working with the twins until Ogrim is ready for another shot.
His next shadow punch isn't quite as potent as the first few I watched him throw, but the essentials are still there. The blasts of ghost energy he's releasing look properly focused, and are still tearing up the target. "Alright Ogrim, I think it's safe to say you've got it. You know what that means?"
"Golett!" Ogrim turns to me excitedly.
"That's right, let's get ready for a gym battle!"
Normally, it would actually be pretty difficult to get a battle booked at a gym. We're only a couple months into Kanto's training season, and every gym in the region is pretty goddamn busy right now. Fortunately for those of us who managed to pass Koga's test we've got priority. It's why Axel was able to challenge twice in just a couple of days, and why my (hopefully only) challenge is slotted in for the next day.
"Your slot is for one o'clock Mr. Wilson," the receptionist tells me, tapping away at his computer, "We ask that you arrive fifteen minutes before the battle time. Good luck with your challenge."
I thank the receptionist and make way for the next trainer in line, intending to head to the back room for dinner. But I don't even manage to make it out of the room before I'm cut off.
"Mr. Wilson. Finally booking your challenge, I see."
I turn in surprise to see Koga standing next to the doorway, having appeared out of absolutely nowhere like the stereotypical ninja master he is. "Master Koga! I thought you were back at the Indigo Plateau for the week."
"The many responsibilities of my station pull me in different directions often enough that I rarely am afforded the luxury of spending that much time anywhere." Koga replies drily, "Come with me a moment, please."
I blink in confusion at that, but follow Koga down the hall. The man is moving at a pace that must feel glacial compared to his norm, but I still have to push myself a bit to keep up. The two of us walk down the hallway, before the man leads me outside to the battle arenas there. From there the two of us skirt the outskirts of the training grounds, head through the orchard, and finally arrive at a place I have seen from afar during my time at the gym, but never personally entered: Koga's private home.
The house is several stories, built in a traditional Kanto style (which seems to be the same as a traditional Japanese style), and enclosed in a high wall. Between the wall and the house itself is a rock garden, and I can see a small greenhouse in the back corner of the property.
"My personal garden," Koga explains, following my gaze to the glass building, "Little more than a hobby these days, I'm afraid, one which I am largely forced to entrust to my daughter. There is hardly the time or use for most of the plants I grow there."
"Use?" I look back to the man in confusion.
"Poisons." Koga shrugs, "The cultivation of poisonous plants is something of a tradition in my clan. These days though I can only really make use of the sedatives. Those with lethal or painful effects have little place in the modern age."
"Yeah, probably for the best." I nod, "Sounds pretty cool though."
"It has its moments." Koga replies, the corner of his mouth inching up the tiniest amount. He continues inside, and I follow him uneasily into his house. Feels a little like wandering into the lion's den coming in here. But refusing his invitation would probably be far more insulting to the man, and therefore much stupider.
I leave my shoes at the door, and follow Koga all the way down the hall to his kitchen. And once we enter a very curious transformation seems to occur. Koga's stiff posture seems to relax, the tension melting out of his shoulders. It's kinda odd, because visibly he doesn't actually change that much, but the aura he gives off feels much calmer.
"I hope you don't mind if I have a drink while we speak." Koga says, walking over and pulling a bottle from the cabinet. "I've had a very long day."
"It's uhh… it's your house. I won't judge." I reply. "Well, I won't once the shock wears off."
"Hah!" Koga grins harshly, pouring himself a glass of some alcohol I don't know nearly enough to identify. "Is it truly so hard to believe that I allow myself the luxury of relaxing in my own home, Mr. Wilson?"
"Your work persona is very convincing." I reply sheepishly.
Koga hums at that, still looking amused, and takes a sip of his drink. "I am a disciplined man, but I make sure to separate work from home. If I did not I imagine my daughter would not have felt so free to run the gym the way she does. Can I offer you a drink?"
"I don't really go for alcohol. Thanks though."
"Wise of you. Iced water then?"
"That'd be nice."
Koga nods, going to the freezer for ice. "I'm sure you're wondering why I invited you here."
"I am absolutely bursting at the seams with curiosity." I reply honestly.
"I sympathize." Koga nods, setting my water on the counter in front of me. "As it was my curiosity about you that lead me to bring you here today."
"Huh?" I blink in shock.
"Is that so shocking?" Koga raises an eyebrow.
"Little bit. Never thought of myself as a particularly interesting person." I shrug, sipping uneasily at the water.
"Your files are certainly not much to look at." Koga nods. "A trainer license earned the moment you became eligible, a very rapid ascension to tier two after that, neither are particularly rare amongst trainers. Even your eligibility for a Pokédex was about as un-notable as such a thing can be, though I do have to wonder how you managed to earn the right with only above average high-school grades."
