Track 8 - Shrunk

Leinani remained in Striaton for a few days after she caught her new Sandshrew. She trained and tried to bond with the Pokémon, but much like the Sandshrew that she caught in Alola, this one was also shy. She didn't mind though, as the Pokémon listened to her, and she knew it'd be a good addition to the team.

But, her time in Striaton was coming to an end. She did her last bit of research on the gym leaders, and one early morning, she left the center with food and Pokémon battles on her mind.

She had passed by the gym a multitude of times. It had a distinct and strong smell that filled the air around it. But, she wanted to wait for the opportune time to go in. She was not interested in going during lunch or dinner. No, she wanted breakfast.

She had breakfast at the at Pokémon Center multiple times, often opting for pancakes, as no matter how bad a pancake is, a pancake is always good. But that didn't satisfy her. She wanted a traditional Unovan breakfast.

And if it meant getting in a battle as well, then she saw no drawbacks.

"How many today?" the host at the walk-in asked once she laid eyes on Leinani. She held two menus in her arms.

"One," Leinani answered. Rowlet lightly pecked at her headphones. "Ouch. Two."

"Would you like to sit at the counter, a booth, or a table?"

Leinani looked around the restaurant. It was large. In the middle was a bar that served alcohol or soft-serve ice cream, depending on the customer. Surrounding the bar were high-top tables and large-screen televisions that played various live sports. On the surrounding aisle of the restaurant were the other tables and booths. These were for families and people who weren't interested in watching sports.

"I don't care."

"And, are you here for breakfast or a battle?"

Leinani grinned. "Both."

The host smiled. "Follow me please."

Leinani did as told. The host walked her through the restaurant. They passed by a multitude of other patrons, mostly sat in booths. Leinani looked at all of the different food that they ate. She was surprised by just how much food they were able to pack onto one plate.

And then, they walked through a few heavy doors. This half of the restaurant was much different. Instead of a bar in the middle, there was a battlefield. All of the tables that surrounded the battlefield were covered in beautiful satin cloths with golden trim.

A lot of the trainers traveled solo, so they sat alone at the four-person tables. Leinani was guided to her seat and given both menus. She eyed them both, noticing that they were very different. One menu was filled with different breakfast options and an endless amount of drinks. The paper on it looked as though it had been touched a thousand times by a million different fingers. No amount of putting it into a thin plastic film hid that fact.

The other menu was wooden. It had only three pages in total. And, it was not food. Instead, it was the three gym leaders and a list of their Pokémon, moves, and hobbies.

"This some kind of joke?" Leinani wondered.

"Hello, my name is Tim! I'll be your server. Have you decided what you'd like to drink?" a server asked. He wore a nice black button-up shirt and slacks.

"Alola Cola," Leinani asked without having to look at the menu. "And look, I only get to battle one of the leaders? And, I get all of their information right here? You can't be serious? Where is the challenge?"

Tim the server took a step back and tried to hide his face behind his notepad. "I'm sorry. I'm new here. Do you want me to get the manager?"

"No. Just tell the gym leaders, that I want a real challenge!" Leinani exclaimed. "And also, chicken fried chicken with mashed potatoes! White gravy."

Tim the server wrote down everything that Leinani said and walked away. Leinani didn't have any more interactions with Tim the server except for when he brought her food and drinks. She also heard nothing about her request to the gym leaders.

Then, the lights dimmed, and on the far end of the battlefield, three spotlights shone down as a curtain opened. The three gym leaders that were in the menu walked out from the curtain, and they posed together.

"Patrons of the Striaton City gym! We hope that you're having a good time today! Is everyone enjoying breakfast?" one of the gym leaders asked into the microphone. He had nicely done green hair and pale skin.

The other trainers cheered while Leinani tried to finish chewing on her fried meat. She wasn't in the mood to woot and cheer, but she was in the mood to antagonize the three.

"We have been hard at work in the back making food for you all today," the boy with spiked-up red hair announced. "But I think it's about time that we get into some battles! What do you all say?"

The trainers all cheered in response. A few of them whistled.

