"Finally! We're out!"
Stepping out of the treeline, I was greeted by the welcome sight of an open sky and large buildings visible far off to the distance I knew to be Rustboro. I felt immensely relieved to be finally free of the oppressive Petalburg Woods, and was looking forward to sleeping in a bed tonight for my first Pokécenter stay.
Relief. Freedom.
I walked down the path with renewed gusto, casually observing a large nursery just ahead where the road bent. The building had large glass windows and was painted a bright green, its perimeter absolutely brimming with neat rows of colorful flowers and berry trees. Seemingly the guard, a Linoone laid lazily below a tree towards the entrance and kept watch, eyeing us with something bordering on but not quite a glare. I was able to identify a couple of the different berry trees on the property due to my time skimming Survive & Thrive, but I was positive that we weren't free to just go pick them at our leisure.
I quickly decided that I was going to just pass by for now, but might possibly come back for a visit later after a night or two in Rustboro, so I continued on the path. That was until a woman with flowing red hair in her early thirties noticed us through the window and rushed to open the door, waving us down and calling for our attention.
"Excuse me, young man!" The woman called out, and I couldn't help but be reminded of my mother. She wore a similar yellow sundress and had the same gentle kindness in her voice.
"Good afternoon ma'am," I stopped and gave a slight bow of the head, causing the woman to wave it off with a good-natured laugh.
"Oh my, a gentleman! Your Ralts is so cute! And is that a Corphish on your backpack? You're obviously a trainer, so… Uh, are you alright?" She cut off, pointing to my blood-soaked, tattered sleeve.
I rubbed the back of my head a bit sheepishly, "It's fine, I got it all patched up. Nothing to worry about, really."
"I see... Well could I trouble you for a bit of your time; I'll make it worth your while, I promise!" She said, a bit desperately as she clasped her hands together pleadingly.
Truthfully, I was a bit sore and worn down and just wanted to be back in civilization. My legs were tired, my side still bruised from being slammed into a tree, the bandage on my arm was likely overdue for removal and I was pretty sure I smelled terrible. Now that Rustboro was in sight, I'd only need to walk about an hour to reach it, so I decided it couldn't hurt to see what she wanted. If she hadn't reminded me of my mom I probably would have just said no and continued, but I felt compelled to at least hear her out.
"I can try, what do you need me for?" I asked curiously.
The woman visibly relaxed, clearly relieved. "I know it's a bother since you're clearly tired and just came out of the woods, but could we possibly have a battle? My Linoone has been feeling down lately, and I think it's because he hadn't had a good workout in a long while. He used to love battling and was always so energetic… It breaks my heart seeing him like this." She explained as she nodded to the Linoone, who seemed to give me and my team a quick once-over before deciding we weren't a threat.
I glanced at Apollo, checking my assumption.
Annoyed. Bored. Dismissive.
I clicked my tongue, my thoughts having been confirmed. Frankly, it really pissed me off to be underestimated so casually. If this woman was offering compensation and the opportunity to fight a strong opponent, I was more than willing to show that Linoone not to take us so lightly.
"I don't have any badges yet, but I'm confident in my team. One-on-one then?" I asked as I took my backpack off and stretched, happy to be free of the weight as Apollo Teleported to the ground and Duran hopped off the backpack.
The woman visibly hesitated, looking away and fidgeting. "He's strong, and he beats most of the locals without much effort. Linoone used to be my father's, and he helped earn six badges... Maybe two on one?" She asked hopefully, and I couldn't help but scoff despite my best efforts to remain polite.
"You want to pay me to throw my team into a meat grinder?" I asked a bit incredulously. Although I had a lot of confidence and pride in my team, I knew that a fight with a six badge Pokémon was almost surely too much for my team. If I were being extremely generous, I would place my team at a two or three badge level, but in reality I had no idea how we would even fare against our first gym. The first two gym badges were common for any run-of-the-mill trainer to get, but the third and fourth had significant difficulty spikes and was where a majority of trainers got stuck in the gym circuit. To have earned six badges years ago with who knows how much growth since then, this Linoone would likely outclass my team quite easily, even with two against one.
"Not chance?"
My brows shot up in surprise and I looked at Apollo; I was extremely impressed that he had not only managed to understand my thoughts that involved very human concepts, but also that it had been so close to a sentence and that I had been able to tell it was a question. Typically his telepathic voice was very monotone, but this one carried the slight inflection at the end that indicated it to be a question. I shook my head, deciding to answer his question silently. 'Unlikely. Very difficult. Dangerous.'
