"It's been a while since we were last here, hasn't it?"
Ash's voice carried a light undertone of nostalgia as he found himself staring up at the primary Pokémon Center nestled within Viridian City. After the fiasco on Cinnabar Island with the ancient pokémon had been settled and their pokémon had largely recovered, Ash and his friends made the journey back to the city just outside of Pallet Town. There the pair hoped to finally earn their Earth Badge.
"Yeah, it has." A light hum slipped from Misty's lips as she took in the building's structure. "Looks like they managed to get back up and running too. I was worried after the explosion they might have had to rebuild it entirely."
The Electric Mouse Pokémon nestled on Ash's shoulders brushed the back of his head with his tiny paws, ears half-fallen. "Pika-pika…"
Gina only regarded the three with a tilt of her head. Since the Gym was closed the last time that she came by, she just beelined for Pewter on her bike. But she did recall that they had mentioned running into Team Rocket here for the first time. "You didn't mention you blew the place up."
"In our defense, we didn't know that Koffing's gases were flammable back then. And Pikachu wasn't the only one who was throwing around electricity when it happened." Ash reached over to pat his partner on the head. "Nobody got hurt and Officer Jenny said that I wasn't in trouble or anything, so it's not a big deal."
Gina found it hard to believe that even a Nurse Joy wouldn't be a little upset that a trainer blew up her Pokémon Center. But that really didn't seem to be the case as they entered the foyer during what appeared to be a slow period. Almost immediately recognition dawned in her eyes, and she gave both Misty and Ash a welcoming smile. "I was hoping I would see you two again."
Misty tilted her head slightly in confusion at that. "You have?"
"That's right." Nurse Joy clasped her hands together. "As a thank-you for your help when we came under attack, I managed to have your bike repaired. I'll retrieve it for you once we get your lodgings settled and your pokémon cared for."
Arrangements were made so that they had rooms they could retire to for their stay and tend to their pokémon. Gina left the others to their own business afterward and used the videophone to contact her grandfather. Her mind had already gone over which of her pokémon she wanted to use in the Viridian Gym a few dozen times on the way here, and that meant swapping two of her team out.
She settled into the booth and dialed the number to her grandfather's direct line, leaving the receiver ringing a few times before it connected. "Hey, Gramps."
A smile cut across Professor Oak's face as he appeared on the screen. "Hello, Gina. I see you've made it back to Viridian City. I assume that means you've called to check on your pokémon and not report some new discovery or region-shaking event that has transpired."
His tone was light enough that she didn't quite take it seriously. But there was a hint of expectation buried beneath it. And considering the sheer number of things they had been involved with recently, Gina couldn't blame him.
Instead, she decided to humor him. "I think we've got another week before something like that happens again. But no. We've just arrived and are getting settled, so I thought I'd ring you up to see how everyone is doing back home. Anything of note happening with the ancient pokémon, like Ash's Aerodactyl misbehaving?"
"They've actually been remarkably docile now that the effects of the radar have worn off," Professor Oak noted. "Though the biome we've arranged is the closest to their natural environment, their lack of exposure to anything other than their own kind has left them a bit wary. Aerodactyl does seem to want to explore more of the surroundings outside of the enclosure, but without Ash here we can't risk it escaping into the wild."
The ancient pokémon they'd caught were technically theirs. However, there had been a request for a transfer of ownership for the Kabutops and Omastar pair, which they had to consider once the reservation was up and running. Since they were a breeding pair, and the colony only had one between them, it would cause problems if they delayed the transfer.
Specifically, another pair would likely evolve in their absence to fill that gap. And if that happened violence would break out since there could only be one as far as they were concerned due to their former habitat having limited space and resources. That could change now that they had more of both, but it would take time for that to happen.
Gina had considered it might be better to keep them separated. That would allow their pair to start a new colony at the Oak Corral, believing the rest to have been lost and thus starting to breed more. But she turned that thought down when she factored in how it might cause them even more stress than the relocation.
However, with Aerodactyl things were different. As the only one of its kind naturally left in the world, the researchers would rather hurry with the Ditto Surrogacy. But, unlike the others who were landlocked and seabound, the Fossil Pokémon could take to the skies and had proven to be fast all things considered. The last thing they wanted was an aerial predator that had access to Hyper Beam running loose.
"Ash is going to have to work on taming it over the next few months before the Conference if he intends to use it," Gina continued. "But he'll have the time since this will be his last badge. I wouldn't be surprised if he pulled it off and I need to plan on how to take it out later… aside from the ones I already have, like Ice Beam with Wartortle."
"I'm certain he can manage considering everything else he's accomplished to date," her grandfather said confidently. "Moving onto your own pokémon, they are all doing fine. However, Rattata has evolved into Raticate relatively recently. Considering that she had been holding off on doing so, I assume that she reached whatever milestone that you had planned for her."
That brought a smile to Gina's lips. Rattata was never one to sit still so she must have been hard at work on shoring up her weaknesses in her movements. Her speed was her strongest attribute after all. "That's great. Since we're on the topic, I want to arrange for two of my pokémon to be swapped around and for you to put Graveler through the Trade Machine to induce evolution."
The unique method of swapping the identification markings from the Pokéballs via the Trade Machine was known to cause evolution in some species that normally took a long time to evolve on their own. Among them were Graveler and Kadabra. The latter still needed to refine his training, but Graveler was at a point where she felt comfortable having him undergo evolution into his final stage.
Nidorina and Wartortle were also at that point as well, with the latter just waiting for her permission while she already had a Moon Stone for the former. The only reason she hadn't pulled the trigger on evolving them now was because she wanted them to have enough time to grow accustomed to how much larger they would become. Plus, she wanted them to practice with some of the moves they could learn while they had time to spare before she went after Sabrina for her final badge.
"Yes, yes, I can do that." His hands could be seen moving over a keyboard just beneath the video screen. "By the way, I should also let you know that as of right now you and Ash are the only representatives left from Pallet Town aiming for the Indigo Conference."
Gina's smile turned upside down. "What happened to Bulbasaur's trainer?"
"She's returned and taken up work at the Xanadu Nursery, claiming to have found her interest after their encounter with the Celadon City Gym. I imagine Florinda would appreciate the help since she's inherited the place. Ivysaur seems fond of the idea as well, so I'm sure they'll find success in their endeavors."
"Mmm… well, if just anyone could complete the Gym Circuit then I suppose there wouldn't be any reason for holding the Indigo Conference in such high regard in the first place," she reasoned. The unskilled and undedicated would be weeded out somewhere between Lt. Surge, Sabrina, and Koga, so the fact that they'd ran the gambit meant they were already a cut above most trainers in the region. "Ash and I will more than make up for them, so it doesn't matter."
"I'm sure you both will." He looked up from his keyboard. "Now then, which pokémon would you like to swap around so I can collect the ones here and prepare for the new arrivals."
"I'm sending Graveler and Electabuzz over after I feed them. The former is for the trade evolution, though I'll make sure he's up for it first, and the latter because he needs to socialize with pokémon and people outside of me. I don't want him becoming too dependent on me as part of his rehabilitation."
Electabuzz was doing well all things considered. But Gina needed him to be able to relax without her around to act as a source of comfort and security. Her grandfather and his corral were the best options, and she didn't think they would be here too long since they just wanted to get their badges.
"I'll tell him to be on his best behavior," she continued. "It'll only be for a relatively short while since I plan to head back once we get this badge and put everyone through their final training to be able to take on Sabrina. In exchange, send me Raticate since I want to see how far she's come in the Gym Battle and Eevee since I get the feeling that she'd be a little too overwhelming for Electabuzz once she smells me on him."
"Very well. I'll have the arrangements made within the hour," Professor Oak agreed. "Contact me then and we'll begin."
