Outsiders (ZnT/Pokémon Reverse Summon)
Season 2, Episode 5, Chapter 2
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August 10th, 9:30 AM
Coumarine City, Kalos Region
Sitting on a park bench behind the Pokémon Center, Henrietta, Fleur, and Mer watched as Saito, Louise, and their Pokémon prepared for their upcoming battle against Ramos. They weren't doing any heavy training like they were yesterday. According to her friends, doing so would actually be very counterproductive, tiring them out at best or potentially resulting in serious injury during the battle at worst. Therefore, they were preparing through a series of light stretches akin to yoga along with planning out their strategies.
"Alright, guys. Keep doing what you're doing, Louise and I will be right back," Saito said as he got up from stretching his left arm down to his extended left leg. Louise was doing the same thing just for the other leg, and as they got up their Pokémon nodded but otherwise continued to stretch. After a few moments, they would relax then switch to the other leg, and by the time the trainers got to Henrietta the Pokémon were beginning to lightly jog in place.
"Does this really help?" Henrietta asked as Saito and Louise sat down next to her, handing her friends bottles of water she filled with her water magic which they graciously took.
"It does, actually. Helps keep them limber and less likely to pull something," Saito admitted after taking a sip of water, and Henrietta pursed her lips in thought.
"I guess that explains why Agnès and the other Musketeers stretch before and after they exercise," Henrietta mumbled to herself, then shook her head and looked up at Louise. "Have you given any thought about your battle against Ramos?"
"We have, yes," Louise replied, her excitement barely constrained as she smiled widely. "First, just how familiar are you with the Gym Challenge?"
"Just the basics, really. Ramos uses Grass-type Pokémon, like Fleur, right?"
"He does," Saito confirmed with a quick nod. "Ramos is the Grass-type Gym Leader for the Kalos Pokémon League. That means all of his Pokémon are Grass-types, which are weak to Bug, Fire, Flying, Ice, and Poison and strong against Ground, Rock, and Water."
"Right, I remember that," Henrietta told Saito, then smiled at Louise. "I guess that means you're going in with an advantage, Louise."
"That I am," Louise smugly and confidently declared, holding her hand up to her chest in emphasis.
"Remember, don't get cocky, Louise. Just because more of your Pokémon are strong against his does not mean you can slack off. Or did you forget your battle against Viola?" Saito advised his friend, and Louise waved him off while nodding.
"I know that, Saito. And trust me, I remember that battle…very well," Louise said with a quick frown crossing her face.
"Wait, what happened with Viola?" Henrietta asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"Louise got cocky and subsequently destroyed by a single Surskit when she tried relying purely on type advantage to beat her first gym," Saito immediately answered, giving Louise a cheeky grin which caused her frustrated frown to deepen.
"That Surskit was from Hel," Louise grumbled while crossing her arms. She then shook her head and continued, "But I'm a lot stronger and smarter now than I was back then. I'm more than confident that my team and I can defeat Ramos."
"Right, right. Just wanted to make sure," Saito said, then leaned back to take another drink of water.
Louise groaned at the memory of her second official battle. She still vividly remembered the humiliation she felt, which she supposed was what Viola was going for. Nevertheless, she was a much better trainer now, with plenty of victories under her belt. They had been preparing for their battle against Ramos for weeks, eager to ensure that she wouldn't suffer another humiliating defeat again. Henrietta's presence only made that pressure intensify. Despite Henrietta's misgivings about personally participating in Pokémon Battles, she had made her excitement over the upcoming battles against Ramos quite clear. It would be the first true demonstration of Louise's skill as a Pokémon Trainer to her childhood friend. Her battle against Elizabeth didn't really count in Louise's eyes. Sure, Elizabeth had gotten better, but her victory was never in question.
Louise had to defeat Ramos, if nothing else than to simply impress her friend and receive the validation of her hard work that she so desperately craved.
Saito then spoke up, breaking Louise from her thoughts as he said, "Anyway, Louise and I can't battle Ramos immediately. We have to earn the right to challenge him by completing the Pre-Battle Challenge."
"Ah, like a test of some kind?" Henrietta suggested, and Saito nodded.
"Pretty much. Unfortunately, I have no idea what Ramos' is. He tends to change things up quite a bit from challenger to challenger, based off what I've read," Saito admitted. "All I do know is that, once we actually complete the challenge, we'll be having a two-on-two battle against him."
"That means we can only use two of our Pokémon, and he'll be doing the same," Louise clarified, and Henrietta nodded.
"I figured that's what it meant," Henrietta told them. She then placed her hands on top of her lap and said, "Well, you two certainly seem like you know what you're doing. I bet both of you will emerge victorious."
"Thank you, Henrietta," Louise replied. "You won't be disappointed."
"Yeah, Ramos will be tough, but I'm confident we'll win," Saito replied. "Anyway, let's talk about you and your upcoming Showcase. Have you given it any thought?"
Henrietta smiled eagerly while nodding, then answered, "I have, actually. Still coming up with ideas on what my performance should be, but there's a lot of possibilities. It's very exciting!"
"With how good the parties and galas you planned at the palace, I can just tell whatever you come up with will be perfect," Louise declared, and Henrietta smiled and nodded.
"Thank you. Honestly, I haven't had this much fun planning something in…Founder, it feels like years," Henrietta admitted while letting out a tired groan and hanging her head. "Ever since my father died and my mother fell apart, it's been nothing but meeting after meeting, policy after policy. The weight of an entire country on my shoulders and no one appreciating it. This, though…this I'm good at."
"I can believe that," Saito confirmed, thinking back to Louise's birthday party which Henrietta planned. That was just over a few hours, and it was amazing in his eyes. He couldn't wait to see what she had in store after planning and practicing for weeks. He then thought back to the Showcase and asked, "What are you going to wear, by the way?"
"Oh, I was just going to wear my princess gown," Henrietta confirmed.
"Ah. Honestly, that's actually perfect."
"It really is," Henrietta replied while nodding a few times. She then said, "Anyway, that's really the only thing I've narrowed down completely. I still don't know if I should do a dance, a song, or display my magic."
"Wait, what?" Saito asked in surprise while Louise nodded.
"Ooh, you should do that! You're really good at magic and there's a lot you can do with it," Louise advised, vigorously nodding in excitement.
"I was leaning towards doing so, actually," Henrietta admitted, only for Saito to chime in.
"Wouldn't that be…unfair, though?" he asked, causing the two nobles off-guard.
"Unfair? What do you mean?" Henrietta asked while scrunching up her face in confusion. Louise, meanwhile, almost looked offended.
"I mean, don't get me wrong. Based off what I've seen, you're really, really good at magic," Saito clarified while holding up his hands placatingly. "But here's the problem: literally no one else can do that. As far as I know, you and Louise are the only people in the world who can do actual magic, an ability you were born with. To me, using it isn't fair when no one else can even try to do that."
Henrietta hadn't considered that, but before she could say anything Louise piped up and said, "That doesn't mean she can't use it. Sure, we were born with the ability to use magic, but there's a difference between ability and skill. Henrietta has spent years honing her craft, and she's really good at it. Not everyone can dance or sing, but you don't see anyone trying to ban that from competitions."
"There's a difference between dancing and singing, a skill that theoretically anyone can pick up if they try hard enough, and magic which you literally have to be born with the right genes just to do, otherwise it's impossible," Saito pointed out. "This isn't just about magic. I'd feel the exact same way if a psychic or aura wielder tried to do showcases, too."
Henrietta briefly wondered what psychics and aura wielders were, exactly, but she didn't want to cut in during Saito and Louise's conversation. Not to mention it was causing her to think it over as well.
"I see, and are they banned or illegal from use in competitions?" Louise pointedly asked.
Saito paused for a moment, then admitted, "I honestly don't know. I've never seen one do a showcase or contest before," Saito admitted, then raised a finger. "But I do know that a psychic was banned from the League circuit a few years ago for reading his opponent's mind during battle because it created an unfair advantage. If Henrietta uses her magic during a showcase, she might suffer the same fate."
"There's a difference between using a skill you've honed and literally cheating," Louise countered.
While the two continued to debate, Henrietta sat back and thought. Both sides had a point in her mind. Louise was correct that her skill in magic was something that Henrietta had honestly earned over the years, and she was proud of what she could accomplish with it. But Saito was also correct that no one else she'd be competing against could ever do what she could, making it somewhat unfair, and the last thing she wanted was to be banned from the competition entirely. She didn't know which route to take.
"Hmm…" she hummed to herself while rubbing her fingers across her chin. She then said, "Both of you are right. Saito, thank you for speaking your mind. I honestly hadn't considered that viewpoint, but as Louise said it is a skill I'm proud of."
Both Saito and Louise looked at each other then Henrietta, and Louise asked, "Well…what are you going to do?"
"Honestly, I don't know. It doesn't really change anything right now, though," Henrietta admitted while lowering her hand back down to her lap. "For the moment, I think it's best to keep it in mind and, until we find out for certain whether the use of my magic is legal or not, avoid using it in my showcases."
"Are you sure?" Louise asked in clear concern, and Henrietta nodded.
"Better to be safe than sorry for now," Henrietta replied, and Saito nodded.
"Sorry if that changed your plans," Saito told the princess, who smiled and waved him off.
