And here it is – Olivia's first Gym battle, and the end of the first major story arc. I won't put it off any further with more comments, so let's just get going…
-:-
CHAPTER 8: The End of Innocence
-:-
With their feet loudly banging against the hallway's metal floor, Finansielle and Colress trekked deep into the Adenosine Base. She led him well into the tower at the center of the complex, and eventually they arrived at their destination, a cavernous laboratory as dark as the hallways outside.
As they entered, Finansielle walked over to a vault in the wall and swiftly entered a passcode on the keypad next to it. A gust of cold air drifted out of it as it slowly opened.
"Put the DNA Splicers in this freezer," she instructed. "They'll be safely preserved until we need them."
"Yes, my lady." In accordance with Finansielle's direction, Colress placed his briefcase on the nearby desk and opened it. He took great care, deftly grasping each of the fluid-filled cylinders containing a DNA Splicer with his gloved hands as he moved them into the freezer.
Once the DNA Splicers were safely stored away, Finansielle sealed up the cold vault again, then slowly walked to a wide bank of computers sitting in the middle of the lab. "Have a look at this, Dr. Antimony," she said, typing with one hand.
In response to the command Finansielle entered, a holographic projection of several computer windows materialized. Colress's eyes widened and his mouth contorted into a grin when he saw what they contained.
Lines upon lines of complex genetic codes filled the windows, along with diagrams of how the codes would fit into an already-existing molecular structure.
"Is this it?" he excitedly exclaimed. "Could this be… the key to the ultimate DNA? The one that will make the truth about Pokémon strength reveal itself?"
"I see you like this," Finansielle coolly observed. "This is the incomplete DNA structure for a new strain of Pokérus our scientists are working on. We have a large part of it finished, but we just can't get the last part right, and as a result, we can't get it to function."
"And you want me to fill in those gaps?"
"Exactly. You'll find all the relevant data on the project in the computer's databank, so please read it before getting started. I am giving you this facility and its staff and resources to have at your full disposal."
"You will not be disappointed, Lady Finansielle," Colress promised with a grand bow. "I can have the work of completing this virus's genetic sequence in no time."
-:-
"Begin the data retrieval!"
In his decrepit lab, far from Colress's modern research facility, Dr. Zager initiated the extraction of the data stolen from Mr. Pokémon's servers out of the R-Pad. Jessie, James and Ariana stood alongside him, watching as his computer screen filled with the information.
"Excellent!" he exclaimed, putting his hands on his hips. "The data is flowing nicely."
"What exactly are we looking for, Gabriel?" Ariana sighed. "Not all of us are science whizzes like you."
"We're looking for something that'll get us Meowth back," James coldly interrupted before Zager could answer. "That is what you're going to say, right?"
"Team Rocket has a lot of priorities," the doctor offered as a feeble reply, though once he saw the death glares Jessie and James were shooting him, he hurried to correct himself by saying, "but one of those certainly is getting Meowth back, no doubt. What we want to find is something that can counteract the effect the Meteonite had on Meowth. Computer, is there anything of the sort in there? Anything that can counteract the Meteonite's effect?"
"Comparison of the data from the R-Pad and existing data on the server indicates one possible solution," the computer's female voice answered. "The super-electrical energy of the Chargestone Cave rocks has a signature opposite that of the Meteonite. The two forces should cancel each other out."
"Now that is most excellent!"
"What's got you so excited?" Jessie asked Zager, as she was confused over his sudden outburst.
"I just happen to have some Chargestones left over in storage from the mission in Unova. I can quickly construct a weapon that will get both Meowth and that Meteonite piece back."
"Then get on it," Ariana ordered. "Giovanni wants this done as soon as we can."
-:-
Matt yawned and slowly roused from his slumber. After everything that had happened the previous day, a good night's sleep was very refreshing to him.
Barely awake, he reached toward the table to his left, trying to collect his glasses so he could use the mask attached to them to replace his eyepatch. He got a sudden chill and froze up, though, when he felt like someone was watching him.
"Look at me."
Turning his head to the right, he jumped when he discovered Nekou lying on the bed next to him, close enough that he could see her fairly clearly without his glasses. She seemed to have no concern about doing this, instead treating it as perfectly normal as she ran her fingers over his face.
"W-what are you doing?!" Matt choked, utterly terrified at this bizarre situation.
Ignoring his question, Nekou said to him, "Remember what you promised me? You're going to tell Olivia about what happened to Rich after she wins her Badge today."
