Tank tapped his hoof against his chin. He looked at her cardigan; grey and fuzzy. And that flame-print tank top…..Now who else did he know that wore a flame patterned shirt…
Finally, it hit him!
"Hey! You're one of my dad's friends, aren't you?"
Amber sighed in relief, wiping some sweat off her forehead. At least he's young enough to be understanding of her…
"Yeah. You're, uh, Rockwell's son, right? The younger one?"
Tank nodded twice.
"So, how's Rockwell doing?"
Amber asked as she looked away.
"I heard what happened and…"
"He's fine!" Tank explained. "Well, I think he is. I haven't been in Fortree for a while. After what happened there a few weeks ago, my mom snapped and I followed her to Littleroot for a couple weeks so she wouldn't be lonely"
"Hm, yeah, I'd understand that. If I lost a friend from that attack I'd want out of there too"
Amber sighed.
"Honestly it was perfect for me. I was about to come out, but figured the timing sucked for that. So instead, I started my Pokemon journey"
"Come out?"
Benedict asked.
"Yeah, coming out" the cow bluntly explained.
"I actually came to Mauville to get my ID changed"
The boys looked at each other.
"Y'all can get your ID changed?"
Benedict asked as he pulled his card out. He looked down at it and frowned. His face looked exhausted while his hair was messier than usual, several strands falling into his eyes.
"Yep" Amber nodded. "Card gets destroyed? Changing your name? Picture turned out ugly? There's no reason they won't change it"
She snorted.
"Cool, isn't it?"
"Agreed"
Benedict glanced over at her
"So, uh, how many badges y'all got so far?"
"Just three"
Amber pulled out her case to show the group.
"This is actually my last gym before I can take on Butch"
"Now hold up" Benedict pointed at her badges. Some of them looked unfamiliar to him. "I thought y'all had to get the Stone an' Knuckle Badges first before the Mauville one?"
"Nope!"
Amber shook her head and pointed at a green badge with a yellow diamond and red and blue flower petals.
"Turns out it all depends on where you start the league at! See, I started in Fortree, so I could get the Bouquet, Mind and Heat Badges first!"
A door unlocked nearby the group, causing everyone to turn around.
Victoria hollered to them
"Hey, if you guys are looking for your badge, Static's in right now!"
Benedict glanced down at his arm and cringed.
Not right now.
"Already? That's good to hear!"
Amber waved to the horse.
"Sorry boys, but this cow's gotta get her badge already. Good luck guys!"
The boys waved to her as she walked into the gym.
They looked at each other.
"Is anyone else hungry?" Kidd asked. "I feel like I haven't eaten in hours"
"Same here"
Tank nodded.
"Hey, I saw a cool place to check out nearby here"
"And that is?"
Kidd tilted his head.
"The Sing Blue Silver cafe"
Tank pointed at the right hallway. "I saw it on the way here"
"Oh nice"
Benedict held onto his left forearm.
"Maybe some food will help me stop thinking about this"
—
The boys walked into the Sing Blue Silver cafe. The door's bell dinged loudly. The place's aesthetics were eerily similar to the Mauville halls, but not quite. The walls were cherry red and black tiles lined the floor. Neon pink lights lined the ceiling. Framed poster lined the walls, all depicting white furred animals with gorgeous black hair and thick black eyes.
A bright red ostrich stood behind the counter. She pushed her messy maroon hair out of her eyes. She wore gaudy purple eyeshadow, vivid orange star-shaped makeup, and a loose black shirt with tight fishnet sleeves. Her nametag read 'Rio DijoNero'.
"Oi lads" Rio waved to the boys, flashing a peace sign.
"Welcom' to Sing Blue Silver, whut can I getcha?"
Benedict looked up at the menu. Yep, looked like standard Galarian fare, all beige and not much else. It had been a while since he had some of it though…
"Yeah, I'll get the full Galarian if y'all still got it. And a Spider Web float!"
He turned back to his friends
"Yall know whatcha wanna get?"
Tank hollered back
"I'll get the Crown egg combo and a black tea!"
"Tikka masala for me"
Kidd nodded.
"And a cold brew!"
Benedict grabbed his wallet
"Oh yea, we're also gettin' a Crown egg combo, the tikka masala, black tea an' a cold brew!"
