After enjoying another long shower, I gathered my team for a quick meeting of sorts. I had decided that if I was going to spend time at the battle arenas, I didn't want to have a Pokémon out to advertise half of my team to the world and give others an unfair advantage.
"Alright guys, we're skipping morning training today and I'm going to try to get us into some trainer battles. Remember our training, trust me as much as I trust you, and if all goes well we should be able to end the day with some extra money and plenty of good experience. Sound good?"
They both nodded in approval, and I returned them happily before setting off for the battle courts, hopeful that we'd make some money and get practice for our upcoming gym challenge.
As I approached the battle courts, I couldn't help but feel a bit naked. I was so used to always having one or both of my teammates with me that not having them out made me feel exposed and lonely. I hadn't felt that way since starting my journey, and even though I knew they were within arms reach it wasn't the same as them being physically with me.
I stood off to the side watching a battle between a Lombre and a Taillow. The Lombre far outclassed the admittedly impressive Taillow, but it just couldn't get close enough to land a hit while constantly dodging Bubblebeams and Water Guns. It was doing a good job delaying the inevitable, but the trainer seemed to have no response and the results of the match were becoming more apparent as the fight wore on and the Taillow kept taking glancing shots as it tired.
"I wondered what smelt so bad. You should really leave, you're stinking up the place trash."
I groaned, turning to find the smug smile of Preston Livingston, accompanied by a short and portly yet equally well-dressed boy standing behind him sniggering.
"What do you want Preston? I'm a bit busy," I said with exasperation, not wanting to deal with him.
"Busy? Seems as though you're just standing around too scared to actually fight," He sneered, eliciting a supportive chuckle from his friend.
"I was hoping to face some tough opponents, but if you're issuing a challenge I could make an exception," I retorted.
"Yeah alright. Question is, can you even make it worth my time?"
"I can put up a thousand," I shrugged. It was probably a bad idea to bet nearly all my money on the first battle but I didn't get the impression he was a serious trainer, and although he was probably a year or two older than me I had faith in my team.
"Pft, a thousand?! Hardly worth my time. How about you put up your Ralts and I put up 100,000 credits? Unless you're scared," he taunted.
"Not happening," I replied bluntly.
"250,000." He declared loudly, causing a few eyes to snap our direction.
"It's not a matter of money. I'm not gambling my partner just for a chance to get rich quick or stroke my ego. He's not on the table."
"Ugh, whatever. If you're so broke that a thousand is all you can afford, then I guess it'll have to do. One on one then. Jason here will referee," he jerked his thumb at his friend, and I shook my head.
"Nope, we'll get somebody who's a bit more neutral," I said while turning away and waving down the girl who had been refereeing the battle between the Lombre and the Taillow, which had just concluded.
"No, not her!" Preston protested, but the girl was already jogging over to us. She stopped in front of us, glancing at Preston with a look I couldn't quite place.
"Preston," she said shortly with a slight nod of acknowledgment.
"Sammy."
My brows raised at the realization they knew each other. Perhaps I should pick another referee…
"Don't call me that!" she snapped, leveling him with a glare. I was suddenly perfectly fine with her officiating the match.
She turned to me, "Needed a ref, right? What did you two decide on?"
"One-on-one, thousand credit bet." I informed her, and she glanced to Preston for confirmation. He gave a slight nod, and she took her place at the side of the arena. As I went to my side I began getting nervous that he was about to send out a Charizard or something insane his parents had bought him; now that I thought about it, it was a very real possibility for somebody with his kind of money.
"This will be a one-on-one battle between Preston Livingston of Rustboro and…" She glanced at me.
"Daniel. Petalburg," I supplied.
I'd decided there was no use hiding where I was from. Once people saw a Ralts with somebody who had no badges, the obvious answer would be Petalburg or Oldale.
Only thing was, I didn't plan on using Apollo for this fight. Preston had no idea about Duran, and I didn't want to give him the advantage of counter-picking Apollo.
"...Daniel from Petalburg. Whoever issued the challenge, send out your Pokémon."
I had forgotten about that. It wasn't exactly a rule, but it was usually considered proper etiquette that whoever issued the challenge would send out their Pokémon first. During the few matches I'd had previously my opponent and I had sent them out at the same time, but the presence of a referee clearly made a difference. I was pretty sure the only exception to this was during gym battles, where gym leaders sent theirs out first to give challengers a test in impromptu decision-making. I wasn't sure if the Elite Four did that as well or not, but I knew tournaments typically had both send them out at the same time.
