Chapter 11: Countering the Waves of Battle!
Nugget Bridge
The sun shined bright in the clear, blue sky on a mid-morning day. The sounds of wild Water-type Pokémon swam through the gentle current of the water surrounding the city happily with ease. The slightly warm breeze blew through the grass, plants, and trees; sending off pollen into the sky for Bug-type Pokémon to catch and eat. As the sounds of people and nature passed through the area, I stood on the bridge with my whole team; looking up at the sky. Before we came here; I apologized to them after what had happened yesterday, and told them about my feeling when I turn into my Awakened form. They took my words and apology to heart, and hugged me with love and acceptance. We had a nice quiet and private breakfast together outside the hotel, and then came here to Nugget Bridge to try and clear our minds.
We stood around in silence and let the rays of the sun gently touch us. "Morning, Tay." said a voice. "Hm?" I replied as I turned to my right; seeing Zach and Wartortle walking upto us. "Oh? Morning, Zach." I said. "You guys just chillin' out here?" he asked me. "Yeah. I just wanted to clear my mind a bit before heading to the Gym." I replied. "Ah. Trying to go in there with an open mind, eh?" he replied. "Mhm." I replied. We smiled at each other warmly, and then looked up at the sky together; taking in this peaceful moment that we're having here without anyone in the group knowing. "Hey, Tay? Did you hear something walk into the living room last night?" he asked me. "Uh... no? How come? Did someone break in while we were sleeping?" I replied. "I don't know? All I heard was a couple footsteps, and then when I came in to check it out, I saw somethings on the floor were moved. I guess it might've been some members of your team walking around in the middle of the night looking for food?" he replied.
"Maybe? Or they wanted to find a toy to play with to help them get to sleep faster?" I replied. "Maybe." he replied. We lightly laughed happily together for a moment, turned to each other, and then stared at each other's eyes. He then put his hand on my face; touching my scar for the first time. "Hey... that scar never healed... how come?" he asked me. "Uh... maybe I wanted to keep it?" I replied curiously. "Because you thought it would cool on you?" he replied. "Yeah. You should've seen the reaction on my Mom and brother's faces when I face-timed them earlier this morning, they were freaking out like crazy." I replied. "Yeah, because they never thought you would go berserk on your journey so far?" he replied. "Yeah. My Mom wanted me to heal it immediately, but I decided to keep it because it reminded me of the main character of that one show we all used to watch together when were little." I replied.
"That main character of the show we all watched together? Oh yeah! Now I remember! He was a badass." he replied. "Yeah he was." I replied. We laughed happily together for a moment, and then we heard a text ringtone go off. Zach took out his phone and saw a message appear on his screen. "It's Pat." he said. "What did he say?" I replied. "He's asking where are we right now." he replied. "Finally you answer it!" replied a voice. We jumped in shock, turned around, and saw our group right behind Zach. "Dude! Why did you have to scare us like that!?" Zach asked. "Sorry, man. Thought it would be funny." Pat replied with a smile. "Why you!" Zach replied. He trapped Pat in a headlock, and gave him a nuggie; making us laugh happily. "Anyways. Tay? You ready?" Celina asked me. "For the battle? Yeah. I'm ready." I replied. "Have you decided on who will you use?" Sora replied. "Mhm. But it's a secret. And... I wanna see if Misty has a special Pokémon for me to face, just like Brock did with Steelix." I replied.
"That's true. Since all the Gym Leaders know you are Red's sister, so they would want to test you a little harder than most Gym Challengers." Zuzu replied. I nodded my head yes to her response. "Yeah... but, isn't it a little unfair to the other Gym Challengers for people like Tay to get these kind of battles?" Sora replied. "A little bit, yes... but like Zuzu said... they really want to test and push Tay's limits in battle and see if she can break through the pressure, and come out on top as the future Champion." Celina replied. "Oh... I get it now." Sora replied. "Yep." Celina replied with a smile. We laughed happily for a moment, and then saw Zach and Pat out of the armlock, and looking at us. "Sora? Did you just call Taylor: Tay?" Pat asked him. "Yeah? That's what you call her all the time, right? Because that is her nickname?" Sora replied.
"Yeah... but..." Pat replied. "It's fine. Nearly everyone I know calls me Tay. Ask any person with my first name all over the world. They all call us Tay. It's an easy nickname that rolls off the tongue." I replied. "Really?" Sora replied. "Mhm. And hey, don't ever be afraid to call me Tay. These guys here think they own the nickname... but they don't. You're free to call me Tay as much as you want." I replied with a warm smile. "Really!? Aw, man! Thank you, Tay!" Sora replied happily. We shared a high five, and then we all walked to the Cerulean Gym together.
Cerulean Gym- Outside
"There it is. The Cerulean Gym." said Pat. "Ready, Tay?" Zuzu replied. "Yeah... I'm ready. I just hope there is no crowd inside there right now..." I replied. "Really? You've dealt with a crowd before at the Water Show. You didn't look anxious at all?" Celina replied. "Oh I was nervous. I was just masking it for the entire show." I replied. "Wow... crowds really do give you anxiety, don't they?" Sora replied. "Mhm." I replied. "Well... hopefully there won't be one. Because we want you to only hear us cheer for you." Zuzu replied. "Aww~. Thanks, Zuzu." I replied with a warm smile. We gave each other a side hug, and then looked up at the Gym logo again. "Don't worry, Tay. You've got us to look to when you're feeling anxious about the crowd. Once you see and hear us in there, you'll feel at ease, okay?" said Zach.
"Yeah... thanks, guys. I really appreciate it." I replied; making the group smile. After that, I heard my phone beeping with messages. "Oh? I guess they responded in time." said Celina as I took out my phone, and saw messages from the rest of our friend group.
Yuya: Here we go! Badge number 2! Go get 'em, Tay! I'll be watching from the livestream!
Yugo: Let's Go, Tay-Tay! Time to win that second Badge! Show Misty the real power of Water!
Yuri: It's that time again, eh? I wish you the best of luck in this battle, Taylor. Be sure to use the water to your advantage.
Lulu: You got this, Tay! We'll all be watching the live stream and cheer for you as loud as we can!
Rin: Go get 'em, Tay! I believe in you and your team! You got this in the Bag!
Yuto: Good luck, Tay! Rooting hard for you all the way! You got this! Time to surf on the waves of victory ;)
I smiled happily at the messages, gave them heart notifications, and then put my phone away. "You've got some very special friends there, Taylor." said Necrozma as it spiritually appeared beside me. "Thank you, Necrozma. And hey... I know I've said about a thousand times this morning... but... I apologize for everything that had happened yesterday." I replied in my thoughts. "It's alright, Taylor. The only ones to blame in that situation are the bullies of your childhood. They pushed you to your Awakened form, and now have learned the consequences of it." it replied. "I hope so... but... what happens if I go into that state again?" I replied. "Like Caspian said, you need to learn how to control your instincts when you go into that state. But from what I saw and heard... your friends brought you back to your senses. And you restrained yourself from causing serious harm. You and your Awakened state must work together as one, and not let it overprotect and control you." it replied. "Right... but it will take a lot of time and training to do so." I replied.
"Indeed. But I know that you have the heart to do just that. You just need to face your fears of the Awakened form head on in your training, gain the trust of it within you, and then the Awakened form will give you the strength you truly need to fight without diving into madness." it replied. "Right." I replied. "Anyways. I wish you luck in your second Gym battle. Just be careful on who you choose to fight and who your opponent uses. And if any one you choose wants to Synchronize with you, make sure that it happens with an opponent stronger than you." it replied. "Got it. Thank you, Necrozma." I replied. Necrozma nodded its head, and then disappeared. After that, me and the group finally walked inside the building, and saw the Gym empty inside.
Cerulean Gym- Inside
"Hey! Tay! Over here!" said a voice. I looked straight ahead and saw Misty on the other side of the Gym; waving at me. "Misty!" I replied with a wave. We walked over to each other, and shared a little hug. "You made it." she said as we let go. "Yep. Sure did. Hey? Where's the crowd? I thought you always had a crowd for your battles?" I replied. "Oh? The crowd? I decided to keep the Gym closed for a bit, because I want my battle with you to be something special. I noticed you during my battle with Mako that you were very anxious and nervous. I thought about what to do at first when talking to League Administrators, and then Nico suggested that our battle should be livestreamed for everyone to watch you while having your friends here physically cheer you on." she replied.
