Track 11 - The Lark (Kissin)

Braedon had trained, refereed, and studied at Cheren's gym for a couple of years before he started his journey.

Cheren was a gym leader with class. He needed his gym to be in the best shape for all challengers. After every battle, the field was cleaned by staff and flattened by Pokémon. The battlelines were erased and drawn in chalk with intensive precision.

Cheren would only allow his mentees with the best posture, nicest hair, and cleanest teeth to manage the entry desk. He believed in first impressions. Those same mentees would also be allowed to referee after a small trial period. Everyone was given a strict script, and Cheren would go as far as to critique the way that trainers held up the flags.

This was the standard that Braedon had become accustomed to. So, it was to his surprise that the gym in Virbank City was completely different. She came to an alleyway between two warehouses. There was a hole-in-the-wall building with the same Pokémon league sign that Cheren's gym displayed proudly hanging loosely off of two thick nails. It was the only indicator of a gym.

Braedon reached out and grabbed the metal handle for the door. The metal vibrated rhythmically. Braedon paused momentarily before he used all of his strength to pull the door open, revealing a staircase that went underground. He was blasted with cool air, and he could hear electric guitars violently strummed and drums beaten to death. His heart beat, but not as fast as the drums.

He slowly took a step, and the door closed in behind him. As he walked down the concrete steps, he looked at the walls, which were covered with band and event posters. Posters that were well out of date were marked with graffiti, but it was out of love. He came to another door. He put his hand against the door, which vibrated even more aggressively than the first. He pushed it open, and his senses were overwhelmed.

The gym was a nightclub, and dozens of people were dancing on the battlefield, which looked like it hadn't been properly cleaned and flattened in years. On the far end of the field was a stage where the gym leader and her band played. Their music was a marriage of untuned guitars and loud drums. The gym leader sang into a microphone, but it was drowned out by the instruments.

Braedon looked to his right, finding a receptionist. It was a young boy who wore a knitted purple sweater that was way too big for him. The young boy grinned at Braedon, revealing that he was chewing dark blue gum. He asked Braedon something, but he couldn't hear him. Braedon shrugged, and the boy repeated his question.

When Braedon gave him a look of 'I don't know' the boy responded by pointing to a small black sign with the words 'ARE YOU A CHALLENGER?' painted in red. Braedon nodded furiously and gave the boy a thumbs up. The boy grinned, sucked the gum into his mouth, raised his hand, and smacked a red button on the receptionist's desk as hard as he could.

Suddenly, there were sirens, and red lights started to flash on the field. The trainers, mentees of the gym, and dancers all separated to either side of the field, and within fifteen seconds, everything went silent.

"Got a challenger, huh?" the gym leader said into her microphone. She dripped with sweat from her performance. Braedon had heard of the gym leader and what kind of Pokémon she used, and he knew her by name. Other than that, he wasn't sure what he had expected. Her hair was dyed white, and she used a hairband to keep it held up and out of her eyes. She wore a light blue dress that fell to her knees with thick purple lines. Her black hightop boots had thick soles that gave her almost an extra six inches. "Where ya from? What's your name? How many gym badges you got?"

Braedon walked onto the battlefield and to his trainer's box. He had to be careful to avoid stepping in gum and sweat. "Aspertia City! Braedon Scott! I have one badge!"

Roxie grinned from ear to ear. "So, you're one of Cheren's cherry boys? Nice! I like his kids. Does two-on-two sound good to you?"

Braedon balled his fists and nodded. "Sounds fine!" The echoes of guitars and drums still rang in his ears.

Roxie put down her heavy bass guitar and walked off of the stage and to her trainer's box. She looked through the audience and stuck out her finger, singling out a teenage girl who had been dancing. "You! Referee for us!"

The girl grinned and ran to the podium for the referee. She raised her arms and said in a high-pitched voice, "This battle is gonna be a two-on-two battle! Woo!"

The crowd responded with excited woos of their own.

"The challenger, Brandon, will take on the gym leader, Roxie! Woo!" she announced. She looked at Braedon, who face-palmed at being called the wrong name. "The battle will be over when both Pokémon on one side is totally knocked out! The gym leader cannot make substitutions! Shucks. Begin!"

