Chapter Five - Impact
Surprisingly enough, it didn't take all that much longer for the crowd to disperse and the trainers to begin filing back into the gym. I waited patiently, and soon after the same man I was talking to outside came up to me with a somewhat dejected look on his face.
"Well, bad news, good news, and more bad news. The bad news is that Mr. Wattson is currently being hospitalized. He's been overworking himself these last couple of months and it's really taken its toll, he is getting on in years at this point. The good news - at least for you - is that the gym is still currently operational, and we'll be back open for business here within the next thirty minutes or so for someone to take on your challenge. The other bad news is that I know there are some people and trainers look down on people who earn their badge through a battle with someone other than the primary gym leader. It's your call, we're here to help you if you're still up for it; if you were to battle today you would most likely be battling me for the badge in Wattson's stead."
I paused a moment, taking in this new information. I mean truthfully there's no other option - if I want to make it to Unova this would be the most effective strategy, even if I was somewhat looking forward to a battle with Wattson today. He's the foremost expert on Electric types in Hoenn, he's run his gym steadily for decades at this point. I look back to the young man curiously.
"I recognize there's people out there that would see my badge as lesser than theirs if I earned it this way, but truth be told I couldn't care less. Purely from a legal and official standpoint, would it affect me negatively in any way? I have semi-urgent plans to travel out of Hoenn, and I need the record on my trainer card that I'm capable of handling myself. The last thing I want would be to be caught up in a bureaucratic red tape nightmare when I'm in somewhat of a hurry like this. If I battled you here today, would my Dynamo Badge be effectively identical for that purpose as if I battled Wattson himself?"
He nodded, an interested expression on his face.
"Oh no, it would be the exact same badge, no differences as far as that's concerned. It would be official so that in the worst-case scenario of Wattson needing to retire, those badges issued in the interim would still count towards a League registration. Where are you headed, if you don't mind my asking?"
"I'm going to Unova!" I said with a smile. "I'm somewhat of an amateur archeologist, Dr. Georgio across town is giving me his assistance with helping me make contacts over there. The exact details are hush-hush right now, but if everything goes to plan, I've got something exciting to look forward to."
He came over and shook my hand, gesturing towards the main battle arena.
"In that case, my name is Joules, and I eagerly await your challenge. How many badges do you have, by the way? So I can balance my team correctly. This would usually already be in the system, but clearly today's circumstances are extenuating."
"Well, I hate to say so, but this is actually my first real badge. I've battled gym leaders before, but they weren't official challenges, and so I didn't earn anything out of them except the experience."
There's no need to tell him all the details. It's not like I need to share any more than that, there's no point in giving people clues to my sordid past. Most people tend to react poorly to the news that you were a criminal once upon a time.
"Understood! I'm looking forward to it, I'll know better than to go easy on you then. I'll battle with my zero badges team, but don't expect me to just hand it over."
He had a laugh at that and gestured for me to follow him to the arena. The battlefield itself was fairly standard, if a little flashier than the ones I've seen before. It has the usual dirt arena floor, but there are also racks of spotlights lining the ceiling, walls of electronic displays showing video feeds of other battles going on in the gym or replays of famous league championship battles, even a surround sound system playing an energetic house music track in the background. Really living up to their reputation here. He shows me which side of the field I'll be on, before smiling apologetically.
"Like I said a little bit ago, we've got some more things to take care of here at the gym before we can actually battle, but please feel free to get yourself accustomed to the arena and I'll be with you as soon as I can."
I nodded in understanding and watched him as he jogged off to take care of the rest of his paperwork. I called out Saul and set Toothpick down to give them a bit of a pep talk.
"Alright boys! This is our time to shine. This is where we'll be fighting today, and if we win here we're halfway to setting off to our destination. Saul, I know this is your first gym challenge, and it's definitely been a while for us Toothpick, so it might take a little time to get used to the pressure, but I know for a fact we're completely capable of taking the win today. If you need to, go look around the arena and get your bearings, it shouldn't be much longer before it's our turn to get started."