"Really? That's... that's very nice and thoughtful of you. Thank you, Misty." I replied. "No problem, kiddo. And hey, us Gym Leaders don't always want to have a crowd watching us all the time. We even get pressure and anxiety from them too. So don't worry... you're not alone in the anxiety department when it comes to peer pressure. It gets us nearly on an every day basis. Then suddenly a few months later, Nico and the League Administrators revealed to us that our Gyms have been introduced to livestreaming equipment, and we all have been livestreaming most of our battles ever since; that way all of our audience can watch any battle at any time. Sounds a lot more easier for people to notice you, right?" she replied. "Yeah. It does. Wait... does that mean that my battle with Brock was livestreamed too?" I replied. "Mhm. It sure was. I was impressed on how you took on Brock by the way. Using the battlefield as an advantage is something Brock hasn't done in a long time." she replied.
"Wow... thanks. I knew that he would use the ground to his advantage... so I had to think of a way to use the ground and the Gym structure to my advantage in a way that no one had ever seen before." I replied. "Yeah. And it was incredible! Especially on how you handled against Steelix with your Lucario. You should've seen the comments on how many people were asking how did you get a Lucario. It made people think that you were an Ace Trainer instead of a Rookie." she replied. "Really? That's... that's interesting." I replied. She laughed happily from my response, and then we went to our respective spots in the Gym. I turned to my left, saw the group sit on the stands, watched them smile and wave; making me do the same, and then I turned back to Misty. "Ah! I see that you're about to have a battle, eh Misty?" said a voice. "Huh!?" we replied as we turned to my right; seeing Nico and Misty's sisters walk into the room.
"Nico! What are you doing here?" said Misty. "He was checking on the live stream equipment to see if it was working, and we confirmed and showed him that it was. Oh, hey Taylor." Daisy replied. "Hi, Daisy." I replied. "Hm? Ah... it's you! The Trainer with the Lucario who took down Brock's unbeatable Steelix! So, we finally meet." Nico replied as he saw me. "Yeah... nice to meet you. I'm Taylor." I replied as he walked up and shook my hand. "She's a special kid, Nico. Not many beginning Trainers like her can win their first Gym Badge the way she did." Misty replied. "I see. You must be a very special Trainer to have a rare Pokémon like a Lucario this early on in your career." Nico replied. "Yeah... I guess I am lucky." I replied sheepishly. "Hey, Misty? Is she going to challenge you right now?" Violet replied.
"Yeah. She is. I was just going to tell her the kind of Gym Battle we are about to have." Misty replied. "Oh, excellent! I can't wait to experience this battle in person! Taylor, I wish you the best of luck for this battle. I can't wait to see the kind of strategies that you will use here." Nico replied. "Thank you, Nico. I'll try my best." I replied. After that, Nico and Misty's sisters went over to their seats, sat down, and then watched me and Misty look back to each other. "Alright, Taylor. I usually use two Pokémon for Trainers that gotten their first Badge in order to get their second... but just like Brock, I want to give you a challenge. In this battle, I will use four Pokémon in this match. If you can defeat all four of my Pokémon in this match, you will earn the Cascade Badge from me. You know... I've watched you grow up with the first three members of your team, taught you how to swim, and saw you fully shine when you got Tsunami to trust you. You really have grown up into a strong Trainer... and now all these years later... I wanna see what you have learned from me and your brother from our battles. Is that okay with you?" Misty asked me.
"Sure. That's fine by me." I replied. "Pika-chu." Tetrax replied. She smiled at us for a moment, and then we looked around the Gym; seeing the cameras turn on. "Tay? You know what time it is?" she asked me. "Yeah. It's battle time!" I replied. "That's the spirit! You got the heart, but let's see if you got the skills to take me down! Go, Staryu!" she replied as she took out a Dive Ball, threw it up in the air, and watched it open; seeing Staryu appear. "Hyah!" said Staryu. "Whoa! She has a Staryu!" said Sora. He took out his phone and activated his PokéDex. "Staryu, the Star Shape Pokémon. A Water type. An enigmatic Pokémon that can effortlessly regenerate any appendage it loses in battle. It appears in large numbers by seashores. At night, its central core flashes with a red light." said Sora's PokéDex. "Whoa... that's cool." Sora replied. "Yeah. Maybe when we go to the beach, we can find a couple of them on our own to try and sway the ladies." Pat replied. "Oh yeah." Sora replied.
Zach, Zuzu, and Celina rolled their eyes in amusement to their conversation, and then Zuzu heard a few beeps on her phone. She took it out and saw messages of our group on her screen. "Are they telling you that they are watching the stream right now?" Zach asked her. "Mhm. Even all of our parents are watching too." Zuzu replied. "Really? Our parents are watching?" he replied. "Yep. So don't be surprised if they send you screenshots." she replied. "I wouldn't be surprised at all." he replied. After that, they turned back to the battlefield, and saw a PokéBall in my hand. "Here we go." said Pat. "Let's see who she's going with first." Celina replied. The group nodded their heads in agreement too; wondering to see who will be my first choice for the battle. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, felt the energy of the water in the pool with my Aura, sighed, opened my eyes, and looked at Staryu again. "Staryu, huh? Okay... let's see if it has dealt with this kind of Pokémon before! Go, Solar!" I said as I threw up Solar's PokéBall up in the air, watched it open, and saw Solar appear on the platform in front of me.
"Saur!" he said. "A Bulbasaur, huh? That's a smart choice, Tay. Now..? You ready for this?" Misty replied. "I was born ready." I replied. "Battle, begin!" said the official.
Battle! Taylor vs. Misty!
"Let's kick things off strong, Staryu! Use Swift!" said Misty. "Hyah! Hy-ah!" Staryu replied as it used the attack. Solar took on the attack head on, and used his vines and body weight to stay on the platform as it rocked around a bit. "Bul-ba-saur." he said as he shook off the attack. "Oh? He's a headstrong kid of guy, huh? Well let's see if he can handle this! Staryu! Psybeam!" Misty replied. "Hyah! Hy-ah!" Staryu replied as its core glew multiple colors and fired a multicolored beam at Solar. "Dodge it!" I said. "Saur!" Solar replied as he used his vines to jump up into the air; dodging the attack. "Yah!?" Staryu replied surprised. "Now spin and use Razor Leaf!" I replied. "Bulb! Bul-ba-saur! Bul-ba!" Solar replied as he spun around in the air, and used Razor Leaf; hitting Staryu from above. "Ah! Staryu!" Misty replied. "Now use Poison Powder!" I replied.
"Bul-ba-saur! Bul-ba!" Solar replied as he made a purple power come out from his bulb, and sprinkle the power on Staryu; poisoning it. "What? He poisoned it? How come?" said Pat. "To make it faint faster. When a Pokémon gets poisoned, it drains their energy out until they faint. If they don't have an item that cures their poison, the battle will end quicker than before." Sora replied. "He's right. We learned all about status conditions at the Academy and at our regular schools." Celina replied. "Oh? Really?" Pat replied. "Yeah. But I gotta say... she knew how to use a status move at the perfect time. She wants to stall Misty for a little bit and get her team more prepared on what they have to face after their foe is inflicted." Celina replied. The group was amazed at what she said, and then nodded their heads in agreement to what she had said.
"Staryu! Are you alright?" said Misty. "Hyah!" Staryu replied as it turned to her, nodded, and showed off its glowing core as purple bubbles appeared above its body. Misty nodded her head in understanding, and then looked back at me and Solar; waiting for the next attack. "Alright! Staryu! Use Bubble Beam!" she said. "Yah! H-yah!" Staryu replied as it fired a beam of bubbles from its core. "Dodge it with the water pads!" I said. "Saur! Bul-ba-Bul-ba-Bul-ba-Bul-ba-saur!" Solar replied as he jumped on the water pads and dodged the attack. "Oh... playing it safe, aren't you? Well let's see if you can dodge this! Staryu! Ice Beam!" Misty replied. "Yah! Hy-ah!" Staryu replied as it used Ice Beam. "Energy Ball on the water!" I replied. "Saur! Bul-ba-saur! Bul-ba!" Solar replied as he jumped back to my side of the field, charged up a green energy ball from his mouth, and fired it onto the water as he saw the Ice Beam coming towards him. The splash of the water touched the Ice Beam and completely froze solid; shocking everyone in the room.