Closing the call after stating that she would, Gina ventured into the recreation area. There she found a nice place to prepare a meal for her pokémon, additives included to consider their dietary needs. Graveler needed a lot of Calcium to help keep his rocky exterior hard, and Electabuzz needed Iron to make up for the lack of nutrition he'd had prior to falling under her care. Finding a table for herself and her pokémon that was a modest height, Gina released the pair from the confines of their balls.
The Electric Pokémon and Rock Pokémon emerged, taking in their surroundings to ensure there was no immediate danger, and then facing her to await orders.
"I'm feeding you two early because we need to talk about some things." Gina took a seat in one of the chairs and tapped on the other one next to her. The Electric-Type worked his way into the seat, a mixture of curiosity and caution due to the nature of her tone and the situation. Meanwhile, the Rock-Type used his larger hands for support to move around his larger body in lieu of rolling to settle in front of the bowl within his arm's reach, leaving her flanked by the pair.
She began by locking eyes onto the living boulder. "Graveler, I'm sending you back to Gramps since the next Gym isn't a good match up for you and I think it's a good time for you to evolve. I know we talked about this, but I want to make sure that you're ready."
As with all her pokémon that were capable, Gina had already told them her intentions when she captured them and cleared the air ahead of time that her goal was to have them evolve into their strongest forms. She didn't want them to feel pressured to do it, since evolving was such a big change, and they couldn't go back. She had even used her Pokédex to show them the data and forms they would eventually take so they would be aware of what they would become.
In the case of Graveler evolving into Golem via Trade Evolution, he would become much heavier than he already was. Almost three times as heavy, while only getting slightly taller. His secondary arms would disappear and only his upper arms would remain, while his entire body would be encased in a hard, shell-like plating.
"I don't want to force you if you think you aren't ready yet," she continued. "I don't think we'll be here too long getting our badge and home isn't far by Fly from here. So if you want to delay it that's fine too."
The Rock Pokémon, in the middle of holding the bowl of food with one of his larger hands and picking up the individual pellets with his secondary arms, simply nodded and grinned. He had already willingly evolved to his current state without care for the loss of his ability to float. Losing one set of arms to become even more durable was just the natural progression of the path he'd chosen to walk.
Gina accepted his answer with a nod and grin of her own before turning her attention to Electabuzz, who was still waiting for her to address him. "Electabuzz, I'm sending you over to Gramps with him."
His posture pulled back, and his expression tightened. Shock. Uncertainty. "Ele?"
"It's not meant to be a punishment," Gina clarified immediately. "You didn't do anything wrong. But I have said that I want you to be able to socialize with other pokémon and people aside from me. If I keep you with me all the time you can't grow, and it isn't fair to my other pokémon either."
The Electric Pokémon's shoulders sagged as he looked down. Then he felt her hand gently brushing between his antennae. His gaze turned upwards rather than flinch at the touch, to which he found a smile waiting for him.
"The fact that I could touch you like this without getting shocked alone shows you've come a long way. I just want you to be able to grow further, so all I'm asking is a week before I return home to the corral. If it truly feels like you can't handle being away from me that long, then I'll change things up. But can you manage for a week, Electabuzz?"
The earnest tone of her voice left him hesitant. But his response was ultimately to comply with a nod. "Buzz."
"You don't have to worry about being mistreated or anything," Gina assured him. "And regardless of what happens, I promise I'll be there in a week to come and see you with the other pokémon."
Her vow given, Gina stayed with the pair as they ate their early meal and spent their remaining hour together before she bid them goodbye for the moment.
[-oOo-]
The next day, Ash found himself standing at the entrance to the Viridian City Gym along with the others as they came to handle the registration to have their Gym Battle.
For him, it would be the eighth and final badge he needed to finally enter the Indigo Conference. For Gina, it would be the seventh. Bearing that in mind, along with the fact that he had gone first against Blaine in the Cinnabar Gym, Ash had already resigned himself to taking the second slot for whenever the next available opening was—they had more than enough time, after all.
Or so he thought. "What do you mean it could be months before the next availability!?"
His admittedly heated question was directed at two Gym Trainers who had met them in the reception room of the Viridian Gym, the pair consisting of one male and one female. The guy was dressed in a red shirt and pants while holding a rose in one hand, and the girl had a red top and black shorts. Both had purple hair, with the guy having it short while the girl's hung long behind her back.
"As I said, the Gym Leader is not present and did not state when he would be back," the male trainer said, holding the point of his rose out towards Ash. "He is a busy man after all. You can't expect him to make time to take on every twerp who comes in demanding his badge."
That's literally his job! Ash bit his tongue to avoid shouting as much. They might have had time but without a concrete date they would have to scramble trying to get it without any guarantee of when they could obtain the badge.
"Even if that is the case, there should be a substitute present," Brock pointed out. "A leave of absence for that long requires it, otherwise they wouldn't be able to fulfill their duties and would lose their Gym. Would that be you two?"
The female trainer didn't deny it. "We can. But you see we are currently in the process of dealing with other matters, so we—"
"I've heard enough," Gina cut her off before turning to the door. "Let's go, Ash. We're wasting time."
Ash blinked in confusion. He expected her to be the most upset considering she was going first. "But what about the badge?"
"One badge from a Major Gym is convenient, but we might as well just hit up two Minor Gyms and grab theirs if that isn't an option," Gina said pointedly, turning back to face the Gym Trainer pair. "It won't take us a week if we hurry, rather than wasting time on a Gym Leader who can't be bothered to show himself and his incompetent substitutes."
The female trainer's anger was tangible. Almost like a fire stoked to life by Gina's sharp tongue as it coiled around her. "INCOMPETENT!?"
"If you've been entrusted with the ability to fulfill the Gym Leader's duty but can't be bothered, what else are you?" Gina held her hands out to the side and shrugged her shoulders. "Honestly, either you're lazy or you're incompetent. Either way, walking all over you would be simple enough that I would probably go earn the extra badges just to make up for how easy it'd be to get this one anyway."
"YOU CHEEKY LITTLE—" Whatever words were about to come out of her mouth were silenced when the male trainer clasped a hand over her lips and then whispered something into her ears. Her brows went from folded in anger to placid and then upraised as whatever he said seemed to strike a chord by the time he removed his hand. "…Okay, little girl. We'll play your game but on our terms."
Gina turned to face her. "I've given my opponents handicaps before, so why not?"
"Doubles Battle," she snarled. "Three-on-three. You twerps against the two of us at the same time. Win and get your badges."
"That is not an authorized Kantonian Battle Format until next year," Brock pointed out, earning him a look from Ash and Gina alike. "The badges wouldn't count."
"As the fully recognized substitutes for the Gym Leader we may challenge all who seek a badge in a format we see fit," the male trainer responded. "Even if the format is not officially recognized, if they win, we can still allow them to have the badges under the consolation rules as they haven't been phased out yet."
"However, you are only allowed to bring the three pokémon you will be challenging us with into the arena due to previous contestants cheating," the female trainer added. "The rest will have to remain with your companions in the Spectator's Room."
"…Fine by me," Gina said after a moment of consideration. The terms given, the two went ahead to prep the arena and left the challengers to sort out things on their end. Gina decided then to grill Brock on the topic of the Doubles Battle's format. "What differentiates a Doubles Battle from an ordinary one?"
"Depends on the number of participants, but typically you use two pokémon instead of one, with a focus on coordinating both towards the same goal," he simplified. "It's being put into place in lieu of the artifact rule regarding the consolation badges being phased out. Gyms were made to be aware of it and the rulings in advance."
"So, for people who can barely handle one-on-one it would complicate things because they'd run the risk of friendly fire and have trouble managing two of their pokémon. But for the Gym Leaders who had knowledge in advance and often work with their teams it would allow them to coordinate appropriately. They probably think that'll be enough to put me in my place, but they're going to be in for a surprise."