"Sure thing, luv"
Rio quickly wrote down the order.
While Benedict paid for the food…
Kidd grabbed a seat at the table closest to the window.
He crossed his legs and pulled out his Rotom Phone.
"Whatcha reading?"
Tank asked as he grabbed a seat next to him.
"Eh, just another doujinshi""
Kidd handed him his phone
"This one's about a guy who falls in love with a sculpture he made, so he makes a deal with a demigod to make the sculpture come to life"
"Oh neat!" Tank scrolled through, nodding occasionally as he read through the story. His face turned red as he got to the bottom
"….Uh, Kidd. Are you sure you should be reading this one in public though?"
"Oh!" Kidd gasped as he grabbed his phone back. He awkwardly chuckled
"Well, I only made it through the first five chapters"
Benedict walked over to their table, carrying a tray full of food in just one wing.
He set the tray down effortlessly, sighing in relief as he sat across from his friends.
The food looked and smelled incredibly Galarian.
The first plate had white rice decorated with cilantro on one side, and bright red curry on the other.
The second plate had a wide spread; red baked beans, Spoink sausage and bacon, a fried egg, grilled Tomato berries and Big Mushrooms, two hashbrowns and a dollop of brown sauce in the middle.
The last plate had a towering pile of fries in one half, and two large Crown eggs cut in half. The eggs were softboiled, wrapped in sausage meat and crunchy breadcrumbs.
"Well, let's eat, guys"
Tank said as he grabbed his plate first.
The boys dug into their dinner, clearing it off like they were starving lions that broke out of their cage.
The slight greasiness of the food didn't bother any of them in the slightest.
The door opened, a bell dinging loudly above it.
The boys, now sipping from their drinks, turned around to face the confrontation
A bright purple squirrel walked through the door. He had short stubbly fur and a lightning bolt shaped stripe on his forehead. He wore a yellow jumpsuit, a green and white jacket with a bizarre melon-esque pattern, and chunky black boots. The brown tiger from yesterday was following him in worry.
"Welcome to—" Rio's face went flat.
"Oh. What's wrong now, Static?"
The purple squirrel stomped towards the counter
"Yeah, we got pickles on our order. My wife asked for no pickles"
Bangle put a paw on his shoulder
"Static, come on, it's fine! They only touched the lettuce!"
"Sweetie, please" Static reassured her.
"Do you even know who I am, missy?"
"Yeah, some gym leader apparently"
Rio rolled her eyes.
"Heard it a million times! You gym leaders don't run the town, you know"
"Excuse ME"
Static slammed a paw on the counter and pointed at Rio's face
"Since when did I say I ran the city?!"
"I didn't say anything about that!" Rio pushed his paw out of her face. "All I said is that you gym leaders are all full of yourselves"
Static grabbed onto Bangle's paw
"Let's go. I didn't order any sarcasm with my dinner tonight"
"But hon, it's fine!"
Bangle tried to reason with him. She sighed as they both stormed outside.
"That was…. something else"
Tank said before taking a sip from his cup of tea.
"Tell me about it"
Kidd rolled his eyes.
"Seriously, if she didn't want pickles, they shouldn't have put the pickles on there, non?"
Benedict stayed quiet as he finished his ice cream float.
Some of the whipped cream landed on the tip of his beak.
"You thinking about something?"
Tank asked as he set his cup down.
"Huh?" Benedict swirled his straw around in the tall cup. "Kinda….I know I shouldn't be goin' round gettin' my badge, but I was thinkin' I just train up today and battle 'im tomorrow"
"Hey, that's not a bad idea"
Tank looked down at the plate.
"Are you gonna eat that egg?"
Benedict pushed the plate towards his friend.
"No way, you can have it"
"Aren't you worried about your arm though?" Kidd asked as he pointed at the bandages.
"Nah" Benedict shook his head.
"Trainin' is different from a gym battle. But I'm gonna get 'em bandages changed before headin' in"
—
Let's get this badge already, Benedict thought to himself. He undid his ponytail, then pushed through the automatic door and glanced around at his surroundings. This was exactly how he'd imagined this gym would look; shocking.
The gym's interior was a dull shade of grey, while the decor was anything but dull. Some of the tiles glowed bright colors. Wires carelessly hung from the walls and ceilings, humming through the entire building. Red and blue electrical barriers lined the gym, curling into an intricate maze.
