Artazon was certainly an artsy place, with its stone walkways resembling mosaics, colorful flower beds, and Sunflora statues in flamboyant poses. The air felt fresh and vibrant, likely because of all the plant life, and a Florges with a cheery-eyed human child in tow looked perfectly content as she delicately touched some sprouting blossoms. Tempting scents of grilling meat and fragrant sauces wafted from a food cart near a large pool, not too far away from which was the sweet scent of freshly fried churros. Children played in an artsy maze with cut-outs in its walls and statues interspersed among the panels, off in the distance spun a windmill… or at least, the closest it could get to spinning with its choppy movements that seemed to start and stop every other second. Whatever the case was, it seemed Artazon was a pleasant, if not eccentric, place to call home.
"I've never seen a windmill move like that," Dylan mused, looking at the haphazardly spinning blades.
"M-maybe it's broken," Astrid said with a shrug, glancing around.
Igor, however, seemed to appreciate the Sunflora statues more than anyone, for he glanced at one and said a quick "Igo!" while striking the same pose it held. "Igo! Igo!" More poses followed.
Astrid, though, gave a glance to her phone's map and scanned the vicinity before saying, "Okay. Let's go to the gym first, and we can sight-see and enjoy the town afterwards." She glanced to the Flamigo next to her. "I'm sure you wanna show off."
In response, a fanciful spin and a flamboyant pose from Igor followed. "Igo."
Toast wagged his tail and yapped happily, clearly in a playful mood, and Mimi gave a tug at Astrid's pant leg, to which the shy lass picked her up and let the little orange critter crawl onto her shoulder. Toast simply had to yap at anything that moved, getting some giddy waves from children, and Igor certainly appeared to be strutting his stuff with more eyes around to notice him. Mimi was perfectly content watching the surroundings and occasionally vocalizing a "Miiii," nestled comfortably against Astrid's neck.
"H-hey, Dylan," Astrid said as they made their way to the gym. "W-What are gyms like where you're from…?"
"Well, they can vary a lot," the lad next to her replied. "Some of them incorporate quiz questions or roulette wheels, one was a sled race, one was a dance-off, Ashton went skydiving off the tallest building in the world for one-"
"Huh?!" Astrid inquired, shooting him a stunned glance.
"You know… just normal gym things," Dylan said, shooting her a hapless glance back.
Astrid thought for a moment. "Well… the last gym in Johto involves a maze of moving platforms in a pit of bubbling lava… I guess that's pretty dangerous too…"
At that, she felt her phone buzz and zip out of her pocket, a message from Raijin displaying that read, "Should I be worried…?"
Astrid's expression shifted for just a second before she replied, "Well… it's not like anyone is trying to push you in. You just… better not jump off the edge."
The phone simply floated alongside her for a second before another message appeared on the screen- a simple "Duly noted." Maybe he wasn't out and about to display his mannerisms, but it was fairly easy for his comrade to tell he wasn't quite convinced but all the same wasn't going to protest.
"Besides," Astrid mused with a shrug, "if given the choice between dealing with a lava maze or dealing with floor after booby-trapped floor of Stakatakas hurling bricks at anyone they don't recognize… I know which one I'm picking. One is friendly competition with a daredevil touch, the other is just blatant murderous intent."
Dylan eyed her for a second. "…Maybe it's a good thing we didn't end up visiting your world like Delphi wanted."
"Miii," Mimi piped up, her ears flicking as she too eyed her human.
"A-ah, it's… not bad once you settle in," Astrid noted. "You just… shouldn't go wandering into caves or strangely thick rows of trees if you don't know where you are and what you're doing, because the wild ones will see you as an intruder."
"Always take a friend with you, just in case," another message from Raijin appeared on Astrid's phone.
"And whatever you do, if you find yourself interacting with a Kecleon… be on your best behavior," Astrid added, getting a sudden assertiveness to her tone.
Dylan eyed her some more. "Kecleon? What's so threatening about Kecleons?"
At that, the shy lass thought for a moment before replying, "W-Well… I don't actually know, to be honest, b-but… g-given how even the most seasoned expedition teams tell you not to mess with Kecleon… I'm too terrified to find out what actually happens. M-Maybe we could ask Delphi…"
Shortly, the gym doors were sliding open and the lot of them were stepping inside, Toast happily wagging his tail and Mimi flicking her ears, but Astrid, on the other hand, gave a jolt of surprise. The inside of the gym was laid out more or less the same as the prior one with its counter tended by a staffer and screens mounted to the wall… and just like the last one too, there was Nemona, who appeared to be chatting up the woman at the counter but abruptly stopped. Mimi flicked her ears and Toast yapped, wagging his tail, while Igor didn't seem too fazed one way or another. Dylan certainly recognized the other lass too, perking up a bit at seeing her, but Astrid froze up entirely.
Immediately, Nemona whirled around with a big grin on her face and came striding over, greeting them with a boisterous, "Vaya! Astrid and Dylan?!"
"Hey, Nemona," Dylan replied.
"A-Ah…" Astrid stammered haplessly.
Nemona giggled, clasping her hands together with a big grin. It's so wild that we ended up randomly visiting the same gym at the same time- again! What a weird coincidence…"
Astrid froze up even more, blinking in utter silence. Dylan, though, was quicker to vocalize. "Nemona, are you trying to watch out for Astrid? She's fine- you don't have to worry."