At that, Toothpick scrambled off to run around and explore. He's so excited. I think he missed having an audience like this. Saul on the other hand just sat there and looked at me. I still can't tell what he's thinking, but judging by the way he handled that Snubbull earlier we've got absolutely nothing to worry about. I hefted him up and carried him around, following Toothpick at a distance. Right now, the only thing I'm worried about is the sound system; if it's too loud it might be tough for them to hear me call out to them. I'll talk to Joules about that when I see him.
And speak of the devil, here he comes.
"Alright! Sorry about that, you know how paperwork is, sometimes it's even tougher than the battle itself. You ready to get it started?"
I grinned, maybe a little too cocky for my own good.
"Absolutely. I did want to ask though, is there any chance we could turn the music down? It would really be a pain if our Pokémon couldn't hear us directing them."
He laughed, shaking his head.
"Sorry dude, no can do, it's the same treatment for you as it is for everyone. You don't have to worry about them hearing you though, we've got a workaround."
He hands me a headset and points to the one he's already wearing. Oh, great. I don't want to be on a mic. I hate the sound of my own voice, but I guess that's how everyone has to do it here. Hopefully this won't be an issue in Slateport. I give him a thumbs up and head off to my end of the field, recalling Saul and calling for Toothpick, making sure they know it's showtime.
In just a couple of minutes, I'm in my trainer podium watching Joules from across the battlefield. He turns his mic on and starts his battle introduction.
"Alright! My name is Joules, interim leader of the Mauville City Gym, and today's match is for the Dynamo Badge! I will be using two Pokémon, the challenger may use up to six, and when either trainer has no Pokémon left that are able to battle the match will be over! Are you ready?"
I flick my microphone on, bracing myself for it to sound incredibly embarrassing, but thankfully it's not nearly as bad as I was expecting.
"Yes! Ready to go!"
The automated referee system starts its countdown, and I grab Saul's pokéball, excited to show off our skills. The clock hits zero, and it's time to go.
"Saul, you're up!"
"Shinx, it's showtime!"
Aha! I know Shinx. Saul was a good choice here. The little blue feline appears on the field with a roar, excited to be here, and tries to growl and snarl at Saul to spook him, but thankfully he seems to be immune to that sort of intimidation tactic.
"Shinx, take the initiative and get charged up!" Joules shouts. He seems to be the dramatic type. I can play along with that. His Pokémon takes a stable stance, yowling over the sound of the bass playing through the speakers, and its fur begins to stand on end and spark slightly. Shinx almost looks a size larger with its fur puffed up like this, and I get a bad feeling about what's coming
"Saul, protect yourself! Shinx is about to make a big move!" I direct, playing along with Joules' attitude, realizing it's actually a lot of fun being so bombastic in a venue like this. Saul gets the hint, and his smooth faces begin reflecting the various spotlights in the room due to the effect of his Iron Defense. I made the right call, as I can see Shinx getting into position to run at full speed.
"Now! Show them what you're made of! Full throttle!" He yells, and Shinx needed no additional instruction, as it begins dashing all across the arena at blinding speed. Toothpick would probably have been a little threatened by the fear of losing sight of the foe, but Saul is a stone-cold professional and doesn't even flinch. Shinx takes this opportunity to make the first move, running into Saul at full pelt, knocking him around a few times.
"While it's off balance, use a high voltage Spark attack!"
As Saul is still rolling around and trying to get reset back into position, the Shinx turns into a glowing blue blur as it channels all the electricity it had built up and slams directly into my teammate, sending Saul flying into the wall of the arena like a cannonball, leaving a substantial dent in the wall. But Saul seems to be okay. The boost in his defenses from earlier protected him from the brunt of the damage, and it looks as if Shinx is actually the one worse for wear after that attack, dazed and wobbling from a full power headbutt into something as hard as my Nacli.
"This is your chance! Saul, take hold of the arena floor and hurl it at the enemy!"
