The scene atop the Violet Gym's tower was much the same as the day before, only with a different figure in the challenger's box. Jen, wearing an ice blue shirt, stood ready to battle, while Falkner stood on the other side, his usual in-battle stare on his face.
"Today's Johto League battle between the challenger, Jennifer, and the Gym Leader, Falkner, will now begin!
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Jen Richards
A: ★
D: ★
S: ★★
Falkner
A: ★
D: ★
S: ★★
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The prize is the Zephyr Badge! Each side is allowed three Pokémon, with only the challenger permitted to substitute her Pokémon! Begin the match when ready!"
"I'm ready! Togepi, let's go!" Jen tossed out her first Pokéball and released her baby Pokémon; Togepi skipped in a circle and promptly tripped over. Jen shook her head and giggled slightly, and prepared herself for Falkner's first choice.
"Not many challengers send a Pokémon like Togepi at me. This should be interesting." Falkner mused as he expanded a Pokéball. "Alright, Spearow, let's go!" The brown sparrow emerged, loosing a piercing shriek as it eyed up Togepi. Togepi, for her part, simply squealed happily and continued skipping. Jen opened her Pokédex and pointed it at Spearow, ready to add its information to her database.
"Spearow, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. Spearow has a vicious temperament, and will mercilessly attack any adversary. However, it expends a lot of energy simply staying airborne." Jen stowed the Pokédex and turned her focus to the battlefield.
"Alright, Togepi, enough playing around. Let's start out with Charm!" Togepi responded quickly, widening its already enormous smile and directing its gaze at Spearow. The Tiny Bird's fierce stare faltered a little, and it looked less likely to go after Togepi.
"Trying to soften us up first, eh? Well, that won't stop us! Spearow, dive and use Peck!" Spearow hesitated slightly, and then rushed at Togepi, who skipped far enough away to lessen the impact. "Don't let it dodge you like that! Peck again!" This time Spearow's attack hit full on, sending Togepi flying with an anguished squeak.
"Togepi, no!" Jen looked on nervously; Togepi didn't have that much of an offensive repertoire, having only recently hatched, but she didn't want to switch too soon and reveal her lineup before she was ready. Switching was logical, but she'd lose her advantage of surprise. She had to make her decision quickly; the pressure was mounting.
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"She's on the back foot already," Jen's father remarked, as he watched his daughter battle. "Sending out Togepi to start wasn't the best move."
"That's for sure," Matt Enfield said, also observing Jen's performance. "I understand that she's got to work with the tools she's given, but Togepi only hatched two weeks ago. If she could have caught a more powerful Pokémon along the way back here, she might be having an easier time of this."
"Yeah, but you overlooked one thing, Dad," Shane said with a sidelong look at his younger brother, who was watching intently with Cyndaquil on his shoulder. "Jen, like my little brother, does things her own way, and she thinks that using Pokémon like Togepi is best. She'll figure something out; James did."
"She's going to have to work fast," put in Darrell quietly. "Falkner won't let her get back into the battle easily. If Jen's not careful, Spearow will run circles around her Pokémon."
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"Togepi, keep moving! Try to get a Charm in when Spearow passes you!" Togepi kept skipping about, barely avoiding Spearow's diving Peck attacks. Jen could sense that Falkner's Spearow was getting impatient; James had warned her before the battle that Spearow as a species were ill-tempered, and if she strung it along she would let its rage come to a head and make it even more difficult to take down.
"Spearow, don't let it evade you! Dive and use Fury Attack!" Spearow rocketed at Togepi and hit her with a series of rapid jabs with its beak. Togepi squealed in pain and tried to skip away, but Spearow had built up a head of steam and refused to let her go. "There's no escape from my Spearow when it's worked itself into a rage! It's too strong to overcome!" Jen watched in despair as Togepi took hit after hit, and eventually pulled out Togepi's Pokéball.
"Togepi, return! Let's not take any unnecessary risks!" As Togepi disappeared in a flash of red light, Jen took a deep breath and used the pause to recompose herself. "Alright, Falkner's Spearow's all worked up. I can't take it down from below, so I'll hit him from the skies! Zubat, that means you!" The blue Bat Pokémon chittered as it was released, using its sonar to locate its opponent. Jen knew it might be at a disadvantage during the day, but she also knew that an aerial battle was the only way to take out Spearow.
