Track 16 - Kiln
"The big city!" Leinani shouted as she reached the final steps to get off of Skyarrow Bridge. She looked at the white pavement and the black road in front of her. She smiled, checked her Pokédex to confirm the time, and then walked forward, finally entering Castelia City before calling out one more time, "The big city!"
"Shut up!" an unknown voice shouted from afar.
Usually, Leinani would have snapped back and threatened to break someone's arm. But, she was just too happy. She was surrounded by skyscrapers and the ocean. It was something that she could have only imagined. She smelled greasy food, and she could hear music blasting around her.
"Okay, DJ, we have a lot to get to," Leinani exclaimed. "We're in the motherland. There's going to be some dope record stores, but we're not going to find them by walking around the easy streets."
"Row?"
Leinani looked both ways and crossed the street, finding herself face-to-face with a dark alleyway. Its entrance was protected by multi-colored beads. The music that Leinani heard emanated from the alleyway.
"This. This is where we go! We gotta get down and dirty if we want to find the good stuff!"
"Row!"
Without another word, Leinani walked through the curtain of beads. She heard waves of music come over her, playing out of well-used speakers. She looked at the speakers, watching as the music made them bounce back and forth.
She heard the guitars of a heavy metal song mixed with screaming about heartache. She heard the poorly recorded drums of a punk song mixed with lyrics about the government. She heard a hip-hop beat with deep bass and suggestive lyrics that she could not understand. She heard an R tune that made her want to stop walking and start dancing. She heard foreign lyrics over a pop rhythm that had been developed by a professional for-hire songwriter.
And then, she heard smooth jazz. She stopped to soak it in. A saxophone carried the piece, acting as its driving force. She closed her eyes and imagined how passionate the man would have been to write such a tune. Her heart fluttered as the saxophone became louder.
"Yo, what are you staring at?" a voice shouted.
Leinani opened one eye and looked to the right. A teenage boy dressed in black leather sat on the greasy steps of a record shop. "A doofus?"
"What'd you call me?" the teenager asked as he stood up as he slicked back his hair. He had wide shoulders and wore tight jeans that showed off his toned legs.
"I think she called you a doofus!" one of his cronies, a much smaller and skinnier thug, answered.
"We don't take too kindly to bullies," a third punk added. He had a crazed look in his eyes, and Leinani was unsure if they were looking in the same direction.
Leinani put her hands on her hips. "Oh, sorry. I guess I'm lookin' at three doofuses. Or is it doofi? I'm bad with plurals."
"Are you lookin' for trouble?"
"Nah, but it seems like you are," Leinani retorted. She stepped forward, making the three thugs flinch. However, they exchanged looks with one another before puffing out their chests.
"I don't want to hurt a little girl," the large teenager said. He reached out his hand, and Leinani grabbed him by the wrist and forearm. She wrenched and rotated her body, pulling him over her. He hit the concrete and rolled away.
"I'll be fine," Leinani said as she let him go. She looked at the small and thin thug. "And, you?"
"Yo, I don't get paid enough," the small and thin thug exclaimed. He turned and started to run away.
"Come here!" the crazy-eyed thug shouted. He tried to grab Leinani, but she turned and jabbed, punching him in the gut. He keeled over and fell to the ground, clutching at his stomach.
Leinani dusted off her hands and sighed. "Honestly, Unova's men have been really disappointing. I got more of a challenge from my little brother." She looked at the record store the thugs had been guarding, and a smile came across her face. "Toodles!"
She pushed the record store door open, and its small bell rang. She could smell old wood and records, something that made her smile from ear to ear. As she walked through the entryway, she found a small crate of records with torn casings. She ran her fingers over them and wondered about their stories.
The man at the counter looked at Leinani. He observed her headphones and then Rowlet. "You here on business?"
Leinani shook her head. "Um, no? I'm a Pokémon trainer. I also love music. Where's your oldest records?"
"Oldest records are in the back," the man said while pointing over rows of records. He appeared to be well into his forties. He had a bald head that the light shone off of. His mustache was thin but stylized. "Pokémon trainer?"
"Yeah, from Alola. When do ya'll close? I could be here all day."