"I-I remember," he nervously confirmed. "Now can you get out of my face?"
"Just make sure you keep your promise," she insisted, moving to within an inch of his face instead of moving away. "That would make me happy. And trust me, you want me happy."
-:-
Over the next ten minutes, Matt hastily pulled himself together, with Nekou asking him sarcastic questions the whole time.
When the two of them came out of the room and entered the Pokémon Center's lobby, Olivia and Bunny were already there. They had been spending their time discussing the upcoming Gym battle, but immediately took notice when their two missing companions finally joined them.
"You're late," Bunny said while running a hand through her hair. "What were you doing?"
"Yeah, Matt, why don't you tell her what we were doing?" Nekou's teasing came with half-closed eyes and a catlike grin.
"Were you two doing things together?"
Olivia's question, as sweetly and innocently as she'd asked it, made Matt freeze. Between Nekou's ribbing, the fact that he was still hurriedly adjusting his rumpled coat and shirt, and the sight that both he and Nekou had come out of the room at the same time, he realized exactly what the implications suggested.
"No! Nothing of the sort!" The exaggerated way Matt's face contorted during his denial made both Olivia and Nekou break down laughing, and Bunny even chuckled a bit.
"Relax, we're just teasing you."
Somehow, Nekou saying this didn't make Matt feel any better at all. He simply sighed and shrugged.
Olivia, on the other hand, was persistent. "I want to get to the Gym right away! If that Avril gets there before me, we'll be held up!"
"We have to eat, though…"
Intervening between Olivia and Matt, Bunny suggested as a solution, "Compromise. What about we grab some food but take it to go, and head right to the Gym with it?"
"I'll go for that if Matt's up for it," Olivia consented.
"Nothing wrong with that to me. Let's do it."
-:-
With the sunlight dwindling behind them, the Polaris team led by Mercury and Séduire delved into the Ruins of Alph. Cold stone walls covered in ancient runes framed the path taken by the two women, who were accompanied by Mercury's four followers and the still-brainwashed Meowth.
"Any readings yet?" Mercury called over her shoulder.
One of the four men, who was holding a tablet computer connected to his backpack via a thick cable, responded, "Only very faint traces of Meteonite resonance are coming up right now, Mercury. We've got to go deeper."
"Alright, forward we go."
"You know the stories they tell about this place, right?" Séduire mused. "They say that sometimes the Unown get angry and take people visiting the Ruins away. Some of them wake up in random places in the Tohjo Continent. They never find others."
"I think you might be starting to crack from observing RChannel," responded Mercury. "Isn't that just an urban legend?"
"Just imagine if it's true, though. The Unown were powerful enough already, but then a meteor with special powers crashes in the Ruins from space? There's a reason why they closed the Ruins to the public after the impact, a reason that has nothing to do with us."
"Now!"
"What was that?" Séduire looked around, unnerved by the fleeting, high-pitched voice she heard ring in her ears.
"What are you talking about?"
"Uno!"
"Mercury, tell me you heard that!" The second hint of the mysterious voice left Séduire shaking.
"I heard it this time," Mercury responded, raising her hand in a prompt to her men to stop walking. "See anything?"
"There!" Séduire exclaimed, pointing forward into the murky depths of the corridor.
At that point, a black creature shaped like a circle with a wide, white eye at the center floated out from the darkness to confront them, followed shortly by several more of its kind. Each one had a different shape, with the circular eye being the only trait they all shared. Floating around each other like a cloud, the Pokémon chirped loudly at the ones invading their home.
"The Unown…" Mercury observed before thrusting her right arm forward. "Meowth, you're like them, tainted by the Meteonite's power. Get them out of our way!"
Moving with labored, heavy steps, Meowth dragged himself before the angry cluster of Unown and said in a flat voice, "We aren't trying to hurt you. We want only to find the rock that crashed into this place and drove you all up the wall. We're trying to save you."
The Unown slowed their movements somewhat, as if considering what Meowth had said to them. After chattering amongst themselves for some time, they all turned to the Polaris team at once, and an Unown shaped like the letter 'L' floated down.
"Nown, uno. Unown now."
"Yes, let us go past and into the Ruins. We are not your enemy."
"Nown nown!"
Having become convinced by Meowth's explanation of Polaris's motives, the Unown withdrew and faded away. The brainwashed cat Pokémon then returned to the ones controlling him.
"They say that we can go in," he revealed to Mercury and Séduire. "They trust us inside the Ruins."