"Our staff has been serving you all morning. But, they have also been collecting data on you as well. They're looking for the most passionate trainer to start off the battles for the day! And well, we think that we've found her! Sitting at table 14, give it up for Leinani Koa!" the last brother announced. He had long blue hair.

Leinani finished her food as the spotlight shone down on her. She swallowed and wiped the grease from her mouth. "How do you know my name?" Her question had been picked up by the microphone on the end of her table.

"Leinani Koa is an excellent trainer from Alola! Just last year, she placed in the top four of the Manalo Conference! This year, let's see how far she'll go!" the boy with the green hair exclaimed.

"She's starting her challenge here at the Striaton Gym! And from the sounds of it, she wants something off of the menu!" the boy with the red hair said with a grin.

"And we are going to oblige to our customer's request. Leinani Koa, you will battle all three of us!" the boy with the blue hair shouted.

The trainers all cheered and whooped. Hardly any of them knew of Leinani. However, they knew that if she battled all three trainers, then they'd get to see their strategies in person.

"My name is Cilan," the boy with the green hair said. "I will be your first battle. We will show you the power of an appetizer."

Tim the server cleared Leinani's table and had her follow him. She walked onto the battlefield, patted her stomach, and cracked her neck. "Bring it on, sucka."

"The following battle will be a total of three rounds! The challenger is allowed three Pokémon while the gym leaders will only use one each! Each round will conclude if the gym leader's Pokémon faints! Are you ready?" the referee asked.

Leinani and Cilan nodded.

"Begin!"

"Go, Pansage!" Cress shouted as he held his Poké Ball in his hand. He didn't throw the ball forward. Instead opting to release his Pokémon from where he stood. His Pokémon materialized on the field. It was a small simian Pokémon that hopped forward playfully.

"Grass-type," Leinani muttered. She jutted her left shoulder forward. "Show 'em how it's done, DJ! Go!"

"Our customers always get the first word! What will your attack be?" Cilan asked.

"Lead Blade!"

Cilan's eyes widened at the suddenness of the command. Rowlet responded immediately as well, stretching out her wings and allowing them to be enveloped with green energy. Her wings doubled in size, and she rocketed down the field.

"Block with Vine Whip!" Cilan ordered.

Pansage attempted to whip out vines from his wrists, but Rowlet was much faster. She maneuvered around the tiny whip and drove her wings into Pansage's midsection. Cilan's Pokémon was thrown into the air, but he used his nimbleness to land on his feet.

"Fury Swipes!" Cilan commanded.

Pansage bounded forward on all fours. He leaped into the air and held out his arms. When he was close enough, he began to swing his claws back and forth, slicing at Rowlet with no remorse. However, Rowlet had been battle-hardened. The attack barely phased her.

"Show them what a real swipe looks like! Metal Claw!" Leinani ordered.

Rowlet jumped up, and her claw became encased with metallic energy. She slashed, knocking Pansage to the ground.

"Pansage!" Cilan shouted. He clenched his fists as he looked at his Pokémon with concern. He wanted to step forward, but once his Pokémon started to move, he stopped himself. "You can do it, buddy!"

Pansage slowly stood back up. He wobbled from left to right, but he put up his hands into fists, as though to tell Rowlet that he wasn't finished just yet.

"Show them our bond! Dish up a Return!" Cilan ordered.

Pansage's fists began to glow with white energy. The Pokémon let out a cry, making the energy glow even brighter. With one quick lunge, he punched Rowlet as hard as he could. This time, Rowlet was thrown backward, but he quickly caught himself in the air.

"I like your fight, but it ain't enough," Leinani exclaimed. "Metal Claw!"

Rowlet adjusted herself and then jutted out her talons. She quickly descended and jabbed them into Pansage. Pansage was thrown across the battlefield, skipping against the hard ground. He landed in a heap, and this time, he did not bother to get back up.

The referee raised his red flag. "Pansage is unable to continue! Round one is over!"

Cilan withdrew Pansage and eyed Leinani. He turned to his brothers and muttered something off microphone. They nodded, and the boy with spiked red hair stepped forward.