Even little Mimi had to chime in with a "Miii…" as she flicked her ears and tilted her head to the side.
The exuberant one laughed. "Oh, I know she's capable! I swear I'm not just sneaking ahead of you so I can lie in wait and go, 'Oh wow, weird, might as well battle now that you're here!'"
The shy lass' eyes shot wide. "U-Um, N-Nemona…"
Dylan eyed her uncertainly too. "That's a little weird to say, isn't it…?"
"No, seriously!" Nemona brushed it off as if absolutely nothing were amiss. "Look, to prove it, I won't even challenge you to a battle this time! Much as I'd like to…"
"Miiii," a certain little Pawmi on Astrid's shoulder piped up.
Nemona perked up even more and reached out to scruff Mimi's cheeks, which the little orange one didn't protest. "Oh, you're ready to go just like last time, aren't you~?" she cooed.
"Miiiii."
"N-Nemona," Astrid said, still soft but more firm.
The exuberant lass looked to her with a smile and replied, "Qué?"
The shy one froze up for just a second but answered, "U-Um… A-After the gym, d-do you… w-wanna get some churros together…?" She looked to Dylan. "Y-You too."
Nemona's face practically lit up with excitement and she pumped her fists in the air as she replied, "To celebrate your inevitable win?! Absolutely! That's the spirit, Astrid!"
Astrid blushed slightly, shrinking up a bit and stammering a hapless, "A-Ah, y-yeah…"
"I won't turn churros down," Dylan affirmed.
"My treat!" Nemona declared. "I gotta encourage an up-and-coming star, or I won't have anyone to battle with!"
Even brighter red went Astrid's cheeks, and she quickly glanced down to the floor to hide it. Mimi and Toast couldn't hide their excitement, the latter yapping and wagging his tail while the former let out a contented "Miiiii," and though Igor wasn't too fazed, he did relax his fanciful posture for a moment.
Nemona, though, still had other ideas, and kept on, "But look at you and your Pokémon! They've definitely gotten stronger since last time! Add these to the mix and you'll be a hundred percent set to go, no problem!" She practically shoved some items into Astrid's hands, making the shy lass flinch slightly. "I'll be cheering for ya! I'll go train, like, twenty or so Pokémon while you tackle the gym!" Off she darted, the door barely sliding open in time before she was sprinting out and waving as she did. "Have a fruitful challenge! I'll be waiting!"
The door shut, and she was gone. Astrid simply blinked, staring haplessly at where she'd been moments prior, and Dylan wasn't too far behind. "She really gets into it, doesn't she…?" Dylan mused.
Astrid sighed. "She can follow me around if she wants to, but I'd much rather she be honest about it…" her voice trailed off. "I figured maybe hanging out a little would… w-well…" Another hapless sigh followed as she turned towards the gym counter again. "Where's Arashi when I need him?"
Her phone buzzed and another message from Raijin followed. "He hasn't contacted us in a while. Do you think he's alright by himself?"
"Well, he told us not to worry," Astrid replied, thinking for a second before opening up her texting app. "Still, it wouldn't hurt to check in…"
"Wouldn't hurt for me to check on Ashton either," Dylan mused, taking his phone out. "Arceus knows she- ooooookay, that says all I need to know…"
His reaction got the attention of the others, Astrid glancing over to see what had caused it and her phone (or rather, Raijin by proxy) floating in closer. It was Ashton on the screen, alright- a playful selfie taken next to a gargantuan Klawf who had clearly seen better days. Astrid's eyes got wide, her mouth hung slightly open, no sound coming out for a few seconds, and Dylan shook his head.
"Well, we don't have to worry about her, apparently," a message from Raijin came across Astrid's phone.
"I… Oh, Arceus above…" Astrid's voice trailed off.
"I'll give her a call later," Dylan said, stowing his phone back in his pocket. "Arceus only knows what we'll hear…"
The woman behind the gym counter got a smile and gave a friendly wave as they approached. "Welcome to the Artazon Gym! Are you both challengers?"
"Just her," Dylan answered, glancing at Astrid for a second. Wordlessly, Astrid nodded.
"Let me register you. Your name?"
"S-Sage," Astrid replied, still keeping up the pseudonym.
After a little bit more info-pulling and getting things squared away, the staffer looked back up and kept on, "Great! Now, in order to face Gym Leader Brassius, you'll first need to pass the gym test." She got a big grin and gave a friendly chortle. "Here at the Artazon Gym, that means completing a game of Sunflora hide-and-seek!"
Mimi perked up with flicking ears, Toast wagged his tail, and Igor didn't seem too fazed one way or another, simply eyeing the staffer. A game of hide-and-seek… it seemed easy enough, Astrid figured, but would've been a lot easier in her Decidueye body with its abilities to meld into walls and get an aerial view. Someday, she'd get those capabilities back and go home where she belonged, surely…
"As you may know," the gym staffer went on, "Artazon is a city of artists. The artwork made by the people here is largely inspired by nature and the sun that nurtures it. Since Sunflora embodies these concepts, we try to gather them and take good care of them! Your job today is to find the Sunfloras located throughout Artazon. Remember- these Pokémon look like sun-shaped flowers!"