The magic bureaucrat is a fucking miracle worker, good lord. It takes serious effort to avoid giving away any how relieved I am that he doesn't seem to have found anything odd in my history here. "I'll be honest, I've often wondered that myself." I shrug sheepishly. The answer isn't even a lie; I can't say I understand anything about why I was sent to this world with all these crazy privileges.
Koga hums thoughtfully, taking another drink from his glass. "At any rate, you managed to earn your license, and then immediately got a job at a construction company in Unova, living on site for the next ten years. By all accounts a very disappointing end to what appeared to be a promising beginning for a training career… until the incident earlier this year, at which point you rushed headlong back into Pokémon training with a single minded drive and managed to pass my test despite the years of time spent away from a trainer lifestyle."
"Okay…" I reply guardedly, "So what are you getting at here?"
"I want to know what kind of person I have chosen to sponsor, Mr. Wilson." Koga says, eyes boring into me. "I want a better idea of what I can expect from you. Because if I were to disregard the past few months of your life I would have expected little from you. Perhaps a permanent gym trainer, a man looking for another stable job, living their life quietly and practically. Instead I see a man pursuing his dreams with all the determination of a child whose head has yet to leave the clouds. I want to know which of these personas I can expect to see more of in the future. And I want to know what changed."
These sorts of questions aren't really something I feel prepared to answer. After all, Koga's asking me questions that don't have answers. The Ben that spent his whole life working at a construction company doesn't exist. The Ben that was set up to do what he wanted in life and ended up falling woefully short…
Well, fuck.
I guess he does exist.
I may not have the background Koga thinks I have… but I don't think that would change my answer any. After all, it's not like I was living my dream life back home either.
"You want to know what kind of person you chose to sponsor… Well I'm sorry to say but you sponsored a disaster." I say with a self-deprecating smirk. "That disappointing end you mentioned was the result of me completely falling apart under pressure. I had everything I needed to succeed in life, but I just… I got so scared. What if I fail? What if I don't have what it takes? What if everything I've ever wanted to believe I could achieve was just a stupid fantasy? And that fear got to be so much that… I became too scared to try. I was standing there at the starting line, and I just couldn't bring myself to start running."
Yeah. The story doesn't change a bit. All you have to do is swap university out for a trainer license and the rest all plays out exactly the same. Complete with multiple anxiety attacks and a serious mental breakdown.
Koga's eyes are sharp as he listens to me, but he doesn't respond except to take occasional sips of his drink. He's still waiting for the rest of the story, I suppose.
"I didn't choose to change. Not really. If anyone were to get the credit for where I am today, it would have to be whatever Pokémon teleported me to Ogrim. It was like… fate, or something. Not the sort of thing I ever felt inclined to believe in before, but it was a bit much to be a coincidence. One moment I'm minding my own business, the next I'm lying in Dragonspiral Tower next to a little golett who decides he wants me of all people to be his new best friend. And then an unregistered Poké Ball practically lands at my feet."
"A remarkable coincidence." Koga comments, eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Right? Like I said, it was enough to make me wonder if destiny might be a real thing after all." I chuckle half-heartedly. "I don't know how to explain it at all. Like I said, I don't even know what kind of Pokémon it was that decided to toss me halfway across Unova for kicks. But I think if they hadn't done it I'd still be the same mess I was the past ten years of my life."
"That's quite a story." Koga says thoughtfully. "One that begs the question: what exactly is stopping you from sliding back into your old ways?"
I can't deny Koga's question scares me shitless. Is this the part where he decides I'm too much of a fuckup and cuts my sponsorship? But the part of me that's terrified is also telling me that this isn't a good question to freeze up on. "My… my team. I want to do this for them. Because they believe in me." I reply, "And… this is the first time in my life where I felt… ready for what's ahead. The first time I looked at the direction my life is going and thought: 'this is it!' You know?"
Koga thinks on that for a very moment, before smiling menacingly at me. "Well you're wrong on one thing in particular: you're not ready at all. Nobody is ever ready for what the life of a trainer truly entails. But… I think you may have the potential to do better than most. You have a sharp mind Mr. Wilson. And good partners. Trust in these and you could go far."
"…Thank you, Koga." I bow my head, taken aback at the compliment. "Your support means a great deal to me."
"I'm well aware. And so I shall provide you with one final bit of support before dismissing you for the evening: a warning." Koga straightens a bit, his demeanor tensing once more into the stern persona of Kanto's Elite. "Do not underestimate my daughter tomorrow. She knows the test she must give you, and she knows your capabilities. Having seen your skills firsthand I believe you are ready for this badge. But she will not make it easy for you."
"I expected as much." I reply, "I saw both of Axel's fights. I know she won't hold back."
"No, not hold back." Koga says with an intimidating smile. "Quite the opposite, as I understand it she has something special in mind for you."
"Oh. Goodie." I grimace.
"I suggest you get a good night's sleep beforehand." Koga nods, "You'll want to be at your best tomorrow."
I take the man's words for the dismissal they are, and return to the gym, heading straight for my room. Somehow despite the nerves I manage to sleep well that night.