Preston reached into his pocket and produced what appeared to be a variant of a Premier Ball, except it was tinted gold where the white usually was. He gave a self-satisfied grin as he released his Pokémon, and an absolutely massive Growlithe appeared on the field. I was pretty sure that Growlithe typically only came up to about my knees, but this one was half my height and sturdy. I got the impression it likely had the best genetics money could buy, and had likely cost a small fortune. Its fur was neatly groomed and shimmered in the morning light, and it held itself with a poise and confidence that told me it was fully aware that it was an apex among its species.
"I see you're impressed, as you should be. His lineage is most impressive and he's specially bred for battle, all the way from Kanto. He's the best money can buy. Your Ralts doesn't stand a chance; a Bite or two and he'll be done." He folded his arms and looked incredibly smug, as though he'd already won the battle.
I grimaced. He wasn't wrong; it was impossible not to be impressed with the Growlithe, even from just looking at it I knew it was an exceptional example of its species. But he'd need more than good genes and well-groomed fur to handle the type disadvantage and sheer ferocity Duran brought to the table.
I unclipped Duran's Net Ball and sent him out. Although the Growlithe was a fair bit larger than Duran, he held his head high and faced it down fearlessly, ready for a fight.
"What's the meaning of this? You were supposed to use your Ralts!" Preston chastised me angrily as his friend began to loudly boo.
I scoffed, "Supposed to? Says who? I never said I was going to use my Ralts, you just assumed because of your unhealthy obsession with him. I do have other team members, you know."
"Corphish Cor!" Duran agreed, taking a wide stance and glaring at the Growlithe. I could tell he was rubbed the wrong way by Preston's comments and wanted to prove he was just as good as Apollo.
"Whatever, won't matter anyway. Let's get this started." Preston sneered as Growlithe stood up from its hind legs and readied itself. It shot Duran a glare that gave even me goosebumps, and I realized that it must have been the Intimidate ability.
Unfortunately for him, Duran stood tall and remained unflinching, not at all affected by the display. I could see a momentary look of confusion from the Growlithe, but Preston seemed completely oblivious to what had just happened.
The girl playing referee raised an arm and began the countdown, "Trainers, on my mark! Three… Two… One… Go!" Bringing her arm down swiftly, we began shouting orders.
"Leer!"
"Howl!"
The Growlithe let loose a bellowing Howl as Duran's eyes gained a dangerous glint to them, and I was able to visibly see the canine give a slight shiver. I felt immense satisfaction knowing that the Growlithe was unable to affect Duran with his intimidation but we could affect him.
"Double Kick!"
"Vice Grip!"
Growlithe took off in a charge right at Duran, who held both claws in front of him and kept them wide open, ready to intercept.
The Growlithe juked right as arrived at Duran; taking a step right to make it seem he was going to attack from that side before quickly reversing courses and leaping to the left, causing Duran to clamp down on air and leave his other side completely open. The Growlithe swung his hind legs around and delivered a kick to Duran's side, sending him sliding back but not delivering enough force to knock him off his feet.
Growlithe came in again to deliver another blow, however this time Duran lept toward and surprised his foe with an assault of his own, clamping down on the tuft of fur on Growlithe's chest before quickly following up with a Vice Grip using the other claw.
"Use Thunder Fang!"
My heart dropped as I saw the Growlithe's maw open with crackles of electricity and bite down on Duran, shaking my crustacean while pumping him full of electricity.
Duran bellowed in pain and unleashed a Bubblebeam in a panic right into Growlithe's face, successful in his attempt to get released as the canine tossed him to the side. He was able to stand, but I could tell he had taken serious damage and was unlikely to withstand another one.
I really hadn't been expecting a Thunder Fang, but I supposed it would make sense considering how much money Preston had spent on him. This fight just got much more dangerous, and we needed to figure out a way to end it fast.
"Blast him with Bubblebeam! Keep him away!"
"Agility, then finish with another Thunder Fang!"
Duran blasted Bubblebeams at the Growlithe, but it quickly took off and began to encircle Duran as it built speed, diverting course whenever a Bubblebeam got close. It wasn't nearly as fast as the Linoone had been, but it was bordering on becoming a blur and was far too nimble for Duran to land a hit on, and it was getting faster by the moment.
