Chapter 16 - Corn Sushi
"Alright, what's your game plan for today's battle?" Phoenix asked while he took a seat in a booth at the Pokémon Center.
"Gameplan?" Cyan wondered. "No gameplan."
"You did do some research, right? Do you know what kind of gym leader you're going up against?" Yurie questioned.
Cyan shook his head. "I haven't done a second of research!"
Yurie and Phoenix exchanged looks. They weren't sure how to respond to Cyan, but they both thought that he was being slightly moronic.
"You do you know that you're going to battle today, right?" Phoenix wondered. "Yurie has a contest coming up, and she asked to borrow my TM case. You don't seem to do any preparation."
Cyan nodded. "I know I have a battle! But, there's no use in doing research on the gym leader. I promised my team that I was only going to use my newer Pokémon until I felt like they were at a high enough level. That leaves me with Chimchar and Shieldon. If I'm going up against a Water-type gym, then I might be in trouble, but my Pokémon and I need to come up against a few tough challenges! Besides, I have a feeling that I know what we're getting into."
"I guess that's one way to look at it," Yurie said before she put a piece of corn sushi in her mouth. "Nix, give this a try. You'll love it."
"Corn, mayonnaise, and seaweed. I'll pass," Phoenix muttered. "Cyan, you at least have to have some sort of idea or strategy that you're going with. You can't rely on dumb luck."
Cyan grinned. "When Yurie was preparing for her last contest, my Pokémon and I were also training. Chimchar is getting really strong. Shieldon doesn't quite understand battling one hundred percent. But!"
"But?" Phoenix wondered.
"He can dance!"
Eterna City's gym was one of the largest buildings in the city. It had a glass dome roof that reflected the sun and made it stand out even more. The inside was filled with trees and foliage, giving it the same scent as the forest. Just from appearance and smell alone, the three could make an inference on what kind of leader Cyan was going to come up against.
"Are you here for a battle?" a small girl at the reception desk asked. She had red hair and wore overalls complete with a jean skirt. "Or are you here for the botanical garden?"
Yurie's posture straightened and we smiled. "Oh! After your battle, can we look at the plants?"
Cyan grinned and held out a Poké Ball. "My name is Cyan Kokura! I'm here to challenge the gym leader!"
"Right through those doors!" the girl said while motioning to a set of wooden double doors.
Cyan nodded and made his way to the doors. He opened them, finding himself in a small stadium. The spectators' seats were made of wood, and there were a few trainers and natives of Eterna sitting in them. The battlefield was freshly cut grass with outlines drawn by small stones.
On the other side of the battlefield, there was another set of double doors. They slowly opened as Cyan and his friends walked onto the field. The gym leader, flanked by a referee in a black and white shirt met with them.
"Our systems picked up your data, Kokura Cyan. You're wanting to compete for you second gym badge?" the gym leader asked. She was a teenager with fair skin. She wore thick green boots, and her light brown cargo pants had been ripped and cut into shorts. She wore a green shawl over a compression shirt. She had a gentle smile, but Cyan knew to not judge her character just yet.
"She's kind of cute," Yurie whispered to Phoenix while elbowing lightly in the side.
Phoenix shook his head and waved his hand. "She's not my type."
"Yes, this will be my second gym badge," Cyan exclaimed. He half wanted to tell her who he was, but he also wanted her to treat his battle like a second gym badge battle should be.
The girl grinned. "Nice! Let's do our best! My name is Natane, and I'll gladly accept your challenge!"
"That's a relief," Cyan muttered. "I didn't even know you could decline it."
"How many Pokémon do you have with you?" Natane asked.
Cyan balled his fists and grimaced. "Look, I have five in total. But, I want to request a two-on-two battle. Three of my Pokémon are really high-level, and if you make me battle with them, the battle won't be fun. I know that I'll win. I don't mean to sound cocky, but it's true."
Phoenix nodded. "He took out Hyouta without breaking a sweat."
Natane curiously eyed Cyan.
