I convinced Dendra, with more difficulty than should be necessary, to at least let me wash my face, brush my teeth and change out of my pyjama. And then we walked a short distance to the nearest pokemon park.
As we walked across to the empty Pokemon Park, Dendra explained that she had arrived at Violet City yesterday, almost midnight, slept five hours and went to my room—she got the room’s number from Jess—to ask for a battle.
The rumours were true, kids do have too much energy.
The familiar grassy fields with delimiting white lines greeted us. The battlefields consisted of basically two big areas, one side for one trainer to release their pokemon and the other size for the release of the enemy pokemon.
The only rule was to not cause too much destruction.
As we stopped at the side of a battlefield, my body trembled with a shiver. I hadn’t put on a jacket before leaving, and it was chilly. The sun was still too weak to dismiss the cold from the night. I was already regretting this.
“How do you want to do this?” I asked as she released all her pokemon.
“I’m thinking...” Dendra murmured, looking at the lineup of pokemon.
I already knew Chopper the Makuhita, Cross the Hawlucha and Ress the Krokorok who used to be a small Sandile. They looked bigger and stronger than the last time I saw them, which briefly made me think about how my own pokemon would look to Dendra. There are also her new teammates, a Tyrogue she introduced as Twirl and a sleepy Teddiursa that didn’t have a name since it didn’t like anything that Dendra came up with. Which was fair.
“Well, Chopper needs to fight Cape of course.”
I glanced to the side where Valley, Cape and Mesa were chatting. The first had asked to fight, and Mesa just wanted to watch. Jungle and Mountain sleepily choose to go back to their pokeballs.
“Of course,” I said slowly, looking at the glare that the Makuhita was shooting at the Heracross. “Just so you know, Cape has become a lot stronger since the last time they fought.”
Between the fight against the Seviper and the battle with Jigglypuff, Cape could be confused with a five badge pokemon, even though he didn’t have the moves or the experience to back it up.
“Don’t worry, Chopper also got a lot stronger!” she said, and then whispered. “And I think that an insurmountable hurdle will push him to evolve.”
I whistled, “That’s a big word for a kid.”
She stuck her tongue out, “Okay, Chopper versus Cape, but we need an opener, a prelude, an appetizer! Hum, Teddy isn’t ready yet, so how about Twirl against one of your new pokemon?”
“Valley, my Minccino, really wants to fight.” I nodded.
“Valley, hum... I like that name,” she said. “Okay, let’s go then!”
Her team moved outside the demarcation together with Mesa, except for Chopper and Tyrogue, who followed her to the other side of the battlefield.
“The first battle of the match between trainers Dendra and Scott will begin!” Dendra shouted from the other side of the field. “Trainers, release their pokemons.” Valley and Twirl left our sides and reached the middle of their respective squares. “3... 2... 1...”
“Echoed Voice,” I said.
“Dodge and get close,” she responded.
The vortex of cutting wind almost chipped the fighting type, but Twirl was fast and was already dashing straight to Valley.
“Let’s test his mind, Valley.” I said, and the grey pokemon smirked.
She waited until the Tyrogue was almost upon her, and then unleashed her secret weapon, Baby-Doll Eyes. Twirl lowered his hands and looked down upon the pink glowing eyes of the little pokemon until she jumped into his face and used Pound with her tail.
The pokemon tumbled to the ground, stunned and confused, only to take in a follow-up Echoed Voice, cutting him slightly and making his body slip back.
“Tricky and cute pokemon!” Dendra shouted, “Twirl, get up.” The pokemon spun around, dodging another attack and pushed himself up, but didn’t look eager to engage the Minccino anymore. “It’s alright, Doll Eyes only works once per fight.”
I sighed silently, disagreeing. Baby-Doll Eyes works when a pokemon is caught off guard. Valley could make up a scenario in which Twirl would be confused enough to forget that Baby-Dolls Eyes was a possibility. Also, the longer the battle goes on, the greater the chance that he will forget to account for the move.