"What!?" said Misty surprised. "Hyah!?" Staryu replied in shock. "Whoa! She countered the Ice Beam with the water!" said Pat. "She's using the field to her advantage!" Sora replied. "That's our girl!" Celina replied. "Alright! Go, Tay, go!" Zuzu cheered. "Vul-pix-Vul!" Vulpix cheered. "Pi-ka-chu!" Zuzu's Pikachu cheered. Staryu stood back on the platform, took effect of the poison still in its body, shook off the pain, and then went over to the frozen water in front of it. "Get ready, Staryu! Who knows what they're upto?" said Misty. "Yah!" Staryu replied. as it looked at the ice with its core, it noticed that something was happening in the middle of it. "Hy?" it said curiously. It got closer to the middle, saw it melting from something hot, made its core glow, and then saw a green energy beam forming through the ice. "Hyah!?" it replied in shock. The beam melted and cracked through the ice for a few seconds, and then broke free of the ice; hitting Staryu right in the core. "Yah!" Staryu yelled.
"No! Staryu!" Misty replied in shock. Staryu fell back to Misty's side of the battlefield, landed down in pain, slowly stood up, and it and Misty watched the ice structure completely fall apart; seeing Solar, Tetrax, and I standing there. Staryu's core blinked multiple times, and then collapsed in pain and exhaustion. The official ran over to Staryu, checked its condition, and then raised her hand to my side of the field. "Staryu is unable to battle! Bulbasaur is the winner!" she said. "Alright!" my group cheered. "Saur! Bulba-saur!" Solar cheered as he ran over to me, jumped in my arms, and gave me a hug; making me smile and laugh happily. As we did this, a sound of a PokéBall opened on my side of the field, and Hydro appeared beside me. We looked down, saw him, and I let him and Solar give each other a hug and high five in celebration. Misty returned Staryu to its Dive Ball, and looked down at it with a soft smile. "You did great out there, Staryu, Now take a good rest." she said.
She put Staryu's Ball away, took out another Dive Ball, and then smirked at me. "Tay! I have to give it to you. You took the advantage of the battlefield in a spectacular way. Not many Trainers who bring their Grass-type Pokémon use a strategy like you did to block and counter Ice Beam. If Lady Lorelei was here and saw that... she would be very impressed with you." she said. "Thanks." I replied. "Lady Lorelei? Who is she?" said Sora. "She's one of the members of Kanto's Elite 4. She is the first member you face after you collect the eight Gym Badges." Celina replied. "Oh? Is she as strong as they say?" Sora replied. "Mhm. She specializes in Ice-type Pokémon, and her signature Pokémon is Lapras." Celina replied. "Lapras! They are so cute!" Zuzu replied. "Yep! They sure are!" Celina replied. The girls smiled at each other, and then turned to the battlefield; seeing me prepare for Misty's second Pokémon.
"As much as I want to praise you, Tay. But this is where your Bulbasaur meets his match! Go, Starmie!" said Misty as she threw the Dive Ball up in the air, watched it open, and saw Starmie appear; shocking the group. "What!? She's sending out Starmie early!?" said Pat surprised. "Oh no... this is bad..." Sora replied worriedly. "Very bad... Solar is part Poison-type, and Starmie is part Psychic-type... just one Psychic attack could knock him out if she isn't careful." Pat replied. The girls held each others hands worriedly, and then saw Vulpix, Pikachu, and Nidoran huddled up together, jump up on the rail, and start cheering loud for Solar. Pat's Bulbasaur, Sora's Munchlax, and Zach's Wartortle jumped on the rail a moment later and followed their friends lead; cheering loud for Solar too. We heard their cheers, took a deep breath, smiled, and got into our battle stance; ready to fight.
"Solar! Use Vine Whip!" I said. "Saur! Bul-ba-saur!" Solar replied as he used Vine Whip. "Dodge it!" Misty replied. "Hyah!" Starmie replied as it dodged Vine Whip. "Saur!?" Solar replied in shock. "Now trap him with Rapid Spin!" Misty replied. "Yah! H-yah!" Starmie replied as its core glew red, spun itself around very quickly, dashed over to Solar, and began spinning around him; hitting him at the same time. "Solar! Get out of there!" I replied. "I don't think so! Keep up the Rapid Spin, and use Liquidation!" Misty replied. "Hy! Hy-ah!" Starmie replied as it kept using Rapid Spin, surrounded itself in water energy, and bashed Solar with the water fired from its appendages; making the combo attack into a waterspout on land.
"What!? That's impossible! Starmie can't naturally learn Liquidation at all!" said Celina surprised. "How did she find one that can do that?" Zach replied. "I don't know..? But from what I can tell from here... Misty outplayed Taylor with this strategy. She used Starmie's speed to her advantage. If Tay is able to switch before Starmie lands the final blow, she can out-speed it with Tetrax or Tsunami." Celina replied. "Yeah. Let's hope so." Zach replied. After their conversation, the combo attack ended, and we all saw Solar way up in the air, and begin to fall. "Solar!" I said worriedly. "This is it, Starmie! Use Psychic to finish him off!" Misty replied. "Yah! Hy-ah!" Starmie replied as it used Psychic on Solar; damaging him. "Saur!" he cried. "Solar!" I replied worriedly. Starmie then dropped him down to my side of the battlefield, looked down at us, and then floated back to Misty's side of the field.
The official ran over to my side of the field, checked on Solar's condition, and then raised her hand to Misty's side of the field. "Bulbasaur is unable to battle! Starmie is the winner!" she said. The group's Pokémon sighed in sadness to see Solar lose against Starmie, and then turned to their Trainers; seeing them looking at them. They comforted them for a moment, and then saw me pick up Solar in my arms. "He fought so well." said Zuzu. "Yeah... he did. He and Tay did something that I never expected to do, and they used their advantage for a bit of time to show the world how to use the battlefield to your advantage." Zach replied. The group nodded their heads in agreement, and then saw Aurasoul and Dragonfire appear from their PokéBalls.
They blinked their eyes, and saw me walk over to them. I stopped in front of their feet, looked down at Solar in my arms, and saw him open his eyes. "Saur..." he said. "You were great out there, Solar. The strategy that we pulled off against Staryu together was excellent." I replied in a motherly tone. "Saur." he replied with a smile. "You gave it your all out there. I'm so proud of you." I replied. I handed him over to Aurasoul, and gave him a couple Oran Berries to munch on; making him heal up his wounds and happy. "Now you take a good rest, and watch what opponents we'll face next." I said. He nodded his head in understanding, and then I walked back to my side of the field; seeing Tetrax and Hydro looking up at me. "Squirtle..." said Hydro. "Pi-ka..." Tetrax replied. I sighed for a moment, knelt down on my right knee, and petted their heads. "Don't worry, guys. He's going to be okay. He's right over there with Aurasoul and Dragonfire. They'll keep him safe." I replied.
"Squirtle-Squirt." Hydro replied with a nod of his head. "Pika." Tetrax replied with a nod of his head. I nodded my head too, stood back up, took a deep breath, and took out a PokéBall. "Alright, buddy. Let's do this. I know that you are weak to Psychic-types, but after the training that you did with Abra yesterday showed me that you have the will power to hang on and endure it. She might think she can take you down with ease, but we're going to show her the willpower that we hold deep in our hearts together! I choose you, Nidoran!" I said as I threw the PokéBall up in the air, watched it open, and saw my Nidoran appear on the platform. "Nido-ran!" he said as his body showed off a couple sparkles. "What!?" my group replied in shock. "A Nidoran..? That's a very odd choice." Misty replied. "Ni-do." my Nidoran replied.
"Is she crazy!? Why is she sending him out!? She could've sent out Nova, Clefairy, Abra, or Tetrax! What is she doing!?" said Pat surprised. "I don't know... but whatever their plan is... it better work out fast." Celina replied. "Yeah..." Pat replied. After that, they looked back to the battlefield, and saw Starmie levitate itself in the air with its psychic power. Nidoran looked up at Starmie, got into his battle stance, and then saw Starmie quickly begin to descend. "It's Rapid Spin! Dodge it!" I said. "Nido!" Nidoran replied as he dodged the attack. He jumped onto one of the water platforms, looked at Starmie, and saw it dive into the water. "Ran!?" he said. He looked around anxiously for a moment, and then turned to me; wondering what to do. Once he saw the look in my eyes, he then began to relax, took a deep breath, nodded his head, turned back around, closed his eyes, and began to sense the movement of the water.