"It's no trouble at all. Besides, I hadn't even come up with a performance yet. Better we talk about these kinds of things now when we have more than enough time to adjust rather than find out at the last minute."
"Yeah, yeah I suppose you're right," Saito admitted, and the trio went back to talking and sharing ideas.
Away from the group of trainers and Pokémon, Maindo watched them work from atop a tree branch. There was a frown on his face as he hefted a plastic bag carrying a bunch of supplies over his head telekinetically. His attention wasn't on them, however. It was on the young Skarmory who was trying her best to follow along with what they were doing on the sidelines. Earlier she and Saito were working on her flight, mostly by putting Ōdachi on a wooden table and having her jump off into Saito's arms. As expected for a young Pokémon, she wasn't that good at it yet, but Maindo was convinced that there was more to the story than just young age.
With that in mind, he teleported down onto the ground, placing the bag behind the tree trunk, then walked up to Ōdachi calmly. The young Skarmory noticed his approach once he got close, further justifying his worries while she simply wiggled in excitement.
"Maindo! Do you want to play with me?!" Ōdachi asked, and to her joy Maindo nodded.
'Yep. I actually have game I want to play," Maindo told her. 'Came up with it myself, actually.'
"YOU DID?! WHAT IS IT?! WHAT IS IT?!" Ōdachi begged while flapping her wings frantically. In any other circumstance, Maindo would've been compelled to chuckle at the youthful display, but he stopped himself and pointed to the tree he just got off of.
'It's called the Eye Game. It's super simple,' Maindo said as he began to escort Ōdachi over to the bag, with the Skarmory hopping along right at his heels. Once they arrived at the bag, Maindo pulled out a few large, brightly colored spots taped to sticks. He continued, 'The rules are simple. I'm going to place these spots around, each one farther than the other. The more you can clearly see, the more points you get.'
"Ooh! What do I get if I win?" Ōdachi innocently asked, then her eyes widened when she saw the sitrus berry being held aloft in the air above his head.
'The more points you get, the more berries you get. Now come on, let's get started,' Maindo announced as he telekinetically lifted the spots out of the bag and placed them in a straight line, each one five feet away from the other. 'Let's start with something simple. How many can you see from here?'
"Hmm…" Ōdachi mumbled as she scrunched up her face, deep in concentration. She then said, "I see…a red, blue, and green spot. The yellow and orange kinda blurry, and I think there's a pink one after that. How many points do I get?"
'You got six points! That's awesome!' Maindo said, trying his best to sound genuinely excited as he handed the jubilant Skarmory her promised reward. As she dug in, he briefly frowned. Only fifteen feet of good eyesight was not very good at all. He was tempted to call it there, but he needed more proof if he wanted to convince her dunce of a trainer that there was more going on.
So, steeling his resolve, Maindo adjusted the position of the spots, placing them in a zig-zag pattern and declared, 'Now, let's take it up a notch.'
"Yay!" Ōdachi cried out, happy to simply be playing with the Kirlia, a feeling that only increased the longer they went.
Once Saito and Louise were finished with their preparation, the party went back to the Pokémon Center. Their battle against Ramos was scheduled for around noon, so they had plenty of time to rest, get cleaned up, eat a light lunch and even play a game of Civilization on their Pokédexes. Louise had really got into the strategy game after Saito introduced it to her, and after she introduced it to Henrietta the three started playing together. They'd been playing the same game for days, and only now was it finally beginning to end after Henrietta, playing as Kalos, decided to stab Louise in the back with a preemptive V-Create strike then invade Louise's Galar region. All Saito, playing as Unova, had to do was sit back and watch the two friends tear each other apart, then mop up the remains with his untouched forces. The game was all but over at this point, and all three knew it. Hopefully they'd want to play again, but if not Saito felt that playing Monopoly would be just as entertaining.
But, eventually, the fun and games had to end, and the party left the Pokémon Center to head over to challenge Ramos for the Plant Badge. Unlike the other Gym Leaders of Kalos, Ramos' gym wasn't actually located within Coumarine City itself. This was because the tree the gym was built upon was absolutely massive, easily the tallest and widest tree either of them had ever seen. The bark was covered with moss, its canopy thick with leaves to where hardly any sunlight filtered through. Large vines hung from the branches down to the upper third of the tree. Scores of Grass, Flying, and Bug-type Pokémon could be seen either around or on the tree itself, calling it home. They could make out Ledybas, Butterfrees, Beedrills, Burmys and Wormadams, Ferroseeds, Carnivines and more. There was even a massive field of Sunflora in a nearby field, constantly absorbing the sun's rays and firing off a steady barrage of Solar Beams into a tall tower, the reflection casting sharp beams of light in all directions.
"What are they doing?" Henrietta asked, and Saito nodded while pointing at it.
"I actually read about this," Saito revealed. "See those Sunflora? They're all Ramos', and he has them fire those Solar Beams into that central tower to generate clean energy for Coumarine. It's the first power plant of its kind in the world, and dozens have been made in its image since."
As Henrietta and Louise looked on in awe, Derflinger whistled in appreciation and said, "That's impressive. Back in my day, the only use for Solar Beam was to blow something up, not generate power. But it goes to show you that there's a lot of ways for humans and Pokémon to work together. This isn't the first, and it most certainly won't be the last."
"Wow…" Henrietta mumbled, her mind racing with how she could use this example to benefit her country once she returned. By now she had come to understand just how beneficial the access of electricity was to people and all the wonderous things that could be accomplished with it. Turning on the lights was just the start. She might not be able to completely replicate the wonders of Earth in Tristain, but as she looked at the shining tower for inspiration she knew she'd find some way to do at least something.
Assuming, of course, the powers that benefited from the current status quo didn't try to stop her. A status quo that placed far more value on land than the people living on it. She had read Earth's history, and knew the fates of countries that made that mistake while others did not. It was very telling that the strongest, most prosperous nations on Earth were the ones that valued their people the most, and she wanted that for Tristain. But even the most optimistic part of her knew it would a tall order, perhaps even impossible to accomplish in her lifetime. Still, she had to at least try.
The party continued moving after their brief pause, walking the rest of the way down a dirt path towards the base of the massive tree. There wasn't a building waiting for them, merely a large garden with scores of flowers and berry trees planted in neat rows behind a small wire fence. Inside the garden, accompanied by a few Bug-type Pokémon, was a single elderly man wearing a green, long-sleeved shirt with brown suspenders that matched his hat, gloves and boots, with dark pants and an orange scarf wrapped around his neck. Attached to his brown belt was a holster which the trainers assumed was meant to hold the large pair of scissors he was using to trim his plants.
The man seemed to notice their approach, but continued to toil in his garden even as Saito, Louise, and Henrietta stopped right in front him. Without turning around, the man said, "Excuse me for just a moment. I'm almost done."
Although part of Louise impatiently wanted to step in so that they could get started, the rest held herself back. She and her friends patiently waited in comfortable silence, watching as the gardener finished his work. Once he was complete, he holstered his pair of scissors and turned around to face him, where they saw that he had a short, scruffy white beard.
"Thank you," the gardener said as he placed his hand on his hip. "Ah, you must be Saito and Louise, correct?"
"That's right, and this is our friend Henrietta," Saito replied as he gestured towards the princess who politely waved. Saito then asked, "You're Ramos, right?"
"Indeed I am," Ramos confirmed with a quick nod. "I am the humble Gym Leader of Coumarine City."
Saito respectfully nodded back, then he perked himself up and declared, "Ramos, we wish to challenge you for the Plant Badge."
"I figured as such. Most young people don't come here to help with the garden, after all," Ramos said with a faint, amused chuckle. He shook his head, then added, "Either way, I'd be happy to accept your challenge."
"Perfect," Louise stated. "What do we need to do first?"
"My, my. You're an impatient one, aren't you?" Ramos replied, causing Louise to huff in mild annoyance and her friends to chuckle. Ramos smiled, then continued, "But you do have a point. No sense in delaying this. I'm not getting any younger, unless one of you just so happen to be friends with Celebi."
"Sorry. I did meet one once, though," Derflinger answered.
"Truly? Well, perhaps you can enlighten me of that encounter while we wait," Ramos told the ancient Honedge, genuine curiosity filling his voice. He then turned his head back to the trainers and asked, "Before we begin, are all three of you challenging my gym today, and how many badges do you currently possess?"
"Oh, I am just spectating," Henrietta quickly confirmed while shaking her head and stepping to the side, which prompting Ramos to nod in understanding and direct her to join him by his side along with Derflinger.
As Henrietta and Derflinger did as instructed, Louise proudly puffed up her chest and answered, "Saito and I both have three gym badges."
"Very well. In that case, I will be using my fourth badge team," Ramos said.
For a brief moment, Henrietta was confused as to what he meant by that, but then she remembered what her friends had told her. While Saito and Louise were taking a particular route that made Ramos their fourth gym leader, that wasn't necessarily the case for every trainer in Kalos taking on the League Circuit. It wouldn't make sense for someone starting in Coumarine to have to travel all the way south to Santalune to take on Viola as their first gym leader. Nor would it make sense to treat every challenger the same, whether they were a novice or experienced.
