So, somehow, 'perusing through my written chapters' turned into 'restructuring the entire story'. As a result, this chapter wound up being quite a bit longer than usual. Hope you guys don't mind.
In the morning, for the first time since Skorupi's capture, Marcus sent both Meditite and Skorupi out at the same time. At the very least Skorupi didn't give Meditite anything but a glance before focusing on Marcus. Meditite did the same. No need to push things even further than they'd already gone.
"So, Meditite, Skorupi," said Marcus. "Today, we're going to challenge the first Gym. It's a Bug-type gym."
"Ah can deal with bugs." Skorupi grinned confidently.
"The Pokemon in that gym are much tougher than what we've been fighting up until now," Marcus continued. "Tough enough that I'm not sure if we're ready. But there's only one way to find out. I've signed us up for a battle this afternoon. And we're going to win."
Meditite nodded, knowing that was merely a formality. "We will do what is expected of us."
Skorupi chuckled. "Live a little. Bunch 'a bugs? This is goin' ta be fun."
The Bug-type Gym, Marcus told the two of them as they rested and waited, was heavily restricted, being the first Gym. Gym Leader Viola and her Gym Trainers only used two Pokemon, and all of those Pokemon were only allowed to use four moves.
Marcus, deciding that the experience of seeing the Gym was preferable to keeping his team secret, had elected to keep Meditite and Skorupi out of their Pokeballs as he walked into the Gym.
The first thing that struck both of them upon entry to the Gym was the sheer amount of Pokemon lining the walls. It didn't take long for Skorupi and Meditite to spy familiar Pokemon. A Combee. A Weedle. A Caterpie. There were others they didn't recognize, like a Pokemon that looked like a beetle standing on two hind legs and a sleek-looking red Pokemon with vicious claws, but it seemed that they were all Bug Pokemon, to some extent.
It took a little longer for them to realize that the Pokemon were just images, structured to be pleasing to the eye, rather than actual Pokemon.
In the center of the floor, a rectangular hole yawned, a thick white rope descending through it from the ceiling. The floor was gray, and so were the two statues on either side of the entrance that displayed the symbol of the Kalos Gyms. A brown-haired human, possibly another Trainer stood by one of the statues.
Meditite was staring at an image of a Skorupi, looking quite similar to the living version standing beside her, when the brown-haired human cleared his throat. "Are you here to browse Leader Viola's personal collection, or are you here for a Gym Battle?"
"The second one," said Marcus.
"All right, very well." The human looked at a list next to him. "Ah, yes, you have an open spot. Please, come right in."
"Am I supposed to go down there?" Marcus asked, gesturing to the rope.
"Yes," the brown-haired human said irritably. "You shouldn't keep her waiting."
Their business concluded, the brown haired-human stepped back behind the desk in the corner while Marcus headed over to the rope with Meditite and Skorupi following behind. Fortunately, as they looked down, a small circular platform rose to meet them, allowing a much safer way down than any of them had been envisioning.
As the platform descended, Meditite and Skorupi beheld a far larger area than the one upstairs. While the upper area had been calming, inviting even, with its bright colors and bug pictures, this area looked far more foreboding. The walls were painted black to give the illusion of empty space, but festooned with plants upon massive plants to create a look like a forest. Most of the floor seemed stylized to look like a spiderweb, with a couple of wooden platforms to link it all together. And yet it was all so obviously artificial that Meditite nearly laughed at the mockery of plant life.
A small brown wooden structure stood on one side of the spiderweb, full of several more bug pictures and covered in what seemed to be a tent. It was occupied by a blonde human wearing a white tank top, green pants, and a camera strapped to her side.
The blonde looked up as the platform descended "Hi!" she said, waving a hand in Marcus's direction. "I'm Viola! Are you the next challenger?"
"That I am," said Marcus.
"Fantastic!" Viola smiled. She then looked down at Meditite and Skorupi. Meditite looked back up at her, and despite the blonde human's excitement, she could see Viola's eyes flicking between Meditite and Skorupi, summoning information about their typings to her memory.
Skorupi lashed his tail. "Oh, just let's get ta the fight already."