"I am Chili. My heart burns for good cooking and Pokémon battles!" he exclaimed.

Leinani rolled her eyes. "Ok."

"Go, Pansear!" Chili called as he threw his Poké Ball high into the air. His Pokémon emerged in the air and flipped forward. He landed on his feet and struck a pose as flames came from his body.

"I'm starting to see a theme. I respect your commitment, but it's kind of lame," Leinani said with a grin. "DJ, use Shadow Claw!"

Rowlet flapped her wings as hard as she could, rocketing her forward. She turned her body and stuck her claws out. They became covered in a dark ghoulish energy.

"Get around it! Use Bite!" Chili commanded.

Pansear rolled out of the way with ease, forcing Rowlet to stop her forward motion. Pansear turned and lunged. Black energy formed around his body, creating a small set of jaws. They clamped down on Rowlet, making her shriek.

"DJ!" Leinani shouted, but her Pokémon could only respond with a flinch. "Oh no."

"Yawn!" Chili ordered. He stuck out his pinky finger and pretended to take a drink from an invisible mug.

Pansear locked eyes with Rowlet. He opened his mouth and groaned. A small cloud escaped from the back of his throat and surrounded Rowlet. The Grass-type recoiled in disgust, but suddenly, she felt her legs get weak.

"That ain't good," Leinani mumbled. "Brave Bird! Get in a good hit while you can!"

Rowlet shook her head from side to side. She locked in on Pansear, and white energy exploded from her wings. She was carried forward by the energy, crashing violently into Pansear. The collision left the two covered with smoke, but once it faded, only one Pokémon stood. Pansear held at his stomach while Rowlet remained on the ground. However, she had not fainted. Instead, she slept soundly.

"Wake up!" Leinani called. She knew it wasn't going to work, but she felt that she could at least try.

"I'd love to take our time with your Rowlet, but we understand how much of a threat you are. Brave Bird is an advanced-level attack. We can't let you get away with too many more of those," Chili said. "Flame Burst!"

Pansear sucked in before shooting out a single ember from his mouth. The ember closed in on Rowlet and exploded, sending the Grass-type soaring. She crashed against the hard battlefield, but her body bobbed up and down, indicating that she was still only sleeping.

"Come on, DJ!"

"I don't think so! One more Flame Burst!"

Pansear raced across the field. He leaped into the air and sucked in once again. Just as Rowlet began to stir, he released the ember. It shot downward and exploded, engulfing Rowlet in fire.

"Oh no," Leinani muttered.

The referee watched the flames closely. He held his blue flag tightly, ready to make the call if he had to.

But then, the flames died down, and in the ashes stood Rowlet. She glared at Pansear before trilling aggressively.

"Boom baby!" Leinani exclaimed. "Shadow Claw!"

"Bite!" Chili called.

Rowlet flapped her wings, but the burns from the previous attacks slowed her down. Eventually, she managed to get into the air. The two Pokémon raced for the middle of the field. Rowlet stuck out her talons while Pansear generated a set of small jaws around his head. The two collided, sending black energy up into the ceiling. Once their attacks finished, the two separated momentarily, and Rowlet finally succumbed to her injuries. She collapsed, and Pansear sighed with relief.

"Rowlet is unable to continue!" the referee declared while holding up a blue flag.

Leinani ran to the field. She picked up Rowlet and held her close. "You did great. I'm gonna put you in your Poké Ball. You can come out when you feel better."

"Row," the Pokémon quietly cooed while she allowed herself to be absorbed by the red light.

Chili wiped beads of sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. "So, what do you have next for us?"

Leinani returned to her trainer's box. She drew out a Poké Ball and smiled. "It's the debut of our newest bandmate! Go, Dyne!"

Leinani's newly caught Sandshrew emerged from his Poké Ball and shook. He peered around at the crowd before finding Pansear. It dawned on him that he was in an official battle, and he lowered his head.

Chili's eyebrows raised. "This Sandshrew doesn't look as confident as your Rowlet did."

