Chapter 16: A Rematch With Sabrina
Shortly after her run-in with Sakaki again, June had finally made it to Saffron Gym again. She had remembered the way after all and was relieved to see it again. The huge golden coloured building was right there before her with the Gym Leader inside waiting for a rematch. June breathed in and out slowly to relax herself. There was no need to be on edge! She could do it this time, she knew she could!
"And so here we are, the place where we got our butts handed to us." Ray muttered, "I sure hope Paige's new form will help us out in this one."
"Annihilape are very strong Pokémon Ray, we've got nothing to worry about." June said confidently, "Paige will be just our ticket to victory in this match! But as a just-in-case, I'll be sure to save her for when we really need her. Don't want to use our secret weapon up too early."
"Ditto." Ray agreed, "She'll be no use to us if she goes out early. I also hope Divebomb will be OK out there. He hasn't had as much training as we have."
"I agree, it might be foolish of me to use him against a strong Gym Leader so soon after obtaining him, but Areodactyl are pretty powerful by nature. He might have the strength to help me win this battle." June said confidently, "Let's go and get that Marsh Badge!"
She and Ray ran up to the Gym but before they could go in, they saw Tricia and Trace were outside. Trace was looking down while Tricia patted him comfortingly on the back. June knew the story before Trace had even said a word: he'd lost his Gym Battle. It was plain to see from his downcast expression. She approached her friend and gazed at him sympathetically.
"You didn't win, I take it?" she asked.
"Nah. Sabrina totally wasted me!" Trace exclaimed, sounding bewildered that he'd been up against a Gym Leader as strong as her, "I barely stood a chance against her! Even Eevee barely last more than a couple of minutes before she took me down! I can believe why she's the first Gym Leader you've lost to June, she's nuts!"
"Sabrina does have a reputation for being very strong." Tricia murmured, "If I ever fought her, I'd need my Mega Gyarados to beat her since its half-Dark typing in Mega form would nullify her Pokémon's Psychic attacks but you two don't have such an advantage to exploit."
"Sadly so." June murmured, "But I've got my newly evolved Annihilape so that should help in this rematch."
Trace stared in disbelief at June.
"You have an Annihilape now?! Gosh! I wish I'd seen that!" he cried, "When did you evolve Paige?"
"Minutes ago." Tricia answered, "She was training with me and Paige evolved during a battle with my Machamp. And needless to say, it was the right time for it too."
"I gotta watch you battle!" Trace said excitedly, "This is gonna be awesome to watch!"
"Heh, heh, by all means. Feel free to watch me." June said meekly, And hopefully you won't watch me lose again… she added in her thoughts.
The teens walked into the Gym and entered the arena. Like last time, all the Psychic specialists were lined together on either side of the arena and clasping their hands together in prayer. Sabrina rose up from her throne and levitated to her spot in the arena. June felt a little nervous seeing her again but she clamped down on her anxieties. Last time they'd met, Sabrina had been kind and helpful to her when she'd panicked again. There was no reason to be afraid of her. It was her skills in battle she to worry about! Sabrina gazed at June with emotionless, thoughtful eyes.
"Just as I've foreseen, the child from Galar is back for a rematch to claim her Marsh Badge." she said cryptically, "And I can sense a new fire burning within you. You've come back…bolder. More confident. It seems your anxieties won't be a problem for you this time."
"That's right Sabrina!" June said optimistically, "I won't let myself get scared again for I'm back and better than before and I have a whole new strategy for you to sink your teeth into! Mark my words, that Marsh Badge will be mine!"
Sabrina gave a humourless chuckle. Tricia shivered. Was it possible for this woman to even smile?
"VERY bold indeed. We shall have fun in our rematch." Sabrina purred, "I wonder if you've come with your newly evolved Primeape as I've foreseen…"
June winced. Sabrina was right of course for she had foreseen it. Did that mean she had some kind of plan ready for when Paige came out to fight? Whatever happened, June new she had to prepare herself for anything. This rematch wasn't going to be easy, even if she had a new plan to try out.
"Good luck June!" Trace called to her.
"We're right behind you sweetie!" Tricia called as well.
June beamed in appreciation. Just having the siblings here to cheer for her made her feel more confident she could win this. With her friends behind her, she could accomplish anything!
"OK Sabrina, I'm ready when you are. Shall we begin?" June asked.
"With pleasure." Sabrina replied, "Like before, I shall use three Pokémon while you use all six and there will be no time limit. Let the battle commence."
The psychic energy around the arena glowed and Sabrina levitated above the floor as she positioned herself. Tricia whistled in amazement. She'd heard of actual psychic powered humans, but she hadn't seen one in person until now. Trace shivered, thinking back to his earlier defeat. Sabrina had looked just as composed and ominous looming above the arena when battling him. June's expression didn't change. She grabbed a Pokéball and prepared to make the first move.
"Espeon, you shall begin this battle." the Gym Leader declared, holding her hand out and sending the Pokéball floating out towards the arena.
It opened up and Espeon materialized onto the field. So Espeon was up first just like last time. June had beaten it before so she was confident she could do it again.