Luckily, the Gym Challenge itself offered an easy solution. Since the number of badges a trainer has is indicative of how experienced the trainer is, gym leaders around the world adopted the practice of having multiple teams, each one trained to different levels of strength, power, and skill. The number of badges a challenger had would dictate how strong of a team the gym leader would use. If the challenger didn't have a single gym badge to their name, the gym leader would use their weakest team. But if the challenger had seven, the gym leader would use the strongest team at their disposal. Ramos using his four badge team meant that his Pokémon would be around the middle of the pack, not too easy to where Saito and Louise could just steamroll over him but not too difficult as to where they stood no chance.
"But first, as I'm certain you know by now, you have to earn the right to battle me," Ramos declared, cutting Henrietta from her thoughts and clearly referring to the mysterious pre-battle challenge. The Gym Leader patiently waited, staring at Saito and Louise with a slight smirk on his face, then he continued, "Normally, I prefer my challenges to be relaxing and simple affairs. Making tea, for example."
"You want us to make tea? How does that prove our ability as trainers or our relationship with our Pokémon?" Louise asked while tilting her head, not particularly enthusiastic about the idea. It certainly wouldn't be that impressive of a spectacle, but her question caused Ramos to chuckle.
"You'd be surprised at what you can learn by watching someone try to make tea. It's an art that not everyone appreciates," Ramos clarified before shaking his head. "But I don't believe that's the best course of action today. Instead, I have a different trial in mind."
Ramos pointed his hand up at the tree, directing Saito and Louise's eyes up its trunk as he declared, "At the top of this tree, nestled between the branches, lies the battlefield. You two need to get to it by climbing up this tree with nothing but your and your Pokémon's strength working in concert together."
Saito and Louise blinked towards Ramos, then slowly redirected their attention back towards the tree itself. While Saito nervously gulped, wishing that they were just making some relaxing tea, Louise could barely contain her excitement. Not over the prospect of climbing the tree, that was a nerve wracking prospect, but over the opportunity impress Henrietta even more. The Louise from a few months ago couldn't even begin to hope about actually climbing it, but now she had the utmost confidence that she could do so. Sure, it would be difficult, but she could manage.
At the very least, now the rock climbing practice they underwent before challenging Grant wouldn't go to waste.
"Your friends and I will meet you up top," Ramos declared as a left descended from the canopy. "The only rule is that you cannot simply fly or teleport to the top. Otherwise, you two are free to use any means and path you deem necessary. You have twenty minutes to reach the top, and which ever one of you reaches me first gets the first round. Any questions?"
Both Saito and Louise shook their heads, with the former saying, "No, we understand completely."
"Excellent. In that case, I wish you both the best of luck," Ramos said, then he, Henrietta, and Derflinger stepped onto the lift. As they rose up into the tree, Henrietta smiled and waved down towards them, with Saito and Louise waving back.
Once they got far enough away, the two trainers looked back up at the tree and got closer to it. Now that they were paying attention, they could see that within the bark were plenty of hand and footholds, both naturally formed and made by either the tree's Pokémon inhabitants or previous climbers. Probably a bit of both, if they had to guess. There were also several outgrowths coming from the trunk that formed platforms for them to stand on alongside thick vines that snaked their way through the bark. More importantly, they could see two distinct paths form. One appeared to be much more direct and shorter to the objective, but much riskier and with less room to rest. The other, in contrast, took a more roundabout way but had far more places to stand, making it a much easier route.
There were others, clearly, but those were the paths that stood out the most to both trainers. Each one eyed the path they wished to wish to take, and as waited for the signal to begin, Louise confidently declared, "I bet I can beat you to the top."
"Heh, I'd like to see you try," Saito replied, flashing his friend a confident and challenging smirk which Louise returned.
Then, once they heard chiming of a bell and the clock begin to count down, both trainers took off at a sprint straight towards the tree, which they began to climb.
"So you made all of this yourself?" Henrietta asked as she, Ramos, and Derflinger walked along a thick branch that had a path carved into it, complete with wooden railings and warm, yellow lanterns lighting the way towards the stands and arena.
"Much of it, yes," Ramos confirmed with a warm smile and nod. He gently waved his hand around to emphasize the tree they were standing in and added, "I started planting my garden when I first became Coumarine's Gym Leader over fifty years ago."
"Wow… Did you plant the tree, too?"
"The Pledging Tree? No, that was planted well before my time. I'm merely it's latest caretaker, much like the Gym Leader before me, the Gym Leader before her, and so on and so forth. When I finally retire, the next Gym Leader will take my place by its side, keeping it safe and nourished for all to enjoy."
A sense of familiarity shot through Henrietta, and she nodded sympathetically. Although the duties and responsibilities of caring for a single grand tree was vastly different than ruling a nation, it definitely sounded like there were parallels between them. Parallels that Henrietta would have to be blind to ignore. She couldn't help but wonder how much longer Ramos would be the Pledging Tree's caretaker. If she had to guess, he was at least in his seventies, maybe even eighties. Earth's life expectancy was vastly greater than anywhere on Terre, with the obvious exception of the elves who could live for nearly two-hundred years by all accounts, but time still wasn't on Ramos' side. At least he seemed accepting of what was to come, and more importantly he had the capacity to end his tenure on his terms.
"Hey, looks like they're starting," Derflinger announced, cutting into Henrietta's thoughts and directing her attention down the tree. It was hard to make out at first, but then Ramos directed the princess to a set of stationary binoculars planted alongside the railing.
Realizing what she had to do, Henrietta walked up to the stand, placed her eyes against the lens, then aimed it down to where her friends started. It took a few moments for her to find them, but soon she managed to see both Saito and Louise scaling the massive tree.
"I found them!" Henrietta gleefully announced, briefly hopping in place before setting herself. Although much of her focus was on Louise, she made sure to focus on what Saito was doing as well.
"Hmm, looks like young Louise is taking a more…direct path," Ramos noted as he idly scratched his chin, also peering down at the pair of trainers through his own set of binoculars.
Henrietta quickly saw that Ramos was absolutely correct. Whereas Saito was carefully scaling on an upward and diagonal path which contained far more platforms for him to stand on, Louise was instead climbing straight up. Her hands were on a thick vine, her body covered in a pink sheen as Esprit psychically assisted her from atop her shoulder. At the moment, she was actually ahead of Saito, and Henrietta couldn't help but feel excited.
"Let's go, Louise! You can do it!" Henrietta cheered, not particularly caring if Louise could hear her.
In spite of being too far away, Louise seemed to sense Henrietta's encouragement, or perhaps Esprit simply told her. Nevertheless, the young noblewoman doubled her efforts, increasing her speed by simultaneously pushing up off the thick bark while pulling herself up the vine. She continued this for several minutes, using Aile to fly ahead and peck holes in the branch as needed in case there weren't any already there. But, much to Henrietta's shock, Louise's grip slipped from the vine, and she began to fall back down.
"Oh no!" Henrietta yelled in surprise as Louise slid down the vine. Luckily, Esprit was able to halt her fall, only losing a few feet, and a quick application of Life Dew healed whatever friction burns the young girl would've inevitably received.
"Oh, thank the Founder…" Henrietta muttered as Louise regained her bearings and continued moving upward, briefly pausing to glance up in Henrietta's direction.
Ramos briefly glanced at Henrietta with a small, knowing frown on his face but otherwise said nothing, and it was so quick that Henrietta didn't even notice. Derflinger, however, did, but he didn't say anything and kept focusing on the climbing below. Particularly as Saito, stilling taking the longer but safer path that took him around the trunk itself, had now taken the lead thanks to Louise's blunder.
"By the way, what happens if someone does fall off while climbing this thing?" Derflinger asked, knowing that the question was on the tip of Henrietta's tongue.
"I have Exeggutors placed all throughout the tree," Ramos explained. "If someone is ever in actual danger of getting hurt, they'll step in to catch anyone if necessary. No one has ever gotten hurt while undergoing this challenged, and I don't intend for that to change anytime soon."
"That's what I figured," Derflinger remarked, then went back to watching the two trainers continue to climb.
As the timer reached the halfway point, the spectators could see that both Saito and Louise had made considerable progress. Louise, thanks to her decision to continue taking the direct path despite the risks involved, had managed to regain her slight lead. But now she had run out of vine and was forced to use the hand and footholds dug into the bark, slowing her down tremendously even with Esprit's and Aile's assistance. Saito, meanwhile, was taking a slow and steady pace, the most extreme action he had to do simply being short vine swings from one path to another. Nothing compared to the ordeal that Louise was subjecting herself to.
The more it went on, the more that Henrietta was confused as to why Louise was choosing to take the noticeably harder path. A path that was tiring Louise out, given how often she had to pause and take a short break. Sure, the path Saito and his Pokémon were taking was longer, but it was easy. Especially when he had Tengu manipulating the plant life around them, creating new temporary platforms as needed or nimbly scouting ahead to find the best path for Saito to take. He wasn't even breaking a sweat from what Henrietta could see.
But perhaps Louise had some unknown reason that only she knew. At the very least it was obvious that she was going to reach the top before the time the ran out. The only question was whether she'd manage to beat Saito or not, thereby winning the right to challenge Ramos first. Henrietta desperately hopped that Louise would manage to succeed, and as they reached the final stretched it seemed as though her efforts would bear fruit. But Louise's relative exhaustion caught up to her, and she was forced to slow her ascent down to a crawl. Saito, meanwhile, was able to keep going at his careful, steady pace, enabling him to cross the finish line first. Louise managed to regain her strength and finish the climb a few minutes after Saito. By the time she did, Henrietta, Ramos, and Derflinger were already waiting for her, the gym leader's eyes glancing up at the timer that read eighteen minutes and fourteen seconds.