"Magby, you're up!" Braedon called while throwing his Poké Ball into the air.

Magby materialized on the field and blasted flames from his snout.

"Let us rock you with our opener! Go, Trubbish!" Roxie said as she tossed a Poké Ball forward. A small, dark green Pokémon appeared on her half of the field. While a lot of Pokémon that Braedon had encountered were animalistic, this one took the shape of a trash bag. Its insides had ripped through, creating arms and legs out of trash and dust.

"Trubbish, the Trash Bag Pokémon. Wanting more garbage, they follow people who litter. They always belch poison gas," Braedon's white Pokédex chimed.

"Guess that means we gotta be careful to not give it an Alola Cola," Braedon said with a laugh to himself. He was ultimately glad that no one could hear him.

"Most gyms give the challengers the first move!" Roxie exclaimed.

Braedon smiled and opened his mouth to give a command.

"But, we're not like most gyms! Toxic Spikes!" Roxie shouted.

Trubbish spun his body around, flinging poisonous energy into the air. The energy rained down onto Braedon's half of the field, but it did nothing to Magby.

"Dang. That's going to make bringing Oshawott into this battle difficult," Braedon thought. "Whatever! We'll still find a way! Use Flame Wheel!"

"Amnesia!"

Magby howled, and flames bellowed from his snout. He rolled forward, carrying the flames with him. While he did this, Trubbish's arms and legs slightly recoiled into his plastic cocoon, and he began to glow with kinetic energy. Magby rammed his body into Trubbish, but the Poison-type took the attack as though it was a simple tackle.

"Hit 'em with Sludge!" Roxie commanded.

Trubbish burped and belched, releasing a toxic pile of sludge forward. The sludge slapped Magby in the face, sending him into a frenzy to wipe it away.

"Double Slap!"

"Magby, focus! Use Clear Smog!" Braedon instructed.

Trubbish bounced down the field and extended both of his arms. Despite Magby's discomfort, he did his best to look at Trubbish. He whistled, releasing a white smog from his mouth. The white smog surrounded Trubbish, putting his attack to a stop.

"Don't fall for it!" Roxie shouted.

"Flame Wheel!"

Before Trubbish could continue his attack, Magby bounded forward. His body became engulfed in flames and crashed into Trubbish. This time, his attack was strong enough to send the Poison-type rolling backward. When he rolled back to his feet, he looked at Magby with a surprised expression on his face.

"Sludge! Show them how grungy we can get!" Roxie yelled.

Trubbish growled, sucked in air, and belched more nasty ooze from his mouth. It painted Magby's entire head purple, but this time, it came with additional spit. Magby once again started to furiously shake.

Braedon lifted his Poké Ball, and Magby was withdrawn by the red light. The crowd became silent, and Roxie raised her eyebrows.

"There are a few Poison-type Pokémon in Unova. However, if you're choosing to use Trubbish now, then I can guess what Pokémon you might try to use next. Magby would do well against it, right?" Braedon asked.

Roxie tilted her head to the side. "Uh, yeah? But-"

"Then, I have the advantage! Let's do this, Oshawott!" Braedon said while he swiftly switched out his Poké Balls and released his starter Pokémon.

Oshawott came onto the field and howled. He grabbed his scalchop and waved it around in an effort to intimidate Trubbish. But then, the ground started to shake, and Braedon's half of the field started to glow. Purple spikes of energy emerged, connecting with Oshawott. The Water-type cried out as he was instantly inflicted.

Braedon's eyes widened. "How did I forget?"

Roxie blew a raspberry. "Wow! You gotta be an idiot! But, hey! I like an easy challenge!"

"That also means that Magby is gonna get hurt too! What have I done?"

"Pack it up, boys! Use Sludge!"

"We're gonna have to take the hit, but use Work Up!" Braedon instructed.

Oshawott nodded his head and glared at Trubbish. As the Poison-type unleashed another horrendous belch, red energy swirled around Oshawott. He took the attack directly, but he tried to pretend that it did no damage.

"Fury Cutter! Let's go!"