The man eyed Rowlet and shrugged. "There's no closing time for a place like this. I'll let her know. Feel free to browse."
Leinani gave the man a confused look, but she did her best to ignore him. She slowly walked through the aisles of records, making sure to observe each and every label. She knew that she wouldn't be able to find any records of her favorite bands or groups, as most of them were relatively modern. However, she could listen to the records that influenced her favorites.
There was no one else in the store, and she browsed in silence. Rowlet tried to read the labels, but she didn't know what she was looking at. Leinani pulled a blue jacket out and looked at it. The text was blocky and was stylized to appear handwritten. She felt breathless as she read the words "Me Myself and I."
"DJ, this is such a find! Every modern hip-hop artist is influenced in some shape or form by De La Heart! We got so lucky!"
"Would you like to listen to it?" a voice asked. Leinani turned, finding a teenage girl with olive skin. To her surprise, she was dressed exactly how Leinani wanted to present herself. She had on an unzipped black jacket over a neon pink crop top. Her cargo pants were loose, only held up by a belt that was lazily fastened so much so that Leinani could see what brand of boyish underwear the girl was wearing. "You can check its quality, and if you feel good about it, you should pick it up. It's not very often that we get genuine audiophiles who come here."
"Why's that? Leinani asked. "You're a record shop, right?"
The teenager crossed her arms. "Well, yes, but-wait-you're not here for a battle?"
"A battle?"
The teenager looked up at the signs. In between 80's and 90's records was the silver insignia that Leinani had seen at the Striaton and Nuvema gyms.
"Wh-what?"
Leinani wasn't sure what to make of the man's statement, but she didn't mind.
"My name is Lyric, and I am this gym's leader," the teenager said. "It's nice to make your acquaintance."
Leinani's mouth was left agape, and she had to force it closed. "Y-your name is Lyric? That is so cool! I thought that after the trio of waiters in Stiaton, Unova Gym Leaders were all gonna be dorks. I'm so glad I was wrong!"
Lyric laughed. "Don't diss them. They're my friends."
"Sorry."
"If you're here just to look at and buy records, then we don't have to battle today. No pressure. But, out of curiosity, how many gym badges have you earned?"
"Um, only two in Unova. But, I'm always ready for a battle! Let's do it! I can use the rest of the day to look at records!"
"That's chill," Lyric said. "If you're competing for your third gym badge, then the battle will be three-on-three. Is that okay?"
"That's more than okay! That's perfect!" Leinani exclaimed excitedly. "Today has been dope! I'm in Castelia, I used kung fu to beat up some thugs, and now I'm in a record shop that doubles as a gym! It's like a dream come true!"
Lyric tilted her head. "Kung fu?"
"It's nothing!"
"What's your name, kid?"
"Leinani! Leinani Koa! This is DJ!"
Lyric laughed and looked at the bald man running the counter. "Yo, Jaime. Can you ref?"
Jaime nodded and smiled. "Yes, ma'am. What kind of music are we going with for battle?"
Lyric eyed the record that Leinani had suggested. "Classics."
Lyric motioned for Leinani to follow, and the two walked through a double door which lead to a battlefield. From looking on the outside, Leinani wouldn't have guessed that there would have been a battlefield connected to the small record shop, but after considering the fact that the alleyway had been wedged between two blocks of skyscrapers, she wasn't surprised.
The battlefield appeared to be standard and well-kept. However, there were no seats for spectators. Instead, there were records hung up on the wall protected by a thin layer of glass. Leinani's trainer's box was the usual small square for her to stand in. Lyric's was a booth equipped with turntables.
Jaime followed the two, carrying a selection of different records. Leinani tried to get a glimpse of them, but the bald man did a good job of hiding them. He handed them over to Lyric, who examined the selection. She grinned, removed a record from its jacket, and placed it on her turntable.
Everything was quiet.
"Yo! This is Lyric, the Fairy Freak! I'll be your DJ and gym leader for the evening! Are you ready to battle hard?"
Leinani took a step back and her eyes widened. She was unsure of how to react.
"I said, are you ready to battle hard?"
"Yes!" Leinani shouted.