The chicken hopped on some of the tiles, looking around for where barriers started and ended. He noted how the tiles changed colors when he stepped on them, shifting from cyan to magenta to yellow. It felt rather fun, he thought to himself. After stepping on just five tiles…
"Hey! Hey YOU!"
someone shouted from behind him.
Benedict stopped in his tracks and turned around. He pulled out two Poke Balls and held them close to his body.
"Oh, ya wanna go already?!"
Benedict hollered at the barrier.
"'Cause I'll go!"
"I just don't wanna go"
The voice bellowed louder. An arm popped out from behind the wall, hurling a white ball on the ground. Grey and white dust exploded in the air, blowing away to reveal the challenger.
"I want to ROCK!"
A white mouse stomped from behind the barrier. A mischievous smirk grew across her face. Her hair was styled in a sloppy blond fauxhaux, while her black eyeshadow was smeared around her eyes. Her teeth were so sharp she could cut diamonds.
Her clothes screamed comfortable yet confrontational; a black muscle tank with a white logo scribbled on the chest, tight black ripped jeans, and heavy black boots. She carried a large guitar behind her back.
"So?"
the mouse squeaked, pulling out a Poke Ball and her guitar.
"You ready to lose to me or what?"
"Yea, I'm ready"
Benedict taunted her back. He smacked his fist against his palm
"Ready to win!"
"Well listen UP, firecracker!"
The mouse strummed a quick riff on her guitar
"Before I whoop ya, I think ya should know who I am. The name's Bella. Bella Explosion. And I dedicate this next song to you. I call it 'Taking Down a Cocky Redhead without Breaking a Sweat!"
Benedict laughed a little
"Kinda long title, ain't it?
Well I got a better one! I call THIS one, 'Y'all are goin down' tonight!"
He tossed his Poke Ball in the air
"Kenshiro! Let's jam!"
"Aron!"
The steel type roared as he stood in front of his trainer.
"Pfft, you really ARE ready to get whooped!"
Bella used the head of her guitar to fling her Poke Ball into the air.
"Magnemite! Rock their souls out!"
She hollered as she played another riff.
Magnemite calmly hovered in the air, coldly glaring at its opponent. Its magnets turned upwards and buzzed loudly.
"Magnemiteeee…"
"Kenshiro! Use Headbutt on its underside!"
"Aron!"
The iron armor Pokemon leaped into the air. He yelped as his body zoomed through the air, attaching to Magnemite's body.
"What the—"
Benedict's eyes widened as he saw what happened.
Bella shredded a quick solo
"I GOT MAGNET PULL, BABY!"
She flicked her tongue up and down in the air.
Benedict cringed. Trying to interfere himself would get the battle disqualified, he thought. Wait a second. He remembered learning about magnetism in elementary school…yep, that sounds right. The two steel types had opposite forces on their bodies, so slowly sliding off could work.
"Kenshiro! Slide on top and stun it with Headbutt!"
The Aron slowly crawled upwards the other steel type's body. He grunted as the magnetic forcefields pressed against his stomach.
He closed his eyes and landed a strong headbutt against Magnemite's antennae.
"Magne-"
The electric type short circuited as the impact caused its inner core to vibrate heavily.
Aron leaped away from his opponent, while Magnemite fell to the ground with a thud.
"Thundershock-"
"Finish it off with Bulldoze!"
"AronaronaronARON!"
Kenshiro rapidly pounded his feet against the gym floor. The floor rumbled in place, forcing Magnemite to shake in its spot.
"Magnemite…."
the magnet Pokemon droned as it faded into unconsciousness.
Bella closed her eyes and angrily played a quick riff.
"This is so not doable…."
She snorted and glared as she finished her riff.
"Magnemite, return"
The mouse held a Poke Ball out and returned Magnemite safely.
Benedict kneeled down and petted his Pokemon on the head
"Good job, Kenshiro!"
"Aron, aron!"
The Pokemon cooed as he rubbed his head against his trainer's wing.
"Heh" Bella chuckled. "Yknow, I think I might rename that song"
"What are y'all renamin' it to?"
Benedict asked as he returned Aron to his Poke Ball.
"I'm thinking…."
Bella played another short melody
"A Crushing Defeat under Iron Plated Doom!"
