Track 12 - Find My Way
Leinani took a few days to train with her Pokémon before she went to the museum again. She enjoyed going to the abandoned train tracks and battling with random trainers. The hoodlums and children served as her crowd, and she hoped that they would cheer her on if she made it to the Vertress Conference.
Once she felt like Sandshrew had grown in experience and was adjusting to battling, she healed her team and made her way to the museum.
Upon this visit, she informed the receptionist that she was a challenger, and she was guided to the back of the museum and through a library filled with thousands of old books. Trainers-to-be were sat at tables, studying. Leinani assumed that they were Lenora's students.
Eventually, she came to a wide double door and was told to wait. She did so. She could hear a battle taking place on the other side of the doors. After a particularly powerful explosion came two minutes of complete silence. It was broken by the doors opening and a lightly tanned teenage girl coming through. She was followed by Lenora.
The teenage girl eyed Leinani and smirked. She had deep brown eyes that weren't too friendly. Her brown hair was shoulder-length and pulled into a messy ponytail. Leinani assumed that it was from the intensity of the battle.
Lenora smiled at the two trainers and shrugged. "Today has been nothing intense battles. You can't give me a break, Leinani?"
"Do you need one?" Leinani asked. She tried not to look away from the new trainer. They found themselves in a staring competition that neither wanted to lose.
"She might after our battle," the girl responded.
"Now, now, Erin. You should go and get your Pokémon healed up before you decide to pick any more fights," Lenora said. She placed her hand on the teenager's shoulder. "Good job today. You've gotten so big."
The teenager finally looked away from Leinani, and she brushed Lenora's hand off her shoulder. "Thanks. I'll see you at the conference, right?"
Lenora nodded. "You know it. I'll be there watching." She turned to Leinani. "Now, it's your turn. I assume you're here for a battle."
Leinani clenched her fists and watched the teenager walk away. She sighed and looked at Lenora with determination on her face. "Let's do it!"
Lenora's battlefield was different compared to the triplets' in Striaton City. It was a traditional dirt field with white chalk lines giving it its borders. Lenora's mentees, children who weren't playing at the abandoned train tracks, filed into the stands with notebooks and pencils.
The referee was a tall man who wore a beige shirt with a Pokémon league badge pinned to his breast pocket. He raised two white flags and announced, "The following battle will be a three-on-three bout between challenger, Leinani, and gym leader, Lenora. The battle will end when one side has lost all three of their Pokémon. The gym leader is not allowed to make substitutions! Trainers, begin!"
"Here at the Nacrene City gym, we focus on the basics of Pokémon battling. Without the basics, you can never be an advanced trainer. Because of this, we use Normal-type Pokémon. Let me show you their power! Go, Mincinno!" Lenora said while releasing her first Pokémon onto the small field.
Minccino was a grey furry Pokémon with large ears and a puffy tail that batted against the floor. It eyed Leinani and then looked around the field, admiring how clean it was.
"Basic or advanced, I can handle anything," Leinani said while drawing her Beast Ball from her belt. "We're just gonna show you unordinary and see how you react. Go, Torque!"
Poipole exploded from its ball and shouted happily. It floated upside down and started to twirl in circles while cheering.
"That is an interesting Pokémon. Quite unordinary. We will start. Use Charm!" Lenora instructed.
"I thought that we had the first move," Leinani exclaimed, surprised by Lenora's lack of courtesy. "Iron Tail!"
Minccino got on all fours and dashed forward. She stopped when she reached the middle of the field, looked up, and winked. Pink energy formed in her eyes and slowly floated in Poipole's direction. The Poison-type Pokémon rocketed down the field. The pink energy collided with it but did no visible damage. Poipole continued forward and spun around, smashing its tail against Minccino. The Normal-type was tossed backward but quickly managed to find her balance.
"Now, follow with Pin Missile!" Leinani ordered.
"Fight back with Double Slap!"
Poipole pointed its horns downward at Minccino. It started to spin, unleashing dozens of small needles from its horns. Minccino quickly turned around and began to swipe her tail furiously. With every bat of her tail, she knocked away a few needles, and she managed to move fast enough to make the attack fruitless.
"And, show off your power! Use Echoed Voice!"
Minccino turned around and did a front roll. She positioned herself under Poipole and opened her mouth. She began an elongated screech, which focused in and surrounded Poipole. The energy of sound bounced off of the ceiling and echoed back in an attempt to crash into the Poison-type for a second strike.