Compared to the games or the anime battling a gym leader in real life is a lot simpler. You arrange a battle, go to the arena, and just fight the leader. There's no catchy theme music, no weird puzzles to go through, and no need to sort out the leader's personal life before battling them. But there is one aspect that's much wilder than I first expected.
The showmanship.
"Alright everyone, we've got a special battle this time around!" Oichi cheers as she addresses the crowd. "It's time for yet another of Koga's newly sponsored trainers to take on the Fuchsia gym! Let's give a hand for Ben Wilson, all the way from Nimbasa town!"
Oh, is that where I'm from? I had honestly forgotten to look into that… Wait, Nimbasa town? Is Nimbasa not a city in this world or is there something else going on here I'm not aware of? Whatever, I'll worry about it later. My brain needs to put its energy into not freaking out at all the attention I'm getting right now.
I knew this was coming from watching Axel's battles, but it's totally different standing in the arena compared to being part of the audience. Most battles for a trainer's first or second badge don't tend to draw much of a crowd, but it's come to my attention recently that Koga's sponsorship deals apparently draw some notice. I'm not saying I'm a celebrity or anything, but it seems like me and the others are a point of interest here in Fuchsia at least.
And that means the usual crowd of battle enthusiasts and folks stopping in the gym on lunch break are getting much more worked up than usual watching this fight than they would for most first battles. Honestly, I think they're even more excited than they were for Axel. His matches were intense enough that they probably have high expectations now.
"Of course, special battles mean special rules as well!" Oichi continues, causing my gaze to snap back to her. "And that's why, unlike most first badge battles, Ben's first gym battle will be 2 vs 3!"
What.
I open my mouth, ready to furiously protest, when Janine speaks up, using special earpieces the two of us received before the battle to talk to me directly, "Before you say anything, no, I won't be changing my mind on this. If you'd waited for your kakuna to evolve it'd be a different story, but that doduo of yours needs to prove it can pull its weight if I'm going to give you a badge today. You want to rush into a gym battle with a freshly caught Pokémon? Then I'm going to make you work for your prize."
"Winning a 2v2 wouldn't be enough for that?"
"Maybe, but it could also mean you're just relying on your starter to get things done." Janine says with a shrug. "This way I'm guaranteed to know you've done your homework properly."
Still seems like bullshit to me, but I suppose there's not much I can do about it. Janine's the gym leader, so she makes the rules. I can only really go along with it.
"Okaaaaay!" Oichi cuts in, seeing that I'm done arguing, "Are the battlers ready?"
"I am." I reply, tapping the button on my earpiece to project my voice for the audience to hear. Janine responds the same on the other side of the arena, looking satisfied now that I've chosen to go along with her game plan.
"Alright, first choice of Pokémon goes to the gym leader!" Oichi calls, turning to Janine. Janine doesn't hesitate, immediately throwing out a ball and releasing a blue bat onto the field, which starts flying erratically around her side of the arena. "Ooh, our esteemed gym leader has chosen to begin with a zubat, known for fast movements and tricky attacks! As a friendly reminder to our audience, our barrier Pokémon do filter all sound based attacks for your protection, but those of you with sensitive hearing can ask our staff at any time for earplugs if you think you'll need them! Now, for the challenger!"
I assess the zubat for a moment, immediately seeing Janine's game here. She wants to draw out the girls right off the bat, correctly guessing that Ogrim won't be able to do anything against a Pokémon with high aerial maneuverability. Devious in its simplicity. I really do only have the one option here.
"Cleo, Lacy, you're up!" I call out, tossing the ball for the doduo and watching as they appear proudly on my side of the battlefield. Gotta hand it to them, they stand as if they're born for this. I may endure the pressure of the crowds, but these two clearly thrive being the center of attention. Their heads raise so high at the cheering of the crowd their beaks are damn near standing straight up in the air. Should probably look pretty ridiculous, but somehow they make it work.
"Ben has chosen a doduo as his first Pokémon. Doduo can't fly like zubat, but it's more than fast enough to make up for it, and can jump high enough to put any winged Pokémon to shame! It looks like we're starting with a battle of quick moves and fast reflexes, but will two heads prove better than one? I don't know about you, but I can't wait to find out!"
The audience cheers briefly, but swiftly falls into dead silence in anticipation as Oichi gets ready to start the battle. A sense of pressure builds over the arena, like a bubble ready to pop. It's almost oppressive, and I'm silently thankful that this isn't my first run in with being the center of an audience. Just have to think of it the way I would back when I was in theatre. The viewers don't exist. I have to be able to shrug them off and focus on what I'm doing here. The crowd may be intense for a first gym battle, but this is nothing compared to what I'll have to deal with in the future.
And just as I focus up, Oichi snaps her arms into the air, "First round, doduo vs zubat! Battle begin!"
"Close in, strike, and brace!" I snap out immediately.
