I run the comb through Lulu’s fur, gently coaxing out the clumps of dirt and dust. Occasionally, I have to pick at a rock with my fingers so it doesn’t break the comb’s teeth. It’s a sturdy tool for Pokémon with tough fur but even so I’m careful. It’ll last much longer if I do.
A few metres over, Lili is pushing my human friends through some exercises. Even just these two weeks of keeping up almost daily have helped them a lot. They’ll soon be ready to start with the real training. I smile at Min’s puffy face and she gives me a glare but keeps up her sit-ups without complaint.
A claw reaches around my shoulder and picks the rock I almost combed through. I reach up to pat Gligar who is clinging to my back.
“Thanks, buddy,” I say.
“Gli!” he nods and crunches the rock between his pincers. He’s gotten a lot stronger with a proper diet and training regime. He still has a long way to go but I might be able to use him for some battles with mid-level Trainers soon. He’s managed to get Fury Cutter down fully and started working on Acrobatics. I want to teach him Bulldoze soon, as well. A good Ground Move would help him a lot.
I pat down the last bits of fur and put away the comb before starting to scratch Lulu behind her ear. She rumbles pleasantly and turns her head to let me better reach the perfect spot. Just seconds later, her tongue is lolling out of her panting mouth. I laugh and give her a kiss on the side of her head.
“You’re all cleaned up now, girl,” I say “Let’s get to the others. It’s time to go back.”
She growls in disappointment at the sudden lack of scritches but still gets up and starts trotting over to the others.
“Guys? We’re done for the day!” I call out and my friends collapse with cries of freedom. Lili chirps happily in encouragement and I nod.
“Yup, you all did good. Soon, we can start the real training!”
Min’s groan and Sara’s glare only make my grin widen. Mel just rolls her eyes. She’s taken the best to the exercises. Probably because she always stayed in shape for her contests.
We take a few minutes break to let everyone rest before starting on our way back to Oreburgh. Today we used a spot to the North-East of the city, close to the mountainside. Not many Trainers come here because it’s a bit out of the way so we can use the space however we want. The slightly longer trip is totally worth it. I half-considered using one of the weekends to make a quick trip up to the Coronet Highlands and see how the populations moved or changed but training Gligar took priority in the end. As well as preparing for the Gym Battle with Roark.
I have to admit I’m a bit nervous about how I’ll do. Lili is going to have a strong match-up but Lulu will have to rely mostly on Ice Fang and her Dark-Type Moves. We’ll need to go back to slower strategies like Confuse Ray and other Status Moves just to stand a chance. And with Roark already aware of my two battlers, he’ll know what to prepare for.
I’m not sure that it’s a good idea to use the first Gym battle as a test of how strong my team is compared to modern competitive battlers. That said, after reading up a little I know Cynthia to be on the more extreme end of Champions. Most other regions have far smaller gaps between the best and the very top. Only Hoenn’s Steven Stone is apparently just as dominant. And there are some rumours about an ‘undefeated’ Champion in the secluded Galar but that’s probably overblown.
However it goes, I expect to have a decent chance in a 2v6 versus Roark. On a good day, Cynthia’s Roserade and Milotic can beat him on their own and those aren’t her strongest two. Still, I’m a little nervous. There’ll be a lot of scrutiny on me and while I personally could just move through the wilderness, I don’t want to leave my friends alone on their trip. I just got back here, after all!
A pinch on my ear shakes me out of my thoughts. I flinch back a little from Gligar’s claw and turn to face him.
“What’s up?”
He just points ahead. At the northern checkpoint leading into Oreburgh.
“You got a bit lost there, Zoe?” Mel grins, “Too busy planning your battle?”
I snort.
“Something like that, yeah. Let’s go?”
“Only waiting on you, girl!” Min laughs and throws an arm around my shoulders. I grumble good-naturedly and pull out my Trainer ID to show to the Rangers guarding the city.
Half an hour later, we reach the Oreburgh Gym. It’s incredibly crowded with Trainers, though not a single one is on their first circuit. Every first-timer begins in Jubilife, no matter what. Even Mum travelled there. The reason for that is simple. The Pokémon League has set up Jubilife as the starting point and Cynthia is going to hold the opening ceremony from there. As a city without a Gym but with three feasible paths to cities with Gyms, the huge crowd of first-timers spreads out much better than in most other places. Though the largest part will still tackle Oreburgh first, there are always people that prefer to trek across all of Sinnoh to build a team first, which also helps with spreading everyone out.
