𝒵
"Let's finish this, Mothim! Use Silver Wind!"
A gust of verdant wind and shining sparks filled the air, battering against the battlefield and the lone Pokémon standing upon it. A Bunnelby, with its eyes clenched shut and head lowered, struggled to keep upright. Yet, no matter how long it stood, it would fall all the same.
"Bu-bunnelby!" The feisty Pokémon tried its best to press forward— But trying was as far as it'd get. "B-bun!"
"Bunnelby!" Their trainer, a girl no older than twelve, cried out, no commands crossing her lips as she looked on in anguish. All she could do was stand and brace against the winds, before her Pokémon was sent flying back. "Oh no!"
In unceremonious fashion, Bunnelby crashed into the girl's chest, knocking her over and sending the two of them falling onto their backs. By the time they sat back up, the match had been called. It was over.
Viola let out a sigh, relaxing her shoulders before snapping back to attention.
"You did better this round! Next time, you just gotta make sure you don't lock up when the chips are down, okay sweetie?" The girl gave Viola a knowing nod, her eyes falling to the ground as she gave the words some thought. That made Viola smile. She always loved it when a young trainer listened more than they spoke. "Good. Now, go let your Pokémon rest before trying again! "
Smiling and nodding, the girl made her goodbyes, before she turned and ran out the way she came. As she did, she passed another figure, one that made Viola grin.
"There you are."
It was Serena, standing confident and proud, if a little roughed up. There were a few spots of dirt on her shoes and an old tote bag hanging on her hips. Still, she strolled into the gym with a vigor of energy just like all those days ago.
"Serena! It's been nearly a week since our last match!" Viola called out to her challenger, placing a hand on her hips as Serena came to a stop. "Nearly thought you'd given up."
"Not me, not this quick," Serena replied, an unyielding certainty in her words. She took a wide stance, and raised her head up high. "Fennekin and I have been training for this rematch— Because this time, we're going to win!"
"There you go! There's that picturesque confidence!" Viola motioned to her assistant, who tossed her camera over a moment later. With a flick of a dial, she took aim. "Let's see what you two have got in store!"
Serena grinned and pulled out a Poké ball.
"Come on out, Fennekin!"
Serena's partner arrived with the flash of Viola's camera, taking a strong stance at her trainer's side. Unlike Serena, Fennekin was spotless, with not a blemish sullying her perfect coat. It was a sight all on its own. Her most eye-catching feature, however, was the accessory tucked behind her ear— a sturdy twig. What that could be for, Viola did not know.
Still, the sight of the two of them, of Serena and Fennekin side-by-side, staring her down with the same trained self-assuredness— It was picture-perfect.
Viola put the camera down, her hands jittering just a little too much to take a clean shot.
"Let's have a great battle!"
𝒴
"Come on out, Surskit!"
Viola's ever-reliant lead arrived on the battlefield with an intensity befitting its stature. As it locked eyes with Serena, it unleashed a proud battle cry.
"A." It was terrifying.
"Yes, alright, okay—" Serena steeled herself, her hands shaking with what she couldn't parse as being excitement or utter dread. Whatever it was, it didn't matter, because— "We're doing this."
"The match between the challenger, Serena, and Gym Leader Viola will now begin! Both trainers are allowed two Pokémon. When one party's Pokémon are all unable to battle, the match will be over!" There it was, the rise of the match's starting pistol. Serena and Fennekin tensed, as they waited for the— "You may now begin!"
Bang.
"Flamethrower!"
"Dodge it!"
Almost immediately, the pace of the battle was different, with Serena taking the lead and forcing Viola to react. She wasn't going to be pushed into the backfoot, not this time.
Fennekin's flames flew across the battlefield, tight and precisely aimed. It just barely skimmed past the lightning-fast Surskit as it got out of dodge.
"Follow them Fennekin!" With a tilt of her head, Fennekin did just that, tracking Surskit while it raced and pirouetted in and out of reach.
