Journey

Death of Duty

Part 1 – The Novice

Cascade

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The first badge is difficult. The second? Well, there's a reason so many trainers wash out of the League. — Leader Volkner Denzi of Sunnyshore City

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I stared intently at the catalogue, reading the prices with dismay. Gemma had suggested that we take a look at the trainer's market for a technical machine. I had no clue how they worked, but they could impart certain techniques into the minds of pokemon.

Luna's list teased me with possibilities. Agility, an ability could increase her speed even more than her usual quick attacks did. Hex, a ghost technique that targeted injuries like burns and used them to inflict as much pain as possible. Then, the one that I couldn't take my eyes off, energy ball. A grass technique that would give us a legitimate weapon against Misty. It wasn't an instant win, but it could turn the battle in my favour.

The list for my newest pokemon just baffled my mind. Ice beam and blizzard, shadow claw, and the most interesting of all thunderbolt and thunder. My mind danced with the ideas of forcing Misty onto her back foot with moves that would never be expected. Then I looked at the prices and sighed with all the earned frustration of a poor man in a rich world.

Perhaps if I'd had a sponsor I could have decked my team out. With my half of the bounty we had claimed, I could afford one. Only one. Only one counter to Misty. I sighed heavily. One wasn't going to win me the battle by itself and I was having serious doubts about my chances since the video session I'd had with Gemma in the morning.

"What do you think?" I asked, turning to Gemma. I showed her the page with my heart torn.

She scanned the page, looking over from her own catalogue of organic supplements and enhancements. "Why not both?" She said, knowing what I was torn between without asking. She shrugged. "Hell, I'll even buy a few of them for you."

I pulled the catalogue back. "Fine, I won't ask." I was sick of charity and despite everything I tried, Gemma was insistent. I slammed the catalogue shut, making my choice and handing my order slip to the clerk.

I turned to look at Gemma and sighed as she scribbled a hasty pair of additions to her own slip. "I hate feeling like this, Gemma. I don't like you buying everything for me."

She shrugged. "I already told you money wasn't a problem for me. Consider it a loan, if it bothers you that much." She passed her slip to the clerk. "You can pay me me back in instalments, no interest."

I glared at her with frustration obvious on my face. "Gemma, seriously I don't want it. Use it on one of your pokemon or something." I crossed my arms and turned to take the small disk from the clerk. "I'm not going to just TM my way to victory."

"Suit yourself, Novice." She took the three disks she had chosen and slipped them into a case in her bag. "Don't cry to me if she wipes the floor with you. You don't have a single counter to any of her pokemon."

I sighed as we left the market. "Like I'm gonna just let that happen."

"It's not about what you'll let happen," she retorted. "The second gym badge is the first real test of the gym challenge. It might still be a novice challenge, but it's intended to weed out the truly interested from the pretenders." She crossed her arms and looked at me as we exited onto the street. "Earning your first badge is easy. Your second?" She trailed off and I caught a far off look in her eyes. "It's meant to test what you're made of. It's meant to push you to the breaking point, to show you that you aren't invincible and force you to overcome some adversity."

I smirked and the motion brought a twinge of pain to my still recovering nose. "Good thing that I've already learned that," I said with a dry tone. "Heaven forbid she send out a paras. I might collapse in fear."

She punched me in the arm, scowling. "Don't be a sarcastic little shit. Do you know the numbers?."

I nodded, shit-eating grin still plastered on my face. "Less than half of all trainers manage to make it to their third badge, a quarter of those dropping out due to significant injury to their pokemon. I know what the odds are." I shrugged, unconcerned with the path I'd chosen. "I know what I want and I know what I have to do to earn it."

Gemma smirked knowingly. "We'll see about that." She pushed a pair of TMs towards me, one green, one electric yellow. "For now, listen to someone who knows better. Sometimes, you just have to TM your way through a fight."

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Introducing ourselves to my newest team member turned out to be a chore in its own right. After turning in from a hard day of training, I spent half the night researching training methods. Most of the league registered nido were trained from near-birth. Pack instincts were incredibly hard to break once ingrained in the mind of a pokemon and my new team member had fought me to the point of exhaustion. I couldn't find damn near anything about training freshly caught nidorino, save for a few warning videos where the nidorino gored the trainer.

Fortunately, I knew one potential way to establish a relationship with my new pokemon. Nidos were pack animals. I had to kick its ass and establish myself as the alpha of his new pack. I wasn't entirely happy about that either. Something felt wrong with beating a creature that I'm damn sure was at least as smart as I was. By the time the sun rose on the next day, my eyes were bleary and my head was splitting. I grabbed a coffee on my way out of the crappy motel I'd checked into at and met Gemma at the north gate of Cerulean.

