4:07 p.m. October 25th, Saturday, 106 PH (Post Hoopa Event). Day 138.
Events: Rhea and the girls are on a Badge Hunt, trying to get all the Kanto Encrusted Badges before time runs out! Our girl started her journey on the 9th of June, and the end of registration for the Winter Indigo Cup is December 5th (40 days away).
Zyra burst from her Poke Ball with a sharp cry, her dark feathers gleaming in the intense glow overhead. She immediately took to the air, her keen eyes momentarily locking on the Sunflower Pokemon across the stadium. The Sunflora actually looked somewhat apologetic; it felt mocking for the courage Roxie and Lori had shown, even if it wasn’t meant to be.
Determination raged within her as she caught sight of the devastated streak of still-smoking earth that had nearly killed Roxie. Erika’s elegant figure remained in her composed, lady-like position, observing with a curious smile. The smell of vaporized mud and flowers still hung in the air. It was up to her to avenge her fallen teammate.
Soaring high above the arena, she took careful note of its changes, the crowd settling in for the final round. The flowery battlefield was a deadly, vibrant spectacle with its glowing greenery and beautiful floral display, well excluding the long scar that marred its center. The serene peace was a stark contrast to the rest of the flowery meadow, representing the fierce combat that Roxie had survived.
The sun blazed unnaturally bright below the monitors, casting a golden hue over everything. The field itself was a lush, flower-strewn expanse, the grass thick and rich, teeming with life and power—providing Sunla with life and power. Drones hovered in the air, capturing every moment for the enthralled audience, and Lori’s voice filled her soul.
“Honestly…I don’t think Erika wants us to win this one, Zyra. This is going to be rough. She’s testing how much of a beating we can take. We should be prepared for some shady Grass Specialist tactics.”
I’m on it, Cap! Zyra huffed. We’re not giving up after that gamble!
“Just know that Roxie will be okay…if barely. Erika calculated it perfectly.”
Sunla stood serenely near the middle of the meadow, her petals absorbing sunlight, giving her an almost ethereal glow and ruffling Zyra’s feathers and igniting panic. The picture of calm, Sunla drew in air, her head following her movements in the air.
All the more reason to—is she preparing another Solar Beam?! Oh, Muk! Muk! Muk! Muk!
Zyra instantly pivoted, a light-blue glow illuminating her drawing-back wings. A surge of air gathered around her, creating a gust that rippled the atmosphere in her wake. Tailwind enveloped her, and she became a blur in the sky, diving toward the ground.
A beam of superheated light cleaved a line through the air;unfurling her wings, Zyra used the gale at her back to swiftly dart in the opposite direction. Hot air pressed against her belly as she sucked it in, barely missing the blast. Only…it slid right past her and struck the barrier right where Lori was, making her talons clench.
She baited me to attack you; what is this battle?!
Lori’s voice sobered. “Okay, I think Erika is showing us what is to be expected of Gold-tier battles since I asked if Terri could join the fight… This is what she’s saying we have to account for if we want to go higher. We aren’t only being judged by how we battle, but how we respond to immediate dangers… We’ve already dealt with this back at the Articuno cave; she’s just…reminding us.”
Sunla’s eyes glinted as she opened her mouth to launch a barrage of bullet-like seeds. They shot toward her like the machine guns she’d seen on Lori’s phone, forcing Zyra to bank and weave to avoid the onslaught. The barrier sparked and flashed colors with every pod that exploded against its surface.
Zyra cursed as the hail of bullets grew more intense, the Skiploom’s Tailwind still enhancing Sunla’s energy generation and quickness.
“How much energy does she have?!” Lori growled. “Is she drawing it from outside sources?”
They had to break past her aerial defenses, but that was a tall order with so many buffs empowering the Sunflora—Sunny Day, Grassy Terrain, and Growth.
Also, if they gave her room to breathe, then she’d only continue to increase her power. If Sunla continued to build her Special Attack, then there would be nowhere on the battlefield she was safe; Solar Beam would eventually melt through the giant boulders if she tried to hide.