Her hands brushed over her six balls before she took half of them off her belt. Then she held them out to Brock. "I'll use Nidorina, Wartortle, and Raticate since they're my most experienced. Take care of Kadabra, Eevee, and Fearow for me?"
He nodded and collected them. "Something about this bothers me though. Keep up your guard."
"What about you, Ash?" Misty asked him. "This Gym Leader is supposed to use Ground-Type Pokémon primarily, but it's an Eighth Badge challenge and substitutes might not follow that logic."
That left him to consider his own choices. "Charizard and Haunter wouldn't be the best options given their typing, so I'll go with Pidgeotto, Squirtle, and Pikachu."
"You're not taking Kingler instead of Pikachu?"
Ash shook his head. "Pikachu hasn't had a chance to participate in a Gym Battle for a while, and it's not like we're always going to be able to rely on Type Advantage. Plus, Kingler's size and primary moves don't mesh well with group battles, and he doesn't have as much experience working with others outside of Cinnabar. Pikachu has been with us since the beginning though and knows all of our pokémon and how they fight, so he can adapt to whoever Gina sends out. Right, buddy?"
The Electric Mouse Pokémon nodded. "Pi-pikachu!"
That decided and his remaining team given to Misty, she and Brock made their way to the Spectator's Room. That left the Pallet Town pair waiting for the sign above the entrance to come to life, showing that the preparations had been made and the arena was ready for the challengers to enter. The moment it did Gina took the first step forward to get ahead of him as they made their way to the battlefield, and Ash noticed the hastiness in her steps compared to normal.
The arena this time was close in design to the ones that could be seen on television during the previous Indigo Conferences. The field was divided into two sides with the boundary of the arena outlined, and the ground inside of it was compressed artificial soil, likely to appeal to Ground-Type Pokémon. At both ends of the field were Trainer Boxes, elevated platforms almost a story above the ground that allowed them to look down over the battle, with the Gym Trainer pair already standing in the red box on the opposite side of the field.
There was no referee visible.
"Now, let's see if you're all bark and no bite," the female trainer said to the challenging pair upon their entry. "Step into the boundaries within the Challenger's Box and we'll get started."
Ash and Gina climbed to the top of the Challenger's Box where they found outlines in white where they were expected to stand. No sooner than both were in place did a pair of hidden panels open and something latched onto their legs. It looked like an ankle brace that was linked by some sort of cylindrical device, connected to a wire going into the platform.
"Hey, what gives!?" Ash kneeled to try and wrench himself free while Gina tried to do the same, only for them both to fail. "What is this?"
That was when the speakers crackled to life. "Youse twerps are caught like Rattata in a trap now!"
Ash bristled as he recognized the voice. Then he saw the two trainers in the Gym Leader's Box throw off their disguises and reveal themselves to be Jessie and James. "Team Rocket!"
"That's right!" Jessie said, elation painting her every word. "What's more, we've gotten not just two of you little twerps, but all four."
With a snap of her fingers, one of the walls in the room lowered itself to reveal a window through which they could see Misty and Brock. The latter was trying to shoulder tackle the door while the former was trying to release one of her pokémon from the confines of its ball, only for it to shake in her grasp. The events of the S.S. Anne came to mind—a jammer to prevent the release function of the balls must be at work within the room.
"What do you nuisances want?" Gina said, scowling in the face of the sudden surprise. "I thought we'd at least seen the last of you when you ran with your tails tucked between your legs."
"It's not like we sought you out, but when opportunity knocks only fools don't answer the door," James said, pointing towards them. "Now then, let us change the terms of the match. Win, and we'll let you go free. But lose and we'll claim everything you four have, including those precious ancient pokémon."
"What are you going on about?" Ash demanded, still trying to wrench the brace free with Pikachu attempting to help.
"The ownership claims to the colony we found," Gina answered. "They're one-of-a-kind and strong enough to give us a run for our money. Exactly the kind of pokémon they'd want to poach but can't since Gramps' place is too well-secured and the habitat that's being established would be the same."
"That's right," Jessie said with a cruel smile. "We found those pokémon with our radar and it was our explosives that uncovered their hiding place, so we are the ones who should be their rightful owners."
Gina's response to that was a succulent, "Never. We're not wagering the lives of any pokémon for the sake of your petty pride."
"Ya say dat as though ya got a choice," Meowth said through the speakers. "But yer about to be in for a nasty little shock."
There was a hum that came from the ankle braces that drew eyes towards them. Then came the pain. The familiar sensation of electricity running through Ash's body, only at a strong enough voltage that it set every nerve alight. "AHHHH!"
"Pika-pi!" Pikachu inquired, only able to watch until the electricity was cut off as abruptly as it began and Ash fell back onto the ground. "Pika?"
"I'm fine." Ash rose up to his knees and shook away the floaters in his eyes. Then he noticed Gina on her hands and knees, shuddering. "Gina, are you okay?"
A strained breath escaped her mouth before she nodded. "Y-Yeah…"
"Do you understand the position you're in now?" Jessie drummed her fingers on the railing of the Gym Leader's Box. "You're in our Gym, and so you'll play by our rules. Otherwise, you can have a taste of what you've given us time and again."
"We have to play along with them for now," Gina muttered while rising to her feet. "Just until we can figure out a way to break these things. They're not getting our pokémon, no matter what…"
Ash hated the thought of playing by their rules. But until they could get free of the shock bracelets, he'd play along. "Fine. We'll beat you in a Doubles Battle."
"Den the terms are as follows," Meowth announced. "Three-on-Three with no time limits. Winners have the last conscious pokémon. Now, bring out your first pokémon!"
Team Rocket sent out their own first. The ball James tossed out contained a four-armed humanoid with bluish-grey skin that was taut from the powerful muscles that laid beneath it. A beak covered its mouth and a pair of narrowed red eyes were just beneath three bony ridges that jutted from its skull.
And as for Jessie, she tossed hers into the air only for the light to come crashing down in the form of a purple-toned armored bipedal pokémon. It boasted a long, venomous horn just over the center of its head, followed by a line of similarly shaped spines threading its way right down to its long, muscular prehensile tail. It's forward-facing eyes looked down upon them and a snarl followed.
"A Machamp and Nidoking?" Gina's voice came out just a notch higher than normal. But whatever doubt or fear was nestled within it was buried as she shook her head and then pulled out one of her three pokémon. "The Nidoking is mine, focus on a choice to deal with Machamp!"
Ash went through the three options he had while Gina tossed out Nidorina—though he suspected that she would have preferred Kadabra if that was an option. He then pulled free Pidgeotto's ball and tossed it into the air. The Poison Pin Pokémon and Bird Pokémon took their place on the ground and in the air on the challenger's side of the field. Then they noticed who their opponents were and immediately turned back to their trainers for context.
"A nasty trap by Team Rocket," Ash explained.
Gina followed up with, "For now, focus on working together to beat those two."
The pair acknowledged their orders and returned to facing down the third-stage pokémon as Nidoking flexed its claws and revealed its sharp fangs in an attempt at intimidation towards Nidorina. The latter was not only a stage beneath it and thus under-evolved, but also an herbivorous counterpart compared to it. Machamp, meanwhile, pointed a finger towards Pidgeotto in the air and then gestured towards the ground, wordlessly telling him he was going down.
Meowth then chose to announce the beginning of the match. "Well den, since both of ya got yer pokémon out, let the first match begin!"
"Nidorina, Dig!"
"Razor Wind, Pidgeotto!"
The response from both was instant as Nidorina's claws shone with an earthen hue before she plunged them into the ground beneath her, causing loose earth to spout upwards. She vanished from view, sheltered underground as she began tunneling below. At the same time, Pidgeotto beat his wings and rose even higher into the air as his flight feathers grew luminous and wove the wind beneath his wings into blades meant to be sent forth.