"Not bad" the rooster nodded. "I'd work on it"
"Heck yea I will"
the mouse squeaked triumphantly.
"Good luck on the rest of the gym!"
"Thanks!"
Benedict waved as he walked through the rest of the first floor.
The bird stepped on a few more tiles. He stopped at the stairs in front of him. Before going up, he took a few minutes to heal his Pokemon. No time to back out now, not with these ridiculous hours at stake…
The second floor felt just like the first one; same lights and changing colors. He walked around, on the lookout for any trainers…
"Cool gym, isn't it?!"
A high pitched voice shouted his way
Benedict grabbed a Poke Ball.
"Yeah!" he shouted. "Where are y'all at?!"
"Right here, baby!"
A thud landed on the floor. He turned around to face the noise; oh hey, another trainer!
The other animal was a yellow monkey with grey ears, a long striped tail, bright red eyes, smudged eyeshadow and a choppy bob. Her outfit was delightfully vintage; a black halter neck jumpsuit that flared out at her ankles, chunky blue heels and a red tattoo choker.
"Are you ready?"
She winked and snapped her fingers in one hand as she swayed her hips.
"I've been ready since I walked in!"
Benedict shouted with confidence.
"Good!"
The monkey struck a pose like she was on the catwalk. She had one hand on her hip and the other pointing up in the air. She flicked a strand of hair.
"Because nobody loses to Tammi Summer!"
She threw a Poke Ball in the air with her tail.
"Electrike! Let's groove tonight!"
An Electrike popped out, growling in determination as it landed on its feet.
"Jojo! Show 'im your moves!"
Benedict calmly tossed a Poke Ball with his good arm.
Jojo screeched as he posed in front of his trainer.
Tammi shuffled in her spot before shimmying her hips and flipping her hair
"Electrike! Wow him with a Quick Attack!"
The electric type sprinted as fast as possible, headbutting the Combusken in the stomach.
"Jojo! Ember!"
Jojo opened his beak. He turned his beak up and shot several flames into the air.
The Combusken leaped upwards, letting the flames take over his body.
"W-wait, that ain't Ember!"
He swiftly kicked Electrike twice, the small fires bursting off his body before he landed swiftly on his feet.
Electrike yelped as he got kicked, skidding backwards and passing out.
"Aw COME ON!" Tammi stamped her foot against the floor. "I barely got started. But, uh, anyways, that was groovy! It's not every day I see a Pokemon learn a new move, yknow!~"
"Heh, thanks, Tammi"
Benedict chuckled before shuddering from a stinging sensation in his forearm. Oh, right, the whole cut arm deal. Yeah, this was a good time to call it a night, he thought as he returned Jojo to his ball.
—
Benedict walked out of the gym. He glanced around the city; the lights were even brighter than whenever he headed inside. Must be nighttime, already, he thought.
His Rotom Phone buzzed loudly in his pocket. He pulled it out and swiped right
"Hey"
"Hey Benedict!"
Tank waved from the screen.
"How'd the gym go?"
"Went fine. Jojo learned Flame Charge during a battle!"
Benedict kept staring at the screen.
"So, where did y'all go?"
Kidd nudged himself closer to Tank.
Something bright blue sparkled from the tips of his ears
"I got my ears pierced"
"And guess what I found out!"
Tank eagerly explained
"The Pokemon Center here has a place we could stay for the night!"
Benedict sighed in relief. He didn't mind sleeping on the rooftops, but he really needed good rest for tomorrow.
"Let's meet there then"
After a quick trip to heal their Pokemon, the boys walked into the second floor of the Pokemon Center.
Tank pushed the door open, noting to himself how pleasant the place looked. Orange and white balls, beige carpet, two beds, Pokemon themed decore. A Pikachu-patterned lamp stood on the nightstand, while the walls had a mural of several blue bird Pokemon flying through the skies. Everything felt comforting after a long day.
Benedict sat down on one of the beds. He slowly took the bandages off his arm and cringed. The wounds were still there, but at least they looked better than when he first punched the window.
After throwing away the old bandage, he crawled into bed, throwing the covers over his head.
The rest of the night passed like a breeze; no loud noises or construction work to rudely wake anyone up, no knocking on the doors.
The next morning…
—
The boys grabbed a quick breakfast from the Pokemon Center before heading out for the day. The group watched as that same squirrel from yesterday evening was locking up a door.