"Flank and use poison fang!" Janine calls at the same time.
Our Pokémon rush at each other immediately, the zubat flying at top speed, while the girls burst into motion with quick attack. Once they meet the battle turns into an intense dance as zubat darts circles around Cleo and Lacy, looking for an opening to bite. The opening proves difficult to find, however, since successfully flanking a doduo is pretty much an exercise in futility. The girls have sharp eyes and necks that can turn practically without limit, which means evading the sight of even one head is difficult, let alone two.
So far, the battle is looking to be favoring the girls. Zubat is fast, but doduo are much faster, the species as a whole known for being nearly unmatched in land speed. In a close range battle like this, the girls aren't likely to lose. And that's very good, since both Janine and I seem to be planning to set the pace of the match with our first successful attack…
Of course, Janine can tell as well as I can that zubat isn't getting the opening it needs, and switches tactics accordingly. "Back off Zubat! Get out of their attack range!"
"Keep up the chase! Hit it hard!" The command is hardly necessary on my end; the girls are already running after the zubat the moment it attempts to flee. The chase proves to be solidly in my favor, with the girls stopping the zubat from getting enough momentum to leave their attack range. The little blue bat makes a valiant effort at dodging with some truly impressive aerial maneuvers, but the girls strike like arbok, each head lashing out in coordinated attacks that come closer and closer to hitting.
Finally, the zubat's luck runs out, dodging around one of Lacy's jabs only to finally be tagged directly by Cleo's follow up. The blow seems to wind the poor zubat, but it struggles on valiantly, moving with the blow and using the additional momentum to get up and out of the girls' immediate range. It wobbles a bit in flight, but the blow isn't nearly enough to end the fight.
That hit does mark the successful conclusion of step one of my plan though. I watch the girls carefully, and see them stamp a foot in agitation, seemingly irritated that their prey escaped. The satisfied gleam in their eyes as they watch the zubat though… that tells a different story. They definitely pulled it off. I keep my expression carefully neutral despite the realization. Wouldn't do to tip her off that my strategy has already begun.
"Your doduo are vicious at close range." Janine comments, broadcasting her voice so the audience can hear. Despite having lost the initial skirmish she appears unbothered, watching idly as zubat flies slow circles around her side of the battlefield. "I'll admit I underestimated them. You don't see doduo much in competitive battling, especially at relatively lower skill levels. Most trainers find them too much of a hassle to train."
"Their loss." I reply. Then I realize my com is still set to private chat and hastily repeat myself for the audience to hear. For maximum effect audience, please picture me saying that only less awkward. Because I am a super cool Pokémon Trainer who definitely never flubs his super cool one liners.
"Don't be so sure about that. Hardest thing about training doduo is constantly balancing their personalities. It's like training for a double battle, except your fighters share the same body. It works well if both heads are on the same page, but if things start going poorly for them, you're in a ton of trouble." Janine smiles cheekily at me. "For example… Zubat, use supersonic!"
Crap. "Retreat! Make some distance now!" I yell, mind racing. Confusion tactics, why didn't I expect that? Oichi practically told me it was coming with that stupid PSA about earplugs! And I don't doubt Janine when she says it will be extra effective on the girls.
The loud screech the zubat lets out is thankfully dampened for me by the Mr. Mime maintaining the barrier, but it's still far from pleasant. And what hurts my ears proves devastating to the girls, who have no barrier to protect them. The blast of sound the zubat lets out shakes the dirt floor of the battle arena and causes the girls to stagger even as they try to dull the effect with distance.
The burst of sound only lasts a couple of seconds before dying out. And in the absence of that terrible noise the field suddenly sounds too quiet. "Cleo, Lacy, you alright?" I call out, watching uneasily as the girls sway on their feet.
Lacy groans, shaking her head, but meets my eyes, looking uncomfortable but still ready to go. But before the sense of relief I find myself with can take root Cleo squawks at the top of her lungs, turns to the side, and kicks out with one of her talons so wildly that the girls nearly tip over.
"Kweh!?" Lacy chirps in surprise, struggling to compensate for the sudden movement.
"Waaaaaaaark!" Cleo shrieks senselessly, head swaying wildly.
"Cleo, snap out of it!" I call out fruitlessly, barely remembering to adjust my microphone before I broadcast myself yelling like a helpless idiot. "Lacy, can you do anything to make her come to her senses?"
Lacy appears to think very hard on the question for a moment, before swatting Cleo with her beak. "Wark!" She snaps out sternly.
"Wark!" Cleo shrieks in surprise, head snapping to face Lacy. For a moment the two heads stare blankly at each other, and I almost dare to imagine that Lacy actually managed to snap Cleo out of her daze.
Then Cleo yells blue murder and unleashes a fury attack on her sister. "Wark! Wark! Wark! Wark!"
"KWEEEEH!?" Lacy shrieks in an indignant panic, struggling to fend off the crazed assault.