"Hold a Signal Beam, Surskit! Fire it— Now!" Viola needed a play to regain her footing, and that move was it. The moment she ordered Surskit to attack, Fennekin's energy was beginning to falter. In that instant, Surskit's counterattack poured in.
"Fenn!?" Fennekin cried, shocked by the blow of a move she supposedly resisted. All the same, it sent her rolling back.
"Get in there, Surskit, keep up the pressure!"
"Stand up, Fennekin!" Serena bit her thumb, watching as Surskit pushed forward, encircling her partner. Her eyes flickered back and forth, waiting for something, waiting for— "An opening! Flamethrower!"
Throwing her head up, Fennekin fired, nailing Surskit as it flew by. The sustained flames quickly overwhelmed the diminutive Bug-Type and pushed it all the way back to Viola's side.
"Yes!" Serena felt her heart leap, jittering now just as much as her hands were. Another solid hit, and she didn't have to take them by surprise this time!
Watching her Surskit skid to a stop at her side, Viola smiled.
"Impressive work, Serena! You and Fennekin have improved your aim!" she commended, silently ordering her Surskit back into the fray as she did so.
"Heh, what can I say? A week of target practice does the trick!" Serena's racing heart picked up in speed, pounding faster and faster as the battle went on. Every move sent her pulse soaring, her skin tingling with energy! "We needed it to make shots like these. Flamethrower behind you, now!"
Fennekin whipped her head back, catching Surskit by surprise and slamming it with a blast of fire. The flames quickly sent her opponent skidding back against the ground.
"Don't let them push you around, Surskit! Get a grip with Sticky Web!" Another move Serena recognized, one Viola had used against Ash. Only now, Serena couldn't tell how she was using it!
"A!" Still being driven across the battlefield, Viola's Pokémon moved fast, summoning a plume of thick webbing at its antenna. Then, it fired. "Aaaaaa!"
Coating the ground at its feet with the Sticky Webs, Surskit forced itself to a stop!
"Whoa! You can use Sticky Web that way!?" Serena's astonishment overwhelmed her sense for a moment, as both she and Fennekin watched Surskit jump to its feet.
The sight of it all made Viola grin.
"Of course! Your Pokémon's moves can be just as versatile as the Pokémon themselves!" she declared, pressing forward with her arm raised. "Then again, nothing wrong with doing things the old-fashioned way! Surskit! Bind them up with Sticky Web!"
"C-Counter with Flamethrower, Fennekin!" Realizing her folly, Serena leapt back into action, commanding Fennekin to move in just the nick of time. Viola's Sticky Web was burnt to a crisp before it could touch Fennekin's pristine fur. "Can't let that attack hit— Need to keep up the pressure— Flamethrower the whole field, Fennekin!"
"Continuous Sticky— Whoa, wait, what—!?"
"Fennekin!" Quick to agree with her partner, Fennekin fired, whipping her head around and firing a continuous blast of flames in every direction. Now, no matter where Surskit fired from, its Sticky Webs would be neutralized! "Fennekin!"
—Its Sticky Webs, and anything else in a five-meter radius.
Columns of fire flew across the battlefield back and forth, as Fennekin haphazardly tried to keep her personal space, and her fur, completely clear.
"Wait it out, Surskit! Don't get hit!"
"Aa! Aa! Aa!" Even the ever-speedy Surskit struggled to keep up, however, when faced with the sheer wild swings of a pair desperate to stay clean. It juked and jetted, pirouetting past each and every stream of fire Fennekin threw in its direction, until it could dodge the inevitable no longer. "A!"
"Yes!" Catching Surskit from behind, the pair sent Viola's Pokémon flying!
"Hang on, Surskit!" As Surskit skidded to a stop at her side, Viola let out a sigh of relief. "Well, I've got to say, Serena— Your attacks are as hot as I remembered them!"
The shot of praise calmed Serena's spirit, a small grin crossing her lips as she heard it. Soon, however, that smile disappeared
"Guess it's time we turned down the heat! Surskit, use Ice Beam!"
Serena tensed, her whole body going stiff as Viola's Surskit raced forward. At its antenna was the distinct charge of crackling blue energy. This was it, the Ice Battlefield!