Oshawott's body glowed with purple energy, but he fought through the stinging pain. He ran forward with his scalchop in hand. It started to glow with dark green energy, and when he was close enough, he slashed, hitting Trubbish with an attack strong enough to make him recoil.

"Fight back! Mosh with Double Slap!" Roxie shouted.

Trubbish extended his arms and smacked Oshawott once. The Water-type responded with a growl only to be met with another slap.

"Another Fury Cutter!" Braedon ordered.

The dark energy became more intense, almost doubling the size of Oshawott's scalchop. He swiped, slicing at Trubbish's face. This time, the Poison-type was tossed backward, landing in a heap in front of Roxie.

The dancer referee looked at Trubbish but said nothing.

"Do your job!" Roxie ordered.

"Oh yeah! Trubbish cannot battle! Shucks. Oshawott wins! Woo!" the girl announced.

"You might be a fool, but your Pokémon are clearly strong. No matter how strong a Pokémon is, if it is poisoned then it is only a battle against time. And, that is a battle you cannot win," Roxie said as she withdrew Trubbish. "Your hunch about my next Pokémon was right, regardless if I go with a Pokémon from the Amoongus or Scolipede family. I'd say that maybe you're not a fool, but even fools can have successful hunches."

"Thank you?" Braedon said.

"Whirlipede, let's rock 'n roll!" Roxie shouted while tossing her next Poké Ball forward. An insect Pokémon encased in a grey shell came forth. Its shell was rounded with a multitude of spikes. It glared at Oshawott with piercing yellow eyes.

"Whirlipede, the Curlipede Pokémon. Storing energy for evolution, it sits. But, when predators approach, it moves to stab them with poison spikes," Braedon's Pokédex informed him.

"Luckily it's not a Scolipede. However, we still have to work through poison," Braedon thought. "Don't hold back! Use Fury Cutter!"

Oshawott barked at Whirlipede, and his scalchop increased in size. He started to push forward, but the weight of his attack slowed him down.

"Protect!"

As Oshawott swung his scalchop, a blue barrier appeared in front of Whirlipede. The Bug-type remained still and calm while Oshawott swung his blade furiously. The dark green energy connected with the barrier, but Oshawott's powerful attack was destroyed in an instant.

"Now that the chain is broken, use Venoshock!" Roxie commanded.

Whirlipede glared at Oshawott, and she took in air. Her blue barrier quickly disappeared as she unleashed a wave of poisonous energy from her body. The poison connected with Oshawott, sending poisonous electric sparks off of his body. Oshawott howled and took a few steps back, attempting to gain some distance.

And then suddenly, a light blue aura began to waft from Oshawott's body.

"Torrent time, baby! You're in for it now!" Braedon cheered.

"Torrent only means that Oshawott is on his last legs! Poison Tail!"

"Keep it back with Water Gun!"

Whirlipede rolled forward, and her spikes extended with poisonous energy. Oshawott responded by leaping back and unleashing a powerful geyser from his internal chamber of infinite water. Whirlipede's attack was put to a stop as Oshawott found himself more distance.

"Now, Work Up!" Braedon instructed.

Oshawott started to howl, and red energy swirled around him, fusing with his blue aura. He began to glow purple, and his howl became louder.

"And Razor Shell! End it!" Braedon shouted.

Oshawott's scalchop extended almost ten times its usual size, forming a massive blade. Oshawott dragged it down the field, tearing into the gym's dancefloor. He didn't need to get too close to Whirlipede, but when he was within the proper distance, he swung his scalchop, hammering it down on the Bug-type. Roxie's Pokémon took it without flinching, and when Oshawott finally relented, his eyes widened at what he saw. Whirlipede glared back at Oshawott, poisonous ooze dripping from the top of her cocoon.

Roxie began to laugh. "Too bad! Venoshock!"

Whirlipede's attack happened in an instant. Purple energy blasted from her body, electrifying Oshawott. The Water-type was tossed backward, landing hard on the battlefield. He tried to stand back up, but the poisonous aura surrounded him once again, and he slumped to the ground.

"Whoa!" the referee exclaimed. "Oshawott is done! Whirlipede wins! Woo!"