"To be fair, Sandshrew are naturally shy," Leinani replied. "Sand Attack! Go!"

Sandshrew rolled forward, and sand kicked up around his body. When he gathered enough sand, he popped up and blasted it forward. It sprayed Pansear's face, but it did no serious damage. The Fire-type wiped at his face and backed away, but the attack only angered him.

"Flame Burst!" Chili ordered.

Pansear growled before spitting out another ember. It exploded within a few seconds of being released, but it completely missed Sandshrew. The Ground-type knew the effects of his attack, but even he was surprised by how easily Pansear missed.

"Rollout!" Leinani called.

"Shrew!" Sandshrew called while rolling forward. His body curled into a perfect ball, allowing him to speed across the field.

"Dodge!"

Pansear shook his head and leaped into the air. He felt Sandshrew zoom past him, and once he was clear, he turned around.

"Return! Make it strong!" Chili commanded.

Pansear bounded forward and stalked Sandshrew. The Ground-type stopped rolling and uncurled. Pansear's fists started to glow, and he jabbed, knocking Sandshrew in the back. Sandshrew let out a cry and immediately lowered his head.

"Yawn!"

"Get out of the way!"

Pansear tried to sidestep Sandshrew, but he could never catch his gaze. His eyes started to glow, and he groaned. He released the fog from before, but it simply floated into the air, completely missing Sandshrew.

"Huh?" Chili wondered.

"Yes! Rollout!" Leinani shouted.

"Shrew!" her Pokémon shouted. He tucked his head and started another forward roll. This time, he was within immediate striking distance of Pansear. He rammed his body into the Fire-type, dragging him along the battlefield. With one strong push, Pansear was tossed to Chili's feet.

"Pansear, no!" Chili screeched.

"Pansear is unable to continue! Round two is over!" the referee exclaimed.

Chili glared at Leinani and withdrew Pansear. He looked to the last brother with long blue hair before they shared words with one another.

"My name is Cress," the last brother said as he walked to the trainer's box. "We may have underestimated you because you walked into this gym with no badges and an unevolved starter Pokémon."

"Yeah, well, you did your research, so you should have known better," Leinani snapped back. "You knew that I was a Manalo Conference semi-finalist, so boohoo."

Cress remained calm despite Leinani's taunts. "Most trainers who come to our gym come for the experience. A lot of them are new trainers, or they're trying out new teams. It is rare that someone walks in with Pokémon as strong as yours. Your last battle will be with me, and my Pokémon has more experience than either of my brothers."

"You talk more than your brothers," Leinani muttered.

Cress held out his Poké Ball and loosely tossed it forward. It exploded open, and his small simian Pokémon stepped forward. To Leinani's chagrin though, it appeared to just be a blue version of the previous two Pokémon.

"Alright. I don't believe you. Dyne, use Sand Attack!" Leinani instructed.

"Panpour, dodge, and use Return!" Cress ordered. He remained calm.

Sandshrew rolled forward and began to collect sand. But before he could send it flying, Panpour darted down the battlefield. He raised his arms and then smacked then as though they were symbols, releasing white energy forward. It blasted Sandshew backward, but he managed to quickly get to his feet.

"Much faster. I believe you now," Leinani said.

"Don't let up. Use Ice Beam!" Cress commanded.

"Dodge with Rollout!"

Panpur reeled back and sucked in air. He released a jagged beam of ice from his mouth that froze the ground below it. Sandshrew rolled into a ball and barreled out of the way, barely escaping the powerful attack.

"Keep up this momentum! Use Rapid Spin!" Leinani ordered.

Sandshrew rounded about and made his way toward Panpour. He bounced into the air, uncurled, and began to spin with his arms flailing out. Wind released from his body, knocking Panpour off balance. However, the Water-type quickly recovered with a cartwheel and soon stood up straight again.

"Ice Beam!" Cress commanded.

With Sandshrew at a close distance, there was no easy way for him to get out of the way. This time, Panpour unleashed his beam, which blasted Sandshrew in the stomach. The Ground-type slid back on the field, and the longer that he withstood the attack, the more ice built up around his body. Once Panpour finally stopped, Sandshrew was completely encased in ice.