It was the right call from the Pallet Town pair, taking the initiative and ordering their pokémon into a position that put them out of harm's way of the two more powerful pokémon. The fact that it would also allow them to exploit the weaknesses in their opponent's typing made it doubly so. For a pair of challengers who had clawed their way to their final set of badges, it was the most logical choice—and thus predictable to the point of expectation.
"Rock Slide, Machamp!"
"Nidoking, Fissure!"
No sooner than Pidgeotto let fly blades of wind towards the Superpower Pokémon did it plow its foot into the ground, the act of which erected a large stone in front of it. Machamp then braced the earthen bulwark using its four arms, turning the solidified earth into a shield that the wind blades broke against. Then came the counterattack as the Machamp drove its fists into the stone with such force that it broke the entire thing into bits and pieces—all of which went flying towards Pidgeotto, forcing the Bird Pokémon to dive low so the pieces instead hit the reinforced ceiling and shattered into dust that blotted the lights above.
Meanwhile, the Drill Pokémon's ear twitched before it gathered power into its arm and then drove it into the ground itself. The earth erupted in a line that ran to the right, away from the direction of the hole that Nidorina had used to tunnel into the ground. The Poison Pin Pokémon burst out of the soil and into the air a mere second before the wave of sheering power cut through where she had been, halfway towards her target after circling to the right.
In a single act, both of the Pallet Town pair's pokémon had been brought back out into the open and had lost their advantage. Something Jessie and James immediately capitalized on in unison with a joint command. "Now use Strength and put them in their place!"
Earth trembled as Nidoking charged. Moving with a speed that belayed its larger stature, it rushed Nidorina midjump while rearing one of its armored arms back. Raw power accumulated within its limb and was unleashed as a powerful blow that hit her so hard that her smaller body bounced off the Challenger's Box, leaving a dent as she fell to the ground and shuddered.
At the same time, Machamp proved that despite its legs being shorter than its arms they were just as muscular. It managed to actually jump above Pidgeotto after he'd come closer to the ground to escape the Rock Slide while light wreathed its upper right fist. It then delivered a hammer blow, the force of which rocketed Pidgeotto into the ground at an angle from which he skidded off on impact and then came to a stop near Nidorina.
Those had been nasty blows. However, before Gina or Ash could call out to see if they were okay, both of their ankle bracelets hummed. Then they could only scream as an electric shock ran through both of them once again. "AHHHHHHH!"
Ash fell to his knees when the electricity stopped. As his body twitched from the lingering tendrils, he could hear Pikachu, Pidgeotto, and Nidorina making inquiring noises towards them. He managed to gather himself after a moment before he asked, "What was that for!?"
"Oh, did we forget to mention that if yer pokémon take damage, so do youse?" Meowth chimed in for all of them to hear. "It's part of the enhanced training techniques used by top agents to ensure they don't blunder too much in battle."
Ash sucked in a sharp breath and sat upright. "And what does that mean?"
"It means most likely the Viridian Gym must have always been run by Team Rocket," Gina said, loud enough for everyone to hear as she glared up at them. "There's no other way they'd be able to install something like this under a Gym Leader's nose even if they were the most incompetent one in Kanto. And considering those pokémon aren't even remotely surprised by the fact that we're being hurt when they attacked ours and they listened to those two without question, they're trained to do it."
"Maybe, maybe not." Jessie shrugged. "Not that it matters for any of you anymore. Nidoking, Sludge Bomb!"
The Drill Pokémon reared back at the command, a gurgling sound bubbling up in its throat before it let fly a ball of liquid sludge straight toward the pair. Pidgeotto beat his wings to get airborne before it could connect while Nidorina hurried out of the way to avoid getting hit. She was resistant enough to take a hit from it, but she wouldn't risk Gina getting hurt because of her and wanted to play defensively.
That was when powerful legs trampled upon the ground, kicking up dirt in the process. The Machamp was closing the distance towards them, and the moment she turned her attention in that direction it lashed out with its foot at the earthen ground for a Sand Attack. The result was a splash of soil sent flying directly into her eyes that left her squealing and blinded, at which point Machamp's powerful hands grasped her by the throat and held her aloft to strangle her senseless.
Gina decided to give it a death sentence right then and there. "Nidorina, use Toxic on it right now!"
James didn't give her the chance. "Vital Throw her right into that pesky bird!"
Machamp promptly swung Nidorina backwards before she could use the most potent poison at her disposal, causing her to miss as it chambered its arm for a powerful throw. She was then chucked straight towards the Bird Pokémon, who caught sight of her sailing towards him as he was readying to dodge—
"Pidgeotto, catch her with Gust!"
—until Ash ordered him to slow her down instead. Keen-eyed as Pidgeotto might have been, if he'd dodged then Nidorina would hit the ceiling and been really hurt. The only alternative was to lower her momentum and then catch her before she could hit.
The Bird Pokémon buffeted her with strong winds to slow her down. But the throw had been powerful enough that Poison Pin Pokémon still slammed into him hard enough they both hit the nearby pillar and bounced off. He thankfully managed to right himself before they could fall and snagged Nidorina by her stubby tail, slowly lowering her to the ground while nursing new wounds.
"AHHHHH!"
That was when new screams erupted from the Challenger's Box. Ash and Gina were once more assailed with electricity from the bracelets that left their muscles to tense up. Then they both collapsed onto the floor once the flow ceased.
"Pikapi! Pika!" called out the Electric Mouse Pokémon. "Chu?"
"This is… nothing…" Ash forced out between breaths. It might have hurt, but it wasn't something that would keep him down for long. But then he looked over and felt his chest tighten as he saw Gina clutching herself from the pain. "Gina!"
"Hahahahahaha!" Meowth's laughter came in loud and clear over the speakers as Ash reached over to try and support her. It seemed like she didn't have the same level of resilience against electricity that he did. "Aww, what's da matter? Can't handle a little shock?"
"RINA!" Nidorina shouted at the top of her lungs, grabbing their attention as she made towards the Challenger's Box. The moment her teary eyes locked onto Gina's, she pointed towards Nidoking. "NI-NIDO!"
Whatever was said, Gina seemed to understand as her expression tightened before she reached for her satchel. She pulled out a stone that had a luster Ash had seen once before on Mt. Moon. Then she tossed it out towards the Poison Pin Pokémon as hard as she could. "Take it then!"
James clearly recognized what she was attempting to do and tried to put a stop to that. "Machamp, crush it!"
The Superpower Pokémon lunged upwards to catch the Moon Stone before it could reach Nidorina. If their goal was to induce evolution, a desperate attempt to put her on even ground with their opponents, then by crushing it right in front of them that would shatter their last hope. The stone was almost in his grasp as he reached out—
"OTTO!"
—when a lance of light cut through space itself in what Ash first thought to be a Quick Attack from the Bird Pokémon, aimed straight toward the center of Machamp's broad chest. It caught the Fighting-Type before it could reach the Moon Stone and sent it crashing back down to the ground. However, that was when Ash noticed the brilliant light encompassing Pidgeotto's body wasn't that of an attack, but instead that of evolution itself.
His body swelled within the cradle of light, becoming broader and thicker as his majestic wings expanded to match. The cream-color of his underside plumage hid even larger talons than before, while the contour feathers had become an even richer and glossy brown as color bled back into the world. And his crowning plumage lengthened to the point it reached his fanned tail, bright striking colors standing out even more. The remnants of his former form scattered into motes of light as the Bird Pokémon completed his evolution within the sky.
Just in time for Nidorina to grab hold of the Moon Stone and do the same on the ground below. Her height doubled with her outline growing taller as she abandoned her hunched posture to become bipedal. Blue fur gave way to hard scales of the same hue, cladding her like armor from her plate-like forearms to her didactyl toes. Blunted spikes ran along her spine from head-to-tail, and she brandished her claws as if they were blades towards her male counterpart and snarled.