"You may be starting out the same as before, but I'm not!" June cried, "Divebomb, you're going first!" she yelled, throwing the ball.
The Pokéball released its occupant and Divebomb screeched loudly, spreading his large wings and preparing for battle. Sabrina's face didn't change but her eyes subtly widened in amazement at what she saw.
"An Aerodactyl…I don't often face opponents with one of those as Fossil Pokémon are so rare. I'll admit, this was unforeseen…" she murmured.
"Wow, I actually caught the Psychic Gym Leader by surprise? I'm amazed!" June giggled, "Now watch how he fights! Use Crunch!" she commanded.
"Gnash, gnash, gnash!" Divebomb cried as he swooped towards Espeon with his large jaws open wide for a bite.
As he neared, a holographic image of black teeth formed in front of him and prepared to bite down on Espeon. Espeon tried to dodge but the Aerodactyl swooped in too quickly for it and it was caught in the energy jaw construct. Espeon wailed in pain as it was bitten by the dark fangs. Divebomb then jerked his head to one side and threw Espeon into a nearby wall. Espeon managed to bounce off of it and come straight towards Divebomb. It was about to use Psychic but Divebomb reacted incredibly quickly and struck out with Wing Attack. The cat-like Pokémon was knocked down on to its side and it grunted from the impact. Sabrina recoiled, clearly impressed and astonished by Divebomb's strength.
"Blimey, those scientists really looked after him well before delivering him to me!" June exclaimed, "His first Gym Battle and he's already winning!"
"Don't get too carried away June! The fight's not finished yet!" cried Tricia.
June turned her attention back to the battle and watched as Espeon stood back up. Despite the punishment it had taken, it didn't seem too badly hurt or even worn down. Psychic types were usually quite frail, but Sabrina's seemed unusually resilient by their standards. The Psychic duellist finally made her move.
"Use Calm Mind." she murmured.
Espeon closed its eyes and gave itself a boost to its Special Attack and Special Defence. June frowned in worry. Sabrina did that last time and Espeon had been able to wipe out Victoria as a result. She wasn't going to let Divebomb suffer the same fate.
"We must end this quickly before it can make use of the power boost!" June cried, "Use Crunch again!"
Divebomb swooped towards Espeon and opened his jaws. The holographic jaw construct formed again and was about to bite down on the psychic feline Pokémon. But Espeon reacted a fraction too quickly for Divebomb and side-stepped to avoid the attack. Divebomb was moving too fast to stop and ended up crashing face-first into the floor. Now he was down, Espeon was finally able to land an attack on the prehistoric Pokémon with Psychic. Divebomb cried out as he was seized by psychic energy and Espeon launched him straight up into the ceiling. He crashed into it and fell back down to the floor. He tried to soften his landing by flapping his wings but Espeon only caught hold of him again with Psychic and launched him back up into the ceiling. Then it brought Divebomb back down onto the floor with a heavy thud. The resulting crash left an imprint of himself in the arena floor that he lay in. June cried for Divebomb to get back up again but it was no use. Despite his best efforts, his first ever Gym Battle was not going to end in victory. He lay passed out on the floor with his tongue hanging out. June sighed sadly and returned Divebomb to his ball. She'd hoped he could pull it off, but in the end he couldn't. She looked down at his Pokéball with a soft smile on her face.
"You fought so well Divebomb. You may have lost, but I'm proud of you all the same." she said kindly.
She pocked his Pokéball and turned to Ray.
"You up for this one Ray?" she asked.
"I'm sure I can manage it." Ray said, though he sounded a little unsure of himself, "That Espeon's fast and strong so a speedy guy like me should keep up with it."
"And it's already been weakened a bit by Divebomb's attacks so you should be able to finish the job." June said optimistically.
Trace and Tricia watched as Ray ran onto the field. They weren't so sure if a mere Pikachu could stand up to a Calm Mind boosted Espeon, but June was a girl of many surprises. Watching her previous battles was proof of that.
"Ray may not have any super-effective moves to use on that Espeon, but he has a point on being fast enough to keep up with it." Tricia murmured, "His Zippy Zap attack is already an example of how fast Ray can move."
"And it hits hard too so he may well be the key to victory in this match." Trace said hopefully, "Man, it took me half my team just beating that Espeon! I sure hope the same doesn't happen to June…"
The Galarian Girl made the first move, commanding Ray to use Dig. The spiky-haired Pikachu had been a little thrown by the command expecting her to say "use Zippy Zap" but he followed the order anyway. He dug down underground and Espeon was left unsure of where its opponent would remerge. Unfortunately for Ray, Espeon had excellent hearing. Its large ears twitched from side-to-side as it tried to locate the Pikachu. It heard him coming before he'd even reached halfway up to the surface and it dodged the attack. But that hadn't been June's plan. Now Espeon was in the middle of a dodge, it was too slow to react and so Ray was able to whisk it off its feet with a sudden Zippy Zap attack. Ray rocketed into Espeon and knocked it down onto its side. Sabrina took everything in with an impressed stare.
"Using that Dig attack as a distraction so your Pikachu could land a hit while Espeon was unable to react quickly enough. Unexpected and very clever…" the Psychic Gym Leader commended.
