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Chap. 63: Strength
"Why… won't… she… just… faint?!"
Megumi's tired voice rang out over the training area. Her chosen Pokémon, a Growlithe again along with her Squirtle Starter she'd named Shelldon (a name that Megumi knew was among the most common for that line), had done pretty well. Clearly, Megumi had some talent, and had trained her team pretty well.
They just couldn't really hurt Robin's. At least, not in any way that stuck.
Ember, Flame Wheel, and even Flame Charge from the Fire-type had scorched the grass, and both Nibbler and Bliss. High-pressure streams of water, smashing shells, and even a Headbutt or three had pounded Robin's team, too. It wasn't that Robin's team wasn't taking hits, they definitely were.
But Nibbler was fast and strong, almost unreasonably so for such a common Pokémon, and he was giving almost as good as both of Megumi's other Pokémon together. Bite, Hyper Fang, Quick Attack, and Assurance were all pretty good moves, especially Hyper Fang. But with Nibbler's size and sheer speed, he could hit harder than one might expect, and Megumi's team had suffered for it.
Then there was Bliss. Who hadn't even attacked.
Megumi had started the battle with her Starter blowing a pair of Sweet Kisses at either of her opponents, then switched to Copycat, which ended up being a bad call on her end, as that was a round where Megumi ordered no attacks to copy. After that, she had alternated simply ordering Bliss to stay out of the way and dodge, or use Softboiled to keep Nibbler healthy.
After two of those, her Nipponese foe switched tactics, and both her Fire- and Water-types focused their energy on her little Happiny.
It hadn't done any good. While the small little pink ball rolled and bounced with every blow, squealing in pain, she was quite good at healing herself, and none of the damage stuck for more than a few seconds.
Of course, she was getting tired now. Softboiled was highly efficient, but her Happiny was still young, and couldn't perform the move endlessly. In fact, if Robin had to guess, Bliss was nearing her last legs. But she still rolled and bounced to her feet one more time, doing her best to give a (far too cute) threatening grin across the field. Robin chuckled, "She's very tough. Bliss won't go down without some real damage. Your team's not bad, but it would probably take three or four of them to whittle her down. You're only doing about half of what you need to right now, though."
"Damn it," Megumi snarled, sounding more like her still-furious brother than the relative voice of calm she'd been ten minutes earlier, "Fine! Switch out, Hotbox, I'm gonna need Spitfire!"
Robin was dimly aware of Alex returning and pulling Elle to the side, away from Kinta while the battle continued, but she suddenly found herself much more hard-pressed to keep up. Not good, because Bliss really was getting tired, but the Mag by that had appeared in place of the Growlithe was much stronger. Stronger, in fact, than any one Pokémon on her own team, including her Starter.
"Um…"
"Spitfire, use Flamethrower! Shelldon, Bubblebeam, both of you hit that damned puffball!"
Robin hesitated, and knew it was the wrong thing to do even as it happened. The problem wasn't that she couldn't act, it was that no act, at least not one her two current Pokémon had, would protect Bliss from that kind of onslaught. Even with the water and fire weakening as they collided moments before hitting her tiny baby, her precious Starter, nothing she had ready would be enough.
Scalding, steaming water smashed into Bliss in a torrent on one side, and equally scalding flames blasted her on the other. She spun with the force of the first, too, so that she was roasted more or less equally from the flames, then hit again by the burning water on top of what were already going to be terrible burns.
She stayed standing, but only just, even as she cried and whimpered from the pain, and flames continued to lick and sputter around her sopping body once the attacks died down.
"S- Softboiled, baby! One more, that's it, then I'll call you back! Nibbler… fuck, just eat one of them! Hyper Fang on her Squirtle!"
"Double-team that damned healer one more time, you two! Finish it off!"
