“3.”

“2.”

“1.”

“Go!”

Pidgey appeared in a burst of light. “Pidgey!”

She wasn't alone.

A mass of undergrowth engulfed the other side of the pitch. Long blue vines shifted slowly, ever moving to hide what lay beneath. All that could escape from these tangled ropes without end was two sets of two colours. Rich auburn roots held the vines steady from below, locking the ever changing mass in place. Glowing white bulb-like eyes shone from the darkness, warning of the danger within.

“Leer!” David roared, adrenaline, anger and fear surging in equal measure. He'd never seen one before, but that was a Tangela. Nothing else matched the description.

Pidgey took to the air, working to close the distance as she did in every match, but with a different focus than usual. There was prey in her sights.

“Growth.” Tamia snapped the order out like it offended her.

Tangela squirmed, vines writhing as it crouched and thick auburn roots dug into the dirt. Slithers of beige sped towards the Pokemon, faster than David had ever seen.

He would have been worried if he hadn’t seen Tangela’s vines shiver and stiffen under Pidgey’s gaze.

“Cannon!” David called as Pidgey drew closer.

Tangela had yet to move an inch. Her trainer remained in a ready stance too, feet planted and eyes wide. Too wide.

David stiffened and prepared to react.

Pidgey drew back, spreading her wings wide.

“Mega Drain,” Tamia ordered, a wide grin growing on her face.

Pidgey swung her wings forward. Brilliant lavender curls, brighter and more luminous than any flower, spiralled forward.

Deep green, almost blue orbs of energy flew back at Pidgey in a tight shot.

The attacks met, colliding and slipping past as millimetres changed everything. Where the two energies coexisted, the lavender won. Orbs shattering while much reduced twists continued only to fade metres later.

The spirals reached Tangela first, slicing into vines, passing through gaps and eliciting a hiss.

The orbs continued on to Pidgey, reduced and.. fading? Pidgey swerved to the side, but it was unneeded as the orbs popped before they could reach her.

David grinned. To think that he'd been worried. “Again. Stay back.”

Tamia scowled.

Tangela’s vines grew more agitated, looking less and less like a plant by the second as it became a squirming mess of blue worms.

“Growth.”

Pidgey swung around, maintaining distance from Tangela as she raised her wings up.

Beige lines streaked through the grass and flowers below towards Tangela. The flower wilted in the line’s wake.

Lavender lines formed in the air and twisted to the ground unopposed.

A chunk of blue vine fell to the floor. Tangela drooped. The hissing grew deeper.

“Again!” David shouted, breath coming in sharp bursts as they pressed the advantage.

“Mega Drain.” Tamia spat out.

David frowned. The inexplicable order broke him from his excitement. Why repeat a failed tactic?

Once again, lavender spirals crossed deep greenish blue orbs. Where they met orbs popped and lavender twists were nowhere to be seen. Once again, lavender twists struck into Tangela, slicing more vines and sending chunks of blue to the green grass below. Once again, the orbs continued on, fading as they neared Pidgey. But this time, the orbs lasted longer. Long enough to sink into Pidgey’s chest. Long enough for larger, deeper spheres to reappear and rocket back to Tangela.

Pidgey faltered, drained, as down on the pitch Tangela perked up.

“Back,” David ordered quickly. “Leer.”

That Mega Drain had been strong. Dangerously strong. Pidgey's earlier energy was gone and her shoulders heaved as if the battle had been going on for ten times as long. Just two Growths had boosted Tangela's power and reach that much? He hadn’t even known that Growth could increase range.

Tangela shivered on the pitch as Pidgey affixed it with her gaze again but not enough to stop it from obeying the next order. It had been on the ropes, but now it was beginning to perk up.

“Ingrain.”

Stolen novel; please report.

Tangela pulled against the ground with its vines, burying its auburn roots further into the dirt. A pulse of deep green spread from the ground underneath, climbing up Tangela’s body and revitalising the tired Pokemon again.

David was now on a clock. “Leer.”

Pidgey let out a shrill making her displeasure known, but continued to circle above David’s head, growing ever higher.

David grimaced. Pidgey couldn’t win in a slug out. Not any more at least. Maybe if he’d continued with Gusts, it would have been close, but-

No. Focus. David scanned Tangela as it shivered again. How did he and Pidgey win this?

Across from him, Tamia gritted her teeth. “Stun Spore.”

Tangela shifted, lifting its body up. With a great sigh, it shrank back down and a puff of orange spores escaped its body.

David grimaced as the spores spread above Tangela. They drifted in the air, a web expanding slowly, but expanding all the same.

‘Wait. Why not use another Growth? Pidgey is out of range for now, but another Growth could change that.’

A pulse of green travelled along the ground to Tangela, causing the Pokemon to gurgle happily. More flowers wilted on the pitch. Petals fell to the floor.

Everything clicked for David.

