𝒴
Serena released a tense breath, one she hadn't known she was holding. A buzz hummed just below her skin, the source being either trepidation or uncontrollable excitement. She couldn't tell which.
Before her stood a wall.
It was a rock climbing wall, the one that led to Serena's next destination— Grant. Before she could conquer him, however, she would have to conquer this, just like Ash had.
Serena would surpass any challenge put before her.
"Well, here goes nothing." With a hand on the first perch, Serena began her ascent.
𝒴
"That, was, a nightmare." Serena heaved herself over the very last ledge, her burning chest cutting her off between each word. Though her physicality had made leaps and bounds in her time traveling with Ash, a master of upper body strength she was not. Her arms felt like jelly as she tried to hold herself up. "How is this a requirement to challenge a gym…"
"You could've just taken the elevator, you know."
Serena blinked, before craning her neck to look up. Standing over her was her supposed true challenge, Grant, snorting and offering her a hand.
"...Eh?"
"The elevator. Taking the wall is just an extra challenge I give to trainers," he clarified, a rather humored smirk to his lips as he picked Serena up. "I only challenged Ash to it because he seemed the ambitious type— That and his clear physical aptitude."
Once Serena was on her feet, Grant began walking back to the battlefield, leaving her standing in the sidelines. She moved to follow.
"I'm stronger than I look," she pressed, meaning it in more ways than one. Grant seemed to catch her meaning, as he paused and turned to smile at her.
"Clearly! That's what brought you here today, after all!" With his arms out wide, he called out to Serena. "So then, I believe you have something you wish to request from me?"
Serena nodded, her earlier trepidation giving away to pitched excitement. Smiling, she laid her terms out clear.
"Grant, I challenge you! Please battle me, using the same team you faced Ash with!"
Grant smirked.
"Your challenge is accepted. I wish you luck on this next climb."
𝒴
No longer winded from her climb, Serena took a firm stance and firm look at her surroundings. At the very top of the rock climbing tower, the gym below gave away. All she could see now was the rocky walls surrounding her and the open sky above.
That, and her opponent.
"The match between challenger Serena and Gym Leader Grant will now begin! If either party's Pokémon are all unable to battle, the match is declared over!" From the sidelines, a gym attendant set the terms of the match. It was time.
"Go, Onix!"
"I choose you, Fennekin!" Appearing in a flash of light, Fennekin took the field, holding a confident stance against her much larger opponent. Tucked behind her ear was a familiar sight, a large twig.
Grant wasn't impressed.
"A Fennekin? Surely you know that Fire-Types aren't very effective against Rock-Types." Crossing his arms and tapping his fingers, Grant pulled on a rather quizzical tone, one Serena recognized in an instant. It was a tone of underestimation.
Standing straight, she put on a winning smile.
"There's more to battling than just the type of Pokémon." Her words invoked confidence, but that did little to convince Grant.
She would just have to prove her point.
"Now, begin!" With a call from the attendant, the battle was on.
"Flamethrower!"
"Dodge it with Rock Polish!"
A pillar of flames rocketed across the field, slamming into Onix's side before he began to move. Slow to start, he quickly picked up speed, as his rough, rocky body became smooth and slippery.
"Now, Iron Tail, Onix!" With enough speed collected, Onix surged ahead. His tail glowed a familiar silver as he barreled down on Fennekin.
"Dodge it and use Flamethrower again!" Seemingly surprised by Onix's sudden charge, Fennekin stumbled back. Onix's blow came mere inches from striking dead on. Thankfully, with the aid of her Flamethrower, she just about avoided the powerful attack.
"Oniiiix!" The metal of his Iron Tail was a poor match-up for Fennekin's fire. Grant scoffed before he moved to counterattack.
"Rock Polish, then Iron Tail again!"
As Onix began to race across the field, picking up more speed, a thought struck Serena's mind. Grant was using a Steel-Type move, a type that Fennekin resisted. He was underestimating her.
Perfect.
"Keep dodging, Fennekin, and use Flamethrower!" As Onix barreled down on her once more, Fennekin leapt into evasion. She scrambled and rolled across the field, just barely dodging her opponent's attacks by the skin of her teeth. The display was clumsy, but it was just effective enough.
Grant furrowed his brows.
"You're clearly up against a wall you're not ready to climb, Serena. Even compared to where Ash and Froakie were, weeks ago, this won't be enough!" he declared, throwing his hand forward. "Onix, grab Fennekin!"
"Oh no!"