Repeaters, like me and my friends, usually don’t bother with the crowd and start in their home towns. That way, you don’t end up stuck on a Gym far from home without getting a single badge. Still, everyone watches the opening ceremony which is streamed on large screens set up on the battlefields, which is why everyone that starts in Oreburgh this season is at the Gym today.
We push our way through the crowd until I spot Roark talking to some other Trainers at the edge of the battlefield. Officially, you can only schedule Gym battles once the opening ceremony is over but today after the ceremony, the half-day of battling, is first come, first served.
“Do you really wanna go today?” Min asks for the umpteenth time.
I give her a grin.
“Depending on how easy this ends up being, I might push for a speed run.”
She rolls her eyes.
“Fine. I got 50 bucks on you losing at least once to a Gym Leader,” she laughs.
I join in.
“Maybe you’ll get paid out today.”
We reach Roark and I recognize the guy next to him as he turns around. It’s Lucas, the Lab Trainer and Rei’s descendant.
“Hey, Lucas, Roark,” I greet them, “How’s things?”
“Zoe!” the boy grins, “Looking to get one of the day-one-battles? Tough luck. This guy says he’s booked out already.”
The Gym Leader laughs.
“I am, in a way. With Zoe’s battle, I don’t want to plan anything else.”
“Huh?” Lucas turns.
I raise my eyebrows.
“And what if I didn’t plan on fighting you day one?”
“Then I’d start taking challenges as soon as I knew.”
“Alright. When do you wanna start?”
“Right after the ceremony?”
“That’s fine with me.”
“Do you plan to battle all afternoon?” Lucas asks.
“No, I’m using my personal team and I want to save the time I might need to take care of the after.”
“Oh,” Lucas turns to me, “Ooh. Yeah, that makes sense. So is it gonna be a 2v2?”
“6v6,” Roark says, “Technically.”
“Zoe is a monster!” Min grins next to me.
“So, yeah. I might take a few more challengers tomorrow but I don’t want to promise anything.”
Lucas nods.
“Do you really think you’ll win with two Pokémon?” he asks.
I wave my hand.
“Maybe? If I knew his exact team and how he battles, definitely. But, well…”
“Well, what?” Roark asks, his eyes narrowing.
“I have three battlers on my side that can feasibly go into the arena.”
Lucas groans.
“That’d be a complete mess,” he says, “And a complete stomp.”
I blink.
“Huh?”
“You’re talking about the friend you introduced to me, right?”
“No, no. Mes isn’t gonna battle in the circuit. She’ll be watching, though.”
“Okay, then? Who is it?”
“You’ll see, if it’s needed. There’s a good chance it won’t.”
I bare my teeth at Roark and he flinches back just a little bit.
“As I said,” Min laughs, “Zoe. Is. A. Monster.”
Lucas shakes his head at our antics as we giggle to our hearts’ content. I keep an eye on Roark and am very happy to see that I unsettled him with the mention of a third battler. Technically, I could probably convince Mes or Giratina to take a spot in my team, but I have other plans. I want to treat this journey with some seriousness and not just slack off and win for free. Which is why Lili helped me improve my Fighting-Type techniques over the last two weeks. Between that, and my previous skills with Psychic, and Electric Moves, I won’t have any Type that I can’t hit, as well as a good split between physical Moves and energy Moves. Of course, I’m focusing on keeping my distance so that I can dodge.
I turn to the big screen hanging over the battlefield as the crowd starts to quiet. Someone turns up the speakers. Gina Ritlock is just closing up a segment about the Circuit’s history. She’s standing in a studio and behind her on a screen the big stage in Jubilife is shown live. A countdown is ticking down the last thirty seconds before the opening ceremony.
The Elite Four is standing in a half circle to the back. Banners with emblems of their favoured Types hang behind them. Aaron and the light-green Bug-Type. Bertha and her sand-coloured Ground-Type. Flint and the blazing orange of Fire-Type. And last but not least, Lucian and his deep-pink Psychic-Type.
The image switches to show the last ten seconds of the countdown on full-screen, a thrumming base-beat accompanying every tick. I hear the crowd chant the numbers and join in with a grin. Min is pumping her fist slightly off rhythm. On zero, everyone erupts into roaring applause as a triumphant melody begins to play and a camera captures Cynthia dropping in from the sky on her Togekiss. It’s perfectly timed so that Ryu, her Garchomp, releases with a majestic roar just as the melody ends and the crowd erupts again.