We crossed the bridge out of town and passed by the now-empty tourney grounds. We kept to the route for the most part, only ducking off the route to keep away from other trainers when we'd left Cerulean far behind. I had Gemma stay upwind and out of sight. I needed the nidorino to respect me, not Gemma. I wouldn't be able to gain that respect if I had Gemma looming over my shoulder with her fearsome machamp. Hell, I would just be setting myself up for an ambush once I wasn't around her.

I raised the ball on my belt, Luna standing resolutely at my side. I glanced down at her and gave her my most confident smile. "Ready for this?"

She planted her feet and growled in agreement.

I raised the ball and set the auto-return function. It'd return the nidorino if he attempted to flee and got more than thirty feet from me. I tapped the release button, waiting for my newest pokemon to appear.

He materialized in a flash of red light, his head held low. He was small, much smaller than I remembered. Either he was a runt or he had just evolved from his nidoran stage. I had probably been one of his first real battles, and I had thoroughly embarrassed him in front of his pack before stealing him away.

I raised an eyebrow with as the thought that I might have already broken the pack mentality by capturing him. It would make things significantly easier.

He made no move to flee, no move to attack. He glanced between me and Luna as if he were analyzing us. I stopped, unsure of what to do. I'd been so sure of his guaranteed aggression, so sure that he would attack us on sight. I hadn't put any thought into a peaceful solution.

Luna barked once, stepping forward. I didn't move a muscle, my eyes glued to the nido. He still made no aggressive moves, watching and waiting as Luna slowly stalked towards him. His tail flicked back and forth slowly and I made my decision before Luna could ruin our opportunity.

"Hold," I ordered. "He isn't dangerous," I said, watching the little nido shiver in fear. "He's scared."

Luna stopped and sat. Her eyes never left the nido and the tension never left her body, but she sat and obeyed my order. I saw the smoke curling out from my vulpix's mouth and knew she was not happy with my order, but she obeyed it without question.

I stepped forward, petting the back of Luna's head as I passed. I watched the nidorino's ears perk up and swivel towards me. "That's good," I murmured.

I slowly lowered myself to his level, meeting his eyes and finding them surprisingly clear of anger. He had something twinkling in his eyes, something that I instinctively understood as good. "Want something to eat?" I asked softly. I kept my voice low as my hand slowly dove into my pack. "I've got some treats that Luna over here is fond of. We'll share with you."

I raised an oran berry and smiled. His eyes followed it, leaving Luna for half a moment before flitting back nervously.

"You're with us now," I said, fighting the urge to let my feelings overwhelm me. "a member of a new family."

Family was something I'd lost. I'd lost mine with the death of my sister, with the words my Pa and I had said to each other. But a trainer built their own family.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as clarity came over me. "You're a part of my pack now."

He wasn't aggressive. He was scared. Lost and separated from his pack, he needed a new pack leader and he needed it now. I stepped back, my heart pounding in my chest. With one smooth movement, I raised Luna's ball and returned her without a word. She wouldn't do me any good growling and spitting fire like she thought she was a houndoom. I had to be the pack leader here, not her.

He cocked his head to the side. I heard a growl and feared for a moment that I'd made a terrible decision. I raised the berry and attempted my best calming smile. I still saw the twinkle of fear in his eyes and knew that I wasn't in any danger. He was just scared.

"It's ok," I said quietly. "I won't hurt you again. You're my pokemon. You're the first one I ever really caught on my own."

I dropped the berry in front of him and lowered my hands. He crept forward and snatched up the berry eagerly, looking up at me with some confusion.

"You can come with me," I said softly. "You can be a part of something different."

My hand dove into the bag again and produced another berry. I held it out in my open palm, keeping my voice low. "You're with me now. I know it's not like it was with your family was, but if you stay with me you'll become strong. Stronger even than your old pack leader ever was."

He took the berry again, brushing his snout against my hand as he pulled the berry away. He devoured the berry and looked up at me expectantly, his short tail wagging excessively. I grinned back and knew that the beginnings of a familial bond was there.

"That's a good boy," I said, dropping to one knee. He nuzzled into my hand, careful to avoid scratching me with the spines covering his body. "That's a very good boy."

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"Any names yet?" Gemma asked. She had her feet up and a drink in her free hand. Her other hand had her pokegear up to her face, browsing through the day's news. "I still think your first idea was your best."

She glanced up at my nidorino as he shook off the confusion Luna had inflicted on him. He grunted angrily and blinked away the slow look on his face before bounding back after Luna. "Fits him best."