"Good. That'll make our job easier."
Mercury signaled her followers again, and the team advanced further into the Ruins of Alph.
-:-
Positioned neatly on the edge of the lake and flanked by four finely-trimmed trees, Violet Gym stood as a reflection of the traditional culture the city still clung to. The earthy-colored, dome-shaped building loomed above everything but the Sprout Tower, yet blended into the central area of Violet City nearly seamlessly.
Matt, Nekou, Bunny and Olivia were walking up the stone road toward the Gym when they spotted Dominic, Avril, Helena and Monroe already standing outside.
"Hey, Mr. Chiaki!" called the businessman, waving to them as they approached.
"Oh, it's Dominic," Bunny pointed out to Matt, even though he had already heard and saw the second group of four. After speaking, she took a handful of cereal from the travel container she'd picked up at the Pokémon Center earlier.
"So you decided to show up," Avril taunted Olivia once the two groups came together. "Are you ready to see what a real challenge is like?"
"I'd be tempted to ask you the same question," Olivia shot back, "considering you're the one who's going to have trouble here."
"You tell her, Olivia. Stick up for yourself."
Matt briefly grimaced when he considered how early Olivia and Nekou were getting started for the day, but he quickly realized that they were actually right in the situation. Shaking his head, he took a bite of his bagel, which had an egg and a slice of cheese on it.
"Oh, whatever. You'll see when I get the Badge and you don't."
"Avril, that's enough," Dominic sternly interrupted. "Stop being rude to her."
"Yes, sister," Helena added after a short pause while Monroe signed the conversation to her. "You should aim to strengthen yourself to honor your peers, not to shame them. If rivals cannot be friends with each other at the end of the day, what is the point of it all? That's what I think."
Feeling a spike of anger directed at her older sister, raised a finger to Helena and opened her mouth as if to say something, but she abruptly gave up. Deciding to keep her attention on Olivia instead, she said, "I'm not wasting any more time. Let's go."
"You're on! When I have that Zephyr Badge, I'm sticking it in your face instead of Matt's first!"
Olivia and Avril ran for the Gym's door together, their minds consumed by their shared spirit of competition. Avril's siblings and the older members of the group were left to catch up.
"Watching them makes me feel old," Matt mused to Nekou and Bunny as they approached the Gym's entrance. "They've got everything in front of them still… I wish I had that chance when I was their age."
Intrigued by what that comment could mean, Nekou wanted to ask Matt about it, but as they had already entered the Gym by then, she didn't get the chance.
The inside of the Violet Gym was a vast space resembling the interior of a wooden clock tower. A clockwork elevator waited right inside, allowing a means of access to the upper level, where the battles would take place. Waiting in front of the lift was a brown-haired boy wearing a blue suit and thick, gray falconer's gloves.
"Welcome to the Violet City Gym!" the young man recited, smiling broadly at the collection of visitors. "You're the challengers, right? Avril and Olivia?"
"You bet!" Olivia confirmed.
"Let us through to see Falkner!" demanded Avril, showing far more directness in her attitude than Olivia did. "Or, just let me through. I don't care about her."
"Aw, what's the matter?" Olivia teased. "Don't want me to see you lose?"
"If anyone's losing, it's you! You could learn something from watching me!"
While Olivia and Avril continued their bickering with the others as a kind of captive audience, they failed to notice the gatekeeper of the Gym taking action. He rang the bell hanging from the nearby wall twice, and mere moments later, the elevator began to descend, carrying a second man as its passenger.
Bunny was the first to spot him, when she briefly moved her gaze off the still-arguing Avril and Olivia. After giving him a quick look-over as he stepped off the platform, she uttered, "You must be…"
"Falkner, the Gym Leader!" Dominic finished.
"So the man really exists," Nekou sarcastically said. "I almost thought you were a myth after you didn't show up for that protest yesterday."
Ineffectively brushing aside his blue bangs from his face, Falkner sighed and answered, "Don't think I didn't notice them. I inherited this Gym from my father, but… as the Gym Leader, I am responsible for listening to the opinions of the people of my city. Polaris's stunt yesterday made me begin thinking, and I decided I have to train to get stronger. That's so I can be a better role model for the young people such as those in your sister's class," Falkner turned his head, "Matt Chiaki. Amanda's become a good friend of mine since she came here to teach."
"It makes me happy to know that she's reaching out and connecting with others in such a way," Matt admitted, casting a glance downward at the floor. "She's grown up from the days when I had to shelter her from everything." Looking back to Falkner, he then asked, "What do you mean about getting stronger, though? What will you do?"