"Into the air! Use Sludge Bomb!" Leinani shouted.
Poipole groaned, closed its eyes, and zoomed out of the burst of sound. It whipped its body around and looked at Minccino. Poipole sucked in air and lowered its body, launching a glob of goop at the Normal-type. Minccino was covered by an explosion of sludge, causing her to stumble backward. She furiously swiped at her face to wipe it away, and once she could see, she looked at her fur. She became red in the face at the sight of the mess.
"Oh, now you've made my poor baby angry. You won't be able to escape this! Swift!" Lenora ordered.
Minccino glared at Poipole. She lunged forward and opened her mouth once again, this time unleashing star-shaped energy. Poipole began to spin and rocket further into the air, but the stars chased it with ease. No matter how erratic Poipole bobbed and weaved, the stars tracked its every movement, slowly gaining speed on the Ultra Beast. And then, they pelted into Poipole without mercy. The Poison-type shouted as it was knocked out of the air. It lost some of its energy to keep it afloat, and it began a slow descent.
"One more Echoed Voice! Finish it!" Lenora commanded.
"Fight through! Poison Jab!"
Minccino closed her mouth, sucked in air through her nose, and began to screech once more. The sound energy surrounded Poipole, stopping its descent. Poipole growled, and its horn began to glow with poisonous power. It shouted and made its way through the middle of the waves of sound. When it got closer, it picked up speed and found an opportunity to fly out of the tunnel. Poipole whipped its body forward, jabbing its horn into Minccino. The Normal-type was lifted up and thrown backward, landing with a violent thud.
Poiple breathed heavily as it slowly floated to the ground. It was one of the first times that Leinani had ever seen it touch the ground without fainting. Meanwhile, Minccino didn't bother to move.
"Minccino is unable to continue! Torque is the winner!" the referee announced. Leinani smirked, taking joy in the fact that nobody knew anything about Poipole.
Then, Poipole let out a battle cry, and red energy swirled around it, as though it were charging an attack.
"What's that?" Lenora wondered.
Leinani tilted her head. "I don't know. You okay, Torque?"
Poipole stopped shouting, and it floated back into the air. It still had its wounds from battle, but it now floated in the air with a little bit more speed.
Lenora withdrew Minccino and examined Poipole. "Whatever just happened, your Pokémon's speed has been boosted. It won't matter though. Our next move will be enough to finish off Torque!"
Leinani put her hands on her hips and cocked her head. "I like you, so I'll tell you a secret. Torque is its nickname. This Pokémon is called Poipole. It's literally out of this world."
"Interesting," Lenora said as she pulled out her next Poké Ball. "Go, Herdier!"
Lenora's next Pokémon was a light brown canine Pokémon. It had dark blue shaggy hair on growing on its back, giving it a protective cloak. It immediately took a stance and prepared for Lenora's command.
"We're not going to assume that you're going to let us attack! Use Poison Jab!"
"Herdier, use Retaliate!" Lenora commanded.
Poipole sped down the field, its horn glowing with poisonous power. Meanwhile, Herdier was surrounded by red energy. He leaped forward and struck with his front paw, slashing it across Poipole. He continued past the Pokémon and stopped to gaze out at Leinani. Poipole slowed down before falling to the ground in a heap.
"What?" Leinani said with a gasp.
"Poipole is unable to continue!" the referee declared with a quick pause. "Herdier is the winner!"
Leinani looked at her Pokémon in disbelief. She slowly raised her Beast Ball and let the light retrieve Poipole. "What just happened?"
"That, my dear, was Retaliate. Consider it my signature strategy. If one of my Pokémon has fallen, like Minccino, and my next Pokémon uses Retaliate, its power is intensified. You can knock out Minccino and even Herdier, but the price you pay is intense," Lenora exclaimed.
Leinani didn't respond. She slowly put her Beast Ball back onto her belt. She looked to Rowlet, who rested on her shoulder, and she felt at Dyne's Poké Ball, unsure of who to go with.
"It is a move to fear. If you think that you're not ready for such a powerful strategy, it is more than okay to give up."
Leinani glared at her. "This is unbelievable. If I can put away Herdier, then I have some crazy strong attack waiting for me. It's like I know I'm walking into a trap of some sort."
"Would the challenger like to throw in the towel?" the referee asked after a few more seconds of silence.