The woman waved her hands placatingly, seemingly a bit flustered. "I promise your Pokémon will be fine; he never does serious damage and I have lots of supplies. I know it's asking a lot, but if it lights a fire in Linoone I'll gladly pay you! I'll do anything to see him back to his normal self, please?" She all but begged, clasping her hands together and looking at me with pleading eyes.
This was probably going to suck, but my team was overdue to be humbled, Apollo specifically, and I wasn't about to turn down good battle experience and money. The only time I'd ever used both of them at once was during our fight with the Rocket, and I had felt extremely overwhelmed. Not to mention she was offering to heal them, and if they did somehow get really hurt we were now near a Pokécenter with Rustboro so close.
"Two versus one at the same time, right?" I asked, wanting to confirm. She nodded eagerly, a hopeful look on her face.
I sighed, my mind made up as I resigned ourselves to our fate.
"Alright, give me a moment with my team then we'll do it," I replied, really hoping I wouldn't regret this.
The woman clapped her hands cheerfully, perking up and giving a warm smile. "Thank you! I'll go get Linoone ready, wave me over when you're ready!" She turned and ran towards Linoone, who was now looking away in annoyance. He clearly had no interest in battling and didn't see us as a threat, which both worried and angered me. One of the few things that really got under my skin was being belittled or looked down upon.
We might not win this fight, but we were going to teach that Linoone not to take us so lightly. It needed to be humbled just as much as my team did.
Crouching down, I addressed my team seriously. "Guys, we're about to go against our first truly strong and experienced opponent, aside from that Rocket in the forest which was different. See that Linoone over there? It's beaten lots of really strong Pokémon and has battled for years. It's so strong it doesn't see the point of battling you two, even both of you at once. You'lll need to coordinate and work together. Duran, avoid the neck but go all out. You'll need to do your best to keep Linoone off of Apollo; if he gets too close you'll lose your backup. This Linoone will probably rely on speed, so try slowing it down however you can. I'll try to give direction but it'll be really fast-paced, so react however you see fit and don't be afraid to take initiative." I coached, and both nodded slowly in agreement.
Doubt. Inferiority.
I glanced between my Pokémon; Apollo was wringing his hands nervously, which I wasn't used to seeing. Duran seemed rather eager and confident, and was squirming in excitement and clicking its claws. I sighed, realizing that my thoughts of doubt and brutal honesty had affected Apollo.
"I don't know about you two, but one thing that really lights a fire in me is someone thinking they are better than me. That Linoone thinks we're a joke, and I can't stand it. We've trained too hard and gotten too strong to be so easily brushed aside. Let's put everything we've learned to the test. I won't lie; we might not win this. But we can at least prove we aren't to be pushed around or mocked." I said emphatically, pouring my emotions into the speech.
Passion. Commitment. Dignity.
My speech worked; both Pokémon now looked fully ready, each with serious expressions as they looked at each other for a moment before nodding resolutely.
"Apollo, use your telepathy to try to coordinate with Duran. We need any advantage we can get, so if either of you has an idea don't be afraid to tell the other. Communication and teamwork is going to be key here, so do your best and trust one another." I turned and waved down the woman, signaling that we were ready. She jogged over happily with a grumpy looking Linoone, and we took our positions in a large area of grass just off the path.
Duran and Apollo stood side by side, facing down the Linoone who now just looked bored, grooming its tail leisurely. I gritted my teeth slightly as I felt a rising anger, and both of my Pokémon seemed to share the sentiment as they widened their stances and glared at their opponent.
"Linoone doesn't like to go first, so whenever you're ready!" She announced cheerfully, which only served to add to the burning rage I felt growing in my chest. I was sure she didn't mean to be rude, but I still found it insulting.
"Growl and Leer!" I shouted, wanting to do everything I could to increase our chances of winning. Both of my Pokémon released their respective moves and Linoone clearly bristled, growling and now giving my team his attention.
"Disarming Voice and Harden!" I followed up, not intent on wasting a single moment. Apollo took a deep breath while Duran tensed, his shell shining as he fortified itself.
Apollo unleashed his attack and as the subtle pink waves reverberated towards Linoone, our opponent suddenly vanished in a blur. My eyes could hardly keep up as the Linoone began to dart around my team, taking sharp right angles and boxing them in.
As I had suspected, this Pokémon was fast, and if I wasn't mistaken this was an Extreme Speed rather than a normal Quick Attack. I'd never seen anything move nearly this fast in person; only on television watching some of the high-level battles the League broadcasted.