Astrid certainly knew that, but couldn't help but to think the staffer was obliged to mention such in the event a brand-new trainer or two rolled through to get their first badge and hadn't yet familiarized themselves with the Pokédex. However, she did think of one question and couldn't help but to pipe up, "U-Um, ma'am, i-if I may ask…"
"Of course! What is it, Sage?"
She blushed a bit as she asked, "Y-you mean… real Sunfloras, right…? N-Not… sculptures?"
The staffer giggled. "Yes, real Sunfloras!" she affirmed. "Gather up ten of them and bring them to the Sunflora Lawn, and you pass the test. I'll register the Sunflora Lawn's location in your map app to get you started. When you leave the gym, turn right and you'll see two large Sunflora statues- head for those! Once you're at the lawn's entrance, the staffer there will tell you more about the gym test. Now get out there and have fun!"
Astrid nodded and turned to head out, Dylan close behind and Igor strutting his stuff beside her. The lawn certainly wasn't hard to find with its giant statues delineating its entrance very clearly, not to mention the Sunfloras playing in the soft green grass. They certainly looked happy- one was content to spread its leaves out and catch some warm rays from the sky, and two others chased each other around with giddy cries. It certainly looked like a comfy place to simply sprawl out and enjoy the day, surrounded by clean air and avant-garde sculptures that invited the eyes towards them. Another woman in sharp-looking staffer clothing waved amiably next to one big Sunflora statue, and the entourage headed her way.
"Hi there!" the staffer greeted. "I look after the Artazon Gym's Sunfloras. Which one of you is Sage?"
"M-Me," Astrid said softly.
"I hope you're ready, Sage," the staffer kept on with a grin. "It's time for a game of Sunflora hide-and-seek! I'll go ahead and ask the Sunfloras to spread themselves out around town!"
Some of them had apparently already caught on what was happening, for one came darting over and two more perked up the moment they saw the staffer conversing with someone else. A few happy intonations came from them, and shortly, the rest of the Sunfloras were turning their attention towards the lawn's entrance. Toast couldn't help but to yap happily and wag his tail, Astrid reaching down and grabbing him to keep him from being hasty about their challenge, but Mimi and Igor, on the other hand, were content to eye them from further away for the time being.
"Alright, Sunfloras, you know the drill!" the staffer called. "We have a challenger! Go run and hide!"
She didn't have to say much else- Astrid and Dylan both stepped aside as the Sunfloras flocked out of the lawn, waving their leaves and giving playful cries of "Floooooraaaaa!" as they ran off. Toast yapped and tried to run after a few, but Astrid's firm grip kept him from bolting off so soon. Igor simply watched them run past without a care, but Mimi, however, shifted herself around on Astrid's shoulder and hopped down, sticking close to her human but keeping a close eye on where their targets went.
"Alright," the gym staffer said after a minute or so. "The Sunflora should be ready for you. With that, your gym test has now begun! Once you've found ten Sunfloras, please bring them back here to the Sunflora Lawn. That's all from me, now! Good luck out there!"
Wordlessly, Astrid nodded and turned to start looking, setting the wiggling Toast down as she did. "Okay, ten of them. There's four of us- not counting you, Dylan- so that should make things quick."
Toast was way ahead of her, letting out a "Dooooouuuuuugh!" as he darted off to Arceus only knew where.
Astrid blinked, not protesting as he did so. "… Well, that works too."
Mimi, however, gave Astrid's pant leg a tug and vocalized, "Miiii," whilst pointing with her paw towards the playground.
"Lead the way," Astrid said, giving the little Pawmi a nod.
Mimi skittered off with Astrid close behind, Dylan and Igor following along likewise, and shortly they were traipsing about in the artsy maze where a Sunflora was doing its best imitation of a sunflower in an otherwise empty large flowerpot. Mimi crawled into the pot and gave it a friendly nudge, the Grass-type making some playful sounds before jumping out and waving happily at Astrid. Another wasn't too far away, poking at a vending machine's buttons but nothing coming out. Mimi sneaked up on the Sunflora, making it jump slightly when one of her paws touched it and gave a small shock. Nonetheless, upon being found, it too joined the entourage with happy mannerisms (though Dylan getting it a can of lemonade from the vending machine it poked at certainly helped).
"Igo," Igor piped up, pointing with one wing towards a flower bed.
"Good thinking," Astrid acknowledged, strolling the way he indicated. "A creature that looks like a flower hiding in a flower bed is always a good bet. We just have to look for one that looks back at us." She glanced down at her pocket and added with a slight grin, "With eyes that are visible, at least."
Her phone buzzed. "Appreciating the inclusivity," read Raijin's message.
At that moment, though, Toast came bolting back towards them with three Sunfloras in tow, yapping happily while his photosynthetic company tried haplessly to keep up. A surprised look went around the others, Mimi flicking her ears and Igor simply studying the canine and his tagalongs with slightly wide eyes.
"Well, you sure do make friends easy," Astrid noted, crouching down and giving him a pat between the ears.
The little Fidough yapped some more, wagging his tail and darting around between the Sunfloras as they finally caught up. Mimi and Igor both studied them, the former making some amiable intonations while the avian simply straightened himself up a bit without overtly striking a fancy pose. Clearly, he had to send a message, even if a subtle one- he was a prize.
"That's half of them," Dylan noted, looking over the Sunflora bunch.
Astrid nodded. "N-Not so bad. Keep your eyes out, guys."