Leinani shook her head, grabbed her next Poké Ball, and threw it forward. Sandshrew appeared and shyly lowered his head.
Lenora raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. "So, you're going to continue with a Sandshrew that is unsure of itself? Interesting lack of strategy."
"Dyne is sure that he can beat you!"
"Well, let's see about that. Take Down!"
"Hold your ground!"
Herdier barked and bounced forward. With every step, white energy exploded off of his legs. The energy gave him momentum, giving him a glide.
"Sand Attack!" Leinani ordered once she saw that Herdier was stuck in a forward bound.
Sandshrew clapped his small hands together and dug them into the ground. With a massive heave, he tossed sand into the air. He took in a deep breath and blew out as hard as he could, sending the sand across the field. It pelted Herdier in the face but did not stop his attack. However, Sandhrew dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike.
"Good job, Dyne! Bulldoze!"
Sandshrew knelt and spread his tiny arms out as far as he could. He dug them into the ground and began to spin, shaking the field. Small fissures jutted out around him, racing for Herdier. When they reached him, they became bigger, swallowing him to his ankles momentarily. He immediately tried to escape, but it was clear that the small collapse had damaged his legs.
Leinani observed the two Pokémon. Usually, she would have taken the chance and attacked, but the idea of another Pokémon coming out and using Retaliate stuck in her mind. She paused and thought over her options, but before she could make a decision, Lenora shouted.
"Work Up!"
"Crap. Rapid Spin!"
Herdier barked and thick red smoke started to rapidly swirl around his body. The smoke was absorbed by his fur, giving him a red glow. Sandshrew lifted his body and curled into a ball. He started to roll forward, bouncing against the field.
"Take Down!"
Herdier lowered his body and growled. He bounded forward, energy exploding from his paws. He could not pick up the same level of speed that he did with his previous attempt, and the two Pokémon crashed into one another in the middle of the field. Sandshrew was knocked back a few feet, but Herdier winced from the pain. He tried to hide it by looking at the ground.
Leinani balled her fists while she watched Sandshrew slowly recover. "We have them outsped! We can't win if we don't hit hard! Use Rollout!"
Sandshrew quickly recovered and barreled forward. He picked up the dirt from the field and created a barrier around himself. Eventually, he collided with Herdier, who managed to stay on his feet.
"One more!"
Sandshrew quickly rounded about, and the dirt and rubble surrounding his body became thicker. He crashed into Herdier once more, this time knocking the Normal-type on his side.
"One more! Give it all you got, Dyne!"
"Fight back with Play Rough!"
Sandshrew was slower now, but he found himself unable to stop rolling. Herdier got back to his feet, took in a deep breath, and then lunged. He tossed a pink ball from his paw, which upon contact with Sandshrew, exploded into a thick mist. He leaped into the mist and started to pummel away at Sandshrew. There was a slight unseen exchange between the two, ending with Sandshrew being thrown out of the mist. He hit the ground hard in front of Leinani, and he immediately tried to stand back up, by his round body made it difficult.
"Finish this! Take Down!" Lenora commanded.
Herdier emerged from the smoke, his feet covered with white energy. He bounded down the field as though he was gliding, and when he was close, he turned his body, slamming into Sandshrew with no regard for his own well-being. Sandshrew was thrown to the corner of the field, landing on his stomach.
Leinani watched on, speechless. Even with an all-out assault, she still couldn't pick up the win. Her eyes widened as the referee raised his flags.
"Sandshrew is unable to continue! Herdier is the winner!"
Leinani bit the inside of her cheek before withdrawing Sandshrew. She tucked away her Poké Ball and nodded at Rowlet, who flew off of her shoulder and to the field.
Lenora grinned. "So, show me the power of Alola. I'm always interested in battling with Pokémon from our sister region."
"We have to finish this quick and without taking any damage. I'm not sure about the success rate of Retaliate, but we don't want to risk battling Herdier for too long," Leinani thought.
"I've seen that look on a lot of trainers' faces before. How will you proceed?"
"Leaf Blade! Make it quick!"
Rowlet wasted no time. She immediately rocketed forward, and her wings extended twice their size with the power of green energy. She swiped, connecting with Herdier's snout. He was forced to spin around, but he still managed to land on his legs. He shook, but once he recovered from the attack, he let out a deep growl.
"Play Rough!"
"Nah-uh! Use your speed!"
