Cerulean City II - Splash for the Cascade Badge
The inside of the Cerulean Gym was cool and humid and if Slate didn't already know that the Gym Leader, Harry, was a Water-Specialist, the large pool in front of him would have told him anyway. Yesterday he had issued his challenge to the Gym and today Slate's time had come: It was time to face the Cerulean Gym on the Challenger level.
“Begin!” the referee shouted.
“Vulpix, use Ice Shard!” Slate shouted. The snow white Vulpix immediately shot several Ice Shards across the pool.
The first Gym Trainer Slate faced was a pretty young woman who introduced herself as Lily. Her first Pokémon was a Shellder that bobbed up and down in the pool almost completely relaxed. Slate took this to mean she and her Pokémon were extremely confident and decided to come out of the gate hitting as hard as he could.
Neither he or Vulpix were expecting the Shellder to take the Ice Shard attack to the face and get knocked out immediately.
“Like, why did you do that?” Lily shouted, stomping her feet. Slate watched her return her Shellder before throwing out a Poké Ball. A blaze of light later revealed yet another Shellder. “Shelly, he hurt Kelly! Make him pay!”
The Shellder blew bubbles at Slate. Not the attack Bubbles but bubbles. The referee quickly called for the match to resume and Vulpix didn't waste any time in knocking this Shellder out too.
“You're so mean. Make him pay, sis!” Lily huffed, jumping off the podium. Another young woman replaced her, tossing a ball confidently.
“My name's Violet! Get ready to lose!” she shouted, throwing her Poké Ball high in the air. It landed with a plop in the pool.
Everyone leaned forward to see the Pokémon come out. When it did not, it was the referee who sighed, releasing a Golduck of her own. “Fetch the Poké Ball buddy,” she said in a put upon manner.
Golduck nodded before diving into the pool to retrieve the sunk Poké Ball. While it did so, Slate quickly got Vulpix's attention. “I know you were hoping for a good battle, Vulpix, but I think it'll have to wait until we face the Gym Leader. Just try to end this fast, okay?”
Vulpix nodded as Golduck broke the surface, handing the Poké Ball to Violet, before the referee returned them. Violet chuckled nervously. “Heh, I guess I forgot to thumb the latch. I choose you, Goldeen!”
The tiny fish Pokémon appeared and Slate looked at it with mild interest as it swam expertly around. This time, when the referee started the battle, Slate's opponent ordered their opponent to do something.
“Use Horn Attack!” Violet shouted. Goldeen obediently moved toward Vulpix.
“Confuse Ray,” Slate ordered. Vulpix's eyes glowed blue with Ghost-type Pokéenergy.
Goldeen almost reached Vulpix when it swerved without warning. It swam as fast as it could into the nearest wall, slamming into it face first. It floated to the surface unconscious and was swiftly returned. With a huff, Violet stomped off to join her sister in the stands.
A third Trainer appeared and the resemblance to the first two was overwhelming even if she was the oldest yet. “Heh, don't think I'll go easy on you because you're cute and beat my sisters! My name's Daisy and I'm the real challenge!” she said confidently. She tossed out a Poké Ball, causing a Seel to appear with a splash.
Unlike the previous Pokémon, this Pokémon was raring to go as it began to swim aggressively around Vulpix. The referee began the match and Slate wasted no time in ordering his Vulpix to attack.
The Seel was cunning and dove beneath the waves. “You'll have to be quicker than that!” Daisy said.
Slate's jaw tightened. Unlike her sisters, Daisy trained her Pokémon much more competently. “Use Moonblast!”
“Use Encore!”
Moonblast was much weaker during the day but it did allow Slate to test Daisy in a controlled way. Encore was a frustrating move, especially as both Moonblasts missed their target. Fortunately, there were other ways to catch the Caterpie. “Ice Shard on the pool!”
“Match it with yours, Seel!”
Seel finally surfaced to shoot Ice Shard's back. Unfortunately for Daisy, this was what Slate wanted as it meant her Seel was finally within eyesight of Vulpix. “Confuse Ray!” He shouted with a feral grin.
Daisy's eyes widened in panic. “Dive, Seel!”
Seel got beneath the waves just in time, preventing the Confuse Ray from landing. Daisy smiled at Slate's frown. “You'll have to be faster than that to keep up with me, cutie! Hit his Vulpix with a Water Gun!”
Seel suddenly surfaced behind Vulpix, blasting her in the back with a blast of water before diving beneath the waves. Slate growled and gritted his teeth. “Use Icy Wind!”
Vulpix exhaled deeply, causing a deep chill to spread throughout the room. While not nearly cold enough to freeze the water, and Seel underneath, it would make Daisy cold, and with any luck it would distract her.
A moment later Seel surfaced in an empty part of the pool. Another blast of water left its mouth but Vulpix dodged nimbly around it. But Slate’s attention was on the moving air as it gave him an idea.