Ash couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice. "Awesome, they both evolved!"
"I wanted to wait longer to use it on her," Gina said, her voice bitter at having her hand forced. "She hadn't learned everything I planned to work her through. But being outdone in raw mass by Nidoking puts her at too much of a disadvantage, and risking the others against a Poison-Type isn't something we can afford. But if they're in the same weight class, she can put it in its place beneath her feet."
Jessie scoffed at the boast. "Nidoking, run her down with Strength!"
James added to that with, "Machamp, squash that oversized bird once and for all with Rock Slide!"
"NIDO!" Nidoking roared before cladding himself with power. It soaked into every muscle beneath its armor-like plates before he charged forward like an onrushing train.
Nidoqueen watched as the muscles empowered under the effect of Strength left each step causing the ground to tremor as he chambered a fist. The blow promised to be painful and destructive, yet she made no attempt to even dodge it. Instead, she braced herself as her body was cloaked in a light orange hue while the Strength-infused punch came rushing straight towards her head and there was a shockwave as the punch landed…
However, the fist that could blow through concrete and steel hadn't struck its intended target, that being her head. Instead, it was intercepted by her left forearm clad in armor plating before she knocked the outstretched limb away while bringing her other fist around in retaliation with a roar of her own. "NIIIIIII!"
Nidoqueen delivered an equally devastating punch to its head beautifully, the impact of which was thunderous in force. The unmitigated counterattack toppled the armored Drill Pokémon off his feet and onto the ground in a single blow. One she made sure it didn't get back up from as she stomped on the back of its head to plant the male's head into the ground and finish the job.
Meanwhile, Machamp called forth another large stone from beneath the earth. He then delivered rock-breaking blows that sent rubble flying towards Pidgeot once more. It was like buckshot this time—meant to hit all over and offer no chance of escape from the sheer number of projectiles.
Yet Pidgeot cloaked himself with a gentle light before vanishing from view. The stones instead plastered the ceiling, shattering as they speckled the surface with new holes that could have punctured flesh. Then he reappeared on the other side of the battlefield with what Ash could have only assumed was Agility, veiling himself in a sky-blue aura so brilliant that it was almost blinding.
Then all Ash could see was a shooting star. Speeding forward even faster than before, Pidgeot cut through space so quickly that only the lingering tail left in his wake marked the path he'd taken for the humans who watched from below. The shooting star struck the Superpower Pokémon and drove it right into one of the support columns hard enough that Machamp ended up half-buried within the solid stone, unmoving and down for the count.
"That's impossible!" Jessie slammed her palms onto the railing of the Gym Leader's Box as she cast a scornful gaze down at the defeated and victorious alike. "How did those two shrimps knock you both out so quickly when they're newly evolved?"
"Depending on the species and when they evolve, pokémon can instinctively learn new moves that match their new physiques," Gina said with just as much venom in her voice towards the older woman. "That's why you don't rush evolution if you don't have to, so they can prepare for it. I didn't have time to prepare Nidoqueen for everything I wanted her to learn, but that didn't mean I sat around doing nothing and expecting to coast on her raw ability."
"Tch." Clicking her teeth, Jessie recalled the Nidoking back into its ball and then pulled out another. "Let's see how long you can keep up that cheek. Go, Rhydon!"
James, likewise, recalled Machamp and instead replaced it with a new pokémon that most certainly wasn't his own. "Come out, Dodrio!"
Taking up the now empty slots on their side of the field was first and foremost a bipedal behemoth that managed to tower over the Nidoking that had been recalled off the field. It stood taller and bulkier than its predecessor, with thick limbs clad in grey keratin plates and a cream-colored abdominal plate. They formed natural armor thought to be among the strongest within Kanto and were reinforced even further with a horn on top of their snout and spikes running down the backside until it reached a long tail.
Next to it was an avian pokémon that was nearly as tall but much less bulky. It lacked wings that could be spread to take flight but possessed long legs meant for quick ground movement. Three heads sprouted from long necks, sporting long beaks and proud feather crests. And three pairs of eyes peered venomously towards the Bird Pokémon still in flight.
One Flying-Type and another Ground-Type. Ash looked closely at Pidgeot, noticing his breathing was hitched and there were shudders running along his body. Between battle damage and how evolving had likely expended a lot of his energy, he was probably running on fumes. I'd better swap him out.
"The Rhydon is mine," Gina answered the question for him as if reading his mind. "Deal with the other one."
"Come back and take a rest, Pidgeot!" Ash decided, recalling the Bird Pokémon back into his ball. He then turned his gaze over to his partner pokémon. "Pikachu, can you handle it?"
The Electric Mouse Pokémon nodded in understanding and then hopped off the Challenger's Box, landing on the battlefield. He then rushed out as Nidoqueen was pulled back and the other Starter Pokémon of the Pallet Town pair was called out. The Turtle Pokémon emerged next to Pikachu, finding herself staring up at a much larger opponent with Team Rocket lurking beyond, and then let out a confused sound. Pikachu responded quickly with a series of short, quick noises that Ash assumed explained the situation.
Wartortle immediately looked back at that towards Gina, passing on an inquiry to her beloved trainer. "Warr?"
"Don't worry about me," Gina told her. "Focus on that Rhydon. We've faced one before but considering it's been trained by a Gym Leader it's likely gone through resistance training. Stay sharp."
Meowth chose then to call for the start of the second match through the speakers. "If yer done with da pep talk, den let the second match begin!"
Ash took the initiative. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
"PIKKAA!" Yellow sparks erupted from the crimson cheek pouches of the Electric Mouse Pokémon. They lanced forward in serpentine motions, weaving together into a thick crackling bolt that filled the air with ozone. The powerful Thunderbolt speared straight towards the Dodrio, whose three sets of eyes watched the impending attack approaching them…
Yet they made no attempt to dodge. There was no need as the writhing bolt of electricity curved away from its intended target. The guiding current was instead drawn towards the bipedal mass of stone and muscle and the bolt struck its proud horn, lingering there while Ash and Pikachu were both left speechless.
"It must have an Ability called Lightning Rod," Gina said, pulling Ash's attention over towards her. She had her Pokédex out and pointed towards Rhydon. "That horn will pull any electric attacks towards Rhydon and strengthen its ability to discharge it as well!"
"That's right," Jessie called out, pointing towards Wartortle. "Give them a taste of a real Thunderbolt, Rhydon!"
The horn began to spiral at the command. But rather than acting like a drill, it instead acted as a power generator. The rotation generated a bluish electrical charge that mingled with the yellow from Pikachu's attack as Rhydon aimed its horn towards the Turtle Pokémon.
Then lightning surged straight towards Wartortle faster than she could react while surprised by the fact it knew such an attack. Her fur was illuminated by the onrushing electricity as it crossed the distance and made contact—if not for the yellow blur that intercepted it.
Leaping in front of her while generating a current through his body and planting his tail, Pikachu took the hit and directed the electricity into the ground as he'd done against Lt. Surge's Raichu. The earth around them erupted outwards from the sheer power of the discharge, blackening and upturning it with thunderous force. The pair were blown apart from each other as a result.
Pikachu managed to land on his forepaws several feet away. He used them to regain his balance on all fours, only for his ears to perk up in alarm before he immediately scurried away. Instinct was all that saved him as a trio of razor-sharp beaks gouged out the earth beneath where he'd been standing.
The Dodrio had closed the distance the moment it saw an opening when they were split apart. Using swift strides to move through the dirt cloud, it got close enough to tear its prey apart with its sharp beaks. The mouse had barely managed to escape before they could hit the mark thanks to battle-honed instinct, but now it was close enough to continue the assault.