"I am going to temporarily resign my post as Gym Leader and go on a journey to train, much as my father did before me."
"Does that mean I can't get my Zephyr Badge?!" Olivia shrilled, pouting intensely.
"Forget her, I'm the one who needs the Zephyr Badge!" Avril exclaimed in an attempt to one-up Olivia again.
"Now, now, there's no need for you two to get so worked up," Falkner said with a smile. "I'm not going to leave until I've battled both of you, so you each get one shot at beating me. So which of you will be going first?"
"Me!" both Olivia and Avril blurted out at the same time.
The two young women shot each other angry looks, while the others looked on and allowed the issue to play itself out. Much to their surprise, however, Avril took a step back only a few seconds later.
"Actually, let her go first," she dismissively said, referring to Olivia. "I'll watch how you battle her and then I'll know all of your secrets."
"Gee, aren't you generous?" Olivia remarked, shrugging her shoulders.
"Avril, thank you for resolving that yourself," sighed Dominic.
"Olivia, you do your best out there, okay?"
"I will!" Olivia smiled widely after hearing Bunny's words of encouragement.
"Alright, so how about we get started?" Falkner suggested. "Olivia, you follow me on the main elevator. Everyone else, take those stairs to my right. They'll get you up to the spectator area."
-:-
Giovanni was sitting in his chair in his office, scratching Persian's head and observing the urban wasteland Viridian City had become through the grand bay window. As a native of the area and a longtime resident, he no longer recognized the once-verdant city. Viridian's urbanization, much like that of Cherrygrove City in Johto, had come on after an increase in public demand for goods and services related to Pokémon training and battling following the announcement of the Frontier Society. The Angel Corporation, headquartered not far from Giovanni's residence, had responded to this need by funding the development of resources related to these necessities, in turn leading to the overdevelopment of many areas as they transformed into hubs of industry.
While he did not dislike big cities, Giovanni found himself bothered by what Viridian had become. Even in his status as the head of Team Rocket, his hometown and the surrounding areas retained a soft spot in his heart, so Gabriella's eager efforts to transform the city were something he could not abide, even if she meant well.
He felt his anger starting to rise due to his thoughts on the matter, and he subconsciously began squeezing the whiskey glass in his hand. Just before he could repeat his bad habit of smashing them, though, he was interrupted by the sound of his office door creaking open. Persian meowed, and Giovanni turned his chair around, discovering Stacia walking slowly toward his desk.
"Mister Giovanni, sir…" Upon reaching Giovanni's desk, Stacia nervously handed him the black file emblazoned with the Team Rocket logo she had been holding in her arms. He opened the folder immediately to apprise its contents, and Stacia continued speaking. "This is intelligence we received from our undercover operative who has infiltrated Polaris."
"I see," Giovanni answered. "So Goldenrod City is one of their major targets."
"Yes, it would appear so. I can draft potential responses."
"Do that immediately. I want to have courses of action on my desk in under twenty-four hours."
"Yes, sir." Stacia bowed, then turned around and went to leave.
-:-
Olivia and Falkner stood facing each other from opposite ends of the Violet Gym's elevated battlefield, a wooden construct with two large gaps in its floor. Matt, Nekou, Bunny, Dominic, Helena, Monroe and Avril all were crowded into a small spectator area off to the side, and overhead, a vast dome allowed a clear view of the blue sky.
Holding the lapel of his sky-blue vest, Falkner addressed Olivia, "Young lady, confirm for me how many Badges and Pokémon you've brought here today."
"I don't have any Badges yet, but I do have four Pokémon," she replied.
"I see. Because of League rules, which do not allow me to use more than three Pokémon against a trainer with no Badges, this will be a three-on-three Single Battle. I will not be permitted to switch out, and the winner will be the one who defeats their opponent's final Pokémon. Are those rules acceptable to you?"
"Of course they are! Let's do this!"
"Olivia, go for it!" Bunny called out from the sidelines. "That Badge is in your reach!"
"Well, this is unusual," Matt quietly joked to his companions, "usually you're the quiet one, Bunny."
"Shut up," Nekou coldly said. "This is serious time now."
Before returning to the soon-to-begin battle, Matt briefly turned his eyes toward Dominic and his children. All four were watching intently, but Avril showed a particular fire in her eyes, leaning forward and staring at the battlefield while almost seeming not to blink.