"We're not out of it yet, Fennekin! Flamethrower, now! Right in front of you!" In an instant, Fennekin fired, another tight beam of flames racing out to meet their opponent. Even now, however, Surskit was quick to dodge.
"A! A! A!" Leaping straight over Fennekin's attack, Surskit fired, its Ice Beam hitting the ground and instantly taking root. With a whip of its head, Surskit soon had the whole field growing a layer of frost. "Aaaaa!"
Just like that, Viola's Ice Battlefield had returned.
Surskit's speed took a sharp jump, immediately allowing the Bug-Type to run even faster circles around her Fennekin. That wasn't all— Fennekin's maneuverability quickly tanked as well. Even without firing an attack, Serena could see her slipping in place, her paws shaking underneath her in the treacherous terrain.
Hitting Surskit now would be practically impossible.
"You and Fennekin have been amazing, Serena. The ways you've pushed me, even as a beginner trainer— You two can be proud of that!" Viola's kudos were a relief at first, a bit of sugar to help the painful situation go down easily. Soon, however, her warmth became something else. A jeering tone came to her voice. "But now I think you know it's time for us to wrap this up! What can you do when your Pokémon can't even get their feet underneath them?"
The voice was a little haughty and a little mean. In a way, Serena could tell she was trying to get a rise out of her, to make her grow frustrated, make her get sloppy. Yet for Serena, it brought out a different reaction altogether.
Viola paused, when she found Serena grinning.
"Gotcha!" With a tone nearing cockiness, Serena snapped her fingers, before pointing them towards Viola. "Right where we want you! Fennekin, it's showtime!"
"Huh!?" Viola snapped to the field, finding a similarly proud Fennekin shooting her a grin. "What are you—?"
"Nekin!" Fennekin whipped her head back, tossing the twig from behind her ear straight into the air. All Viola could do was watch as Serena's Pokémon lit the kindling alight with an Ember, before consuming it in one bite. "Fenn—"
Almost immediately, the temperature began to rise.
"Fenn!" A billow of hot red cinders filled the air, pouring from Fennekin's ears.
"Fenn!" Steam, hissing and thick, rose from the ground at her feet, crackling heat flooding the battlefield around her.
"Fennekin!" With that mighty cry, a plume of fire burst from Fennekin's chest. It pushed Surskit back and cleared the field in an instant!
"Whoa!" Viola shielded herself against the wave of intense heat, before looking on at the battlefield once more.
A huge patch of bare ground surrounded Fennekin, clear of any ice and baked dry by her incredible heat. She had practically split the field in half in a way— Cool ice on Viola's side, burning cinders on Serena's.
The cinders. It took Viola a moment, but she soon realized where they were coming from— The tips of Fennekin's hair were burning a bright orange, and with every breath she took, plumes of embers billowed forth.
"Great job, Fennekin! You were perfect!" Serena steeled herself, standing tall as she faced their opponents once more. Viola was staring at the two, her face a mix of shock and amazement— actual amazement. Serena lost her cool dwelling on that thought, before she stood firm once more. "We can't lose this chance, Fennekin! Use Flamethrower!"
"Nekin!"
"Now this is a shot I didn't expect to get!" Quickly catching her bearings, Viola leapt into action as well. "Surskit, dodge!"
Her Pokémon shot to the right and raced, barely avoiding the searing flames that followed close behind. Where before the fire lagged behind Fennekin's aim, now they held right on target. Surskit had to keep moving at full speed, or else—!
"You've got them, Fennekin!" At Serena's command, Fennekin's flames crashed into Surskit, sending it flying! The torrent of fire slammed Surskit against the walls of the battlefield, before pushing it back towards Viola.
"Get out of there, Surskit!"
"Don't let them, Fennekin!"
"Fen—! Nekin!" Pulling her head back, Fennekin sent a wave of energy coursing through her flames— Cracking them like a whip. Surskit was knocked back the second it attempted to escape.
"Surskit!"