"Interesting," said Viola, turning back to Marcus. "Anyway, I'm sure you know the rules. You may use whatever you wish. I am restricted to two Pokemon, with four moves per Pokemon, as are my Gym Trainers. You will have to face one of my Gym Trainers, selected from a pool of three, before facing me. Just to make sure you're ready."
She hmmed for a second. "Zachary? I think you're up."
The human that came out was about Marcus's age, a boy with brown hair, a blue sweater, and a wide smile on his face. Viola withdrew into a side room as Zachary readied a Pokeball. "Do you have any idea how quickly Bug-type Pokemon evolve?"
"Is that relevant?" Marcus asked.
"Yeah," said Zachary. "Here at the Bug-type gym, plenty of our Pokemon have already evolved. That is one of the perks of specializing in Bug-types!"
"Skorupi, finish whatever comes out quickly," said Marcus. "I don't want to be too damaged for Viola."
"Finally!" Skorupi clenched his claws, ready to fight. Meditite took a slight step back as Zachary sent out his first Pokemon.
Skorupi blinked. The enemy Pokemon seemed almost passive. It looked like a crescent, just sitting on the opposite end of the wooden floor. It gazed at Skorupi with small, beady eyes, but said nothing.
"Metapod, String Shot!" the enemy Trainer ordered.
"Tangle," the Metapod droned lethargically.
"Skorupi, dodge, Pursuit, and go in with Poison Sting!" cried Marcus.
Metapod opened some sort of orifice and fired off a strand of sticky-looking string. Skorupi leaped out of the way - "No Escape." - and hurled a beam of Dark energy at the Cocoon Pokemon. It didn't hurt all that much judging by the lack of reaction, but that was to be expected. Inject, on the other hand, would hurt it quite a bit.
The enemy Trainer seemed to think so too. "Harden!" he cried, a little worry on the edge of his voice.
With a drone of "Defensive Cocoon", the Metapod obeyed.
Skorupi smirked as he leaped in. No matter how hardened Metapod was, the poison would still hurt it just the same if it got injected.
"Now Tackle!" cried the enemy Trainer.
"Offensive Cocoon." Metapod was suddenly flying towards him, looking a lot bigger up close. Quickly, Skorupi twisted and drove his tail into the oncoming Metapod. "Inject." He felt the poison leave his tail and flood into Metapod's body, and a savage sense of satisfaction hit him even as Metapod's body knocked the wind from his lungs and sent him tumbling across the wooden platform.
But then it disappeared as Metapod stopped for a moment and shuddered. "Cocoon Renewal." Then his entire outer layer of skin sloughed off, hissing with poisonous liquid. Metapod stood up, still looking the same but with no poison troubling it.
"Seriously?" Skorupi growled, now remembering the multiple cocoon-like Pokemon that he'd seen in the wild, how they were able to shed their skin and in doing so rid themselves of any poison he could inflict. Skorupi flexed his claws. He would not be beaten by that kind of cheap tactic.
"Follow up! String Shot and Bug Bite!" cried the enemy Trainer.
"Skorupi, get up and grab it!" Marcus ordered.
Again Marcus gave an order that Skorupi was already preparing to do. Skorupi struggled to his feet in time to see Metapod flying forward again, another round of sticky string emerging from what passed for its mouth. "Tangle." This time it wound around Skorupi's legs, tangling them and restricting his movement.
But Skorupi didn't care, for he wasn't planning on moving anyway. He readied his stinger and crouched, ready for Metapod to hit.
"Biting Cocoon."
"No, it's a trap!" yelled the enemy Trainer. "Break away!"
Metapod tried to arrest its own flight, but Skorupi was quicker. "Inject." He lashed out with his tail and scored another hit with Poison Sting, plucking the Metapod out of the air and hurling it to the ground. Then he pounced. "Rip."
"Harden and Bug Bite!" cried the enemy Trainer.
Skorupi's Dark-infused teeth barely made a dent in the Cocoon Pokemon's exterior. Quickly, Metapod's own mouth opened and it lunged forward - "Biting Cocoon." - snapping its tiny jaws down on Skorupi's armor. It didn't hurt that much, even with the Bug energy carried in the attack.
"You've got this!" Marcus cried. "Hit it until it faints!"
Skorupi obliged. This was where he shone, when his enemy was trapped and helpless. "Prey."