"Fenn!?" In an instant, the rock snake was upon Serena's partner, binding her in place with his stoney body. She struggled against the tight bind, but was unable to move an inch.
"I'd rather not hurt your Pokémon anymore than I have to, Serena. So I'm giving you the option to recall her now." Grant's earlier intrigue had all but faded away, replaced now with disappointment. He had expected better from the trainer who'd defeated Viola in such a grand fashion.
His overconfidence was Serena's boon.
"Gotcha!" With a tone nearing cockiness, Serena snapped her fingers, before pointing them towards Grant. "Right where we want you! Fennekin, it's showtime!"
Grant paused, snapping back to the battle in an instant. Though she was still struggling in Onix's grip, Fennekin was grinning as well.
"Use Will-O-Wisp!"
"What!?" Too close and too slow to possibly dodge, Onix stared in horror as Fennekin fired distinct plumes of purple flames. The attack consumed him in an instant, igniting his body with a fire that clung to his rocky skin.
"Oni— Onix!" All at once, the flames lit up, damaging Onix and forcing him to release Fennekin. There was no doubt about it— He'd been burnt.
"Fen! Ne! Kin!" Hopping out of her opponent's grip, Fennekin quickly made distance, leaping across the field until she skidded back to Serena's side.
Something had changed. No longer was she stumbling or just barely managing to keep her feet underneath her. Now, Fennekin was moving at the top of her game.
Serena grinned, as Grant realized what had happened.
"You had Fennekin pretend to be clumsy, to bait me into getting close!" he declared, shock turning into an impressed look. "And using an advanced technique like Will-O-Wisp! My-oh-my, I was so confident on this climb, I slipped from the very first perch!"
"I knew that you would underestimate me, after I brought Fennekin to this battle!" Serena declared, pride loud and clear in her voice. "And now I'm going to show you just how strong we are!"
"We'll see about that! No more games, Onix! Use Rock Tomb!"
"Dodge and get in close, Fennekin!" Part one of her plan was complete, now onto part two! Fennekin raced across the field, leaping and dodging as a swarm of stones barreled down around her. The attack was brutal, but thanks to the burn, Serena knew they had only half the power behind them!
"Knock them back with Iron Tail!" Onix reared back, ready to sweep Fennekin away in one blow. Yet, it was to no avail. His burn ignited all at once, damaging him and giving Serena the opening she needed.
"Use Hidden Power, Fennekin!" Again, on Serena's command, Grant stood shocked. Fennekin leapt and fired a plume of multicolored energy, which slammed into Onix and sent him reeling back. It was Super Effective!
"Your confidence in that command— How did you know that was the appropriate type?" Grant ordered Onix to go on the move, maintaining distance from Fennekin as he considered his options.
"I had some help from my friends!" As Serena ordered Fennekin to pursue, her mind went back to days before. Sawyer's Treecko had resisted Fennekin's Hidden Power, meaning it couldn't be a Fire or Bug-Type move. That left one option—! "Use Hidden Power, Grass!"
"Dodge it, Onix!"
"Fenne! Kin!" Leaping into the air, Fennekin fired another plume of energy. Onix turned to evade the attack, but was stymied again. His burn flared up, locking him in place as the Super Effective attack hit dead on.
Grant's Pokémon reeled, head swimming as he tried to get his bearings. In his sight, he saw not one Fennekin, but three or four, spinning across his vision.
"Onix, finish this with Rock Tomb!"
"Meet it with one more Hidden Power, Fennekin!"
Furrowing their brows, Fennekin and Onix dug deep and charged up their final attack. Boulders of solid stone formed in the air behind Onix, while Fennekin's biggest attack yet grew in her maw.
"Go!" With a unison call from their trainers, they attacked! Stones barreled down on Fennekin, who fired a thick beam of rainbow energy to meet them. In an instant, the boulders were swept away, and Fennekin's attack went for their source.
"Onix—!?" It was a direct hit. Onix struggled against the doubly Super Effective move for as long as he could. For a moment, he seemed to withstand the blow.
Yet, with one final flare of his burn, it was done.
Onix collapsed, swirls clear in his eyes.
"Onix is unable to battle! The first round goes to the challenger!"
𝒴
Serena's heart raced, the blood rushing through her veins so fast she could practically hear it. This was what she was looking for, that high of adrenaline she only got in moments like these, the turning point of a decisive battle. Part two of her plan was a complete success, and now she just had to bring it home.
Grant recalled Onix in silence, taking a moment to stare down at the Poké ball in his hand. He silently thanked the Pokémon within, before looking ahead once more.