Zyra became a black-and-white blur as she darted through the sky, narrowly avoiding the seeds with Keen Eye keeping close track of the trajectory the flower spat. She could feel Lori’s pounding heart through their shared connection. They had to take a gamble to get close enough for her to attack.
Twirling around the offensive, she closed in on the shimmering flower, her wings flowing white, ready to stir up a blast of sand from her projected energy. Yet, as Zyra closed in, Sunla’s demeanor shifted. Ceasing her relentless assault, she stood in place, swaying slightly as if confused—this was her chance!
“No!” Lori called out. “It’s a trap—it’s gotta be!”
I can’t stop; we have to risk it!
Wind propelling her forward at a blinding speed, she dove in to spray sand across her opponent. She landed it! Only…as her wings unfurled to spread the haze, vines shot out from Sunla’s mouth, spraying tiny barbed seeds that sent ice through Zyra’s soul—Leech Seed.
Lateral roots sprouted, wrapping around her and taking her out of the air to tumble over the grass. Immediately, her energy began to be siphoned off, slowing the speed at which she could gather it. On the other hand, a whirlwind of dust exploded over the Sunflora, making her cough and sputter.
Working around her wings and body, she forced her wings out of the sprouting vines. Her beak glowed as she Pecked at the more restrictive areas; it grew back, using her own energy, but so long as she made it where it didn’t hamper her flying, then it would be fine. She should have predicted the flower Pokemon would try this eventually.
Zyra hopped a few times, flapping her wings with a few Bullet Seeds whizzing by her; Sunla was now squinting and teary-eyed.
“Ack-ack! Nicely done,” she coughed. “It’s hard to see you now, so…”
“Take cover, Zyra!”
Still somewhat hampered in her movements, Zyra used what little mobility she had to make it behind a nearby boulder on Erika’s side of the meadow. She flinched as the sound of chipping stone hit her ears, and a storm of razor-sharp leaves peppered the barrier, cutting lines across it in the shotgun attack.
“We need to rethink our strategy, and you have to get that Leech Seed off you! She’s blinded, and I don’t think Erika will guide her actions much since we are still in Silver… A Muk of a Silver match, though… Create a distraction and try to fly into that nearby tree!”
Acting without hesitation, she picked up a chunk of stone that had been cut off of the boulder and tossed it into the air before kicking it high into the air. The Razor Leaves followed it, dicing it to bits, and Zyra stayed close to the flowers, disappearing inside of them to hop over to the tree.
Once behind it, she used its thick trunk as cover to make it into the obscuring branches, and Lori announced the happy news—the Skiploom’s Tailwind had faded, which meant the Sunny Day, Growth, and Grassy Terrain would likely end soon, as well.
“We’re not out of this match yet, Agent Black,” Lori joked, clearly trying to lighten her mood; in the meantime, Zyra studied the accursed vines sapping her energy matrix. “Maybe it would be good for a fresh restart. It’s not like we’re lacking in sustain. Work on that Leech Seed while I look more into this flower.”
Hidden amongst the dense foliage of the tree, Zyra took a moment to regain her composure. The Leech Seed only grew and wrapped tighter when someone attempted to remove it; Dawn’s Pokemon had taught them how to deal with it. The only chance you had was to find the energy store point and attack that.
It wasn’t hard when she didn’t have to avoid curving leaves sharp enough to cut stone or a hail of bullets. She swiftly found the small glowing section near her chest, and with a swift peck, it shriveled and died. Zyra made sure to catch it before it fell to the ground, though, carefully draping it over the branch so as not to alert the recovering Sunflora.
She shook out her feathers, having to catch a few that fell away before they drifted to the ground. The announcer seemed to be pulling the audience into the suspenseful game of hide and seek as Sunla crawled over to the nearby rock to check if she was still there.
“The battle reaches a slow point after an explosive beginning,” she calmly stated, kneeling on her platform and accepting some tea another employee brought up to her. “Mmm. It is fair to conclude we are bound for a reset. Sunla has used quite a lot of energy already. Does she have some other means to regain what she lost?”