I shrugged. "Pride?" I suggested halfheartedly, quickly losing my patience with the entire naming process. "It's alright, but it just doesn't sound great to me."

"Well how did you choose Luna?" She asked. She bent down and scooped up Curie in her arms as my happiny bounded towards her. My baby had taken an absolute liking to Gemma, practically demanding that the new lady spend her time cooing in her face rather than training me and my team. "How did you choose Curie?"

"They just came to me, naturally. It wasn't like I was giving them a name. They had their names already and I just figured it out." I stood up, grinding my teeth as I watched Luna spar with the nido. He wasn't quick, or even overly powerful. He didn't fight dirty or resort to clever tricks like Luna liked to.

Try as I might, I just kept coming back to the same name. "Pride," I repeated, glancing back at Gemma for reassurance. It was in my head now and I was spiralling into doubt with my ability to name my pokemon.

I got none as Curie incessantly bounced on Gemma's lap, delighted by the exciting new game. She burped and turned a violent shade of green. I suppressed a chuckle as Gemma learned firsthand why bouncing a baby after feeding was a bad idea.

I turned back to Luna and the nido and made my decision. "Front and centre, team!"

Luna looked up at me as my nido barrelled down on her. She leapt over him easily and landed lithely in front of me. My nido attempted to skid to a halt, but he had already built up too much speed. He tumbled end over end and slammed into the tree with enough force to knock a half dozen berries from the branches.

I waited until he had sauntered back over to me, watching him give Luna jealous glares as he joined her side. He plopped down haggardly as his chest heaved with exhaustion. He was raw, not in battle shape and often slow to react. It was a wonder that he'd put up the fight that he had against Luna the first time.

"Alright, team, we have a lot of work ahead of us. Misty is a tougher test than Brock. She's got the type advantages and she knows that we're coming for her. I won't lie to you. This will not be an easy battle." I paced back and forth, looking down at my troops with all the fiery confidence I usually lacked. They needed it from me, and to be completely honest, it would be good for me to avoid self-doubt.

I produced a trio of TM disks from my pack and held them aloft. They glinted pink, green and yellow in the evening sun. "However, we've got a chance. If we're smart and lucky, we can pull off another upset." I lowered the TMs and looked down at Luna. "You're up first," I started. "How does moving even faster than a quick attack sound?"

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I groaned with exhaustion and stretched my legs. I tossed the pokegear onto the crappy motel bed and got to my feet. I crossed the room and stared down at the parking lot of dilapidated cars, happy to be looking at anything that wasn't more battle footage. I'd been poring over Misty's gym challenges for days, watching every one of her opponents and analyzing her battle style. I'd even gone back to her own league challenge, watching battles that taught me nothing about her current team to glean some weakness in her style.

She was all attack, pushing the pace of the battle relentlessly. Very rarely would she pull back and play a defensive game, something that I mourned. I wouldn't have the time and opportunity to run circles around her like I had with Brock. Instead, she attacked until she knocked your pokemon out of commission, trusting her starmie's regenerative abilities to win her the day. The only league losses on her record were from Lance and Agatha themselves, two trainers that had both been undefeated for decades.

I had to admit that her style countered Luna quite well and downright terrified me when it came to Pride. I'd seen half a dozen videos of Misty's starmie just tossing nidorinos around helplessly and knocking them out without even worrying about a single blow. I'd turned it off after realizing that the nidorino weren't going to win that matchup.

It was demoralizing, to say the least. I was living my dream and yet I found myself up against a wall with prospects for victory bleak.

Gemma had abandoned me a few days before for some family business, only after pushing the TMs she'd bought into my hands and demanding that I make myself presentable for sponsors. She wouldn't take the TMs back, but I was determined to make a good showing before I dared use the TM moves.

I'd used Thunderbolt it on Pride and he just couldn't seem to get the hang of it. He had to stand there for several seconds while he charged up the necessary energy to fire off a bolt of lightning. Several seconds that we just wouldn't have against a murderous mermaid and her sea star.

It made for a stunning spectacle to be sure, but I couldn't think of any situation where I'd manage to find Pride that kind of time in the middle of a battle with a starmie that outsped him easily and held the advantage at range.

I turned away from the window and sighed. We weren't ready. Luna was getting stronger every day, mastering the use of her two TMs almost effortlessly and even beginning to exhibit some rudimentary extrasensory abilities. It wasn't quite ready to be used in battle yet, but I still devoted an inordinate amount of time to her practicing with them. We needed every edge and I wasn't going to leave any stone unturned with less than two days to my challenge.