"My first mistake was underestimating you. When Viola told me about your performance against her, I had assumed her to be embellishing. She was always the softer one when it came to new trainers." he explained, his neutral expression turning to a small smile. "But you are a deceptive challenge. Making any assumption very well may be what causes me to slip from this climb."
"You've got that right!" Her cockiness flared for a moment, fueled by the adrenaline that was slowly coming down. Shaking her head and finding her senses, she tried again, this time with her cheeks flushed red. "I— I mean, thank you."
Grant snorted and raised a new Poké ball forward.
"Serena, you asked me to battle using the same team I challenged Ash with!" he declared, rearing back in one motion. "Now, I battle with the same care I challenged him with! It's all down to this! Tyrunt, go!"
Appearing in a flash of red light, Grant's second Pokémon took the field— Tyrunt. The tiny tyrant scraped his clawed foot across the ground, digging a trench as he locked eyes onto Fennekin.
It was on.
"Rock Tomb!"
"Dodge and use your stick, Fennekin!"
At their trainer's command, both Pokémon burst into action. Tyrunt charged a lightning-fast barrage of stones, whilst Fennekin leapt to evade, avoiding the projectiles with guile to her step. All that training with Eris had paid off.
"Fennek! Fennekin!" Making space, she wrenched her head up, sending the twig behind her ear up into the air. In one quick motion, Fennekin charred and consumed her held item whole— sending the temperature in the air soaring. "Fenn! Fenn! Fennekin!"
A mighty cry and burst of flames cleared the air, as steam and cinders began to pour from Fennekin's ears.
"So this is the power you used against Viola!" With a command, Grant sent another barrage of Rock Tomb crashing down towards Fennekin. "We'll see how much good it does you now! Use Crunch!"
"Blow them back with Flamethrower!"
Charging ahead with a burst of speed, Tyrunt raced towards Fennekin, a swarm of boulders following in his wake. In opposition to this thundering force, a wall of flames rose to meet them!
"Fennekin!" Fennekin fired a gargantuan pillar of fire from her maw, consuming the entire battlefield in an instant. Yet, it was for naught. "Fennek!?"
Bursting through the crackling flames was Tyrunt, who slammed into Fennekin and sent her flying!
"Fennekin!?" In an instant, Serena realized what had happened. Tyrunt was a Rock and Dragon-Type. He doubly resisted Fennekin's attacks! "Get back and use Hidden Power, Fennekin!"
"Dodge and finish your Crunch!"
Landing into a roll, Fennekin whipped her head up and fired, launching a plume of multicolored light towards the charging Tyrunt. Yet, her opponent merely juked past it and pressed ahead, his maw wide open.
With a sudden dive, Tyrunt slammed into Fennekin, snaring her in his jaw and biting down hard.
"Nekin!?"
"Toss her, Tyrunt!" Before Serena could respond, Tyrunt spun and pitched Fennekin straight into the air. She was a sitting duck for his next move. "Rock Tomb!"
"Hidden Power, Fennekin!" By pure luck, Fennekin caught her bearings at just the right moment. Looking down at Tyrunt from her height, she fired!
The rainbow-colored beam of Hidden Power cut through the barrage of stones, deflecting just enough to keep the attack at bay. Unfortunately, it did little to deter the attack's source.
"Dragon Tail, Tyrunt! Ground her!" In a single bound, Tyrunt leapt into the sky, his tail coming alight with green scales. With a flip, he swung down to finish the job!
There was nothing left for Serena to do, but to move on to part three of her plan.
"Will-O-Wisp, Fennekin!" At her call, Fennekin furrowed her brows and fired, sending a smattering of purple flames flying through the air. None of them, however, would make it close to Grant's Pokémon.
Tyrunt slammed the Dragon Tail down onto Fennekin, and launched her to the ground below. In an instant, the deed was done.
Serena felt her heart skip a beat, for a moment losing her cool as she saw the dust fully fade from the battlefield. Fennekin was down, and now Serena would have to finish this without her.
"Fennekin is unable to battle! The second round goes to Grant!"
𝒴
"Thank you so much, Fennekin." With a soft, quiet tone, Serena returned Fennekin to her Poké ball, before pressing it to her chest. "Thanks to you, we have a shot at winning this."
Serena watched as Tyrunt landed back onto the ground with a grunt, hopping back to Grant's side with a fierce and powerful roar. There was no doubt about it— Grant wasn't going easy on her.
Time to see if that would change.