I almost forgot how exhilarating the Circuit opening was.
Cynthia waves as the applause dies down. She has a gentle smile on her face, like a patient mother in a crowd of rowdy kids. When she starts speaking, I briefly wonder where the microphone is but shake my head to focus on her words.
“Welcome, Sinnoh, once more!” she says as her eyes sweep the crowd, “It’s time for another season of the Competitive Gym Circuit!”
Cheers break out and she waves down the crowd.
“Now, now. Calm down a little.”
I hear someone chuckling nearby.
“I know you’re all excited but the battles won’t begin until tomorrow so there’s no need to rush. In fact, rushing into the Circuit is never a good idea. It will only lead to disappointment and disaster. And if you’re one of those ‘speedrunners’, I only hope you’ve done your preparations.
“Sinnoh is a harsh land. We have steep mountains, deep swamps, a nearly endless blizzard, rough cliffs and rougher seas. Anyone that wants to travel our region, even within the safety of the routes, should know what you’re getting into. Some of you are professional Trainers and compete in every season. I am not worried about you. Some of you are going for your second or third attempt. I am a little worried about you. Don’t underestimate the journey just because you’ve been there once.”
Min is nodded excitedly by my side.
“Those of you that are on your first journey, make use of the League-provided resources. Pokémon centres are your life elixir. Ask experienced Trainers if you don’t know how to proceed. Make use of the online forums. And don’t hesitate to contact the Rangers if you or someone else is in danger.”
Her eyes roam the crowd with a steely gaze. Ryu and Togekiss follow her example. It’s an intimidating display, even if you aren’t fully aware of the threat these two Pokémon represent. I’m amazed at how quiet the crowded battleground is.
The tension breaks when Cynthia smirks and returns to her speech.
“Trainers of Sinnoh. No matter how far you want to push, no matter how far you will get, know that I am proud of you. Everyone that strives to improve themselves is worthy of admiration. We are a powerful region, not despite this harsh land but because of it. We strive for strength, everyone in their own way. We struggle to achieve our goals, and we fail, we fall. But we always get back up to climb once again.
“Mount Coronet is not just the centre of Sinnoh, it is the centre of our people, of our culture. We pursue strength, not for the summit, but for the climb. We scale treacherous paths, dive through dark caves, cross rough waters, push through danger, and break our limits. And nobody will stand in our way!”
The crowd explodes once again. Somehow, her speech reminds me a bit of Commander Kamado just before we climbed to the temple of Sinnoh. Back then, we were planning to fight gods. The same spirit is still here in Cynthia’s words. Now, though, the gods we fight are but people. Even if Cynthia and the Elite Four are a near impossible challenge for most Trainers.
“What are you snickering at?” Lucas asks with a raised eyebrow.
“Don’t worry about it,” I wave him off as the noise dies down. Cynthia is grinning widely now.
“It is time!” she raises her fist to more shouts, “Challengers of the Gym Circuit, I wish you all the best on your Journey. May the ninety-second Sinnoh Gym Circuit… begin!”
This time, the noise is nearly unbearable. I barely notice a magenta-coloured pop in front of me before a small bundle dives under my shirt. I wrap my arms around Mes as she shoves her head out of my collar.
“Happy!” she chimes into my mind.
I nod. My lips are stretched into a huge grin. This is why Sinnoh is known for the strength of its Trainers. Because we love a good battle. And we also love a good fight.
From the corner of my eye, I notice Lucas and Roark flinch back a tiny bit. Maybe my grin was a bit too… vicious right there. I school my expression and start petting Mes. The smile doesn’t want to leave my face, though.
“Well, time to schedule my first match,” Min says as she disentangles her arm from my side.
“Right,” I nod, “I should get started, too.”
I take out my Arc-Phone and open the League-App used for everything related to the Circuit. Signing up for battles, making bets when on the road, a map function for the Routes and to find Pokémon Centres… it’s pretty useful. Almost as good as the map of Hisui Arceus had given me when I was brought back in time.
Since I already have a match with Roark in just a bit I click on the second Gym, Gardenia’s in Eterna City. Instead of a ‘schedule battle’ button I find a confirmed match tomorrow for eight a.m. I quickly check the others, and sure enough, I have one match per day with every Gym for the next week, each of them at eight in the morning. That’s… interesting. Did the League set this up because the Leaders are excited to battle the Trainer that can match Cynthia? Or did something else happen.