Pride's training however, was going about as poorly as it could have. He was still adjusting to life on a trainer's team. He had difficulty understanding some of my more complex commands. We were making some headway, but I couldn't help the nagging pessimism that told me we weren't ready.

He was tougher than Luna, but not by much. He could hit harder than Luna as well, but again not by much. He had speed to burn when running in a straight line, but he couldn't corner worth a damn. I'd taken to devising him increasingly difficult obstacle courses, but there was only so much you could realistically improve in a week. It looked like yet again I was relying on Luna to be my ace in the hole.

Curie rolled over, whining at me from the bed and breaking my concentration. I smiled and let myself forget the upcoming battle. I could rest for one night. I did need to be fresh for the watching sponsors after all.

I crawled into the bed, my eyes half-shut in exhaustion. Curie cooed happily and cozied up against my chest. I felt Luna stir on the bed and crawl up against my leg. Pride rolled over on the floor, his loud breathing rhythmically slowing as my nido drifted off. I immediately lost myself to exhaustion and sleep mercifully took me.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

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I made my way down the corridor with my head held high. It was dark, darker even than the one in Pewter had been. I caught the faint scent of salty water and felt a cool breeze rush down the corridor as the league's challenge theme began to swell.

I nervously ran my hand through my newly cut hair and straightened the pale grey jacket that I'd bought to replace the ratty one I'd left home in. Gemma had appeared at dawn, handing me a new wardrobe and forcing me out the door and to a hairstylist. I wasn't used to the fuss of doing myself up all nice, but even I couldn't deny that I looked damn fine compared to the night before.

I emerged into the blinding light, blinking as my eyes adjusted to the dazzling arena. A massive wave pool dominated the field, with a pair of winding rivers that emptied into the pool cutting the land portion of the field into three roughly equal portions.

Misty was waiting on her platform, her hair up in a fiery orange bun. Her signature teardrop swimsuit left nothing to the imagination, sweat and saltwater beading up on her bare skin. A bright red whistle hung down between her breasts. It was intoxicating and seductive, even though I knew it was just for show.

I ignored the theatrics and pushed away the distractions. Misty was good. She wanted me off balance, thinking about her body, the music and a thousand other things besides the battle.

I glanced out at the crowd for half a moment and felt my heart flutter. It was nearly full. For a novice match. I caught a glimpse of Gemma waving some absurd oversized sign and knew that she had been busy with more than just family business. Novice matches weren't spectated by this many people ever. I briefly wondered who Gemma really was, but I pushed the distraction away.

I took my place on my platform and it began to raise into the air. The massive screen across the arena wall lit up and the League emblem faded to Misty's personal crest, a single cerulean drop of water.

"GOOD AFTERNOON LADIES AND GENTS, DO WE HAVE A TREAT FOR YOU TODAY!"

I jumped slightly. The speakers were damn loud here. That or the emcee had practically swallowed the mic.

"THIS WILL BE A NOVICE CHALLENGE TO THE CERULEAN CITY GYM. LEADER MISTY WILL USE THREE POKEMON WITH NO SUBSTITUTIONS. THE CHALLENGER MAY USE UP TO SIX POKEMON, WITH TWO SUBSTITUTIONS."

The massive viewscreen on the wall flickered, mine and Misty's faces flashing across the screen to our respective sides of the arena. Three balls appeared under both our faces and I tightened my fists nervously.

I heard the roar of the crowd, and vaguely caught Gemma's shriek of encouragement over it. I blocked it out as best I could, focusing on Misty and only Misty. The lights were blinding and the noise was deafening but they seemed to fade away as I focused on my opponent.

I saw her smirk with utmost confidence as she released her first pokemon. A staryu dove into the pool and disappeared under the surface. The tan sea star erupted from the surface a half moment later, spinning into a deft landing on the shore. It stood there motionless, a picturesque example of obedience and discipline.

My eyes met Misty's cold glare and I let go of my fear. I would be a trainer. I would crush this cocky gym leader and leave her team flailing in my wake. I was a pokemon trainer. My hand dropped to my belt, lifting the first of my three balls.

"Pride, let's show them what we're made of."

My nidorino appeared in a flash of red light. He pawed the ground aggressively and sighted his first target with an angry snort. He growled at the staryu and lowered his horn threateningly.

Misty planted her hands on her hips and leaned forward slightly. "Your move first, novi-"

"I know how this works," I barked, cutting her off. She met my hard stare with a look of utter contempt, lifting her whistle up to her lips. I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat and pointed forward. "Pride, horn attack!"