The sight is almost distracting enough for me to miss the zubat moving in for another attack, fangs glowing purple. "Focus up girls, we have incoming!" I yell desperately, hoping for a miracle to happen and for Cleo to regain her senses.
Lacy notices the opportunistic bat at my warning and twists out of the way, but the motion is sluggish compared to normal. Cleo seems to be trying to pull the opposite direction shrieking into the air at nothing even as our opponent closes in. It's a miracle the two can move anywhere at all like this, the usual coordination that allows the two heads to operate a single body seeming like a distant memory. Still, Lacy's mind is far sharper than Cleo's confused state, and that seems to give her an edge when it comes to moving their feet in the right direction. She barely manages to stumble away from zubat, but Cleo isn't so lucky.
What follows is like something out of Dracula, as the zubat latches onto Cleo's neck, though the attack lasts only just long enough for the poison to begin its work. It begins to dart away, but not before Cleo shrieks indignantly and chases with a vicious peck attack. Once more the zubat is sent reeling, barely able to recover and fly away before Lacy can follow up. Cleo lets out an exasperated groan as what happened seems to dawn on her. Clearly having a little furry creature clamp on her neck was enough to bring her back to her senses. Not before she was poisoned though.
"We're on a time limit now girls! Chase it down fast and let off some of that aggression you've been building up!" I order, watching the two closely. Both Cleo and Lacy are pretty badly off at this point. Lacy from trying to fend off her sister, and Cleo from her confusion induced meltdown and the poison. This puts us on a time limit, but the situation is far from hopeless. The poison is definitely an issue right now, but other than that things have actually worked out perfectly.
After all, taking a few hits can be very beneficial when you open the battle with rage.
It didn't take me long to decide what my focus should be with the twins after first catching them. It's a subject which I've actually got a lot of knowledge on, as it happens. Doduo and dodrio aren't very popular as flying types go, but they've actually always been one of my favorites, mostly for the weird factor. So I know a fair bit about what they are capable of under the right circumstances.
In the games dodrio are a typical glass cannon that's been taken a bit too far: fast and powerful, but way too frail to use those traits effectively. But as I've found from the beginning of my time training here, mobility can make up for a lot of traits in this world that would be crippling in the games. Which means that unlike the games there's a lot more opportunities for dodrio to make use of certain moves that would be far too easily punished back home.
To put it in game terms, the girls are going to be my setup sweepers. Their job in any battle I send them into is to buff themselves into the stratosphere and then destroy the competition. Currently their only way of doing so is with rage, which is far from ideal for a mon that really isn't very good at taking hits, but the girls are both clever and vindictive enough to pull the strategy off. And when they take off after the fleeing zubat they make sure everyone watching knows it.
"Zubat, get higher!" Janine calls out worriedly as the girls take off after their attacker like a bullet. "Get up to the rafters, now!"
"Don't let it retreat!" I call out in response, knowing full well that if the zubat gets into the rafters there will be no way to catch it. I don't think there's a single mon out there that would be able to navigate such a space as well as a zubat can.
"WARK!" The girls cry out in unison, closing in as fast as they can. They sprint at the zubat at top speed, heads darting out to attack. The zubat proves too agile in the air once again though, narrowly managing to ascend out of range. It flaps pitifully, clearly still struggling after the strengthened blow Cleo landed on it, but is steadily making its way up to the rafters.
Cleo and Lacy are having none of it. The moment zubat escapes their initial attack they drop into a crouch, both heads fixated straight up at their prey. And when they leap the ground beneath them explodes from the force of their jump. The speed of their ascent would put even the most impressive flying type to shame.
"Whoa!" Janine gapes in awe for the briefest of moments, before swiftly recovering from her shock. "Supersonic again zubat! Knock them out of the air!"
Not a bad strategy, but I've hopefully got an idea how to deal with it this time, "Use growl! Fight sound with sound!"
"Waaaaaark!" The girls call out, just as the zubat lets out another high pitched screech at point blank. Their sound attack doesn't have nearly the same potency of zubat's move, but it proves enough to dull the effects. The air between the two Pokémon seems to ripple at the soundwaves tearing through it, and for a moment it looks like the girls are going to slow down before they can catch up.
The girls once again prove too vengeful for the tactic to work though, pushing on harder by doing the unthinkable: spreading their tiny little wings and flapping like lunatics. I feel my mouth fall open in shock at the sight. Logically I know they have wings: the games always made it clear they could fly, even if they apparently completely sucked ass at it. But logic has no place here as I watch doduo flap wings shorter than its entire body and kick at the air as they push through a supersonic attack to reach their opponent. It feels like I'm watching one of those forbidden things the world of Pokémon never let me see back home, like seeing what a diglett looks like beneath the surface.