"Congratulations to both of you," Ramos said with a warm, congratulatory smile on his face. "Both of you managed to complete the pre-battle challenge within the allotted time. As such, you both have earned the right to battle me. Since Saito finished the course first, he will have the first round."
"Awesome," Saito told himself as he pumped his fist while Louise let out a dejected sigh.
"Don't beat yourself up, Louise. I thought you did great!" Henrietta insisted as the young noblewoman joined her and Derflinger while Saito and Ramos walked out to the battlefield.
"Yeah, but…I really wanted to finish first," Louise whispered while hanging her head.
"Is that why you took the harder path?" Henrietta asked, and after a moment Louise looked up at her childhood friend and nodded.
"Yeah…" Louise admitted.
She then shook her head and sat down on the wooden bleachers, turning her attention towards Saito and his elderly opponent. Saito briefly paused to let Ōdachi out and join the two girls so that she could watch, with Maindo surprisingly getting out as well to stay with her. As Ōdachi happily climbed atop Henrietta's lap, with the princess gently rubbing her head while letting Fleur and Mer out to watch as well, the Feebas resting in a floating orb of water beside her trainer while the Snivy curled herself around Henrietta's neck, Louise also took the moment to study the arena itself. Much to her surprise, and Saito's as well, the arena was unlike any other she'd seen. Her previous gym battles had just been on a dirt or sand field, but instead Ramos' was covered in a layer of fine, green grass. A wavy and curved band of tall grass, reaching up to Louise's waist, went from end to end, and each side had two trees on the corners.
"I take it you haven't dealt with an arena like mine before," Ramos noted as he stepped into his trainer box. He smirked when Saito nodded, then continued, "Well, if there is one thing that gardening and battling has taught me, it's that trying to keep things the same is, well, boring. The true mark of a trainer isn't just using the strengths of their Pokémon. It's also in using the environment to your advantage. Can you do the same? Let's find out."
With the challenge issued, Ramos pulled out a single Pokéball, and Saito smirked before doing the same.
"This will be a two-on-two battle," the gym's referee announced while raising his arm holding a small green flag. "The challenger may switch between his Pokémon at any time. Begin!"
"Weepinbell, lend me your aid," Ramos called out while tossing his Pokéball into the center of his field. Out of the Pokéball came a yellow, bell-like floral Pokémon that had two green leaves coming out its sides along with two large eyes on its face. At the top of its body was a short, hook-shaped stem from which it could hang, presumably, on branches or lines. At the bottom was its open mouth, and every so often it let out a popping noise while it stared right at Saito.
Having never seen this Pokémon before, Henrietta and Louise pulled out their Pokédexes, which simultaneously explained, "Weepinbell, the Flycatcher Pokémon and the evolved form of Bellsprout. A Grass/Poison-type, Weepinbell are carnivorous. They disguise themselves as plants in their temperate forest and jungle environments and use Sweet Scent to lure insects and small animals, where it will immobilize its prey with Poison Powder before digesting it with its potent stomach acid. If the prey is too large, it will slice them into more manageable chunks with razor-sharp leaves."
"Founder…" Louise muttered, and Derflinger nodded.
"Yep. Remember, Pokémon can be dangerous," Derflinger noted as he pointed towards the Weepinbell as Saito rummaged through the collapsed Pokéballs on his belt. "This will be interesting."
Saito, meanwhile, went through his options. While switching between his two Pokémon at any time was a massive boon, he still had a limited pool of Pokémon to choose from. Both Ronin and Shogun were out of the question. They were weak to Grass-type Pokémon, and while Shogun's Stealth Rock could be very useful it wasn't worth the risk. Ōdachi would've been a great option, especially against a Weepinbell as her Steel-typing would've made her completely immune to any of its Poison-type moves, but she was still too young and inexperienced. That meant he only had Tanuki and Tengu to use, neither of which held an advantage against a Grass-type Pokémon.
It would have to be enough, and luckily they had done plenty of training ahead of time in anticipation of this exact scenario. With that in mind he pulled out his first Pokéball and called out, "Tanuki, I choose you!"
His Riolu emerged from his Pokéball, bounding in place for a few moments before crouching low towards his opponent. Weepinbell narrowed its eyes, angling its leaves forward in anticipation of Ramos' orders.
"Tanuki, start off with Quick Attack!" Saito ordered.
Tanuki immediately complied with the order, disappearing into a blur as it raced towards the Weepinbell. But, as he approached, Ramos suddenly called out, "Dive into the tall grass, Weepinbell."
Using its leaves to launch itself forward, Weepinbell dove deep into the tallgrass that cross the field. Tanuki's strike landed in the path of grass it previously stood a moment later, creating only a small divot in the dirt but otherwise doing nothing. Saito, meanwhile, ground his teeth together as both he and his Pokémon completely lost track of their opponent.
"Where are you…" Saito mumbled to himself, watching as Tanuki swiveled his head around to try and spot the Weepinbell. They could tell that it was moving, and every so often they would see the tall grass twitch from its movements, but it was too thick to see into at all.
Suddenly, Ramos ordered, "Gastro Acid!"
A moment later, a glob of purple acid sprayed out of the tall grass, striking Tanuki in the back and completely covering him. The Riolu recoiled, holding his nose together as its foul odor that even Saito could smell all the way from his raised trainer box. As he held his nose with his fingers, he noticed that Tanuki didn't appear to be injured in any way despite being doused with stomach acid. Saito knew what Gastro Acid did. It completely nullified a victim's ability. In Tanuki's case, the ability Inner Focus which prevented him from getting flinched while in combat.
Suspicious as to what Gastro Acid did but thankful his opponent didn't start off with Poison Powder, Saito ordered, "Use Force Palm where the attack came from!"
Tanuki attempted to do as instructed, but as before the attack only ruffled the grass. Weepinbell was already gone, disappeared deeper into the brush. Saito grit his teeth as Tanuki backflipped through the air out of the grass, landing on what he now saw was a tree stump to get a better angle. Even as the grass rustled with Weepinbell's movements, it was impossible to see where it actually was or where it was going.
That was when Saito's eyes widened in realization, and he slapped his forehead in frustration. He then called out to Tanuki, "Use your aura sight to find Weepinbell!"
Tanuki stared at Saito for a moment in confusion, then he, too, slapped himself in the forehead at the obvious solution. He closed his eyes and reached out with his aura. But, just a few moments later, the Riolu opened his eyes and looked at Saito in alarm. At first Saito didn't know what was going on, but soon he realized that Tanuki was unable to use his aura sight at all.
"What? How did—Wait a minute, the Gastro Acid…" Saito mumbled, and Ramos nodded.
"That's right," Ramos confirmed with a firm nod. "Gastro Acid completely nullifies a Pokémon's ability. For a Riolu like yours, that means it can't see aura as well."
"Dammit!" Saito cursed under his breath while at the same time marveling at how smart Ramos' strategy was. He knew Tanuki could use his aura sight to completely negate any advantage Weepinbell could use to evade detection, so he removed that option completely. Now they had to rely on their other senses, which was easier said than done.
Still, it wasn't an insurmountable obstacle. Just because Riolu couldn't use aura sight or his Inner Focus ability didn't mean it was impossible to find the Weepinbell. Glancing up at the tree, Saito called out, "Okay then, Ramos. You want me to use the environment, let's use the environment. Tanuki, hop up on top of that tree!"
Springing off the wooden stump, Tanuki landed on one of the tree branches that hung above the arena floor. Now presented with a higher vantage point, Tanuki was able to see his opponent's movements much more clearly, and he let out a smug grin as he was able to chart its path.
Suddenly, Ramos ordered, "Strike him down with Razor Leaf!"
A flurry of razor-sharp leaves shot out of the grass, cutting some of the stalks before slicing into the wood. The thinner branches of the tree was sheared right off, forcing Tanuki to jump from branch to branch in order to evade the onslaught. Some of the leaves were embedded into the tree truck like nails. Unfortunately, a few managed to graze him, causing the Riolu to let out a bark of pain that he was able to power through. Once the attack ended, Tanuki turned in his tracks right back towards his opponent, where he saw the Weepinbell beginning to move through the grass once again.
"Oh no you don't. Get him out of there with Quick Attack!" Saito shouted, pointing his arm towards the rustling grass.
With a grin on his face, Tanuki kicked off the tree with enough force to rattle the entire trunk and knock a few leaves off their branches. He made a beeline straight towards the Weepinbell, who was unable to evade in time before getting tackled out of the tall grass and back out into the open. With Tanuki on top, their momentum dragged through the field, digging a small ditch in the dirt behind them. When they finally began to slow down, Tanuki kicked off from Weepinbell, landing a few feet in front of his opponent who began to pick itself back up.
"Good job, Tanuki! Follow up with Ice Punch!" Saito called out while pumping his fist close to his chest, thankful that Louise let him use some of the TMs she bought at the start of her journey. Sure, he had to put up with how smug she acted when he requested them, but that was acceptable.