He bounded forward as the staryu levitated off the ground and rocketed towards him as Misty blew two short blasts. They slammed together and separated half a moment later, blood dripping from the spikes on Pride's armoured shoulders. Pride spun on his front paws and attempted to kick the staryu with his hind paws.

The little tan sea star hit the sandy shore hard, but rose back into the air. One of the staryu's limbs was bent at an uncomfortable angle. The jewel in the middle of the sea star shone a dim red. Misty whistled once, low and long, sparking its bent limb began to bend back into position and the bleeding gashes to seal shut.

I knew we couldn't let Misty finish healing. She still had two more pokemon to get through. Attack was the only option.

"Push the pace! Fury attack!"

Pride was back on the staryu, slamming into it several times. He drove it further inland, away from the wave pool. Misty whistled twice in short succession. The staryu whined and spun as Pride came barreling back in for another attack.

The staryu connected solidly with Pride's jaw. He recoiled in pain and shrunk back as the staryu came to a halt and emitted a high tone. Its central gem began to glow as the tone built to a deafening level.

Then the sound was gone, drowned out by the beam of screaming psychic light that erupted from the staryu's gem. It hit Pride cleanly in the side, catapulting my nido across the arena and through one of the streams flowing into the wave pool.

I grimaced for Pride. That had to have hurt. He struggled back to his feet as the staryu floated lazily towards him, the same terrible tone as before building in volume.

"Get clear!" I shouted.

Pride heard the urgency in my voice and it seemed to spur something in him. He bolted as the staryu let loose a second psybeam that tore a shrieking path through the sand. Pride bounded out of the way and dashed along the edge of the shore, giving the staryu a wide berth.

The staryu turned and fired off another psybeam, this one weaker and only half charged. It ploughed into the sand in front of Pride, a vain attempt to lead the target.

"Tighten up," I shouted. "Don't give it the space."

Despite his unfamiliarity with taking orders, Pride was relatively bright. He knew that he would never win a duel with the staryu at range. His only chance was to get in close and pummel the sea star into submission. He turned mid-stride, avoiding another beam of psychic energy that carved uncomfortably close to his flank.

The staryu let loose with a barrage of beams, hoping to trip Pride up or knock him off balance so it could deliver another solid blow. They weren't half as powerful as before, but there were so many of them. The air seemed to saturate with psychic energy and my mind struggled to fight through the haze. We had to close the gap to stop the barrage, but there was no path. There was no clear path to close the gap.

Pride's chest was heaving with exhaustion as he struggled to stay in front of the psybeams. His feet were moving a mile a minute, desperately running an ever tightening circle around the staryu. Any misstep would have resulted in failure. A single mistake would have ended the battle. Pride fought through it all with every ounce of pride in his body.

Then I saw it. One of the psybeams glanced off his flank and he shrugged it off with hardly a thought. We'd closed the distance now, cut the corners of the circle until we were within striking distance. The noose was tightened. The battle would end with the next exchange.

"Now!" I shouted. "Horn attack!"

Pride changed course more quickly than I had thought him capable of. He cut hard under the staryu's barrage and the sea star overcorrected hard. The psybeam tore into the sand harmlessly as Pride closed the last few paces completely unchallenged.

Pride gored the staryu on the edge of its gem, horn sinking deep into the base of the limb. My nidorino didn't let up. The staryu attempted to flee, but its levitation failed as it soared towards the pool. Pride bore down on it, determined not to let his quarry escape.

The staryu disappeared in a flash of red light. I breathed a sigh of relief and looked down at Pride. He limped back towards our side of the field, away from the water. His chest was heaving and I could see him fighting to suck down air.

I got down on one knee and leaned over the edge of the platform. "You remember the plan for this one?"

"WHAT A START FOR THE CHALLENGER!" Boomed the emcee. "MISTY'S STARYU IS DOWN! THIS NIDORINO HAS SOME SPUNK!"

Pride nodded and turned back to face Misty as she released an absolutely stunning goldeen. I paused for a moment, marvelling at her pokemon's flowing fins and radiant colours. It hit me then that I'd never actually seen a goldeen outside of pictures. Pictures that couldn't do justice to the magnificent creature in front of me. I resolved right then and there to learn everything I could about aquatic pokemon, even if only to satisfy my curiosity.

My attention turned back to Pride. He'd taken a few blows, but seemed to be no worse for wear after he caught his breath. He could take a fish. Even one as gorgeous as Misty's.

"MISTY'S CHOSEN HER GOLDEEN NEXT! CAN THE CHALLENGER STAY AFLOAT?"