"I'll admit I kinda came up with it off the top of my head and I'm just glad it worked!" June said modestly, "I was expecting it to go wrong but because my Pokémon are so incredible, it worked!"
Ray beamed with pleasure.
"A skilled trainer and one who's bonds with Pokémon are strong. You really are Ruby's daughter." Sabrina complimented, "She was just like you when we had our battle. And like with her, I won't be holding back against you. Use Future Sight." she said ominously.
Espeon picked itself up and stood still with its large eyes fixed on Ray for the moment. June recoiled. Sabrina was trying to catch her off-guard with that move just like last time! She wasn't going to let it happen again!
"We'll worry about that later Ray! Just focus on beating Espeon!" June cried, "Use Zippy Zap again!"
Ray charged towards Espeon a second time, moving so fast that even Sabrina struggled to follow his movements. Espeon tried to dodge but it was much too slow. Ray landed a hit and Espeon was knocked down to the ground once again. It picked itself back up and retaliated by using Psychic. Waves of pink energy shot towards Ray and knocked him down onto his back. He grunted as he hit the floor. Espeon then tried to use another Psychic but Ray blocked the attack by using Surf. He threw his arms up and a curtain of water stopped the psychic attack in its tracks. Trace and Tricia were gobsmacked at what they saw. They hadn't seen Ray use Surf until now.
"Wow, it's just like with Lt. Surge's Raichu!" Trace exclaimed, "When did Ray learn to do that?!"
"I sure wish I'd been there to watch that training exercise!" Tricia gasped, "It must've been amazing to watch how Ray learned to do it…"
Ray then thrust his arms forward and the wave of water cascaded down on top of Espeon, washing it away and soaking it to the bone. It was swept out of the arena and into a nearby wall where it lay sprawled on the floor and didn't get up again. In spite of its power, Ray had been able to emerge victorious. Sabrina returned Espeon to its Pokéball while June and Ray cheered excitedly.
"That was amazing! We really washed Espeon away! Great job Ray!" June cried gleefully.
"What can I say? I'm the best." Ray sneered.
"You are performing very well, my child." Sabrina said, her voice low yet full of admiration for her challenger, "I am glad to see you've come back as strong as you have. But now it's time to face an opponent you didn't get to see last time…"
June took this in grimly. She imagined Sabrina was hoping to throw her off by being unpredictable. She'd expected Alakazam next but instead, she was getting Sabrina's third Pokémon that she hadn't needed to use last time. Her surprise grew even more when Sabrina's Pokéball levitated onto the field and opened up to reveal a Slowking. But this wasn't the regular Slowking that was most commonly seen in the Pokémon world. Sabrina had sent out the Galarian variant! Trace and Tricia were equally as surprised.
"Whoa, what's that?!" Trace cried, "She used a Slowking against me, but that's different to the one I fought!"
"Quite so…and I bet June will know exactly what that is." Tricia said thoughtfully.
"You're right! I do!" June confirmed, "This is the Galarian version of Slowking! It's a Psychic/Poison type instead of Psychic/Water and as you can see, it looks a little different to regular Slowking. It also has its own signature move too. My aunt Sapphire owns a Galarian Slowking and her's is quite powerful, so I know what I'm in for…" she said cryptically.
"I can imagine." Sabrina murmured, "I do have the regular Slowking breed as well, but I was curious to see the Galarian version and caught one for myself. Given your home region, I felt it…appropriate to use it in this battle. Let us see how you handle a Pokémon from your own region. Use Eerie Spell." Sabrina commanded.
Slowking held up its hands and conjured up psychic energy balls that looked like giant pink scribbles. The balls surrounded Slowking like a bunch of pink moons orbiting a planet. Then Slowking chanted a few words and launched the balls directly at Ray. Ray jumped aside to dodge one of the balls, then another and then another. He wasn't fast enough to dodge them all and was hit square on by the fourth ball. He cried out and fell over onto his back. Ray picked himself up and charged towards Slowking with Zippy Zap. Slowking used Eerie Spell again and launched its attack. Ray ploughed through every single psychic energy ball but with every one he hit, he seemed to slow and take a bit of damage. He hit Slowking but he didn't do as much damage as he hoped for thanks to Slowking's barrage slowing him down. All the time, June was looking around nervously while trying to keep her eye on the battle. When was Espeon's Future Sight coming? She was worried Ray would fall victim to an ambush from nowhere just as Behemoth did last time. Then suddenly, it came! Psychic energy formed from nowhere and rained down towards Ray.
"WATCH OUT!" June screamed.
Ray heard her and in the nick of time, he was able to jump out of the way and avoid it. Slowking wasn't so lucky. The Future Sight attack bombarded it and made it stagger back slightly. Being half-Psychic type, it didn't affect it much. June sighed with relief. That was one worry over!
"At least I won't have that hanging over the battle now!" she exclaimed thankfully, "Ray, use Dig!"
Ray dug down into the floor again. Trace and Tricia could see June's plan. Galarian Slowking were weak to Ground attacks due to being half Poison-type so Dig was a good move. But Sabrina had other plans…
"Use Hydro Pump." she commanded.