"Let's bring this home, Eris!" At Serena's call, her Eevee took the stage, hopping into action and pacing across the field with a skip to her step. There was a mischievous, playful look in her eyes, accentuated by a wink she gave Grant and Tyrunt, as she approached.
"Eeveui!" As cute as the display was, it did little to impress Grant.
His brows furrowed once more.
"You've shown some impressive battling so far, Serena, but your confidence on this climb has exceeded your skill!" he declared, crossing his arms and loosening his stance. "What do you expect to do with an Eevee? It can't possibly have a move that could possibly hurt my Tyrunt."
Serena remained silent, her expression steely in the face of Grant's doubt. Then, her lips curved into a smile.
"You've done it again," she retorted, making Grant pause, making him focus not on Eris, but on Serena herself. With his attention in hand, she snapped her fingers. "You've underestimated us! There's one move Eris can use! The move that'll win me this match!"
Grant balked.
"What're you talking about? An Eevee can't learn anything that'd be effective here!"
"No, but a Fennekin can!" Ash's words from days ago played in Serena's mind. Copycat lets Eris copy the last move that was used— whatever last move was used. "Eris, Copycat!"
"What!?" Grant's eyes widened, as he realized her intent. The last move used was Fennekin's Will-O-Wisp! "Tyrunt, move!"
"Veeveevee!" At Serena's command, Eris cheered, going into a roll as she recalled her days of training with the move. Puckish, naughty fire, flames that cling with guile and craft— Calling upon her memories, Eris evoked the move once more! "Eevui!"
Tyrunt juked to the side, but was too close to avoid the attack. The purple fire consumed his body in an instant, igniting into a flame that sent him reeling.
The deed was done, Tyrunt had been burnt!
"Now get away, Eris! And use Tail Whip!"
"Follow her with Crunch!" Grant grit his teeth, immediately racing to regain control of the battle. Once again he'd grown overconfident, and now it was coming back to bite him.
"Eeveui! Veevee! Eeeeevee!" Racing across the battlefield, Eris immediately went into evasive maneuvers. With hops and rolls, and a light skip to her step, she danced around her pursuer, dutifully dodging Tyrunt's every attempt to bring her fun to an end. Every time he got even close to chomping at her heels, his burn would flare up, losing him ground once more. "Veeveevee!"
With a teasing shake of her Tail Whip, Eris sent Tyrunt's defense plummeting.
"Make up the distance with Dragon Tail, Tyrunt!"
"Dodge it, and Copycat!"
Springing off his tail for a burst of speed, Tyrunt shot towards Eris, ready to send her flying. She was too quick on her feet, however, and swung away at the last moment!
"Vee!" Rolling on her heels, Eris watched Tyrunt's Dragon Tail with an intense look. With a grin, she got it. "Eevee! Veevee— Vee!"
Her tail came alight with a green aura, matching Tyrunt's, tit-for-tat. She took only a moment to admire herself, before it was time to put the move to the test. She swung wide.
"Tyrunt!?" Grant stood flabbergasted, as Eris swept Tyrunt off his feet, sending him crashing into the ground. When Tyrunt's burn added insult to injury, Eris laughed at his expense. "No more playing her games— Get back and use Rock Tomb!"
"Dodge them, Eris!"
Growling, Tyrunt hopped up and made distance, instantly calling upon a swarm of stones to rise at his side. Through the anger and his burn, he locked his gaze on the jubilant, frolicking Eris, and fired.
The stones thundered down onto the battlefield, seeming to overwhelm Serena's Pokémon in an instant. Yet then, through the smoke and crashing boulders, Eris appeared!
"Veevee! Eeeevui!" She sprinted across Tyrunt's field of vision, just barely dodging Tyrunt's attack as it thundered at her heels. When he tried to head her off, she bounced off her front paws and sprinted back the other way.
Through that entire exchange, she was laughing.
Grant tightened a fist, before a small smile crossed his face.
"I have to congratulate you for holding on this long, Serena. You and your Pokémon have truly defied my expectations, time and time again!" In an instant, Serena locked in. His tone, it was too congratulatory, too soon. Not only that, she recognized it. Grant snapped his fingers, and called Tyrunt back to his side. "It's time I pushed you where your defenses lack the most! With raw firepower!"
Serena gasped.
"Come back, Eris!" She did recognize that tone. She'd heard it the last time she was here. Grant was about to use—!
"Let's end this! Tyrunt, Draco Meteor!" Grant's command echoed across the gym, stunning Serena in an instant. All at once, the fire in her veins turned to ice.