I grinned ear to ear, knowing that my next move would send shockwaves through the gym. Literally. "Pride," I started. "Light it up!"

He closed his eyes and I watched him bow his head in concentration. Sparks crackled along his flanks, electricity jumping along his spines as they raced for his horn.

I saw Misty's eyes widen in realization. I heard her voice panic as she shrieked at her goldeen to dive. I watched her little goldeen disappear beneath the waves and prayed that Pride's thunderbolt had the power required to saturate the pool.

A bolt of lightning erupted from my nidorino's horn. It split and forked into a half dozen spears that dove eagerly into the water. The surface of the pool broke as Misty's goldeen rocketed over the field in a desperate play to avoid the lightning.

The bolt ended as soon as it began. Pride shook off the stray voltage running along his spines and looked up fearfully as the goldeen plummeted towards him.

"Parry the horn!" I shouted, praying that Pride understood enough to follow the order.

He lifted his head, aiming his horn at the goldeen. But Misty had trained her little fish well. The water type bent and twisted, angling her horn so that it deftly avoided Pride's clumsy attempt to stop her.

The horn gouged a deep red line down the side of Pride's face. My nido bellowed in pain and anger as Misty's goldeen dug in and used the leverage to catapult herself back into one of the streams that divided the beach.

I grimaced as the easy victory I'd envisioned slipped away. Pride was going to have to work for it.

"Get ready," I shouted. "charge another bolt!"

Lightning raced down Pride's spines. He pawed at the sandy ground and snorted, glancing nervously over his shoulder at the river behind him.

Misty lifted her whistle, blowing a trio of short blast. I raised an eyebrow, wondering what the wordless command meant.

Movement in front of him drew my nido's attention. The river splashed and Pride loosed his bolt as the goldeen launched out of the stream.

She smacked her tail into the side of my nido, tearing a network of gashes in her beautiful fin. The goldeen catapulted herself back into the stream behind Pride.

We had barely a moment before Misty blew her whistle again and the goldeen launched back into the air, leading with her horn.

"Double kick!" I shouted.

Pride reared onto his front legs and slammed his hind feet into the fish's face. It sailed back towards the stream, bouncing twice and slipping back into the water.

Misty whistled another trio of blasts, in a different cadence than before. The water went calm. I scanned the trio of streams, waiting for Misty's goldeen to make herself known.

Pride glanced back at me in worry and I nodded in calm assurance. He'd taken a few hits, but he could handle this goldeen.

"Get ready," I warned. "She'll try to gore you again."

As I finished the last word, the water type burst from the wave pool. She spared high into the air, arcing down towards Pride and leading with her horn. Pride tried to turn, raising his horn in a late attempt to parry the horn attack.

This time, the goldeen's horn struck true. It sank deep into Pride's shoulder and the water type stuck. Pride roared in pain but I knew that the round was done.

He shook wildly, bucking off the water type. She bounced into the sand and flapped wildly in an attempt to right herself.

Pride stalked towards the downed fish, another storm of lightning rippling along his body. He was growling low and angry.

Misty already had her ball up, returning the goldeen before any real damage could be done. The crowd erupted in raucous applause and I felt it in my chest.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT! CHALLENGER WRIGHT HAS CRUSHED OUR LEADER'S GOLDEEN WITH A THUNDEROUS ELECTRIC MOVE!" The crowd was roaring, Gemma's shriek loud and clear over the din. "THIS NIDORINO HAS TAKEN DOWN TWO OF MISTY'S POKEMON, CAN IT KEEP GOING?"

I nervously bounced back and forth on the balls of my feet. This had all just been an elaborate show. I'd learned something in my research. Misty had a preference for the dramatic finish. She liked to let trainers whittle down her pokemon just so she could crush them emphatically with her starmie. She was an entertainer through and through, and her battle style showed that beautifully.

Misty dropped the whistle back to her chest. She wouldn't need it with her starmie's psychic telepathy. She raised her last ball. We both knew what was coming. She smirked at me from across the field and tossed her ball in the air.

The starmie that had kept me up for the past week spun through the air with ease. It stopped short of landing, the arena humming with psychic power. The starmie let out two low, threatening tones and I vaguely heard the crowd roar with delight in response.

My arm went up with Pride's ball and he disappeared with a flash of red light. A thirty second timer appeared on the screen. I didn't need it. I knew what my choices were. I knew what my only real choice was. Curie couldn't fight this battle.

"WHATS THIS? THE CHALLENGER IS BURNING ONE OF HIS SUBSTITUTIONS!"