Baffling as the sight is though, it does the trick, and I stare in awe as the girls reach the zubat and unleash the full force of their rage on it. Their heads lash out in a flurry of blows even as their wings barely keep them up in the air, striking out at the zubat once, twice, thrice, four times before their momentum finally falters and they fall back to the ground.
Cleo and Lacy land back on their feet, wings hidden away once more, panting with exertion. Zubat falls to the ground in a senseless heap in front of them, struggles to recover briefly, and finally gives in.
"Zubat is unable to battle! Doduo is the winner!" Oichi calls out in the silence that follows.
"YES! GOOD JOB GIRLS!" I roar in excitement. The cheers of the crowd echo my own, and Cleo and Lacy straighten with pride, exhaustion forgotten in favor of the appreciation of their fans. Only for a moment though, as the strain of the battle catches up and they go a bit weak in the knees again.
"Not bad at all." Janine praises over the open broadcast, clapping along with the crowd. "Looks like these two might be done though. That poison could do them in any minute now."
"You're probably right." I nod along coolly, before a sadistic grin splits my face. "Which is why they should probably eat the berry I gave them now if they haven't already."
Cleo perks up at that, and starts rummaging through her feathers. After a moment she produces a pecha berry that was somehow hiding there and scarfs it down. Lacy grumbles bitterly at not being able to have any, but since Cleo's the one who got bitten I guess Lacy is willing to let it slide.
"Wha- where were they keeping that!?" Janine stares blankly in shock.
The girls give Janine a smug look, as if to say 'wouldn't you like to know?'
"A lady has her ways, I suppose." I shrug, not really knowing the answer myself. Until the girls started flapping their wings like crazy I had thought they were storing the berry there.
"Ugh! Alright, guess there's no point stalling then." Janine sighs. "Here's my next pick."
Janine's next Pokémon proves to be another one that I'm not looking forward to dealing with, a koffing, which lets out a coughing laugh that sounds so brutal it makes me want a lozenge just hearing it.
"Janine's next Pokémon is koffing! Another airborne Pokémon like zubat, but this one is made to take a hit! Koffing are known for using poisonous gasses to outlast their opponents, a fearsome tactic! And that's why they're only usable by trainers with a Tier 5 license for training them! It's a sure sign of our leader's skill and knowledge that she's able to bring this one out for everyone to see!" Oichi explains.
"Get ready to move as soon as we get the signal girls." I say as Cleo and Lacy return to my side of the field. "This guy is going to make the battlefield very unpleasant for us if we don't take it out fast."
"Wark wark." The girls comment confidently. They're still running at full power from that rage attack, and are ready to take full advantage of it. They sink into a low stance, talons digging into the dirt, and tense up for a charge.
"Doduo vs koffing! Battle begin!"
The ground where the girls were standing explodes from the force of takeoff, the girls kicking off instantly.
Janine's koffing doesn't waste any time either, immediately starting to vent gas from its vents, but the girls are moving at the speed of incandescent fury. The poor gas ball simply doesn't have the time it needs to set things up before the girls are on the attack. The first blow comes from a quick attack, a simple blow to the side that sends the koffing spinning, but by the time that spinning comes to a stop the girls have moved into a fury attack that drives the poor gas ball into the dirt. From there the koffing proves unable to escape, as the twins use their enhanced power to push through their opponent's defenses and hit far faster than the hapless gas ball can hope to keep up with.
"Ah geez." Janine frowns, wincing as Cleo and Lacy beat the crap out of her second Pokémon. "I knew your doduo was powered up, but this is getting pretty ridiculous. Sorry koffing, I think we'll just have to jump straight to step 3."
"Kooooff," The koffing groans miserably as it does its best to weather the punishment it's taking. Then, with hardly a second's warning, it explodes.
For a moment I can only stare in surprise. I knew koffing could explode, but the battle had barely started! Isn't that tactic more of a last resort sort of thing? Was she seriously that worried about the girls?
Speaking of which, the girls are totally unconscious. Too much to hope for that they might have escaped that explosion. Right as the three of us were really hitting our stride, they got the rug pulled out from under them. It almost doesn't seem fair.
Well, I suppose this is one of those times I just have to shrug and say 'shit happens'. We may have been caught off guard by koffing suddenly going for the double knockout, but it was still a successful first showing for the girls. A phenomenal success, really. The girls proved my idea for how best to train them has a ton of potential. They might be bad at taking a hit, but boy can they dish out the pain! I can't wait to see how well they do once I've had the time to teach them a good way to power up that doesn't rely on taking damage. "Well done ladies, you were brilliant out there." I say as I recall them.
Janine nods in agreement on her side of the battlefield as she recalls her koffing. "I think it's safe to say any worries I had about you using a freshly caught Pokémon in a gym battle were way off. Your doduo did great! But," Janine's cheerful grin takes on a sinister air as she raises her last Poké Ball, "Your real challenge starts now. Croagunk, you're up!"