To my surprise, Apollo's Disarming Voice appeared to be homing in on the Linoone, swirling around my team and gaining speed before finally connecting, although it was hardly noticeable. There was a quick moment where the Linoone visibly recoiled and slowed down enough to be clearly visible, before it almost instantly resumed its pace and became a blur once again. I was starting to think that Disarming Voice never missed, perhaps a result of its fairy typing, as that was not the first time the move had landed when it had no right to. I briefly considered just having Apollo repeat it over and over again, but realized I wouldn't be satisfied ending a battle like that, even if we won.
"Bubblebeam, then Confusion!" I yelled, not wanting to wait for the inevitable strike that was soon to come. Duran pointed a claw forward and released a wave of bubbles into the blur surrounding them, causing the Linoone to stop its boxing and dart towards them, giving Apollo a split second to land his Confusion.
What happened next was a bit of a trainwreck, literally. There was no stopping the Linoone, it had far too much momentum going to be tripped up, and it slammed into Duran hard, sending him tumbling. My guess was that he was targeted due to his Bubblebeam disrupting the boxing maneuver. The force of the impact along with the momentary disorientation of Confusion caused the Linoone to stumble a bit, shaking itself as it tried to regain its senses, but it was now standing a few steps away from Apollo who was separated from Duran and only had a moment before he was bound to be targeted next.
"Back to Duran, then Double Team and Leer!" I shouted in a moment of panic, wanting Apollo to gain distance before Linoone could properly get a bead on him.
Duran shakily stood up as Apollo Teleported beside him, quickly creating a clone just on the other side of Duran. He was still a novice at the move and wouldn't be able to hold it long, but the clone was convincing and I was pretty sure Linoone hadn't seen which Ralts was real before it was created.
Linoone regained its senses and looked at my two Pokémon right as Duran's eyes shone with a Leer. It hissed in anger and darted right toward them.
"Vice Grip and Confusion!" I shouted.
Both of the Ralts' horns began to glow and Duran reached forward to intercept with a pincer, however the Linoone instantly hooked right and both attacks missed. It made two incredibly quick left 90-degree turns and used a Headbutt into Apollo's clone, however it was lined up to hit all three. It went right through the clone and slammed into Duran's side, knocking him into Apollo and sending both tumbling back.
I grimaced; my team was not built for this kind of speed, and we had little to combat it. I hoped that someday when Apollo was fully evolved and became part fighting-type, his speed and reflexes would increase experience, but we were just too slow as things stood. The fastest thing we had at our disposal was Teleport, which…
I suddenly remembered our earlier testing with the move, and that Apollo had been able to Teleport Duran. It took a lot out of him and he couldn't go very far, but if he could manage to just move them a step left or right before impact, we might be able to do something.
"Apollo, in my head now!" I called out as the Linoone sat up on its hind legs and began to beat its front paws against its stomach, using a Belly Drum as my team staggered back to their feet. I had an idea that I didn't want to call out, and I could only hope that Apollo would be able to get the gist of it and coordinate it with Duran.
I felt Apollo's presence appear, and I focused on my wild idea. The nice thing about telepathy was just how much information you could pass in a very short amount of time, not having to bother with time-consuming words. I already had the idea in mind, I just needed him to quickly extract and execute it.
Since they were now getting hit at the same time anyway, I thought it would be a good idea for Apollo to get on Duran's back and focus on keeping them away, always having a Teleport ready to use in an instant to quickly side-step the incoming attacks. I'd noticed that Linoone only ran in straight lines, so even two steps to the side should be enough to get them out of the way. If he could properly coordinate which direction he was going to Teleport with Duran, then he could either Vice Grip or Bubblebeam to the other side and catch the Linoone as it passed by.
It would be tricky, and entirely up to Apollo's ability to not only Teleport in time but also plan it with Duran, but it seemed to be our best hope of winning. Apollo could also fire off Confusion and Disarming Voice whenever time allowed, but I had a feeling that only Duran had the raw strength required to actually put a stop to the speedster. From here on out, I was done giving orders and was leaving it entirely in their hands.
Apollo's presence disappeared without a response, and I got confirmation that he understood when I saw him Teleport onto Duran's back, who seemed confused for a brief moment before his eyes lit up with understanding, presumably due to Apollo relaying the basics of the plan. His horn began to glow as he let loose a Confusion, but the Linoone took off and once again began to box them in, causing the attack to miss.
Duran raised a claw and shot a Bubble into the blur, which once again caused the Linoone to divert course before running into it and charge right at them. This time they were ready, Teleporting to the left as Duran quickly used a Vice Grip, although he spread his claws out and clamped at both sides at once. The timing was just off and he was a moment too late, however I could tell that the Linoone was surprised at the tactic as it came to a stop behind them, turning around and facing them with wide eyes.