Herdier let out a weak bark before lifting his paw and flinging the ball of pink energy into the air. It exploded around Rowlet's body, but she immediately dove, escaping from the mist before it could slow her down.
"Continue your trajectory and use Metal Claw!" Leinani shouted.
Rowlet turned her body and stuck out her talons. They quickly became encased with a metallic coating, and she stretched them out as far as she could. She drove them into Herdier, latched on, and then tossed him into the air. The Normal-type was helpless, and he tried to relax, knowing that his battle was over. He came crashing back down onto the middle of the field, his body still.
"Herdier is unable to continue! Rowlet is the winner!" the referee announced.
Lenora wasted no time withdrawing Herdier back into his Poké Ball. She lightly petted the ball before pocketing it and grabbing her final ball. She grinned and tossed it forward.
What emerged was a Pokémon that Leinani had never seen, but something about it had an uncomfortable familiarity. It stood at a little bit over a meter and had maroon-colored fur with horizontal bright yellow stripes. It had a long tail that stood up straight, poking out from behind his head. What struck Leinani as familiar was its large cheeks, red eyes, and single incisor tooth that stuck out. She knew instantly that this creature was related to her ever-so-hated Patrat.
"I refuse to lose to that," she muttered. "Rowlet, use Brave Bird!"
"Our friend has fallen! Use Retaliate!"
Aerial energy exploded out from under Rowelt's body, and she was violently propelled forward. A dark red energy surrounded Watchog, and he slashed outward with his arm. The two Pokémon crashed on Lenora's side of the field, kicking up an explosion of smoke and dust.
The two trainers waited in silence. They knew that there was the potential for the battle to already be over. They both hoped that it wasn't the case. Slowly, the smoke faded away, revealing both Pokémon. Watchog heaved heavily, and his fur had been tattered. Rowlet remained on the floor, and her body rocked back and forth.
"Brave Bird is no longer an option," Leinani said to herself.
"We can still fight. Use Hypnosis!"
Watchog's eyes started to glow purple, and he reached out his arms, sending out waves of weak kinetic energy.
"Shadow Claw!"
Rowlet used what energy she had and leaped into the air. Her talons became absorbed with a ghastly aura, and she sliced through the kinetic energy with ease.
"Keep it up, DJ! Metal Claw!"
"Fight back with Low Kick!"
Rowlet did a cartwheel in the middle of the air, and her talons became encased with metal once again. She dove. Meanwhile, Watchog reeled back. He jumped into the air to the best of his ability, swinging his body in a full circle. The Pokémon collided, but it was Watchog's type advantage that won out the test of strength. Rowlet was knocked to the field, but she managed to land safely.
"Crunch!" Lenora commanded.
Without skipping a beat, Watchog stepped forward and raised his arms. Black energy swirled around him, forming a set of terrifying jaws. He came down onto Rowlet like a wave swallowing a surfer. Rowlet took most of the attack, but she immediately retreated, using her limited energy to escape into the air.
"One more! Don't let her escape!"
"Fight back! Use Leaf Blade!" Leinani yelled desperately.
Watchog kept his hands up, and the black energy became more intense. His red eyes showed through the darkness as he jumped into the air. Rowlet extended her wings, and when Watchog was close, she swung. Watchog clamped the dark energy down, but he was immediately struck by Rowlet's wings. The Normal-type was propelled back to the ground, hitting hard. The black energy slowly wafted away as Lenora's Pokémon forced himself to stand back up.
Leinani observed both Pokémon. She looked to Watchog, who could barely get back to his feet. And, then, to DJ, who struggled to flap her wings hard enough to stay in the air. Her four possible attacks repeated through her mind.
Brave Bird.
Metal Claw.
Leaf Blade.
Shadow Claw.
But, no matter how many times she went through them, she couldn't make the decision.
Rowlet peered back at her, seeing the glaze in her trainer's eyes. She turned to Watchog and trilled with the intention of intimidating. Her wings started to glow white, and she focused so that aerial energy whipped around her. She was carried by the force of her attack, haphazardly leading her to Watchog.
"Brave Bird? No!" Leinani shouted.
But it was too late. Rowlet crashed into Watchog, causing one more explosion. Everyone in attendance watched closely. The referee's perfect posture faded as he tried to get a better look.
And then, the smoke cleared. Everything was quiet.
Rowlet stood, breathing heavily. She glared at Watchog, daring him to get back up. When he didn't, she shot a glance to the referee.