I can't help but lean forward a little as Janine's last Pokémon appears. Croagunk are really cool Pokémon, so of course I'm excited to see one in person. Small, squat, toxic frogs with kung-fu training: what's not to like? Besides the part where this one's about to try to kick my ass, I mean.
Speaking of which, I should probably send out my own Pokémon. "Ogrim, let's do this!"
Ogrim appears already pumping his arms and ready to go, "Go! Go! Golett!"
As Oichi starts rattling off a few facts about our Pokémon to the audience I take a moment to think about the matchup. This probably isn't going to be easy; fighting types are definitely more formidable than most at lower levels of battle due to having better control of their movements than most unevolved Pokémon. No doubt Janine made her final choice specifically to take advantage of this. It's Ogrim's biggest weak point, after all.
"We'll need to keep our distance wherever possible." I call out to Ogrim. "You're strong Ogrim, but you're at a disadvantage in close range."
"Golett!" Ogrim replies, clenching his hands determinedly.
On the other side of the battlefield Croagunk is receiving instructions of its own, and pulls itself from a casual crouch into a ready stance, bouncing lightly on its feet.
"Alright, looks like both Pokémon are ready to go, so let's jump right into it!" Oichi calls out. "Final round, golett vs croagunk, begin!"
"Alright Ogrim, let's start off with mud slap!" I call out.
"Block with the same!" Janine replies calmly.
Of our two Pokémon Croagunk is faster on the draw, but the frog holds to Janine's orders and doesn't launch its mud ball until Ogrim's launched his own. Croagunk aim is perfect though, its mud ball fired perfectly to collide with Ogrim's. Impressive aim, though I'm not sure about the strategy Janine's playing at. "Ogrim, pick up speed."
To Croagunk's credit, it keeps up for a lot longer than I was expecting. But once Ogrim starts rapid fire shots there's really no keeping up with him. Croagunk's counter fire just can't come fast enough to stop the heavy barrage of mud coming for it, and soon it's overwhelmed. The mud starts to explode against the croagunk's skin, and it vanishes in a cloud of dust with some very distressed sounding croaking.
"Get low and close in Croagunk!" Janine calls out.
"Trip them up with bulldoze!"
"Golett!" Ogrim yells in determination, clenching his hands and throwing them forward as he stomps his foot, sending a wave of dirt out across the battlefield that… has no effect whatsoever. My counter strategy seems to be foiled by the unexpected detail that the Croagunk doesn't actually seem to be closing in at all. In fact, as the dust clears it doesn't seem to be anywhere at all.
It takes me far longer than it should to figure out what's going on here, so by the time I've realized the croagunk escaped underground it's already erupting from beneath Ogrim's feet to send him reeling. "Crap! Stay calm Ogrim, hit back with shadow punch!"
"Golett!" Ogrim gives a determined shout, barely managing to keep his footing and lashing out at Croagunk with a fistful of ghostly energy. Croagunk bounces back out of reach easily though, chuckling as it evades Ogrim's attacks.
"Alright Croagunk, fight back with astonish!" Janine commands, a confident grin on her face.
It only takes a few seconds for it to be made clear that Ogrim doesn't stand a chance in this engagement. Croagunk has the flexibility and speed to dodge Ogrim's clumsy punches and dart in for hits that, while small, are clearly causing Ogrim some pain. The poor little dude just can't keep up in close range. Guess Ogrim's shadow punches needed more practice time after all.
"Alright Ogrim, switch to pound and go crazy with it!" I call out after a while of watching Ogrim try to catch his foe and failing. The big hits are clearly too slow to work, so we need to go back to basics.
"Go, go, go go go go gogogogogogogo!" Ogrim chants, picking up speed with his attacks as he abandons his heavy shadow punches for a simpler pound attack that he can easily use while spinning his arms. Once again it's Croagunk on the back foot as Ogrim's blows come faster and faster, soon being overwhelmed by Ogrim's superior arm speed. For all that Ogrim's windmilling arms look like the flailing of a toddler, they can be shockingly effective under the right circumstances. Even a fighting type like Croagunk can't hope to keep up.
Until finally, Ogrim lands a solid blow that sends the Croagunk staggering, and I immediately seize the chance. "Now Ogrim! Mudslide into bulldoze!" I call out, "Follow up with a full speed shadow punch!"
"Go-lett!" Ogrim yells in exertion, arms stopping so suddenly that I feel my shoulders burn in sympathy despite knowing it doesn't hurt him. Then the little guy reaches down and heaves the ground in front of him into the air, tossing Croagunk along with it. As the hapless frog is sent flying, Ogrim winds up and sends another wave of earth forward. Croagunk crashes to the ground, starts to push itself to its feet, and is swept away before it can recover.
By the time the bulldoze attack peters out Croagunk is half buried, arms flailing helplessly. I'm half expecting the Croagunk to finish the job and use dig again, but I guess it doesn't have the right momentum or something. Instead it just pulls itself out of the dirt pile the old fashioned way… just in time for Ogrim to emerge from his rollout attack right next to it. Croagunk tries to react, but by the time it's started to move Ogrim is already planting a fist right in its face.