To the flowerbeds they went, and finding Sunfloras there wasn't so hard- of course, they weren't bad at blending into a section of sunflowers, but the way they just couldn't resist waving when they noticed Astrid and her bunch getting close made it easy to pick them out. One stood taller than the others while two more were right next to it, one of the smaller ones immediately breaking its composure with the other two following suit. The bunch of Sunfloras became eight, and they kept close behind the entourage as they went to search for more, Toast yapping amongst them while Igor made sure to have a swagger to his step with their eyes on him.
Mimi gave Astrid's pant leg a tug again and said, "Miii," whilst pointing at a small street in between some houses and a restaurant. "Mi."
"Alright, let's look," Astrid acknowledged, strolling towards the street.
Some trash cans and a few stacks of boxes certainly didn't make for a street that was meant to be traipsed through, but it certainly made a good hiding place for small bodies. A Sunflora easily stuck out against the greys and browns of the street, its yellow petals and bright green leaves making it easy to see. Shortly the Sunflora brigade had its ninth member, and after Toast bolted off into a different side street, it numbered ten.
"A-Alright, let's go back to the Sunflora Lawn," Astrid said, looking over their petaled company.
Several happy cries of "Flora! Floraaaa!" or similar came from the Sunflora brigade, and shortly, the giant entourage was making their way back towards the gym. A few children perked up at the sight of the Sunfloras trailing along with their spirited steps, and Toast and Igor both certainly didn't mind the attention while Astrid kept her eyes mostly on the ground. The staffer perked up on seeing them returning, and shortly, the Sunfloras were going right back to playing in their field.
"Well done on finding all those Sunflora!" the staffer said with a grin. "You passed the gym test with flying colors. Now, please head back to the lobby at the Artazon Gym to report your result." Astrid nodded wordlessly, turning to do just that with the others in tow.
"You have a Flying-type, so this shouldn't be too hard," Dylan noted as they strolled back.
"Igo," Igor chimed in, strutting his stuff for a moment.
"W-Well, that makes things easy," Astrid acknowledged. "The last gym leader I faced, Katy, had a Teddiursa she Terastallized into a Bug-type… That's the one wild card here. I-I mean, gym leaders having Pokémon that aren't from their type of choice isn't unheard of- Whitney has a Clefairy and Clair has a Gyarados where I'm from- and sure, certain moves can change types… but those seem to be much more regular occurrences here. It's a little hard to strategize for something like that beforehand."
"But you've always been good at thinking on the fly," came a message from Raijin as her phone left her pocket again. "You've got this one. I believe in you."
"It makes for an interesting challenge, that's for sure," Dylan noted.
The staffer grinned as they approached the desk again. "It seems you successfully gathered ten Sunfloras and brought them to the Sunflora Lawn," she noted, giving a screen a glance. "That means you've cleared the gym test. Congratulations!"
Astrid just gave a small smile, still keeping her head slightly down.
"You've now earned the right to challenge the gym leader," she kept on. "Are you ready to challenge Gym Leader Brassius, the Verdant Virtuoso?"
Igor gave an answer before she could. "Igo," he said, striking a pose.
Astrid smiled more at seeing him and nodded. "Y-Yes."
The staffer gave a smile too and winked amiably at the Flamigo. "Very well," she said. "Let me show you to the battle court."
Out from behind the desk came the staffer, and she motioned Astrid and her company to follow along, which Astrid dutifully did with her Pokémon in tow. It appeared some of the townsfolk already had a clue there was going to be a match, for when they reached the court, located under the haphazard windmill, there was already a small crowd gathered around. The windmill itself wasn't moving, having apparently been stopped for repairs, though ladders and pieces of equipment could still be seen folded up at its base. The court itself was flanked by colorful shrubs and bushes arranged just so-so, patches of red next to yellow next to blue. Oddly enough, there was no gym leader as Astrid took her place on one end, but soon enough…
"Greetings, challenger!"
There was certainly a voice greeting her, but it certainly didn't come from where Astrid might've expected- her gaze quickly shifted upwards, where standing on one of the windmill's blades was a classy-looking man with tousled dull green hair and stern-looking grey eyes that stared directly at her. The 'virtuoso' moniker certainly made sense when she laid eyes on him- his maroon suit top with its bright green accents brought to mind a thorny rose with how it pieced together on his front and collar, and the motif extended to what looked like a thorny cable roll in one hand with one end attached to his belt.
"A-Ah-!" Astrid stammered, a bit taken aback.
Igor right next to her, however, wasn't fazed and let out an "Igo!" while striking a pose, returning the man's gaze.
One of the onlookers certainly noticed his antics and said, "Look at that Flamigo! He has attitude!"
That seemed to get the one on top of the windmill's attention, for he broke into a slight smile. "Hmph!" he grunted, crouching down and slinging the thorny cable around one of the blades.
Astrid couldn't help but to be even more surprised as he jumped down, the cable unfurling in his hands until he grasped only the end of it. It was quite an eccentric way to enter a battle court, swinging on what was made to resemble a thorny vine, but apparently it was par for the course seeing as the onlookers hardly batted an eye. Toast was enamored and Mimi watched curiously, but Igor apparently took it as a challenge, for he struck another pose whilst staring their eccentric company down.
"You did well to come this far!" he kept on, furling up his cable again. "I am Brassius- an artist specializing in Grass-type Pokémon. I am also the gym leader here at the Artazon Gym."