Robin knew the Softboiled hadn't been enough. Bliss had gone from as healthy as can be, if a little tired, to on the verge of passing out in one attack, and her best healing move barely brought her above half. The compounded, antipodal energy crashed into her baby like a geyser, and she was thrown, bleeding and flying through the air, out of the ring.
Robin's eyes narrowed. She was better than this! She was among the best! How did she lose a Pokémon first?!
At least she could console herself with Megumi's fuck-up, too. Shelldon, for all he had decent defenses as a Squirtle, was caught completely off-guard by the crushing power of a Hyper Fang from behind. The casing that formed Squirtle's back cracked and snapped in at least six places as her most offensive team-member bit down hard two, three times, and then shook the larger Pokémon like a dog with a mouse.
Shelldon, too, landed outside the ring, if only just.
"Both one down," Megumi told her fiercely, "You shouldn't hold back, either, Miss Robin. Because I'm not going to! We'll burn you to a crisp for hurting Shelldon!"
"Oh, I'm not going down that easily, either, Sanctimonious," Robin glared balefully as she stood up tall, stretching to her still-enlarged proportions. "In fact, I think I'm going to leave Nibbler out for now. With my best healer down, I'll have to switch tactics, though. I hope you don't mind… but this is why I started with Nibbler instead of the rest of my team. Them plus Bliss is kind of… unstoppable. At least this way, you have a chance. Queenie, your turn, sweetie."
It was the second time Alex or Elle had actually seen a Nidoran female, as far as she knew, and the first time they would see her battle.
… Not that her techniques were all that different from Cock's. The women of the species were a little less offensively powerful, geared more toward defense, but they were still pretty good all-around. Later on, they could become among the speediest of part-Ground types, if a bit slower than your average Poison, too.
But right now, Robin was just counting on Megumi not knowing what she was capable of. The Poison Pin or Poison Sting would be key in a normal battle. Poison and then outlast was her default two-Pokemon strategy. But with Bliss down, she had to change tactics… at least a little. "Start off with a Bite and a Double-Kick against that Growlithe, you too. Focus your attacks and bring it down- try not to get hit by that Mag by, it's pretty powerful for a baby 'mon!"
"He's about to evolve, actually," Megumi snickered, "just a few more attacks, one way or the other, and that should do it… Flamethrower, Spitfire, on the Rattata. Bring him down as fast as you can, or at least Burn him to weaken his attacks! Hotbox, you're gonna use Ember on that spiny one, then go in for a Tackle!"
Elle groaned behind her, and Robin had to fight not to grin. Megumi using Tackle was just playing into her hands. Ember, while probably a bit stronger thanks to actually being a Fire-type move, was also safer… Hotbox didn't have to get close enough for Poison Pin. But the Tackle, which involved direct contact? Oh… she just needed a little luck.
Nibbler dashed forward, jinking from side to side, avoiding most of the powerful blast of flame, but suffered some singed fur that smelled quite foul as he closed his jaws around the baby Magyar's arm and started to shake it, too.
"Fire Punch!"
Robin's eyes widened, as Nibbler squealed in pain. "The fuck did you teach him that move already? Damn, girl! You weren't kidding about holding back!"
"Dad was really good," Megumi reminded her, "he knew exactly how to train Pokémon. His own are stronger than anyone should be at their battle rank, and I'm gonna prove it! Fire Punch again, knock that Rattata out!"
Robin winced. Again, she was two down… but so was Megumi.
The Growlithe, after all, had already been wounded, and Queenie, while a little tattered now, was still mostly standing firm and tall.
The problem was…
Robin sighed. She could concede. There was no shame in it.
Or…
"Fine, you might've won this match for now," she muttered, "I won't be underestimating you again. But I won't just quit. I've only got one Pokémon left, and he's hardly a battler. But Weenie's still in it, and your Mag by is looking really tired. He's not used to using such powerful moves in quick succession, is he?"
"N- No," Megumi admitted, "Dad just barely taught him Fire Punch and Flamethrower before he… died. But he can still use them, and he's not out, yet!"