Yet, that invigorated the fighting type who bolted forward in zigzag and tried to Tackle Valley with a spinning kick. The smaller pokemon backed up but the Tyrogue used the moment to link another spin and hit the smaller pokemon at a particularly difficult angle, the little pokemon sailed through the air and landed near me with a backflip.
That was a good strike. Too good actually.
“Swift.” Valley used her newest move, courtesy of Velocity.
The four normal type energy stars, the maximum that Valley could make right now, crossed towards the pokemon who dodged them all with easy and time to spare.
“He learned Detect from Chopper then!” I asked Dendra, who grimaced. It was really common for pokemon to learn from their veterans. After all, a Charizard trained with an Arcanine wouldn’t fight the same as one trained with a Pidgeot. “Maintain distance, Valley.”
That would be what most Minccino would do, the response you should put on a pokemon battle test, but Valley was no normal Minccino. She trained with Cape after all.
She stayed just outside his range, baiting his punches and kicks, and then dodging at the last second. She led the Tyrogue on a wild chase, which confirmed a lack of ranged options. Some more minutes of running around with the now tired and enraged pokemon.
Valley finally flexed her acting skills and left open an obvious opening.
Before Dendra could warn him, Twirl dived at the bait with a spinning kick and Valley, faster than she should be, dodged down between his arms and spun her whole body into an attack that struck his head.
The fighting type lost his balance and slammed down. Then, it was a matter of striking the barrage of Swift stars, and he was out. Dendra recalled her pokemon.
“Nice work, Valley,” I said to the Minccino as she ran to my side. She responded with a happy squeak between deep breaths, and then lied down on the grass.
“You turn Cape, and try to go easy at first.” The Heracross slowly nodded and then tilted his head, asking exactly what he should do. “Just don’t use moves.”
“The second battle of the match! Trainers, release their pokemon!”
Her act was a little undermined by the fact that the two pokemon took their time walking to the middle of the field, they stood way closer than Valley and Twirl, less than two meters. Dendra was jumping in place as she counted.
“3... 2... 1...”
Cape wings opened up and flapped one time, pushing his fist forward like a bullet. Chopper’s palm opened and took the hit.
The punch connected, but the Makuhita’s body rotated backwards, his right shoulder and leg giving space for Cape’s fist to sail right through. And Chopper’s left hand, glowing with a dark orange, smashed down into Cape’s face.
The bug type spun around the ground, a bruise on his face. I could see the smug face on both the pokemon and the trainer.
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“That was Force Palm, Cape. It’s just below Brick Break in power.” Cape chuckled—he hadn’t got hit by a move like that since Jigglypuff—and charged.
Chopper expertly dodge to the side, and Cape followed him, trying to reach him. His punches and kicks came close but they never hit. The Makuhita had Detect and was faster than before. It also seems like he got some lessons on footwork as well.
Cape stepped forward, he stepped back. A punch was coming, the Makuhita was already pivoting away. The two pokemon danced across the battlefield and I stared at Dendra.
“Do you guys have a plan or something!?”
“Maybe,” she answered with a smile.
The Makuhita dodged two more punches and then his mood shifted, his neutral face hardened as his feet froze on the ground and he finally rotated forward to meet Cape’s punch. Two fists crashed, his fortified with orange energy. Chopper smiled.
“I see.” As the two pokemon were pushing against each other, it was easy to compare the two pokemon. Before they were about the same size, but now Chopper was bigger than Cape. “He was building and storing energy for a Bulk Up.”
The downside was that he couldn’t use another move without losing this one. It wouldn’t make any difference either way, of course.
Despite the power up move, Cape only seemed more thrilled. His wide grin proved he would gladly accept the challenge.
The two pokemon pulled back their fists and pushed them forward. The collision of fists produced a rumble, and then another, and another. A sudden storm of thunderclaps sounded across the Pokemon Center. Arms flew from one side to another as the two pokemon moved, changing places as their feet moved even faster than their fists.