“Keep using Icy Wind!” Slate ordered. Vulpix obeyed, twisting out of the way of another Water Gun. “On the water!”
Vulpix redirected her attacks, no longer aiming directly at Seel and aiming at the water underneath. With every heavy exhale Vulpix would send another blast of chilling wind but it was on the lighter breaths, when she was dodging Seel’s Water Guns, that mist began to billow from her mouth, filling the air.
“What are you doing?” Daisy shrieked from somewhere in the cloud of mist. Slate ignored her even as the choppy water below sloshed over the edges of the pool.
“Use Swift.”
Unblockable. Homing. Fast. Swift was a move that was powerful but draining, one that any Trainer worth their Poké Balls would find a way to teach their Pokémon. It was perfect for changing up stalemates such as the one Slate was in now.
“Knock that Pokémon into the water, Seel!”
Even as Slate opened his mouth to speak, Vulpix acted without his command. Her eyes glowed once more, appearing in the mist before them, almost like two burning embers of blue fire. She seemed to jump, her eyes leaving rather eye-catching trails in the air, drawing the eye, even as more Icy Wind flowed through the room. Slate could hear the water splashing violently, as well as a harder, crunchier noise. He grinned.
The eyes vanished a moment later, their job done. Mist began to fade, allowing everyone to see what had been done, and Slate was quite pleased with the results.
Vulpix stood panting on a pillar of ice that jutted out of the water. The platform she had previously claimed was half-frozen in another one, turned almost vertical on its side. All around the pool, broken chunks of ice bounced violently into one another, slow to settle even with Vulpix halting her attacks. Daisy’s gasp told Slate she found her Pokémon.
Seel was thrashing in confusion as it smacked into the walls of the pool, the pillars of ice, and the free floating chunks. Its moves were erratic but slowing as it damaged itself further. Two chunks of ice approached it from either side.
Daisy returned her Pokémon before it could suffer a grave injury. Across the rough water she shot Slate a glare. “That was mean.”
Slate shrugged as the referee called the match in his favor. “Seel wouldn’t come out and play.”
Daisy’s expression suddenly flipped and she gave him a coy smile. “Are you sure you just didn’t want to make me cold? Are you going to offer to warm me up?”
Slate blushed and tried not to look down at her t-shirt. It was rather cold in the Gym thanks to Vulpix’s actions. Fortunately he was saved by Gym Leader Harry making his appearance.
“No one will be warming anyone up,” a man said. Out of the shadows a tall man with tan skin appeared, a small girl latched onto his leg. He patted her on the head. “Go sit with your sisters, Misty.”
“Yes, papa,” the girl said. She paid Slate no mind as she dragged Daisy by the hands to sit next to their sisters. Daisy shot Slate another wink and a grin, causing his cheeks to burn. He forced his eyes away from her and focused on the disproving Gym Leader burning holes into him.
“Well, Challenger, how would you rate my daughters as Water-type Specialists?” Gym Leader Harry asked. Slate answered honestly.
“I wouldn't know, sir.”
Harry didn't look like he believed Slate. “You must have some opinion. On their technique or perhaps how I taught them to battle.”
Slate shook his head. “I have no idea how you taught them, it wouldn't be my place to judge.” Slate didn't understand why Harry seemed displeased with his answers.
“So you thought it was a fair test of your skills?” the Gym Leader asked.
“Only from Daisy,” Slate said honestly. A dark grin crossed the Gym Leader's face and Slate suddenly realized he stepped in a trap.
“Only from Daisy. Well I can't let that stand. I'll tell you what, Challenger, I'll battle you, three on one. I'm sure you'll allow me to do this so I may defend the honor of my Gym,” Harry said with false sincerity.
Slate nearly gritted his teeth in frustration. Of course Gym Leader Harry was offended by Slate calling out his daughter's lackluster battling ability. Well, if Slate was going to take this beating, he was going to make the Gym Leader fight for it with everything he had. Suddenly, Slate had an idea.
“For the honor of your Gym you say. But should I win, wouldn't that be admitting to everyone your honor's in doubt?” Slate asked innocently. Silence pervaded the Gym.
“You won't win,” Gym Leader Harry said, his voice deadly serious. Slate knew he was playing with fire but he couldn't help it; he who dared, won.
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“But if I do?” Slate asked, trailing off meaningfully.
“Then I'll make sure you're appropriately rewarded. No need to mention this to anyone at all,” Harry said dismissively. “Do we have an accord?”
“We do.” Slate looked toward the referee and nodded.
The nervous referee turned to face Gym Leader Harry. Before she could open her mouth, he nodded back to her. The woman let out a sigh.
“The Challenger must release the rest of their chosen Pokémon,” she said in a trembling voice. Slate idly noted she took a step back.