"So, another Flying-type, eh?" Falkner called across the battlefield. "You don't think you can beat a Flying master like me in the air, do you?"
"I plan to!" Jen shouted back. "Let's get going already! Zubat, Supersonic!" Zubat opened its mouth and let out a powerful sonic shriek that pulsed through the air and made everyone, even Falkner, cover their ears.
"That's...some Supersonic, kid." Falkner said, watching Spearow to see if it was affected. "But Spearow won't..." He trailed off as he watched Spearow look wildly around, clearly confused by the sonic blast. "So, you've confused my Spearow, have you? We'll see how long that lasts. Spearow, Peck attack!" Spearow looked at its master with unfocused eyes and promptly dived towards the ground. "Spearow! Snap out of it!"
“Go after it, Zubat! Bite attack!” Zubat fluttered towards the disoriented Spearow and sank its short fangs into the Tiny Bird's wing. Spearow continued to turn its head every which way, unaware of the bat's attack.
“Spearow, you're stronger than this! Fury Attack!” Spearow looked at Jen, not Falkner, and spun hard in midair. “Spearow!”
"Looks like your Spearow's lost its focus. Time to finish this up. Zubat, go use Bite once more!" Spearow shook its head as Zubat bit its wing again, and started pecking wildly. “Zubat! Dive toward the ground, now!” Zubat obeyed, and Spearow followed its adversary, speeding toward the battlefield.
“Spearow! Use your Peck attack!” The Tiny Bird aimed the attack at the back of Zubat's head, but in its fury it hadn't noticed how close to the surface it really was. Zubat pulled out of its dive at the last second, and Spearow crashed hard into the ground.
"Spearow! Don't give up!" Falkner looked at Spearow as it tried to pick itself up, but it squawked weakly and collapsed, a dazed look in its eyes.
"Spearow is unable to battle! Zubat is the winner!" Jen smiled as Zubat circled its defeated opponent, which disappeared as Falkner recalled it.
"Spearow, you performed tremendously. Take a good, long rest." Falkner let a small smile creep onto his face as he looked at his young competitor. She had taken a bad situation and turned it around, but she had revealed two of her Pokémon already. He would use this knowledge to his advantage.
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"That took longer than it should have," James muttered as he watched Zubat take down Spearow. "She showed too many Pokémon too early, and gave Falkner the edge." Cyndaquil squeaked its agreement from James' shoulder.
"She'll come through, kid," Shane told his brother. "Jen may be a beginner like you, but she's got a lot of potential. Her Pokémon will pull it off."
"Let's hope so," John Richards said, looking at his daughter as she prepared for the next battle. "She's got to keep fighting hard, and keep faith in her Pokémon."
"She will," his wife told him, and James' mother nodded as well. "Our Jennifer has never given up before, and she won't now."
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
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"Well, time for our next battle," Falkner said, taking out a second Pokéball and tossing it out. "Hoothoot, let's go!" Jen knew the owl wouldn't go down as easily as it had to James' Geodude, but she was confident after putting Spearow away.
"Zubat, use Supersonic right away!" Zubat loosed the sonic shriek again, but Hoothoot looked unfazed by the assault. "Huh? Why didn't it work?"
"You won't confuse us every time, Jennifer." Falkner said from across the field. "Hoothoot is used to sleeping through loud noises during the day; it's not as easily susceptible as Spearow might be." Jen wasn't happy to hear that, and neither was Zubat, who rocketed at Hoothoot with its jaws gaping, revealing its razor-sharp fangs.
"That's it, Zubat! Use Bite!" Zubat obediently bit down on Hoothoot's short wing, prompting the owl to flap its wings frantically, trying to dislodge the blue bat. Now, Leech Life!" Hoothoot began to glow as its energy was drained, but didn't react very much. "Wait, why isn't it working?"
"It's working, but Bug-type attacks like that won't have much effect on a Flying-type. Hoothoot, shake it off!" Hoothoot's rapid wingbeats eventually shook Zubat loose, and the two Flying-types faced each other in midair, priming for another attack. Zubat started waving its wings and launched a blade-like air current at Hoothoot, knocking it off-balance.
"What kind of move is that?" Jen asked in amazement, as she watched Hoothoot wobble in midair.
"That is Air Cutter, Jennifer. I must say I'm impressed. Your Zubat is fairly advanced for its evolutionary level. But we've got our own tricks! Hoothoot, Confusion attack!"