Then, Lyric's music began to play. It was a hip-hop beat created using old jazz tunes that most people would find unrecognizable. The beat was fun, and it took Leinani back to a time before she was born.
"This battle will be a three-on-three battle between gym leader, DJ, and freak, Lyric, and challenger, Leinani! Only the challenger may make substitutions!" Jaime announced while holding his hands up. "Both trainers are allowed to get funky! Begin!"
Lyric placed her Poké Ball on the turntable and listened to the music. When she found the correct rhythm, she stopped the record from moving momentarily, creating a scratching noise. Then using the turntable's torque, she sent the ball flying forward. It exploded open, and a small brown Pokémon with cotton-like hair emerged. It floated to the field while dancing wistfully in the air.
Leinani bobbed her head to the rhythm of the song. She observed the Pokémon as it danced before looking at Rowlet. "You're up! We gotta prove ourselves today!"
Rowlet trilled and rocketed for the field. She landed and rocked back and forth while waiting for her trainer's command.
"Let's see what kind of Pokémon we're up against! DJ, use Leaf Blade!"
"Fight back with Energy Ball!" Lyric called before scratching her record.
Rowlet flew forward as her wings became absorbed with green power. The power caused her wings to extend, almost doubling in size. Meanwhile, Whismicott created a ball of green energy before her body. She released it into the air with enough force to knock her backward. When Rowlet reached the middle of the field, she swung her body, deflecting the ball. However, Whimsicott's attack was still strong enough to throw Rowlet off balance.
"Show them your star power with Dazzling Gleam!" Lyric shouted into her microphone.
Whimsicott wistfully leaped into the air. Her body started to glow, and she unleashed a blinding light. The light scattered across the field, seemingly stinging Rowlet once it reached her.
Leinani rolled her eyes and sighed. "Of course! Metal Claw!"
Rowlet fought through the stinging pain. She adjusted her body and flew to Whimsicott's side of the field like a rocket.
"Cotton Guard!"
As Rowlet stuck out her iron-hard talons, Whimsicott took a deep breath. The cotton that made up her hair puffed out, almost doubling in thickness. Rowlet connected, but her momentum was suddenly put to a halt by the cotton.
"What? No!" Leinani shouted. "Don't stop there! Brave Bird!"
Rowlet tore herself away from Whimsicott and flew directly into the air. White aerial energy exploded off of her body as she turned and plummeted back to the field.
"One more Cotton Guard!"
Rowlet trilled angrily as she came down to the ground. The energy exploded around her once she connected with Whimsicott. Both Pokémon were covered by smoke, but the way that Whimsicott wasn't launched out of the explosion by the force of Rowlet's attack told Leinani that the battle wasn't over.
"With all that cotton, she's almost untouchable," Leinani thought.
"Misty Terrain," Lyric ordered without having to look at the field. She continued to bob up and down while adjusting the settings on her turntables.
Before the smoke from Brave Bird could fade away, a pink light emitted from it. Suddenly, a pink wave wafted from the two Pokémon, filling the field with pink fog. The smoke faded away, revealing both Pokémon. Although Whimsicott's cotton had done a lot to protect her, it also had the same effect on Rowlet.
"We have to get through that cotton! DJ, slice away! Leaf Blade!"
Rowlet did not have to move any closer. Her wings expanded with green energy, and she began to hack away, slicing the extra cotton that Whimsicott had created. With every forward movement, more cotton was tossed into the air. Rowlet slashed furiously and with no regard for anyone's safety. Eventually, Whimsicott's poofy hairstyle was cut down to a short mullet.
Jaime, the referee, watched on in horror.
"Dazzling Gleam, baby!"
Whimsicott, now fueled by rage, screeched and unleashed a bright light from her body. The bright light blasted Rowlet back, who retreated into the air.
"One more!"
"Nuh-uh! Metal Claw!" Leinani ordered.
Rowlet started to spin downward. She stuck out her talons, and they became encased in a steel coating. Whimsicott tried to unleash another blast of pink energy, but Rowlet easily tore through it. Rowlet continued downward until she reached Whimsicott. First, she grabbed the Grass-type, and then she wrenched, making Whimsicott howl from the pain. She threw her back, and Whimsicott had no more cotton to fall onto. Instead, her wood-like body hit the ground with a terrible thud.
