In our previous episode, Team One finally got through the cave and beat the rock type gym leaders! Meanwhile, Team Regional has come across their first gym and are raring to go! But Katsuya of Team Katsuya seems to have a plan to intercept them, but that's my guess. On the other hand, it looks like Team Distant Past is in a bit of a predicament.
Team Distant Past
Jax and Diego were running up the cliff, trying their best to avoid the Skarmory. It was currently circling the skies, trying to spot them as they stuck close to the ground.
They moved quickly and deliberately. Before they had started their charge up the cliff, they mapped out a possible point of escape from inside a small gap in the wall. If they were able to escape unnoticed, they'd be able to get away without sending their Pokémon out. After all, they were no match for that thing.
"This way," said Diego, ducking under a rock shelf.
Jax ducked under the shelf. Diego held up a hand for him to wait as he peered out.
"Strange, I don't see it anymore," said Diego.
"You think it's safe to go?"
"I doubt it," said Diego, pulling out his sword. "I read a detailed book of Pokémon before, and Skarmory doesn't just give up. Besides, it might be tracking our Rotom Drones. Those guys don't really seem to know what's going on."
"What do we do?" asked Jax. "Throwing our Pokémon at it would be cruel, and I doubt you have the clearance to use your sword. We're both pretty athletic. We could sprint from here to the nearest cover and think things out from there."
"Good point, let's move on the count of three."
They both prepared themselves to run, but then there was a sudden rush of wind as the Skarmory's claws raked the shelf they were hiding under.
"Nope!" shouted Jax. "Let's move!"
They dove out from under the shelf and sprinted up the mountain. The Skarmory wheeled around and flew swiftly to catch up.
"What's its deal?" shouted Jax, sprinting as hard as a running back could. "Shouldn't Pokéstar Studios have dealt with it!"
"They're extremely territorial!" shouted Diego. "And that's all I know! Get down!"
Diego shoved Jax down as the Skarmory sailed above them. It flew in front of them and threw its wings forward, using Spikes with its sharp feathers.
"I got this!" shouted Diego.
He got to his feet and slashed his sword in a wide arc, a dark haze trailing the blade. He knocked away some of the Spikes before bringing his sword to a defensive position and whirling it around to deflect the rest.
"Way too cool!" shouted Jax as Diego pulled him to his feet.
"Our current predicament isn't cool!" said Diego as they continued running.
"True that, but seriously! You could be in a movie!"
"I'm already in a TV show!"
A blank expression crossed Jax's face as he realized he had a point. "Hold on- there!"
Diego looked to where he was pointing and nodded. They dove into a small tunnel as the Skarmory reached for them.
They slid inside the cave and tumbled in a heap.
"Way too close," said Jax, breathing heavily.
"You good?" asked Diego while sitting up, having appeared not to have broken a sweat..
Jax looked at him in astonishment. "Are you kidding me? How are you still fine after this?"
"I've honed my stamina I suppose, but that's not what's important here."
"Right," said Jax, sitting up. "What's important is getting out of this mess."
"Despite its fire type weakness, it seems perfectly capable of handling our Pokémon's attacks," said Diego, thinking deeply. "Does Virgil know Helping Hand?"
"No, he really only uses offensive moves like Bite and Headbutt."
"Suits his personality I suppose. Here's what we're going to do. I can tell that Skarmory is lying in wait outside this small cave. The moment we step out, it's going to try and get rid of us. Our Pokémon may not be able to defeat it, but we can stun it for a moment."
He opened his two pokeballs, sending out Glacey and Snivy.
"You get Valdez out. The moment we lure the Skarmory in front of here, Valdez will attack with a Helping Hand boosted Ember. He'll then buy Glacey enough time to use Helping Hand on Snivy and have him attack with Ember. It should do enough to stun it to the point where we can escape it further up the mountain."
"But how will we lure it out here? I doubt Virgil will enjoy being bait."
"I know, which is why I'll be the bait."
Jax looked at him. "You're kidding. You can't just charge at a Skarmory! At least Pokémon are able to withstand attacks, but not people!"