"What the... what is Nidoran doing?" said Misty to herself. Her sisters and Nico watched Nidoran closely, and then turned to me; wondering what this strategy is. After a few moments of silence, Nidoran quickly opened his eyes and jumped off the platform, turned around, heard the splash of the water rise up, knock away the first platform, and then saw Starmie appear with its core glowing at him. "What!?" said Misty surprised. "Yes! She did the movement sensing strategy again!" said Pat. "Way to go, Tay!" Zach replied. "So that's her plan! They're sensing the movement in the water!" Celina replied. "Ni-do!" Celina's Nidoran replied happily. "Now use Shadow Claw!" I said. "Ran! Ni-do-ran!" my Nidoran replied as he made his claws form a shadowy black and purple color around them, charged at Starmie, and slashed it; knocking it back a bit.
"Don't give in yet, Starmie! Use Liquidation!" said Misty. "Yah! Hy-ah!" Starmie replied as it used Liquidation again; knocking back my Nidoran a bit. He shook off the pain, and then went charging at it again. "Shadow Claw!" I said. "Liquidation!" Misty replied. After that, out two Pokémon clashed again; attacking each other multiple times. Misty and I watched in silence as this went on, and then after about three minutes later, our Pokémon were pushed back by the forces of their attacks. My Nidoran shook the water off, and began to pant heavily, while Starmie breathed slowly as its core blinked multiple times; showing that it was exhausted too. "Tay. You have a very strong and sturdy Nidoran there. It's been a long time since a Pokémon like him get Starmie this exhausted. His resolve and willpower is something I haven't seen in a Pokémon for a very long time. You've trained him and your team very well." said Misty. "Thanks." I replied.
"You're welcome... but now this is where this battle ends! Starmie! Lift him up with Psychic and used Rapid Spin!" she replied. "Hyah! Hy-ah! Hyah!" Starmie replied as it used Psychic on my Nidoran, damaged him, lifted him up in the air, levitated itself up in the air, and then used Rapid Spin on him; damaging him more. "Ni-do!" my Nidoran cried. "Nidoran!" I replied worriedly. Starmie stopped Rapid Spin, and then threw Nidoran down to the platform in front of me, landed safely on the ground, and looked at Nidoran. "Ni... do..." he said as he tried to stand back up. "Come on, Nidoran! You can get back up! I know you can do it! I believe in you!" I replied worriedly. "Pika-Pi!" Tetrax replied worriedly. "Squirtle-Squirt!" Hydro replied worried. "Saur!" Solar replied worriedly. Aurasoul and Dragonfire let out cries as well; trying to cheer Nidoran on. As the cries continued, Celina's Nidoran jumped out out of her Trainer's arms, landed on the railing, and stared at my Nidoran worriedly as she nearly saw him fall back down. "Ni-do-ran!" she cried.
Once he heard her cry, his eyes quickly opened up, turned his head to the left, saw her on the railing crying out to him. "Ni... do... Ni-do." he said. He slowly shook his head, turned back to Starmie, and slowly stood back up. "No... way... he's still fighting..." said Misty. My group looked at my Nidoran in shock as he stood back up and got into his battle stance. "You got this, Nidoran!" Sora cheered. "You can do it!" Zuzu cheered. "Ni-do. Ni-do-ran!" my Nidoran replied as he lifted his head up. As he did this, his body began to glow and start his evolution; shocking all of us. "What the!? What's going on!?" said Pat. "He's evolving!" Zach replied. "No way!" Zuzu replied. "This is sick!" Celina replied. "Ni-do..." Celina's Nidoran replied in awe as she watched her friend evolve. As the evolution continued, me and my team watched it in shock; wondering how this was happening. A couple seconds later, my Nidoran evolved into a Nidorino! "Ri-no!" he said.
"Whoa! Look at that!" said Sora. "Nidoran evolved into Nidorino!" Celina replied happily. "So cool!" Sora replied. Nidorino turned around, looked at me, and then walked over to me. "Nidoran... you... you evolved!" I said happily. "Ri-no." he replied with a nod of his head. I took out my phone and activated my PokéDex. "Nidorino, the Poison Pin Pokémon. A Poison type, and the evolved form of the male Nidoran. Nidorino has a horn that is harder than a diamond. If it senses a hostile presence, all the barbs on its back bristle up at once, and it challenges the foe with all its might." said my PokéDex. "Ni-dorino!" Nidorino replied. I gave him a quick hug happily, let him go, put my phone away, and then saw something crackle on his horn. "What the?" I said. I watched his horn again, and saw some yellow electricity crackle around it. "Nidorino..? Did you just learn what I think it is?" I asked him. "Nido." he replied with a smirk and nod of his head. He then turned to Tetrax, making him smirk too, and then winked their eyes at each other. "No... way... Tet? Did you teach him one of your moves?" I asked him. "Chu!" he replied happily.
After now knowing what I just saw, I smiled and nodded my head to them; making them do the same. We turned back to Misty, and I watched Nidorino walk back to his spot of the battlefield. "Alright! Let's finish this, Nidorino! Use Thunderbolt!" I said. "Ni-do! Ni-do-rino!" he replied as he made yellow electricity cover his horn, and fire the attack onto Starmie; shocking it. "Yah!" Starmie cried. "Starmie!" Misty replied as Starmie fell back from the attack. "Alright!" Sora and Zuzu cheered happily. "Now he knows Thunderbolt!" Pat replied. "Yes! This is what Tay needs to win!" Celina replied. "Come on, Tay! You can do it!" Zach replied. Starmie slowly walked back to its side of the field, and looked at Nidorino as he stared back at it. Starmie took a couple steps forward, and then used its psychic power to levitate itself up in the air. "Starmie..? You still want to fight?" Misty asked it. "Hyah." Starmie replied. "Alright then. Let's do this! Use a combination move of Liquidation and Rapid Spin!" she replied. "Hyah! Hy-ah!" Starmie replied as it combined both moves again, and charged towards Nidorino.
"A combination move, huh? Well we got something better than that! Nidorino! Use a combination move of Thunderbolt and Horn Attack!" I said. "Nido! Ni-do-ri-no!" Nidorino replied as he surrounded his horn and body with Thunderbolt, made his horn glow white as it crackled with electricity, and then charged at Starmie. The attacks clashed and made an explosion; covering the field in steam. After a couple minutes of silence, the steam disappeared, and showed both Starmie and Nidorino still standing tall; staring each other down. My group slowly stood up in silence, looked at Nidorino, and then saw him and Starmie faint at the same time. "Nidorino!" I said. "Starmie!" Misty replied. The official ran over to both Pokémon, checked their conditions, and raised both her hands to our sides of the battlefield. "Both Nidorino and Starmie are unable to battle! The result is a tie!" she said.
I walked over to Nidorino, knelt down, watched him open his eyes, helped him stand up, and gave him a Sitrus Berry. He sniffed the Berry in my hand, and then began to eat it. "Great job, Nidorino. You fought well." I said. "Rino." he replied happily. I walked him back to Aurasoul, Dragonfire, and Solar, and they celebrated Nidorino on his battle. He then layed down on the floor with Solar as I knelt down to them. "Now you take a good rest. You and Solar fought excellently today." I said to them. "Ni-do." Nidorino replied. "Bul-basaur." Solar replied. I warmly smiled at them, gave them a couple more Berries, and then walked back to my side of the field. When I took my last two steps, Tetrax jumped up on my shoulder, looked around the room, and then looked at me; wondering what is our next move.
"Is... is she okay?" Sora asked the group. "I think so? Maybe the events of what just happened with Nidorino were a little overwhelming for her?" Pat replied. "Maybe..." Sora replied. "Well... nobody expected that Tay's Nidoran would evolve during a Gym battle. But that was a real shock factor to see." Pat replied. "Mhm." Sora replied as he nodded his head in agreement. They then turned to Zach and saw him, Zuzu, and Celina looking at the livestream comments on his phone. "Guys? What are they saying?" Pat asked them. "They're blown away at what just happened." Zach replied. "And they think Taylor's strategies are very unique." Zuzu replied. "That's awesome! We've got a lot to learn from her, huh Celina? With her strategies, you'll win against Yuri in battle big time!" Sora replied. "You've got that right, Sora. Let's just hope that he doesn't pick up on her battle style first." Celina replied. "Nido-ran!" Celina's Nidoran replied happily. Zach put his phone away, looked back at the battlefield, and saw me stare Misty down silently. "Come on, Tay... two down... and two to go. Think wisely on who she'll bring out next." he said to himself.