Tanuki reared his fist back, which became covered in a thick layer of ice before charged right towards his opponent. Weepinbell's eyes widened and, unable to dive away in time, it was clear that the attack was going to land.
But, just before it did, Ramos said, "Toxic."
"GET OUT OF THERE!" Saito hastily screamed, and Tanuki attempted to stop in his tracks and dive away. But inertia was not on his side, and his momentum kept him going long enough to where he was unable to avoid the thick and concentrated jet of acid that went right into Tanuki's face.
The effects of the poison were felt almost immediately, and Tanuki doubled over while falling to his knees. He began to breath heavily, and his vison became blurred. Every breath felt like a chore, and his mind was swirling. In the distance, he could faintly hear Saito yelling out in worry, but his trainer's voice was muffled and incomprehensible. Tanuki quickly realized that he didn't have much time before the poison coursing through his veins would take him out of the fight completely, and it didn't matter if Saito pulled him out which he knew his trainer was about to do.
Knowing that he really only had one more chance to do anything of note, Tanuki shook his head and tiled his gaze upward. He saw Weepinbell attempting to hop back into the tall grass, clearly intending to just wait Maindo out completely before Saito's second Pokémon was released. He refused to let that happen, and without even waiting for Saito to order otherwise he used Quick Attack to once again reach Weepinbell. His attack took Weepinbell by complete surprise, knocking the Flycatcher Pokémon hard into the ground. Tanuki followed through his attack with a Force Palm straight into Weepinbell's gut, taking him into the air with the force of the blow. He then grabbed the Weepinbell's stem and swung downward, slamming Weepinbell hard into the dirt and knocking the air out of its lungs. Finally, Tanuki reared back his fist, charged up an Ice Punch, and threw it right into Weepinbell's face.
The super-effective blow, its power increased by Tanuki's rage, drove Weepinbell deeper into the dirt. But it proved to be too much for Tanuki to take, and although he tried to follow up his attack with another, he stumbled back while gripping his head. He stared forward for a moment, then doubled over, threw up the contents of his stomach, then collapsed into a heap.
"Tanuki!" Saito screamed in worry while the referee raised a red flag.
"Tanuki is unable to battle," the referee announced. Saito winced at the news, then silently pulled out his Pokéball and returned Tanuki to it.
"Thank you, Tanuki. We'll finish this, don't worry," Saito spoke to the Pokéball in his hand. Then, as he pressed a button to collapse it and placed the shrunken sphere onto his belt, he heard Ramos call out to him.
"I can see that your Pokémon is immensely loyal. Not many could power through the effects of Toxic like that," Ramos noted. "You should be proud."
Saito stared at his opponent, then nodded firmly and replied, "I am. Now then, come on out, Tengu!"
He threw out another Pokéball, releasing Tengu onto the battlefield who immediately squared up against her opponent. Her eyes narrowed at the Weepinbell who already took out her teammate, wary of what it could do to her in turn. But soon she noticed that not only was Weepinbell breathing heavily, its bruises were covered in a thin layer of frost that, with each movement, seemed to cause the Grass-type Pokémon pain.
Saito quickly noticed the Weepinbell's condition as well, and he let out a smirk while saying to himself, "Well, would you look at that? Looks like Weepinbell's caught itself a little case of frostbite."
Smiling gleefully, Saito pointed towards the injured Weepinbell and ordered, "Tengu, finish Weepinbell off with Nature Power!"
Tengu's body briefly pulsed a slight green as she absorbed the ambient energy around her. She then brought her hands together and forward, accumulating the energy into a neon-green Energy Ball that shot forward like a bullet right into Weepinbell. Unable to dodge, the attack slammed into Weepinbell's face, causing it to roll backward but not completely take it out of the fight. Knowing this, Saito and Tengu took a page out of their opponent's playbook and dove into the tall grass, taking her out of Weepinbell's sight who glared in their general direction while otherwise breathing and wincing heavily.
"Glad to see you're using the environment," Ramos gently said. "But it won't be enough to save you. Weepinbell, douse the tall grass with Acid!"
Angling itself upward, Weepinbell released a spray of acid out of its mouth and towards the grass, aiming to draw Tengu out. The Nuzleaf attempted to get out of the way, but droplets of acid rained down and burned into her skin, causing her to wince out in pain. Luckily, she was able to avoid the worst of it, and she soon jumped out of the tall grass facing her opponent.
"Seed Bomb!" Saito yelled. While still flying through the air, Tengu took a deep breath before spitting out a large seed glowing with energy. It slammed into the ground next to the Weepinbell, and like a grenade it exploded on impact. The force threw a surprised Weepinbell into the air, leaving it defenseless as Tengu landed on her feet.
"Finish her off with Payback!" Saito ordered while throwing his arm forward.
Crouching down and narrowing her eyes darkly, Tengu's arm glowed a dark purple before she sprang forward, leapt into the air, then slammed her fist right into Weepinbell's open mouth. Her opponent's eyes widened in surprise and pain, and was unable to fight back before the blow sent her flying out of the arena and into the border wall. It slumped down onto the grass, and while it briefly attempted to pick itself back it, it was unable to do so and collapsed into a heap.
"Weepinbell is unable to battle!" the referee declared while holding up another red flag. Ramos released a sigh, then gently returned his fallen Pokémon to its Pokéball.
"Thank you, my friend. You did well," Ramos said, then turned towards Saito and Tengu as the latter released a Sunny Day and followed it up with a Synthesis to recover from her wounds. "Let's finish this. Exeggutor, lend me your aid."
Tossing out a second Pokéball, Saito watched was a large, desert palm-like Pokémon with three heads staring at him and Tengu at the same time. Each head looked like a yellow melon, and had a different facial expression on each one. The body was stout and thick, standing on two short legs and round feet that had two spiky toes on the front. Atop its head were several were several green fronds that swayed back and forth with each movement.
As with the Weepinbell, both Louise and Henrietta took out their Pokédexes and scanned the new Pokémon, and their devices told them, "Exeggutor, the Coconut Pokémon and the evolved form of Exeggcute. Originally native to the Alola region, where the abundance of sunlight allowed its true power as a Grass/Dragon-type Pokémon to be unleashed, Exeggutors in other regions have adapted to their new environments by growing stouter and shorter. Their draconic powers are also abandoned in favor of its latent psychic potential, becoming a Grass/Psychic-type Pokémon."
"Wait, Exeggutors went from this," Louise said, glancing between the image of an Alolan Exeggutor and its Kantonian counterpart currently on the field, "to that?"
"Yeah. Remind me to talk to you guys about regional forms after this. Not gonna lie, they're pretty cool," Derflinger noted while Ōdachi happily cheered her trainer along. Maindo, meanwhile, huffed while attempting to make himself look disinterested, but kept his focus on Ōdachi and her difficulties in actually watching the battle unfold.
"Exeggutor, start off with Barrage!" Ramos ordered, with his Pokémon immediately complying by firing out dozens of small, round melons from the top of its head right at Tengu.
"Hide behind the tree!" Saito ordered, with Tengu already running to get out of the way of the attack. Pinning herself to the back of the tree, Tengu was the image of calm despite each impact of the barrage shaking the tree down to its roots. A few times the projectiles shot past her cover and landed on the ground beside the Nuzleaf, kicking dirt and grass her into face, but she ignored it.
As soon as the barrage ended, Tengu immediately ran out, circling her opponent before diving into the tall grass. Once she was inside, Saito ordered her to use Razor Leaf which she immediately shot towards her opponent while continuing to move. The attack did little to her bulky opponent, and thanks to its three heads the Exeggutor was able to respond almost immediately with another Barrage that Tengu was only barely able to avoid. Thanks to her ability Chlorophyll, however, the Sunny Day she launched earlier allowed Tengu to nearly double her speed, making it far easier to avoid her opponent's attacks.
"Stop her in her tracks with Seed Bomb," Ramos ordered.
The Exeggutor launched a single, massive seed straight into Tengu's path. She was forced to stop in her tracks and dive backwards the avoid the explosive force, but this left her open to a follow-up Barrage that sent her staggering. To Saito, it reminded him of what taking artillery fire.
"Tengu, get out of there then recover with Synthesis!" Saito yelled. From inside the tall grass, Tengu shook her head to regain her sense of mind, then did as instructed.
Running towards the nearby tree, Tengu scaled up it its trunk and branches before emerging out the very top. Angling her head towards the still active Sunny Day, she absorbed the radiant sunlight and released a sigh of relief as her wounds healed. She couldn't stay long, however, as the stationary Exeggutor was already angling its body upward to attack her. As it did, both she and Saito noticed that, ever since the battle began, it hadn't moved once. Not only that, but it couldn't quite angle its heads up completely to where Tengu was currently standing.
Saito slowly began to have an idea form, and he smiled at the realization of his opponents weakness. Exeggutor may have strong psychic powers and a bulky body, but it was not nimble at all and found it much more difficult to attack an opponent above itself.
Nodding to himself as he quickly came up with a strategy, Saito threw his arm forward and ordered, "Use Solar Beam right at its face closest to you!"
Tengu quickly obeyed, gathering the intense solar radiation and condensing it into a thick ball in front of her face. She then unleased the energy into a massive flare that shot straight into the face of the Exeggutor currently facing her. The blow blinded her opponent and caused it to stumble back creating an opening that she was more than happy to exploit.