Diego looked at him. "Don't worry, I'm confident I can do this. I don't know much about myself, but I believe I've done stuff even more dangerous. Besides," he did a neat flourish with his sword, returning it to his side. "I'm the one with the magic sword."
"Just be careful."
"Tell that to the Skarmory. Get ready, here I go!"
Vladez appeared from his ball as Jax threw it. They went over the plan again and nodded.
"It's go time," said Diego.
Diego charged forward and slid through the cave entrance, brandishing his sword.
"Hey big bird! Professor Oak called and told me that Corviknight was discovered first! Looks like you're the doppelganger!"
Diego started mimicking Corviknight calls, only to stop as he realized Corviknight didn't live in the Insulae Region.
Nonetheless, the Skarmory dove at him, its wings glowing. He dove under it and blocked its Steel Wing attack with his sword.
"Now Glacey, Helping Hand!" he shouted, blocking another strike.
"Valdez, use Ember!"
Valdez ran forward, his power boosted by the Helping Hand. He leapt into the air and shot a huge burst of fire straight at the Skarmory's face.
"Flame Wheel!"
Valdez tucked himself into a ball of fire and landed on its back before bouncing off. Snivy dashed forward and shot his own fireball, hurting the Skarmory.
"Now!" shouted Diego. "Again, Ember!"
"You too Valdez!"
The two fire type Pokémon shot Ember at the Skarmory. It gave a shriek as it was burned, retreating upwards.
"Back to running!" shouted Jax, taking off with Diego behind him as they returned their Pokémon.
"How long is this sprinting going to go on for?" asked Jax, his breath ragged.
"I have no idea, but I might become a professional sprinter after this!"
The Skarmory was upon them again, unrelenting. It fired its feathers again, using Spikes. Diego didn't bother blocking them, putting on more speed.
"Just a few more meters!" shouted Jax. "I can see the end of the mountain trail!"
All of a sudden, a huge bolt of electricity descended from the sky onto the Skarmory. It gave a shriek as it crashed down to the ground, defeated.
Jax and Diego both slid to a stop, almost crashing into each other. They looked towards the top of the cliff, seeing a Pokéstar Studios official and a large Galvantula.
"Couldn't have shown up at any better time could you?" asked Jax.
"What Jax means to say is thank you!" said Diego, nudging Jax.
"I have a point."
"Sorry for what happened," said the official. We only caught wind of what was happening a few moments ago.
"How long is a few moments?" asked Jax indignantly. "Long enough to become bird food?"
"I understand your frustration," said the official. "It's our fault for not noting the Skarmory and flagging its territory as a red zone. Your contract states clearly that any injuries and or dangerous circumstances that could've been prevented will be fully compensated by Pokéstar Studios. However, I'd like to speak with Diego for a moment, privately."
"Uh sure," said Diego. "What's this about?"
"Follow me, let's get away from the camera's a bit."
Unrecorded
"Thanks for meeting me out here," said the official. "I'll get straight to the point, you can't keep that sword."
"For what reason?" asked Diego. "This sword holds a special connection to me, I can't think about parting with it."
"For two reasons. Number one: We can't have a sword in our show, especially one that can slice through solid rock. It's dangerous and doesn't look good on a family friendly show."
"Really? Because a lot of kid shows have swords and guns nowadays."
"Cartoon shows. In which swords are treated more like hammers when it comes to living things. I also don't see why you need the sword. Sure you lost your memories and it 'holds a special connection', but you won't need it. They're things called precautions, and I'm sure your contract forbids carrying weapons."
"Then why'd you let me keep it in the first place?"
"Because it appeared to be made out of wood. Seeing what you did earlier, it's clear that you've disguised it somehow, which doesn't really look good for your case."
"Sorry sir, but you'd be mistaken," said Diego with a sudden shift of voice. "It isn't disguised as wood, it is wood. It's stronger and sharper than steel however, so looks can be deceiving. I am not sure how this sword came to be, but it's connected to me and I intend to find out why. I came onto this show hoping an experience like this one would help with my amnesia, but I am fully accepting if you wish to remove me from the program because I cannot separate myself from this sword, weird as it may seem. If you have no choice, then I wish you luck in finding a new candidate."