Draco Meteor, the attack that Clemont had called the strongest, the attack that Ash and Pikachu needed their craziest maneuver yet to overcome. She had hoped to close out the match before Grant would ever think it needed, but between her confidence and Eris's posturing, they'd pushed him too far.
Now she faced his ultimate attack, and all she had was her own panic.
How could she possibly beat this?
Tyrunt wrenched his head up, charging a plume of blazing fire at his maw. Before Serena could even think of a counterattack, he fired, and a blast of pure energy was sent rocketing into the air.
It was with this, that Serena's eyes widened.
"Eris! Copycat, one last time!" she declared, desperation and exhilaration running through her voice all in one. Eris, always quick to the draw, was already halfway through committing the move to memory.
Grant scoffed.
"It's pointless. My attack will reach the peak of its climb long before yours!" he declared, as Tyrunt's Draco Meteor was already nearing its summit. "Merely emulating the same techniques will get you nowhere, Serena!"
"I'm more than just emulating! I'm taking what I've learned, and going my own way!" she declared, fire burning in her eyes and in her veins. With a heart crying out for the battle's end, Serena made her move. "Eris! Fire the Draco Meteor, at Tyrunt!"
"What!?" Grant stared in horror as Eris cocked her head back down, the whole power of a Draco Meteor pulsing there in her jaws. Rather than firing it into the air, like the move was meant to be done, she aimed it dead ahead. "Tyrunt—!"
"Eeveui!" With a call far too cute for the power behind it, Eris fired.
What came next happened in a flash. In a single motion, Eris was launched into Serena's arms as her attack blitzed across the field. Tyrunt had barely a moment to respond before Eris's Draco Meteor hit home.
It was a direct hit.
An explosion took the field, followed by a cacophonous cascade from Tyrunt's own attack hitting moments later. The entire battlefield was soon consumed in a chain of overwhelming explosions, the light blinding both competitors as they waited for it to end.
By the time the sound and lights died down, all that remained was the smoke.
"Come on, come on." Serena squeezed Eris in her arms, for a moment not wanting to let her return to the battlefield until she was sure the deed was done. Soon though, she released her Pokémon, and allowed her to take a stand again.
The two stood side by side as the smoke finally cleared and revealed the results of the match. Grant stood astonished, with Tyrunt laying in a heap before him. There was no doubt about it.
He was knocked out.
"Tyrunt is unable to battle, Eris wins! The winner of the battle is, Serena!"
"Yes!"
"Eevee!"
𝒴
Serena leapt into the air, her heart racing and head swimming with excitement. They'd done it, they'd really done it! Like climbing a mountain, Serena felt like she could barely breathe, all from the ecstasy of their victory.
"You were perfect, Eris!" With a laugh that was nearly cackling, Serena swiped Eris off her feet and tossed her into the air. "Just perfect!"
"Veeveevee! Eeveui!" Eris giggled as she landed back in Serena's arm, throwing her weight out so far that Serena actually fell forward.
Landing on her knees, Serena let out a pure, unadulterated laugh, pulling Eris into her chest for a loving hug.
The two's celebration went on for a few more moments, until a shadow fell over them. Serena's laughter petered to a stop as she looked up.
Grant stood before them, a smile on his face and hand offered to pick Serena up. She took his offer.
"Stand tall. After a climb like that, you should stand and see how far you've come." Pulling Serena to her feet, Grant brought his challenger up to face him, head-to-head. He let out a sigh before speaking again. "Perhaps pride was my greatest failing today. In the course of a single battle, I managed to underestimate you three times."
"Well, I can't say I blame you. That was my plan after all!" Serena giggled, pressing her face to Eris one final time. "Who would've ever figured this little bundle of joy could do so much!"
"Eevui!"
Grant snorted, as his gym attendant approached with something in hand.
"Indeed! Even the most unsuspecting of climbers can scale any wall, with the appropriate motivation and training. Serena, you and your Pokémon have achieved just that." Reaching back to his attendant, Grant found what Serena was looking for: her prize. "I'm proud to bestow you with this— The Cliff Badge!"
Serena took the badge into her hand, pitched excitement bubbling on her face as she raised it up. Soon, she could hold it in no longer. With Eris in hand, Serena leapt into the air.
"We did it! We got—!" Landing on her feet, Serena raised the badge to the sky. "The Cliff Badge!"
"Veevee! Eevee!"
Notes for Pokémon Battling #6: It's not enough to just learn or emulate good strategies. Coming up with your own ideas is how you truly grow!