"Obscure, then just like with the Rocket! Don't let him bite you!" I yelled out, not wanting to give away the strategy and hoping he would understand. I knew an attack was going to come any second, so the least we could do is prepare for it.
Duran scuttled in a circle as he shrouded himself with a thick layer of Bubbles, erecting a wall of Bubbles all around him, and he had definitely improved in the last couple of days because I couldn't see through them at all.
As soon as the Growlithe no longer seemed to be building speed, it curved inwards and charged right towards the center of the massive buildup of Bubbles.
"Now!" I shouted in a panic just as I saw the Growlithe reach the perimeter, with visible sparks trailing in its wake from the prepared Thunder Fang.
I held my breath, unable to see what was happening in the cloud of Bubbles, but I quickly heard a yelp before I saw a Bubblebeam blasting outwards, whipping around and spraying wildly. A moment later the Growlithe emerged, jumping and jerking about wildly while it shook its head with Duran clamped onto its shoulder with one pincer and blasting its face hard with a Bubblebeam using the other.
It was nearly identical to what he'd managed to do with the Mightyena. He'd understood what I wanted and executed it flawlessly. It seemed Duran wasn't only experienced at fighting aerial opponents, but now canines.
The Growlithe wasn't able to reach its head back enough to get any sort of angle to bite Duran, and soon it began to roll around on the ground, whimpering and trying its best to shake off Duran. It was clearly panicking, and a quick glance up at Preston showed a look of utter shock and horror as he tried to come up with something he could do.
"Don't let go Duran! Climb up and keep attacking with Vice Grips!" I cheered, my panic now replaced with pure excitement. Duran paused his Bubblebeam and latched the pincer to Growlithe's back as it rolled on the floor, and I saw him using his hind legs to help maintain his grip as he alternated Vice Grips between hands, always keeping one firmly held in place as he worked his way up to between the shoulder blades before clamping down on the scruff of the foe's neck.
I began to see some red seep into the fur where he'd just traveled, but the Growlithe refused to give up and kept flailing, desperate to get Duran off of him.
"Fire Spin! Cook that crustacean!" Preston shouted angrily, finally snapping out of his daze and coming up with an idea.
The Growlithe looked down and spun as it bathed the ground in flames, but Duran was both a water-type as well high up as on the back. I wasn't particularly concerned.
"Finish it Duran!" I commanded confidently, feeling as though this match was over and wanting to give Duran the freedom to end it how he chose. To my surprise he gave up his advantageous position, releasing completely and landing just outside the vortex of fire before leveling both claws in front of him and unleashing two devastating Bubblebeams, slamming into the Growlithe and sending him tumbling while extinguishing the flames.
To the Growlithe's credit it managed to stand, despite being soaked in water and the growing red stain in its fur as it bled. It attempted to charge at Duran once again with sparks in its fangs but had exerted a ton of energy trying to get Duran off and received considerable damage.
It was too slow to have any hope of sidestepping another onslaught of Bubblebeams, and this time it took both head-on right in the face. It was knocked back yet again and collapsed.
I was completely shocked to see it shakily attempting to stand up after all of that, but its remaining strength couldn't keep up with its willpower and it collapsed for what I knew was the last time.
"Get up you worthless mutt! What would your father think if he saw you right now? You're better than this, don't you dare lose!" Preston nearly screamed, his voice cracking in frustration as I literally saw a vein throbbing on his forehead.
"That's enough! This match is over. The winner is Daniel and Corphish!" The referee announced, pointing an arm toward our side. We had a decent gathering of spectators now, and they gave an enthusiastic round of applause for me and my teammate. I'd never been the center of a group of strangers' praises like that, and I had to admit it felt great.
"Cor!" Duran bellowed, raising his pincers and snapping them as he declared his victory and strength to the world, eating up the attention.
I ran over and scooped him up, hugging him and rubbing his shell.
"You did so good! You even figured out a new move! Great job buddy! " I praised proudly as I returned an absolutely beaming Duran to his Net Ball for a well-earned rest.
"You're a cheater! That's the only reason you won; you cheated!" Preston's pudgy friend accused; Jason I think his name was.
I felt no need to argue with him so I simply ignored the comment, glancing over to see Preston recall his Growlithe, shaking and seething in rage.
He pointed at me with a shaky finger, his voice hoarse and filled with accusation, "You fight dirty! You use a water-type against a fire-type, then have your bottom feeder go for blood? What kind of trainer are you!"