Tha man looked at him for a while, considering something. He sighed and shook his head.
"All right kid, you win. Just don't swing that thing around unnecessarily. It's not just my boss I have to deal with, but the media too."
"Will do, thank you."
The man stared at Diego as he walked back to Jax, pumping his fist excitedly at the fact he got to stay.
"What a strange guy."
Team Regional
"All right," said Zeke. "It's time for our next gym trainer. He's around that corner, are you ready?'
"You know better than to ask me of all people, of course I am!" shouted Claire. "We're going to rock this party!"
"I'm sure you will," said Zeke.
So far, the battles have been swift and easy. Claire's Charmander was a dangerous force to be reckoned with, and Zeke was surprised it hasn't evolved yet. Fortunately, Wiess the Ralts had plenty of opportunities for battle experience.
They approached the gym trainer together. He was a short man with a plain gym uniform and a baseball cap.
"I hope you're ready, because I'm your final challenge before the gym leaders! And while I may not be one myself, I'm no pushover!"
"Don't worry, neither are we! Ready for this Zeke!"
"Let's go for it Abba!" said Zeke, sending out his Oricorio.
"Go, Weiss!"
The man smiled and sent out his two Pokémon. A Litleo and a Jigglypuff appeared at the same time, landing before their opponents.
"Let's start this off with a Disarming Voice!" shouted Claire!
Weiss responded immediately, giving a loud cry that blasted the Jigglypuff with pink waves.
"I need you to take out the Litleo," said Claire. "I'll defeat the Jigglypuff!"
"Got it. Abba, Revelation Dance!"
"Dodge it Litleo, Quick Attack!"
Abba spun around, shooting high powered volts of electricity at the Litleo. It used Quick Attack to leapt to the side and dodge the attack.
"Now, Ember!"
"Air Cutter!"
Abba whipped her pom-poms forward, sending slashes of air that dispersed the flames.
"Now close the distance and use Pound!"
Abba ran forward and leapt into the air, bringing her pom pom down onto the Litleo.
"Roar!"
The Litleo gave a fearful cry. Abba gave a shriek and retreated into her pokéball. In a flash of light, another one of Zeke's pokéballs opened, sending out Ga'hoole.
"Shoot, watch out!"
"Ember!"
"Leafage!"
The fire and leaves collided, creating explosions. Ga'hoole circled around, avoiding the Litleo.
"I'm at a huge disadvantage here!" shouted Zeke.
"I'll defend Ga'hoole, but I need him to back me up. Weiss, use Confusion!"
"Attack the Jigglypuff with Leafage!"
Weiss sent psychic waves at the Liteloe, causing it to shrink back as its mind was attacked.
"Jigglypuff, Rollout!"
The Jigglypuff tucked itself into a ball and charged at Weiss. Ga'hoole flew forward and fired a blast of leaves. The Jigglypuff popped out of its ball and leapt at Ga'hoole.
"Sing!"
"Dive Ga'hoole!"
Ga'hoole tucked in his wings and dove to the ground, avoiding the attack. He whipped around and used Leafage again, blasting the Jigglypuff backwards.
On the other side, Litleo and Weiss were still battling. Weiss used its psychic power to damage the Litleo as it tried to retaliate.
"Quick Attack!"
"Disarming Voice!"
The Litleo dashed forward, rushing straight for Weiss. She gave a loud cry, firing pink waves that slowed its progression as it fought through the attack.
"Teleport!"
Weiss disappeared in a flash of purple light right before the Litleo struck. She rematerialized elsewhere and used Confusion again, throwing the Litleo back.
"Hit and run tactics? Is that really all you got? Roar!"
With a powerful and fear inducing cry, Weiss was forced back into her pokéball as Natsu was ejected in her place.
"Now Litleo, Quick Attack!"
"Natsu, use Dragon Rage!"
Both Pokémon ran straight at each other. White trails of light swept across the Litleo's feet as it ran for Natsu. Natsu's claw swirled with draconic energy as he brought it up to strike.