Metapod wasn't entirely helpless. Though it couldn't shed its skin to get rid of the poison thanks to Skorupi's grip, nor could it escape the rain of attacks Skorupi struck it with, it fought back with Tangles and Biting Cocoons, and continued to use Defensive Cocoon to protect itself against Skorupi's attacks. But to Skorupi's surprise, after about a minute of pummeling, the enemy Trainer raised a Pokeball and recalled Metapod.
Skorupi glared up at the enemy Trainer, then back at Marcus, who actually seemed to have a similar question in his eyes.
"Metapod could have kept that going for a while longer," the enemy Trainer explained. "But it was clear I couldn't do much damage to your Skorupi in the process, and there's no point in keeping a fight going and tiring out your Pokemon when you know you're going to lose. After all, knowing when to lose is a vital skill for a Trainer to have!"
Then he threw his next Pokeball, and out came another cocoon-esque Pokemon, although this one looked different. A small black head protruded from a large white conical body speckled with little multicolored diamonds.
This species Skorupi recognized. A Spewpa. Another one of those stupid cocoon Pokemon, and surprisingly dangerous if it hit you with its paralyzing powders.
Great.
"Oh, hi!" the Spewpa said cheerfully. "You look like a vicious one, don't you? Mhm. I think you'll be fun to play with!"
"Play with this," Skorupi growled. "No Escape."
The enemy Pokemon took the attack with barely a shiver. "Oh, you shouldn't have done that," it said with that same cheerful air.
"Spewpa, Stun Spore!" cried the enemy Trainer.
"Paralysis Powder!" Spewpa lunged faster than Skorupi had thought possible, the multicolored squares on its body leaping out as it attacked.
"Out of the way!" Marcus cried even though Skorupi was already skittering sideways. The burst of squares winged past his face. He caught a brief whiff of a disgustingly sweet stench as they fluttered past his face, and then Spewpa was on him.
"Knock Off!" Marcus cried.
"Protect!" ordered the enemy Trainer.
"Rip!" Skorupi lashed out with the Dark-type attack, but - "Protective Cocoon!" - was met with a barrier of energy that stopped it completely. "Tackle!" cried the Gym Trainer.
"Cocoon Slam!" Spewpa lunged again, slamming into Skorupi with the full force of her body.
"Poison Sting!" Marcus ordered.
"Inject!" Skorupi whipped his tail around and drove it into Spewpa's side, hurling the cocoon to the side.
Spewpa stood up shakily as the poison coursed through it. A smile came to Spewpa's face. "Oh, you think that's going to do anything? Unlike most Pokemon, Pokemon like me and Metapod develop Abilities as soon as we enter our Cocoon stage! With our shared ability, Shed Skin, we can instantly nullify any special conditions forced upon us! Cocoon Renewal!"
The white skin of its body fell off, taking the poison with it.
Right. They could do that.
"What's the matter?" Spewpa asked. "Does your super-effective attack not work as well as it should have? That's too bad, isn't it?"
Skorupi flattened his body into a crouch, seething with fury. "Doesn't matter. Ya haven't got anything that can touch me. You'll go just like your friend."
"Oh, Metapod isn't all that strong," said Spewpa. "Not compared to me. Paralysis Powder."
Then it hurled another wave of multicolored squares at Skorupi. It was unexpected, and Marcus's cry of warning came just a hair too late. Skorupi breathed in the sickly sweet scent, and instantly he felt his muscles lock up, just like against that Magnemite.
Spewpa smirked. "Tackle!" cried the enemy Trainer.
"Dodge it!" Marcus cried, but Skorupi's legs had stopped working and he stood uselessly in Spewpa's path.
"Cocoon Slam!" The cocoon struck him head on.
"Now Bug Bite and don't let up!" the enemy Trainer ordered.
Spewpa's mouth opened - "Cocoon Jaws!" - and bit down on Skorupi with a mouth wreathed in Bug-type energy. It didn't hurt that much, but now Skorupi was pinned beneath Spewpa, squirming under its heavier form.
"There we go," Spewpa said with an irritating smile. "Let's see how tough you are when you can't fight back."
"Marcus!"
That was...Meditite? Skorupi couldn't see the source of the voice, couldn't even turn his head to look due to the paralysis. Spewpa's jaws were beginning to sink into his armor; not even his natural armor could hold off a sustained attack like this.