“Action!” Mes giggles and bumps a fist inside my shirt.
“Stop stretching my shirt,” I push her hand down.
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
Before I can try to figure out what happened, a text message pops up. From none other than Arceus. I open it and start laughing.
‘I took the liberty to set your battles. I believe in you, friend.’ it reads.
“What’s up?” Min asks.
“I got my battles scheduled already. Had a little help,” I grin.
“Oh, nice. You have a Rotom in there?”
“Nope,” I shake my head, “When’s your battle?”
“Still waiting for confirmation… Ah! In ten days. That’s pretty good.”
“Nice. I’ll be going through every Gym over the next week. If I fail one, I’ll take some time to prepare and get back to it later.”
“Huh? You’re really doing a speedrun?” Lucas asks, “How are you getting through the cities?”
“Mes,” I say and the little bundle wiggles happily.
“Fair,” he nods.
“So… are we going to travel together?” Min asks.
“Yep. I promised, didn’t I? I was planning to just get whatever timeslot I could and then Teleport there but if I can get my first cycle of attempts done in a week, I’ll be able to stick with you for the full trip.”
“Sounds good. Now you just have to lose one of eight battles and I’ll make a killing!”
I laugh.
“You’ll get much better odds if you bet for me.”
“Meh,” she waves me off, “I bet what I want to.”
I look around and wave at Mel and Sara who drifted off a little through the crowd. I didn’t even notice. With the opening ceremony over, everyone is starting to move, mostly trying to leave the battlefield. A bunch of people already found seats in the stands and more are pressing up there, trying to watch Roark’s first matches of the season. A bunch of Trainers are making their way over to the Gym leader, though he’s already making his way over to his end of the field. Mes slips out of my shirt and points at a spot a little off to the side on the stands.
“Seats!” she sends to my mind.
“Right. Min, up there. You guys should be able to sit without issues. Take Gligar with you, he’ll want to see my match.”
My friend nods as she takes my Poké Ball before making her way to the other two, Mes floating behind her. I lazily slip through the clearing crowd towards my end of the field, rolling Lili’s Poké Ball between my fingers. If possible, I want her to sweep today. The faster we can finish the match, the more time we have to plan for tomorrow. The most important part, though, is to keep as many Moves as possible secret.
When I take position in the challenger’s box, Poké Ball in hand, the first Trainers start to notice. A few of them glance at Roark but he only has eyes for me. I’d say I was charmed if they weren’t the eyes of someone trying to survive the attack of a rampaging Alpha Pokémon.
It only takes a good minute after that for the battlefield to clear out and the crowd to go quiet. Two Alakazam stand ready to create barriers, one on each side of the stands. I glance over at Mes who gives me a nod.
“Protect!” she sends and I smile.
My eyes return to Roark when he begins to speak.
“Challenger Zoe,” he says, “I am honoured to be your first opponent this Season. This will be a six on six match, Elite Rules. One carried item per Pokémon, no duplicates. The Challenger is the first to release their Pokémon. One switch per two minutes. I will be using my personal Pokémon. Do you agree to these rules?”
I nod.
“I agree. Let’s do this.”
I stand ready and throw my Poké Ball. With a pop and hiss, Lili appears in a pirouette, already getting her first Victory Dance in. The Fire Type Energy for her Sunny day is ready to be released at a moment’s notice.
On the other side of the field, Roark nods grimly and releases his own Pokémon. The red beam resolves into a winged shape with a wide maw and moments later, Aerodactyl roars his defiance to the ceiling.
The cries of the crowd soar past my ears, present but ignored, as the referee lifts the flag in his right hand.
“Both Trainers are ready,” he calls out, “Begin in three… Two… One… Go!”
Immediately, Lili’s Sunny Day shoots upwards and lights up the field. Lili moves into another twirl as the sunlight invigorates her to build up more power with a second Victory Dance. Aerodactyl is already on the move, flying high and building up a small storm of rocks around itself while starting to build up some Water TE. Can Aerodactyl learn Rain Dance? He wouldn’t need Water TE for any other move I can think of.
We’re quite happy with just building up more power, for now, so Lili keeps twirling as the first rocks start shooting at her like bullets in a Rock Tomb. She never stops moving and easily sidesteps the projectiles which impact the barrier right in front of my face. Luckily, I don’t need to see.
