Chapter Seventeen - Gym Trainer Fight Part Two!

Buneary looked up to Broccoli and got a firm nod in return. It was time!

The human that smelled like birds, Abe, said something from his end of the arena, but Buneary was too busy hopping along to where Jazz had sent out Sage and Bellsprout earlier. He was as ready as he could be!

Buneary had never trained before, so the past few days were a little strange and very new, but he did like the results. In just a few days he'd become a lot stronger, and yesterday... yesterday had been huge.

He'd finally learned how to use Cleaning-type energy from Broccoli.

Even now, the trick was just a flick away. Power that he'd never known he had before.

He still didn't know how to apply that power, but he'd gone from none to some, and that felt like a big bounce forwards.

Now it was time for him to prove that he was stronger than he'd been before. "Bun!" he said with determination burning in his heart. He levelled a glare at the gym trainer across from him and closed his paws into little fists. His ears felt tense, ready to whip out and smack someone.

"He's a cute little guy," Abe said. "Are you ready, trainer Broccoli?"

"I think so," Broccoli said. "Let's have fun!"

Abe grinned, and nodded. "This will be a one-on-one, zeroth badge level fight. Take as many switches as you want. Otherwise, standard league rules. Understood?"

"Yup!" Broccoli said. "Buneary, are you ready?"

"Bun!" Yeah!

Abe plucked a ball off of his belt and tossed it forwards. It burst in the air, releasing a familiar sort of pokemon with a familiar cry. "Pidgey!" Free at last!

"Battle... begin!" Abe called.

"Buneary, kick its butt!" Broccoli called out.

Buneary nodded seriously, then narrowed his eyes at the pidgey who barely even bothered looking at him as he flew around the room in a wide circle. This was the problem with birds. They could fly.

Now, if they were sensible, like a buneary, they'd know that keeping to the ground was the best practice. Sure, maybe a hop or two into the air was nice, but there had to be a limit!

"Pidgey, start with a Gust!" Abe said.

"Buneary, sweetie, maybe try that Defence Ball move!" Broccoli said.

"It's Defence Curl," Jazz hissed.

It didn't matter, Buneary knew what move she was talking about. He grunted, then made himself small and tough, pulling at the wellspring of energy he felt within himself to make it harder for things to hurt him. It came easier than it once did, but it still took some effort.

By the time he was ready to uncurl himself, the air was filled with strong winds and he found himself being spun around and tossed across the arena.

The pidgey was still in the air, looking rather smug. "Pidgey! Gey gey!" Eat dirt, ground-pounder!

Buneary glared at him. "Bun, buneary!" Come down here, and say that again! "Bun bun bun!" Worm eating idiot!

"Keep the Gusts coming, Pidgey, it doesn't look like they have an answer to it!"

"Uh oh," Broccoli said.

Pidgey cackled and prepared another Gust. The wind in the room shifted, creating two small tornados that spun and spun, Flying-type energy collecting within before they rushed forwards. Buneary jumped down, flattening himself onto the ground. It stopped him from being flung back, but he still ate dirt and was battered by the type energy.

Pidgey laughed, and then started to collect another of the same attack. "Pidgey, I didn't call for that," Abe said warningly.

"Pidgey! Pidg pidg!" This idiot's just holding me back.

Buneary waited until the winds had picked up again, then he leapt to the side and rolled. At the same time, he tried to recapture that feeling that came to him when he used Defence Curl. He wasn't sure if it worked by the time the Gusts hit again, but maybe it helped a little.

He stumbled onto his feet, then looked back to Broccoli. Some advice would be nice.

She was chewing on her thumb. "Buneary! I'm sorry," she said.

He shook his head. This wasn't her fault. It was his fault for not learning faster! Besides, he wanted this fight, didn't he? To prove that he could be stronger? Buneary turned towards the pidgey, aware that he looked rather pitiful, and then he used that to his advantage. His eyes went wide, filling with tears. "B-buneary?" I'm sorry?