Both Pokémon hit each other at the same time. The Litleo was sent flying back before crashing on the ground, rolling over as it fainted.
"Aw man. Let's finish this Jigglypuff. Rollout!"
The Jigglypuff rolled itself into a ball. Abandoning Ga'hoole as it headed directly for Natsu. Ga'hoole fired Leafage, missing as the Jigglypuff gained speed.
"Flame Burst!" shouted Claire.
"Dodge it and attack the Rowlet!"
The Jigglypuff dug into the ground as it made a hard turn, turning around and heading straight for Ga'hoole. Both Zeke and Claire immediately knew what he was trying to do.
"Hit the bottom of it with Leafage to slow it down!" shouted Zeke.
Ga'hoole aimed his leaves where the Jigglypuff made contact with the ground, adding extra friction and slowing it down. Natsu ran forward, hoping to catch up to it before it dealt any damage.
"Fire Spin!"
Natsu shot a stream of fire that swirled around the Jigglypuff, trapping it. Unable to move, its attack lost power as the flames burned intensely around it.
"Let's finish this Natsu! Flame Burst!"
Natsu let out a roar as he fired a huge blast of fire, sending the Jigglypuff flying as it fainted.
The trainer sighed, returning his Jigglypuff. "You got me there. Good battling you two, you certainly make a good team. I have complete faith you can defeat the gym leaders. Good luck."
Zeke and Claire nodded, bumping fist with each other as they passed through the final part of the maze.
Team One
Alicia and Seth were in the heart of the forest, headed towards the flying. They came across a clearing inside a clump of trees.
"I've waited long enough," said Alicia. "We're battling, now."
"Wazzat?" asked Seth sleepily. "Can it wait, I'm tired."
"I know you're tired," said Alicia harshly. "You stayed up training your Popplio. Desperate to win, aren't you?"
"I'm not desperate!" argued Seth. "It's simply my way of getting closer to my Pokémon! Besides, she was restless."
"Whatever helps you stay awake at night. I can't believe you need to train so much just because you know you can't win otherwise."
"You'll keep saying that when you lose. Let's do this!"
They stood at opposite sides of the clearing, clutching their pokeballs. At the same time, they threw their pokeballs and released their Pokémon in a flash of light.
"Poseidon, start this off with Bubble Beam!" shouted Alicia.
"Counter it with Disarming Voice!" shouted Seth.
Empress gave a loud cry that created waves tinged with pink. The bubbles vibrated as some of them exploded.
"Now Aqua Jet!"
Empress dashed forward, avoiding the bubbles. Alicia waited as Empress got closer. The most expected option was to attack with Water Pulse, but she knew Seth was expecting that.
"Get back Poseidon!"
Poseidon leapt away from Empress as she charged past him.
"Use Water Gun!"
She stopped using Aqua Jet and fired a blast of water at Poseidon. He guarded against the attack as Empress used Aqua Jet again, dashing straight for him.
"Dodge to the left and use Water Pulse!"
Poseidon dodged the attack, getting slightly grazed by the charge as he sent out a splash of water around him. Before he could retreat, Empress charged forward again under Seth's command, slamming into Poseidon as he used Pound.
Alicia frowned, Seth clearly had ulterior motives. Aqua Jet, while getting a same type boost, was resisted by Poseidon. Not only that, but Popplio naturally had weak physical attacks. Their physical power was lower than a Piplup's, so Poseidon had the advantage here. For Seth to have his Pokémon recklessly charge at her Pokémon was a dumb move. But maybe she overestimated him. There was the possibility he relied on his Pokémon's training to try and overpower hers. But it didn't sit right with her.
"Water Pulse!"
"It's too late for that!" shouted Seth. "Bonne Nuit Poseidon! Sing!"
Empress sang a sweet song, causing Poseidon to falter as he started to fall asleep. He tried one last attack, but it failed as he crashed to the ground in a slumber.
"Now, Disarming Voice!"
Empress gave another loud cry, blasting Poseidon backwards with the sound attack.
"Bubble Beam!"