I heard a few murmurs in the crowd, and although I couldn't quite tell whose side they were on my guess was that not many people would be jumping to Preston's defense after the way he'd talked to his Growlithe at the end. I didn't really care though; I wasn't going to let anything ruin the high of our victory.
I grinned as I pulled out my Pokédex and held it out. "I wouldn't be complaining about a type advantage when you were boasting about your plan to use Bite on my Ralts; I just didn't give you the satisfaction. I was well within the rules, and the only reason your Growlithe bled was because you froze up while it panicked. You could have just recalled him or forfeited, and I know for a fact that we didn't do any lasting damage."
I glanced at the referee as I waved my Pokédex toward Preston, "Did I break any rules or use excessive force? If not, I'd like my thousand credits now please."
She shook her head, and I could swear I saw the hint of a smile at the edge of her lips. "There was no attempt to maim the Growlithe. It was a flesh wound, and nothing you did was against the rules or spirit of the battle. You won fair and square. Preston, pay up."
I could swear he was about to burst a blood vessel, but he slowly pulled out his Pokédex, punched in a few keys and held it out reluctantly. With an admittedly smug grin I tapped my Pokédex against his and felt the vibration confirming the transfer. For the first time ever, I actually checked the balance after the battle to make sure that he hadn't pulled a fast one on me, and to my relief he had paid what was owed. I couldn't help but think that this would be playing out differently if this girl wasn't the referee; for some reason I got the feeling her presence was the only thing preventing Preston from completely losing his cool, and I found myself glad she was here to keep things copacetic.
"Appreciate your donation," I said with a slight bow of the head, unable to help myself.
He clicked a few buttons on his Pokédex before his rage quickly subsided and he gave a slight smirk. "Daniel Ingram… And you said you're from Petalburg? I'll remember that," He sneered before marching off in a huff with his friend following behind, who was glancing back to glare daggers at me.
My heart dropped a little, and I clicked through my Pokédex to see that you could indeed see the full name of anybody who you transferred money with. I really didn't like that, yet I couldn't help but wonder how exactly the Rocket had planned to get away with stealing my money. Perhaps he had a special device or a stolen Pokédex to act as a middleman? Something to look into someday I suppose.
"Anyone else wanna battle?" I asked out loud, feeling a bit emboldened from the high of my win and still wanting to give Apollo a good fight.
Unfortunately, I could tell that Duran's showing had put off most of the trainers at the court from wanting to battle me. Maybe it was Duran's perceived brutality, or perhaps it was that I was on Preston's bad side and they wanted nothing to do with me, I couldn't be sure. In any case there were no takers, so after it became clear everyone was now avoiding me I decided I'd just leave for now and possibly come back another time.
"Hey, mind if I talk to you for a second?" The girl who had been the referee for our matches jogged over just after I'd released Apollo and placed him on my shoulder and turned to leave. I nodded, prompting her to continue. I felt a bit suspicious at her only coming to talk after Apollo had been released, but wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt since she'd been a fair referee.
She looked around a bit nervously, seemingly checking to see if somebody was watching or listening to us.
"Uh, somewhere private?"
I was feeling a bit skeptical, so I gave her a close look for the first time. She was my age with platinum blonde hair that had a hint of wave to it that came just past her shoulders, wearing white skinny jeans and a purple plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up. She had a pair of designer sunglasses on the top of her head, and I could see two Pokéballs on her belt. Blue eyes, light makeup and delicate features with a small mole along her jawline. If I had to describe her, I'd say she was a fairly typical girl next door with a sense for fashion.
I really didn't know what to make of the situation, so I glanced to Apollo for his insight.
Worry. Curious.
Well, that was an interesting read I hadn't been expecting. At least there was nothing indicating ill-intent in there, besides perhaps worry, but that could be anything.
"Sure, lead the way," I shrugged before mentally asking Apollo to stay alert. A small part of me worried that this might be some sort of ambush or something, but she seemed nice enough and I didn't want to live my life distrustful of people.
She didn't lead me very far, and I was relieved to find that there were still people in sight; just not in the immediate area close enough to hear us. She leaned against a streetlamp and leveled me with a serious look.
"First, that was awesome how you put Preston in his place. He doesn't come around the battle courts too often, but when he does he's incredibly disrespectful and full of himself. He's never gotten that angry before though, I feel sorry for that poor Growlithe..." She sighed before giving me a slight smile, "Anyways, thanks for knocking him down a peg."