"Aaaaaaa!" With its getaway thwarted, the mighty Surskit was sent flying into the wall at Viola's side. A moment later, Fennekin's Flamethrower came to finish the job. When the smoke cleared, it was done.
"Surskit is unable to battle! The first round goes to the challenger!"
𝒴
The words echoed through Serena's mind, laying still the whole battle for a moment. Her heart raced, her hands jittered, and for a moment, her vision blurred. With a sharp breath, she steadied herself again.
Sheer excitement threatened to bowl her over, but she stood firm.
"You did it, Fennekin! You were amazing!" She shot her partner much-earned praise, getting a small smile back as they prepared for the next round. The energy in Fennekin's fur was dimming, but they weren't out of this yet. "Just one more, just one more."
Viola quietly thanked Surskit as it returned to her, giving its Poké ball a loving squeeze before stowing it away. The way she went digging through her pockets for her next member told Serena one thing: Viola hadn't expected her to get this far.
"You two have been just full of surprises— And for that, I have to congratulate you!" Viola grinned, gripping the Poké ball she found and holding it forward. "You've taken full advantage of your Pokémon's strengths in order to negate their weaknesses!"
Just like that, it was deja vu for Serena. Hearing Clemont's advice repeated back to her— She couldn't help but smile at that.
"No point in beating around the bush anymore— You two have earned my undivided effort!" Viola threw the Poké ball into the sky, calling out her next Pokémon with a proud introduction. "Take aim and take flight, Vivillon!"
With a flurry of wind and a serene call, Viola's final Pokémon arrived at the scene. The boisterous Bug-Type fluttered through the air, orbiting Serena and Fennekin as they sized up the two.
"Viiii!" What they saw seemed to impress them. They smiled and looped back to Viola's side. "Vivillon!"
"This is it, Fennekin. We just have to get through this, and that Gym Badge is ours!" Serena declared, standing tall and raising her arm forward. Fennekin echoed her call with a proud cry of her own. "Let's show them what we're made of! Use Flamethrower!"
"Don't let them touch you, Vivillon!"
"Feeeeeen!"
"Viiiiii~!"
Almost immediately, the direction of the battle turned— Fennekin fired a pillar of her powerful flames, only for Vivillon to easily dodge. Another searing attack followed it and again, Vivillon merely fluttered away. At first Serena was confused, until it struck her.
Surskit was stuck with just the ground to maneuver around, while Vivillon had the whole volume of the room to avoid their attacks!
"We can't let them just dodge forever, Fennekin! Flamethrower the whole field!"
"Blow them away with Gust!"
Another play from Serena, and another perfect counter from Viola. While Fennekin puffed up and fired a storm of fire into the sky, Vivillon swept it all away in one move. A pitched beat of their wings was all it took to blow Fennekin's flames right back into her face!
"Get—!"
"Grab them with Psychic, Vivillon!"
"Huh!?" Whipping back, Serena was shocked to find Vivillon glowing with a pinkish aura. With a chant almost like a hymn, the aura turned, leaving Vivillon's body and latching onto Fennekin's.
"Fenn!?" Held in place, Fennekin was forced to take the full brunt of her own Flamethrower! "Ne—Nekin!"
"Viiiiii!" Vivillon wasn't done either. A pitched cry marked their next move, snatching Fennekin and hoisting her into the air with their psychic energy. In an instant, Serena panicked.
"Flamethrower again, Fennekin!"
"Turn them away, Vivillon!" With every move Serena and Fennekin tried, Viola seemed to have a counter. Fennekin tried to blast her Vivillon when she was brought close, but a quick flip was all they needed to send her flames flying away, useless. "Let's lock this down, Vivillon! Stick them to the skylight!"
"What!?" Already struggling to keep up with Viola's back-to-back maneuvers, Serena was dumbfounded by that one. That was, until she noticed the glow of Vivillon's psychic energy back on the battlefield. It struck her all at once. "Surskit's Sticky Web… You're using Surskit's Sticky Web!"
"Now you're getting the picture! Do it, Vivillon!" At Viola's beck and call, Vivillon did just that. They ripped a glob of Sticky Web from the battlefield below, before slamming it into the ceiling alongside Fennekin.