The exchange lasted seconds, but it was clear that Chopper, who was smiling before, was now unnerved. The temporarily bigger pokemon stepped back. Cape eagerly tried to follow, but a Whirlwind—stronger than the ones back in Azalea—struck him on the chest.
The bug pokemon slipped back, a brief grimace on his face, and then ducked a Mud Shot.
The two pokemon were now severed. And while Chopper’s face was widely cautious, Cape’s jaw was slacked, as if he didn’t believe it.
I instantly realised what was happening; Chopper was shocked that Cape was able to withstand his Bulked Up attacks, and Cape was shocked that Chopper actually decided that he didn’t want to fight Cape up close anymore. For Cape, it must’ve been quite a betrayal.
For a second, Cape turned to me, face wide and body slumped with despair on his face just before a pack of blinking stars crashed into him.
The Heracross was pushed around again. This time using his wings to stabilise and land on his feet. Huh, looks like Chopper also learned Swift.
“Cape,” I said, taking piety on the confused pokemon, and then brought out my most sage-like voice, “the battlefield is too big. If you want to fight him up close, make it smaller.”
The pokemon face’s turned into a frown.
Pushing up from the ground to dodge another set of Swift stars, Cape flew straight up, briefly curving towards the horizon, and then dropping right towards Chopper. The Makuhita seemed surprise and, instead of retaliating, jumped back, probably to not lose his Bulk Up.
Cape turned and his leg smashed inside the soil. A pulse of energy travelled across the ground. Grass rolled away to give way to rising rocks. The rocks slotted into each other, creating a layered barrier made of eight rocks,
A small octagonal rock arena closed on Cape and Chopper.
Cape tore his leg from the ground, and pounced at a crouching Chopper before he could jump out. The Bulked Up Makuhita slammed into rock and a barrage of punches rained on him. He tried to retaliate, but Cape was holding back very little now. The dangers he faced forged him into a reaction monster, and so every glowing punch was dodged with a duck, and every kick was pushed to the side.
Until minutes later, when he got bored and allowed a kick to ‘push’ him back a little.
The Makuhita, with a swollen and bruised face and body, hands on the ground, took large gasps of air. He didn’t take his eyes out of Cape, who only looked back at his work with a friendly smile, funnily enough.
Cape lifted his blue arms and did the universal ‘come at me, bro’ move that every martial arts movie had these days.
Chopper, seeing red, pushed forward, easily reaching Cape and trying different types of jab from behind a boxer’s guard. If he were faster he would have a chance. Cape weaves back, ducks around and pushes away his attempts, slowly treading back.
Looking over the barriers at Dendra, I slightly lift a hand, asking if she wants to stop. She shakes her head.
Cape’s back reaches rock. The bug type sends a telegraphed punch towards the Makuhita’s face. The fighting type ducks the punch, choosing a faster knee to the face. The pokemon reels and another punch, stronger than the others, tumbles him back to the center of the octagon.
Chopper’s fuming, waiting for something to happen while conserving energy. Cape casually comments something at him that sounds like a taunt, and the pokemon freezes. His entire body stops, even the energy from Bulk Up fades, his body shrinking.
Shock changes to rage as he finally realises that Cape never took him seriously.
Chopper’s muscles tense and a bright white light washes over his body like a waterfall, starting from his head and descending to the rest of his body. The reverse silhouette began to grow. I looked until the light becomes too much, and when it fades,—together with the bright spots in my vision—I see another creature standing in Chopper’s place.
This new creature is more than double the size of Chopper. Massive hands connected to a large body with bulging muscles under a thick skin. It’s looking down in wonder, eyes bigger than it’s used to. His head snaps up when a smug Dendra reminds him they’re still in a fight.
The Hariyama takes position in front of Cape, who looks uncertain.
I can guess what he’s thinking, do they continue to duck it out, or does he treat it like a normal battle against a larger opponent. The experience of countless hours of training against larger opponents clashing against his simple desire to exchange punches.
“You can have fun later Cape,” I decided for him. “End the fight.”
