Track 9 - Sky Above
Braedon stayed in Virbank City for a few days after the caught Magby. He'd make the trek to the complex every morning and battle as many trainers as he could. He couldn't pick up the victory for every battle, but he considered every win and loss experience.
"Magby, use Flame Wheel!" Braedon ordered.
"Out of the way, Krabby!" his opponent commanded. He was a rookie trainer, just like Braedon. He only wore dark green overalls and thick black boots. His bare skin had been tanned from being out fishing for a few weeks.
His orange Pokémon scuttled out of the way as Magby violently rolled near him. Magby's fiery attack missed, but he put a quick stop to his attack and prepared for a follow-up command.
"Bubble!" Braedon's opponent called.
"Smokescreen! Get into the air!"
As his opponent's Krabby released a violent burst of bubbles from his mouth, Mabgy spit a black ball at the ground. The ball exploded, sending smoke across the small battlefield. The bubbles flew into the smoke, but not a single one managed to hit Magby. He then jumped into the air and grinned at Krabby.
"Falling Flame Wheel!" Braedon ordered.
Magby howled and released flames from his snout. The flames made their way around his body, and he came back down to the ground like a meteor. He crashed into Krabby, causing a small explosion. Slowly the ash and dust faded away, revealing the two Pokémon. Magby stood over Krabby, his chest puffed out as far as it could.
The tanned boy with overalls lifted his Poké Ball and withdrew Krabby. "Darn it. That's another win for you! Maybe next time!"
Braedon and Oshawott ran to Magby. He knelt and patted the Pokémon on the head. "Well, if we meet again somewhere else, I'll give you a rematch! But, I think this will be our last day at the complex."
The boy shrugged. "Guess that we'll both have to aim for the conference, in that case. See ya, buddy!"
Without another word, the boy lifted his bag onto his shoulder, tucked his hands into his pockets, and strolled away.
Braedon stood up straight. He looked around the complex, trying to find his next challenge. "I think we battle one more trainer, and then we go and catch ourselves a Magnemite! What do you say?"
Oshawott pulled out his scalchop and waved it around furiously. Magby rolled his eyes at the word Magnemite, and he did his best to avoid Braedon's gaze.
Braedon didn't notice though. He walked around the complex, and his Pokémon followed at their own pace. He eyed every trainer, but most of them were battling each other or with wild Pokémon.
Eventually, he did find a trainer that stood out. He was a boy, maybe a foot taller than Braedon. He wore a long white lab coat, and his black hair was slicked back.
"When our eyes meet, we battle!" the boy exclaimed.
Braedon laughed. The boy's glasses were fogged so badly that Braedon couldn't see what color his eyes were.
"Let's do this! Does two-on-two work for you?" Braedon asked.
"You fool! That sounds perfect!" the boy with foggy glasses answered. He drew out a polished Poké Ball and threw it forward. To Braedon's surprise, a round Pokémon with two horseshoe-shaped magnets emerged in the air.
Magby scowled at the dual Electric- and Steel-type Pokémon. He spit out some embers from his snout and stomped forward. Braedon took notice of his Pokémon and grinned.
"Well, that makes my decision easy! Magby, let's go!" he exclaimed.
"Magnemite, show them that we have no weaknesses! Use Supersonic!" the boy with foggy glasses commanded.
"Smokescreen!"
The Magnemite began to shake, and its magnets spun around rapidly. Sonic waves released from its steel body, and Braedon could feel a ringing sound in his ears. Magby fought through the invisible strike and blasted a black ball at the ground. It imploded and cloaked Magby immediately.
"What the?"
"Now, Ember!" Braedon ordered.
Magby maneuvered to the side while under the cover of the smoke. He targeted Magnemite and unleashed a flurry of small flames. The flames battered into Magnemite, putting its attack to a stop.
Then, the smoke faded. Magby wobbled to and fro, attempting to find some sort of balance.
"No way!" Braedon said with a gasp.
"Yes way! You fool! Electro Ball! Go!" the boy with foggy glasses commanded.
Magnemite spun around in circles, forming a ball of electric energy above its body. When it stopped spinning, it looked at Magby and locked on. With one quick dive forward, it launched the ball of electricity downward. The ball exploded against Magby, tossing him backward.