Robin nodded, "So I see. Well.. in that case, as thanks for reminding me about good tactics in team battles, I'll teach you a lesson as well. One in why it's not always a good idea to go for the strongest moves early, and why some moves are usually only taught after a Pokémon evolves. Onahole, my precious little Magikarp, why don't you go swim around in that stream a minute. Just try not to die. And in the meantime, Queenie… Poison Sting the Mag by. Stay close, at least for now, and keep it up until he's Poisoned, then move back."
Her Nidoran, blue ears flopping softly, dashed toward the slightly smaller, humanoid Pokémon without fear or hesitation.
The Mag by was, indeed, very well trained. The next Fire Punch caught her Poison-type in the side of the head just as she closed, sending her rocking to the side and past Spitfire. But it was also a moment too late, the momentum did nothing but cause the shallow stab wound of her horn, stubbier but no less sharp than Cock's had been before he evolved to Nidorino, to turn into a jagged, bleeding line across the Magby's stomach.
Spitfire hooted through its narrow, cylindrical snout, wincing and crying out in pain, and Robin's expression grew determined once more. She wasn't sure if it was Poison Pin or Poison Sting that had done it, but either way the effect was the same. The powerful Magby had taken some damage, and now it would take more because it was Poisoned. As long as she could keep from getting her last two Pokémon burned to death or punched out of the ring…
And it seemed she might just, for the last Fire Punch, while it'd hurt Queenie a fair bit, had lost a lot of the force of the last one. "Getting tired there, aren't you, little man? Don't worry," Robin teased, "it'll all be over soon, then you can rest. Magikarp, just Splash around, since that's all you can do for now. And Queenie, keep it up with the Double Kicks!"
"I'm not done yet, though," Megumi reminded her, "I've still got Sparky, my adorable little Pichu!"
"Ooh, he is cute," Robin agreed, "and probably close to evolving too, isn't he? But remember… he's still a baby! Queenie, Double Kick the Pichu before he can zap you!"
Her Nidoran wasn't that quick, but at least this time she dodged the last, somewhat slower and weaker Flamethrower, ducking under it with grace as she ran forward as fast as her short little legs would go, and avoided most of the damage it could have done. A few sparks from a Thundershock lashed around its spines as she jumped into the air, spinning so her rabbit-like, powerful feet could thump down… Crunch!
"Well done, Queenie! Now, finish the cutie off with a Poison Sting, then go after the Magby again!"
"N- No! Thunder Wave, Sparky!"
Robin cursed, but, thankfully, it was too late. Even though Pikachu and Raichu were among the fastest even of the quick Electric typing, Pichu was still a baby and slower than the Nidoran. Sparky was sent reeling as her Poison Pin Pokémon skidded into the dirt, then started running full-tilt at the Magby.
A Magby which jumped into the air, one arm sparking…
As it came down, the flames fizzled, and its momentum faded.
The Magby tumbled onto the scorched grass, and got another spiked horn in its side for its trouble.
"M- Magby's out," Kinta called, his voice shaky, "Th- That- that was awesome! You did so good, Sis!"
Robin felt herself sag. That had been close! Weakened or not, if the Poison hadn't finished off the Magby when it did…
Light flared.
All eyes turned, not just to one Pokémon, but two.
Her wounded, beaten-down Rattata, and the Magby that had nearly swept her whole team on its own.
Both were evolving, at the same time!
Elle and Alex gasped behind her, and Robin did too as both she and Megumi left their Trainer circles to join their wounded, but still Evolving Pokémon. She couldn't get close, of course. No human had ever touched a Pokémon while it was evolving, the pressure of the air itself grew to unfathomable proportions as the energy of creation itself seemed to gather inside the changing creatures, and came off of them in palpable waves.
When it was done, the grass was renewed in two circles around either one, the air fresh and clear…
And where a Rattata had once been, a mighty, shoulder-high (at least to Elle) Raticate, whose fangs glistened fiercely.