I blinked my eyes, watched Misty return Starmie to its Dive Ball, and then hold it tight in her hand. "You were excellent out there, Starmie. Now take a good rest." she said. She put the Dive Ball away, took out a Lure Ball, and stared me down. We smirked at each other confidently; proud of how much fun this battle has been. "You know..? I haven't been this pumped up during a battle in a long time. All the sweat, stress, and tension of it all. You really are something, aren't you?" she said. "I guess you can say that. When it comes to battles like this... I want to give it all I got, and show my opponents the true power of a Pokémon and Trainer's bond." I replied. "Pi-ka-chu." Tetrax replied. "Squirtle." Hydro replied. Misty smiled at my response, and then prepared to throw the Lure Ball. "Ready, old friend? It's time to show the world what you're made of! Go, Vaporeon!" she said as she threw the Lure Ball up in the air. The Lure Ball opened, and Vaporeon appeared on the platform. "Vaporeon!" it said.
"Ah! It's Vaporeon!" Zuzu replied happily. "No way! She's actually going to use it!? That's so cool!" Celina replied happily. Vaporeon slightly moved its tail a couple times, and then got into its battle stance; ready to fight. "Squirtle..." said Hydro. "Pi-ka..." Tetrax replied. "Tet?" I replied. "Pi?" he replied curiously as he turned to me. "You ready to go?" I replied as I turned to him. "Pi!? Pi-Pikachu!" he replied happily and then showed a smirk. He then jumped over to the platform, got into his battle stance, and made electricity spark out of his cheeks. "Pi-ka-chu." he said. "There he is! She's actually going to use him!" Zach replied happily. "Oh, here we go!" Celina replied happily. "You got this, Tetrax! You can do it!" Zuzu cheered. "Pi-Pikachu!" Zuzu's Pikachu cheered. Tetrax heard her cheer, turned to her, smiled, nodded his head, and then turned back to Vaporeon; ready to fight.
"Finally! I've been waiting a long time to challenge him!" said Misty. "Por!" Vaporeon replied. "Likewise. He's been waiting for the day to challenge Vaporeon after seeing it battle so many times in Gym and League matches. This has been a long time coming." I replied. "Pi-ka!" Tetrax replied. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get this battle started! Vaporeon! Quick Attack!" Misty replied. "Por! Va-por-eon!" Vaporeon replied as it used the attack. "We'll use Quick Attack as well!" I replied. "Pi-ka! Pi-kachu!" Tetrax replied as he used the attack; clashing with Vaporeon. They pushed each other with the same attack for a moment, and then pushed each other back to their platforms. "Not bad. Vaporeon! Bubble Beam!" said Misty. "Vapor! Va-por-eon!" Vaporeon replied as it used the attack. "Dodge it!" I replied. "Pika!" Tetrax replied as he dodged the attack by spinning in the air around it. "Por!?" Vaporeon replied surprised. "What!?" Misty replied surprised. "Now use Electro Ball!" I replied. "Pi-ka! Pi-ka-chu! Pi-ka!" Tetrax replied as he formed the ball of green electricity on his tail, charged it up, and threw it at Vaporeon; damaging it. "Por!" Vaporeon cried. "Vaporeon!" Misty replied worriedly..
"Hey! That was your spinning move from your Contests! How did he know how to do that?" Celina asked Zuzu. "Vul!" Vulpix replied with a smile. "Huh!? Vulpix? Did you teach him how to do the spin dodge?" Zuzu replied. "Vul!" Vulpix replied happily. "Did you teach Pikachu the same thing as well?" Zuzu replied. "Vul." Vulpix replied happily with a nod of her head. "Pi-ka-chu." Zuzu's Pikachu replied with a smile and nod of her head as well. "That's amazing! Good job, Vulpix!" Zuzu replied. "Vul~" Vulpix replied happily. The girls smiled happily at each other, and then turned back to the battlefield. "Vaporeon! Dive into the water!" said Misty. "Vapor!" Vaporeon replied as it ran and dived into the water. As it swam around, the molecular structure in its body began to blend into the water.
"What!? It blended in with the water!?" said Sora. "That's Vaporeon's defense mechanism. It will jump in the water, and use its molecular structure to blend into the water and hide from its attackers. Once the attacker is fully distracted... Vaporeon will jump out of the water and attack back at its foe with a powerful Hydro Pump." Zach replied. "Whoa..." Sora and Pat replied. "Zach? Did your Grandpa teach you that?" Celina replied. "Mhm." Zach replied. "I see. Stuff like that from your Gramps really inspired you to become a Researcher, huh?" she replied. "Yep. Stuff like that is also the reason why I wanted to be a Trainer in the first place. I want to explore the world, find out many new things about Pokémon that no one has ever taught me before, and learn how to bond with them." he replied. "Tor." Wartortle replied with a nod of his head.
Celina lightly smiled at them in understanding, and then turned back to the battlefield; seeing Tetrax looking around the water. "Come on, Tay... you gotta think of something fast before Vaporeon strikes..." she said to herself. She blinked her eyes once, turned to me, and saw me and Tetrax lower our heads slowly. "Hm? What are they doing?" she said curiously. After she said that, Tetrax and I began to lightly jump from side to side for a moment. After that, we quickly lifted our heads up with a smirk; confusing everyone in the room. "Ready, bud?" I said. "Pi-ka!" he replied. "Alright! Shock the entire pool with Thunderbolt!" I replied. "Pika! Pi-ka-chu!" he replied as he fired Thunderbolt onto the water of the pool; shocking everything in the water. As we heard the crackles on the water, Vaporeon blasted out of the water in shock. "Por!" it cried. "What!?" said everyone watching in the room.
"I guess you forgot that water conducts electricity. Once we saw Vaporeon jump into the water... we knew that we had to strike the entire pool in order to lure it out and stop its surprise attack." I replied. "Pikachu." Tetrax replied with a smirk. "Holy shit... she played it smart. If she keeps this up, she'll outdo Yuri and Dennis in battle strategies. That's my girl... and my rival." said Celina in her thoughts. She smiled confidently at me, and then saw Vaporeon jump back onto the platform. "Vaporeon! Are you alright?" Misty asked it. "Poreon!" Vaporeon replied with a nod of its head. "Alright! Use Hydro Pump!" Misty replied. "Vapor! Va-pore-on!" Vaporeon replied as it used the attack. "Dodge it by running on the electricity with Quick Attack!" I replied. "Pika! Pika-Pika-Pika-Pika-Pika-Pika-Pika-Pika!" Tetrax replied as he used Quick Attack to dodge the Hydro Pump, and run on the water; absorbing the electricity back into his body. Vaporeon then ran after Tetrax, and used Hydro Pump multiple times to try to stop him from running. "Oh no you don't! Vaporeon! Use Blizzard!" said Misty.
"Vapor! Va-pore-on!" Vaporeon replied as it used Blizzard; slowly freezing the water of the pool. "Pi-ka!?" Tetrax replied in shock. "Don't stop, Tetrax! Use Iron Tail on one platform to knock it up and send it flying to Vaporeon!" I replied. "Pika! Pi-ka-chu! Pika!" Tetrax replied as he used Iron Tail on one of the circle platforms, knocked it up in the air, touched it with his paws, covered it in electricity, and sent it flying towards Vaporeon; hitting successfully. "Oh!" said my group in shock and surprise. "Dude! That was sick!" Pat replied. "Yeah! She's using the entire field to her advantage!" Sora replied. "And that idea with the platform! That was incredible!" Zuzu replied. "That's our girl!" Celina replied. "Oh yeah!" Zach replied.
Tetrax landed back on my side of the field, watched the frost fade away slowly, and then saw something quickly coming towards him. "Block it!" I said. "Pika-chu!" he replied as it got into a defensive stance, saw Vaporeon coming towards him with Quick Attack, and blocked it with his strength. They stared each other down intensely for a moment, and then Vaporeon pushed Tetrax away with the attack. Tetrax shook off the pain, cracked his knuckles, and got into his battle stance; ready to strike back. "Quick Attack!" me and Misty said in unison. Our Pokémon then used the attack, clashed, pushed each other away, and then did the same thing multiple times. As they clashed, the ice broke away from the water and moved to different spots of the pool. When they clashed for the final time and pushed each other away, Vaporeon suddenly stumbled on Misty's platform, and showed little crackles of green electricity around it.
"What the..? What happened to Vaporeon?" said Zach. "It's paralyzed!" Zuzu replied. "It is! That must be because of Tetrax's Static ability!" Celina replied. "Static?" Zach replied curiously. "Mhm. Static is an ability that some Electric-type Pokémon can have. Whenever they are hit by a physical attack, that ability has a chance to paralyze their opponent." Celina replied. "Oh... that's cool. Does it slow down the opponent a little bit until they can shake it off?" Zach replied. "Yep. But now that Vaporeon is paralyzed, Tay and Tetrax have a chance to take down Vaporeon before it can use any move to knock him out." Zuzu replied. Zach nodded his head in understanding, and then looked back at Vaporeon; seeing it staring me and Tetrax as it began to fight its status condition. "Vaporeon! Bubble Beam!" said Misty. "Por! Va-por-eon!" Vaporeon replied as it used the attack.