"Luna!" I tossed her ball and she appeared with a prance. She tossed her head to the roof and let out a pitchy howl. Her tails flared and she planted her paws in the soft, damp sand. "Let's finish strong."

Misty cocked her head to the side, smirking at me with supreme confidence. As far as she knew, I had played my only trump card with Pride's thunderbolt. I had shown my hand and ensured her victory. How wrong she was.

"Ready to watch your vulpix get washed away?" she spat in derision. "That was a nice trick, but there's no overpowering this water type master!"

I smirked back with the confidence of someone who knew he still had a few tricks to play. "We'll see who's the one that's all washed up!" I looked down at Luna and met her fiery eyes. "Agility!"

Luna rocketed off as I finished the command, appearing as little more than a rusty tan blur as she streaked across the sandy field.

The starmie rose into the air, putting itself out of physical range. It let out a powerful tone and I felt reality bend to its will.

"Faster!" I shouted. "Another agility!"

Desperation crept back in. One hit would be all it needed. One blow and Luna would be vulnerable to a follow up that would put her out of commission.

Luna redoubled her efforts as an unseen force slammed into the sandy beach behind her. A plume of sand kicked into the air and I realized that Misty was not kidding around. She would pummel Luna into the ground to prove that I hadn't actually earned my Boulder badge.

"On the offensive!" I roared. "Just like we practiced!"

Luna stopped for half a heartbeat, green light swirling in her jaws. She loosed the energy ball and leapt away. Another telekinetic slam pounded the sand where Luna had been standing.

The energy ball tore through the starmie's limbs. One of the sea star's limbs crashed lifeless to the sand as two more hung on by the barest threads of tissue. It shrieked a shrill, pained tone as it dove for the water.

"Again!" I shouted. "Before it gets underwater."

Luna surged forward. Green light began to leak from her mouth, giving her tan blur a green streak. She skidded to a halt at the shoreline and let the growing ball of green energy loose.

It sheared into the starmie's bloodied legs again as it fled. Blood sprayed again as it disappeared into the surf, leaving a pair of limbs behind.

I frowned. We hadn't beaten it. Not even close. We hadn't even dealt it any lasting damage since it could just regenerate those limbs for the next bout. All we'd managed to do was annoy it.

The wave pool began to stir and I felt my heart skip a beat. Now we were well and truly at a disadvantage. Our opponent had found her way into her own terrain. Now we would face the wrath of the sea.

"Luna, another agility!"

My vulpix took off in a blur as the starmie burst from the cresting wave. The severed limbs had regrown and its gem was shining with psychic light. I felt the roar of the crowd in my chest and I knew it was hopeless. Luna was beyond fast, but there was nowhere to run.

Luna barrelled inland with a roaring surge of water at her back. The furious starmie soared high above the wave, jets of water forming up on each side of it. Luna skidded and scrambled away from the first jet, but the second struck true. It hit my vulpix on her flank, sending her stumbling. She tried to keep moving, but she'd lost too much speed to stay in front of the tidal wave.

I was at a loss, but my starter had better ideas. She turned on a dime, her body glowing with psychic enhancement. The wave bore down, starmie blaring with a psychic tone. Luna dashed across the water faster than my eyes could follow. A spray of water kicked up in her wake, the only visual cue where she had gone.

My vulpix leapt up above the storm of water, moving faster than I could see. Green light erupted from her jaw, a series of energy balls screaming down onto Misty's starmie.

The wave crashed down onto the shore, pounding the beach into a frothy mess. I lost sight of Luna as she fell towards the surf and felt my heart beat into my chest. We had dealt a devastating blow, but I doubted that the match had been decided yet.

The surf receded and I spotted Luna, sopping wet and covered in sand, but still stubbornly conscious. The starmie was unfocused, concentrating on the enormous amounts of water surging back into the pool.

Luna looked up at me, an expression of complete and utter displeasure on her vulpine face. She was sopping wet, something that I'd only witnessed once when she fell into the pond near my farm.

The starmie let out an angry tone and spun back from the water. It closed on Luna as she struggled to her feet, terrible psychic noise building as its gem began to glow.

I had moments, not enough for Luna to fire off an energy ball. She was spent, her chest heaving in utter exhaustion. She couldn't run. She couldn't fight. She could only watch as the battered starmie toyed with the final moments of her battle.

"Confuse Ray!" I ordered, silently praying that she had the strength to give Pride a ghost of a chance. It wasn't much, but it was all I had.

Luna's eyes glowed as she flared her tails. A trio of eerie lights twisted forth as the starmie loosed a devastating psybeam. It pummelled into my vulpix, finally knocking my starter out of the battle.