"Oh, morning guys"
Static greeted them as he finished locking the door shut. "Can I help you?
"Yeah, um" Benedict looked away quickly before glancing back at the squirrel. "Are y'all doin' gym battles today?"
"Not at this hour, no"
Static shook his head
"But I think I can make an exception. Nine o clock, the courtyard. Is that a deal?"
"Sure is!" Benedict nodded. "I'll see y'all then!"
—
A crowd gathered inside the courtyard. Some animals sat on nearby benches while others unfolded lawn chairs or laid down rugs.
Tammi shimmied in front of the tower. She held a microphone in hand and shouted at the top of her lungs
"Goooooooood morning everyone! Welcome to the Mauville City courtyard! It's nine am, and you know what that means! Iiiiiiit's GYM BATTLE TIME!
In this corner, we have Mauville City's very own Static Cumulus!"
Static waved to the cheering crowd. He blew a kiss to the tiger in the crowd.
Bangle jumped up and down, shaking purple and yellow pompoms.
"Go Static!"
"And in THIS corner!
Hailing from Castelia City,
son of the legendary Mornay,
it's Benedict Sussex!"
A few animals cheered and clapped.
Tank and Kidd stood up, waving to their friend.
"Now!"
Tammi bowed in front of the crowd
"Will the challengers bring out their first Pokemon?"
Static took a deep breath in and calmly tossed a Poke Ball in front of him
"….Rod, let's fight."
An Electrike popped out of the ball, calmly landing onto the ground.
"By the moon and the stars…."
Benedict posed as he hurled his Poke Ball in the air
"Kenshiro! Let's BRING IT ON!"
"Aron, aron!"
The steel type growled in the air as he landed on his feet.
"An Aron, huh" Static raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "How adorable. But a tank like that won't stand a chance against my speed.
Now, Rod, use Howl!"
Rod closed his eyes and poised himself. He turned his chin up and loudly howled. The howls echoed through the air, forcing his opponent to cringe.
"Kenshiro!" Benedict shouted in determination.
"Don't let 'im let y'alls guard down! Rock Polish!"
Kenshiro turned around to face his trainer, nodding in determination
"Aron!"
The steel type swayed back and forth, white sparks flying off his body. His grey body shone brighter under the blinding lights.
Static tossed his jacket off to the crowd
"Aww, it can make itself shine, huh? How cute.
Rod, use Thunder Wave!"
Rod barked twice before opening his mouth. He shot a ball of electricity from his mouth, the bundle of sparks flying towards his opponent.
"Kenshiro! Roll away and use Headbutt!"
Kenshiro curled into a ball and rolled away from the electric attack.
He threw himself forward, headbutting Rod's body into a rolling ricochet.
"Grrr…"
Static gritted his teeth and curled one of his paws into a fist
"Rod, use Volt Switch!"
Electrike's body turned yellow as he sprinted across the courtyard. A long string of electricity trailed from his body.
"Kenshiro! Stop him in his tracks with Rock Tomb!"
Kenshiro arched his body back. He summoned several stones and hurled them across the battlefield. Two rocks exploded into dust, while the other four trapped Rod in his spot.
Rod glanced around the field. The boulders closed in around him, blocking everything in sight. He shuddered from the lack of space.
"Come on, Rod!"
Static barked like a drill sergeant
"I said, come on. Get up! Use Volt Switch to destroy the rocks!"
"Kenshiro! Use Bulldoze on the rocks!"
"Aron!"
Kenshiro curled back into a ball and rolled across the courtyard. Blades of grass flew in the air as he dashed faster.
The steel type flew into the air, landing nimbly on his stack of stones.
He glared with determination, crying his name out as he repeatedly slammed his legs against the stones
"AronaronaronaronaronaronaronARON!"
The taller rocks crumbled under his feet, causing Kenshiro to jump off and land in front of the stones. The lower rocks exploded into a huge cloud of dust, causing the crowd to look away.
The dust faded as it descended to the ground, revealing that Rod had passed out cold and unable to move.
Tammi counted to three before holding up one of her flags
"Well this is shocking!" she flashed a grin to to everyone.
The audience groaned from hearing that pun.