He observed Rowlet. He knew that Watchog was done, but it wasn't about him at this point. When Rowlet refused to falter, he raised his flags.
"Watchog is unable to continue! Rowlet is the winner! The victory goes to the challenger!"
Leinani stood in shock. She wanted to give the command for Brave Bird, and maybe Rowlet could sense it. But, she had no confidence in the safety of the attack. She looked out at her Pokémon, and when she took her first step forward, Rowlet finally collapsed. Leinani paused.
"She overdid it," Leinani whispered to herself. She dashed forward to her Pokémon and picked her up while Lenora calmly withdrew Watchog. Leinani checked on Rowlet and held her tightly in her arms. She slowly raised her Poké Ball and let the red light absorb her starter Pokémon, something which she did not have to do very often.
"You are a gutsy battler, and DJ is even gutsier. Your Pokémon, especially your starter, is often a reflection of your personality," Lenora exclaimed as she walked toward the middle of the field. She was followed by the referee and her husband. "You should be thankful for DJ's quickness. Had she not made the decision for you, you would have lost today. You're still young, but you need to learn how to battle under intense pressure."
Leinani held her Poké Ball tightly. She tucked it away under her baggy shirt and forced a smile. "A win is a win, right? DJ is my partner, and she made the right call. We cover each other's weaknesses."
Lenora couldn't help but grin. She nodded to the referee, who pulled a small box from his pocket. He delicately opened it and presented it to Leinani. On the inside was a simple brown and rectangular badge.
"This is the Basic Badge," Lenora said. "We're partnered with the gym in Aspertia, which gives out this exact same badge. Because of this, you won't be allowed to challenge that gym."
Leinani shrugged and took the badge. She held it in her palm and ran her thumb over its surface. Its copper trim split the badge so that it looked like the spine of an old book.
"I like the challenge and no disrespect, but there ain't another Normal-type gym leader than can battle like you. I'm not interested in battlin' the second-best Normal-type gym in the region."
Lenora tried to stifle her laughter. "I'll make sure to not tell Cheren that you said that."
Leinani returned to the Pokémon Center with mixed emotions. She was proud of her Pokémon for getting the victory. However, she felt that she betrayed them in a few aspects of the battle. She betrayed Poipole by not looking into Lenora's signature attack before the battle. She betrayed Sandshrew by not allowing him to all out. She betrayed Rowlet by refusing to make an order when the time called for it.
She handed over her three Poké Balls to the nurse at the center, and she sat down in one of the booths. She pulled out her badge case and eyed the two badges that she had earned. They were both simple, and she felt like they had very little flare to them. Alola had so much detail in all of their gym badges, so she was slightly disappointed in Unova's.
After a simple meal of tenders and greasy fries, she went to the video phone that every Pokémon Center had. She put in the correct change to make a long-distance phone call, and she dialed a phone number that she had become familiar with. It was nighttime in Alola, but she was sure that someone would pick up.
"Alola!" a young boy's voice called from the other side. Her brother's face appeared on the screen. He was wearing his red glasses, and his hair was combed up nicely.
Leinani smiled. She choked back tears. "Alola."
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Sorry for the long delay. My summer vacation ended up not being a vacation. Instead, I had business meetings and family/friends over, which meant no time for writing. But, I'm back at it!
I tried to give the trainers two different battles with very similar results. I'm excited to show how these battles will change the two main characters. Next chapter, Braedon and Mariella go to Pokéstars Studios!
Next Leinani chapter, I get to finally write a chapter that I've had in my mind for about three years. There's a specific scene that I just need to write.
REVIEWS:
Besprizornye - "This chapter and the last one provide a nice dichotomy between Leinani and Braedon's journeys. I enjoy the story's focus alternating between the two trainers and, as much as I look forward to them meeting up, I think I will miss that regular change of perspective. The last Leinani chapter was a very nice one to read as I enjoyed hearing her positive impression of Nacrene City and the nice conversation she had with Lenora and her husband. I think that you did a good job using those two characters to provide backstory was a good choice. It has felt like Leinani was planning to rush through Unova's gyms, so I think it will be nice for her to spend some time training and catching up with her family." - I definitely felt like the past few chapters have been good for showing Leinani's sensitive side and Braedon's weaknesses. I'm excited for them to meet, because it means that they'll call each other out on these qualities.