Poseidon's eyes snapped open as he sent out a stream of bubbles. Empress used Aqua Jet, diving through the bubbles.
"Pointless?" asked Seth.
"My intention wasn't to hit your Pokémon. Pound!"
Empress was upon Poseidon the moment he landed. However, Poseidon had gained enough airborne distance from using Bubble Beam, putting him slightly out of range and giving him enough time to strike with a flipper and deal damage.
"Circle around him with Aqua Jet!"
Empress surrounded herself in water after shaking off the blow and dashed around Poseidon, moving like a rushing stream. She dash diagonally, striking a glancing blow on Poseidon's side and spinning him around as he lost his footing.
"Use your spinning moment and spray Bubble Beam around yourself!" shouted Alicia, coming up with a plan.
Poseidon spun around, spraying bubbles around him like a mist. They floated away from him, but were sent back by the force Empress was creating with her speed.
Suddenly, the bubbles in one area popped as Empress faced that direction. Alicia caught this development immediately.
"Full force, Water Pulse!" she shouted, pointing at the destroyed bubbles.
Poseidon reacted with stunning speed. Whipping around, he used Water Pulse in one area right as Empress slammed into him.
"Not done yet! Water Gun!"
Empress fired a blast of water that shoved Poseidon backwards. Poseidon fired one last Bubble Beam at Empress, who countered with a Disarming Voice and defeated him.
"Ha!" said Seth, returning his Pokémon. "Where's all your bravado now? I won!"
"Doesn't change the fact that your entire goal for your training was to defeat me. Pretty petty if you ask me."
"Sore loser?" asked Seth. raising an eyebrow.
"You're the sore winner," said Alicia coldly.
"Definitely, you're just mad cause you lost."
"Keep gloating now Seth. Had I known you were so desperate to defeat me I'd have added an extra hour of training, that would've been sufficient. It's clear you have no skill and the only way you can win is torturing yourself and your Pokémon by training. Pathetic if you ask me."
With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Seth behind.
Team Katsuya
Katsuya and Kendra were walking through a stretch of plain, the marsh far behind them now. Since leaving the dreary place, she'd felt much better.
Katsuya on the other hand, was indifferent to leaving the swamp, as he was to most things. His only goal was to get to the next gym and defeat it, which is what made it hard for Kendra to like or understand him. Other than being ambitious, rude, obnoxious, and having a general uninterest in people, he wasn't much of a person in Kendra's eyes.
For what seemed to be the millionth time this journey, she wished she was paired with anyone else, including Alicia.
"Would you stop staring off into the distance?" asked Katsuya. "It's not getting us anywhere if you're shuffling your feet as if you're half dead. We have a gym to get to."
Kendra gritted her teeth, wanting to steam at the unfairness before her. Speaking in a probabilistic sense, there was a one in seven chance of her getting paired up with Katsuya, and a six in seven chance of her getting paired with literally anyone else.
She slumped down, even with the odds with her, she always seemed to be unlucky. She figured she pulled one of a Ninetails' tails at birth and got cursed with bad luck, because unlucky stuff seemed to happen a lot.
"We don't have time for you to be daydreaming," said Katsuya. "Hold me up any longer and I'm leaving you behind."
Kendra quickly made sure to catch up, Katsuya was not the kind of person to make empty threats as she'd discovered.
"So," said Kendra, trying hard to think of a conversation starter.
"If you're interested in making conversation then no," said Katsuya, already knowing what she was trying to do. "I'm not interested in talking."
"Why are you like this?" complained Kendra.
"Do you have a problem with the way I am? Because this is very normal for me."
Kendra was about to say yes, but realized how wrong that would sound. So she changed the subject instead. "So what are your friends like?"
"Friends?" asked Katsuya. "Never had any."
Kendra stopped short, suddenly feeling bad for Katsuya. Maybe that was the reason he wasn't good at human interactions. That's what she thought, until his next sentence.
"I see it in your eyes, I don't need pity or friends, just like I don't need you."
"Thanks," Kendra said, rolling her eyes.