Tangela was getting the energy from somewhere. There was no free lunch. The energy it used to heal was energy it could not use to grow stronger. Every Move drained the lush garden around it.

He stared at Tamia and she stared back. They were in a stalemate.

“Leer,” David called, thoughts racing.

Across the pitch, Tamia called for another Stun Spore, confirming David’s guess. They were in a stalemate and Pidgey had the first move. At least for now. Orange spores were spreading across the pitch and Pidgey.. Pidgey was growing tired, each wingbeat draining precious energy.

“In close,” David called, beginning the end. "Cannon."

Pidgey let out a chirp and dived.

Tamia narrowed her eyes. She could tell something was up. “Mega Drain.”

David clenched his fists.

Pidgey flew into Mega Drain range and kept going. As deep green orbs raced up towards her, she swung her wings down. Lavender spirals cut into the Vines below. Orbs sunk into cream feathers and flew back out, stronger than ever.

“Peck!” David roared.

Pidgey dived into the specks of orange.

Tangela’s vines writhed, a pulse of deep green rising from the earth to spur them on.

“Mega Drain!”

Pidgey was a spear falling from the heavens.

Orbs blinked into existence around Tangela. Fairy lights warning of danger in the woods.

Pidgey struck Tangela.

David and Tamia held their breaths.

Both Pokemon rolled back along the ground hopelessly tangled, Tangela’s root grip not strong enough to take the blow and stay in place. They slid to a halt and lay still.

David panted, heart beating a mile a minute as they waited.

Movement.

Vines shook, sliding about slightly before laying still.

Another shake.

The mass of vines and cream feathers lay still.

David straightened, not sure when he had fallen into a running stance. They waited a minute longer. No movement. David’s everything stilled.

“What.. What do we do now?”

Tamia furrowed her brow and stared at the tangled mess of two Pokemon. “I believe we will have to call this a-”

“Pid-”

Another shake of the vines.

Tamia’s brow smoothed out and she groaned. “Never mind.”

She held a pokeball up and recalled Tangela, leaving a creamy brown feathery mess on the pitch.

Pidgey let out another weak shake, elated by the now missing weight on her.

“Pidgey!” David shouted in joy. It was over. He stepped forward to leave the circle patio, only to pause and look at Tamia.

Tamia waved him forward and rolled her neck. She placed Tangela’s ball back alongside the other three on her belt. “Trainer David, you have won the battle and demonstrated your dedication…”

David paid her little attention as he jogged towards Pidgey.

“STOP!” Tamia shouted.

David paused mid step.

“Stun spore!” Tamia complained, shaking her head incredulously. She shooed him back.

Pidgey shifted at the noise, pulling herself up to stand. She faced David and let out a happy ‘chir’ that was interrupted by orange veins shaking her body

“Great job Pidgey,” David said, lifting her pokeball up to recall her. She disappeared in a flash of light.

“This way,” Tamia said, exasperated. She marched off the patio to a path at the side of the pitch, making certain to skirt the area near where Tangela had been.

David followed, tucking Pidgey’s ball carefully into the sling around his neck. His heart beat a mile a minute. They had done it. Their first gym challenge. Their first badge. His first step. It had taken a month but they had it. It was possible. Everything was possible.

Tamia muttered under her breath the entire way out of the gardens but David paid her no mind. Henry took over at some point, offering congratulations that David absentmindedly accepted. He was too focused on the ball hanging from his neck.

Henry led David to a smaller version of the reception at the front of the gym. There, David handed over his trainers licence and was handed back 500 Poke and a coupon for a free healing at the Pokecenter.

“No badge?” David asked in confusion as his licence was handed back. Did he miss something?

The receptionist raised an eyebrow. “Nice try. You can come back for a fifth or sixth badge challenge anytime.”

And with that disappointment, David stepped to the side to let the next trainer through. Henry guided him out of the gym, following a new path this time and remaining silent, which was for the best. David didn’t think he would have noticed if Henry had burst into song. He couldn't look away from the pokeball and the tired presence within.

Spirits high and pockets heavy with his new badge, physical or not, David walked out under Celadon Gym’s iron archway.

Henry waved to him as he left, giving him a thumbs up and a cheer.

-.-

“Excuse me, may I ask who that was?”

Henry jumped. He hadn’t heard anyone coming. Shuddering, he turned to face the trainer, eyes flicking to the pokeballs at their waist. Here to book an appointment, Henry decided. No one looked that relaxed when challenging a gym.

The trainer tilted their head, dark hair with a faint hint of colour swishing to the side as they did. Their expression remained blank.

“Sorry, you surprised me,” Henry replied, calming himself. “I am afraid that we can’t give out trainer information.”

The trainer nodded, nearly bowing forward and their hair swishing again. “That is fine, I thought I recognised someone. I haven’t seen David Smith in a while.”

Henry gave them his service smile. “I’m afraid I can’t confirm anything.”

“That is alright,” The trainer said, straightening from their nod with a wide grin. ”You have been of great service already.”