"Stop it with Electro Ball!" I replied. "Pi-ka! Pi-ka-chu! Pi-ka!" Tetrax replied as he used Electro Ball again, threw it at the Bubble Beam, and stopped it in its tracks. The smoke disappeared a couple moments, and then Misty and Vaporeon saw Tetrax jump up in the air. "Vaporeon!?" said Vaporeon surprised. "Oh no!" Misty replied. "This is it! Finish it off with Thunderbolt!" I replied. "Pi-ka-chu!" Tetrax replied as he used Thunderbolt on Vaporeon; damaging it. "Por!" cried Vaporeon. "Vaporeon!" Misty replied worriedly. The attack ended, and Tetrax landed on my side of the battlefield safely. He stood up on his hind legs, stared down at Vaporeon at the other side, and saw it still standing; staring at him. They blinked their eyes once, smirked at each other, and then Vaporeon fell down to the ground. The official went over to Misty's side of the field, checked Vaporeon's condition, and then raised her hand to my side of the field. "Vaporeon is unable to battle! Pikachu is the winner!" she said.
"Alright! Way to go, Tetrax!" I replied happily. "Pi-Pikachu!" he replied happily as he turned to me, ran up, jumped into my arms, and gave me a hug. "Squirtle-Squirt!" Hydro cheered. Our group cheered happily at the result; celebrating the victory. Misty returned Vaporeon to its Lure Ball, and smiled at it warmly. "You were great out there, Vaporeon. I know that you must feel proud to see how your old friend has grown and become stronger than you have seen before. When this is all over, you can compliment him on his strength and strategy. Now, take a good rest." she said. She put its Ball away, and then took out a second Lure Ball; ready for her final strike. Tetrax and I ended our hug, and he jumped out of my arms; landing back to the platform. He smiled proudly at his accomplishment, and stared at Misty; wondering who will be his next opponent.
"My, my... this Trainer is very impressive. I haven't seen a Trainer like her to use an entire battlefield as part of their strategy like this before." said Nico. "You said it." Daisy replied. "Yeah. These strategies that she's pulling off are something that Misty has never seen before. And from what I can tell in this battle... this is the most fun I've seen Misty in battle for a very long time." Lily replied. "Agreed. It has been a very long since someone like Taylor to give Misty and actual challenge with her type specialty." Violet replied. "Indeed." Daisy replied. The three sisters nodded their heads in agreement, and then looked over to Nico; seeing that he has been taking notes of me and my strategies. "This is excellent. A Trainer with this kind of skill has shown me that she has the guts and willpower to become the next Champion of the Kanto region! No... not just the Kanto region... the whole entire world!" he said. "Really, Nico? You really do see her with that potential?" Daisy replied. "Not just think it! I know it! I have seen many Trainers compete like her in the League throughout my career... but they don't have the mindset like she does! Knowing when to dodge at the exact milliseconds to impact, using the battlefield during type advantage and disadvantage, and having a real and powerful bond to withstand anything that is coming their way! That is the kind of Trainer that I have been searching for my entire career!" Nico replied.
We all heard what Nico had said, and it made me blush in embarrassment and happiness. "Wow, Tay... those were very kind and special words to hear from someone that works in the Pokémon League." said Misty. "Thank you... I'd never thought in a million years that I would be praised like that." I replied sheepishly. "No problem. And they're right about your strategies. Those strategies are something that I have never seen any Trainer do at all in my career. The way you knew of Vaporeon's ability to dissolve and become one with the water, and how you made your Nidorino combine both a physical and special move to take down Starmie? Those were very impressive. I have a feeling that all my future matches are not going to set the bar high like the way you did." she replied. "Really..? Wow... I... uh... thank you." I replied shyly. She smiled warmly at me, and then showed me the second Lure Ball she had in her hand. "This is it, Tay. My final Pokémon for the match. It's inside this Lure Ball that I am holding here in my hand. Do you think you know who's inside it?" she said. My eyes widened in shock to her question, and I began to think about who does she have left.
"What? Why is she making her guess the Pokémon she has left?" Sora replied. "To make her second guess herself." Celina replied. "What?" the group replied curiously. "Think about it. This Pokémon has to be her strongest one in her party. And I have a feeling that it isn't Blastoise..." she replied. The group's eyes widened in shock to her response, turned back to me for a moment, and then looked back at her. "No... don't tell me... she doesn't have what I think she has... doesn't she?" Zach asked worriedly. "Yeah. I think she has a Gyarados of her own." she replied. They gulped in fear, and then turned back to me; seeing me clutch my hands into fists. "I think she knows..." said Pat. "If it's true... then Tetrax should beat it with ease... right?" Sora replied. "True. But don't you guys remember how hard it was for her to defeat those Gyarados a few days ago? It had to take multiple attacks to take them down. Not even one Thunderbolt stopped them." Zuzu replied. "She's right... it took more than one Thunderbolt to take them down. And they were wild Gyarados. But a properly trained one... I have a feeling that this won't be good..." Celina replied. They then held their Pokémon worriedly; fearing of what will happen next.
"Well, Tay? Do you have a guess on who this Pokémon is?" Misty asked me. "Uh... is it... Gyarados..?" I replied nervously. "Ding, ding! We have a winner! You're right! Come on out, Gyarados!" she replied as she threw the Lure Ball up in the air, watched it open, and saw her Gyarados appear in the water. He let out a mighty roar, and looked down at me and my team; seeing us looking up at him in shock. He let out an intimidating roar at us, and then got into his battle position; ready to fight. I was completely stunned and silent for a moment; wondering what did I get myself into. I blinked my eyes, lightly slapped myself in the face to get back to reality, and looked back at Misty and Gyarados. "Come on, Tay... snap out of it. Don't you get cold feet now. You've handled facing a Gyarados before. Just remember that it's going to take more than one Thunderbolt to take it down." I said to myself. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, opened my eyes, and looked at Tetrax; seeing him wondering if I was okay.
I nodded my head to him; reassuring him that I am alright. He nodded his head in understanding, and then smiled at me. "Tet? No matter what the result is here... I want you to know that I am so proud of you. You were great out there today. And I hope our future battles are nearly as much powerful and intense as this." I said. "Pi. Pi-Pikachu." he replied in a understanding tone. I warmly smiled at him, and then watched him turn towards Gyarados. "Pi-ka..." he said as sparks of electricity came out of his cheeks; ready to fight. "Alright, buddy. Let's do this. Use Thunderbolt!" I replied. "Pika! Pi-ka-chu!" he replied as he used Thunderbolt. "Block it with Iron Tail!" Misty replied. Gyarados roared loudly, made his tail glow white, and used it to block the Thunderbolt. "Pika!?" said Tetrax surprised. "What!? He knows Iron Tail too!?" I replied surprised. "Sorry, Tay. Your Pikachu fought well here today, but now this is where his moment ends. Wrap him up, Gyarados!" Misty replied.
Gyarados roared again, and wrapped Tetrax in his tail. "Pi-ka!" Tetrax cried. "Tetrax!" I replied worriedly as Gyarados squeezed him. "Now throw him up in the air!" Misty replied. Gyarados stopped the wrap, and threw him up in the air. "Alright, Gyarados! Hit him with Iron Tail, then finish him off with Hyper Beam!" she said. Gyarados roared, jumped up in the air as his tail glew white, and hit Tetrax; making him go to wall behind me. "Pika!" he cried. "Tetrax!" I replied worriedly as he fell to the floor. He slowly stood up, held his left shoulder in pain, and looked at Gyarados as it charged Hyper Beam in his line of sight. Gyarados roared once more, and then fired the Hyper Beam at him; giving him massive damage. "Tetrax!" I yelled in fear. I ran over to him as the smoke disappeared, saw him standing up still, breathing slowly, blinked his eyes, and then collapse to the ground. My group stood up in shock, and held each other's hands tight; praying that Tetrax is okay. The official ran over to him, checked his condition, and then raised her hand to Misty's side of the field. "Pikachu is unable to battle! Gyarados is the winner!" she said.