The referee looked to Leinani. "Do you have any way to get out of the ice? If not, then I must declare Sandshrew as unable to battle."

Leinani bit the inside of her cheek. She used to be a gym leader's assistant, and she would often referee. Her mentor was an Ice-type trainer as well, so the amount of times that she had to ask trainers the same thing was astronomical. The fact that she didn't have an instant counter to ice embarrassed her.

"I don't," she stated.

The referee held up his blue flag. "Sandshrew is unable to battle!"

Leinani relented and withdrew her Pokémon. She sighed, thinking over the battle. "Should of chosen my Pokémon in a different order."

Cress smiled and reached into his back pocket. "Before you continue. I don't want you to think that you're going to get an easy win over me. I can see it in your eyes. You want to get some revenge. You're gonna fight back with the intensity of a conference semi-finalist. We won't allow you to make a mockery of us."

"Oh no," Leinani muttered. She had seen this trick before.

Cress drew out a blue stone and held it in the air. It was cylindrical in shape, but the way that it had been mined gave it sharp edges. He threw it upward, and Panpour jumped to catch it. The Pokémon let out a cry as he flipped forward. His body began to glow and slightly morph. Once he came to the ground, he had taken a new form.

It had increased in size by almost a foot, and its hair had grown, almost mimicking the style of its trainer. Its tail got longer and thicker. However, the happy-go-lucky expression on its face did not change.

"Meet Simipour," Cress announced.

Leinani sighed. "My big mouth. I couldn't have just taken the easy win and moved on. What is wrong with me?"

"Are you scared?"

Leinani cocked her head. "Nah. Just annoyed. Torque, you're up!"

With that, she tossed her Beast Ball into the air. Poipole materialized and immediately began to spin upside down. It noticed Simipour, stopped spinning and slowly floated to the battlefield.

"Let's go! Use Sludge Bomb!" Leinani ordered.

"Fight back with Ice Beam!" Cress commanded.

As Simipour took in a deep breath, Poipole launched a disgusting ball of sludge from the needle on its head. The ball of sludge connected with the jagged beam of ice, freezing instantly. However, Simipour's attack was also put to a stop. The now frozen sludge dropped to the battlefield and exploded into a purple mist.

"Here's our chance! Iron Tail!" Leinani shouted.

Poipole flew into the purple smoke and hid. As it remained in the smoke, its tail became hard as iron, and before the smoke could dissipate, it quickly emerged. It swung around its body, smashing its tail into Simipour's face. The Water-type rolled until he was back to his feet. He rubbed his cheek, and his expression shifted to anger.

"Poison Jab!" Leinani ordered.

"Acrobatics!" Cress yelled.

Poipole's horn started to glow with purple energy and the Pokémon dove toward Simipour. However, Cress' Pokémon was fast. He easily moved around Poipole's attack and then threw an uppercut. He hit Poipole once in the face as revenge and followed with a swift kick to the midsection. Poipole stopped its strike and retreated into the air.

"Keep up the pressure! Scald!" Cress instructed as he snapped his fingers.

"Out of the way! Don't let it touch you!" Leinani shouted.

Poipole soared into the air as Simipour unleashed a steamy stream of water from his mouth. Poipole swirled around, avoiding the attack. However, the stream connected with the ceiling, immediately turning into a thin cloud.

"It can't stay up there forever! Scald! Scald!" Cress commanded.

Simipour unleashed blast after blast from his internal reservoir. Poipole continuously moved around the attacks, allowing them to connect and explode against the ceiling. Eventually, Poipole was completely shrouded with mist, and Simipour ran out of energy to fire off attacks consecutively. The Pokémon stopped moving, waiting for their trainers to make a command.

Leinani eyed Cress, who couldn't look away from the steam cloud that he had created. She examined the cloud herself and grinned.

"Make it rain! Use Sludge Bomb!" she ordered.