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"Pidgey!" Pitiful!

"Pidgey, careful," Abe said. "Try a Tackle!"

"Pidgey! Pidgey!" And get close? Idiot!

Pidgey did swoop down, however, but it was just outside of Buneary's reach. The bird turned, then with a sweeping kick, he flung a talon-full of sand at Buneary's face.

There was energy in that sand. It was meant to blind him, make it harder for him to see the last attack coming.

Buneary winced as it smacked him in the face... and then he raised both paws over his eyes and waited.

"Pidgey!" And now you won't even see me coming!

Buneary grinned. The bird couldn't see his smile, or that he had splayed his digits wide to see from between them. Pidgey rose into the air, but only long enough to gain some speed that it used to rush towards Buneary.

Buneary who he thought was blind and stupid.

"Bun!" he shouted as he put all of his frustration and energy into a single attack.

His hands lowered, the glow of the Cleaning-type energy he'd used on his eyes disappearing. More energy, this one far more normal, made both of his ears glow.

Pidgey's eyes widened, but it was too late.

A double Pound shot out like a whip-crack and rammed into the bird pokemon's face.

Buneary hopped to the side, avoiding the flopping body of the bird pokemon as it crashed into the dirt, entirely unable to fight.

"You did it!" Broccoli shouted.

"Buneary!" I did it! He shouted along with her. They both raised their arms and ears in the air and started bouncing on the spot, doing little binkies in the arena and on the trainer stands.

"Uh... well done!" Abe said as he recalled the pidgey.

Buneary jumped up onto the trainer platform and was scooped up for a congratulatory hug.

There was more talking between all the humans and his Broccoli. The gym trainer gave them money, but really all he did was touch their little cards with a little boxy thing that made some beeping noises. Then he gave Broccoli some advice, and Buneary did listen to that part.

"That was a nice trick your Buneary pulled, with the Baby-Doll Eyes and letting pidgey get in close. But this pidgey is a relatively fresh catch, and he's not the best at listening. If you try against Falkner, his pokemon won't fall for that kind of trick. You're going to have to find a way to deal with a target in the air. And Falkner uses two pokemon, even for his first-badge battles," Abe said.

"Alright," Broccoli said. "We really need to figure out how to use Fireball by then! Or at least something like a Flamethrower."

Abe laughed. "Sure! Good luck teaching a buneary some Fire-type moves. If it was me, I might try to catch a Flying-type. There are some pidgey around, and spearow of course. If you're brave enough to go out at night, you might catch a hoothoot as well!"

Broccoli shook her head. "I think we'll manage with just the two of us. But thank you!" Abe shook her hand, which meant that Buneary had to return to his spot on her head to free up her hands, and then they were off. "Did you hear that, Buneary?"

"Bun!" Yeah!

"We're going to need to work really hard! I think I have some ideas of what to work on. Two of them, actually. But with only a few days left, that'll mean learning real quick, do you think you can do it?"

He nodded. "Bun-un," he said, patting his Broccoli's head. He was holding one ear close for balance, of course.

"Yeah! Did you have fun? I was really worried there for a moment. That bird was kind of rude. Really poor sportsbirdship."

"He seemed normal to me, a bit aggressive, and definitely poorly trained, but that's what you get at lower badge levels. The pokemon they're using are mostly local and mostly freshly caught," Jazz said.

Broccoli and Jazz started to talk about what was and wasn't bad sportsmanship in a pokemon battle. Buneary didn't find it all that interesting. Instead, he looked back on the fight. For a moment there, he had felt helpless, the same helpless that had happened when those pokemon rangers came to his place, or when he saw a fearow swoop by overhead and couldn't do anything about it.

But then that had been replaced by something better. Excitement, the thrill of being able to do something.

His ears stung where he'd smacked the pidgey, a bit of pain that was totally worth it. When it came time to train again, he knew that he'd be giving it his all!

***