My group sadly sat back down in their seats, and comforted each other as they watched me walk upto him and pick him up. "Tetrax... he fought so well..." said Zuzu in a sad tone. "Pika-chu..." Zuzu's Pikachu replied sadly. "Vul-pix..." Vulpix replied sadly. She hugged her two Pokémon silently and comforted them on Tetrax's loss. "You all cheered for him with all of your hearts. With those cheers, you helped him win against Vaporeon. To him, that is the greatest victory that he could've ever asked for. Plus, he wouldn't want you and the others to be sad of his loss. He would want you all to smile and be proud of the one victory that he achieved." Zuzu told them. They wiped off their tears, and nodded their heads in understanding to her words. They hugged each other one more time, and then looked back at me as I handed Tetrax over to his brothers. Tetrax slowly opened his eyes, and saw me and his two brothers looking at him. "Pi... Pika..." he said.
"Hi, sweetheart." I replied in a motherly tone. He nuzzled his face into my hand softly, let me give him a gentle rub of his ears, and then a kiss on the head. "Cha~" he said softly. "You were amazing out there, buddy. We are so proud of you." I replied. He lightly smiled and lightly wagged his tail in happiness to my response; making me smile too. I gave him a couple Sitrus Berries, and let him rest in Dragonfire's arms. "Keep your eyes on him, okay?" I said to my team. They nodded their heads yes to my request, and then I walked back to my side of the field. As I did this, my team began to comfort Tetrax and slowly help him eat the Sitrus Berries. Once he ate them, he was back to perfect health. He stayed in his brothers arms, and then saw Hydro running upto him. Aurasoul picked him up, and then the two small Pokémon did a fist bump together. They turned back to my side of the field, and saw me looking up at Misty's Gyarados as it made a low growling noise; wondering who his next opponent is.
I blinked my eyes, sighed, and took out a Dive Ball from my possession. I looked down at it silently, closed my eyes, and felt Tsunami's aura from inside it. "...I hear you, old friend. You've been waiting for this moment for a very long time. You've been waiting for the day that you would fight alongside me in battle. And now... it's time. Not only to prove to the world that you want to be the strongest of your species... but also to be the King of the Sea. Let's do this... partner! I choose you! Tsunami!" I said as I threw the Dive Ball up in the air, watched it open, and saw Tsunami's silhouette appear underwater. His eyes glew green, made the water rumble with his energy, and then rose up from the water; letting out a noble, mighty, and powerful roar. "Oh! There he is! Tsunami!" said Pat. "She's actually going to use him! Let's Go!" Sora cheered happily. "Oh, this is going to be good!" Celina replied. "Go get 'em, Tsunami!" Zach replied.
Misty looked at me surprised to see Tsunami on the battlefield, and then saw her Gyarados try to intimidate Tsunami, but failed nonetheless. "Ready, Tsunami?" I said. He let out a confident sound and nodded his head yes to my question. "Then let's do it! Dragon Rage!" I replied. He roared loudly, made a fiery purple ball of energy in front of his mouth, and then fired it at Gyarados; pushing him back. "Whoa! Look at that!" said Sora. "That was Dragon Rage!" Celina replied. "So cool!" Pat replied. "Now use Ice Fang!" I replied. Tsunami roared as his teeth covered themselves in ice, quickly swam over to his foe, and bit him with the attack. "Gyarados! Shake him off and use Hydro Pump!" said Misty. Gyarados got Tsunami off of him, and used Hydro Pump; hitting Tsunami in the face. He shook off the water, and roared at him. "What!? He withstood that!?" said Misty surprised.
"Tsunami! Dive underwater!" I replied. Tsunami roared and dived underwater. "Chase him down, Gyarados!" Misty replied. Gyarados roared, dived underwater, and then the two Gyarados chased each other. As they chased each other, they clashed with their heads, teeth, and tails; harshly knocking each other around in different spots for nearly four minutes. "Dragon Rage!" I said. Tsunami roared and used Dragon Rage again, but this time Gyarados dodged it; shocking him. "What!?" I said surprised. "Gyarados! Use Outrage!" Misty replied. Gyarados's eyes glew red, and he instantly roared louder than he did before. He then dashed over to Tsunami and bashed him around with the attack. Tsunami roared in pain, and then tried to swim away, but Gyarados caught him in his tracks, and used Outrage again; beating him down more. "Tsunami!" I said. "Keep it up, Gyarados! He's got nowhere to run!" Misty replied.
Tsunami took on the beating from Outrage for a few more minutes, and then escaped from Gyarados's sight. He swam back upto the surface, looked around for a moment, and then saw Gyarados rise up from the water; shocking me and him. "Let's end this duel here, Gyarados! Hyper Beam!" said Misty. Gyarados roared and used Hyper Beam; hitting Tsunami hard and sent him to the platform. "Tsunami! Tsunami... you alright?" I said worriedly as I ran upto him. He opened his eyes, let out a sound, and then stared deep into my eyes. As he did this, I felt his aura begin to connect with mine. Once this happened, I felt my Mark glow under my glove, and instantly knew what it was. "Tsunami... your heart... and your aura... they want to Synchronize with me." I said softly. He blinked his eyes, and nodded his head yes to my response. "Are you sure you want to do this? I don't want to force you if you don't want too." I replied. He let out a reassuring sound; letting me know that it's okay and he wants to do this. "Okay... if that is what you want. Then let's do it." I replied.
He nodded his head, lifted himself back up, and then we felt our hearts and auras connect with each other. After the connection was complete, we let out our battle cries and Synchronized our hearts and minds together. "What!? Guys! Look!" said Pat in shock. "It's happening again!" Zuzu replied. "Yes! This is what she needed!" Celina replied. "Come on, Tay! This is it! The power of your bond!" Zach replied. After the cries were done, Tsunami and I showed our glowing green eyes together; showing our foes our special ability. "What... what is this power?" said Misty in a silent, shocked tone. Gyarados roared, swam over to Tsunami, and tried to attack him, but Tsunami dodged him with ease. "Not today! Dragon Dance!" said Tsunami and I together as he performed Dragon Dance; increasing his attack power and speed. "No way... Tay? Is this the power of your bond?" Misty asked me.
"It is. The bond that we share together in this state is our true power. And now you're going to see it in full fruition!" Tsunami and I replied. After that, Tsunami quickly dived underwater, and began to swim around. Gyarados dived down as well, swam around, and then found Tsunami looking at him with his glowing green eyes. "Come at me, Gyarados! Let me show you the true power of the King of the Sea!" we said. Gyarados roared, and then dashed towards Tsunami. "Gyarados! Outrage!" said Misty. Gyarados used Outrage again on Tsunami, and then saw the attack had barely done damage to him now than before. "Is that all you got? Well then... let me show you this! Raging Dragon Waterfall!" we replied. Tsunami then used Waterfall on Gyarados; sending him up above the water and into the air with him, and then hit him with Dragon Rage; knocking him upto the ceiling. Gyarados roared in pain, and then fell back into the water; nearly getting everyone soaked from the splash impact.
"Gyarados!" said Misty worriedly. Gyarados got back up, shook his head, turned around, and saw Tsunami had landed in the water as well; staring him down. "Gyarados! Use Iron Tail!" said Misty. Gyarados roared, made his tail glow white, and then swam towards Tsunami. "Icy Dragon Fang!" said Tsunami and I. Tsunami combined both Ice Fang and Dragon Rage into one move, bit down on Gyarados, and stopped his attack. "Whoa!" said my group. Tsunami picked up Gyarados, and threw him back towards Misty. "Ah! Gyarados!" she said worriedly. Gyarados slowly stood back up, breathed heavily, and then roared at Tsunami angrily. Once Misty knew the tone of her Gyarados's roar. She knew that the next attack would be their final chance. She clutched her hands into fists, and then got into her battle stance. "Alright, Gyarados! This is our final chance! Hyper Beam!" she said. Gyarados roared loudly and began to charge up Hyper Beam. "Come on, Tay! You gotta do something! Quick!" said Celina. "Get 'em, Tay! Hit 'em with your strongest attack!" Zach replied.
All of our Pokémon cheered loudly for us for a moment, and then Tsunami jumped up in the air, and surrounded himself in water. "Charge up that Hyper Beam as much as you can. But there is no way that attack can defeat this! Tsunami Strike!" said Tsunami and I. We let out our battle cries as Tsunami spun around in the air using Dragon Dance while making all the water around him spin viciously. He then stopped spinning, and began his descend towards Gyarados. "Go!" said Misty. Gyarados fired the Hyper Beam at Tsunami, and the attacks clashed. The moves stayed in a standstill for a moment, and then Tsunami pushed through the Hyper Beam; destroying it and hitting Gyarados. Gyarados roared in pain as he lifted his head up to the ceiling, and then collapsed to the platform. "Gyarados!" said Misty worriedly. Tsunami returned to my side, and both he and I turned back to normal. We breathed heavily for a moment, and watched the official check on Gyarados's condition.