"H-Hi," Astrid squeaked out softly.
Igor, however, was much more vocal. "Igo!" he exclaimed, striking another pose.
Brassius' grin spread some more at seeing the Flamigo's antics. "I was observing your gym test from atop the windmill, you perception you displayed in finding Sunfloras was truly… Oh, how shall I describe it?" He deliberated for a moment, then burst into a big grin with enthusiasm easily seeping through in his expression. "Yes! It was truly avant-garde!"
Astrid blinked for a moment, looking a bit unsure. "A-Avant-garde…? B-But I j-just…" She wasn't quite sure how to finish the sentence. 'But I was just looking for Sunfloras' sounded dismissive, but at the same time, calling her methods of looking for Sunfloras 'avant-garde' seemed like a reach. She couldn't help but to think that maybe he had noticed Igor's strutting or, much less likely, that perhaps Toast had spontaneously turned into the most artistic Fidough in the universe when she wasn't looking.
Either way, Brassius had his thoughts, and he gave her a more pointed look as he said, "I only pray that you might demonstrate that eye for beauty in our battle as well. Enough talk! We must begin creating our collaborative work of art!"
Astrid wasn't going to protest, simply giving a nod and taking her place on the court while Brassius took his. Igor couldn't help but to flash one last pose as his human turned around, giving Brassius a challenging look as the gym leader strolled to the other side.
"That Flamigo is ready to tear the court up!" an onlooker exclaimed.
"He's gonna give us an eyeful, isn't he?"
Igor certainly made sure to strut his stuff as he followed Astrid, giving glances to the onlookers as if to tell them a resounding 'yes.'
Brassius, though, called as he grabbed a Poke Ball, "I trust that you are ready? It is time for our masterpiece to take shape!"
Astrid nodded, returning his gaze and calling back, "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't ready." She looked to Igor and said with a nod, "Go on, show your stuff for all it's worth."
The Flamigo gave a wink with one and cried, "IGO!" as he leaped into the air, gave a flap of his wings, and landed on the court in a battle-ready position with both wings slightly out and one leg bent for kicking. His spirited antics certainly attracted the attention of the onlookers- some smaller children pointed and grinned, and older adults watched him with a smile.
Brassius threw his ball, exclaiming as his comrade took shape on the field, "Art is creation and destruction! Struggle, else your defeat will nourish my Pokémon!"
Astrid let out a small sigh. "…They just need to start a contest hall over here."
A smallish, cutesy figure took form on the field- a Petilil, the leaves on her head pruned nicely and her eyes winking playfully. Igor didn't seem concerned at all, for he could very obviously look down on her, but Astrid knew better than to brush her off straight away. Unassuming as the little leafy one was, there was probably a reason she was first up.
"Detect, Igor!"
"Sleep Powder, Petilil!"
The Flamigo and his trainer both were glad they hadn't gone on the offensive quite yet, for Petilil was shortly filling the air with a sparkling silver powder- surely it was a lovely sight, but its effects weren't quite lovely for the target thereof. Igor's stance turned more defensive than anything, one wing held up like a shield while he drew his head closer to his body and covered his face with the other. Maybe it was a defensive posture, but it was still a sassy pose- Astrid couldn't help but to think it carried the same energy as a human making the 'talk to the hand' gesture to someone they were annoyed at.
"No mistakes, just happy accidents," Brassius mused indifferently as the move missed its mark. "Mega Drain, Petilil!"
"Double Kick!" Astrid called.
The little leafy one bounced closer and pounced at Igor, reaching out with two of the stubs on her body's lower half in a move meant to grab the bird, but Igor wasn't going sit by. He unshielded himself, albeit keeping one wing somewhat in front of him while the other flared out at his side, and took a skip towards his opponent without a shred of hesitation as if she'd invited him to dance. However, classy of a move though it looked, he wasn't going to let her touch him much less go for a dance, and one of his legs promptly shot out to give her a swift kick.
"Liiiiil!" the Petilil protested, her eyes turning flustered.
She haplessly went flying into the air, and as she fell back down, Igor gave a fanciful spin before delivering another swift kick. She fell in a heap, trying to wiggle her way back up for a second before seeing stars and going still.
"He took Petilil out in a single hit!" an onlooker exclaimed.
"He has moves! Did you see that?!" another cried.
Igor apparently noticed the attention he was getting, for he struck another pose with a cry of "Igo!"
Brassius, though he certainly couldn't have been thrilled about Petilil being dealt with so easily, nonetheless looked like he was thoroughly enjoying himself. "You scattered beauty regardless, Petilil," he said as he recalled her. "Smoliv! Add your touch!"
As he tossed another ball, another small figure emerged with a flustered expression and a fruit atop her head- a Smoliv, just as the gym leader had said. Even so, despite her also relatively tiny form, she was eyeing Igor as if sizing him up. The Flamigo didn't budge, for he knew he had the advantage, and Astrid did too. Even so, the oil dripping from her fruit had the potential to become a problem for its pungent smell if she got too close, and Astrid didn't want to take chances on Igor's concentration faltering because of Smoliv oil coating his feathers.
"Tackle, Smoliv!" Brassius called.
"Wing Attack, Igor!" Astrid likewise instructed.
The little Smoliv let out a spirited cry as she scurried at her target. "Liiiiiv!"