Jaime cringed before he observed the two Pokémon. Rowlet returned to her side of the field but was wary to land in the pink mist. Meanwhile, Whimsicott refused to get back up from the attack.
"Whimsicott ain't gettin' back up. Rowlet is the winner!" Jaime declared.
Lyric took her hands off of the turntables and looked at Whimsicott with a deadpan expression. She shrugged, lifted her Poké Ball, and withdrew her Pokémon. She gazed at the pink field before a sinister smile came across her face. She placed another Poké Ball on her turning records and used their momentum to propel it into the air. It exploded open, and a round Pokémon with a blue and white body materialized.
Leinani eyed the Pokémon. She crossed her arms and glared. "Azumarill? Not that it's a bad Pokémon, but against DJ, you stand no chance."
Lyric began to let her hands glide across her turntable once again. She spoke into her microphone, "You're only looking at my Azumarill like a Water-type. Like I said, my team is a bunch of freaks!"
"That doesn't mean that Azumarill just stops being a Water-type! DJ, use Leaf Blade!"
"You wanna see a Water-type move so badly? Scatter-shot Bubblebeam!" Lyric shouted into the microphone.
Rowlet flew forward, and her wings extended. Azumarill stood still, but she took a breath and unleashed a flurry of bubbles from her mouth. She rolled her head back and forth in circles, filling the air with her attack. Rowlet managed to run through a few of them with ease, but after a few moments, she became overwhelmed.
"And now," Lyric said as she turned the music down ever so slightly. She twisted a nob, releasing an explosion of sound. "Bounce!"
Azumarill fell back and used her bouncy body to launch herself into the air. She was carried by aerial energy, easily ripping through all of the bubbles she had created. Once she touched the ceiling, she slowed and spun her body around. Her momentum shifted, and she fell from the air like a meteorite.
"Out of the way!"
However, Rowlet could only react so fast. She flapped her wings to try to gain some distance, but Azumarill came down with a violent force. Rowlet was thrown back by the energy, landing hard against the ground.
Leinani glared. "You think you can just throw your weight around!"
Lyric didn't respond. She kept her focus on her turntables and the rhythm of the music.
"Metal Claw!"
Rowlet flapped her wings hard enough to waft the pink mist away. She rocketed forward, and her talons scraped against the field, erasing the pink energy that she touched. When she was close enough, she jutted her talons forward, latching onto Azumarill. She tried to lift, but Azumarill was too heavy. Instead, she opted for slashing and wrenching. Azumarill screeched and rolled backward, giving herself a few meters of distance.
"Play Rough! Yeah, yeah!"
Azumarill put her small hands to her mouth and formed a ball of pink energy.
"Keep it up! Crush it with Metal Claw!"
Azumarill threw the ball of energy forward, but Rowlet reached out, and with her iron-hard claws, she caught it. She clamped her talons closed, suffocating the pink ball. When she opened her claws, what remained of the pink energy sprinkled to the ground.
"Snuffed out," Lyric muttered loud enough to be heard in the microphone.
"Leaf Blade! Keep up the pressure!" Leinani ordered.
Rowlet changed her flight pattern. She breathed heavily, and the green energy around her wings took longer to form. She flew forward with what energy she could muster.
"Bounce, baby!" Lyric shouted while switching out a record with ease. She had managed to keep the previous record on a loop.
Azumarill leaped into the air, easily avoiding Rowlet's strike. Rowlet came to a sudden stop and looked up, amazed at how high the non-Flying-type could get.
"Fight back! Brave Bird!"
Rowlet breathed heavily as white aerial energy surrounded her. She flapped her wings once, blasting herself into the air while Azumarill started her descent. The two Pokémon crashed in the middle of the air, causing an explosion that shook the field. Both Pokémon fell out of the smoke, hitting the pink field.
The trainers waited a few moments, and Jaime crouched so he could get a better look at the Pokémon. But after a while, it was only Azumarill that managed to get back to her feet.