There’s a sudden crash followed by another five before a loud cry meets my ears and when the dust clears, Lili is standing on the other side of the battlefield. Aerodactyl is scurrying on the ground a few steps away from her but she quickly goes into an Ice Spinner and finishes the job. One down, five to go.
I barely pay attention to the referee as Roark recalls his downed Pokémon and brings out the next one with a shake of his head. This one is once again unfamiliar to me. A thick body covered in teal plates stands on short but strong legs. It’s arms end in dangerous shears and the head has two large eyes standing off to the side where I would expect ears to be. Another fossil Pokémon, Armaldo.
Lili is standing ready and moves as soon as the referee calls for the battle to continue. This time, she channels Fighting TE into both a Low Sweep and Brick Break, hiding which one will connect first. It doesn’t end up mattering since they both impact a Protect that comes up just in time. I nod when she jumps back immediately to avoid the retaliatory X-Scissor. That one would’ve hurt. She tries her double-hit a second time, delaying the Moves a little more but the Protect holds just long enough. It still makes Armaldo step back while slashing another Bug Move at her retreating form.
I grin when Roark speaks up for the first time.
“Keep it up, just like we practised! Just one hit is all we need!”
Armaldo nods and squares its shoulders. Lili answers with a chirp and another twirl, making her opponent scowl. Looks like Roark can’t tell these are Victory Dance, or he would’ve pushed for more aggression.
The next time Lili charges, she simply steps past Armaldo, ignoring the Protect. When the shield inevitably falls, she kicks twice in two Low Sweeps and the fossil Pokémon cries out in pain. A slight shift of her balance gets her away from the retaliatory X-Scissor and one final Brick Break finishes the fight.
I glance at the crowd and see a lot of people murmuring and pointing. My friends are some of the only people just enjoying the match, though Gligar seems oddly intimidated. I give him a wave and he perks up before I have to return my attention to the fight.
In front of Roark floats a Pokémon that I know quite well. A large body made of blue-ish rock with a huge red nose and a red hat are wrapped around a black magnetic core. Where it peeks out from the rock, Probopass has its eyes just between hat and nose. Three smaller rocks with a nose-like shape are attached to its body. She can detach them and freely move the around with her magnetic abilities. This allows her to attack rapidly even if her main body is somewhat slow to move.
Lili squares up and trills a greeting which Probopass answers with a rumble. From Pokémon that are neutral to Fighting Type Moves to one that is doubly weak… That probably means the first two were more to test the waters. From now on, its the real thing.
“Go!” Roark calls and throws his hand forward.
The three drones detach from Probopass’s body and shoot out in three arcs. They’re charging three different TEs at the same time, Electric, Fire, and Ice. It could be a Tri Attack but they’re too disparate for that. It’s probably the three elemental punches, though the Electric one could be a Thunder Wave as well.
The main body is mostly channelling Normal TE, so there’s gonna be another Protect.
“Get in close, slowly,” I say and Lili jumps forwards.
‘Slow’ for her is still much faster than the three drones can turn and Probopass sends them around in a large loop while turning to keep an eye on Lili. My Pokémon goes with a simple Leaf Blade and smacks it into the Protect. She bounces off to the side, letting the Ice Punch drone slam into its controller, who shakes it off without issues. The follow-up Brick Break cracks the rocky body, though.
Probopass takes the momentum and levitates a few metres to gain some distance while the Fire Punch drone zips just past Lili. The third drone follows up just into the space she dodged to and slams into her, discharging its Electric TE into a Thunder Wave. Just as I thought.
“NOW!” Roark shouts.
I look at our opponent and see Probopass charging up Rock TE into what can only be a Sandstorm. Nothing else would encompass the whole Arena so evenly. I smirk as the paralysis rolls of Lili’s leaves without affecting her.
“That’s enough playing, don’t you think?” I ask.
Lili chirps and blasts forward in a Trailblaze. Her foot taps the ground and she spins into a front flip, ramming heel first into Probopass with an Axe Kick. The red hat cracks from the force but the ground turns out to be the weakest link as a huge cloud of dust and rubble shoots out from the impact.
I hear the crowd gasp and when the cloud clears, the referee calls out.
“Probopass is down, Leader Roark, please choose your fourth Pokémon.”
Halfway there, I muse. This is looking good, but then again, Lili has the Type advantage.
“Good try,” Roark tells his Pokémon as he recalls her. Our eyes meet for a moment and I give him a smile. He returns it with a shake of his head, then squares his shoulders and lets out a deep breath.