Igor didn't even bother trying to dodge. He simply stood there, wings folded in and feet planted plainly in the ground with a side-eye on his face. Without missing a beat, Igor waited for her to pounce, and the moment she got close enough to just barely touch her, flared one wing out to strike. He batted her aside like an Ursaring swatting a Cutiefly getting in the way of its fruits, Smoliv seeing stars before she even hit the ground.
"Another instant knockout!" came a voice from the sidelines.
"That was smooth!"
"Keep it up, Igor!" came another voice of encouragement behind them, one the Flamigo and Astrid both recognized as belonging to Dylan.
Igor certainly heard their voices and struck another pose, one wing partially covering his face and the other flared out like a coy dancer at a masquerade ball. "Igo," he said, suave but assertive.
"Mii! Miiiii!" Mimi cheered.
"Dough! Dooouuugh!" Toast likewise vocalized, wagging his tail.
Astrid giggled. "Yeah, he's a diva, alright...~" she mused, mostly to herself.
Diva though he may have been, it was easy enough to tell why- he'd probably never had a happy audience before. He'd gotten upset when he'd seen footage of other Flamigos dancing, and his own moves certainly didn't match theirs… but here he was, with enthralled eyes cheering him on, and he was playing it up for all it was worth. He looked proud, he looked confident.
Nonetheless, Brassius recalled Smoliv, giving her ball a friendly smile before he stowed it away and grabbed another. "This has promise! Yes! Let us lead this artistic endeavor to its conclusion at once!"
Astrid had to wonder whether he called every battle an 'artistic endeavor,' or if it was just this one worthy of the moniker- Igor appeared to see it as more of a performance than a battle. Maybe they had gotten lucky in dealing with his first two Pokémon so easily, or maybe another challenger would've had Sleep Powder scattered like glitter and Smoliv oil splashed about like paint on the court. She certainly couldn't help but to think Brassius would've been right at home in a contest hall, where the point was to make moves beautiful rather than to beat opponents… but no, he was a gym leader, not a contest star, and much like her home region of Johto, there were no contest halls to be found in Paldea. Maybe a battle could be called a work of art… but she was nonetheless scratching her head as to why anyone would bother to do so.
When Brassius threw his ball and the figure inside took form, though, she was quickly thinking that they weren't going to have as easy of a time as they had been up to that point. The brown, sturdy body greatly resembled a tree… but no, this was a Sudowoodo, a Rock-type. At the very least, Igor was half a Fighting-type, which made things less problematic if his foe decided to hurl rocks, but a Sudowoodo certainly packed a bigger punch than a Smoliv or Petilil. Igor seemed to know that too, for his posture turned less haughty and more ready to strike with his head closer to his body, wings slightly out to the side, and one foot drawn up.
"Allow me to touch this work up slightly!" Brassius exclaimed, reaching for something else- his Tera Orb. "I call him... 'Truleewoodo!'"
Astrid blinked. That name gave away everything she needed to know- Truleewoodo was about to become a Grass-type. "Hey, Raijin…" she said softly, getting a slight smirk. "You remember when you saw your first Sudowoodo…?"
Her phone buzzed and came out of her pocket. "And how I said its Rock-type physiology made no sense for the world it was native to? Yes. Now I feel better."
The shy lass couldn't help but to chuckle a bit at the memory of her Xurkitree comrade questioning why a Rock-type, a classification of creatures that didn't like water, would disguise itself as a tree, something that, on their world and plenty of others too, enjoyed being watered. She didn't know yet what Igor's Tera type was… but before she found out, she had other ideas and reached for Igor's Heal Ball. "Just hold on one minute, Igor," she said, recalling him. "Mimi, you're up."
The little Pawmi flicked her ears, looked up at Astrid, and nodded. "Mii," she said, rubbing her cheeks for a moment before darting onto the court.
"Oooh, is she scared?" an onlooker mused.
"Pawmi's an Electric-type!" another cried. "Grass-types resist electricity! What is she thinking?!"
"Why wouldn't she go for Fidough?"
Shortly, Truleewoodo was gleaming with a crystalline sheen, a crystalline flower sparkling atop his head that made him look more plant-like than his usual disguise would have an onlooker believe. Igor didn't stay in his ball and instead came out next to Astrid, eyeing her for a moment before eyeing Truleewoodo across the court.
"Charge, Mimi," Astrid instructed.
The little Pawmi set to doing so, carefully watching the one across from her while quickly rubbing her cheeks. Sparks danced around her paws, but her little back legs stumbled for a moment while her front paws were occupied, and she dropped onto one paw while still rubbing her other cheek.
Brassius clearly wasn't wasting any time. "At times, art becomes a race against the clock!Let us increase the pace!" he exclaimed. "Trailblaze!"
"Keep Charging, Mimi!" Astrid called. "Brace yourself!"
The little Pawmi did so, standing up and rubbing her cheeks as quick as her paws would go. A flurry of sparks danced around her face and spread to the rest of her too, her tiny orange body sparking like a miniature thundercloud. Truleewoodo was swift with his movements, sprinting towards her with surprisingly nimble steps for a Rock-type notorious for staying stationary. Perhaps the little Pawmi could have scurried out of the way had she not stumbled backwards on her hind legs, but she wasn't going to try, instead staying in place and rubbing her cheeks even as Truleewoodo pounced and clapped his branch-like extremities down on her.