Dendra stomps her feet and yell some profanity or another, and even Chopper’s giant right eye peeks at me. Their lack of focus works against them, for Cape’s uses his actual speed. Cape jumps forward and his wings drive him down, his glowing left foot crashing into the ground in front of Chopper.
Rock Tomb solidifies the ground and then breaks it. The giant stumbles forward above an uneven crater. His lack of familiarity with a bigger body not helping. Chopper only has time to widen his eyes before a fully powered Break Break smashes into his temple. The body folds to the side and his body slumps down. The recently evolved pokemon is now unconscious.
“A bigger head also means a bigger target.” I said, approaching the Octagon. “Good job, Cape.”
The pokemon flies to my side and replies with a smiling ‘Hera’. Dendra returns her pokemon with a massive grin on her face, and a bounciness on her step.
“Why is she so happy?”
Standing behind me is Jess, and not only her, there’s also a small crown of early risers watching.
“You didn’t saw the Makuhita evolve?” I asked.
“Ah, I see,” Jess said with a sigh. “No, I only saw the Hariyama fainting. I can’t believe I lost an evolution.”
“Jess!” The cheerful trainer crossed the battlefield and hugged the other girl. “Osu! Did you see Chopper evolve?”
“Sorry, Dendra,” the girl repeated. “I just got here.”
“That’s no problem, actually.” Dendra said with a smile, pointing to her pokemon who were reaching us. In the middle of them was Ress the Krokorok, and he was carrying a video camera.
---
“After Ress evolved, I decided to buy a camera to try to capture the rest of their evolution. It’s was a little expensive but worth it!” Dendra said as she took a bite of her sandwich. On the other side of the table, Jess and Aiden were watching the battle.
The four of us were eating breakfast at the Pokemon Center’s canteen. The twins were training, as would we if we hadn’t decided to skip training today to catch up with Dendra and her team. Aiden didn’t want to train inside a city so he was here too.
Dendra went on and on about her travels with Katy, Ronald and Emilia. Their progress through Union Cave and Route 32 to get to Violet City. Then going through Routes 36 and 37—where she got Tyrogue—to get to Ecruteak and then coming back alone from Ecruteak.
“Why did you came back without those three kids?” Aiden asked, even though he was just two years older than them.
“Oh, right, you don’t know, what’s with your standoffish attitude,” Jess rebutted. “Us three are part of kind of a club of first year trainers. Katy and Ronald started the group for people who have sponsorships, so the entire group wouldn’t have to worry about the waiting period, but shortly after Dendra also entered.”
The black-haired girl nodded, “Since I don’t have sponsorship, I just schedule the matches and then plan how to bounce back between scheduled matches instead of waiting around. I have a scheduled match against Falkner after the tournament, and just after that I will travel back to Ecruteak again to fight Morty.”
“I see,” Aiden said. “That’s a little crazy, no? No resting between matches.”
“I can manage,” she shrugged. “Besides, it just means that I will travel a little more than the others, and probably continue travelling a little more after they stop… Speaking of, I did take my time coming back, so the others are probably getting here today or tomorrow.”
We nodded at that, and then Jess began to explain how our journey had been, with me chipping in from time to time. Needless to say, Dendra wasn’t trilled about some stuff, like the emergency in Azalea, and really didn’t like the idea of Brian, or at least, the portrayal that Jess painted of him. I didn’t feel like defending him, even though he let the mask of dangerous dark type master drop afterwards.
Dendra did like our choices of pokemon, by the way she has not let Valley out of her lap still, so that’s that.
Our food was long gone when a hand tapped my shoulder. I glanced back to see Katy, Ronald and Emilia standing near our booth. Katy greeted us with a smile, while Ronald and Emilia also greeted us, but in a more mild manner.
Soon enough we learned why.
We knew that the entire group wouldn’t be able to go through the circuit losing no Gym matches. We also knew that Morty’s wasn’t an easy Gym to win against. It was still surprising to learn that both Ronald and Emilia lost the Ecruteak Gym Match.