Saul's eyes glowed a bright purple that I could see from across the field, but the battlefield cameras took this opportunity to focus on him and gave him a highlight on the main field displays so Joules and I both could see him grab hunks of the ground with his ancient power and rip them out of the floor, flinging them all directly at the dazed opponent. Each one was a direct hit, four in a row, and by the end of it Shinx was bruised and bleeding from the repeated impacts. It was a serious fighter though, and clawed its way back up to continue the action.
Joules looked a little stunned at the power of Saul's last attack, but he regained his composure and got back into the battle as well.
"Shinx, get pumped up! We're not finished yet!" He shouted encouragingly, and Shinx responded in full agreement, howling loud enough that it drowned out the sound system for just a moment, and afterwards it looked as if it was ready to tear Saul a new one.
"Saul, don't give them the opening! They're almost out for the count!" I yelled in response, giving Saul the chance to do whatever he thought was best. He slowly began to roll in place, picking up momentum to finish this in one good shot.
Shinx didn't miss this, sharpening its claws against the rough ground of the arena, and within moments the two were charging at each other at a pace faster than I thought Saul would possibly be capable of. They collided at full force, Saul like a speeding bullet, Shinx with claws shrouded in a dark aura, and at the moment of impact there was a large cloud of sparks and smoke obscuring our view.
Once the air cleared, the result was obvious. There was a large gouge in the rock that Saul was comprised of, this was actually the first time I've seen him in pain like this, but Shinx was definitely worse off, and had been knocked back with the force of the impact and laid there unconscious. Joules frowned in acknowledgement, recalling his Pokémon.
"You did fantastic Shinx, but that's it for you. I'm so proud. It's all up to you, partner!" He says with determination, sending out his last Pokémon.
A bright yellow bipedal Pokémon stood on the damaged field, black marks in its fur like lightning bolts, and large fists and antennae sparking with electricity. I made eye contact with Saul, and it looked like he was determined to prove himself to me, even with all the damage he'd taken. I'm so proud of him.
"You got it, Saul! Keep it up! Harden back up, this one is tough!"
Saul glared at the opponent with a fiery spirit, and the foe let out a war cry in response. Saul set up another Iron Defense, and slowly began to start the motions of another Rollout attack without my direction.
"You know what to do, Electabuzz! Focus!"
The Electabuzz calmed itself, getting into a stance where it seemed to be building up power in its fist. It locked eyes with Saul's position and readied itself for a counterattack.
A silent tension settled over the arena, and it was at this point I noticed my match had started to catch the attention of other trainers and employees of the gym. All eyes were on the battle, and both Saul and Electabuzz were effectively standing in place waiting for the decisive moment.
The stalemate couldn't last forever, and the silence was broken with the sound of a gunshot when Saul took off from rolling in place to firing himself at the opponent faster than he'd moved all round. Electabuzz was ready for it though, and it fired off a full power Focus Punch at the point of impact.
For the second time this match, Saul found himself embedded in the wall of the arena, but sad to say, he wasn't nearly as lucky this time. A huge crack had formed in his dome, and that attack was powerful to finally knock the little powerhouse out. Electabuzz didn't get off unscathed however, and I could see from its pained face that it looked like it had completely crippled itself and shattered its fist, maybe its entire arm, by punching a rock as fast and solid as Saul was at the time. I sighed and recalled my fallen teammate.
"You were incredible, Saul. You'll definitely grow stronger from this experience. We won't let your sacrifice go in vain either. Toothpick, it's your time to shine."
He leapt from my shoulder into the arena, looking more intense than I'd seen him in a long time. Seeing his friend do such an impressive job filled him with determination. It was down to the final match. Before I got the chance to issue any instructions, Joules called out to his Electabuzz.
"Don't give it the chance! Take it down, Electabuzz!"
The yellow yeti darted for Toothpick with surprising speed, and thankfully he was completely ready for it. He leapt into the air and burrowed into the ground of the arena through one of the holes Saul had left from his Ancient Power attack earlier, and before we knew it, he was out of sight and in his element. Electabuzz watched warily for where Toothpick would resurface, but was startled by the sudden impact from below directly where he was standing. Toothpick's attack did significant damage thanks to both the type advantage and the element of surprise, and he didn't give any sort of leeway before burrowing back underground immediately after striking.