I couldn't help but grin, "Trust me, it was my pleasure. That wasn't my first run-in with him. He seems to think his money entitles him to my Ralts, so that was a bit payback for how rude he'd been when I first met him."
She hummed and nodded before continuing, "Second, did I hear you right that you fought Team Rocket?"
I hesitated, feeling a bit exposed as I saw her eyes watching my every movement and microexpression. "One tried to rob me while passing through Petalburg Woods. It was a close call, but we pulled through." I didn't really want to give too many details, but I saw no harm in giving her that small sliver of truth.
Her brows furrowed as her eyes inspected me closely, looking me up and down, and my nerves spiked.
"What happened?" She all but demanded, which rubbed me the wrong way.
"No offense, but I don't feel like I owe you an explanation." I crossed my arms, leveling her with a glare.
"Kind. Please."
I groaned, rolling my eyes before looking to my shoulder at Apollo. Although I valued his opinion and did want to be a nice person, there were situations where it paid to be guarded, and I felt like this was one of them.
"Just tell me… How long ago was this, and are they still out there?" She asked, a look of worry on her face.
I sighed, relaxing my posture and deciding it couldn't hurt to reveal that much. "A few days ago. The Rangers arrested him and hauled him off, and they couldn't find any evidence of others in the area. Supposedly he was a wanderer, so I don't think you need to worry about there being an operation moving in or anything like that."
She closed her eyes and exhaled, clearly relieved. "Good. That's… That's good."
We stood there in awkward silence for a moment, and just as I was considering how I might gracefully excuse myself from the conversation, she spoke up again. "You are pretty good at battling, but I haven't seen you around. What's your story?"
I shrugged, "Started my journey in Petalburg and made my way through the woods. Now I'm here taking a little break and checking out the city before challenging the gym."
She snorted, "You're ready for the gym, trust me on that. Growing up here, I've sat in on plenty of battles. If your Corphish brings that same viciousness and your Ralts is even half as well trained, you've got it in the bag. Speaking of, how'd you get a Ralts? I can't imagine your Corphish was able to sneak up and trap it, and no offense but your outfit doesn't lead me to believe you come from wealth."
I glanced to Apollo, wanting another vibe check. I was trying my best not to get angry or defensive, but her questions were rubbing me the wrong way a bit.
Curious. "Please nice."
"Be nice, please." I muttered, both to correct Apollo as well as remind myself. I turned back to the girl, who had a mixture of confusion and interest painted on her face, with one brow raised and her arms now crossed.
"Apollo was my starter, not Duran. I caught him myself, and no I don't have any tips for you." I said as evenly as I could. Just because I was trying to be polite didn't mean I was about to tell her the entire story or how she could try to get a Ralts herself; I wanted to at least draw that line. I really didn't like people prying into my business, but if Apollo wanted me to be nice I'd do my best. I could admit that it seemed she was coming from a good place, even if some of her questions were a bit crass.
"That's so cool! They're really rare, you're a lucky guy."
I couldn't help but shrug, "In some ways, unlucky in others."
"When's your gym battle? I'd love to watch."
"I haven't scheduled it yet. I've still got a few things I want to do, and I know after my challenge I'll want to leave town, regardless of the outcome."
She grabbed my arm suddenly and began pulling me along, "Don't be a wuss, at least get it scheduled. Come on, I'll help you!" She declared cheerfully, and I pulled my arm from her grip.
"I don't need your help. I don't even know who you are."
She turned around and gave me a look before smiling brightly, "That's right, how rude of me."
She straightened her posture and held out a hand, offering a handshake as she introduced herself.
"Nice to meet you Daniel Ingram. I'm Samantha, Samantha Stone. I hope we can become good friends."
My eyes widened as I realized what she'd just said. I was currently talking to a member of what was undisputedly the most influential and rich family in the region, and I hadn't even realized it.
I tried to remain calm as I reached out and returned the handshake with a forced smile. She'd been nice to me so far, but I wasn't exactly great at being friendly and could see myself getting on her bad side with a thoughtless remark or poor choice of words. I couldn't help but wonder if this moment would mark my downfall as a trainer.
Unlike Preston, there was no doubt in my mind that this girl actually had the power to make my life a living hell.
TRAINER ID
Name: Daniel Ingram
Age: 16
Badges: 0
Account: 2,102 credits
POKÉMON
Ralts (Apollo) - Male
Corphish (Duran) - Male
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