Slowking opened its mouth and blasted water at the hole Ray had just dug down through. June gasped in horror. Slowking was trying to flush Ray out! She had to act fast before he got caught up in the torrent of water!
"Ray, quick, get out of there!" she shrieked.
It seemed he had heard her for suddenly, Ray emerged back up to the surface, gasping for air as he dug his way back up.
"WHOA! What are ta trying ta do ya crazy woman?! Drown me?!" he screeched frantically.
His response was simply to get pelted by Eerie Spell once again. That had been Sabrina's strategy the whole time, to force Ray back up to the surface so Slowking could ambush him. Ray was hit full on by the spell and thrown backwards across the arena. He stood back up and tried once more to use Zippy Zap. But unfortunately, he never got the chance to land a hit as Slowking struck out next with Sludge Wave. The pink-and-purple Pokémon thrust its arms out and a wave of poisonous sludge swept towards Ray like a whooshing ocean wave. Ray was knocked back down again and he lay on his side. He winced in agony as he was poisoned by the attack. June watched desperately as Ray tried to stand back up again. She prayed for him to stand up. Trace and Tricia watched, equally as concerned for the Pikachu. Ray tried…but in the end, he had to accept defeat. The poison made him too weak to continue. He flopped down onto the floor and passed out. June sighed sadly.
"I was so hoping you could win this one…" she lamented.
The Galarian teen picked up Ray and patted him softly. Ray looked up at her apologetically.
"Sorry June. I tried…" he said glumly.
"You were brilliant Ray. Don't feel so bad about yourself." June said kindly, "I'll make sure your efforts don't go to waste."
She left the battlefield for a quick moment and handed Ray over to Tricia.
"Please take care of him for me while I continue the battle." she asked.
"Sure thing June." Tricia said brightly, "I've got some Antidote to spare so I'll get him back on his feet for you. He can cheer on the side-lines with us."
"You think it's time for your secret weapon yet?" Trace asked.
"Not quite. I'll see if my next Pokémon can handle that Slowking first. If not, then Paige may have to come out and finish the job…" June murmured.
She returned to the field and threw out her next Pokémon. She'd chosen Victoria to go next. While Victoria was weak to Slowking's Eerie Spell and Hydro Pump, she had two super-effective attacks of her own to use on Slowking so it was still possible she could win this match. Victoria clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. Slowking stood before her looking as cool and collected as ever. Trace watched with baited breath while Tricia gave Ray some antidote to cure the poison. Sabrina's expression didn't change. She'd beaten Victoria before so why should she be worried to face her again?
"Use Eerie Spell." she commanded.
Slowking chanted its spell and launched its Psychic attack. Victoria was helpless to do anything to defend herself as the spell bombarded her and sent her staggering backwards. Victoria shook her head furiously. The attack had left her almost disoriented and she had to slap her head to keep herself focused. Sabrina ordered Slowking to use Hydro Pump next. However, Victoria was quicker on the draw. She jumped to one side to avoid the Hydro Pump and then retaliated by using Drill Run. She threw herself at Slowking while spinning through the air furiously. Slowking was still in the midst of its Hydro Pump attack so it turned its head to try and hit Victoria but she came in so fast that she landed her attack first. She skewered Slowking and knocked it off its feet. It came down with a thud and grunted. Sabrina grimaced, feeling her Pokémon's pain. Victoria had managed to land a critical hit too so it had done even more damage. Slowking clutched its shoulder right where it had been hit. It looked as if it was in pain just trying to stay standing after that. June smiled excitedly.
"Looks like we've got it on the ropes! Use Crunch next!" June commanded.
Victoria obeyed and bit down on Slowking with her holographic jaw construct. Slowking wailed in pain as the dark energy jaws clamped down on it like a bear trap. After that was done, Victoria tried once again with Drill Run, aiming for a finishing blow. But as Victoria spiralled towards her opponent, Slowking used Hydro Pump. And this time, it didn't miss. The huge jet of water blasted Victoria backwards and knocked her down onto the floor. She lay sprawled on her back, drenched and spluttering. Now she was down, Slowking kept up the offensive by using Eerie Spell again. Its psychic attack bombarded Victoria and she cried out loudly with every hit she received. June looked away as dust kicked up from the onslaught and drifted over her. When the dust cleared and she was able to see again, Victoria was lying on the floor completely unconscious and unable to fight any longer. She'd come so close to winning, but not close enough. Trace felt worried for his friend.
"This isn't looking good. June's lost half her team in the time it's taken her to beat just ONE of Sabrina's Pokémon!" he cried, "She's gotta do something now or this fight is over!"
"I'm willing to bet now's the time for Paige to save the day…" Tricia declared.
"Now would be a good time for her to come out." Ray agreed, " I doubt June will want to just throw Leonardo and Behemoth at Slowking recklessly like that. She'd never treat any of us as sacrificial Wooloo."
Tricia and Ray were proven right in the end as June returned Victoria, thanked her for the battle, and whipped out her fourth Pokéball.
"OK…it's time. Time for my ace in the hole at last." June murmured, "We're all counting on you my mate…Paige, you're up next!" she yelled, throwing the ball.