Static facepalmed and muttered under his breath
"Not another one…"
Tammi bounced on her tail as she pointed to the left
"Rod the Electrike is unable to battle, the winner is Kenshiro the Aron!"
Both trainers returned their Pokemon to their Poke Balls.
"That was awesome, Kenshiro"
Benedict said as he held the Poke Ball in his hand. "But let's save up for the big guy, okay?"
"….Not bad for today, Rod"
Static muttered to himself. He grabbed another Poke Ball from his jumpsuit.
"Now. Breaker"
the squirrel calmly tossed his second Poke Ball in the air
"Let's roll"
A large Voltorb landed on the courtyard with a thud. It slowly rotated in its spot, building up momentum.
"Makoto, come on out!"
Benedict chucked his Poke Ball in the air, releasing his Kirlia in front of him.
"Kirl!"
Makoto chirped and curtsied gracefully.
"Breaker, use Sonic Boom!"
Voltorb hurled its body into the air, shooting white rays from its body. The rays exploded as they collided against the floor.
"Makoto! Stun it with Disarming Voice!"
Kirlia flipped and twirled away from the white rays. He closed his eyes and screamed at the top of his lungs, but opened his eyes and stopped. Breaker stood still and tilted to the left, confused at what happened.
Static shook his head as he chuckled
"Heh. Looks like nobody told you about Soundproof. Your Disarming Voice means nothing here!"
Benedict facepalmed and cringed. Great, another ability he didn't know about.
"But, no hard feelings here" Static grinned. "Breaker, use Volt Switch!"
Breaker rolled across the courtyard, yellow sparks surrounding its body as it picked up its speed.
"Makoto! Stop it in its tracks with Confusion!"
"Kirlia!"
Makoto jumped into the air and shot three pink circles from the palms of his hands. The psychic powers smacked against Breaker's body, stunning it in its spot. The electric sparks dissolved into nothing as the psychic type descended through the air.
"Breaker! Gyro Ball!"
"Volllllll"
The Voltorb's body turned metallic grey as it spun in its spot. The electric type zoomed upwards, headbutting Makoto right in the torso.
"Kirliaaaa!"
Makoto cried out as the force threw him onto the ground with a smack. He refused to give up though. The Kirlia stood upwards, panting heavily as he glared furiously at the other Pokemon.
"Keep going, Makoto! We're almost done!"
Benedict shouted
"Now! Makoto! Magical Leaf, and aim for the underbelly!"
Makoto turned around in understanding. As he shook in his spot, he released a tornado of color-changing leaves. The tornado picked up speed across the courtyard, catching Breaker and spinning around in one spot. Countless leaves knocked the Voltorb back and forth, weakening it by the minute.
"Makoto!" Benedict pointed at the tornado. "Blast away the tornado with Confusion!"
"Kir, kir!"
Makoto's eyes glowed bright pink as he focused on the swirling leaves. He shot three magenta orbs towards the base, causing the tornado to explode in the air.
As the leaves dissolved into pink fairy dust, Breaker fell to the ground, leaving a small crater in the ground. The ball Pokemon didn't move an inch.
Tammi counted to three
"Breaker the Voltorb is unable to battle! The winner is Makoto the Kirlia!"
Static's eyes widened in shock.
"How the hell am I down two Pokemon already" he thought. "Maybe this is what I get for all that time I spent in New Mauville's power plant away from everyone else…I should've been training half that time"
The squirrel sighed as he returned Breaker to its ball. But this is no time to throw in the towel already, he thought.
Benedict held a wing out to his Pokemon
"That was awesome, Makoto!"
"Kir?" Makoto tilted his head, sighing as the exhaustion got to him.
"Don't worry 'bout faintin' here, y'all are done for now" Benedict reassured his Kirlia with a pat to the head. He returned the psychic type to his ball.
The crowd murmured amongst themselves, wondering what Pokemon would come out next.
"Pixel. Shock this crowd"
Static frowned as he tossed his third Poke Ball.
A joyful Pikachu popped out, eagerly bouncing on his tail
"Pika pika!"
Benedict rummaged through his Poke Balls.
Hmm, who hasn't he used yet?
A-ha!
"Everyone!"
he shouted as he eagerly tossed the Poke Ball in the air.
"Say howdy to Freiza!"
"ElecTRIKE!"
The lightning Pokemon held his head up and howled in pride.