“Alright, here we go,” he shouts as the next Pokéball flies. It’s another familiar shape. A Golem, one of the absolute staples of Rock Types. The same Pokémon Mrs Reed used to test me about two weeks ago. This one… is bigger. It’s almost big enough to call it an Alpha.
That said, even Lulu could probably take him down with only a little trouble. We had simply too much experience with this Pokémon. Geodude and its evolutions were absolutely everywhere in Hisui. The only exceptions were the coastlines and the Icelands to the north, but even there it was possible to find them.
I take a moment to look around as Lili starts moving again. She won’t need me for this part of the fight. Ahem… battle.
My eyes find Gligar happily waving his claws and shouting his support. My friends around him are grinning, though there’s also some surprise there. I guess I’ve never let Lili go this far in front of them. Now they know what their Aura teacher is truly capable of. Lucas is sitting there as well together with a face that makes me freeze for a moment. The girl looks identical to Akari, for just a moment. Then I spot the slight differences. The nose is a little longer, her cheeks a little taller. Her eyes are that tiny bit larger and the colour is a light blue instead of the cloudy grey that I’m used to. Even her hair is a little lighter. That has to be Dawn, Lucas’ cousin. Or were they second cousins? I can’t quite remember. That face is just too similar to my former best friend.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. When the referee calls for Roark’s next Pokémon, I return my attention to the field.
Roark has a difficult expression as he holds his next Poké Ball. Our eyes meet and I give him a wide grin. His eyes narrow and he takes a stance.
“Alright. Here goes nothing!” he shouts and the next Pokémon appears in a pop-hiss.
“RAAAA!” she cries in a challenge of the ages.
A sturdy grey torso carried on two short but strong legs holds up a massive head covered in white spikes around a massive blue horn. Her eyes are as wise as they are sharp and battle scars coat her hide and horn from decades of fighting. Maybe even more. I don’t quite know how old fossil Pokémon can get but as they are Rock Types, it’s probably a long time. At least there’s no recognition there so she can’t be old enough to know me from the past. Every Rampardos that was in Hisui knew my face very well, after all. Or they were eaten by the wild Garchomp Thunder in the Highlands.
Lili stands tall before bowing in respect. Rampardos raises her head and calls out her own greeting, before going back down and pointing her horn at her opponent.
“Begin!” the referee calls out once again.
There’s an explosion of force and dust on the other side of the field. Lili manages to twirl out of the way just barely and has to swipe the flying rocks following in Rampardos’ wake out of the air. That gives her opponent enough time to turn around and quickly charge a Zen Headbutt.
Headbutt with Ancient Power on the side followed by a Psychic Type Move… this Pokémon is on a much higher level than the others. Well… I didn’t pay much attention to the Golem…
Anyway, Lili jumps to dodge the Zen Headbutt and I call “Spin” as she goes up. My best fighter reacts immediately and reverses her momentum with an Ice Spinner but only manages to tag Rampardos’ tail. Our opponent keeps rushing forward and runs a large half-circle around the field, getting some distance.
“Break!” I say, my voice almost getting swallowed by the cheering crowd.
Lili doesn’t let Rampardos get new footing and blasts forwards with her own Trailblaze, Grass TE drawing power from the Sunny Day on her arm-leaf. A Solar Blade extends, just a bit at first. Then Rampardos turns around and Lili swings her arm, slamming her heels into the ground to stop. She only miscalculated a little. The enormous blade of Grass TE swings around in but a moment. I barely see Rampardos’ eyes widen in shock, then the attack lands. The Rock Type is flung to the side like a Drifloon in a Blizzard and impacts the Psychic barrier. The Solar Blade starts to crack the protective shield but Lili lets it fizzle and Mesprit quickly fixes the damage.
The cheers that had started up with Roarks ace showing some fight are silenced for a full five seconds. Everyone waits, myself and Lili included, to see if Rampardos gets up again. I can’t see any blood, so she definitely held back enough. The question is if she held back too much.
Another five seconds pass without anything happening, then the referee regains his wits and raises one hand.
“Rampardos can no longer battle. Please choose your last Pokémon, Gym Leader Roark.”