Where the Magby had once lain, a Magmar, half as tall as Robin and more broad than Alex, pushed itself to its feet, its tail waving in a snake-like way behind it. "Mag- Mag-mar!"
"Rat- Raticate!"
"Good job," Robin cried, her eyes suddenly filled with overjoyed tears as she reached around the much larger Pokémon to hug it close. "You're my first one to Evolve, Nibbler. I'm so proud of you!"
Nearby, Megumi seemed like she wanted to hug her father's Pokémon, too, but she couldn't get close. It was just too hot! She forced herself to settle for giving a few encouraging words while she, too, wept.
And Kinta, behind Robin, wiped away a few, too. "Dad always wanted him to Evolve, but he never quite… he just couldn't. Megumi did, though. I've never seen her take a fight serious like that."
"She's pretty good," Alex told the younger boy, resting his hand on his 'little bro's' shoulder. "You aren't bad yourself, but you've both got a long way to go. Us, too. We'll go together, alright? Get stronger, just like Spitfire and Nibbler."
"Right," Elle told them softly, "There's only two ways to go in this world. Up, or down. And I'm not getting weaker, I can promise you that. But we'd better let you guys rest. I think it's me and Alex's turn. After that, we should probably head back to the PMC for lunch, and to rest up our Pokémon."
Several minutes later, after Robin had pulled herself together to get her and Megumi's Pokémon off the field along with themselves, she watched Elle and Alex go at it.
They were pretty evenly matched, though Elle had a slight edge in speed of calls and decisiveness, while Alex's Pokémon were just a tiny bit stronger in turn. Each used two of their six, and matched types on one side, while using advantages against each other in turn on the other, so that Kole faced Sappy (who still refused to fight, sadly, and was roasted rather badly because of it, since she'd spent the whole battle crying and running from Alex instead of listening to his commands), and Surtr faced Gobbler, which was only a little less one-sided.
In the end, both decided to call it a draw, both down to their last Pokémon: Cock and Loki, both barely able to even hurt the other… At least, that's what Alex had thought.
Then Elle grinned as she said, "Sure, I'll not call it a draw! Loki, Confusion!"
"Wh- Fuck! How could I forget that?" Alex groaned, as his Starter passed out, protected from what otherwise might have been a lethal attack by the training rules imposed by Yggdrassil… however that worked.
Robin, honestly, had no idea.
Elle still looked pretty sexy as she sauntered toward her lover and kissed him, "Trickery wins again… but I'm sure you'll remember next time. Just because they share a Type doesn't mean they can't learn better moves against their own Type, lover!"
Kinta's jealous, amused, embarrassed grin as he looked away was priceless, too, and Megumi quite failed to hide the stab of jealousy as she watched them… but she was still smiling as the group headed for the PMC once more.
Robin felt the urge to hold back for the other girl for a bit, though, and tugged her sleeve to get her attention as she lagged behind the others. "You seem like you need a friendly ear," Robin told her quietly, hoping Kinta's now much more cheerful, rapid-fire conversation with Alex and Elle about tactics would keep them occupied.
"I'm fine," the taller woman (for Robin had since shrunk herself back down to normal) said distractedly.
"No you aren't," Robin snorted, "You just got kidnapped this morning, remember? After finding your kid brother, who you're now the guardian of presumably, missing, after your dad dying two weeks ago. Bullshit, you're fine. Oh, and you really like Alex, but he's fucking Elle, and you're worried he's fucking me, too."
"Wh- What are you-"
"He's not, for the record," Robin shrugged, "At least not yet. I'll wear him down soon, though. Look, Megumi… can I call you Megumi?"