Lori hissed, providing the answer as the Sunflora began to glow, pulling in sunlight, but this time for a different Move.
“Solar Power… She has Solar Power. It drains her own HP and regenerates a bit of her natural energy so long as there is sun. What an overpowered Ability, but—there it is…I thought so. Morning Sun restores her matrix.”
Two can play that game, Zyra chuckled, carefully swapping branches to get behind the trunk again and out of eyesight. Illuminated feathers cascaded around her, the projected attack force revitalizing her matrix. I think I need to go in for a bigger one-shot, right?
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Knowing her Trainer couldn’t perfectly understand her, she was a little frustrated when she went a different route. In the end, it did make sense, though.
Flexing her talons as they glowed and sharpened, she took a deep, deliberate breath. Her eyesight became more focused and clear, and strength resonated throughout her body. Hopping higher to a better vantage point, she saw Sunla reapply Grassy Terrain, and a devious smile lifted her heart; Lori was right.
Channeling her darker emotions, a haunting aura lifted off her frame, her violet-hued eyes sent her negative feelings toward the Sunflora, invisible since all it required was eye-contact with her target. A ghostly cyclone swirled around the cheery flower, cutting her offensive energy.
Sunla’s serene smile returned as she weaved her leaves and loosened up, soaking up the empowering force within the earth, its lush vitality once again renewed. The flowers around her bloomed even more vibrantly, providing a fresh boost to her strength and vigor.
The solar globe overhead was the real problem, and Zyra sighed as the yellow flower turned her way, identifying her hiding place—it was probably the increased wind activity.
“Taunt isn’t worth it. We want her to waste her energy on her big Moves. With Roost, we can outlast her. Just don’t get hit by Leech Seed again!”
Releasing a loud cry and with a powerful flap of her wings, Zyra burst from her hiding spot, diving straight for the sunflower. The shrill sound made Sunla shut a single eye, sharply lowering her Defense, as she closed in before she could recover. Moving with increased accuracy and ferocity, her beak gleamed as she aimed right between Sunla’s eyes.
I have her! Muk—
Zyra’s concentration shattered like glass when a shimmering protective barrier enclosed the Sunflora at the last second. Zyra’s beak met the barrier with a resounding crash, the force of her momentum flipping her into the tumbling somersault over the shell and deflecting the attack.
You have to be kidding me! she seethed, struggling to push herself upright and gain enough momentum to take into the air again. Tailwind barely managed to push her into the sky to dodge the wide spray of razor-sharp leaves sent her way as the barrier flickered and dissipated.
Rather than retreating, Lori’s strong voice brought her flipping around. “Go in for the strike!”
Bearing down on the plant, her beak met her forehead—a critical hit, the blow left Sunla reeling. Now vulnerable, her roots dislodged from the ground, Zyra’s claws closed around her stem and brought the flower airborne in her passing.
“Got you!” she cackled.
“Hehe…or do I have you?”
Zyra cursed and dropped her into the crater as she took a deep breath. This time, she managed to dodge the Leech Seeds due to the angle she’d thrown the Sunflora. The intense sunlight began to fade as its effects wore away, and her opponent struck the part of the field not enhanced by her energy.
She felt success upon seeing the sunflower looking less serene inside the blackened scar, however, she could feel her own energy reserves draining. If she wasn’t careful, she’d faint due to exhaustion before her matrix was depleted. Somehow, this Sunflora was turning out to be a wall instead of a glass cannon.
Sunla’s frame shimmered again, restoring her strength and matrix, making her look visibly more robust. The artificial sun faded, casting longer shadows across the battlefield. They needed to go for a one-shot.
As the field settled into a momentary stillness, the crowd appeared to hold their breath, eager for the next exchange of blows. Lori’s next gamble made her a little uneasy.
“We can’t let her get Sunny Day up again. We want her to use Grassy Terrain, not Sunny Day. Keeping Solar Beam and Morning Sun off the menu is a must for us. She used Protect, which is perfect for us. Spite forced her to soak up more sun than she planned, and it’s not a perfect system to rebuild her strength… We might need to go for a high-blitz.”