I wanted to cheer in glee that they had managed to coordinate that, but didn't want to distract them. The best thing for me to do now was to keep quiet and trust that they could make something work.
Apollo took a breath and let loose a Disarming Voice, and the Linoone charged toward them in a zig-zag pattern, seemingly accepting that it was going to take the hit regardless.
To my surprise, Duran pointed both of his claws forward and released two Bubblebeams a bit angled apart. As the Linoone was hit by the Disarming Voice and slowed a bit, one of Duran's attacks slammed into it, knocking it off its feet.
Apollo quickly followed up with a Confusion as the foe regained its footing, and although it seemed to hit the move didn't do much. After a slight wince the Linoone leapt forward, landing right next to them before spreading its front paws in a wide slash covering both the left and right sides before bringing them together in an arcing motion. The Linoone had clearly caught on to their plan to move to the side, and despite a quick Teleport to the side its claws raked Duran's chest with a Slash.
He rasped in pain as lurched a claw forward, trying to clamp down on the Linoone who dodged with a quick leap back, too fast for the crustacean to hit. I was struck by the fact that Apollo wasn't attacking at all anymore and Duran didn't seem to have the stamina left for more Bubblebeams, simply doing anything he could to land a hit.
The Linoone seemed to sense this and took off in a blur, zigzagging and darting at them repeatedly before diverting just before it would reach them, faking them out. This repeated a few times with Apollo doing his best to Teleport them out of the way of the impact and Corphish sluggish clamping down where he thought the Linoone would be, but soon he wasn't even using Vice Grip anymore and was just swinging a claw, trying to clobber the enemy.
Despite landing some good hits earlier on and putting up a valiant fight, I could tell that my team was on their last legs. Apollo was panting heavily and looked like he was just about out of stamina for more Teleports, and with the way he was breathing I didn't expect I'd be seeing any more Disarming Voices. Duran looked too exhausted to send out any more Bubblebeams, and I didn't even know if he'd be able to keep Apollo on his back for much longer as I saw his legs trembling.
I momentarily considered forfeiting, but despite their impending loss there was a look of determination in both of my team members' eyes that I couldn't ignore. I got the feeling they both knew it was over, but if they wanted to fight to the very end I wasn't going to deprive them of that. Duran had been knocked out before, but it would do Apollo some good to experience true defeat.
The Linoone, seemingly deciding that the fight was over and it was time to end it, began throwing attack after attack at them; a combination of what I thought to be Headbutt and Take Down or Double-Edge. He targeted Apollo first, leaping up and slamming into him hard to send him sprawling, knocking him out. I watched Duran try his best to defend himself, and he even managed to get out one last Bubble in an attempt to obscure himself, but it did nothing to stop the onslaught and after a couple of hits he too fell unconscious after a particularly hard Headbutt to his side.
As Duran fell, I took note of the ridiculous specimen of a Linoone. The match now over, it bellowed its name in defiance, declaring its victory. Its body trembled from a hard-fought battle and its legs gave way as it collapsed to the ground, not unconscious but too tired to willingly continue standing.
It was at that moment that I realized just how close we were to actually winning, although it hadn't seemed like it while the fight was actually going. This must be an attribute of being battle-hardened; doing your best not to allow your pain or exhaustion to affect you until the battle had concluded.
In the end we just didn't quite have the speed, coordination, and stamina to pull through against such an experienced opponent. I'd like to think that if we came back in a couple of weeks it would be a different story, but I also had to acknowledge that the Linoone had clearly been toying with us for the majority of that battle, so it was hard to say.
"That was incredible! I can't remember the last time I saw Linoone pushed so hard! That strategy at the end was really something!" The woman congratulated with a broad smile, jogging over to pick up the panting Linoone and rubbing her cheek against its head affectionately. It nuzzled back weakly before she draped it over her shoulders and like a scarf, and it closed its eyes and continued panting, resting as it tried to catch its breath.
"Hold tight, I'll be right back with healing supplies." She said cheerfully, swiftly walking back into her shop and leaving me alone with my fainted team. I sighed as I crouched over them and took note of the damage; both were pretty banged up and completely unconscious, but there was no blood or serious damage that I could see, and I felt immense relief. The worst of the two was definitely Duran, who had visible gouge marks across his chest, but they hadn't broken through and didn't strike me as anything to be concerned with.
As expected, this was a valuable experience for my team, and I was thankful that we got to see a glimpse of what an experienced opponent could do on the battlefield against our strategies. We had a long way to go, but the fact that we had even come close to beating a six badge Pokémon made me immensely proud of my team.