Cyan bowed. "Please. I know it's an odd request, but I only want to battle with my inexperienced Pokémon."
Natane couldn't help but giggle. She eyed Cyan's Vulpix and winked at her. "Usually, we do three-on-three, but if you're so persistent on using your less experienced Pokémon, then by all means. Cyan, you got it. Two-on-two it is. I'll give you my best! I can tell that you have a good heart, so this should be fun."
Natane and Cyan went to their trainer's boxes while Yurie and Phoenix made their way to the stands.
"The following battle will be a two-on-two battle between gym leader, Natane, and challenger, Cyan! The gym leader is not allowed to make substitutions! The battle will conclude when one trainer has lost both of their Pokémon! Begin!" the referee declared, standing as stiff as a tree.
"We'll show you our hand first," Natane said as she drew a Poké Ball from the big side pocket in her cargo shorts. "Go, Turtwig!"
Yurie's eyes widened and she smiled at the sight of the Pokémon. The Turtwig that she had raised for a while was slightly smaller than Natane's. But, seeing Turtwig brought back a hundred memories.
Cyan observed Turtwig, and he took in a deep breath. He threw his Poké Ball into the air, and it exploded open. Shieldon materialized on the grass field, and he let out a small cry. He looked at Turtwig and then back to Cyan, slightly unsure of what was going on.
"An interesting choice," Natane muttered. "What's your first move?"
Cyan reached out and wagged his finger. "Taunt!"
"Don-don!" Shieldon shouted. Black energy swirled around him as he locked eyes with Turtwig. The Grass-type couldn't look away, and all the sudden, he became unexplainably enraged.
"What? No!" Natane shouted. "Why?"
Cyan grinned and put his hands on the back of his head. "I don't know anything about you, but I do know that Grass-types work best with their utility moves. It's very rare that you find a powerhouse Grass-type. When we first saw the gym from Eterna Forest, I instantly knew what kind of Pokémon you were going to use! Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm guessing that I'm messing with your strategy a bit, right?"
Phoenix was taken aback. "He's not a moron."
"Weird that he was keeping his strategy so close to the chest," Yurie mumbled.
Natane's glare quickly turned into an embarrassed smile. "Well, you got me. But, we won't go down without a fight! Use Razor Leaf!"
"Protect!" Cyan ordered.
Turtwig swung his head in circles, generating energy around his body. The energy took the form of dozens of leaves. With a loud shout, Turtwig unleashed the leaves forward. However, Shieldon focused, and a protective blue barrier formed in front of his body. The leaves battered against the barrier, but they did nothing.
"And now, Metal Sound!"
Shieldon ran forward, eliminating the barrier completely. He started to shake his head, unleashing a terrible noise from his metallic skull. Turtwig closed his eyes and winced along with his trainer. When the noise came to an end, Turtwig's eyes shook.
Cyan held out his Poké Ball, and the red light gathered his Shieldon. Without skipping a beat, he threw his other ball into the air, and Chimchar came to the field. He hopped up and down on the grassy field, enjoying how it felt on his feet.
"Flame Wheel! Go!" Cyan instructed.
Chimchar did not have much time to enjoy the grass. He howled and sprayed flames from his mouth, engulfing the entirety of his body. He rolled forward at an intense speed, intending to run over Turtwig.
"Grass Knot!" Natane shouted.
Turtwig dug his front legs into the ground, and his eyes started to glow. With Chimchar only a few feet away, he used his attack. A small root grew out of the ground and attached itself to Chimchar, putting a sudden stop to his rolling attack. Chimchar fell forward, landing directly on his face. He whimpered while he slowly stood back up.
"Razor Leaf! Don't give them an inch!"
Turtwig howled while releasing another pile of leaf-shaped energy from around his body. The leaves all tore into Chimchar, forcing him to put up his hands and roll backward.
"I don't like that," Cyan muttered. "Use Power-Up Punch! Stay off the ground as much as you can!"