"Pixel. Fake Out"
"Pika-CHU!"
Pixel squealed as he darted across the grass. He slapped Freiza across the face twice, forcing the other Electric type to flinch and leaving dirt on his cheeks.
Freiza snarled in anger, furiously shaking off the dirt like his life depended on it.
"Heh"
Static grinned for the first time in battle. Small sparks flew off his fur.
"Pixel! Use Iron Tail!"
Pixel chirped as he leaped into the air, his tail turning metallic and shining under the bright lights.
"PIKA!"
"Freiza! Fire Fang on his tail!"
"Electrike!
Freiza leaped up, throwing himself towards the Pikachu. The inside of his mouth turned red as he clamped down on his tail. A few small embers landed on Pixel's body, igniting into a larger flame.
Pixel landed on his feet, flinching as the flames burned into his skin.
"Pika…."
"Come on Pixel, we made it this far!" Static barked, his paws curling into fists.
"Electro Ball!"
"Pika!"
Pixel curled into a ball, surrounding himself with blinding yellow electricity. He jumped up and shot a huge ball of electricity at his opponent.
"Dodge it!" Benedict shouted, shocked that his Pokemon refused to move. "I said dodge! Arceus christ, Freiza, y'all are gonna get hurt!"
Freiza turned his head up. He opened his mouth and calmly absorbed the electric ball, swallowing it whole with a smile.
Pixel landed on his feet in surprise. He- he didn't even land an attack right?!
Benedict stumbled backwards. Ohhhh, that was Lightning Rod at work. Heh. With that burn, and this ability….. That badge would be his!
"Freiza! Use Round!"
"Eleccccc"
Freiza took a deep breath in.
"TRIIIIIIIIKKKKKKKEEEEEEEEEE"
He screamed at the top of his lungs, like a rock singer before the big guitar solo. Light blue circles echoed through the courtyard, black music notes slamming against the Pikachu with maximum force.
Pixel skidded across the courtyard from the loud song impacting his ears.
"PIKAAAA"
Benedict shouted at the top of his lungs
"Finish him off with Quick Attack!"
Freiza's body glowed light blue. He lunged against Pixel's body, headbutting him across the room.
"Pikaaa…" Pixel cried out weakly as the impact threw him like a rag doll. He fell limp and couldn't move a muscle.
Tammi gasped in surprise
"Pixel the Pikachu is unable to battle, leaving Freiza the Electrike the winner!"
Freiza howled triumphantly while the crowd applauded him.
Static jolted up in his spot. This kid knew just what he was doing. But he had one left….
"Pixel, return."
He shook his head as he returned Pixel to his Poke Ball.
Freiza ran back to his trainer, head held up high.
"Good job, Freiza!" Benedict praised his Pokemon. He held his wing out, laughing a little as the Electrike high fived him with his paw. "Don't work yourself too hard now, aight?"
Freiza nodded proudly. He stood still as Benedict returned him to his Poke Ball.
Static opened up an energy drink. He chugged the whole drink in one sitting before laughing.
"Got any more surprises for me, Benedict?"
"If I told y'all what it was, it wouldn't BE a surprise!"
Benedict stuck his tongue out.
"Fair enough"
Static tossed his final Poke Ball in the air. He hollered until his voice went hoarse.
"Gauss! Go forward! Zap to the extreme! SHOW. NO. MERCY"
A grey magnetic Pokemon hovered in the air. It looked like three Magnemite stuck together with industrial strength glue.
"Magneeeeeetooooooonnn" it droned out as its magnets twitched.
Benedict thought for a minute. Last time he tried using Kenshiro against one of those, he got trapped pretty bad. Best not to repeat that experience. He leaped in the air as he tossed out one last Poke Ball for the fight.
"Jojo! The future is NOW!"
"CommmBUSKEN!" Jojo roared as he kicked and leaped into the air, then landed on the ground on one foot.
Static snorted
"Aww look at you and your little birdie. Don't you know Flying types are weak to Electric moves?"
"That's the best part!"
Benedict taunted back.
"Combusken ain't no flyin type"
"Pffft, I'll see about that"
Static cracked his knuckles
"Gauss, use Mirror Shot!"
"Maaaaggggg"
The Magneton pulled its magnets backwards.
"Netooooooonnnnn"
It shot three blinding grey beams across the battlefield.