The Triple Bird Pokémon closed in to attack once more with deceptively fast strides, leaving Pikachu on the run as the earth left in his wake was torn apart by what could only be Fury Attack. The three heads were acting in unison, unleashing synchronized attacks from different angles with their long necks. It left so little of a gap to escape that a single misstep could result in him being run-through judging by how each impact cast plumes of dirt clouds into the air on each miss.
"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Ash ordered loud enough that his lungs shook from the force of the command to be heard over the attacks. There was no verbal response. Instead, there was a yellow blur shooting from the dirt cloud at the rim of their end of the battlefield as Pikachu retreated with a risky backwards lunge.
Then a familiar shroud of power cladded the Electric Mouse Pokémon before he turned into white streak that shot right back into the heart of the dirt veil. The result became visible as the air shook from the force of the impact, knocking away the floating dirt to reveal he'd stricken right in the center of their torso. The three heads hung midstride with their beaks open before they went rocketing into one of the columns—but it wasn't enough to put them down. "Again!"
"Don't let that rodent get away with knocking you around," James barked at the Triple Bird Pokémon as light swaddled Pikachu's limbs, preparing to deliver another critical blow. "Agility!"
The white missile launched a second time only for the avian to vanish from view as Pikachu slammed into the column, leaving it cracked under the second impact. The Electric Mouse Pokémon then landed on the ground, using the power still clinging to his paws for another burst. That allowed him to escape with only a grazing blow as the three heads converged once more to pierce him in a full pincer attack.
But that grazing blow had been enough. His hindleg buckled on the landing as it cost him his closing step, the most rudimentary lesson he'd been taught when it came to using Quick Attack by catching the ground. He stumbled and was left vulnerable as the Triple Bird Pokémon reappeared and the three heads moved to deliver a killing blow—
"FREEZE THAT BIRD!"
—Gina's voice was followed by a frigid beam of snow-white and artic-blue frost that streaked toward the Triple Bird Pokémon. It jerked clumsily out of the way as one of the three heads spotted it coming and forcibly moved the collective. That allowed them to narrowly dodge as the ground where it stood blossomed into a jagged, frozen stalagmite of dirt.
Ash breathed out a breath of relief as Pikachu got back to his feet. Gina and Wartortle had been keeping themselves aware of the battlefield and acted to repay the earlier save from Thunderbolt. But it came at a cost.
A pained cry rang across from the battlefield as Wartortle collapsed onto the ground, shuddering as electric streamers danced over her body. Protecting them had meant leaving herself open, something Rhydon didn't let go to waste considering the spiraling horn was still spinning as sparks danced across it. And that meant…
"AHHHHHH!" Gina screamed next as electricity from the ankle brace shot into her body. In almost a cruel reflection she ended up collapsed on the ground just like her partner, both shuddering as the pain one felt was soon shared by the other.
Ash reached out towards her, only to be buffed as she knocked his hand away with her trembling arm. "Gina?"
"…Take… the opening… we make…" Gina muttered between breaths as she forced her head towards the battlefield, eyes completely devoid of mercy when she spotted Rhydon getting ready to deliver another Thunderbolt towards her first pokémon. "Aim towards Rhydon's head this time!"
Wartortle sent out a lancing ray of condensed cold in response. It cut through the air and left mist in its wake as it slammed into Rhyhorn's snout, hitting before it could finish generating a big enough charge to put her down. The ice blossomed and then built on itself, encasing the Drill Pokémon's head—cutting off its ability to breathe.
Suffocation elicited an immediate primal response. The Rhydon tried to bring its arms around and shatter the ice, but Wartortle kept pouring it on of her own volition until it encased the Drill Pokémon in a block of ice. It wouldn't last long, maybe ten seconds at best, but that was more than enough time.
"Now, use Bubble!" Gina ordered. "Spread it over the battlefield to a level just above your head! Then focus on evolving so you can have the strength to get through its hide!"
The Turtle Pokémon cut the ice, swelled her cheeks, and then spat out a battery of floating bubbles just like she had in the underground cavern. They spread out quickly and saturated the battlefield. It was a meaningless act against a frozen Rhydon that didn't need to move to fire off Thunderbolts.
But that was never the point. The fact that it spread over the battlefield also meant it covered the other combatant's space as well. Pikachu was just as short as Wartortle, meaning that he didn't have to worry about running into them as they hovered at just over head-level height.
The same couldn't be said for the Triple Bird Pokémon, who'd gone back to chasing Pikachu down. Those long legs compensated for its lack of wings and granted it a natural gait that could eclipse even its air-bound counterparts. But they also made it much taller and left the bird battering and bursting the dense bubbles with each motion—not only leaving the feathers coating its main body soaked but also slowing it down from the density.
Ash didn't let the promised opening go to waste. "Pikachu, cling to Dodrio and electrify its muscles!"
The Electric Mouse Pokémon sprung forward, slipping between the legs of the Triple Bird Pokémon as he avoided another triple-pronged attack from the trio. Then, before they could turn around, he leaped onto its back and clung to its wet plumage with his electric pouches buried right against them. Electricity followed, surging over their bodies and into the muscles below rather than through the air where it could be drawn away into Rhydon's horn, giving them quite the shock.
"Don't sit there and let it Nuzzle you!" James shouted. "Shake it off!"
Dodrio began to jerk wildly to shake him off, but the damage had been done by the time they had managed to get him to release his hold. The electrical surge wasn't large enough to do substantial damage, but the proximity and water lowering its already minimal electrical resistance meant that the snaking bolts had no trouble seeping down past its protective outer layer of plumage. They went right into the muscles to induce paralysis—robbing it of its speed entirely.
Not that the Pallet Town pair or their pokémon had time to savor the turnaround when the sound of ice shattering brought their attention back to Rhydon. The Drill Pokémon had broken free of the icy coffin imprisoning it, gasping for air with maddened eyes. Then its gaze fixed onto the immobile Wartortle, whose focus was on reaching deep inside for the evolution that she had put off for a time, and its drill began spinning even faster than before to generate not a Thunderbolt—but a full-blown Thunder judging from how lightning crackled in the air around it.
"Pikachu!" The Electric Mouse Pokémon was already on it even before Ash called out for him to deal with it. The familiar build-up of light within his paws to launch a Quick Attack was evident as the charge from Rhydon finished. But rather than drive himself forward to intercept it with his body, Pikachu jettisoned right into Dodrio's paralyzed body and pushed it along instead.
The Triple Bird Pokémon was sent right into the path of the Thunder. Three voices shrieked as one as they soaked the attack meant for Wartortle, leaving them collapsing into a twitching pile of scorched feathers with the cloying scent of ozone. One threat had been removed just in time for Wartortle to reach what she was searching for as her body was encased in light.
The Turtle Pokémon swelled to an even greater size and mass than before, filling her form out drastically until she was only a head shorter than that of her opponent with her newfound bulk supported by broad toes. Her arms and legs likewise now boasted powerful muscles, nestled beneath segmented body plates that reinforced her defenses on all fronts. And her shell had expanded to its maximum, now sporting two cannons that jutted out from upraised segments just above her shoulders.
Sacrificing nimble speed for her defense, the newborn Shellfish Pokémon let loose powerful spouts of water from the channels of her newfound armaments for the first time with a battle cry. "BLASTOISE!"
"Good girl," Gina said, letting out a heavy breath. "Even if Rhydon has undergone resistance training to build up its tolerance to Water-Type attacks, it won't be able to just shrug them off from you anymore. Now let's put it in its place!"
"Pikachu, stay close," Ash chimed in. "Protect her from any more electric attacks!"
"Then we won't use electrical attacks!" Jessie snarled. "Rhydon, stop playing around and crush them with Stone Edge!"