Her newly evolved Annihilape emerged from the ball and beat her chest wildly. Sabrina took in the unusual sight with fascination. She may have foreseen Paige's evolution, but seeing a real Annihilape in person was still amazing nonetheless. What a rare opponent she was up against now!
"And here it is, just as I've foreseen." Sabrina said cryptically, "Few trainers are ever able to evolve their Primeapes into Annihilape. Paldea seems to have a better track record for it, and yet the traveller from Galar manages to evolve one here in Kanto. You may think you have the advantage now, but I still have one too. Annihilape hasn't lost Primeape's original Psychic-type weakness." she said dryly.
"Doesn't matter because Paige will take your Pokémon down first!" June cried hotly, "Show us your new awesome power with Rage Fist!" she ordered.
Paige bashed her fists together and ectoplasmic energy began to swirl around them as she prepared herself to attack. Slowking took this in with an unflinching stare. It was as if nothing could make this Pokémon break its stride, even one such as Paige. Then with a savage roar of anger, Paige stampeded towards Slowking. This proved to be a costly mistake for all she ended up doing was putting herself in range for Slowking to use Eerie Spell. The Psychic/Poison Pokémon hurled psychic energy balls straight into Paige and bombarded her. But amazingly, the enraged Annihilape just carried on running despite the onslaught! And things only got worse for Slowking as the ghostly energy around Paige's fists just grew bigger after she was hit. A side-effect of Rage Fist is that it grew in power if the user ever got attacked so all Slowking did was make Paige even stronger as a result. She ran straight up to Slowking and socked it straight between the eyes. Slowking reeled back from the punch, its head snapping back so sharply that the shell it wore on top nearly flew off! Slowking landed down on its back with a heavy thud and coughed loudly as the wind was punched out of it. Paige raised her fists in triumph.
"Alright! This new body really packs some power! I'm so glad I evolved now!" she roared excitedly.
"Heh, I can tell!" June giggled, "I dunno who's enjoying this more, me or Paige!"
"I sure wish I had her on my team earlier…" Trace mumbled.
But there was no time to celebrate yet. Slowking still wasn't down yet. It picked itself up and readjusted the shell on its head. Then it fought back by using Sludge Wave. Poisonous sludge exploded all around Slowking and Paige braced for impact as it splattered all over her. June could see that Sabrina was hoping to poison Paige and make it easier for Slowking or Alakazam to finish her off. This attack hadn't managed to poison Paige but no doubt Sabrina would try again until it worked. June ordered Paige to use Leer so she could lower Slowking's Defences. Paige did so and after that, went straight in for another Rage Fist. This attack would likely finish the job. Paige scampered towards Slowking, moving on all fours this time for extra speed. Slowking used another Sludge Wave and hit Paige a second time. The poisonous liquid swept over her but it barely broke her stride. Once again, it failed to poison the ghostly monkey. Paige scampered onwards and leapt towards Slowking. Slowking tried one more time with Eerie Spell and both attacks landed. Paige's fist hit one of the energy balls and the clash of energies created an explosion that threw both of them back. Slowking was thrown onto the floor whereas Paige tucked in her legs, somersaulted and landed back on her feet. She fixed her red eyes straight ahead to see what became of her opponent. She was still standing…but Slowking was not. The Psychic/Poison Pokémon was down on its back and unmoving. June punched the air excitedly, almost looking as if she was impersonating Paige in that moment.
"ALRIGHT! We did it! That's two down and one left!" she cheered, "Already that's a step-up from last time!"
"Really now?" Tricia asked, "Sabrina really must've given you a tough fight!"
"She did." Ray muttered, "We only beat her Espeon while her Alakazam kicked our asses! Speaking of, Paige better hope she's strong enough to handle that thing and its Recover and Nasty Plot strategy…"
"Oh yes. Her Alakazam cleaned my clock too." Trace said grimly, "Any hit I landed it just healed up with Recover and then used Nasty Plot for a quick boost to sweep my whole team!"
"It got us good last time." June confirmed, "But it won't work this time, not with Paige's mighty Rage Fist backing us up!"
"Yeah!" Paige cried hotly.
Sabrina returned Slowking and exchanged its Pokéball for Alakazam's. It hovered about the tip of her index finger. She gave a small smile to June.
"It's been a while since I've actually been brought down to my last Pokémon." she acknowledged, "A VERY long while in fact…you're giving me the toughest battle I've had in ages. I must say I'm actually…enjoying it." she said, a slight twinge of excitement edging her words, "Thank you for giving me so much thrills June Silverlock. Now let's have more thrills for the grand finale. Alakazam, it is time."
She sent out her ace monster and Alakazam took the field. It glared at Paige and held up its spoons, ready to battle. Paige balled her fists and glowered back at her opponent. This was the Pokémon that had beaten most of her friends last time. She was determined to pay it back! June held her hand close to her heart. She swallowed heavily and tried to keep calm. Alakazam wasn't unbeatable! She could win this, she knew she could!
"This is it…Paige, we're going to have to give it everything we've got." June said cryptically, "If you lose this, then we're done for. So let's give it our all!"