They continued to walk in silence, heading down the plains. The grass was tall and thick in the area, reaching well past their knees. This only served to unnerve Kendra, who feared a Pokémon attack.
Fortunately for her, she was not leapt at by a Pokémon. However, things got strange, quickly.
"I challenge you to a Pokémon battle!" shouted a voice from nowhere.
Kendra gave a shriek and leapt backwards, almost losing her footing. Out from the tall grass rose a man with blond hair poking out from some sort of mask around his face. He also had dark sunglasses and the weirdest clothing Kendra had ever seen.
He was wearing a bodysuit that matched the color of the grass around him. It completely covered him from head to toe, giving him the perfect camouflage.
"What kind of creep are you!" shrieked Kendra, waving a hand as if to ward him away.
"If it's a battle you want then I'll give it to you," said Katsuya.
"Not with you, but with her," said the man, completely unfazed by Kendra's reaction.
"M-Me?"
"Yes you missy! I knew you two would come stumbling around here soon so I laid in wait! Now that you're here, it's time for the most amazing Pokémon battle you'll ever see! I choose you, Dwebble!"
The man spoke and acted so fast that Kendra didn't have a chance to react. The man's Dwebble appeared in a flash of light long before Kendra had any inkling as to which of her Pokémon she should send out.
"Come on now! You'll have to act faster than that! Call me Warren by the way."
"I don't think I ever will. Amphithere!"
Her Snivy appeared in a flash of light, staring down the Dwebble.
"All right then," said Warren. "Get ready, come hit us!"
Kendra paused, slightly confused. Amphithere however, showed no hesitation. She rushed forward, her tail glowing as she fired Razor Leaf.
"Withdraw!"
His Dwebble tucked its body into its shell, the leaves rushing past it. Bits of its shell broke off upon contact.
"Now, Fury Cutter!"
The Dwebble rushed forward with more speed than Amphithere or Kendra expected. Amphithere leapt out of the way at the last second, getting clipped by the attack.
"How is it so fast?" cried Kendra.
"That's for you to figure it out missy! Now try this! Fury Cutter!"
"Use Leaf Tornado to get it in the air!"
The Dwebble rushed at Amphithere. Without flinching, she rushed forward, her tail glowing. She jumped backwards and flung her tail forward from under her, creating a whirling mass of tornados that lifted the Dwebble upwards.
"Now, Razor Leaf!"
Amphithere leapt upwards and fired another storm of sharp leaves. The Dwebble's shell crumbled further as it slashed away the leaves.
"Smack Down!"
"Protect yourself with your vines!"
The two yellow vines at the sides of her head grew out and covered her as the Dwebble brought one of its large claws smashing down on her.
She hit the ground hard but showed no signs of pain. Instead, she got to her feet and scrambled away as the Dwebble landed.
"Now you're finished! Fury Cutter!"
The Dwebble scuttled forward, even faster than it was last time. Amphithere had no time to react this time as it brought a claw smashing into her.
"How is this possible! None of your moves could've boosted your speed!" shouted Kendra, quickly falling into dismay.
"Haven't figured it out yet?" asked Katsuya coldly. "I'm surprised your Snivy hasn't left you yet, they're known to abandon incompetent trainers."
The Dwebble rushed forward, swinging its claws twice. Amphithere did her best to block both attacks, but failed and was sent flying back in pain.
Kendra's mind raced, Katsuya's words hammering in her heart. She was an incompetent trainer, and this "journey" only served to prove that. Her Snivy enjoyed Pokémon battles, but she was terrible at them. The more she thought about it, the more it hurt. Why did her battle hungry Snivy stick with someone like here?
Amphithere's hissing brought her mind back to the battle. At this point, she was fighting solo. She rolled away from an attack, firing Razor Leaf.
There it was again, everytime she hit the Dwebble, its shell crumbled. Not only that, it got… faster.
The realization hit her like a hammer. "Weak Armor!"
"Ding ding!" shouted Warren. "You got it, but it's far too late! Dwebble's already at max speed! It doesn't matter how far his defense dropped, his speed balances that! Couple that with the fact that Fury Cutter has reached its max potential, it's over!"