No one knew where Poipole hid, but with its new command, it began to spin in the air. It pointed its three horns downward and began to fire off bullets of sludge. Poipole couldn't see Simipour either. It haphazardly unleashed its attack, and every drop of sludge that hit the ground exploded into its own mist. Not a single ounce of sludge connected with Simipour, but the Pokémon was now surrounded by a terrible purple fog. It took in a breath and began to cough. The Water-type wobbled from side to side as his body began to glow with a slight purple.

"No way," Cress muttered.

"Blame yourself! You gave me the idea!" Leinani exclaimed with a cocksure grin.

Cress glared and looked up. His eyes widened, and he pointed at the ceiling. "Straight shot! One more Scald!"

Simipour roared as he unleashed the straight steamy steam one last time. This stream managed to hit Poipole, engulfing the Pokémon with boiling hot water. Poipole let out a whine and immediately tried to escape. It descended from the air while a thin red layer of energy emitted from its body.

"No! Now we're back to even!" Leinani said as he clenched her fists.

Simipour cried as poison ran through his body. He took a step forward and gritted his teeth as he attempted to fight through the pain.

"It's do or die! Poison Jab!" Leinani called.

Poipole shook its body and quickly darted forward. It jutted out its main horn as poisonous goop dripped from it like a faucet. It connected with Simipour in the shoulder, but the Water-type grunted and managed to push Poipole away violently.

Cress laughed, shook his head, and waved his finger. "You do know that while your Pokémon is burned, any close-range attack is going to be detrimentally weaker, right?"

"Oh, crap."

Then, the thin red veil of energy started to glow, and Poipole lost its ability to remain in the air. Poipole released a pained cry as it fell to the ground, directly in front of Simipour.

"Return!" Cress commanded.

"Get out of there!"

But, Leinani's pleas would go unheard. Simipour lifted both of his hands and concentrated his energy. When he had gathered enough power, he slammed both of his hands down onto Poipole, throwing the Poison-type backward. Poipole hit the ground with a thud, but it immediately tried to push itself back up with its small arms.

"Torque," Leinani muttered under her breath. "Not again."

Simipour stomped on the battlefield as he began to stalk Poipole. He still had energy remaining from his previous attack, and he raised his arms into the air once again. As he got closer, the purple mist that surrounded his body began to flare up, and suddenly, Simipour was inflicted with a coursing pain through his body. He fell forward but caught himself with his long arms.

"Forget what I said before! We don't die! Poipole, use Sludge Bomb!" Leinani shouted.

Poipole whipped its body around and pointed its three horns at Simipour. It charged sludge in all three horns, connecting the three in a bow-and-arrow manner.

"Poi-pole!" the Pokémon cried out as it released its last-ditch effort attack. The sludge ran through Simipour, forcing him to do a backflip through the air. This time, he could not use his nimble feet to land safely. Instead, he fell on his face and didn't bother to get back up.

As the purple haze faded away from Simipour's body, the referee raised his red flag and announced, "Simipour is unable to continue! Round three is over! The victory goes to Leinani Koa from Alola!"

Leinani whooped and ran to the field to greet her Pokémon. Poipole slowly floated into her arms. She could feel the heat radiate off of its body, and instead of wasting time with words, she immediately withdrew it back into its Beast Ball.

The three gym leaders walked in a straight line to the middle of the field where they could meet Leinani.

"That truly was an exquisite battle, Leinani!" Cress exclaimed.

"We were wrong to take your challenge in stride!" Cilan added.

"But, we were still glad to work up an appetite with you!" Chili said last.

Cilan reached out. In his hand, he held a black tray. In the middle lay a long gym badge composed of blue, red, and green gems all held together with by a golden outer rim.

"Congratulations!" they shouted in unison.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

This battle was so fun to write. I originally had it planned that Leinani was just going to burn through all of them, but I didn't really see the fun in doing that as I wrote the first part of the battle.

I can feel like Braedon and Leinani are getting closer! I'm excited to write their first interaction!

Next chapter, Braedon is going to train for his second battle! And who knows, maybe something mysterious will happen?