"I'm with ya all the way!" Paige cheered.
"I know, and I can't thank you and the rest of the team enough for your awesome efforts!" June said sweetly, "Now let's finish this and get that Marsh Badge! Use Leer!"
Paige leered at Alakazam and the resulting move lowered its Defence stats. June wanted to finish her opponent off as quickly as possible before it started boosting its power with Nasty Plot so lowering Alakazam's Defences would help Paige hopefully score a one-hit KO. Unfortunately for June, Sabrina caught on to this very quickly so she ordered Alakazam to use Nasty Plot and boost its Special Attack. June frowned anxiously. It seemed going straight on the offensive might be the better move to make for now. She ordered Paige to run straight in with Rage Fist. The ghostly monkey fighter sprinted furiously towards her opponent with her fists clenched and bathed in ghostly energy. But Alakazam was quicker on the draw. With a single Psychic, it managed to catch Paige in mid-air and stop her dead in her tracks. Paige flailed about helplessly but it did her no good. She cried out as Alakazam flung her backwards and she crashed into the wall. Trace, Tricia and Ray had to dodge out the way in order to avoid being hit. Paige grunted from the impact and slid down to the floor. But despite the super-effective hit, all that seemed to do was make Paige even angrier. With steam blowing out of her nostrils, she roared savagely.
"Right! That is it! You throw me around and you get it, buster!" she exploded, "Here's a Rage Fist right in your eye!"
"Wait Paige, don't get so angry and emotional! You're only going to get in trouble!" June cried frantically.
But Paige was deaf to all reasoning. She was seeing red and just wanted to flatten Alakazam into the ground. She scampered back towards her opponent and prepared to punch it once more. Alakazam held out its hands but to June's surprise, it didn't use Psychic. Instead, it blasted at Paige with Shadow Ball. Trust Sabrina to teach her Alakazam a handy move to cover its Ghost-type weakness! The purple sphere launched like a cannonball towards Paige from Alakazam's spoons but an incredible thing happened directly afterwards. Paige reached out with her hands…and literally caught the Shadow Ball between them! June and Sabrina were amazed. They never would've seen that coming! Paige pivoted on her feet and threw the Shadow Ball back at Alakazam, looking as if she was passing the ball to her teammate in a basketball game. Alakazam grunted as its own attack smashed straight into it and it stumbled backwards. Now it was stunned, Paige continued her assault and threw a powerful uppercut that nearly took Alakazam's head off. It reeled backwards in pain from the powerful Rage Fist and fell straight onto its back. Trace and Tricia winced. Even if they were rooting for Paige, they had to admit the blow she'd landed on Alakazam looked painful. Sabrina was forced to reconsider her tactics for a moment.
If I attack, I only make Paige's attacks stronger as that Rage Fist seems to grow in power the more she is attacked. But I will have to attack if Alakazam is to win this match. Maybe a further power boost will guarantee a victory when I land my next hit… the Gym Leader thought.
"Use Recover and then use Nasty Plot again." Sabrina commanded.
Alakazam crossed its arms in front of its chest and closed its eyes as it used its psychic energies to replenish its health. But Paige wasn't going to stand around and wait for it to heal up. Seizing her moment, she ran straight towards Alakazam and punched it again with Rage Fist just as it finished Recovering. Alakazam was thrown backwards and it collapsed onto the floor. It stood up again and closed its eyes as it then used Nasty Plot next just as ordered. June grew very nervous. With TWO Nasty Plot boosts, Alakazam was sure to knock Paige out in one hit!
"We have to finish this now or we're done for!" June screeched, "It's now or never Paige, make sure this last Rage Fist will finish it off!"
Paige cracked her knuckles and ran on all fours towards Alakazam. Sabrina kept up her usual stoic demeanour, but secretly she was feeling worried. Could Alakazam finish its move in time to react? It seemed not for Paige ran up to Alakazam and threw a Rage Fist directly towards its face. In a split-second, Alakazam was able to react. The fist was halted millimetres in front of its eyes as it grabbed hold of Paige with Psychic. The Annihilape balked in worry and lashed out with her other fist. It did no good as Alakazam only stopped that one too. June felt the air whoosh out of her as shock gripped her by the throat. Alakazam had Paige right at its mercy! With no way of stopping it, Paige was blasted full on by a powerful psychic attack. She was thrown across the arena and she came down with a heavy thud onto the ground. June put her hands to her mouth in horror. Surely this was it! Her best hope of winning this battle was surely out of the match! Paige wasn't unconscious but it didn't seem like she'd be able to get back up again. She was panting heavily. What made matters worse was that her body flashed blue, signifying a drop in Paige's stats. A side effect of Psychic was that it could cause a Special Defence drop in the opponent when it hit. June was certain that any second now, she would throw in the towel and it would be up to Leonardo and Behemoth to try winning this fight. But then..,
"Don't give up Paige! Come on! Ya can still beat this guy! We're all counting on ya!" Ray cheered from the side-lines.
June smiled in appreciation. Trust that Pikachu to have everyone's backs, even if he may act conceited at times!
"Ray's right Paige! You're still in this so we've still got a chance! You can turn this fight around, I know it!" June cheered.