"Not good! Are you okay, Magby?" Braedon asked.
Magby shook his head while he pushed himself up with one arm. He got back to his feet and glared at Magnemite. Unfortunately for him, he saw double.
"Magby, try Flame Wheel!" Braedon instructed.
Magby looked up and released flames from his spout. He was engulfed with flames, and he started a forward rush. The grass burnt under his attack, but unfortunately for him, he whizzed right past Magnemite, crashing into a nearby, broken-down vehicle.
"That's not good," Braedon mumbled.
"You fool! With your Magby confused, there is nothing you can do! Magnemite, use Gyro Ball! Go! Go! Go!" the boy with foggy glasses shouted.
Magnemite began to spin, becoming a silver blur. It swung its body around and barreled toward Magby.
"Magby, grab on!"
Magby squinted his eyes and held out his arms. As soon as Magnemite made contact, he latched on as tight as he could. Magnemite tried to immediately retreat, but Magby kept him still. No matter how confused Magby was, he was able to keep his strength.
"Now, Flame Wheel!" Braedon ordered.
Magby and Magnemite became enveloped in flames. The Fire-type dragged Magnemite along with him as he rolled forward. Magnemite let a grunt out every time it came into contact with the ground, and all of the remaining time was filled with a terrible screech.
Eventually, Magby put his rolling to a stop. He let go of Magnemite, who fell straight to the ground. Braedon felt like he could see a shocked expression come over the boy's face, but his large glasses made it hard to tell.
The boy withdrew Magnemite and immediately pulled out another Poké Ball, this one rusty. He tossed it into the air, and to Braedon's surprise and Magby's distaste, another Magnemite materialized. It glared at Magby with its singular eye while releasing static from its body.
"Can you fight?" Braedon asked.
Magby responded by blasting fire at the ground. He stepped forward, but he found it difficult to walk straight.
"You fool! I don't think your Magby will be able to handle us much more! Use Thunder Shock!" the boy with foggy glasses commanded.
"Fight back with Ember!" Braedon instructed.
Electricity sparked off of Magnemite's body. They shot forward while Magby spat flames from his spout. The attacks were erratic, so they did not connect. Instead, both of the Pokémon were pelted with energy. Magnemite squealed while it retreated, but Magby took every single strike. When both of the attacks ceased, Magby collapsed.
"A tactical retreat!" the boy with foggy glasses exclaimed while Magnemite hid behind his head. "What is your next Pokémon?"
Braedon frowned and withdrew Magby. He didn't like losing, but he knew that Magby hated it even more. He looked down at Oshawott and nodded. The Water-type punched the air and ran forward. He bent over and hissed at Magnemite and the boy.
"A Water-type? You fool! We'll crush you!" the boy with foggy glasses taunted. "Use Spark!"
"Defend with Fury Cutter!" Braedon ordered.
Magnemite's body started to glow yellow, and it bounded forward. Oshawott grabbed his scalchop, which became enveloped with dark green energy. He swiped, managing to knock Magnemite back momentarily. Its yellow energy slowly faded away.
"Focus Energy!" Braedon shouted.
"You fool! Spark!"
Oshawott shouted, and orange energy surrounded him. Meanwhile, Magnemite bounded forward once again. This time, it could not be stopped. It rammed into Oshawott, shocking him violently. When it stopped, it slowly floated backward and eyed Oshawott.
Braedon smiled and snapped his fingers. "Razor Shell!"
Oshawott didn't need to draw out his scalchop. He only needed to swing his arms. He moved quick enough to where the boy with the foggy glasses couldn't see what happened. Aquatic energy exploded off of his scalchop as he sliced it against Magnemite. Magnemite was not thrown back. Instead, it plummeted to the ground, instantly fainting.
"What?" the boy with foggy glasses exclaimed while running his fingers through his hair. "You fool!"
"Good job!" Braedon said as Oshawott came waddling back to him.
The boy with foggy glasses withdrew Magnemite and stomped over to Braedon. He puckered his lips and crinkled his nose. "You're a good trainer! Consider me your new rival!"
"Rival?" Braedon wondered. "Alright! What's your name, buddy?"
"The name is Foggy! And you?"
Braedon couldn't help but laugh. "Nice to meet you Foggy! I'm Braedon Scott!"