Chimchar nodded and leaped into the air. His right fist became surrounded with orange chi as he came down and clobbered Turtwig in the forehead. Turtwig remained in place, but he lowered his head while he dealt with the pain.
"Razor Leaf!"
Turtwig shouted and kept his eyes closed. The green energy whipped up around his body and began to slice at Chimchar with no rhyme or reason. Chimchar put his hands up to defend himself, but the attack was too erratic to predict.
"Fight back with Fury Swipes!" Cyan instructed.
Chimchar stuck his hands out, and his nails became charged with white energy. He started to slash furiously, slicing through the leaves. When the attacks came to a stop, both Pokémon glared at each other.
"Flame Wheel!" Cyan shouted.
Chimchar howled and stuck his arms in the air. Fire bellowed from his mouth and engulfed his body. He rolled forward, trusting himself into Turtwig. The Grass-type was lifted off the ground and tossed backward. He landed on his back directly in front of Natane, his body limp.
The referee raised a green flag. "Turtwig is unable to battle! Chimchar is the winner!"
Natane sighed before she withdrew Turtwig. She looked at Cyan and raised her eyebrow. "If this is what your inexperienced Pokémon are like, then it kind of makes me wish that you were challenging for your eighth gym badge. I should have declined your challenge."
Cyan rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry. Maybe some other time?"
Natane thought over her choices momentarily before selecting her Pokémon. She delicately raised the ball with her palm before releasing the Pokémon onto the field. A green Pokémon with white cotton on its head emerged. Two bouquets, one red and the other blue, served as its hands. It raised its red bouquet and tried to hide its face, only allowing its sinister eyes to peer at Chimchar.
"Roserade, the Bouquet Pokémon. It attracts prey with a sweet aroma, then downs it with thorny whips hidden in its arms," Yurie's Pokédex chimed.
"I don't have a good feeling about this Pokémon," Yurie said. "She looks dangerous."
"At the Eterna City gym, we offer our pupils the Pokémon that eventually evolves into Roserade. It takes a lot of trust to evolve and raise a Roserade. The Turtwig that you battled and this Roserade are the offspring of my two starter Pokémon. We are connected like a family," Natane exclaimed.
Cyan smiled. "My starter Pokémon was also a Grass-type. I'd say that we're like brothers now."
"And your connection with your other Pokémon?" Natane wondered.
Cyan looked at Chimchar. "We're getting there. Use Flame Wheel!"
Chimchar gaped open his mouth, and he became engulfed in flames. He quickly started his forward roll, and his flames tore apart the field more than previously.
"Grass Knot!" Natane commanded.
"Again?"
Roserade's eyes began to glow green, and the grass all around the field began to move. Chimchar was stopped by the grass yet again, but this time, he could not easily escape.
"Stun Spore!" Natane ordered.
"Fury Swipes!"
Roserade slowly approached Chimchar. She began to shake, releasing yellow spores from her body. When she was in the proper distance, she threw her hands up, releasing spores into the air. Meanwhile, Chimchar furiously moved his hands back and forth. He slashed through the grass, enabling himself to get free. Seconds before the spores could rain down on him, he rolled back, retreating to his side of the field.
"Come back!" Cyan said as he lifted his ball. Chimchar was quickly withdrawn by the red light.
Natane tilted her head and smiled. "You are smart. I like what I see, but battling with someone like you is annoying. I prefer when people rush in."
Cyan shook his head and threw out Shieldon's Poké Ball. Shieldon emerged and chirped happily. Once he noticed Roserade, he slightly recoiled.
"Still battling, buddy," Cyan said. "Use Metal Sound!"
"Magical Leaf!"
Shieldon started to shake his head, and a terrible sound reverberated from his shield-like skull. However, Roserade was fast. She spun, whipping up green energy around her body. She thrusted her arms forward, and the energy shot down the field, connecting with Shieldon's face. The Steel-type stopped his attack and winced.
"Now, Stun Spore!" Natane yelled.
"Protect!" Cyan ordered.