The young man who previously had guarded the Gym's entrance stepped up on a platform just off to the side of the battlefield, roughly halfway between the two trainers. "This Violet Gym battle between the Gym Leader, Falkner, and the challenger, Olivia of Sootopolis City, shall now begin! The rules have already been laid out and agreed upon by both parties. The Gym Leader shall be the first to reveal his Pokémon!"
"Challenger, I will now show you the power of the magnificent Flying-type Pokémon!" Falkner cried out, tossing off his vest. He was wearing a darker robe underneath, and his Poké Balls were attached to the white sash around his waist. Pulling one off, he threw it and called out, "Taillow, take flight!"
Olivia shrank back from the blue-feathered swallow Pokémon, recalling how she'd underestimated the Taillow owned by Harold, the boy on Route 30. "Take this seriously," she mumbled to herself. "All right, you beat one once, so you can do it again! Lillipup, let's play!"
Upon releasing from Olivia's Poké Ball and landing on the gritty wooden floor, Lillipup stole a single glance at his opponent and recognized her species immediately. He attempted to sound intimidating by growling and barking at the Taillow, but he succeeded only at making himself look cuter than he already did.
"The first round shall be Olivia's Lillipup versus Falkner's Taillow! And… begin!"
"Taillow, get in close and use Peck," Falkner calmly directed, wasting no time in taking the first move.
"Counter that with Bite, Lillipup!"
Taillow's beak took on a bright glow as she darted toward Lillipup, but he was ready. Baring his teeth, he attempted to clamp onto Taillow's beak and stop her attack. However, he missed, and instead bit into her wing while she jabbed him with Peck. The two Pokémon tumbled backward before separating, each slightly wounded from their clash.
"Not bad, Olivia. Try this… Echoed Voice!"
Pulling back to put some distance between herself and Lillipup, Taillow took to the air, rising several feet above the curving battlefield. She inhaled deeply, an action that puffed out her chest, and cried out, producing an earsplitting sound wave.
"Lillipup, get away from that! Don't get hit!" Olivia's plea was for naught, however, as the sonic wave washed over Lillipup just as he turned to run. He was reduced to a shaking wreck, trembling all over as he slowly turned his eyes back up toward Taillow. "Don't give up now. I know you've got more fight in you! Take Down!"
Lillipup built up what resolve he had left and charged toward Taillow, fixating on the Normal-and-Flying-type more and more with every step. Conveniently enough, she happened sink down enough to allow Lillipup to reach her, but right before he struck, Falkner issued another command.
"Taillow, Growl."
With literally a scant few inches separating the two Pokémon, Taillow breathed in once more and forcefully voiced her name. Lillipup still collided with Taillow, but she wasn't terribly shaken by the blow. Her attacker, on the other hand, fell back to the floor and stumbled backward, once again trembling under her gaze.
"Lillipup, what's wrong?" Olivia called out.
"You have to think on your feet in the heat of a battle," Falkner explained, spreading his arms. "I've already figured out the range of your abilities in this matchup. When I attacked Lillipup directly, you tried to use my attack to enhance your counter, but when I attacked from a distance, you attempted to escape before making a move in response. That tells me that Lillipup has no long-range techniques, and now that I've used Growl to weaken your physical attacking strength, I can strike you with impunity. Taillow, Quick Attack!"
Before Olivia could even register what was happening, Taillow had used her speed to tackle Lillipup like a bullet. She then pulled back while Lillipup rolled across the floor, whimpering all the while.
"Lillipup is totally overmatched…" Bunny observed, her face completely blank in terms of expression. "Was Olivia not ready for this?"
Matt looked from Bunny to Nekou, and then over to Dominic, Avril, Helena and Monroe. Noting that they were all fixated on the battle, he decided against saying anything and continued observing it himself.
Seizing on the opening Lillipup's stunning presented him, Falkner gave another direction to Taillow. "Peck!"
"Lillipup, focus! Use Bite when Taillow gets in range!"
Much like how it had played out in their first exchange, Taillow approached Lillipup and Lillipup bit down on her wing. The difference this time came in that Peck did not make contact, and as a result, there was no force of impact to drive the two to eventually separate.
"Bullseye," Falkner said to himself. "Taillow, lift off and use Quick Attack to wrap this up!"
With Lillipup still hanging on to her wing, Taillow launched herself into the sky. The additional weight presented by her Normal-type passenger did not affect her flight in any way. Reaching a point high into the rafters of the Gym, near the ceiling, Taillow lashed around and rocketed downward in a straight line. She turned only once she had nearly reached the floor, just to slam Lillipup into the floor without crashing herself.