"Maybe not," whispered Kendra. "Amphithere!"
Her Snivy snapped to attention, awaiting her trainer's command. It was clear however, she was weakening.
"Do you.. Do you trust me?" asked Kendra, hesitantly.
Amphithere didn't seem to consider it at all. She nodded her head vehemently, a fire in her eyes.
"Finish this battle Dwebble, Fury Cutter!"
"We can still win this, but you'll have to endure another attack!"
Amphithere nodded, bracing herself with leaves and vines. The Dwebble threw its claw forward, knocking her backwards as she flew into the air.
"Wrap!"
Amphithere vines shot forward, grabbing the Dwebble.
"What will that do? Break through them!" shouted Warren.
"Leech Seed!"
Amphithere spat a stream of seeds at the Dwebble as she held it tightly. The seeds grew and entwined with each other, trapping it.
"Weak Armor is an interesting trade-off ability. When hit with a physical based move, a Pokémon becomes much more vulnerable to physical attacks, but gains a lot more speed, making it harder to hit and therefore balancing it out. But what if you can't move? Then you're completely helpless! Do it Amphithere!"
Amphithere gave a cry and leapt into the air, her tail glowing intensely. She fired a huge storm of leaves, much larger than any of her attacks before. The Dwebble watched helplessly as hundreds of leaves blasted it, fainting.
The man watched as the leaves sank to the ground. Kendra rushed forward and caught her Snivy.
"Thanks for believing in me."
Warren watched on, removing his sunglasses.
"That's what Pokémon battling is all about, wouldn't you agree?"
Katsuya turned away. "No," he said bitterly. "They got lucky, it's their own fault they weren't strong enough."
"How can you say that?" shouted Kendra indignantly, surprising even herself.
Katsuya turned to face her, a cold look in his eyes. "Remember this, cause I'm only going to say it once. This is a place where people are meant to have 'fun' and engage in 'friendly competition'. This man in a banana suit was here specifically to battle you. In real life, weaknesses aren't acceptable. I'm telling you this so you don't find out the hard way."
Kendra stared at him, Amphithere clutched in her arms. "Looks like someone has issues," she said, tickling Amphithere's head.
But in her heart, she wanted to learn why.
Unrecorded
Ajax slid through the small calvice in the cave, physically and mentally exhausted. He pulled out his communicator, knowing his phone would receive no signal down here.
While his communicator could receive signals almost anywhere and had a huge reach, it had limited battery. For this reason, it was only to be used in emergencies, like the one he was in now.
He pinged his sister's communicator. He didn't have to wait a second before she picked up.
"Ajax! Are you okay?"
"Not particularly. I've discovered something."
"What!" asked his sister, concerned. "Where are you, what's going on?"
"That can wait, I have something important to tell you. I know what the Barbaracle was after. It was looking for a special kind of mineral known as Magrax."
"What's that?"
"It has a unique ability to become stronger when magnetized. Normally, Magrax has the property of sand, able to stick with more Magrax due to the weak magnetic fields they emit. However, when magnetized, they form strong bonds, becoming harder than steel."
"And why would a Barbaracle of all Pokémon be looking for that?"
"I don't know, but it broke out of its pokéball when I brought it near a deposit of Magrax. Not only did the Barbaracle receive a huge power boost, but the Magrax also hardened upon being close to it."
"Are you trying to say that both the Pokémon and the mineral were strengthened by each other?"
"That's what I'm guessing. I have no idea why a Pokémon would be expressing these properties, but that's your job to figure out. What's your ETA."
"About two hours. But this doesn't explain your situation."
"Well, I'm stuck in a rock and a hard place. The place I'm trapped in is too small for me to even reach a pokéball. And the Barbaracle has picked a new target, me."
Thank you for making it to the end of the episode! I wonder what will happen next? Will Diego and Jax storm the flying gym in an instant? Will Zeke and Claire bring their knowledge and Pokémon to the table and beat the normal gym? Will Alicia and Seth ever stop butting heads? What about Katsuya and Kendra? Find out next on Pokéstars: Island of Challenge!