It wasn't a weak hit, but Mimi's voice nonetheless sounded more sarcastic as she protested, "Miiiii."
"Sudooooo!" Truleewoodo likewise protested.
It was quickly apparent why Truleewoodo would protest- sparks danced along his body too, making it difficult for him to pick himself back up again. Mimi took a bit longer to pick herself up too, but her tiny mouth had a slight smirk on it as she shook herself off.
"Inflicting paralysis so the speed boost from that move doesn't make him too hard to deal with," Dylan noted as he watched.
"An avant-garde strategy," Brassius said, a mix between enamored and flustered.
Toast yapped and wagged his tail, cheering on his fluffy orange friend.
Astrid quickly reached for Mimi's ball and recalled her. "Good job, Mimi," she said, carefully stowing her ball away. "Igor, you're back in."
The Flamigo certainly wasn't going to protest, shouting an "Igo!" as he took to the court with another majestic gesture- he flapped to gain some altitude, tucked his wings and legs in, flipped, and landed in a fanciful pose whilst staring down Truleewoodo. The Sudowoodo was back to his feet, albeit looking less vibrant than he had to begin with.
The gym leader wasn't going to waste time. "Rock Throw, Truleewoodo!"
"Let's give 'em something to look at, Igor," Astrid said, grabbing her Tera Orb. "I don't know what your Tera type is, but let's find out."
"IGO!" the Flamigo hollered with pride.
Her Tera Orb sparkled and shined, and shortly, Igor was too with what looked like a red fist glittering atop his head. A Fighting-type- somehow, that certainly seemed more like his natural inclination, and though there were really only two types he could reasonably have as his Tera, Astrid wasn't surprised. Truleewoodo gave the ground a hard stomp, after which some rocks burst forth from it that he hurled at Igor, but the Flamigo wasn't fazed. Rather, he sidestepped one and gave a hard kick to another, shattering it into multiple smaller pieces that didn't hit nearly as hard as they otherwise would have.
"Igo," Igor said, taking a fighting stance again, practically daring the opposition to make a move.
"Trailblaze, Truleewoodo!" Brassius instructed. "Put the finishing touches on this piece!"
"Sudo!" the Sudowoodo exclaimed, darting off again despite the sparks.
"Wing Attack, Igor!" Astrid called.
"Igo!"
Trulewoodo might not have been moving as fast he otherwise would without the paralysis, but he certainly moved fast. Igor spread his feet apart for extra stability and held both wings out slightly, waiting until his target was close and pouncing before he struck out with one. His wing and Truleewoodo's branch met in the air, an audible thud as they hit, before they each withdrew.
"Keep Trailblazing!"
"Double Kick!"
Another hit came from Truleewoodo's branch, then from the other, but without missing a beat, Igor gave a swift kick with one foot to counter, then the other, adding a classy spin between them for an extra showy touch.
"Give this piece your signature!" Brassius exclaimed. "Show them who the virtuoso is!"
"Wing Attack, Igor!" Astrid hollered. "Show them you're better!"
Truleewoodo drew one branch back, and Igor held both of his wings up as if just beckoning him to make a move.
"Sudooooo…!"
"IGO!"
Truleewoodo's blow didn't connect, but Igor's certainly did, his wing bashing the Sudowoodo in the side of the head before his branch could hit. After a bit of stumbling, Trulewoodo sprawled out on the ground, one branch reaching up for a second. Igor watched with a sharp eye, staying in a ready-to-go stance, but after a moment, the branch went limp along with the rest of Trulewoodo.
Brassius took a moment, but soon, he was recalling Truleewoodo and exclaiming, "Avant-garde!" while running his hands through his hair hapless stupor.
A cry of "Igo!" resounded as Igor struck a pose again, his Terastallization fading and sparkling crystalline particles filling the air before dissipating.
Toast wagged his tail and yapped in excitement before darting onto the field, and Astrid was quick to follow him. The Fidough jumped up and down around Igor, clearly telling the bird what a great win he'd had, and Igor eased up, though his feathers fluffed out slightly when Astrid scooped him up in her arms. He didn't protest it though and let her pick him up, Toast still wagging his tail on the ground. Brassius strode over, and Astrid couldn't help but to clutch the bird slightly closer, partially hiding her face behind his neck.
"Oh! What artistic tactics you employ!" the gym leader acknowledged, grinning. "The patterns of your moves! The minute details of your Pokémon's performance! Everything you did was honed to perfection!"
Astrid smiled a bit, but it was Igor that replied. "Igo."
Brassius chuckled. "Our battle was, in a word, art!" he said, making some waving hand gestures. "Indeed, if we could not call that a work of artistry, then nothing else in this world could be labeled as such! If I were to judge your work, I would say it passes my inspection. Yes- a pass without exception!"
The shy lass blushed a bit, putting Igor even more in front of her face. "Th-thank y-you."
"As proof of your artistic prowess, you may have my Gym Badge!" Brassius declared, reaching into his pocket and producing a metallic object.
Seeing as her hands were occupied holding the bird, Astrid fumbled around for a second trying to shift him into one arm, but Igor simply reached out with his beak and took it from Brassius' hand. The gym leader still had a slight grin, but he didn't seem quite sure what to make of her antics- maybe hiding behind a Flamigo was 'avant-garde' in its own right too.