"Jojo!" Benedict hollered. "Dodge it and use Double Kick on the left unit!"
"Com!"
Jojo closed his eyes and ducked below all three orbs. He screeched loudly and swiftly kicked Gauss twice on the left side, temporarily stunning it in its spot.
"Not bad" Static smirked.
"But can your little birdie handle THIS?
Gauss, use Thunderbolt!"
"MaaaaaaGNETON!"
The magnet Pokemon screeched loudly as it blasted a strong electric bolt from all six magnets. Jojo tried to move out of the way, but was partially hit on the chest, launching him back slightly. Tiny sparks flew off his feathers and onto the turf.
The Combusken stood upright, growling in determinaton.
Benedict had an idea. He hollered to his Pokemon
"Jojo! Climb on top of the tower!"
Jojo ran towards the tower and scaled the exterior as fast as he could.
"Gauss! Corner him on top and use Thunderbolt!"
Just before Jojo had reached the top, Gauss was already hovering around the exterior. It quickly orbited the tower like a satellite in space.
"Jojo! Use Flame Charge and crash down on Gauss!"
The Combusken turned around in his spot, his feet tightly clinging to the metallic structure and shaking slightly. His body was engulfed in flames as he focused in on the magnet Pokemon.
"Commmmm….."
Jojo leaped off the tower
"BUSKEN!"
He charged towards Gauss and clawed twice at its core. Hot flames flew off his body, exploding as they engulfed the steel type.
"Finish it off with Double Kick!"
Jojo kicked twice, one hit each for the bottom two units. The flames exploded everywhere, dissolving into smoke as the Combusken roughly landed against the ground, dirt getting everywhere on his feathers.
Gauss, however, droned in weakness as it lost all energy to fight. The electric type fell into the same crater formed by Breaker's defeat, lying still as it faded into unconsciousness.
Static's fur spiked up. His body turned cold as he looked down
"Oh my Arceus…."
Tammi counted to five before waving a massive yellow flag.
"Gauss the Magneton is unable to battle, the winner is Jojo the Combusken! With no Pokemon left on Static's side, the victory goes to Benedict of Castelia City!"
The crowd murmured in surprise before breaking out in applause.
Benedict gave his Pokemon a high five
"Awesome job out there, Jojo! Y'all really did amazin'!"
Combusken posed triumphantly, cawing out in glee before being returned to his Poke Ball.
Static safely returned Gauss to its ball. He took a deep breath in.
"That was…..worth it"
The squirrel walked across the courtyard, his face now a calm smile and his hands in his pockets.
"Well, lad, I'd say that was a worthwhile battle"
He shook Benedict's wing.
"I agree! Y'all were probably my most fun battle yet" Benedict nodded as he firmly shook Static's paw.
"Well, I'm glad to hear that. As per league rules, your Dynamo Badge"
Static pulled out a small round badge. Two small knobs edged out from the circle, like a Magnemite's magnets. The colors were bright yellow and teal in a pretty gradient.
"Thanks so much y'all!"
Benedict said as he gingerly placed the Dynamo Badge into his badge case. Before he could put the case away, he felt something— no, someone tightly squeezing him from behind. He blushed as he looked down to see a pair of pale blue arms wrapped around him.
"Dude!"
"Oh, sorry, force of habit" Tank laughed as he let go. "But seriously, it was awesome how you used that tower in the last part"
"Y'all think so?
Benedict tilted his head.
"Of course!"
Tank pointed at the tower
"And the leaf tornado trick was pretty cool too"
"Seriously"
Kidd nodded as he messed with his new earrings
"I might have to try the tornado trick in my next contest...Can I borrow Makoto for a contest?"
"What?! No way!" Benedict stuck his tongue out and flicked him in the nose. "You go catch your own Kirlia!" The boys laughed to themselves after their small scuffle.
Static chuckled to himself
"Benedict. You're lucky to have those two by your side. Don't ever lose them over something stupid"
"Oh, I won't!"
Benedict waved as the squirrel left the courtyard. He looked to his friends
"So, y'all ready to head outta here?"
"Heck yeah!" Tank pumped a hoof in the air
Kidd flipped some of his hair
"Of course."
The boys headed through the courtyard and out of the northern entrance, ready to take on whatever new adventures await them on the next route.