"Follow up with Payback, then plant a Seed Bomb on its head!" Saito called out.
Leaping off the tree, Tengu landed in the middle of the thick fronds that made up the Exeggutor's head. She then threw a powerful haymaker right into the middle, causing the Exeggutor to cry out in pain. Adding onto her attack, Tengu spat out a Seed Bomb into her hand and planted it right in the center of fronts. It sizzled as though a fuse was lit, and she kicked herself off just as the Sunny Day finally began to disappear. A moment later, the Seed Bomb exploded, causing the Exeggutor to stumble further.
When it finally managed to regain its footing, it angrily glared at a silent and defiant Tengu who was standing atop the other tree at the opposite end of the field. Bellowing in anger, the Exeggutor fired another Barrage. But Tengu was too high, the seeds harmlessly impacting the tree below her while she remained absolutely still.
"Send out another Sunny Day, then use Synthesis and Solar Beam," Saito ordered.
Tengu did as Saito ordered, throwing out another orb of intense, artificial sunlight that made all the humans in the area sweat. After healing from her wounds with Synthesis, Tengu fired another Solar Beam into Exeggutor's face, causing it to cease its Barrage attack for the time being once again.
"Use Payback!" Saito ordered, with Tengu leaping from the tree towards her opponent. As she sailed through the air, however, Exeggutor recovered more quickly than she anticipated, and two its heads turned to glare at her.
"Blast her back with Seed Bomb again," Ramos ordered.
Tengu was suddenly flung back hard into the ground as a hastily launched seed exploded right in front of her. She groaned in pain, but quickly pushed herself up and got out of the way as Exeggutor unleashed another Barrage.
"Run up to it and use Payback!" Saito ordered, hoping that their opponent would have just as much difficulty attacking something right below it as it would above.
Heeding her trainer's command, Tengu rushed towards her opponent, her arm covered in a purple sheen. When she got close enough, she jumped into the air and delivered a powerful uppercut right into onto the underside of the nearest Exeggutor head. The blow, its power increased by the attack Tengu just received, caused the Exeggutor to completely topple over onto its back. Without any arms, all it could do was squirm and wiggle in place, trying in vain to right itself.
"Exeggutor!" Ramos cried out in worry, while Saito let out a cheer and pumped his fist.
"Yeah, way to go, Tengu! Keep attacking it with everything you got!" he shouted.
Nodding towards her trainer, Tengu began throwing every attack at her disposal into Exeggutor's underside. She fired Razor Leaves, Seed Bombs, and Energy Balls created through Nature Power, and threw powerful Paybacks unrelentingly. Each attack wore down the defenseless Exeggutor more and more, causing its futile attempts at resistance to sporadically fire out and do absolutely nothing. A few Barrage projectiles did arc towards the spectators, but the other Exeggutor managed to psychically grab them and keep the others safe.
After a few moments of nonstop attacking, Tengu began to slow down when she noticed that Exeggutor was growing slower and slower. Soon she stopped completely and backed up, waiting for her opponent to make the next move. Everyone waited with bated breath, Tengu standing straight up but ready to move at a moment's notice.
Finally, the referee held up a red flag and announced, "Exeggutor is unable to battle! Saito Hiraga and Tengu are the winners!"
"Alright!" Saito shouted as he threw his fist high in the air, with Tengu letting out a faint smile and nod but otherwise showing no response.
Ramos smiled faintly, then returned his fallen Pokémon to its ball and whispered, "You did well, my friend. Get some rest."
Placing the ball back into his pouch, Ramos walked down from the trainer box towards the middle of the field. As he did, called out to Saito and said, "Well done, young man. That was a thoroughly enjoyable battle."
"Thank you, Ramos," Saito replied as he, too, went out onto the field to join the gym leader and his Pokémon. Once they met at the middle, they each shook each other's hands, then Ramos pulled out a small box with a glass top and a cushion of leaves on the inside. On top of the leaves, Saito could see a small green and gold badge that looked like a leaf.
"You have more than earned the Plant Badge, Saito. Bear it proudly," Ramos told the young boy with a smile on his face. Saito smiled back as he gently took the offered badge, clutching it tightly in his hands before nodding at the elderly Gym Leader.
"I will," Saito claimed, and once again the two trainers respectfully shook hands.
Only then did Saito return the victorious Tengu to her Pokéball, then left the arena to rejoin his friends. At the same time came a swarm of small Grass-type and Bug-type Pokémon who repaired any damage the arena sustained during their battle. Once they were done, it was impossible to tell that any battle took place at all.
"Good luck, Louise," Saito told his friend as he took his seat next to Henrietta and Derflinger while the girl in question stood up.
"Thank you, but I don't need luck. I got this," Louise confidently claimed, glancing down towards Henrietta who eagerly smiled up at her friend before turning to Saito.
"You and your Pokémon were amazing, Saito!" Henrietta claimed as Louise began to walk down the steps. "Especially Tengu. When Tanuki got poisoned, I was worried you were going to lose."
"For a minute there, so was I," Saito admitted. "But we managed to pull through. Now it's Louise's turn."
"I know, I'm so excited! If that's what a Gym Battle is like, I can't wait to see what Louise has in store," Henrietta declared, turning back towards her friend who stepped up to the trainer box.
As the referee once again began to explain the rules of the battle, Louise divided her attention between Ramos and Henrietta. Saito had put on quite the impressive display, and it enthralled Henrietta the entire time. It would be a tough act to follow for Louise, but she knew that she had to live up to it. Not only that, she had to surpass it. After all, it wasn't often that she had to chance to show off to her friends, especially her oldest one.
"This will be a two-on-two battle!" the referee once again announced as he held up a small green flag. "The challenger may switch between her Pokémon at any time. Begin!"
"Lend me your aid, Jumpluff," Ramos declared as he tossed out a Pokéball, revealing a small, round Pokémon with a dark blue body, four small green leaves at the top of its head, and three large cotton-like spores sprouting out arms and head. The spores, picking up the small air current in the gym, gently lifted the Jumpluff into the air, while it happily focused its attention on Louise who was already scanning it with her Pokédex.
"Jumpluff, the Cottonweed Pokémon, and the final evolution of Hoppip and Skiploom," the Pokédex announced. "A dual Grass/Flying-type Pokémon and native to the Johto region, Jumpluff uses the cotton spores growing out of its body to float in the air while drifting on seasonal winds, where it spreads spores to produce offspring. Its maneuverability is so great, it can even control its flight in the middle of a hurricane."
"Hmm," Louise hummed to herself as she analyzed in the information given to her. Ramos' Jumpluff certainly didn't seem all that impressive, but by now she knew looks could be deceiving. This Jumpluff was a gym leader's Pokémon, which meant by default it would be a cut above the rest of its species. She briefly glanced over towards Henrietta, who happily waved and cheered towards her friend.
Somehow noticing this, Ramos called out, "You seem distracted, Louise. If you wish to defeat me and earn the Plant Budge, you can't afford any distractions."
Snapping out of her thoughts, Louise replied as she pulled out a Pokéball, "I'm not. Aile, I choose you!"
As Aile was released onto the battlefield with a loud, piercing cry, Louise smirked confidently. In a battle of air supremacy, she had no doubt that Aile would easily carry the day. She was an incredibly agile flier, and would be able to fly circles around any opponent. An impressive display that would leave Jumpluff in the dust and wow Henrietta, making Aile the perfect solution.
Deciding to take the initiative, Louise threw her arm towards Jumpluff and yelled, "Aile, kick up a Tailwind then use Flame Charge!"
Heeding her trainer's commands, Aile flapped her wings as hard as she could. A gentle and steady wind kicked up around them, ruffling Louise's hair and causing a few blades of grass to whip around aimlessly. The Jumpluff was momentarily carried backward by the wind, but soon was able to maneuver itself to where it was simply floating as though there was no wind at all. That was when Aile reared herself back, and her body was enveloped in a ball of flame. She shot towards the Jumpluff, who narrowed its eyes while continuing to face her.
Then, just before Aile made contact, the Jumpluff released its hold on itself, allowing the Tailwind to carry it up and away from Aile. The flaming bird shot right through the empty air where the Jumpluff previously floated, and she quickly righted herself back to face her opponent as it stared down on her.
"Infestation," Ramos ordered, prompting the Jumpluff to let out a faint cry.
As though summoned by a dinner bell, swarms of small insects appeared, coming out of the grass and trees around them. Aile was quickly surrounded by a dense cloud of gnats that, no matter how much she tried to bat them away, refused to leave. Louise grit her teeth in worry, not quite understanding what the bugs were doing to her Pokémon. But she quickly sighed in relief after noticing that Aile looked to be more in a state of mild discomfort rather than actual pain.
Nodding to herself, Louise pointed towards her opponent again and yelled, "Flame Charge again!"
Once more, Aile's body was covered in fire before launching herself towards the Jumpluff. Aile rode the tailwind upward, racing towards the bottom of the Jumpluff who rated itself to face her head-on. Then, just as last time, the Jumpluff expertly dodged to the side with a spin, causing Aile to shoot right past her with barely an inch of space between them.
"Use Poison Powder!" Ramos ordered just as Aile's body passed Jumpluff's face. His Pokémon immediately spat out a cloud of purple powder that Aile was powerless to avoid, causing her to breath it in and immediately begin to cough and hack.