"GOLETT!" Ogrim cries proudly as Croagunk is hurled across the arena by the force of the blow. At the sight of Croagunk's battered form coming to a stop he starts pumping his fists in victory. "Go-lett! Go-lett! Go-lett!"
"Easy with the celebration there Ogrim, the fight's not over yet." I call out, getting my partner to focus again. "We have to stay on our toes until-"
"Croagunk is unable to battle! Golett is the winner!"
"…Well never mind then little dude, go wild." I shrug helplessly. Guess I spoke too soon. That last punch seems to have won me the battle.
…Wait.
"That means the winner of the battle is our challenger! Ben has defeated Janine and won his first gym badge in a decisive victory!" Oichi shouts excitedly. Her excitement is answered by the crowd, which cheers like crazy.
I won.
I freaking did it!
"WE DID IT OGRIM!" I shout excitedly, running out into the field. "You were so great out there little dude!"
"Golett go golett!" Ogrim replies, bouncing giddily on his feet as I reach him. As soon as I get close he pounces, hugging my legs excitedly. "Goleeeeeeett!"
"I'm really proud of you Ogrim." I pat him on the back fondly while desperately trying not to fall over.
"You should be. That was a really impressive combo at the end there." I look up from my starter to see Janine has approached from her side of the field. "I had a few more tricks planned before the end of that fight, but when you and Ogrim hit your stride you guys hit way harder than Croagunk could keep up with!"
"Gogo let go golett." Ogrim says proudly, still clinging to my legs.
"Haha! Yes, you were very impressive!" Janine giggles, giving Ogrim a thumbs up. "Both of you were! And that's why I am happy to be able to give you guys this!"
She gives me a small badge in the shape of a pink heart. The Soul Badge. I can only stare at it in awe. It's such a simple looking thing seeing it in real life, but it feels indescribably heavy in my hand in this moment. "This is it little dude," I hold the badge lower so Ogrim can see, "Our first gym badge."
"Golett…" Ogrim whispers in awe, sensing the reverence in my voice.
"The first of many, I'm sure." Janine says, looking pleased at the response. It takes me a moment to realize that she's started broadcasting to the rest of the room again; a final bit of pomp and circumstance for the benefit of the crowd. "I'm sure you'll go far from here Ben. You and your Pokémon showed great teamwork and strategy today, and I'm proud to be able to say that I was the first stop on your journey as a trainer. Take this Soul Badge and know that you have the makings of a true Pokémon Master!"
It's mostly just some pretty words for the crowd. I know that in my head. But as the crowd cheers I can't help the smile stretching across my face. I feel a sense of elation that causes my back to straighten with pride. My first gym badge. My first real gym badge. With this I've taken my first strides into the world of becoming a Pokémon trainer.
And I'm already itching to take the next one.
I was really glad to see that literally everyone who reviewed last chapter liked the twins. This gym battle was mostly focused on showcasing what they're capable of, which is why I tried to write the battle with zubat as the most tense of the three rounds. With all the training Ben has been doing with the Unova trio and during Koga's test I honestly didn't think that Ogrim's fight should be the one that felt the most hard earned, even if it was the last. Ogrim's got a lot of growing to do, but he's come a long ways already, so Cleo and Lacy have to work for their win while Ogrim gets to wombo combo a croagunk into the dirt, literally.
Expect to see more Casual Koga in the future. He's always struck me as a total workaholic in the games, with how he'd patrol the safari zone in his off time when not running the gym. In Throne of Mud I expanded on that by having him be both an Elite Four member and the guy in charge of running Kanto's Pokemon Rangers, since I figured he'd have all the skills needed for the latter position. The other Elite Four members have never seen him relax, they're all very worried about him, lol. If they ever saw him chilling at home with a glass of whiskey they'd probably convince themselves they'd hallucinated the whole thing.
Now, to elaborate on the gym battle a bit more, Janine's 2v3 plan might seem a bit unfair, but she's already seen Ben fight at a level beyond what most single badge trainers would need. Her unusual rules were pretty much entirely based around figuring out if the Twins were able to hold their own, since Ben brought them into a gym battle within a week of catching them. She's spent a bit of time around Ben and his team by now so she knows that Ogrim definitely could hold his own against two of her Pokemon fighting solo. So her plan was mostly to punish Ben by having koffing totally tip the balance in her favor if the Twins couldn't match up to her zubat by using poison gas everywhere and blowing up in Ogrim's face if the twins couldn't cut it. That's why she called selfdestruct step 3 of her plan. I thought about taking the time to explain this in the chapter, but decided in the end it would take up too much time in an already very long chapter so you get your explanation here! Hopefully that clears up any questions people might have had.
Next time: I think it's about time for Ben's Pokemon Journey to involve actually walking somewhere, don't you?
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