This pattern would continue a few times - burrow, surface, surprise attack, repeat, until the opponent started to catch on to the pattern. After a few repeated strikes, the Electabuzz predicted where he'd leap out from next, and used its good fist to slam Toothpick out of the air and into the solid ground with a powerful Hammer Arm. I cringed at the image of my partner being hit so hard, but I regained composure and decided to help him change tactics.
"That's enough digging! Operation: Trapinch!"
Toothpick scurried away at the command to enact one of our most well-trained strategies, and from a safer distance he roared into one of the tunnels he had dug previously. Within moments a small twister of sand and dirt emerged from each of the holes in the ground, like writhing tentacles of a sandstorm, before they all shot towards the foe.
"Dodge it Electabuzz!"
But Joules' directions were too late, and the opponent was trapped in a Sand Tomb of massive proportions, blinding it from seeing where Toothpick would leap from next and leaving it effectively helpless against surprise attacks. It tried to fight its way free, but the makeshift sandstorm was too powerful, and Toothpick didn't miss his chance.
Taking inspiration from the Shinx that came before, he took a quick moment to sharpen his teeth and claws against the rubble left in the arena, and when he was satisfied, he dove back into one of the tunnels he'd dug previously.
"Now's your chance! Finish this!" I yelled, but he was a step ahead of me. Joules told his Electabuzz to defend itself, but based on where we had it trapped there was an opening from every side and it was a sitting Ducklett waiting to be struck with Toothpick's finisher.
Toothpick came barreling out of one of the tunnels from the injured side of the Electabuzz, using the Sand Tomb for propulsion and spinning like a rifle round with jaws wide. The Electabuzz saw him coming and tried to deflect him off his trajectory, but thanks to the arm Saul had wounded earlier it flinched in pain and didn't make it in time, and Toothpick landed a devastating Crunch attack directly on the Electabuzz's face.
It wasn't long before the whirling sand died down, and Toothpick came strutting out of it, basking in the applause and cheers from the audience when everyone realized he had KO'd the opponent.
Joules smiled in defeat, and we both descended our podiums to shake the other's hand. Toothpick leapt up onto my shoulder where he belongs right as the automated referee announced my victory.
"Congratulations, Sammy. That was a fantastic battle. For this to be your first badge, you clearly have what it takes to be successful going forward, and I absolutely believe you'll make it to Unova the way you have planned. Be sure to tell Elesa I said hello when you get there, yeah?"
I grinned and agreed, before we walked off the field and back to the Leader's office. I snuck Toothpick a couple of berries on the way there, he definitely earned them. We made it to our destination quickly, and he asked for my trainer card.
"Alright! Great going. You definitely earned this Dynamo Badge. If you want I can give you an actual physical badge, but nowadays it's marked on peoples' trainer cards as a digital identification, what with all the cases of people having their badge cases stolen. It's a security measure more than anything. Are you sure this was your first badge? I think that Sandile of yours could stand a real chance in a four badge match, and give it some time and your Nacli will be a monster too."
Toothpick preened at the compliment, and I laughed in response.
"I'm sure. Toothpick here was my Ranger partner, so we've had plenty of time and experience together, but we've mostly moved on to the trainer lifestyle. I do have a handful of other Pokémon, but they're not officially registered to me and so they're living back with my family in Almia. With the Dim Sun fiasco that happened a couple of years back, I figured they needed some extra protection when I wouldn't be around."
He nodded in understanding and passed me back my trainer card, a tiny symbol of the badge imprinted with an even smaller computer chip within it. I think to myself a moment, then let him know that yeah, I actually do want a physical badge too, so he passes that over. I shake his hand, reaffirm that I'll be sure to pass on his message to Elesa, then head on my way back to the Center to get my teammates healed up. I don't think I'll bother going all the way across town this time.
By the end of the day, my team and I are fully rested and recuperating, and we decide we'll set off to Slateport first thing in the morning. I make sure to shoot Dr. Rock Smash an email with the update, and before long I've completely fallen asleep with my team in bed with me, happy about a job well done today.