Slowly but surely, Paige's strength seemed to return to her. She stood up again and clenched her fists. The veins on her forehead throbbed harder than usual and her wavy hair began to blow around like leaves in a breeze. Her muscles bulged as she flexed her biceps. Then a curious thing happened. Black energy seemed to surround Paige's body as she geared up for another attack. Everyone stared incredulously at what was happening.
"Let me tell you buster, I'm REALLY riled up right now, and I feel like I've got a LOT of frustration to unleash! So brace yourself! THIS. IS. GONNA. HURT!" she roared.
"Whoa, what's happening to her?" June asked in astonishment.
"I think she just learned Lash Out!" Tricia cried in surprise, "It's a Dark-type move that increases in power if the user's stats were lowered at any point!"
"And that happened a moment ago when Alakazam's Psychic lowered her Special Defence!" Trace observed, "So that attack's REALLY going to bring the pain!"
"Then let's hope it works!" June cried excitedly, "Paige, use Lash Out and end this battle!"
Paige stampeded towards Alakazam like an enraged Rhyhorn. The dark energy around her swirled madly all over her body as she prepared to lash out in frustration at her opponent. Sabrina recoiled, taken aback by this sudden new attack. She ordered Alakazam to use Psychic and top Paige but it did no good in the end. The dark energy cancelled out Alakazam's attack and Paige just carried on running as if nothing happened. She was completely unstoppable! Alakazam feebly tried to stop her with Shadow Ball next but even that didn't seem to have any effect. Paige just swatted it aside and threw a punch straight into Alakazam's stomach. All the dark energy around her slammed into the Psychic Pokémon, enhancing the punch and making it more powerful. Alakazam was launched backwards and sent hurling straight into the wall at the back of the arena. Sabrina could only watch, her stoic demeanour completely evaporated as shock and awe was strewn across her face. She gazed open-mouthed as Alakazam collapsed onto the floor. It lay there and didn't get back up again. It was incredible to take in, but Sabrina had to acknowledge the reality of her situation. For the first time in a long time, she'd been defeated! Her shocked expression stayed on her face for several seconds before she finally composed herself and her default expression returned. She returned Alakazam to its Pokéball.
"Thank you…for everything. You were incredible Alakazam." she said softly. She turned to June, "Congratulations are in order child. You fought incredibly and grew much stronger in such a short amount of time. I predict great things for you June…"
June was so thrilled with her victory that she leapt about a foot in the air and squealed her lungs out.
"YEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSS! I WON! I WON, I WON, I WON! I'M SO HAPPY I MIGHT JUST BURST!" she hollered.
She ran into the arena and threw herself onto Paige, grasping the Annihilape in a tight huge.
"Well done Paige! I knew you could do it! You were incredible out there!" she complimented.
Paige returned the hug, relieved the fight was over and she had nothing to be wound up about anymore. She felt very pleased with herself. But it didn't last long for she fell to one knee and grunted heavily. June understood. Paige was exhausted and ready for a good rest. She returned the Fighting/Ghost Pokémon to her Pokéball and looked down at it with a soft smile.
"You rest well Paige. You've earned it." she said kindly, "Thank you again for everything."
Trace and Tricia ran up to June and Ray jumped onto the girl's shoulder. They all cheered together for the Galarian teen.
"That was awesome June! I'll have to take notes from this battle in preparation for my eventual rematch!" Trace cried.
"I'd love to see my ex-boss take you on now. You'd get even HIM running for the hills!" Tricia crowed.
"Oh believe me, I can't wait to give him wait for!" June sneered, "Giovanni won't ever mess with me again!"
The cheering was cut off as Sabrina suddenly approached the teens and handed over a golden Gym Badge to June. It was the Marsh Badge. With it, June now had four Gym Badges claimed with only four left before her circuit was complete. June took the badge from Sabrina and smiled graciously at her.
"Thanks for everything Sabrina! You've given me an awesome battle and a true chance to test my Pokémon's strengths!" she said happily, "I'll treasure this Marsh Badge always."
"That's nice. And I must thank you too for such a well fought battle." Sabrina said kindly, "You've given me the hardest fight I've had in a long time and it's strangely refreshing to actually lose for a change. It's a reminder that I'm not invincible and a Gym Leader, no matter how strong they are, always has room to grow. Your courage and determination are also quite inspiring. I know for a fact that you'll achieve many great things as your journey continues."
"Aww, I really don't know what to say…" June said shyly.
"At the same time, you'll be in for big challenges that may test your skills and resolve further than even myself." Sabrina went on, her voice suddenly cryptic and mysterious, "I foresee an eventual confrontation with Team Rocket's boss and a battle over the legendary Mewtwo. The outcome remains…unclear. But I must warn you that Mewtwo is a Pokémon like none you will ever face. Its power maybe too much for even your mother to handle."
"Oh don't worry about that." June said casually, "The president at Silph Co. gave me a Master Ball. I won't need to fight Mewtwo since I can catch it without fail with this ball. Giovanni will never get it!"