"Let me help him!"
Skorupi's struggles were abruptly cut off by the sound of a Pokeball, and then the weight of the Spewpa disappeared and he was in the familiar dark space again. At once, Skorupi felt the paralysis recede.
He heard the sound of Marcus crying out - "Meditite, you're up!" - and Meditite leaping forwards. "Low Sweep!" Marcus's voice came faintly. Skorupi felt a flash of satisfaction as he heard Meditite's cry of "Fighting Trip!" and Spewpa cry out in pain.
"Finish with Confusion!" Marcus ordered.
"Protect!" the Gym Trainer called.
But Spewpa was down and struggling to get back up from the sudden boosted Low Sweep, and though it tried it just couldn't get the Protect up in time. "Psychic Blast!" Meditite cried, and the sudden burst of Psychic-type energy was enough to finish the downed Spewpa off.
Meditite sighed in relief. Even despite Skorupi's vicious tactics, it felt good to beat that Spewpa that had been giving him a taste of his own medicine. It was strange; she should have felt relieved to see Skorupi on the losing end of that battle, but Spewpa's mockery, and the sheer viciousness of her assault…as she'd watched, she couldn't help but wish it was over.
"Wow," said the Gym Trainer, recalling his downed Pokemon. "You evolve quickly, too. Those were some nice skills you showed me. I can tell you're ready for Viola."
"Indeed." The Gym Leader in question strolled out from the side of the tent. "I see you have a Skorupi. One of the rarer varieties of Bug-type Pokemon, though I feel it often leans a bit too much towards the typings of its later evolution."
She held up a pair of Pokeballs. "Of course, we'll have to see just how well you've trained it. I don't believe you've revealed all your cards yet. I expect you to hold nothing back."
"I don't intend to," said Marcus. "Meditite, return. Let Skorupi handle this first."
"Good," said Viola. With a smile, she threw out her first Pokemon. "Go, Rider!"
Rider found himself on the wooden battlefield once more, the soft wood and the surrounding scenery giving the illusion of a spiderweb in a forest, one perhaps woven by an Ariados or something similar. Despite the familiar artificiality, it felt good to be released here. It was Rider's home.
The Surskit line, of which he was a member, was aquatic by nature, and so Rider was most at home in pools and lakes. There was a pool in the chambers where he stayed when he wasn't battling or recovering, but Viola had taken every step she could to ensure that this battlefield felt as natural as possible, and so despite the artificiality Rider had gotten used to spending his time here.
He and Brightwings were the team of Gym Leader Viola, a fact that he could not help but take pride in. It was actually a clever little setup; his job was to beat the Fire-types that plenty of trainers threw out first thing, expecting an easy victory. Once that was done, Brightwings, her greatest weakness off the table, would come in to sweep up the remainder.
This time, however, Rider's opponent wasn't a Fire-type.
"If ya got that 'Cocoon Renewal' thing, ah'm leavin' right now," the vicious-looking Skorupi across from him snarled, lashing his tail.
"You faced Zachary, didn't you?" Rider queried, at once running through his head, summoning up information about the Skorupi line. "He does tend to have that effect on Pokemon who fight him."
Rider knew that Skorupi were difficult to face in battle, seeking only to grasp onto enemy Pokemon and attack until those Pokemon fainted. Not many Trainers brought Skorupi to this Gym; for Bug-types, Weedle, Caterpie, and Scatterbug, plus their evolved forms, were what most aspiring Bug-type trainers brought. But Viola, being, of course, an expert on Bug-types, had made sure Rider and Brightwings knew how to face Skorupi. The lesson had been simple, much more than most. "Don't let it grapple you. It's fast, but remember, you're faster. Use that."
Rider crouched in readiness. This battle would be difficult, but with Viola's advice running through his head, he knew it wasn't impossible.
"Rider, Rain Dance!" Viola called.
Rider obeyed. With an utterance of "Rain Dance", he sent up some Water energy towards the roof. The energy collected into a swath of dark clouds that instantly began to disgorge raindrops.
Rider sighed in pleasure as he felt the rain on his body. Water was his element; he fought best in it, and one of his attacks in particular worked much better when it was collecting water as it flew.