"Rowlet is done! Azumarill is the winner!" Jaime exclaimed.
Leinani wasted no time. She ran onto the field and through the pink mist. Something about wading her way through it felt heavy. However, she felt a sense of ease. She picked up her Pokémon and held her close.
"You did great," she whispered as she walked back. The hip-hop music influenced her speed, but she couldn't help but feel sorry for DJ. She put her Pokémon down next to her bag, letting her rest in a sitting position. Then, she drew out her next ball, a Beast Ball.
"Whoa, that looks freaky," Lyric said with a wide smile.
"You have no idea! Go, Torque!"
Poipole emerged from its Poké Ball, and its cry echoed through the field. It appeared confused by the sounds coming from the gym leader. It turned back to Leinani and eyed her, unsure of why she wasn't the one playing music.
"No time to explain," Leinani said. "Sludge Bomb!"
Poipole spun its body around and pointed its stinger at Azumarill. It heaved before launching a glob of purple goo into the air.
"Out of the way! Bounce! Bounce! Bounce!" Lyric shouted to the beat of the music.
Azumarill rolled back again and used the spring of her tail to send herself into the air. This time, she curled her body and began a forward roll. She gathered aerial energy around her body and began to fall back toward the field in Poipole's direction. Her movement was much faster than before, as she wasn't only doing it to avoid the strike. She came down to the field, and the white energy exploded off her body as she connected with Poipole. The Poison-type was thrown backward, landing hard against the misty field.
"Keep up the beat down! Bubblebeam!"
"Fight back with Pin Missile!"
Azumarill rolled forward to her feet. She found her balance, reeled back momentarily, and blasted a flurry of bubbles from her mouth. Poipole responded by lowering its head. It released seemingly dozens of needles from its horns. The attacks collided with one another. While the needles weren't stronger, they were pointed, which allowed them to pop the bubbles. However, in turn, their energy was immediately used up, and they exploded upon contact, causing dark green smoke to fill the air.
"Take this shot! Poison Jab!" Leinani instructed.
"Poi!" Poipole shouted back. It flew through the air, using the cover of the smoke to hide its attack. When it came out the other side, it jabbed its horn into Azumarill, tossing the Water-type backward. Azumarill hit the ground hard but used her round body to get back to a standing position.
"Play Rough!" Lyric shouted into her microphone. She slowed down her record and ran a loop of her saying 'Play Rough.' She began to mix her words to the rhythm of the track.
Azumarill groaned while forming a ball in her arms. She threw the ball forward with a straight pitch.
"Sludge Bomb! Make it quick!"
Poipole spun its body around and unleashed a small blob of purple goop from its horns. The goop connected with the pink misty ball, immediately smothering it. The goop fell to the ground, and the pink mist on the field seemingly retreated from it.
Lyric eyed the field. The pink mist had started to dissipate starting from the edges. She stopped mixing her voice and allowed the track to play as usual. "It's time. Now or never! Azumarill, Misty Explosion! Tear the house down!"
"What?"
Azumarill breathed heavily. She took in a deep breath and seemingly absorbed all of the energy from the pink field. Before Leinani could say anything, Azumarill's energy imploded in on itself, sending a pink blast all across the field. Poipole was taken over by the mist, and the music was drowned out by the explosion. Eventually, the light from the attack faded away, and the sound of Lyric's turntables returned. The field was no longer covered in mist. Instead, Azurmarill's body was limp, and Poipole was forced to land on the ground.
Jaime grinned. "Azumarill is finished. It don't look like Torque has much left, but it is the winner!"
Leinani sighed with relief at the sight of her Pokémon. Poipole tried to float back into the air, but it immediately lost energy and fell back to the field. It eventually relented and remained on the ground.
Lyric withdrew Azumarill and placed her Poké Ball on her belt. She quickly drew out another Poké Ball and switched out her records. She placed the record on her DJ booth and the Poké Ball on her record.
"Here we go! My final Pokémon! My final freak! I hope you're having a good time! Let's go, Audino!"
With that, she used the record's torque to throw the Poké Ball into the air. A pink Pokémon materialized on her side of the field. She appeared shy, and she looked at Poipole with gentle eyes.