Roserade shook her body and leaped into the air. The same yellow powder from before emitted from her body, and it rained down toward Shieldon. However, before it could connect, Shieldon's blue barrier materialized, protecting him from the attack. Roserade landed only a few feet away from Shieldon and his barrier.
"Good job, Shieldon! Taunt!"
The blue barrier faded away as black energy swirled around Shieldon. He locked eyes with Roserade, who suddenly became entranced. The black energy encircled both Pokémon, but quickly turned into a mist and then dispersed. Roserade shouted as she became filled with anger.
"You brat," Natane exclaimed with a grin. "We'll still find a way! Magical Leaf!"
"Protect!"
Green energy formed behind Roserade, and it quickly snapped forward. However, it cracked against Shieldon's barrier, as he was able to barely get it up in time.
"Good! Now Take Down!" Cyan instructed.
"Grass Knot!" Natane shouted.
Shieldon was filled with adrenaline. He bounded forward, breaking his own barrier. With one powerful leap, he tried to tackle Roserade with reckless abandon. But, the Grass-type was too quick. She manipulated the grass under Shieldon, which pulled on his legs, tripping him. He fell face first, hitting the ground with an embarrassing thud.
Natane crossed her arms. "Even if you take away our moves like Stun Spore, we still have other strategies to prevent you from attacking."
"We're not gonna lose!" Cyan said as he raised his wrist into the air.
The bracelet that he always wore began to glow with white energy. He extended both his hands outward, and the air in the gym shifted suddenly.
"What's this?" Phoenix wondered.
"A Z-Move!" Yurie answered.
Shieldon moved along with him, making sure to pose and pause at the same rhythm as Cyan. Cyan formed a 'Z' with his arms, and the energy from his bracelet shot to Shieldon, giving him fuel for his next attack.
"Breakneck Blitz!"
Shieldon howled and dashed forward, carried by the white energy. He ran into Roserade and carried her with him while he continued his charge down the field. Eventually, Roserade was tossed to the side, and Shieldon stopped moments before he could crash into Natane. The ancient Pokémon looked up at Natane and smiled shyly.
But, his smile quickly faded away as Natane smirked back. She motioned over to Roserade, who slowly stood back up and dusted herself off.
"That wasn't enough?" Cyan shouted.
"Magical Leaf!" Natane commanded.
Roserade twirled, and the energy around her once again formed more leaves. The leaves raced down the field and pelted into all sides of Shieldon. The Pokémon let out a cry as he became overwhelmed, but once the attack came to a stop, Shieldon slunk down and became silent.
"Shieldon is unable to battle! Roserade is the winner!" the referee announced while holding up a reg flag.
"Roserade has taken a lot of damage. You think Chimchar can win?" Yurie asked as Cyan withdrew his Pokémon.
Phoenix crossed his arms. "Chimchar didn't come out of his battle with Turtwig unscathed. He does have the type advantage. But, Roserade is also a fully evolved Pokémon."
"So?"
"So, I have no idea," Phoenix said with a laugh. "But, our boy is full of surprises. Think he can do any more of those Z-Moves?""
"Chimchar, let's finish this!" Cyan called while tossing his ball forward with a fast pitch. The ball smacked against the ground, releasing Chimchar onto the field.
"Char!" the Pokémon cried.
"Start this with Power-Up Punch!" Cyan commanded.
"Poison Sting!" Natane shouted.
Chimchar's fist began to glow with chi, and he ran across the field on all fours. He leaped into the air and prepared to strike. Roserade put her arms together and unleashed a flurry of poisonous needles. Chimchar continued his descent as he was riddled with needles. He swung, clobbering Roserade in the face. The Grass-type was knocked for a loop, but she quickly regained her composure. Chimchar let out a battle cry, but then a purple mist came over his body.
Natane smirked. "Looks like you can't avoid all of our strategies."
"Yeah, but now we just have to rush in," Cyan said with a smirk of his own. "Flame Wheel!"
"Fight back with Magical Leaf!"