"Skorupi, Pursuit," the challenger ordered.
"No Escape." The Skorupi opened his mouth and hurled a jet of Dark energy at Rider.
"Bubble!" Viola called. Rider took the Dark-type attack with barely a wince - "Rain Blast." - and fired off a spurt of Water-type energy in return. The Bubble attack grew larger and larger as it sped onwards, and it was only with a call from his Trainer that the Skorupi was able to dive out of the way.
"Keep bombarding!" Viola's next order sparked a flurry of similar Rain Blasts, each one collecting raindrops as it flew.
"Pin Missile! Burst those Bubbles!" the challenger cried.
The Skorupi crouched down - "Pierce." - and fired off four Pin Missiles, two from each horn. Two of them popped a pair of Rain Blasts; the other two arced towards Rider.
This wasn't how Rider had expected this fight to go at all. Skorupi were supposed to charge forward without heed for their own safety, but this Trainer had evidently taken the time to teach their Skorupi some ranged attacks, attacks that could counter Rain Blast and slowly whittle Rider down. As much as it irritated him to get up close, Rider knew he couldn't win this fight at a distance.
Viola seemed to think so too. "Quick Attack!" she cried.
"Rain Strike!" Rider leaped forwards. The Pin Missiles hit the wood behind him as he rushed the Skorupi. He covered the entire battlefield in a second.
But it was a second too long. "Grab him! Poison Sting!" the challenger ordered.
Rider slammed into the Skorupi. He didn't know what he'd expected; maybe for it to stumble back, to fold under the blow. But the Skorupi took it without a wince, and Rider had just enough time to realize that he was probably screwed before the Skorupi's tail lashed - "Inject." - and slammed Rider into the ground.
Rider gasped as he felt the twin barbs of the Skorupi's tail dig into him. Rider, much to his irritation, didn't really have any true countermeasures for Poison-types. They really amounted to 'steer clear of the poison'. Yeah, about that, he thought wryly.
"Rider, Infestation!" Viola called. Even as the Skorupi's tail pinned him to the ground, Rider managed to twist - "Bug Grasp!" - and fire off a blast of Bug energy into the Scorpion Pokemon's face.
"Keep going! Bite and Knock Off!" the challenger called.
The Skorupi winced as he prepared the Dark-type attacks. Infestation wouldn't be that strong against him, but even so the damage would accumulate.
A shot of Brightwings at the mercy of this Skorupi shot through his mind. He hurled it away. No, he couldn't let this Skorupi beat him. He had to hold on long enough for Infestation to do its work. Could he? This Skorupi outclassed him at range, and melee was what the Skorupi line was best at. Could he really beat this Skorupi?
"You resist those moves!" Viola cried. "He doesn't resist yours! Bubble and Quick Attack! Don't let him overwhelm you!"
Rider fought back those defeatist thoughts. Viola was right; this Skorupi had him trapped and poisoned, but he could still deal damage.
"Rain Burst!"
"Prey."
Both Marcus and Viola stopped calling; they both clearly knew that in this state the Pokemon knew better, and that giving them orders would only confuse them. Skorupi was clearly the more vicious, striking with wicked Dark blows and Injects from his tail, but Rider fought back with powerful Rain Bursts that struck Skorupi's face and Rain Strikes that staggered the Scorpion Pokemon.
Skorupi panted as his head snapped back from yet another 'Rain Strike'. Ordinarily, Prey would have ended the fight already, but somehow, this Surskit was still fighting back. Normally this fight would have been over already.
Marcus had been right about the fights here being difficult. First the cocoons, then this Surskit. Skorupi grinned as he clamped his jaws down on one of the Surskit's legs and stabbed his claws into the Surskit's body.
This was fun.
But it was also most certainly not easy. The rain had ceased a while ago, but whatever Bug attack Rider had hit him with was still digging into him intermittently, almost like he imagined his poison would do to an enemy, and those Rain Bursts and Rain Strikes still hit hard.
The enemy Gym Leader finally cried an order. "Use Quick Attack on the tail!"
Rider hauled back - "Rain Strike!" - and rammed his head into Skorupi's tail. A flash of pain rushed through Skorupi's body at that exact moment as Bug Grasp did its work. Skorupi staggered and Rider instantly lunged backwards, ripping away from Skorupi's barbs.