"Looks can be deceiving. We're not losing here. Torque, hit it with everything you got! Use Poison Jab!" Leinani shouted.
Poipole was filled with adrenaline. It cried out before zooming across the field. The tip of its middle horn began to glow purple as it charged up what it knew was its final strike.
"Disarming Voice!"
Suddenly, Audino let out a screech. Her eyes changed from gentle to maniacal. She barred her surprisingly sharp teeth. Poipole was taken aback by the suddenness of the shout, but it did not stop. It jabbed, hitting Audino directly in the stomach. Audino keeled over but reached out and grabbed Poipole by the head.
"Hyper Voice!" Lyric shouted.
Audino began to shout, unleashing waves of sound energy from the back of her throat. Poipole was picked up and carried by the energy, as though it was a strong wind. It was thrown back, landing right in front of Leinani's feet. She looked on in horror as her Pokémon's eyes slowly closed.
Jaime did not wait. He knew that the battle was over. He raised his arm and sighed. "Yo, there's no way that Torque is gettin' up from that. Audino is your clear winner."
Leinani used the Beast Ball and withdrew Poipole. She held the ball tightly before grabbing her final selection. "This is gonna be your hardest challenge yet, but we trained in Pinwheel Forest for a reason! Go, Dyne!"
Sandshrew emerged from his Poké Ball and stretched his arms out above his head. He glared at Audino, who looked back with now sinister eyes.
Lyric took her hands off of her record and held them up. "Put your hands up! Put your-put your hands up!"
"What?"
Lyric grinned, and the bracelet around her right wrist began to glow, sending an array of colors into the air. The lights over the field dimmed as the colors surrounded Audino, forming an egg of energy.
"What's going on?" Leinani asked.
Lyric slammed her hand down onto her turntables, grabbed the microphone, and screamed, "Mega evolve! Yeah! Yeah!"
The energy around Audino shifted and seemingly became hard. It exploded off of Audino's body, revealing a new form. She had transformed, her body now white and angelic. She had gained feathers that took the form of a cloak.
Leinani observed the Pokémon, unsure of what to make of it. "Alright, Swift! It doesn't matter what color it comes in, finish it off!"
Sandshrew rolled forward onto his back. He began to spin in circles with his limbs flailing out. Star-shaped energy materialized around him before launching forward. The energy pelted into Audino, but she didn't flinch from a single hit.
"Time to show you our new power! Dazzling Gleam! Yeah! Yeah!"
Audino waved her arms out in front of her body while she collected power. Suddenly, she jutted outward, and a flash of light exploded off of her body. The flash of light battered into Sandshrew, forcing him into a defensive position.
"Don't let them bully you! Rollout!"
Sandshrew kept his head down but tucked his body. He barreled forward, ripping up some of the ground below him.
"Stop it with Hyper Voice!"
Audino took in a deep breath, opened her eyes wide, and started to screech. The field in front of her was shredded to pieces, and Sandshrew was caught in the waves of energy. He came to a stop and covered his ears.
"Her reaction time is fast. Gotta slow her down if we want to get in close," Leinani thought. "Bulldoze!"
Sandshrew bent forward and shoved his claws into the ground. Suddenly, the field began to shake, targeting Audino. The field below her began to crack, and she slipped into the small fissures. However, she appeared more annoyed than hurt.
"Push it! Push it! Baby-Doll Eyes!"
Audino's eyes once again changed, shifting to more innocent and helpless. Sandshrew recoiled, as he was now unsure of how to approach the Pokémon.
"Dyne, Sand Attack! Make it dirty!"
Sandshrew shook his head and tried to ignore any feelings of remorse. He spun around, whipping up sand into the air. He collected as much as he could in his small claws before flinging it forward, hitting Audino in the eyes.
Lyric grinned and scratched her record furiously with the needle. "Disarming Voice!"
Audino flailed about while she tried to find her footing. She kept her eyes closed and began to screech. Pink energy blasted from her mouth, hitting Sandshrew directly. He was tossed back, but only by a few feet.
"How?" Leinani wondered.