"You fool! You've given me your real name!"
Braedon didn't have any more battles. Instead, he healed Magby by spraying it with a potion. He massaged both of his Pokémon, which allowed them to heal their wounds faster. He didn't understand how the potions worked so quickly, but seeing them in action made him appreciate the magic of science.
"You know what, I think we're good," Braedon said while looking at his duo of Pokémon. They had found an abandoned vehicle near the shores of the complex. Braedon used it as a makeshift table. "Tomorrow, let's have you two challenge the gym. You've both worked hard, so you've earned the right to that fight. What do you say?"
Oshawott flexed his tiny arms while Magby smiled wide. They exchanged looks with one another and started to jump up and down excitedly.
"Perfect!" Braedon exclaimed. He turned around and looked out at the ocean. It was faint, but the lights of Castelia City shone on the horizon. "And then, we're headed to the big city."
Braedon and his two Pokémon gazed at the city as the sun slowly set, giving the ocean an orange glow. Braedon could feel chills as he thought about the battles that he would have in Castelia City. He ran his left hand over his right forearm, feeling goosebumps.
They watched in silence, but then something caught Braedon's attention in his peripheral vision.
To his right stood a boy who appeared to be in his late teens. He wore a midnight black suit jacket with a red collar embroidered with golden regal designs. His button-up shirt was white, which matched his pants. His brown hair was nicely combed and parted down the middle, leaving his bangs to fall right above his blue eyes. He looked out across the ocean toward Castelia City.
Braedon smiled and cocked his head. "Enjoying the view?"
The teenage boy did not respond immediately.
Braedon didn't want to repeat himself, but he also wasn't sure if the boy heard him. The boy didn't look like a typical trainer from Unova. Braedon tried to stop staring, and he turned away.
"I'm not," the boy answered. Just by the two words, Braedon could tell that he was from Galar. Braedon stopped and looked back at him. "This land had so much potential. It was once a beautiful land."
Braedon froze. He was unsure of how to respond. He wanted to play it off like he didn't hear what the boy said, but they made eye contact, and Braedon felt uneasy.
"Do you know the history of Unova?" the boy asked. Braedon felt as though his blue eyes could read his soul.
"I don't know everything. I know about the last few years and the legendary Pokémon but not everything," Braedon answered, slowly getting quieter with every word.
The boy smirked. "Typical Unovan child. But, I don't blame you. Your education has failed you." He paused and looked at the ground. "To be fair, the education in Galar has failed many of my people as well."
"I'm-I'm sorry," Braedon mumbled.
The boy turned away from the ocean and began to walk away. "Unova was built on war after war. However, there is one war that my family has never forgotten. From the sounds of it, the people of Unova have. Enjoy your little Pokémon adventure, child."
Braedon watched as the teenage boy walked away. His body was tense the entire time, but once the boy was out of sight, Braedon managed to relax. He took in a deep breath and looked toward Castelia.
"What was that about?"
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
What was that about? I guess we'll have to see!
This chapter was an example of me getting to write a funny character. I really love when I get to write comedic chapters. You fool!
Next chapter, Leinani is gonna learn about some of the history of Unova, but it's the history that's based in the games!
REVIEWS:
Besprizornye - "I really liked Leinani's battle with all three of the Striaton City gym leaders! It wasn't apparent whether she would pull off the win, and it was fun to see the different pokémon and techniques used on both sides. I hope that the experience humbles Leinani somewhat, or that her meeting with Braedon will help her grow. As it stands, Leinani's caustic personality can make it hard for me to read the chapters centered on her. I trust your writing and your plans to give her the space to grow, but it is just something that makes me uncomfortable watching her be rude to the gym leaders or their staff!" - So, I cut out part of your review, because I want to focus mostly on the (welcome) criticism. I didn't intend on making her seem like she was being terrible to the wait staff. I just kind of saw her as being a bit too cocky and offended at how the gym was structured. I do think that Leinani has grown as a character a lot (in Ascending Alola), and she will continue to grow. Her bombastic attitude is what separates her a lot from Logan, Cyan, and Yurie. Honestly, she's probably my favorite character. But, I can totally see how a character like her can be problematic for multiple reasons. It's something that I'm currently trying to tread lightly.