She slipped her backpack off so she could rummage through and fish out the Master Ball to show Sabrina that she wasn't bluffing. June rummaged, and she rummaged, and she rummaged. But to her confusion, she couldn't find the Master Ball anywhere. She pulled the bag up close to her face and ran her eyes all around the insides. The Master Ball definitely wasn't there! Her blood ran cold.
"OH NO! It's gone!" she shrieked.
"The Master Ball's gone?!" Tricia cried in shock.
"Did you drop it?" Trace asked.
"I don't think so! I couldn't have dropped it!" June cried frantically, "It was in my bag the whole time and I never opened it again between packing up my campsite and running over here! How could it have happened?!"
"Relax my child. I can help." Sabrina offered, "Allow me to enter your mind so that we may retrace your steps. Maybe then we will find it."
June nodded and stood still as Sabrina placed her hands on either side of her face. Trace and Tricia stayed back and kept quiet so as not to distract them. Both June and Sabrina's eyes closed and Sabrina's hair began to rise up and sway behind her as her powers activated. At first, neither of them moved. Sabrina concentrated as she entered June's mind and searched for an answer. She didn't find much of anything at first. But then she came across a blank space somewhere in the girl's mind. It was a literal dark spot that seemed to hang over one of her memories. Sabrina knew what this meant: June's mind had been tampered with. Using her psychic powers, she uncovered the dark spot. Now the memory was clear and both she and June could see what had happened. There she was again, talking to Sakaki and being led into the alleyway with the dangerous Pokémon. Then she went to find the Pokémon and found a Hypno. And the Hypno was swinging its pendulum in front of her vision. As Sabrina exited June's mind and the two were snapped back into reality, the truth was clear to them…
"That man! He must've done it!" June shouted angrily, "He must've tricked me into going into that alleyway so his Hypno could hypnotize me! I bet he pinched the Master Ball when I blacked out for a minute!"
"I knew something didn't feel right!" Ray growled furiously, "We didn't just "black out" for a second as we fought! We'd been hypnotized and now that guy's probably miles away with the Master Ball in tow! I thought it seemed a little fishy we ran into him a second time…"
Tricia's face grew dark as she took in this information.
"June…I'm afraid I know who robbed you." she said grimly, "I know a man on Team Rocket who uses a Hypno. But before I draw any conclusions, can you describe this man?"
June described Sakaki to Tricia, detailing everything from the way he dressed to his silvery blue hair. Tricia nodded, her face as dark as a thundercloud.
"That's exactly who I was thinking of. That man's name is Sakaki and he's one of Team Rocket's most devious spies." the purple-haired teen muttered, "He's always using that Hypno of his to hypnotize people and rob them blind. He always dresses casually so nobody ever suspects he's a Rocket agent. He even robbed other agents just for a laugh, me included! I was hoping Ruby, Hop and Ash had arrested him along with everyone else at the hideout but I guess he wasn't there at the time so they missed him…"
"At least we can catch him!" Trace declared, "We'll find Sakaki and get that Master Ball!"
"But how?" Ray asked doubtfully, "How will we even find him?!"
June, who had remained silent during the whole thing, turned to Sabrina. Her face had become a mask of dark fury. Ray shivered. It was the angriest he'd ever seen his trainer look in the time they'd known each other.
"Where is he?" June demanded, "Your psychic powers should be able to help."
Sabrina nodded and closed her eyes for a moment. Usually she wouldn't be able to track down Team Rocket as their hideout had defences preventing psychics like her from finding them but Sakaki was probably still out in the open and thanks to Ruby, Hop and Ash's efforts, he wouldn't have anywhere to hide. It took her a few minutes but eventually, Sabrina was able to locate where the Master Ball thief was. Her eyes snapped open.
"He's in Celadon City. He's engaged in battle with Erika." she informed.
"Then we best get a move on." June said coldly, "Team Rocket have pushed me around far too much since I've started my journey and I've had it! It's time we shut them down for good!"
Trace and Tricia recoiled. June seemed to be taking this particular incident very hard. It was as if being robbed blind was the final straw and June wasn't taking it anymore.
"I wish you luck." Sabrina said encouragingly, "Oh, and after you retrieve the Master Ball, heed my advice: you must go to Blaine on Cinnabar Island if you wish to find Mewtwo. He had a part in its creation and he may know where Mewtwo is hiding."
"Thank you." June said gratefully, "I'll remember that. Come on Trace and Tricia. We've got a thief to catch…"
And with that, she stormed out of the Gym, her eyes full of determination to get back at Sakaki for robbing her. Team Rocket had messed with her for the very last time…
June's won her Marsh Badge! But it's a hollow victory for her since she's found out her Master Ball's been stolen! She may have a chance to get it back for Sabrina senses Sakaki's in Celadon City. Can June, Trace and Tricia catch up to him in time? And why is Sakaki fighting Erika? What's his game? Find out next time for "A Showdown in Celadon City"...
Trivia: Sabrina's last Pokémon being a Galarian Slowking is a reference to how in the games, she has used a Slowking in the World Tournaments of Black 2 and White 2 and I have her use Galarian Slowking in particular because I prefer Galarian Slowking over the original. I also wanted to be more unorthodox with this battle to make it more interesting, so that's why I did it. :)