As we waited and breathed heavily from exhaustion, the official raised her hand to my side of the field. "The Gym Leader's Gyarados is unable to battle! The Challenger's Gyarados is the winner! That means the victor of the battle goes to Taylor!" she said. My group and party celebrated the victory with glee, and hugged each other happily. I blinked my eyes, breathed heavily a couple more times, and then looked at Misty as she checked on her Gyarados. "I... I did it..." I said. "Pika-Pi!" said a voice. I turned around and saw the team run over to me, and pounce on me in celebration. I laughed happily and hugged them in celebration. After that, we turned to Tsunami and let him join in on the group hug. "We did it, Tsunami! We did it!" I said happily. Tsunami let out a happy cry and nuzzled all of us happily with tears in his eyes. "Tsunami! You were amazing out there! Our bond in this fight was incredible!" I said. He happily cried in agreement, and then we hugged again.
"Gyarados, return." said Misty as she returned him to his Lure Ball. "You were great out there. Now take a good rest." she said. She put the Lure Ball away, looked at her sisters, smiled warmly at them, and then turned to me; seeing me hugging and celebrating with my group. She smiled warmly at me, stood up, and then walked over to me. "Taylor. Congratulations. Well done." she said as she approached us. "Thank you, Misty." I replied. "You and your team were incredible. The bonds and power you showed all of us here today were amazing. With skills and a battle style like yours... you've really shown me that you have the guts, courage, and willpower to challenge the rest of the League all the way. I am so proud of you." she replied. "Thank you." I replied with a smile. We shared a small hug for a moment, let each other go, and then Misty turned to the water, whistled, and we saw something jump out of the water. "Seel! Seel!" it said. "Whoa! What is that?" Pat replied.
"It's a Seel!" Zuzu replied. "A Seel?" he replied as he took out his phone and activated his PokéDex. "Seel, the Sea Lion Pokémon. A Water type. Covered with light bluish-white fur, its hide is thick and tough. It is active in bitter cold of -40 degrees Fahrenheit." said Pat's PokéDex. "Seel! Seel!" Seel replied as it clapped its flippers together. "Aww! It's so cute!" said Sora happily. Seel finished clapping, and then stuck out its tongue; revealing something on it. "What the..? It's the Cascade Badge." said Celina. "Whoa... so Seel has been holding onto the Badge all this time..." Pat replied. Misty smiled at Seel, knelt down, took the Badge of its tongue, stood back up, cleaned it up, and then presented me the Badge. "Taylor. As the victor of the battle, I present to you the symbol of defeating me, the Badge of the Cerulean Gym: the Cascade Badge." she said. "Thank you very much." I replied. She gently put the Badge in my right hand, and patted it. "Great job, Tay. You've truly earned it. I can't wait to see where your journey goes next." she said.
"Thank you, Misty." I replied. We shared one last hug, and then I raised the Badge up in the air. "Alright! We got the Cascade Badge!" I said happily. My team celebrated happily of the result. After that, we went out to lunch with Misty and her sisters for a bit, went back to the hotel, packed up our things, and then went to the Pokémon Center to rest up for a bit before we set off.
Pokémon Center
"Tay! Congratulations on your win against Misty!" said a voice on the phone. "Thanks, Red." I replied as I looked at my brother on the screen. "You're welcome. So? How did you feel throughout the battle?" he replied. "I felt pretty good. Struggled in some parts due to pressure... but overall... I felt pretty good." I replied. "That's good to hear. Misty is a tough Trainer to face; especially if you went in there with a big type disadvantage." he replied. "Mhm. Even with that. But we pulled through in the end. We withstood the disadvantages we faced, and came out strong." I replied. "You sure did, kiddo. Your team came through when you needed them most. That's all that matters. You won the Cascade Badge because you and your Pokémon worked as a team. This isn't a solo victory. It's a full team victory." he replied. "Mhm. That's true. I would've never made it this far without them. Now I can't wait to see how far we will go on this journey. Who knows what this world has in store for us?" I replied. "That's true. This world is full of mysteries. But I know that you will go farther than ever before, and face any obstacle that comes your way." he replied.
I nodded my head in agreement to his response. "Oh! Tay? Mom wanted to know if you got the package that Mr. and Mrs. Sakaki sent you?" he said. "The package? Yeah. I did. It's in my Bag right now. I would show you what it is... but Zuzu is over there with the others talking to her parents." I replied. "That's okay. Mom told me what they got you. Did you send them a message that you will do the Contest?" he replied in a hushed tone. "Yep. I sent it over in a email." I replied in a hushed tone; making sure Zuzu doesn't hear me. "Nice. Man... you're going to blow Zuzu and Yuya's minds when you do this." he replied as I walked outside with my team as they listened to the call. "Yeah. When I first saw the costume for the first time, I was completely surprised by its design. It matches the whole Aura theme when I looked at the details." I replied. "That's awesome. I wish you luck on the surprise. And don't get mad or upset at your Contest result. Just do your best to wow the crowd, and give it your all. And if you have to face them in Contest battles, be sure to do your best." he replied. "I will. And... if I see Lt. Surge around before our battle... I'll tell him that you said hello." I replied.
"Okay. Alright, I better get going. My break is almost done." he replied. "Okay. It was nice talking to you." I replied. "It was nice to talk to you too." he replied. "Love you." I replied. "Love you too, sis. And Tay? Make sure you don't go berserk again, okay? Let your friends help you stay calm and relaxed at all times, alright?" he replied. "I will. Bye." I replied. "Bye." he replied. We ended the call, and I put my phone back in my jacket pocket. After that, my phone began to beep again. I took it out and saw new messages in the group chat.
Yuya: You did it! You won the Cascade Badge! Congrats, Tay! We knew that you could do it!
Yugo: You did it! You won! Congrats, Tay! You and your team are really strong! And those strats!? You might even school Yuri with those strats! Keep it up!
Rin: Let's Go! Congrats, Tay! I knew you could do it! You had the viewers on the livestream go nuts when they saw your battle style play out!
Yuri: Congratulations on your second Gym victory. I must say... your battle style is very unique and interesting. I hope to see it up close when we see each other again.
Lulu: Ahh! You did it! You won! Congrats, Tay! You and your team were incredible! Can't wait to see where you go next!
Yuto: Yes! I knew you could do it! Congrats on the win, Tay! You had me and my brothers going insane when we watched the livestream! You and your team are something; especially with that Gyarados of yours. And your battle style is very unique. You even got my team all pumped up! Now with Cerulean City done, the next one up is Vermilion City. I wish you the best of luck on the next one!
I smiled warmly at the messages, and put my phone back into my jacket pocket. My team smiled happily at my reaction, and then nuzzled upto me. I hugged them back, and gave them a few snacks to eat. As they ate, I did a stretch, and then turned my hat backwards; patiently waiting for the group to finish up what they're doing inside. A few minutes later, the group walked outside and saw me waiting for them. "Hey, guys." I said. "Hey. You ready to go?" Celina replied. "Yep. Next stop, Vermilion City." I replied. "Yep!" Zuzu replied happily. "Alright! Let's go!" I replied happily. After that, we said our goodbyes to Cerulean City for now, and then began our journey to Vermilion City; reading for Zuzu and Yuya's Contest and my next Gym battle.
Thank you so much for reading Chapter 11 of the story! Here we are! The finale of the small Cerulean City arc! And we end it off in a spectacular fashion! This Gym battle was so much fun to write because of the battlefield strategies and testing both Trainers on how to really use the battlefield to their advantage. And the evolution of Taylor's Nidoran into Nidorino! This was something I had planned for this Chapter for quite sometime because I wanted to show off his willpower to stand strong and withstand the weaknesses of his species. As of right now, he is the surprise tank of the team, but whenever he evolves into a Nidoking... he's going to be a powerhouse.
Anyways, thank you so much for reading Chapter 11, and have yourself an amazing day!
Next time, Chapter 12: Cold As Ice. The group reunites with Declan and meet his rival, Shay for the first time. During a practice battle, they encounter Lorelei for the first time and help her take down new Team Rocket Grunts! How will the first true Team Rocket encounter play out? Find out in Chapter 12, as the Journey continues!