Zyra spun in the air to dodge the Bullet Seeds Sunla spat out, steadily making her way back toward her vibrant side of the meadow. “Sure, but—what the!”
The plant suddenly jumped into the air and grabbed her feet with her mouth, becoming a cartwheel that spun in a rapid circle. Rollout carrying her toward Grassy Terrain.
Beak gleaming, the wind at her back, Zyra easily outpaced the rolling ball and met it head-on, overpowering the Move and sending the Pokemon tumbling back into the crater. It hadn’t been a clean blow, further depleting Lori and her offensive energy pool.
“Razor Leaf!” Gables growled. “Read the flow of the wind to weave around them.”
Good thinking!
“Go higher!”
She darted through the air, spinning around them to reach higher into the heavens, preparing for their big move. And then, a rush of heat made Zyra’s heart sank; the moment they gave the sunflower room to breathe, her petals brightened, and a radial pulse fluctuated out of the plant as a bright globe grew from her mouth.
They had to make a choice: full-out Plucks to force another Protect, risking Leech Seed again, or allow the Sunny Day, and go for their most powerful attack. Sunla hadn’t even used Mega Drain due to her speed and distance, which allowed the beam to be easily dodged.
In that slowed moment in time, Zyra blinked, her sharp vision moving to Erika, only to see the woman peacefully dozing in her cushioned seat. This was their shot. Then again, Erika was supposed to be at the Grandmaster Rank, or at least close to it, since she hadn’t officially taken the title.
There was no way that she hadn’t predicted every possible outcome…and she realized at the same time as her Trainer that there was always going to be only one way this was going to end. Zyra’s eyes widened upon realizing how well Erika had picked apart her Trainer’s battle style.
Many of Dawn’s Pokemon lectures returned at that short interval. Of course, this was all planned out. Encrusted Battles were designed around the individual, which was why only Gym Leaders were allowed the wiggle room they had in this structured setting. Once again, they were forced to make a potentially life-threatening decision, only…it really wasn’t.
Zyra’s eyes met Sunla’s, and for a brief moment, time seemed to stand still with the growing orb growing in her open mouth. Both of them had maintained their defensive matrix to their maximum. However, she knew with the renewing style Sunla utilized, it was hopeless in a drawn out fight. If this was Silver-7, it was just barely below Silver-8—Roxie and her weren’t quite there yet like Nova was, and this proved it.
Lori hesitated, but Zyra didn’t. Wings glowing, she lifted them high into the air, urging her Trainer to trust her this time—the response came in the flood of energy sent to her. Wings beating down, she launched into the rafters as the dying wind at her back was renewed with sharp ferocity, and Zyra condensed everything they had into this last attack.
Hanging high overhead, Zyra saw the blinding sun launch into the sky, and she angled to dive right through it. Just before dipping into the solar sphere, she caught Sunla’s raised petal brightening with light. However, it also stopped in a salute, filling her trembling heart with courage. After witnessing what happened to her teammate, she couldn’t help but feel a touch of fear embedding in her brain, yet her heart pushed her forward.
Wind erupted around her, fiercer than she’d ever felt in practice, as she poured her heart and soul into this final gambit. Launching in a reverse rocket, Tailwind accelerated her into a blur as a light-blue aura flared off her in a dazzling radiance. Plummeting toward the ground, the world seemed to stand still, all sound dying. Just before her glowing beak touched a flower, the force guiding her shot her at a sharp angle.
Leaving an airstream in her wake that ripped up flowers and dirt alike, she blazed across the field, carrying the shimmering heat of the Sunny Day she’d passed through that superheated the atmosphere. Aimed right at the slow-swaying Sunflora, Zyra didn’t blink as the rainbow illumination around the sunflower reached a radiant crescendo, and an effulgent wall of light blinded her.
* — * — *
Her white fist shaking against the console, Lori tried to control her breathing as sweat slicked her brow, dripping into her eyes, but she refused to blink. Her body felt as weak as it had under Dawn’s brutal training while funneling everything she had into Zyra to protect her little mischievous bird.