The man’s face is grim. I’m not very surprised, one of his closest friends just got hit very hard, but I trust Lili to know her strength. As the final Pokémon is released on the other side of the field, the Sunny Day suddenly slips and fizzles as dust rises inside the barrier. A sandstorm, that means this has to be a Tyranitar. A very powerful Pokémon from what I learned over the last two weeks but… with its Dark-Rock dual typing it doesn’t stand a chance against Lili.
When I see my friend getting one last Victory Dance in, her movements almost fast enough to clear the sand around her, I decide not to drag it out.
“You get one move, Lili. End it,” I say.
She chirps happily as a roar comes out of the storm. The crowd is mumbling and murmuring, but I already have Lili’s Poké Ball in hand. She stays where she is, gently waving in the storm. The sand is a little annoying but I know she can deal with it.
“NOW!” Roark shouts from the other side of the storm.
A huge shadow appears in the sand, rapidly shooting towards Lili. It’s almost fast enough to land on her but the claws just barely miss her head. She lazily spins out of the way of the second and third strike of the Outrage, then steps under the fourth and into Tyranitar’s reach. Her arm-leaf snaps up in a Brick Break. Tyranitar takes the hit straight on its chin and the Dragon TE on its claws fizzles. The sand drops to the ground unceremoniously, followed by the Pokémon that caused the storm.
Lili finishes her twirl and waves to the crowd. I give her a smile and a thumbs up before recalling her.
“A-are you switching?” the referee asks.
“No, this is over,” I say “Good battle, Roark. We just had a hard Type advantage.”
The Gym Leader nods and forces a smile on his face, then recalls Tyranitar.
“Good battle indeed, Zoe. Your Liligant is a monster.”
“The winner is challenger Zoe Crones!” the referee finally calls and the crowd starts to cheer. I don’t pay much attention to them as I make my way over to Roark to shake his hand. When I finally reach him, he’s looking at Tyranitar’s Pokéball, shaking his head and muttering to himself. He looks up and smiles at me. This time it’s genuine.
“I hoped to catch you off guard with that last bit but…”
“Yeah, what was that? Tyranitar doesn’t move that fast, normally. Does it?”
“Dragon Dance. It’s not easy for them to learn but incredibly powerful.”
“Oh. That makes sense. You had some good plans, we just brute-forced through them. That was an attempt at Rain Dance from Aerodactyl, right? To stop our Sunny Day?”
“Thanks, Zoe. And yes, that was. Wouldn’t have done a lot, it seems.”
“From what I read, Armaldo gets faster in rain, just like Liligant does in sun. You could’ve gotten the upper hand with that for a moment and delayed her long enough that Tyranitar might have been able to finish things off.”
“Huh. Good to know if I ever have to fight you again. I gotta train those two a lot more. They’re usually in my Eighth Badge and Conference teams since they can’t quite keep up with the other four.”
I nod.
“You mean battle. If we fight for real, you don’t stand a chance. Lili won’t be holding back her Solar Blades and Brick Breaks.”
“She was holding back…?” Roark looks suddenly pale.
“Quite a bit near the end there. I’ve seen her cut Steelix segments with that Move.”
“Well, thank you for holding back, then. Oh, before I forget.”
He digs in one of his pockets for a moment before handing me a few items.
“This is your Coal Badge, Master version. For those who beat me at my full power. If you ever start a new journey, this will still be valid. Collecting all eight Master Badges will let you apply for a position in the Elite Four, the same as beating one of them after winning the Conference. This also serves as a qualification for the Conference. Master Badges are neat like that. And of course, as all winners of the Coal Badge, you also get one TM for Stealth Rock. Make good use of it.”
He gives me a wink and I laugh. Still, with this I have my first Badge once again. Only five more and I have enough to keep my Lab Trainer position. And I don’t even need all eight to go to the Lily of the Valley Conference. The badge looks very similar to the normal version. A Poké Ball-shaped piece of stylized rocks in a shining brown metal. This version is set on a black base instead of the usual silver.
I know there’s a Veteran Badge as well with a golden base that you get for beating a ‘full team’ of the Gym Leader. Six Pokémon of at least decent strength. That version lasts for five Circuits and is quite rare, even for professional Trainers. Only the regular Conference participants have them. This Master Badge, though, is almost a myth. It’s fascinating to hold one in my hands. Not as big of a deal as facing Giratina at Spear Pillar or stepping into Arceus’ realm for the first time, but definitely close. Now we just have to quickly plan for the other seven Gyms… The next battle with Gardenia is in… 17 hours. Great! I just barely stop my mouth from splitting into a vicious grin once more.