"Jen, get Zubat out of there!" Jen heard James shouting from the stand. "A Psychic-type move like that is going to rip through a Poison-type!" Jen, however, stood transfixed as Hoothoot fired a blue beam of energy from its eyes and slammed it into Zubat. Zubat fell out of the air and crash-landed, chittering weakly as it fainted.
"Zubat is unable to battle! Hoothoot wins!"
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"How come he held that back against me?" James wondered aloud, as Cyndaquil looked on in shocked silence. "Was he hoping that...?"
"He knew two-thirds of Jen's lineup," Shane answered, his eyes wide. "If he'd revealed it when he battled you, he would've given Jen a chance to find a counter-strategy. Not that you gave him much time to show it, but..."
Now it's just Magby and Togepi left," John Richards said to no-one in particular. "Togepi's banged up from its fight with Spearow, but Magby's still fresh. Jennifer needs to battle carefully from now on; Falkner's almost certainly got Pidgeotto in reserve, so she might be in for a defeat if she expends too much energy now."
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"Alright, Togepi, time to come back out!" Togepi reappeared, and Hoothoot readied itself for battle.
"Hoothoot, don't let it distract you! Keep a cool head and we'll blow that Togepi away!"
"Not on my watch! Togepi, use Charm!" Togepi smiled widely at Hoothoot, who turned away, unimpressed. "Not interested, huh? Alright, Growl!" Jen giggled as Togepi let out what it obviously thought was a growl, but was really another high-pitched squeal.
"Looks like your moves aren't doing the job. Hoothoot, Peck attack! Finish it off!" Hoothoot dived towards Togepi, its beak extended, ready to end the battle. In response, Togepi stood stock still and began waving its hand back and forth.
"What the...that's Metronome!" Jen was ecstatic; Metronome might be completely random, but it had the potential to pull her a winning move. Togepi stopped its rhythmic hand-waving and stood still again...then squealed as a small yellow bolt of electricity shot from her hand and struck Hoothoot full-on.
"Metronome may have given you a useful attack, but don't think a simple ThunderShock is enough to finish Hoothoot! Peck attack, now! End this match!" Hoothoot fought through the bolt and crashed into Togepi hard enough to knock her out, but the Electric attack had taken its toll and Hoothoot was beaten.
"Both Pokémon are unable to battle! This round is a draw!"
"I don't believe it!" Falkner was so shocked he could barely get the words out. "We've trained so hard to resist Electric-type moves, I can't understand how a mere ThunderShock could beat us." He smiled, realizing that this was part of being a Gym Leader, experiencing new surprises every battle. "Well, my friend, you've done well to get past Spearow and Hoothoot, although that ThunderShock couldn't have been predicted. But you still have one more Pokémon between you and the Zephyr Badge. I think you know who it is."
"Bring it, Falkner!" Jen shouted, taking out Magby's Pokéball. "We're not planning on leaving without a badge! Magby, let's get out there and finish what we started!" The Live Coal Pokémon emerged, blowing out several glowing embers as she readied for battle.
"Another baby Pokémon? It seems to be your calling card. Well, this should be interesting. Pidgeotto, let's go!" The majestic bird Pokémon appeared in a flash of light, its red plumage shining in the midmorning sun, and glared at Magby as it got into position.
"Magby, let's start off with SmokeScreen!" Magby inhaled deeply and then expelled a huge cloud of black smoke from its mouth, obscuring the entire battlefield. "Alright, now use Ember!" The small Fire-type was well hidden from Pidgeotto by the smoke, but the fire bolts she launched gave her position away. Pidgeotto shrugged off the attack and waited for Falkner's orders.
"Pidgeotto, use Gust! Blow that smoke away!" A quick gust of wind did just that, and Magby took the opportunity to send another Ember attack at Pidgeotto. This time, the fire bolts seemed to cause some damage, scorching the Bird Pokémon's wings.
"Alright, Magby! Keep it up!" Magby obliged, and the Ember attack became even more rapid. Pidgeotto was reduced to moving around the sky trying to dodge the attacks, and Falkner eventually lost patience.
"Pidgeotto, Steel Wing! Take it out!" Pidgeotto's wings glowed, and it crashed into Magby with tremendous force. The Steel-type move didn't cause much damage, but was enough to distract Magby from her Ember barrage.
"Magby, it's in close! Fire Punch!" Magby's fist caught fire, and it dealt Pidgeotto a powerful punch to its left wing. Pidgeotto managed to get away, but as it flew back up, it listed badly to one side, and was showing visible effort in keeping its left side airborne.