The calm girl providing commentary was no longer sitting as she spilled her cup onto the battlefield and jumped to her feet. “Hone Claw and Tailwind in effect! Zyra launches into the sky and dives through Sunny Day—she’s a blur… Sky Attack! Sky Attack meets an enhanced Solar Beam!”
All the strength in Lori’s legs failed her as she leaned against the console, watching Zyra’s bright, streaking figure meet the wall of radiant light. Her bird charged through it to tackle the Sunflora…only, she was no longer conscious, and her power fizzled out.
“You have to be kidding me…” Lori sighed, feeling the stress press against her chest as a camera angle showed off one of Sunla’s extended roots in the fading Grassy Terrain, three meters away—Ingrain had allowed her to suck in a small amount of its energy to tip the scale. “…We lost.”
Excited chatter rather than cheers filled the stands, and Lori forced herself up to recall her brave bird. Sunla had managed to catch her inside her comforting leaves, and the Pokemon looked taxed herself; it still wasn’t close enough of a victory to be proud of. Yet, Lori was proud of her girls.
Terri tried to help stabilize her as she returned Zyra to her Poke Ball. They’d done their best, and Erika had killed her five times over—literally, if this was a real combat scenario.
Don’t be mad, guys… We have a long way to go.
The crowd quieted down with the announcer’s commentary when Erika’s face appeared on the screen, taking the place of the replay. She seemed to be just waking up from her short nap, and it only took a moment to lock eyes with her from across the damaged meadow. Her voice was sweet as the flowers she cultivated and completely sincere.
“You lost, and in a flashy way from what I’m seeing on screen… I apologize for missing the exciting conclusion. Hmm. To be perfectly clear, Sunla is qualified to battle in the Gold-0 bracket with a partner for Double Battles. She is accustomed to being with a supporting partner. With that said, by handicapping her with a temporary support that is at the Silver-tier, her rating drops to the very limits of Silver-7. So…what do you think of your performance, Lori?”
Placing the device into the slot to be sent to the Center, Lori showed a proud smile and found strength from her Kubfu, who held her hand and glared at the Gym Leader.
“The difference between Gold and Silver is huge,” she laughed. “Not that this was Gold! It’s just…you were showing us how a Gold battle would be judged, and how real battles get once you’re Gold-tier. It reminded me of that Plasma assassin that came after us at the start of our journey… I was scared, Gym Leader Erika… You scared us,” she admitted with a forced smile. “I think it’s something I’ll remember.”
Erika finished her sip of tea as she spoke, lowered it from her mouth, and showed a warm expression. “Very few Trainers manage to accelerate as quickly as your team has, Lori. It is essential to realize what responsibility comes with the power you gain as Trainers. One cannot look at the world the same way when one has the ability to influence it, if on a small block level to the scale of a City-State or region.
“Loss…is inevitable in this world, Lori. Gambles and risks are necessary. And you showed a willingness to put your vulnerable heart on the line… Not for this silly badge that is lined with Silver,” she chuckled, gesturing at the rainbow gem-encrusted item attached to her chest front. “You gambled your heart against what this badge represents… You’ve grown, Lori. Believe in yourself.”
Heat smacked Lori in the nose as her eyes began to water in the understanding look on the Gym Leader’s face. She’d been wrong…so wrong. This hadn’t been about proving she could push through tough and life-threatening situations. It was about her feelings in that ice cave, a gun pointed at Amira, and Rhea being the one to tackle her out of the way… It was about her fear of death, and the death of her Pokemon.
Erika folded her hands in her lap and pressed a button near her kneeling position, and the flashing screen overhead read six letters in green. “You have passed my test, Lori. You may pick up your badge at the front. I hope to see you continue to grow as you reach new heights. Many can learn from your example… It is a hard one to follow.”
Feeling her shirt stick to her drenched back, Lori left the stage with a confused Terri, Gables pondering the lesson Erika had imparted to them. Gold would be a whole different dance, and they needed to be prepared for it. Still, they’d won…even though they lost.