In an instant she was trapped, caught in a spider's web!
"Ne— Fenne— Fennekin!" Struggling against the bindings did nothing.
"Burn it away, Fennekin!" Her flames were useless now too. They just singed the surface and made the webs harden. "Oh no… The energy from the stick ran out!"
The crackling color from Fennekin's fur had faded, leaving her panting, struggling to make a flame.
"Sounds like it's time to take the shot! Vivillon, charge up a Solar Beam, and end this in one go!" Throwing her arms out wide, Viola pantomimed the very move she commanded. Vivillon reared back while they began to build up energy.
"Vi, vi, viiiiii~!"
"This is bad, this is bad!" Vicious, roaring panic rushed through Serena's veins. It froze her in place as she tried to think of what to do— As she tried to think of anything to do. For a moment, all she could see was her partner, trapped above her, and all she could feel was her heart beating out of her chest.
Then, she felt her tote bag pressing into her side.
Anything worth doing, is worth overdoing.
If not here, then when?
"Hang on, Fennekin!" Serena wrenched her bag up, unzipping the top and rearing back all at once. Almost immediately, Viola realized she was going for something.
"Hey, what are you—?"
"Take these!" With almost all the strength her arms could muster, Serena heaved the bag into the air, launching its contents straight towards the ceiling. And what went flying up was—!
"—More sticks!?"
An entire bag-full of twigs shot into the sky, shooting past Vivillon as they flew by!
"Vi!?" Still charging their Solar Beam, Vivillon was powerless to do anything but watch, as the sticks came to a pause at the peak of their flight. They were right in front of Fennekin now.
"Fen—!" With a breath, Fennekin ignited the cloud of kindling, reducing them to cinders! "Nekin!"
And with an inhale, she absorbed the blazing flames! At that moment, the temperature in the room began to spike!
"Did she just—!" Viola stared in shock, whilst Serena stared with pitched determination.
"Now, Fennekin!"
"Fenn!" The tips of Fennekin's fur turned near white!
"Fenn!" Crackling embers poured from her ears!
"Fenn!" The webs that bound her body began to smoke, before finally—! "Fennekin!"
They burnt away!
"Launch your attack, Vivillon! Now!"
"Grab onto them, Fennekin!" No longer held up by the webs, Fennekin crashed down onto her captor, barreling them to the side with her sudden weight and overwhelming heat. Vivillon tried to fire, opening their mouth to call out the attack, but they were too slow! "Use Flamethrower!"
"Fenn! Ne! KIN!" A pillar of fire, bigger and brighter than any Fennekin had ever made, erupted from her maw! With no room to dodge, Vivillon was forced to take the attack head-on! "Nekiiiiiiiiin!"
A direct hit!
Fennekin's flames slammed into the battlefield, the sheer thrust enough to force the two upwards for a moment. Soon enough though, it came to an end, and Fennekin and Vivillon crashed into the ground below.
"Vivillon!"
"Fennekin!"
A cloud of dust and debris exploded into the air, obscuring any view of the battlefield or its fighters. Viola and Serena were left to stand in pitched trepidation, until it began to clear. When it did, only one Pokémon was left standing.
Fennekin, hunched, dirty, and just a little bit haughty, stood whilst Vivillon was out cold.
"Vivillon is unable to battle, Fennekin wins! The winner of the battle is, Serena!"
The words rang through Serena's mind, freezing her still in her shock and awe. Her breathing was shallow, and her eyes went wide. The whole world seemed to go silent for a moment, as she reached for her racing heart.
Before her hand could touch her chest, she rushed onto the battlefield.
"You did it, Fennekin!"
𝒵
Viola approached the field's center, recalling her Vivillon to their Poké ball and thanking them for their hard work. It was the least she owed after putting them through the wringer like that.
Who knew she was one to underestimate her opponents?
Glancing up, Viola smiled, finding said opponents in the throes of excitement. Serena and Fennekin were jumping, cheering, utterly ecstatic as they celebrated. It was like they were in their own little world.