"Allow me." A soft voice over my shoulder requested, the woman having returned now holding a satchel. She pulled out three berries that were yellow and plump with divots that I recognized to be Sitrus Berries from my time reading Survive & Thrive, and handed one to her Linoone who grabbed onto it and began greedily munching on it from its resting spot around her neck. She then crouched down before expertly tilting my fainted Pokémon's heads to the side and gently feeding them the yellow berries one after the other, helping them bite and chew by working their jaws. I took note of her strategy for later use, and within a minute both of my Pokémon were regaining consciousness.
"You guys did great, both of you. You were only a hit or two away from winning that, it was very close. You should both be proud, I know I am." I praised them as I saw them perk up and gain a look of solemn realization at their loss as they got to their feet.
Disappointment.
I chuckled as I affectionately rubbed both of their heads, and although Apollo seemed to cheer up a bit Duran was clearly not pleased. He seemed a bit peeved and annoyed, shuffling his feet and casting his gaze downwards. I knew he was likely disappointed as well, but there was a proper and improper way to take a loss.
"They sure did! Even Linoone is impressed!" The woman added supportively, and to my surprise the Linoone nodded seriously before barking a few times at my team, which seemed to be positive if Apollo's sudden bashfulness was anything to go by. I shot Apollo a look, and he gave a subtle nod before confirming what was said.
Reassurance. Respect.
Duran seemed to ease just a bit at Linoone's words, but he offered no response and I could tell he was still taking the loss hard. I'd probably need to have a talk with him later; it was important to learn how to lose with grace and be a good sport.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" The woman exclaimed as she pulled a Pokédex out of her satchel and punched something in before holding it out. I reached into my pocket and grabbed my own, tapping it against hers and feeling a vibration confirming payment. I wasn't rude enough to check how much it was, and truthfully it didn't matter much as this had been a very valuable experience for me and my team.
"I have a couple more things for you…" She trailed off as she dug around in the satchel. She pulled out a small pouch and handed it to me, and as I peeked inside I noticed an assortment of berries. I thanked her before tying it to a buckle on my backpack, not wanting to crush them.
"One last thing, a big slice of my family's famous Pecha Pie! I promise you'll absolutely adore it!" She handed me a sturdy paper box with a rather heavy slice of pie in it, and although I wasn't big on sweets I accepted it gratefully. She looked at me expectantly, and I realized that she was waiting for me to take a bite.
I decided to share it with my team, breaking off two big pieces and handing it to them before taking a bite for myself. Just as expected it was sweet, however surprisingly it wasn't too much for me to handle as I found most sweets to be. It was hands down the best pie I'd ever had, and I had to force myself to stop as to not force this poor woman to watch me scarf down her carefully crafted pie greedily.
"It's amazing, and I don't usually like pie," I admitted after swallowing, pausing to inspect and revere the remaining piece of pie. I looked down to notice both Duran and Apollo absolutely enthralled with the treat, seemingly enjoying it as much as I did.
She grinned, "You're lucky you came by when you did; it's extremely hard to make and I don't do it often, but it's been a slow day and I had extra Pecha Berries, so figured why not?"
After my team and I quickly scarfed down our pie as the woman dried and brushed a content-looking Linoone's fur, I pointed to the top of my backpack and had a grumpy Duran climb on as we prepared to leave.
The woman paused her grooming, giving a warm smile. "I'm Natalie, by the way. I run the Pretty Petal flower shop, and you can almost always find me here. If you ever need anything related to flowers or berries, stop by! I don't sell the pie, but if you're lucky I just might have another piece for you if you pay us a visit." She said cheerfully, holding out a friendly hand which I shook as Apollo teleported onto my shoulder.
"Daniel. I'll definitely keep you in mind. If for nothing else than to redeem ourselves against Linoone." I said with a slight grin. Although the loss had been expected, being so close stung a bit and I wouldn't soon forget the match we had today. My first loss was almost surely easier to handle because my opponent was kind and sweet, rather than rubbing it in. I honestly wasn't sure how I'd react if I got stomped by a complete asshole, but I was sure it would happen someday.
"Take care! I'll be rooting for you Daniel!" She waved as the Linoone barked a farewell as we bowed in thanks before continuing down the path to Rusboro with an air of contentment despite our loss.
Redemption.
I nodded in agreement; someday we'd be back, and we'd make sure our next battle would go very differently.
TRAINER ID
Name: Daniel Ingram
Age: 16
Badges: 0
Account: 49,156 credits
POKÉMON
Ralts (Apollo) - Male
Corphish (Duran) - Male
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