By the time Skorupi had recovered, Rider was on the other side of the arena. Both Bug Pokemon panted as they surveyed one another. Rider was covered in scratches and bites from Skorupi's Dark attacks, but though Skorupi's injuries weren't as visible, exhaustion threatened to overwhelm him; all the Rain Bursts and Rain Strikes had combined with Bug Grasp to wrack his body with pain.
"Rider, finish it off with Bubble," Viola urged her exhausted Surskit.
"Retaliate with Pin Missile and finish with Pursuit," Marcus ordered.
Rider mustered another Rain Burst, which Skorupi met with Pierce once again. This time he only managed two shots. One popped the Rain Burst in midair and the other found its mark in Rider's body. Skorupi pressed, firing No Escape at the Surskit.
"Quick Attack!" called Viola.
Rider lunged - "Rain Strike!" - leaping out of the way of the Dark energy. If it had been any other ranged attack, the maneuver would have worked. But now No Escape lived up to its name; the Dark energy arced around and followed Rider's movement even as the Surskit leaped towards Skorupi with the last of his strength.
"Catch it with your tail!" Marcus cried. Skorupi winced under Bug Grasp as he followed Marcus's command. The Rain Strike was fast, but without Swift Swim it wasn't fast enough to outspeed Skorupi's honed reflexes. The tail caught Rider and knocked him out of the air just in time for the Dark energy of No Escape to nail him from behind.
He didn't get back up. Viola smiled. "If Skorupi evolved into a Bug-type, it would definitely be one of the best," she said. "And you've clearly trained your Skorupi well."
Skorupi managed to keep his feet as another wave of Bug Grasp hit him.
"I do hope, however, that your other Pokemon is just as good," the Bug-type Gym Leader continued. "I don't think your Skorupi is going to last much longer."
"That's true," said Marcus. He started to raise his Pokeball, but then stopped short.
"No," he said. "Skorupi, weaken her next Pokemon as much as you can. Try and land a Poison Sting."
Viola seemed almost disappointed as she threw her next Pokeball.
Brightwings rose into the air, spreading the multicolored wings that gave her the name, and looked down upon the battlefield. The other end was occupied by a Skorupi, one that looked to be on its last legs. It shivered and nearly fell as she looked at it; Brightwings recognized the telltale signs of Bug Grasp.
"Rider hit it hard," said Viola. "Finish it with Gust."
Brightwings glared down upon the Skorupi that had knocked out Rider. She began to beat her wings, infusing them with Flying-type energy as she did so.
"Skorupi, hit as many Pursuits as possible," Marcus ordered.
"No Escape." A beam of Dark-type energy hurled itself from Skorupi's mouth. Brightwings took the attack and fired back. "Flying Rush."
It was resisted, but at this point a Splash could have knocked the Scorpion Pokemon over.
The challenger recalled the fallen Pokemon. From his facial expression, he'd hoped to get off more than one attack before Skorupi went down.
Brightwings hovered resolutely as her next opponent appeared on the field. "It's practically unwounded," the challenger told his final Pokemon. "Be ready for anything."
The Meditite nodded, then turned to stare with equal intensity at Brightwings. For a Pokemon of her stature, she seemed remarkably calm in the face of the much larger Vivillon.
"Brightwings, Poison Powder," Viola ordered.
"Poison Rush." Brightwings sent a wave of Poison-type energy at the Meditite, energy that manifested itself in a swarm of tiny particles.
"Blow them away with Confusion," the challenger retorted.
"Psychic Blast!" The Meditite expelled a wave of Psychic energy that struck the Poison Powder and sent it flying every which way. Not one of the particles came close to touching either Pokemon.
Brightwings hid a smile. A Psychic-type Pokemon would be a cinch to fight. Sure, Meditites were Fighting-type as well, but her Flying type made her strong against that as well.
This would be over quickly.
Viola seemed to agree. "Brightwings, Struggle Bug."
"Bug Rush." Now Brightwings hurled a blast of Bug-type energy in a concentrated attack.
"Psychic Dodge!" The Meditite swiftly twisted out of the way of Bug Rush, avoiding the attack entirely.
"Now Meditate," the challenger ordered.