Chimchar howled and was covered with flames. He rolled forward as Roserade unleashed her attack. The leaf-shaped energy crashed into Flame Wheel but was burnt instantly. With every strike, Flame Wheel slowed down, but it showed no signs of stopping. Chimchar collided with Roserade, throwing her backward.
Natane gritted her teeth and watched as Roserade slowly stood back up. Chimchar held at his stomach, and the purple mist became thicker.
"Use Poison Sting!"
"Fury Swipes! Don't let up!" Cyan instructed.
Roserade slowly raised her arms before she unleashed the dozens of needles upon Chimchar. Chimchar's nails started to glow, and he swiped at every needle as quickly as he could. He took a few steps forward, slicing through Roserade's attack. But with every needle, his hands became more and more purple and swollen.
When both Pokémon stopped attacking, they stood still. They breathed heavily while eyeing one another. Neither had the strength to go much longer, and they knew the end was near.
"Magical Leaf!"
"Power-Up Punch!"
Roserade raised her arms, and the green energy swirled around her. Chimchar darted forward, never taking his eyes off of Roserade. He leaped through the dangerous leaves with ease and then jabbed as hard as he could, hitting Roserade in the stomach. It wasn't theatrical or dramatic. Chimchar pulled his hand away, and Roserade fell forward, her body still as a tree.
Natane sighed but still found the will to smile.
"Roserade is unable to battle! Chimchar is the-" the referee started to declare while holding up his red flag. He looked at Chimchar and stopped before he could make the final call. He slowly lowered his flag.
"Wh-what?" Cyan wondered.
Then, Chimchar began to glow white. Energy surged around his body, and he grew a few inches. A tail emerged from the flame on his backside, and when the white energy exploded off of him, a new Pokémon had taken its place.
The referee raised his flag once again. "Monferno is the winner! The victory goes to Cyan!"
Natane withdrew Roserade, and upon observing his Pokémon's poisoned condition, Cyan did so for Monferno. The two walked to the middle of the field while Yurie and Phoenix left the stands.
Natane reached into one of her thick cargo pant pockets and pulled a green and silver gym badge from it. It was made up of three diamond shapes that were bonded together with emerald gems. She held it out for Cyan to take. He did so gingerly before looking at it closely.
"This is the Forest Badge," she said. "Even your inexperienced Pokémon put up quite the fight. It was nice to see. I can tell that you're a strong trainer. If you ever find yourself in Eterna City again, let's have a rematch. I'd like to go all out!"
Cyan grinned, adjusted his Silver BayStaryu hat, and held up his newly acquired badge. "New badge and Chimchar evolved! It's been a fun day! When I win the conference, let's definitely have another battle!"
Phoenix crossed his arms and looked at Cyan from afar. He shook his head. "Cyan is definitely the definition of not judging a book by its cover. Maybe we could learn something from him."
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
A quick small note, I understand that moves like Metal Sound are specific to lowering Special Defense, and in Cyan's battle, he stuck to only physical attacks. I'm unsure how I want to approach the special/physical split in a sensible way. I feel that if you do a move like Metal Sound, it's just going to lower your defenses in general. What is your opinion?
Anyways, Cyan got his second badge! Onto the next chapter and another contest!
REVIEWS:
pokemonking0924 - "The freezing cold of Sinnoh as shown in Pokémon Platinum and a nice warm meal, another interesting dish introduced by an anime or game. Although I'm curious by "It's so gamey! What even is this!" Phoenix shouted. He slammed his hands onto the table. "But, I win! I beat it! A boy from Driftveil would never lose to a hunk of meat!" What did Nix mean by that? As for the meat I'm guessing it's wild game probably bear based on Food Wars Shokugeki no Soma." - So, Jingisukan is made with sheep meat. If it is adult sheep meat, it is incredibly chewy and rough. Being from Driftveil (sort of the southern America representation for Pokemon as of now), I imagine that Phoenix has a lot of pride and believes that he can eat any meat.