The crowd responded with woos of their own.

"What do I do? Whirlipede just shrugged off that attack like it was nothing. Was it just an intimidation tactic, or is it really that strong? Can Magby finish this?" Braedon wondered as he withdrew Oshawott. His arms shook, and he had to stop himself and take a breath while he searched for Magby's Poké Ball. His heart beat so hard he felt like it was going to burst through his chest, and his fingers refused to grab the ball. "Should I just forfeit?"

"What's wrong, cherry boy? Feelin' the pressure?" Roxie asked. She bent forward and winked at Braedon.

Braedon shook his head and scowled at Roxie. "We never give up! Go, Magby! Use Flame Wheel!"

As soon as Magby came to the field, he surrounded himself in flames and bounded forward. Braedon's strategy did not work, and the purple energy from before caught up with the Fire-type. He ignored his sudden status condition and rolled his way down the field, managing to connect with Whirlipede. He bounced off of the Poison-type and into the air. He winced from purple aura around his body.

"Keep it up! Confuse Ray!" Braedon shouted.

Magby crossed his arms, and his eyes started to glow yellow. Once he came back to the ground, he extended his arms, releasing a small pulse of weak energy. The energy wafted over Whirlipede, who took now physical damage. However, she did slightly tilt to the side. The purple aura became more intense, and Magby backed away.

"All we need is one good strike!" Roxie yelled. "Venoshock!"

Whirlipede cooed, and purple energy surrounded her body. She shouted and tried to blast the energy outward, but instead, it imploded around her, sending sparks into the air.

"Yes!" Braedon cheered. "Keep it going! Don't stop! Flame Wheel!"

Magby held at his stomach but looked up. Flames bellowed from his snout and surrounded his body. Once again, he rolled forward with the intensity of a train, smashing into Whirlipede as hard as he could.

"Bug Bite!"

Before Magby could bounce away, Whirlipede lunged forward. A set of jaws formed out of dark green energy, and they quickly clamped down on the entirety of Magby's body. He yelped before he quickly recoiled and gave himself some distance.

"If you use the same attack over and over again, we're bound to figure you out," Roxie said with a smirk.

"You haven't figured us out just yet!" Braedon said as he pointed to Whirlipede.

A red aura had come over the Pokémon, and suddenly, flames burst from her body. She let out a terrifying shriek until the flames ceased.

Roxie cocked her head. "Ah. Maybe you're not a moron!"

Braedon observed the two Pokémon. They stared at one another, waiting for commands, but the way that Magby breathed heavily and the visible bruising and wounds on Whirlipede's cocoon told him that the battle was nearing an end.

"Smokescreen! Fill this place!" Braedon ordered.

Magby took in a deep breath, puffing out his chest. He then looked at the ground and started to blow smoke for as long as he could. Roxie's eyes widened as the entirety of the gym was filled, something that she thought was only possible with her smoke machines.

"I gotta get me one of those," she muttered.

And eventually, Magby stopped. The crowd, referee, and two trainers tried to look for their Pokémon, but it was impossible to see through the smoke. Every few seconds, a purple or red aura would flash, indicating where the Pokémon were. However, Braedon made no command.

"What is he waiting for?" Roxie wondered. Suddenly, there was a red flash of aura that came from within the smoke. "No way! Are you really stalling? What a coward's way out! Whirlipede, use Venoshock!"

Whirlipede screeched from inside the smoke, and she unleashed the electrified poisonous energy from her body. The smoke around her was wafted away, leaving only Braedon's side of the field covered.

Roxie eyed her Pokémon and grinned. "We ain't confused no more! Come out!"

Braedon grinned and pointed at Whirlipede. "You might not be confused, but you're wide open! Use Flame Wheel!"

Whirlipede looked forward and braced for an attack, but to her surprise, Magby emerged from the smoke on the side of the field. He came barreling down, his body covered with flames. He crashed into Whirlipede, headbutting her directly in the eye. Whirlipede was lifted from the ground and fell onto her side, her body going limp.

Magby stood above her, and he blew flames and smoke from his snout. He howled and dropped to one knee.