"S- Sure. I'm only half-Nipponese anyway, and we were raised in Pacific, so…"
"Got it. I'm kind of half myself, but only kind of in a way. Like I said, Combinant, I'm half Pokémon. My human half is half-Nipponese myself, and I like the look, so I go with it. Anyway… this world? This game you all got brought into that's way more real than you thought? More scary? It's got its good sides, too. Elle and Alex are in love. Any idiot can see that. But he's a great guy, and we both want him… and Elle's happy to share. I have it on good authority- remember I've got access to their GF files- that she's watched him fuck three different women, and been very excited by it. He wants you, too. And so does Elle, for that matter. I don't know if you're into other women, but she'd love a roll with you. I wouldn't say no, either, you're really pretty."
Megumi continued to sputter, so Robin kept talking with a grin and a nudge to the other woman's shoulder with her own, "All I'm saying is, if you want him, go for it. You don't have to be jealous. Maybe he'll never love you… maybe he will. But at least you can do that part. I know he likes you… but that doesn't mean we can't be friends, or friends with benefits. Any of us. All of us. I know your bro go a hard-on watching me stretch before our bout. Elle's not his type though, it seems. Likes the tits, I guess."
"Typical," Megumi snorted darkly, though without real heat. "He's a teenage boy."
"Yep. Anyway, I'd take his v-card if you want, but it's probably better if he's actually a virgin if we're gonna pull that whole thing with the brothel. For now, at least."
The dark-haired beauty sent her a strange look, "You're really forward, you know that?"
"Damn straight. No time for trickery or social niceties, not me. I prefer to say what I want straight up."
Megumi nodded. She didn't say anything in response, but at least she stopped glowering at Elle's tight little backside as they walked, and soon the pair of them had caught up to the rest. They had a good lunch to look forward to, some Pokémon to heal back up, and then more training to do. They had to get stronger. They just had to.
Adisa sighed, exhausted. Every day, every single day for the last several, a new Team Rocket challenger had come after her. Each day, they were stronger than the last. Her Pokémon rested every night, as much as they could, and so did the group around her… but it wasn't going to hold.
Even with all the kids running interference and her team doing the heavy lifting, the last pair, Agents both, that had come out of Cerulean for her had been… tough.
Indigo and Violet, they had called themselves, both furious about something. They'd taken it out on her Pokémon, or at least tried. She had still won, but by the hair of her teeth, and half of the kid's teams were down for the count. Without a Pokémon Center to heal them up, they were looking at days or weeks of recovery to be back to full health, and their supplies were running low, too. It'd been a week and more since the last resupply.
They had to move. The situation was just too untenable, with Rocket knowing exactly where they were.
The problem was, the kids were worn out and tired and hungry, sick of being essentially vagabonds. But if they stayed, they could at least say they were following orders, and still guarding what Rocket had them guarding, running the Bridge Challenge. Which was another drain on her self-imposed charge's resources. People kept coming, if slower now that the rumors had started to die down, for she had no more Nuggets to give to the few strong enough to get past her.
At least they'd built of a tidy nest-egg themselves, since challengers were still paying up to enter. But fifteen thousand or so would only go so far when split between the children. It was definitely not enough to rent even a small apartment for a few months, much less house them all properly.
Adisa didn't know what to do. But they had to do something.
"Pack it up," she ordered the circle around the last campfire they could keep running without chopping down their own trees. "In the morning, pack up everything."
"Where we gonna go?" Callie asked. She, like the rest of them, was tired, filthy, with bags under her eyes and getting thinner by the day. "We've got nothin'. Rocket has us all over a rope, Adisa. It's go back and join their Brothels, or starve out here and get eaten by wild Pokémon."
"I don't know," Adisa told her quietly, "I don't know. But we're going somewhere. Just pack everything up. We'll figure it out."
"Alright," the girl muttered, and stood up to go pass the word to those few who'd already gone to bed. What choice did they have, after all?
Adisa didn't know. All she knew was that the only way to get stronger was to keep moving forward. Staying in the same place was stagnating, and stagnation meant death.