"Oh, you look confused? Don't ya know? Disarming Voice never misses!"
Leinani shrugged. "Then, new strategy! Swift!"
Sandshrew nodded. He stuck out his arms and began spinning in circles, generating the star-shaped energy again. The energy blasted forward, hitting Audino point-blank in the face.
"Keep up the pressure! Rollout!"
Sandshrew changed his spin to a forward roll. As he worked his way down the field, he collected dirt and sand around his body. Before Lyric could make a command, he rammed into Audino and retreated.
"Don't stop! One more! Go!" Leinani shouted.
"Stop 'em with Disarming Voice!"
As Sandshrew rounded about and aimed for another attack, Audino opened her mouth. She shouted, blasting Sandshrew with pink sound energy. Sandshrew was tossed into the air, landing hard on the now torn-apart field.
Leinani observed Audino, who had finally begun to wipe dust and dirt out of her eyes. She stepped out of the cracks, carefully avoiding falling into any more fissures. "Still too fast. Use Bulldoze!"
As Audino pulled her other leg out of the cracks, Sandshrew started to shake the field again. Audino fell even further into the fissure, seemingly getting stuck. She flailed about, unable to escape.
"Follow up with Sand Attack!"
Sandshrew rolled forward and collected more sand in his claws. When he returned to a standing position, he tossed the sand at Audino, hitting her in the face again.
"They might be fighting dirty, but it's only because they can't win!" Lyric yelled. "Scattershot Dazzling Gleam!"
Audino flailed about before putting her arms to her chest. She chanted, and her body became covered with pink energy. She quickly extended her arms, releasing all of the energy at once. Sandshrew was plastered by the attack and was thrown back to his half of the field.
"Good job! And now, Hyper Voice! Finish it!" Lyric instructed.
Audino took in a few deep breaths while she tried to free herself from her cracky prison. However, she could not lift her body from the ground. Instead, she decided to try her attack. She screeched, unleashing sound energy onto the field. The energy tore up the field around it, but Sandshrew had gained enough distance to easily avoid the attack.
"Now Disarming Voice is our only problem! They can't touch us!" Leinani shouted. She looked at Sandshrew, who could barely keep himself standing. "We'll work hard and finish this quickly! Rollout!"
"Shrew!" Dyne shouted. He curled into a ball and bounced forward. After a few rotations, he picked up dirt and stones around his body, and when Audino was breathing heavily from her missed attack, Sandshrew struck. His attack wasn't hard enough to knock her out of the crevices, and he immediately turned and retreated.
"One more! Go!"
Sandshrew rounded about. His body had now become heavier from the stones that he collected. He rammed into Audino once again, pulling her out of her trap. She hit the ground but immediately tried to recover. She glared at Sandshrew as she came back to her feet. Sandshrew simply tried to roll away.
"While we got them close, use Disarming Voice!" Lyric shrieked into the microphone.
"Au-Audino," Audino huffed. She gritted her teeth before she started to roar, sending out a pink wave of energy from her mouth. The pink wave followed Sandshrew, following without skipping a beat. However, Sandshrew was able to keep up a fast pace despite his growing collection of heavy rocks.
"Outspeed it! You can do this!" Leinani yelled.
Sandshrew howled as he rolled forward. He could not see Audino's attack, but he could feel the heat of its energy, and as it got closer, her shriek became louder. He knew that he would not get to Audino on time.
But, Sandshrew wanted to win. Up until this point, he had been knocked out in every battle. He knew that Rowlet and Poipole were pulling their team along. He refused to be the weak link of Leinani's team.
Sandshrew let adrenaline take over, and he tore into the ground as hard as he could. Suddenly, his body began to glow with white energy, and he felt his body surge with power. He became engulfed, and while he continued his forward roll, his body started to shift and grow. With his newfound power, he moved with much more ease. Audino's screech slowly began to fade away, and he no longer felt the heat of her attack.
He barreled forward, slamming himself into Audino as hard as he could. Upon impact, Disarming Voice's energy dissipated instantly. Audino was thrown backward, landing hard against Lyric's DJ booth. She crumpled to the ground, and the multi-color energy was seemingly sapped away, returning her back to her pink form.