"Shall we take a photo as well?" Brassius asked, whipping his own phone out.
Before Astrid could stammer any words out, Igor let out a cry of "Igo!" in agreement. The Flamigo squirmed a bit and haphazardly climbed onto Astrid's shoulder, albeit standing there rather awkwardly seeing as he was considerably larger than Mimi, who could comfortably fit with her tiny body.
"A-Ah…!" Astrid stammered.
Nonetheless, Igor struck a pose that she didn't mind as Brassius too posed for the camera. It was certainly an odd, or rather, 'avant-garde' photo, seeing as Astrid's hands were visibly tense at her sides while a Flamigo wing completely covered her face. Igor's other wing was stretched out behind Brassius, his head and neck straightened up with one narrowed eye peering haughtily at the camera and the badge glinting in his beak. The gym leader laughed upon seeing it, but he was certainly going to keep it for its artistic value.
"To a fantastic trainer such as yourself, I would also like to offer this- a favorite of mine!" Brassius said as he reached for something else- a TM with a green sheen. "This is Trailblaze. I'm sure you can appreciate its beauty."
Astrid reached out and took it with a small nod, managing a small "Th-thank you."
Brassius' smile grew a bit bigger as he kept on, "Ah! My inspiration is overflowing, as if drawn from a bottomless well! I will begin on a new piece at once!" he declared, studying the figures before him for a bit more before turning away and darting off. "You must excuse me. Farewell!"
Astrid blinked, watching him make his exit. "I don't get it…" she mused to herself.
Igor, however, had other ideas, and crouched down slightly while nuzzling the side of her head with his beak. "Amigo," he said, noticeably less forceful than his other intonations.
At that, Astrid couldn't help but to grin, reaching up and giving him a nuzzle in return. "You're wonderful, Igor.~"
Nonetheless, shortly she was stowing away her badge as well as the TM. Igor slid off of her shoulders and onto the ground with Toast wagging his tail still, but as Astrid was opening her bag, however, Mimi emerged from her ball. The little Pawmi reached out with one hand, making Astrid pause.
"Miiii," she said.
"What is it, Mimi?" Astrid asked softly.
Shortly, the Pawmi herself had a shimmer to her as her body became cloaked in light- it wasn't Terastallization, and it wasn't electricity either. Toast yapped and Igor watched intently as the light started to shift, her figure becoming slightly bigger and noticeably less quadrupedal- that of a Pawmo. Her fur was still orange but more of a pastel shade, and though she was still fluffy, she looked… sturdier. Mimi herself gave her form a look, her eyes studying her paws and her feet wiggling for a second as if testing whether or not she could still stand on them.
Astrid smiled. "That form looks nice on you," she said softly, tucking the objects away.
"She might have trouble sitting on your shoulder," Dylan noted, strolling up to them. "That was a great battle."
Mimi, however, apparently wasn't too worried, for shortly she was crawling into Astrid's bag with a contented "Mooooo."
"A-ah…" Astrid stammered haplessly. "Well, that works too…" When she slipped her bag back on, the Pawmo draped her arms over both of Astrid's shoulders and peeked her head over one, clearly comfortable as could be. "Just be careful of Raijin's ball, okay…?"
"Mo!" was the easy reply.
Her phone buzzed, and a message from Raijin was displayed on the screen. "Don't worry, we won't give each other any trouble."
Astrid blushed haplessly. "That's not what I'm worried about," she replied, standing back up. "N-Nemona must be around… L-?et's give her a call."
"Already did as soon as you won," Dylan replied. "She was flipping out, wanting to know all the cool details."
"D-Did you tell her?" the shy lass inquired.
"No," her company replied. "I figured that was more your story to tell than mine. You understand your strategies better than onlookers do."
Her cheeks turned red. "Dylan!" she exclaimed, looking flustered. "I-…! O-Oh, Arceus above, she's really high energy…"
"Oh, you'll be fine- you stop stammering as soon as it involves a battle," Dylan replied calmly. "Let's go get some churros, shall we?"
"Th-that's…!" Astrid, though, was still stammering. Nonetheless, she couldn't protest, and let it go.
Toast yapped, Igor strutted, and Mimi lounged in Astrid's bag as they made their way over to the churro stand, Nemona's exuberance greeting them shortly. Astrid borderline wanted to hide behind Igor again, but no… the skipping and jumping lass reminded her quite a lot of her best friend, and they shy lass would give her a chance. After all, churros made everything thing better, surely.
Author's Note
Azakael: I just had to poke fun at the god-awful windmill framerate by making it misbehave whilst under repairs in this story. I also spent some time deliberating how in the hell I would describe Brassius when he came on the scene. My gut feeling was to call his shirt color "purple," but the more I looked at it, the more I realized I had not a freaking clue what color I was looking at so I picked "maroon" and called it a day.
… Also, if you caught the Bob Ross reference, you win a free internet.
TheDragonSaver: Compared to Katy, Sudowoodo is a much tricker ace to have for a Grass Gym Leader… on paper, at least. The Rock moves hit Flying and Fire types for good damage, but Terastallization kinda makes that moot when most Flying and Fire types at this point can A) out speed Sudowoodo and B) Sudowoodo just spams Trailblaze the whole time, so you're not in too much danger. Kinda shows how Tera Types are much more viable in competitive play rather than during the events of the story.