"DON!" Bellowing at the top of its lungs, Rhydon's fist was clad in a grey shroud before it slammed the massive appendage into the ground at its feet. Then stones began to jut out of the earth, jagged and vicious-looking spikes that ran forward at a deceptively fast speed in a line towards the pair.
"Blastoise, toss Pikachu back over to us and use Withdraw!" The Shellfish Pokémon grabbed the Electric Mouse Pokémon by the tail on Gina's command and immediately sent him skywards before ducking into her shell. It was just in time as the line of stone reached her and the earth around her violently exploded into a thick, choking dust cloud.
The force of the attack, of the earth being compressed and moved beneath the surface before jutting out, was so great that it shook the Challenger's Box. Ash almost fell over if not for getting his footing stable just in time to catch Pikachu, who had been thrown to safety by his doubles partner. And it had been the right call on Gina's part as the dust cleared to show the state of the battlefield left in the wake of that attack.
Dozens of jagged stone spikes had erupted from below the ground like the jaws of some great beast, snapping shut to crush everything inside. Blastoise had become too slow to evade them and was lodged between them all, surrounded by broken stone from where the tips had failed to punch through the stalwart defense that was her luminous, reinforced shell. She unfurled her powerful limbs and shattered those aside as she stood astride the remains, her battered body cloaked in a cerulean shroud that rose off her like steam. "TOISE!"
Gina gave the order for the Drill Pokémon's execution right then. "Take it out with Hydro Pump while Torrent's active!"
Blastoise fell onto all fours, digging her broad claws and toes into the earth for purchase as the cannons on her back adjusted. She then fired out two spouts of pressurized water with such force that her newfound bulk still slid despite her bracing for the initial recoil of the blasts. The streams came out tight and conjoined as they slammed into the Drill Pokémon that was too slow to avoid the retaliatory strike.
The recoil alone had been enough to drive back the one who fired the shots, so the Drill Pokémon on the receiving end was sent careening straight into the Gym Leader's Box. It crashed into the solid surface hard enough that the entire thing shook and threatened to collapse, only stopping short as Rhydon ended up cratered at the base of the platform. It was also unmoving as the water petered out, leaving only a soaked trail and an unconscious body left behind.
"And that's two-for-two." Gina's tone carried exhaustion and relief as she looked upon her Starter Pokémon whose Ability petered out. Ash assumed it worked similarly to how Charizard's had back when they had to face Erika. That meant she had been beaten up worse than she looked by that Stone Edge, which was likely why Gina immediately called Blastoise back into her ball before addressing the pair of thieves. "Hurry up and call out your next pokémon so we can get this farce over with!"
"You're not the one in charge here, twerp!" Jessie's tone was pure venom at this point as she returned the Rhydon into its ball and she tossed out another in its place. Light burst forth and took the shape of a massive shell turned sideways, sitting upright with six sharp protrusions sticking out. Beneath that outer shell layer was a second one that was more compact, a single sharp horn sticking out from inside. It unfurled the inner shell just enough to make out a back sphere with eyes and a mouth.
"Pikachu, you still good to go?" Ash asked, receiving a nod before the Electric Mouse Pokémon climbed over the broken stones left in the wake of the previous battle and bound back out towards the center of the field. "We'll deal with that one, Gina!"
"And Marowak will deal with you!" James said, throwing in his last Gym borrowed pokémon after retrieving the Triple Bird Pokémon. The emerging pokémon was bipedal, its body the hue of sand with a cream-colored belly. In its hands was a massive bone that it wielded like a club, while on its head was an external skull that had now become part of its body.
"Raticate, come out!" Gina called out last, tossing the Mouse Pokémon onto the field. No sooner than she had materialized did her whiskers twitch and she turned back towards them. "I'll explain later. Just do what I order without hesitation for now."
The Mouse Pokémon gave a nod in confirmation and devoted herself to absolute obedience. "Rata."
"Youse guys better not get shown up by a couple of rats or I'll hang ya out to dry," Meowth warned the other two through the speakers. The thought of losing to prey was clearly an affront to his feline pride. "Start the match!"
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered, taking the initiative again. Once more yellow streamers of electricity came from the Electric Mouse Pokémon's cheeks before they discharged straight towards the Cloyster… only for the bolt to immediately get drawn towards the bone that the Marowak wielded. "Oh, come on! Again!?"
"We selected these pokémon just for you, twerp!" James boasted proudly. "Now, Bonemerang!"
No sooner than the proclamation was made did the Marowak clad its weapon with an earthen shroud of energy, imbuing it with the very typing that opposed Electric-Types, and tossed its weapon straight towards Pikachu. It wasn't a javelin-like throw, but instead a throw that left the club to spin around rapidly in a way that would add devastating rotation. Pikachu narrowly avoided it by leaping to the side as the rapidly spinning bludgeon tore a gouge out of the ground in passing—
"SPIKE CANNON!"
—only for Jessie to have the Bivalve Pokémon open fire as the horn protruding proudly from its inner shell proceeded to let loose a barrage of spike-shaped projectiles in their direction. The javelins threatened to skewer the Electric Mouse Pokémon if he didn't focus on dodging, which is why Pikachu failed to see the ambush that was being set up as the spinning bone came back around to hit him from behind.
But Raticate had. The Mouse Pokémon immediately put herself and him between the oncoming projectile and created a protective field that Ash recognized as Protect to take the hit in his place. The bone itself bounced off and went back into the waiting grasp of Marowak, whose gaze narrowed on her.
"Raticate, leave Pikachu to finish off that overgrown clam," Gina ordered. "I want that Marowak out of this fight in the next thirty seconds. Show no mercy!"
Raticate silently exploded into a burst of movement at the command. Her mastery of Quick Attack made the motion seamless as the soil she had been standing on scattered. She became running light, a white spear that devoured the space between the two points faster than it could react.
Marowak's body buckled as Raticate slammed into the cream-colored underbelly of the Bone Keeper Pokémon, skidding backwards from the force of the blow. However, it slowed itself using its weapon to dig into the ground and then threw the Thick Club like a boomerang again. This time it was aimed towards the Mouse Pokémon as she finished rebounding out of the air.
It struck home, only for her entire body to unravel as a mischief of duplicate Raticate appeared out of nowhere—Double Team at work. Four of them then began shrouding themselves in white light. Then, in unison, all but the last launched themselves back into the fray with Quick Attack.
The Bone Keeper Pokémon clad its returned bone in earthen energy again and used Bone Club this time, sweeping out and covering a wide arc that intercepted the clones converging onto it. Each one unraveled on impact, only leaving the real one in the distance. Marowak then threw its weapon towards the real Raticate with enough speed and force that it was akin to a buzzsaw. "WAK!"
The Bonemerang tore through the upper half of Raticate's standing body once more, revealing her true form beneath the clone of her overlapping Double Team copy. She had been building up what appeared to be a thin layer of energy over her body for another Quick Attack the entire time. However, it didn't seem to be enough for a strong or concurrent use that she preferred.
Or so Ash thought as she let out a sharp battle cry before there was a thunderous crack.
A rush of air followed the ear-rending sound of metal crunching, drawing his gaze towards the Gym Leader's Box. The structure had already been damaged throughout the fight, given collateral damage was the least of their concerns. But now it had been completely demolished as the upper-half of the platform buckled inwards around the impact zone where Marowak's body now lay embedded.
Oh, and Team Rocket fell over the edge and hit the ground.
As for Raticate, she now stood where Marowak had been previously. The Mouse Pokémon was panting fiercely with her narrowed gaze fixed on the Bone Keeper Pokémon until her ears twitched. Then she wheeled around and caught the Thick Club that was coming back the way it was thrown within her fangs.
Gina had nothing but praise for the performance. "Less than thirty seconds. Good job."