This time, after all the beating Lillipup took, he did not rise again.
"Lillipup is unable to battle!" the referee announced before the shocked looks of Olivia and the audience. "The winner of this round is Falkner's Taillow!"
"So that's it, Olivia couldn't manage to take out Falkner's Pokémon without losing one of her own first," Matt muttered into his clasped hands. "I don't blame her, but…"
That wasn't the same sentiment Olivia held as she stared down at the Poké Ball she recalled her fainted Lillipup to. "Did I not train enough?" she thought to herself. "I won't underestimate his Pokémon anymore!"
Without a single spoken word, Olivia threw another Poké Ball forth, sending out her Minccino. Unlike Lillipup, the more well-trained Minccino did not regard Falkner's Taillow with fear, instead dropping to all fours and glaring at the Normal-and-Flying-type intently.
"Another Normal-type, I see," Falkner said, standing with his hands on his hips. "Let's begin the game again. Echoed Voice!"
"Minccino, stop it with Swift!"
Minccino met Taillow's earsplitting attack by lashing her tail, sending a wave of star-shaped energy bursts flying in Taillow's direction. The two met midway between their users, largely diffusing their power. What did get through of each move barely rattled their targets, but Taillow was beginning to breathe heavily, tiring out from having fought Lillipup first. Both Falkner and Olivia picked up on this.
"Try not to get caught, Taillow! Use Quick Attack!"
Olivia smirked, then yelled out simply, "Tail Slap!"
Though she attempted to sidestep Taillow's dive, Minccino still got grazed by it. While visibly hurt – some of her fur had been sheared off by Taillow's beak – she held firm and somersaulted forward, catching Taillow with her tail and smashing Falkner's Pokémon across the floor. Before Taillow could recover, Minccino ran forward and used her tail to deliver a second blow, this one tossing Taillow out of the battlefield and into a nearby pillar, where she slunk to the ground in defeat.
"Taillow is unable to battle! The winner of this round is Olivia's Minccino!"
"And you were worried," Nekou scoffed at Matt. "She's doing just fine for herself."
"I guess."
Meanwhile, none of the others took notice, but Avril was staring intently at the battle and mumbling to herself.
"She took out one. Okay, that's no big deal. I can still handle this."
"Come on back, Taillow." Falkner recalled his defeated Pokémon and quickly switched out the Poké Ball for another on his sash. "That was good work turning that around, Olivia. Let's see how you respond to this test! Mantyke, take flight!"
"A Mantyke?" Olivia exclaimed almost instantly upon seeing the small blue manta ray that emerged from Falkner's Poké Ball. "But that's a Water…" Olivia managed to catch herself and correct her error, "…a Water-type and a Flying-type. I was expecting a Pidgey, to be honest."
"Always think on your feet, especially in a Pokémon Gym. You never know what surprises your opponent might pull out. Anyway, let's get started again! Mantyke, Bubble!"
"Gladly. Minccino, get going and show them another Tail Slap!"
Despite having stubby arms and legs, Minccino was able to spring up at Mantyke as the latter floated in midair. Before Mantyke could respond, Minccino whipped the Water-and-Flying-type four times with her tail. The potential of a fifth strike was blocked by Mantyke finally rousing to action, washing Minccino away with a stream of bubbles.
"Aqua Tail!"
Minccino turned to the use of her tail once more, this time coating it in water and swinging it through the field of bubbles, creating numerous small, flashy bursts.
"That looked like a Contest move," Monroe said quietly.
"That's because it is one," Nekou answered. "Simple but effective."
"Impressive, Olivia!" Falkner called out. "Now I want you to try facing this! Wing Attack!"
Having barely just landed after dissipating the Bubble field, Minccino could not react quickly enough to escape the dive-bombing Mantyke. She loudly squealed in pain, having been hit in the stomach by Mantyke's wing, but quickly regained her composure.
"Are you going to take that, Minccino? Hit that thing with Tail Slap, now!"
Much to the surprise of both Olivia and Minccino, however, Mantyke kept flying forward until she reached one of the openings jutting partially into the battlefield, at which point she dove underneath the wooden floor.
"What?" Olivia exclaimed, bringing her hands to the sides of her face.
"Mincci…?" Minccino mimicked her.