"Gust, full spread. Don't let it dodge again," Viola ordered.
Again Brightwings added Flying-type energy to the beat of her wings - "Flying Rush." - and hurled wind at the opposing Pokemon.
"Forward!" the challenger ordered. "Confusion at that Vivillon!"
"Psychic Calm." The Meditite waited, Meditating for as long as possible, and then dove forward, wincing as the Gust licked at its heels. It rolled to its feet and fired off a Psychic Blast.
"Infestation!" Viola called.
Brightwings smiled - "Bug Grasp." - as she released the wave of Bug energy. No way that Meditite could dodge this, so occupied she was with hurling that Psychic Blast at her.
Indeed, both their attacks hit. Psychic Blast didn't hurt all that much; neither did Bug Grasp, but it would with time. But Brightwings barely had time to enjoy her hit when she felt a jolt of unearthly energy strike at her mind.
She dimly heard the challenger shout something, dimly felt her wings stop beating. Then she landed on the wooden arena floor, and a blow slammed into her and sent her flying.
"Fighting Trip!" She struck something hard enough to knock the wind out of her, but as she tried to straighten up she felt clarity come back to her mind. The Meditite was racing at her with another melee attack primed, and Viola was calling for Gust.
"Take this!" the Meditite cried as she drew back her fist and readied it to punch forward into Brightwings' face.
"Flying Rush!"
Brightwings had no time to form the attack into a pattern. The blast of Flying energy was messy, but it did its job. Meditite was flung backwards by the Flying Rush, giving Brightwings enough time to rise off the ground again.
She breathed hard, feeling her spine ache with every wingbeat. That Psychic Blast had been extremely detrimental. But she saw the challenger's Meditite stagger as it tried to get up, and remembered that Bug Grasp had hit as well. That Meditite would not last much longer.
"Struggle Bug." Viola's order was loud, clear, and held an edge of finality.
"Detect!" The challenger's voice, by contrast, held an edge of desperation, one shared by the Meditite as it called "Psychic Dodge!". It didn't really matter. Brightwings could just keep throwing Bug Rushes and Flying Rushes at the Meditite, and Psychic Dodge would only increase the time exposed to Bug Grasp.
"Bug Rush!" Again Brightwings hurled the Bug energy at Meditite.
"Bide!" the challenger ordered.
Brightwings hesitated. What was the challenger thinking, making his Meditite take a Bug Rush head on? The Meditite seemed to think the same thing, judging by how its eyes widened for a moment before it gritted its teeth as it set its stance.
Viola gave no more orders. She knew this battle was all but won. The Bug Rush slammed right into the Meditite's body.
The Meditite took it and continued to stand.
"Wha - Bug Rush!" Swiftly Brightwings hurled another Bug Rush forwards.
But it was too late. "Psy - Psychic Retribution."
"Out of the way!" the challenger cried. The Meditite leaped away from the Bug Rush as Psychic Retribution slammed into Brightwings head-on with enough force to knock the wind out of her completely.
She fell onto the wooden floor again. "Finish it with Low Sweep!" the challenger cried.
"Fighting…Trip!" The Meditite, spurring itself forward merely on adrenaline, leaped with a foot swathed in Fighting energy and kicked Brightwings in the stomach.
Brightwings crumpled under the blow. Meditite stumbled, panting heavily, and threw out an arm to support itself.
Viola waited. Brightwings stayed down, but Meditite remained standing. Sighing, she lifted her Pokeball and recalled Brightwings.
Meditite's fading vision beheld her opponent disappear from the field. She had just enough time to recognize that fact - we won - before the battlefield, and indeed the world, disappeared entirely.
Well, that's the end of the first arc of this story.
You may have noticed that this first arc was a little bit 'by-the-numbers'. I will admit, since this is my first time writing a fanfic, I've been treating this with sort-of kid gloves.
Next arc, though? The gloves are coming off. It's bigger, longer, and flashier, and I'm going to try and play around with the setting a little more. Fair word of warning: I'm not trying to write a Dark Fic, but the next arc also gets into some dark territory.
Also, I'm writing this partially as an experiment, to see how my writing stacks up. So please do drop a review. I'd love to know what you all think of the story so far.
Thank you, and see you for the next arc, otherwise known as 'Rocky Relations'.