The referee cocked her head and observed the two Pokémon. She raised her hand. "Whirlipede is totally fainted! Magby is the winner! Brandon is, like, the victor!"

"Yes!" Braedon exclaimed. He jumped, kicked his legs together, and then started a forward sprint to his Pokémon. His smile quickly faded away though, as Magby slowly collapsed to the ground, the purple aura taking over his body completely. When Braedon reached him, he knelt and softly put his hand on his Pokémon's back. "Good job, dude."

"Good job, dude to you," Roxie said as she approached Braedon. She withdrew Whirlipede and snickered at Braedon. "I didn't expect you to be a good trainer. Glad I was wrong!"

Braedon eyed Magby before he withdrew him back into his Poké Ball. "Yeah."

Roxie's bandmates joined her at her side. The drummer reached into his pocket and pulled out a badge composed of a multitude of circular purple stones. He handed it over to Roxie, who then showed it to Braedon.

"This is the Toxic Badge! You earned it!" Roxie said.

Braedon slowly stood up. He held Magby's Poké Ball tightly in his hand. Roxie said that he earned the badge, but both of his Pokémon had fainted in the end. He put his Poké Ball back onto his belt and eyed the badge. "Thank you."

"Why are you bein' down, dude? You won!" Roxie said. "I lost, but it's not very punk to whine about it. You mind stayin' for our next show? Maybe you'll get to see another battle!"

Braedon took the Toxic Badge from Roxie. It felt just as heavy as the Basic Badge that he got from Cheren. "I'm sorry. I gotta get back to the Pokémon Center to take care of my Pokémon. Maybe some other day."

Roxie gave him a thumbs-up. "You got it! Takin' care of your friends is definitely the punk lifestyle! Nothin' wrong with that!"

Braedon quickly returned to the Pokémon Center, and he gave his Poké Balls to the nurse. He had been staying at the center for a few days, and he had become all too familiar with the small cafe. He was set to leave as soon as his Pokémon felt better, and there was a sense of sadness around his departure. He had so many great battles in Virbank City.

Braedon sat alone in one of the booths at the cafe. He drank a cold black coffee while flipping through a book that he had received from his mother. It was a book without a single word, but instead, it was sheets of music. Hundreds of different pieces from different decades and eras of music filled the book.

He read the notes, imagining how they would sound if played correctly. He tapped his fingers against the table as though he was playing a piano. Every Pokémon Center had a piano that anybody could play at any time. Braedon often eyed it when he'd come back from training, but he was too shy to play anything in a public setting. Instead, he opted for his own table concerts with an audience of none.

And then suddenly, there was an audience of one, as someone slid into the booth on the other side of the table.

"Hey!" a familiar voice said. Braedon looked up, and he was met with the brown eyes of his childhood friend and rival, Mariella. They hadn't seen each other in only about a week, but she already looked so much more mature from her journey. "Whatcha doin'?"

Braedon closed his book. "Just some light reading! How are you? I'm surprised that you're not already in Castelia!"

"Nah, not yet. I beat the gym leader, but I've been having too much fun in Virbank. How about you?"

Braedon nodded and grinned. "It's been a blast! I've been training every day at the Virbank Complex! I'm surprised I haven't seen you around!"

Mariella raised her finger and wagged it from side to side. "That's because I haven't been just focused on training! I've been at the Pokéstars Studios!"

"Pokéstars Studios? They let you in?" Braedon wondered.

Mariella smiled from ear to ear. She played with her singular thick braid of dark brown hair and tossed it up and over her shoulder. "Not only let me in; I'm a future star in the making!"

"Wait, what?"

"You got time tomorrow?"

"I guess. Why?"

"I'll show you!"

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

That was such a fun chapter to write. I recently went to a punk concert in a small venue like this. I was deaf for a week. Looks like Braedon is going to making a visit to Pokéstars Studios in his next chapter!

As for Leinani, it's time for her battle with Lenora!

REVIEWS:

iM 0bLiVi0uS - "Excellent chapter as usual looking forward to both gym battles." - Thank you! John will be appearing eventually! I thank you for your insane patience with me. Haha