"I inherited this Gym from my father, who taught me everything about the glory of Flying-type Pokémon. It is that claim I have to this Gym and its emblem – the Zephyr Badge – that gives me strength, so of course I would have developed ways to use the potential of my Pokémon here! Mantyke, show her what I mean! Bubble!"
"Tyke!" Mantyke cried, popping back up from the opening on the other side of the battlefield. She quickly spit out another stream of bubbles at Minccino, then dove back to her cover underneath the floor.
Olivia gritted her teeth and watched in frustrated silence as Minccino tried and failed to outrun the stream of bubbles. Just as her Pokémon fell forward, an idea hit her.
"We're gonna have to get Mantyke out from under there to win this, so use Swift!"
Falkner hesitated, though his facial expression indicated that he had at least some feeling that Olivia would use Swift. Mantyke got thrown up from one of the openings in the floor by the star-shaped energy rays that Minccino sent under. She regained control of her flight rather quickly, but cuts were visible all over her body as the stress of the battle accumulated.
"Mantyke, wrap this up with Wing Attack!"
"Wait until it gets close, then use Tail Slap!"
There was no opportunity for Falkner to warn Mantyke off to avoid Minccino's attack, as she had already gotten very close as part of her own attempt. Minccino sharply turned and smashed her tail into Mantyke, with the speed of the two opposing forces only strengthening the force of the blow.
Mantyke fell, and Minccino did not let up. She leapt upward and spun, whipping her stunned target repeatedly. By the time she finished, Mantyke was lying on the ground and twitching.
"Mantyke is unable to battle!" the referee declared after a brief moment. "The winner of this round is Olivia's Minccino!"
"Olivia, go for it!" Nekou called out from the stands.
"She's only one away now…" Avril quietly observed, her eyes widening. "I don't believe it. She might actually win…"
Nodding his head in respect, Falkner raised up the Poké Ball and recalled Mantyke to it. "I respect you for coming this far, Olivia. To this point you've been passing every test I've thrown at you by solving the ways to fight back against my strategies. Now let's see how you deal with my ace." Having taken one more Poké Ball off his robe, Falkner continued, explaining, "This Pokémon was descended from my father's partner. Take a look at the grace and wonder of the Violet Gym's pedigree in full! Pidgeotto, take flight!"
The third and final of Falkner's Pokémon entered the battle with a fierce display of dominance. Pidgeotto stepped forward from the ball's burst of light on strong, sharp talons and spread her wings, as if challenging Minccino to even try fighting her.
Olivia could tell, though, that Minccino's energy was failing; bringing down both Taillow and Mantyke had taken its toll on the Normal-type Pokémon, but despite being noticeably short on breath, she stared back at Pidgeotto's attempt at intimidation with defiance in her eyes.
Inspired by what she saw in her Pokémon, Olivia approached her opponents in the same fashion. "Don't ever give in!" she ordered. "Tail Slap!"
"Mirror Move!" Falkner instantly responded, sweeping his arm through the air.
Just as Minccino lunged into the air, Pidgeotto copied the motion using her own tail feathers. While Minccino's movements were swifter, Pidgeotto was more agile, and thus was able to just barely swerve aside.
Having escaped Minccino's attack attempt, Pidgeotto went on the offensive, lashing the smaller Pokémon with her stiffened tail feathers. Pidgeotto only managed to get in three hits as she followed Minccino downward, but it was more than enough to ensure that Minccino fell in defeat.
"Minccino is unable to battle! The winner of this round is Falkner's Pidgeotto!"
"One against one now," Dominic observed. "It's certainly getting interesting."
"Too interesting if you ask me," Matt thought. "This is too close…"
"Thanks, Minccino…" Olivia stared at the Poké Ball in her hand for what felt like forever to her. She had hoped to get more out of Minccino before going to her last Pokémon against Pidgeotto, as her last two choices were Roselia and Oshawott. Oshawott wasn't very ready for a battle, she pondered, but on the other hand, Roselia carried a critical weakness to the Flying-type through her own half-Grass-type.
Sighing, Olivia chose to go with what she considered the lesser of two evils, and threw the Poké Ball necessary to release Oshawott. Unlike Minccino, he shrank back in fear from Pidgeotto.
Avril scoffed when she noticed Oshawott's shell still hadn't grown back. "There's no way she's winning this now. That thing doesn't stand a chance."
While she did not hear what Avril said, Olivia happened to turn her head in the direction of the stands. Seeing Avril watching fired Olivia up again.
"Oshawott, don't get intimidated now! We've got to win that Badge for my dad and show Avril a thing or two!"