"Aile, no!" Louise shouted in worry as she watched the poison take its toll on her Pokémon. To her dismay, she also saw that the insects where still biting into Aile's body based off how she was constantly twitching in discomfort. She honestly thought that the Flame Charge would've burned them out, but clearly that wasn't going to be an option.
Still, she had to think fast. Although Poison Powder wasn't as potent as Toxic, Tanuki was still taken about because he was poisoned. A problem that Aile now faced in addition to the effects of Infestation. Not wanting to take any changes, Louise decided to take advantage of the rules afforded to her and pulled out Aile's Pokéball.
"Aile, return!" Louise shouted as a red beam shot towards her Pokémon. But, as the beam made contact, the connection suddenly broke and Aile remained outside. "WHAT?!"
Ramos chuckled at Louise's distress, then explained, "I see you're unaware of what Infestation does. You see, Louise, Infestation doesn't just summon hordes of insects to annoy your Pokémon. The insects prevent a Pokéball from maintaining a stable connection, meaning you can't return Aile until it is done."
Louise's eyes widened in panic, particularly as she noticed the dual effects of the poison and the infestation taking its toll on Aile. Her wingbeats were becoming slower and heavier, her breathing more labored, and her head was beginning to droop. She had to end this now, but with the Jumpluff's surprising level of maneuverability, actually hitting it was proving to be a major problem.
Deciding that adding more speed to the equation would solve her problems, Louise yelled, "Use Agility!"
Aile's eyes gained a new sense of focus as a light-pink sheen pulsed over her body. Her movements immediately became much faster and more fluid, seemingly ignoring the poison and infestation completely. It was only a Band-Aid solution, Louise knew, but it would have to work for now.
Then, just as she prepared to give another order, Ramos calmly said, "Encore."
Louise's eyes widened in horror as the Jumpluff happily cheered and clapped its arms together. At first Aile didn't seem to be affected, but instead of following up her Agility with a Flame Charge as instructed, she instead used Agility once again. Her eyes widened, and the Fletchinder looked back towards her trainer in alarm before Ramos nodded appreciatively.
"Jumpluff, use Acrobatics," he ordered.
The Jumpluff let out a cry, then flew against the wind towards Aile. As it approached, Louise ordered her Pokémon to dodge, only for Aile to use Agility again for the third time in a row despite visibly trying not to.
"No, no!" Louise shouted futilely as the Jumpluff's move connected, sending Aile flying back.
"What's going on? Why does Aile keep using Agility instead of dodging?" Henrietta asked in the stands, holding up her hand to her mouth in concern.
"She was hit with Encore," Saito grimly answered, a frown on his face as he watched Louise desperately attempt to regain control of the situation. "Encore forces a Pokémon to only do the last move it used, no matter what. Meaning, for the next few minutes, literally the only thing Aile can do is use Agility."
"She can't dodge, she can't attack, she can't do anything," Derflinger added with a huff. "Combined with that Infestation and Poison Powder, things aren't looking very good for them."
Henrietta's eyes widened, then she turned her attention back towards the battlefield. Louise was constantly throwing out order after order, trying in vain to turn the tide of the battle around. But Aile was still trapped under the effects of the Encore. Her movements were like a blur by this point, but that meant nothing when she couldn't even use her vast speed to any effect. Aile was practically just a buzzing, stationary target and nothing else. Luckily the Jumpluff's attacks weren't all that strong by itself, but that didn't really matter when Aile was suffering the devastating effects of Encore, Poison Powder, and Infestation all at once.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Aile, without prompting, managed to dodge Jumpluff's latest attack. Louise let out a quick, victorious cheer, but it was short lived as she noticed just how tired Aile actually was. She did not have much time at all before she would be taken out of the fight completely. Maybe two moves at most.
Louise glanced at a greatly concerned Henrietta, then she steeled herself, threw her arm towards the Jumpluff, and yelled, "Use Flame Charge now!"
Aile's body was enveloped in flame, and she shot towards the Jumpluff at blinding speed. She was moving so fast, her opponent had no time to even attempt to dodge. One moment Aile was on the opposite side of the field, the next she was slamming the Jumpluff through the top of the tree on Ramos' side, creating a scorched hole through the leaves. Jumpluff let out a cry of pain as it tumbled end over end in the air, and Aile made a wide, banking turn as she reoriented herself towards her opponent with every intention of following through with her devastating attack.
She never got the chance as her prior injuries, the Poison Powder, and the Infestation finally took their toll. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, then she fell hard onto the ground. Aile's limp body bounced a few times on the grass before coming to a stop, and it was immediately clear to everyone that Aile was out for the count.
"Aile is unable to battle!" the referee announced, and Louise stared silently at her fallen Pokémon for a few moments before slowly aiming Aile's Luxury Ball towards her.
"I'm sorry, Aile," Louise whispered to the Luxury Ball in her hand. She then narrowed her eyes towards Ramos and his Jumpluff, the latter clearly injured but still able to fight. Her hand shot towards her belt, grabbed another Luxury Ball, then she shouted, "Brennaraki, go!"
Her starter Pokémon emerged onto the battlefield, landing on all fours and growling angrily towards her opponent. Louise was similarly grinding her teeth together and clenching her fist tightly, furious at the humiliating defeat she just suffered and how Ramos was just serenely smiling at her like nothing had happened. This battle was not going the way she wanted, but with the Founder as her witness it was not going to end that way.
"Brennaraki, use Sunny Day then Flamethrower!" Louise ordered, immediately going on the attack.
Brennaraki reared her head back then shot an orb of concentrated thermal energy high into the air. The ambient light and heat increased dramatically, and already beads of sweat were trickling down her brow. But Louise ignored the discomfort, keeping her focus purely on her opponent as Brennaraki shot forth an intense stream of fire towards the Jumpluff who attempted to dodge. Her opponent seemed to be moving faster under the intense sunlight, telling Louise that the Jumpluff's ability was most likely Chlorophyll like Tengu. But it wasn't moving fast enough as Brennaraki kept up the Flamethrower and followed her opponent, quickly consuming it in the blaze.
The Jumpluff squealed in pain from within the fire, falling towards the ground with smoke rising from its body. Louise pumped her fist in jubilation, particularly as she saw Henrietta let out a supportive cheer which pumped her spirits up even more. But it was short-lived as the Jumpluff, despite its heavy injuries, managed to right itself just before it crashed into the tall grass. Although it was breathing heavily, the Jumpluff was still in the fight, glaring towards Brennaraki defiantly.
Growling to herself, Louise quickly yelled, "Use Will-O-Wisp!"
As soon as the words left Louise's mouth, Brennaraki fired a small orb of ghostly green flame that homed in on the Jumpluff. The fireball impacted against its side, leaving a nasty burn that made it wince in pain. But it was far from done, and with a determined scowl it continued to face its opponent as Brennaraki prepared for the next onslaught.
"Jumpluff, hit her with Leech Seed!" Ramos ordered, prompting his Pokémon to fire a seed right out of its mouth like a bullet towards Brennaraki. The shiny Fennekin attempted to dodge, but the seed was moving too fast and it struck against her side, embedding itself onto her fur. Immediately, thin vines shot out of the seed and snaked its way across her body, sapping away her strength and somehow transferring it to the Jumpluff as it pulsed a sickly green.
"Dammit…" Louise grumbled at the sight at the Leech Seed. With each passing moment, more and more of Brennaraki's vitality was drained, stolen by her opponent though a means that Louise didn't quite understand. What she did understand was that she was on a timetable. She had to defeat the Jumpluff quickly, and then she'd have to deal with Ramos' second Pokémon, whatever it was.
With that in mind, Louise shouted, "Psyshock!"
Brennaraki's eyes flashed purple, followed by the formation of several small, separate masses of purple energy. They shot forward like bullets towards the fleeing Jumpluff, who was attempting to use the tree as cover. But the barrage was unyielding, each projectile exploding like a grenade and forcing the Jumpluff to keep moving at all times. At the same time, Jumpluff was firing out Fairy Wind attacks towards Brennaraki, who was forced to momentarily pause her assault in order to dodge. Some of the Jumpluff's attacks managed to land, injuring Brennaraki that the Leech Seed immediately took more and more advantage of. But Brennaraki refused to relent, continuing to lash out with an unending barrage of Psyshock attacks that, eventually, managed to deliver a devastating strike to the Jumpluff.
"Yes! Finish it off with Fire Spin!" Louise ordered.
Brennaraki, ignoring the strain her body was under, took a deep breath then unleashed a swirling orb of fire that shot towards the ground underneath the Jumpluff. A moment later, a towering, twisting inferno consumed it, reaching high into the air and sending a swath of heat over everyone. The Leech Seed's vines pulsed green continuously, but it wasn't enough to counteract the effects of the Fire Spin. When it died down after a few moments, the Jumpluff lied on the ground completely unconscious, obvious to the world around it.
"Jumpluff is unable to battle!" the referee declared as he held up a red flag and Ramos quietly returned his Pokémon to its Pokéball.
"You did well, my friend," Ramos gently said to the Pokéball in his hand, then grabbed another and tossed it out onto the field while saying, "Let's finish this together, Gogoat!"