Leinani watched as Dyne rolled to the middle of the field. He slowed, came to a stop, and uncurled, revealing his new form. Leinani smiled and pumped her fist into the air. "Yeah! You did it! Dyne, you're great!"
Jaime stuck his hands in his pockets while Lyric withdrew Audino. He said quietly, "Yeah. Audino is done for. Dyne and Leinani are the winners. Congrats."
Lyric quickly finished her record before she slowly turned down her music. She turned off her machine, and the lights in the small stadium came back on. She walked around her booth and approached the field to meet Leinani and Jaime.
"That was quite the battle," Lyric said. "You don't battle like someone who has only won two gym badges."
Leinani grinned and knelt to pet her newly evolved Sandslash. "Nah, I battle like someone who has won three!"
"That's what I was gonna say," Jaime exclaimed.
"I'd like to battle you again sometime. Next, it'd have to be a full power. I kind of wish that you would have held off to battle with me until your eighth gym. It's too bad that I don't have that kind of pull," Lyric said before she sighed and shrugged.
Leinani stood up and put her hands on her hips. "Well, to be fair, I didn't even know this was a gym. We haven't even gone to the Pokémon Center yet. Had I known what I was getting into, I would have saved this experience for last. Ya'll gotta do a better job at promoting this gym!"
"Record shops aren't exactly the best way to attract trainers and customers," Jaime said. "But, we're old school like that."
"When I win the conference, I'll need a training partner. I'll make sure to come back here, and we'll have a full battle."
Lyric laughed before she reached into her baggy pockets. She pulled out a white badge that resembled Audino's cloak. "This is the Faerie Badge. With this, you're a certified freak."
"You said that you haven't gone to the Pokémon Center yet?" Jaime wondered. "It's about an hour's walk from here. You're Pokémon are a bit hurt, so what do you say to us healing them?"
"You can do that?"
Jaime and Lyric exchanged looks. Jaime pulled a pink Poké Ball from his belt, releasing his own Audino. This one was much larger than Lyric's.
"We'll heal you up. You don't want to walk around this area without Pokémon. People can be rough," Lyric said. "And besides, you got a few more hours of daylight left. You don't want to spend that time looking for the Pokémon Center and then waiting for them to serve your Pokémon."
"The wait time can be ridiculous," Jaime added.
"Ya'll are so nice," Leinani exclaimed with a genuine smile.
"Only to fellow freaks," Lyric said.
"I guess this means that we'll have some time to do something fun tonight!" Leinani said to Dyne. "I wonder if we can catch a show on Wideway!"
Lyric shook her head. "Every show on Wideway is gonna be sold out."
"We'll sneak in!"
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
I did not intend for this to be so long. Sorry for the delays on posting this one. It's been a very hard week. If you're following my Twitter, you'll know why.
So, a little bit of Leinani's nerdy side was shown in this one. The entire reason why I wrote her, is because I wanted to write a character that shows off my love for music. The way that I wrote the story, she likely won't get to face Roxie, and with how big Castelia is, I think that a second or even third gym could make sense. What'd you think of Lyric?
Next chapter, we'll get right into Braedon's battle! (I'm sorry for so many big battles in a row. I guess since I'm writing two gym challengers and not a coordinator, this is what it becomes.)
Also, I recommend Me Myself and I by De La Soul. It's influence on hip-hop is crazy, and it's also a great song.
REVIEWS:
Beezy - "Having been to New York a few times myself I am curious to see how your vision meshes with my experiences! I enjoyed this chapter because you showed a lot of vulnerability on Braedon's part. He isn't the all-conquering hero who puts ruffians in their place, in fact, he has a hard time finding his way to the gym at all. From this chapter alone, a reader can see how trusting Braedon is, but also how clever he is, such as when he decides that his pokémon are no match for his harassers' boldore (or was it a gigalith?), and in how he throws Burgh's words back at him to secure his challenge." - Please tell me about your experiences and how this story fares! I've been to New York State but never the city. I also really enjoyed writing Braedon in that chapter. He's just kind of a cutie. And, it was a Gigalith!