At first upon hearing his trainer's voice, Oshawott looked around and chattered frantically. However, he quickly regained his composure and, despite his fear, faced Pidgeotto in an attempt to please Olivia.
"I see you're not going to hold anything back," Falkner asserted, meeting the furious gaze of his challenger. "But answer me one question… what happened to your Oshawott's shell?"
"It got broken when I battled a Gurdurr the other day."
Falkner narrowed his eyes, and the tone of his voice changed. "I see," he gravely said. "If we're going to finish this battle, let's finish it quickly. Pidgeotto!"
"Pidge!" the bird Pokémon shrilled, flying near her trainer.
"Don't get freaked out, Oshawott! Use Water Gun, now!"
Oshawott swiftly complied, but Pidgeotto used all of her speed to push cleanly through the stream of water he blew at her. He had no chance of stopping the impact of Pidgeotto's tackle and fell backward when he got hit.
"Try Water Gun again!" Olivia commanded through gritted teeth.
"Now use Gust, Pidgeotto!"
By flapping her wings rapidly, Pidgeotto created a vicious wave of wind that washed over Oshawott, slashing him all over. He cringed under the harsh assault, attempting to shield his head with his stubby arms while the feelings of fear started to return.
"It's time we put an end to this, Pidgeotto," Falkner said out loud to his Pokémon. "Go use Pluck to finish this up!"
Both Olivia and Oshawott were so overwhelmed by Pidgeotto's relentless attacking that they froze up, becoming unable to even mount any kind of a countermeasure. Olivia could only stare emptily at the battlefield as Oshawott lay on the ground, staring up at Pidgeotto in the same way. What took only seconds seemed like hours to them as Pidgeotto approached, but when she struck Oshawott with the force of a speeding train using her glowing beak, it all ended swiftly and abruptly.
"Oshawott is unable to battle!" the referee called while the Water-type Pokémon lay completely still on the wooden floor. "The winner of the round is Pidgeotto. All of the challenger's Pokémon have fainted, so the winner is the Gym Leader, Falkner!"
"She… she lost…" Matt weakly whispered, stumbling to his feet. "After all of that…"
While Matt, Nekou, Bunny and the others climbed off the stands to approach the battle's aftermath, Olivia simply stood rigidly still on her side for several long moments. She finally stepped forward and recalled Oshawott just as Falkner came forth as well, clapping as he walked.
"Well done, Pidgeotto," he said to his winning Pokémon, who responded with a happy chirp before he recalled her. Falkner then turned to Olivia and, picking up on what he perceived as intense sadness, said, "Do not be sad, Olivia. You fought bravely. All you need to do is train more."
"I won't get the Zephyr Badge now, since you're going away," she spoke straight into the floor. She didn't keep her head down long, though, and when she lifted it she had a surprising expression on her face.
Olivia was smiling.
"But really, it's not a big deal!" she continued, her voice cheery but shaking. "I'll just go to another Gym and get a Badge there. Thanks for battling with me."
"That's very mature of you, Olivia," Bunny complimented.
"Yeah, I'm proud of you," Matt added. He was trying to work out in his mind exactly how to keep his promise to Nekou, since Olivia losing wasn't something he'd factored into it at any point.
"Thanks. Like I said, we'll just look for another Gym and I'll get the Badge from there instead. I mean, if I'm going to show my dad that I can get eight Badges, does it really matter which eight they are?"
"Isn't it kind of hard to show things to a guy who's not around anymore?" Avril blurted out.
"Oh, fuck no…" Nekou thought as her blood and that of everyone around her ran cold.
"What are you talking about?" Olivia responded, her features crunched into an expression of confusion.
Completely unaware of what she was actually doing and the circumstances around it, Avril kept going, saying, "I'm tempted to ask you the same thing. Showing Badges to a dead guy? If I'm going to consider you my rival, you can't be crazy."
"What are you talking about, 'dead guy?'" Olivia laughed openly at Avril. "My dad just walked out on us, but I'm going to get him to come back." Turning, she asked, "Right, Matt?"
Silence. Matt was shaking, and the words were lost in his throat. Only one thought ran through his mind – "Why did she have to find out like this…"
The dead silence between Matt and all the others besides Avril gave Olivia a strange chill.
"…Avril's lying, right?" Her voice was becoming influenced by the fear, and it was shaking.
Still more silence.
And then. Matt answered.
"Avril's telling you the truth."
END of CHAPTER 8