I raised my ball, defeat setting in. Luna had been my only real hope. She had been my only counter to Misty's terrifying sea star. Curie was just a baby. Pride didn't have the speed and agility to contest the match, let alone try to run out the clock. We were completely and utterly done. All that was left was to play out the match.

"CHALLENGER WRIGHT'S VULPIX IS DOWN FOR THE COUNT! MISTY'S ACE TURNS THE BATTLE ON ITS HEAD YET AGAIN FOLKS. CAN HE TURN THIS AROUND, OR IS THIS CHALLENGER FINALLY SUNK?"

I raised Pride's ball as my heart sank into my stomach. He appeared on the field, his head held high. He growled at the starmie and I felt my own pride swell at my newest team member. I stiffened my spine in response. If he was going to face his fate with defiance then I would too.

"Pride, horn attack!"

The starmie spun towards him, wobbling almost imperceptibly. My eyes widened. Luna had done it. The confuse ray had landed. We had our ghost of a chance.

Pride charged without fear, his horn lowered in anticipation. The starmie blared another tone and built the same terrible noise as before. I swore as it loosed a powerful psybeam. It went wide, the starmie's aim compromised in its confusion. Pride closed the gap in a bound, burying his horn up to the base in one of the starmie's limbs.

It shrieked in pain, recoiling instantly. It spun, using its telekinesis to catapult Pride away as oozing purple goop leaked from the wound. It shook violently as it levitated away and I saw our opening. It was hurt. The poison likely would interfere with its regenerative abilities, at least until it could purge itself. We had our ghost of a chance.

Pride landed on his feet, skidding to a halt and growling angrily. He lowered his horn, seeming to know exactly what my next command would be.

"Thunderbolt!" I shouted to the heavens.

Pride was already beginning the charge, electricity jumping along his spines. I heard the noise in the arena fizzle and die as my nidorino primed the finishing blow.

Misty's starmie rocketed forward, abandoning its long range abilities. The confusion had compromised its aim and it couldn't be sure of a knockout. It spun as it closed and I clenched my fists. It was close, so close.

A bolt of lightning erupted from Pride's horn. It jumped through the air, impaling the starmie's central jewel before arcing again into a dozen forks that drove into the sandy ground. It was over as soon as it began, but the damage had been done.

The roar of psychic power faded and the starmie crashed into the sand. It remained motionless for a long moment, its gem dark and silent. The crowd was silent. I was silent. Misty was silent. The the silence popped and the crowd erupted with noise.

"LEADER MISTY HAS BEEN DEFEATED. THE CHALLENGER HAS EARNED THE CASCADE BADGE!"

The roar of the crowd was the sweetest noise a guy could ever have asked for. I raised my fist, savouring the applause that was meant for us. Pewter had been a private victory, but this was a proud statement to the world. Marcus Wright had arrived on the League stage.

I looked down at Pride. His eyes met mine and I knew that we would be champions together. Together, we could do anything.

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"The first field test of the Project Catalyst prototypes will begin within the week."

The short man scowled in disapproval. "I see," he said. "What results are we expecting from this? We know the device isn't ready."

"Yes, but this test will provide us will real world data. Archer has been demanding it for months, and he wants a test not located in some super remote location."

He frowned in response. "I'll see what I can manage. Civilian casualties must be kept to a minimum," the shorter man replied. "And what of Silph? We must have their prototype, else all this is for naught."

The tall man smirked. "The director outright refused my latest offer. Perhaps it is time to begin applying more than cursory pressure?"

The short man nodded. "I loathe direct confrontation, but it seems we are left with few choices. If the director will not yield the ball then we will take it."

"Then the war for our future begins in earnest," the tall man replied. "There is no retreat from this. Our foe will make itself known and begin real opposition."

"It is what we prepared for." The shorter man sighed. "Pray that Kanto is ready for the storm."

The tall man nodded. "Then I shall alert the necessary operatives. Silph will be placed under siege until we possess what is rightly ours."

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Pokedex entry #121: Starmie

This peaceful creature lives on the ocean floor. Despite their formidable psychic abilities, this creature is relatively docile. Their diet consists of microscopic plankton and algae. When threatened, starmie have been known to tear off their own limbs and leave them for the attacker.

Many divers have reported that when gathered in large numbers, starmie will synchronize their gems to pulsate in time with the rest of the swarm. it is unknown what the purpose for this is, but theories range from outlandish ideas like interstellar communication to a much simpler mating display.

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Novice Trainer KT#07996101, current roster

Luna, Vulpix

Curie, Happiny

Pride, Nidorino