"Pidgeotto! Are you alright?" Pidgeotto trilled an affirmative, but then winced as the full force of the Fire Punch kicked in. Its wing was still scored with small scorch marks, and a large red mark appeared at the point of impact. Magby crossed her arms in triumph, which annoyed Pidgeotto even further.
"Looks like Pidgeotto's moving a bit slower than usual. Your aerial advantage doesn't count as much now!" Jen was becoming more confident; she may have gotten off to a slow start, but she was ready to finish off in style. "Magby, use Smog!" Magby sent a cloud of gray smoke at Pidgeotto, and the powerful bird sank even further in the air. "Now, Ember!" The flurry of fire bolts brought Pidgeotto to the ground, where it pulled itself up, but couldn't get back in the air: its wing was injured to the point that it could hardly move it.
"Pidgeotto! Try a Gust attack!" Pidgeotto struggled to move its wings, but the damage was too heavy. It was wide open for a final strike.
"Magby, time to finish this battle! Fire Punch!" Magby charged at Pidgeotto, its fist ablaze. One ferocious blow put Pidgeotto on the ground, finally spent. The judge looked at Pidgeotto, whose dazed eyes became unfocused, and the verdict was clear.
"Pidgeotto is unable to battle! Magby wins, and so victory goes to the challenger!" Jen ran onto the battlefield and hugged Magby, while Falkner went to tend to his battered friend.
"Pidgeotto, are you okay?" Pidgeotto trilled weakly, looking disappointed. It tried to get up, but Falkner wouldn't let it. "Hey, relax, you fought bravely through that injury. Time for you to take a well-earned rest." After recalling Pidgeotto, he motioned to one of his students, whom he instructed to take Pidgeotto and the others to the Pokémon Centre. The assistant raced off to complete his assignment, and Falkner looked across the battlefield at Jen, who had Magby in a bear hug, and smiled to himself. "The thrill of victory...and the agony of defeat." he murmured. "It's unfortunate, but that's how Gym battles go." Jen, meanwhile, met her parents and James' family at the edge of the field.
"Well done indeed, Jennifer." Emma Richards said, giving her daughter a hug of her own.
"You and your Pokémon were excellent," her father added. "For your first Gym battle, you passed the test with flying colors." James' family added their congratulations as well. Jen looked at James, who had a big grin on his face. Cyndaquil jumped down from his shoulder and squeaked happily, and Magby animatedly returned his greeting.
"So we both pulled it off, huh?" Jen said, breaking the silence between her and her friend. "Now we get ready to move on."
"Guess so," James answered. He looked around quickly, then held out a hand. "Way to go, Jen. You battled really hard, and you deserved this win." Jen responded to the outstretched hand by wrapping James in a hug, and James stiffened in surprise. Cyndaquil cocked his head inquisitively, but before he could inquire further, Jen let James go and turned to face Falkner, who had walked over as this was going on.
"Jennifer, you and your Pokémon did a fantastic job today. Many thanks for a great battle."
"Thanks, Falkner. I hope your Pidgeotto recovers soon." Despite her delight at winning, she was concerned about the injuries the bird had suffered.
"I thank you for your concern, Jennifer. But don't worry, Pidgeotto should be fine; he's taken worse beatings than that. Now, I have something here for you." He took the winged Zephyr Badge from his pocket and held it out in his palm. "Congratulations, Jennifer, you have just won your first Johto League badge." Jen took the badge from Falkner and closed her hand around it.
"Thanks a lot, Falkner. It means a lot." She jumped into the air, raising the hand that held the badge. "Alright, we just got a Zephyr Badge!" She then turned to her parents. "Mom, Dad, what now?"
"Well, I think we should have some sort of celebration." Emma smiled, looking with pride at her daughter. "Matt, Andrea, what do you think? Shall we all celebrate together?"
"Sounds fine to me," Matt Enfield answered. "Why don't we all go home to relax, then we'll have a small party at our place this evening."
"Emma, why don't you and I take care of dinner for everyone tonight?" Andrea asked Jen's mother. "If all of us are going to be in one place, we'll need to team up on this one."
"I would love to, Andrea." Emma said. "Alright, everyone, I think Falkner's had enough of our company for one day. Let's go home." The group said their goodbyes to Falkner, and then headed for the exit.