Ash had questions about what he had—or rather hadn't—seen. It couldn't have been Quick Attack. Having made prominent use of it since their time against Lt. Surge months ago, Ash had become familiar with how that attack operated. It converted raw energy into propulsion, with the trail of light being left behind as a byproduct of its release. Raticate left no such thing in her wake as she vanished from view, meaning it was something new.
"TAKE OUT THAT OVERGROWN RAT!" Jessie demanded of Cloyster as she sat up from where she'd fallen atop her partner in crime. "NOW!"
The oversized mollusk shook itself out of its own surprise when the command went through and proceeded to point its luminous horn toward the Mouse Pokémon before she could finish catching her breath. Even so she still managed to split herself into copies using Double Team, creating multiple targets to go for instead of one. It let fly a barrage of harpoon-like spikes that tore through her clones until only the original was remaining—at which point the Bivalve Pokémon's horn then shone with colors that spanned the spectrum of a prism as it opted for a more reliable attack to ensure she couldn't evade.
"Protect!" Gina's orders were carried out as the Aurora Beam speared straight for Raticate, instead slamming into the protective barrier and freezing it over rather than encasing the Mouse Pokémon herself in a dense layer of ice. "Ash—"
He was already on it. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
The crackle of electricity that followed turned the Bivalve Pokémon attention over towards Pikachu as his cheeks generated countless streamers. Reactively, it moved to close its external shell to protect itself when there was the sound of shattering ice before a blur passed by. And left in its wake something that wedged itself firmly between the two closing halves of Cloyster's shell.
It was Marowak's Thick Club—left behind by Raticate in passing as she used Quick Attack to break through the shell of ice left over. Though Cloyster boasted one of the strongest defenses in Kanto, that meant nothing if its softer body was left exposed. And with that wedge in place, nothing was stopping Pikachu from unleashing the full power of his attack.
"PIKA!" Lightning was woven together from innumerable electrical streamers, forming a single dense lance that left the air rich with the scent of ozone. It arched straight toward the exposed soft body of the Bivalve Pokémon and slammed into it. Relentless shocks tore it apart from the inside out until it was left steaming and unconscious.
"And that's three-for-three!" Ash said proudly. "We won!"
"Not again!" Jessie trembled with unhidden rage as she clutched the ball of the beaten Cloyster after recalling its unconscious body back into it. "I refuse to accept this!"
It was James who settled her down, placing a hand on her shoulder as he recalled Marowak. "Now, now, there's no need to be upset. After all, we might have lost the match, but we've won the prize."
Gina scoffed. "Oh yeah. And what's that?"
"You four," he said smugly. "I imagine that the Pewter and Cerulean City Gyms would do anything to get their beloved brother and sister back. And that old codger you call a professor does have access to so many pokémon that I imagine he'll be willing to part with to get his granddaughter and her twerp back."
The implication barely had time to settle into Ash's mind before the hum of the bracelet reached his ears. Then came the pain once more as electricity surged from it, running up from his leg and into the rest of his body. He couldn't help but cry out in pain as his body locked up and every nerve was set alight. "AAAGGGHHHH!"
"PIKAPI!" Ash heard Pikachu calling for him after he fell over on the floor of the Challenger's Box near the edge of the railing. He fought the aches in his body, used his arms to support himself, and looked past the railing to see both him and Raticate making their way over to them. But before they could reach Arbok and Weezing appeared to stop them in a flash of light, leaving both to bristle as sparks crackled and fangs shone in anticipation of a fight. "PIKA!"
"Not so fast," Meowth's announced through the speakers. "I still ain't turned up the juice nearly as high as I can. You rats take another step or make an attack, and I'll show yer trainers what real pain is instead of small shocks until now! One of 'em already looks to be about to keel over as is."
The prompt sent a chill down Ash's spine before he turned to see that Gina was doubled over, biting down on her lower lip while her forehead was pressed against the hard floor. It looked as though she was doing everything in her power not to cry out. But the tears escaping from her eyes made it clear she really couldn't take another shock like that. "PIKACHU, STAND DOWN!"
Pikachu forcibly relaxed his posture, letting his ears droop and ceasing the sparks. "Piiii…."
Much to Team Rocket's delight. "That's it. Just be good little hostages from now on. After all, prominent pipsqueaks and powerful pokémon such as yourselves are far too valuable to simply fry. It would be such a waste."
What do I do? Ash's mind turned over as he struggled to come up with a solution to their situation. Team Rocket had two pokémon on the field and at least two more in waiting. Their own pokémon had taken damage in battle and were exhausted. And Meowth was watching them from afar with his paw on whatever trigger was turning on the electric bracelets, meaning he couldn't make any reckless actions or else Gina would get hurt worse. I can't just let them get away with this, but...
"Rati…cate…" Gina's voice came out terribly soft and hoarse from pain. So much so he barely heard it. But the Mouse Pokémon did, considering how her whiskers twitched before she craned an ear in her trainer's direction. "Break the… window… and free… Ash…"
Raticate went rigid at the order. Rightfully so considering that it meant sacrificing herself. But then he noticed the slight shift in her fur and how she had angled one of her feet in the direction of the mirror. She was going to do it!
"DON'T—" Faster than he could get the words out Raticate's fangs glowed with a fierce light while a softer tone shrouded her feet. In an instant she rocketed towards the window that had Brock and Misty on the other side and slammed into it with a Hyper Fang backed by her Quick Attack, allowing her to plow through the resilient glass and shatter it. Then she moved again, just as quickly bounding up the side of the Challenger's Box as their ankle bracelets hummed in warning.
There was no hesitation on Raticate's part. Not a second of it as the Mouse Pokémon bared her glowing fangs against the ankle bracelet on his leg and drove them in, ripping it to pieces with such force that Ash buckled under the sudden act before the hum of electricity gave way to a massive jolt that even he wouldn't have been able to shrug off easily—
"AAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
—but even with her speed there were limits. Gina screamed at the top of her lungs by the time that Raticate whirled around and moved for the one on Gina's ankle, only for there to be a loud crackle and a violent flash as the electricity discharged wildly during her attempt. The current went through both Gina and Raticate's bodies, leaving them both shrouded in electricity and shrieking over the sound of Pikachu cutting loose onto Team Rocket now that nothing was stopping him from attacking them.
Yet even as a new battle started taking place, Ash was focused on the pair next to him. He tried to reach for the Mouse Pokémon but received a painful shock as her entire body crackled with vicious electrical streamers that ran throughout her small frame. It was enough that it left him collapsing onto his back.
He couldn't do anything but watch as Raticate bore with it, putting everything on the line to rip the ankle brace to pieces before it was too late. She succeeded at the very end, tearing it loose with a final wrench that left the broken and sparking remains within her fangs. She then spat it out to the side as it stopped sparking… only to collapse to the ground right in front of Gina's prone and shuddering body.
Ash crouched down to check on the pair, only for his breathing to hitch as he looked over Raticate. Her body was scorched. Ravaged by the electrical torture and the lingering aftershocks. But while feeling for a pulse he realized the one muscle that should have been moving wasn't. Her heart's not beating!
He forced himself not to look down as he made sure Gina was okay once the realization crossed her face, leaving her struggling to reach over and put a hand on top of her fur. It was a distraction he couldn't afford as he combed through the hours of knowledge that he gained studying electricity and electrical pokémon since the Vermillion Gym, included what happened in a worst-case scenario during a battle. If they put her back into her ball and set it into an inactive state then she'd enter stasis, hopefully giving them just enough time to get her to Nurse Joy to see if they could resuscitate her.
It was then that Gina truly broke down for what had to be the first time that he'd heard in his life. She let out a cry with a voice that was raw with sorrow and anger. One that rang out not in his ears, but in the confines of his mind as well.
The next thing Ash knew he was sent flying as her entire body began to seethe in a cerulean hue and screams rang out from across the Viridian Gym...