Out of Ramos' second Pokéball came a medium-sized goat-like Pokémon. Its fur was primarily brown, with a thick layer of leaves over its chest and running along its back and tail. Two curved horns rose out of its head, and it scraped its orange hooves against the dirt as it stared towards Louise and Brennaraki.
Having never seen this Pokémon before, Louise pulled out her Pokédex and scanned it immediately. Her Pokédex's electronic voice explained, "Gogoat, the Mount Pokémon, and the evolved form of Skiddo. A pure Grass-type Pokémon native to the Kalos region, it is known to possess empathic abilities that allow it to sense the feelings of whomever grasps its horns by sensing acute changes in their grip. They are also a favorite mount among many riders around the world, rivaling that of the Rhyhorn and Ponyta lines, particularly in mountainous environments."
Louise narrowed her eyes as she focused her attention on the Gogoat. Already she could tell that this Pokémon would be a much more difficult opponent than the Jumpluff, and that was already frustratingly difficult. Not to mention Brennaraki was injured quite a bit by her first opponent, and to her alarm the Leech Seed hadn't fallen off. The vines were still pulsing green, clearly transferring Brennaraki's energy somewhere else. Most likely the Gogoat. She was still working under a time limit that was ticking down with each passing moment, and if she was going to have any chance of victory, she had to end this as soon as possible.
Glancing one more time at Henrietta, Louise decided that going big was her best option, and so she yelled, "Flamethrower!"
Brennaraki immediately let loose a stream of flame that tore through the air towards the Gogoat, which promptly bounded away. As Brennaraki attempted to follow her opponent, careful to avoid setting the grass on fire, the Gogoat managed to continue avoiding the fire. It even manage to jump into then off of the tree in one fell swoop, which was when Brennaraki ran out of breath and had to pause.
"Grass Knot then Bulldoze!" Ramos ordered as soon as Brennaraki ceased her Flamethrower.
"Get out of there!" Louise desperately screamed, and Brennaraki attempted to jump into the air. But, as she did, an interwoven band of grass wrapped itself around her ankle, tripping her up and keeping the Fennekin grounded. At the same time, the Gogoat reared itself onto its hindlegs then slammed its forelimbs hard into the ground. The grass and dirt rippled as a wave of kinetic energy carried it towards Brennaraki, who was powerless to do anything other than stare at it in horror.
The move connected, the wave of earth striking Brennaraki and launching her high into the air as she howled in pain. She managed to right herself and land on her feet, but then she winced as more of her strength was stolen by the Leech Seed.
"Grrgh! Brennaraki, blast that Gogoat away with Psybeam!" Louise ordered, hoping that the nearly instantaneous attack would be too fast for the nimble Gogoat to dodge. To her relief, the thin beam of psychic energy made contact against her opponent's head, knocking it to the side and causing the Gogoat to stumble back a few steps.
But the attack wasn't nearly damaging enough, only leaving behind a small bruise, and as the Leech Seed pulsed green yet again, Louise could see some of the bruise fade away. That confirmed her suspicion, and she grit her teeth yet again. Glancing towards Brennaraki, she could see that her starter was breathing heavily, the impact of Bulldoze taking a toll on her.
"No, I'm not letting this stop us," Louise quietly told herself, then narrowed her eyes towards her opponent as it prepared to strike again. Eying the tall grass, Louise shouted, "Dive into the tall grass then attack with Psyshock!"
Hoping that the added cover would provide the edge they needed, Brennaraki eagerly dove into the grass. The stalks ruffled with her movements, and a moment later a barrage of psychic orbs shot out towards the Gogoat. A few managed to hit their target, but the rest exploded harmlessly on the ground as it bounced away.
"Flush her out with Bulldoze," Ramos called out as his Gogoat leapt into the air. When it landed, a wave of earth shot forward towards the tall grass Brennaraki was hiding in.
This time, however, Brennaraki was able to leap out of harms way just in time, jumping over the Bulldoze and landing without issue. But, before she or Louise could do anything, Gogoat immediately followed its attack with a Take Down, slamming its head right into Brennaraki's. While the recoil of the attack made the Gogoat flinch and shake its head in obvious pain, Brennaraki was driven into the ground hard. The air was knocked out of her lungs, and she writhed uselessly as she tried to get back up onto her feet.
"Tie her down with Grass Knot," Ramos calmly ordered, and a series of interwoven bands of grass emerged out of the ground, wrapping themselves around Brennaraki's ankles and waist.
"Brennaraki!" Louise screamed in panic as the Gogoat reared itself back up to deliver another devastating Bulldoze, she blindly ordered, "Flamethrower!"
Louise's hope was that the attack would at least give their opponent pause, allowing her to escape the Grass Knot. But it was not to be as the Gogoat, still standing on its hind legs, jumped over the Flamethrower. Its arc carried it over Brennaraki, who tried to follow it as it passed. But from her position she wasn't able to get the right angle, and was forced to cease once it completely passed her over. When the Gogoat landed, another wave of energy shot through the ground towards Brennaraki, and all she could do was close her eyes tightly in anticipation of the blow to come.
The attack landed, ripping the shiny Fennekin from her binds and sending her soaring back. She yelled in pain before landing on the ground, her momentum sending her tumbling head over heels. Eventually, Brennaraki came to a stop at the edge of the arena, and everyone stared with bated breath as they waited to see what would happen next. At first, Brennaraki was completely still, and the referee prepared to call it. But, releasing a violent cough, Brennaraki began to force herself back onto her feet, her intense glare never once leaving her opponent.
"Come on, Brennaraki! You can do it!" Louise called out, silently praying to whomever would listen to help her Pokémon. When Brennaraki finally stood up fully upright, the noblewoman let out a smile as her Pokémon released a defiant cry.
But it was short lived, for as soon as Brennaraki took a step, it proved to be too much. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she slumped over into unconsciousness. The arena fell into a deep silence, and Louise, her eyes wide and her arms slumped down at her side, could only stare at her fallen Pokémon.
"Oh no…" Saito whispered to himself while Henrietta held her hands over her mouth.
"Brennaraki is unable to battle! Ramos is the winner!" came the referee's voice, causing it to finally settle in for the young girl.
Once again, Louise had lost, suffered a humiliating defeat. But, as she glanced up towards her friends, this time it felt so much worse.
"If it's any consolation, Louise," Ramos gently spoke to her as he returned his Gogoat to its Pokéball and walked over to her, "you fought well, and since you completed the pre-battle challenge you have the right to challenge me again for a rematch. But do you know why you lost?"
Louise was silent, barely able to fight back her tears, then she quietly asked, "Why?"
"You weren't focused," Ramos revealed, a faint frown crossing his face. "I saw it as soon as you arrived at my gym when you chose to take the shorter, harder path despite your friend taking the longer and easier route. You were far more concerned with impressing your friends than actually competing, focusing on flash over substance. The Pokémon you used against mine were valid choices, and there were plenty of strategies and tactics you could've used to secure victory. But you didn't use any of them, choosing only to attack when other options were more viable."
Louise was silent, not having anything to say against that accusation. Part of her indignantly wanted to refute Ramos' words, but the rest knew he was right. She bit back more tears, particularly when Ramos continued, "Go get your Pokémon healed up. Rest and recover. I look forward to our rematch when you're actually prepared to battle me."
Without saying a word, Louise nodded towards the Gym Leader. She then stood up, with Brennaraki still cradled in her arms, then walked away.
[~][~]
Hello, everyone! Here is the latest chapter of Outsiders! Special thanks to Darwin Candidate and Yuri Vampire for their help in bringing this chapter to life.
Our party has challenged Ramos for their fourth Gym Badge, but while Saito managed to emerge victorious, Louise sadly has not. Her second loss against a Gym Leader. Needless to say, they're not done quite yet with the Coumarine Gym. I think you guys are really going to like what comes next as Louise recovers from her loss and challenges Ramos to a rematch.
Before I answer your guys' questions, I need to remind you all to not solicit any story suggestions, challenges, and especially outside links. I have a standing policy of not taking audience suggestions into account when planning/writing my stories. I welcome speculation, and sometimes that does influence my thinking, but I will steadfastly refuse to do something just because I'm asked to.
Regarding a reaction story, I would not mind a FoZ Reacts story to Outsiders. I think it could be fun to see, but I will not be doing a reaction story myself. By all means, if one of you want to do one, just reach out to me and we can work something out.
Calem is a retired Pokemon trainer. Normally you would be correct, with the obvious caveat that the anime tends to introduce the actual winner, or at least the person who beats Ash, in the League tournament itself. We're far away from that happening anytime soon, but Calem is still going to be an important recurring character. He will not, however, be a part of the Pokemon League itself, as much as his sister wants to him to otherwise.
Glad to see that you guys really liked Henrietta's decision to take on the Pokemon Showcases. We wanted her position as the third human member of the party to stand out, and her becoming a Pokemon Performer rather than a Pokemon Trainer was a perfect way to do that. Plus, it allowed us to showcase another part of the Pokemon World and how humans and Pokemon interact beyond just fighting each other.
Yeah, Maindo is definitely getting some much-needed character development through his interactions with Odachi. More is on the way.
That's it for now. Let us know what you guys think! If any of you have a TV Tropes account, I'd appreciate any assistance in updating the TV Tropes page. We hope you enjoy and see you all next time!