Snorting, Viola stepped forward, her assistant quickly joining her.
"You two are just full of surprises. That maneuver with the sticks was like nothing I've ever seen!" At her word, the two challengers straightened up, going stiff as boards before her. Viola almost wanted to laugh at that, but she couldn't. Her smile was falling. "Unfortunately, it was also an illegal maneuver."
"H-huh?" Serena stumbled over herself, her lip trembling for a moment at Viola's declaration. "What, what do you mean?"
"In sanctioned Pokémon League Gym Battles, the only items allowed are held items," Viola clarified, her assistant nodding and pulling out a booklet as she did so. With just a flick through the pages, the assistant produced the relevant rule and regulation. "So, while that first stick Fennekin brought in was alright, the bag of them you used, Serena, wasn't."
Serena's eyes fell to the ground, a mixture of shame and anger swimming through her. Fennekin quickly followed.
"So… You're telling me…"
Viola's frown returned to a small smile, as she snorted. The sound made the two look up.
"Official Pokémon League Gym Battle rules also state that you're just a beginner, so you get away with just a warning." Viola reached for the rule book in her assistant's hands, before taking it and tossing it over her shoulder. "You two have faced a challenge well beyond your station, and you've overcome it with resourceful-ness and a bit of luck!"
Pulling from her own pocket now, Viola raised an object up for Serena and Fennekin to see— the sight of which made their eyes go wide.
"It would be remiss of me to say you haven't earned this— The Bug Badge!"
With an exchange of looks, Viola handed the badge over, giving the girl a moment to just look at it, turn it over in her hands. Soon enough, Serena's excitement got the better of her.
"We did it, Fennekin! We got our first badge!" she cheered, leaping into the air and singing with excitement alongside her partner.
"Fen! Fennekin!"
"We got—!" Landing on her feet, Serena raised the badge into the sky, high enough for the whole world to see. "The Bug Badge!"
Notes for Pokémon Battling #3: The correct type matchup is always good, but a little surprise can make it go a long way.
𝒴
"That's amazing, Serena! I didn't even know a Fennekin could do that!"
"Pika, pika!"
"Yeah! The way you went vwhoosh! Pow, pow, pow! Booooom, like that— It was so cool!"
With Serena's first badge securely in hand, her business in Santalune was nearly at its end. She just had one final obligation before she headed out— Catching up with the gang! Ash, Pikachu, and Bonnie were absolutely fired up, the tale of Serena's victory completely blowing them away. Even Clemont was breaking past his usual temperament.
"It was a stellar strategy! While it's a shame you won't be able to use it going forward, the fact you came up with it all on your own is astounding!" Clemont had a way of weaving his praise and reservations all in one string. It made Serena giggle and sigh with a happy shake of her head. "And still— While special maneuvers like that are great, it was your grasp of the fundamentals that shined through. Taking full advantage of your type matchup, that's what won the day!"
"Fundamentals, shundamentals— Those were some killer moves you pulled off, Serena!" Ash was surprisingly curt with where he disagreed with Clemont, announcing through the screen what he thought won her the day. Quick to agree with his like-minded partner, Pikachu offered some points of his own. "Haha, exactly! If me and Pikachu don't watch out, you're gonna catch up with us while we're here vacationing!"
"Hah!" The declaration made Serena laugh, nearly double over before she let out a wistful, relieved sigh. "Heh, we'll see about that…"
After the last week of training, practicing, and most of all, worrying, it was nice to just sit and rest for a while. Just getting to hear her friends, their affirmations— that made this all the more worth it.
Serena glanced back up.
"Ash, Clemont… I hope, I've made you proud." Her words made Ash pause, a thought visibly ticking away behind his eyes as Clemont immediately went to answer. He was silent for a moment, even as Pikachu responded for him.
"Pikapi, pika! Kachu— Pika!" His meaning came through loud and clear— Of course they were proud of her!
Ash had his own way of putting it.
"Serena." A confident, burning gaze returned to his eyes as he grinned. "I can't wait to take a swing at you!"