Slate did so, releasing Aron and Scyther on their own platforms. Vulpix yipped in greeting to them both. “Get ready you two. It'll be all three of you against Gym Leader Harry's Pokémon.”
The Gym Leader smirked as he looked at Slate's Pokémon. “An interesting team but it won't be enough for Gyarados!”
A flash of red light blinded Slate as a massive creature appeared in the center of the pool. The referee's step back made sense as water splashed in every direction, soaking Slate and the four sisters in the bleachers. They shrieked in delight and glee.
“Kick his butt, dad!”
“Make him pay!
“Break his legs!”
“Go, daddy!”
Slate's attention was on the massive Gyarados that finally noticed his team. It opened its mouth, revealing sharp teeth as long as Slate's arm and twice as thick, and roared, shaking the walls all around them. Slate's Pokémon trembled beneath the onslaught and he felt his heart pounding at facing such a beast. The referee dropped their hands.
“Dodge!” Slate shouted. Instinct, bred and honed in the wilds, served Slate well, telling him that imminent danger was about despite the match just barely starting. His Pokémon began to move.
A tidal wave of water flooded the pool, slamming into them and knocking them into the frigid water below. They began to struggle to escape to somewhere dry but Gyarados wasn't done.
First one, then two, then six water spouts appeared over the pool. Clouds rapidly formed above them and great torrents of rain fell in endless sheets. Gyarados dove underwater.
“Get out of the water! Now!” Slate shouted. Scyther clawed its way up the side of one ice pillar, using its scythes to pull it up. Shivering, small teeth sunk into Scyther's upper arm, was Vulpix, holding on for all she was worth. But Slate couldn't see Aron.
Another pillar of water appeared, this time heralding Gyarados. The massive Pokémon roared, and Slate covered his ears in pain, but it was what was beneath Gyarados that made his breath leap from his chest.
Aron was treading water beneath the massive Pokémon, looking to escape. Gyarados leaned over, and opened its mouth, coming ever closer to close down on him. Slate's hand lunged for his Poké Ball.
A blur of green flew across the field nearly blinded him as Scyther shot through the air like a bullet. Just before Gyarados could chomp down on Aron, before Slate could save him, Scyther flew down and collided with him, forcing them both away, deeper into the water. Gyarados’ lunge sent a wave of water through the pool, pushing them onto another pillar of ice. Finally, Slate had a chance.
“Bind, blind, boost!”
It wasn’t uncommon for Trainers to load their Pokémon up on TMs, sacrificing their Potential Moves to ensure they had an attack that would work on any foe they faced. These Trainers rejected moves that didn’t have direct combat applications, viewing them as a waste of time and energy. They favored an all-out aggressive fighting style.
Slate looked forward to meeting these Trainers and grinding their teams into dust.
Long before Slate became a Trainer, he knew the danger a small and cunning foe could be. It was how he survived when his life was sought by foes three, five, even ten times his size and strength. It was never easy, there was always the risk of failure, but it gave him a chance. And for the cunning a chance is all you need.
Bind, blind, boost was a series of steps Slate trained his Pokémon to do should they ever all be deployed at the same time. While some Pokémon could do all three steps, for most Trainers they had to break it down for their teams to use.
Bind fell on Vulpix. Her version involved sending repeated Confuse Rays at the target, ensuring it not only stayed on but prevented them from figuring out where their foe was. While not a proper binding, it was close enough for their purposes that it fit. She would also be in charge of using Ice Shard to intercept any stray attacks that went toward herself or the rest of the team.
The next step involved Aron using Dragon Rush as quickly as he could, reflecting the light off of his shiny shell. It wasn't a perfect flash bang but it was one that Aron could do. During their training, Aron had managed to make Slate and his Pokémon lose their focus and a portion of their vision. Once Aron grew into his own power, Slate hoped to replace it with physical stone bindings.
The final step, Boosting, was all for Scyther. She would use Silver Wind over and over again, causing minor but constant damage to her target while also empowering herself. She would be moving through the air constantly, only stopping to breathe and to reorient herself, ignoring everything else in favor of temporarily increasing her power for a single moment. A single chance.
Because that was all they would have.
All three Pokémon acted as they had trained, immediately separating to circle their target. Aron, the slowest of them all, still moved at a rapid pace along the frozen ice while his body flashed with purple fire. Vulpix, her eyes glowing blue as she locked Confuse Ray on Gyrados, also exhaled lightly, filling the air around Slate’s Pokémon with Mist, preventing them from being seen.
Scyther buzzed through the air in an angry circle, each flap of her wings another Silver Wind. The particles they left behind fell below, hurting Gyrados and causing it to roar. But her speed seemed to be picking up and Slate realized she had learned Agility. Which would make the final step all the more damaging.
Gym Leader Harry had not been idle while Slate’s Pokémon moved. He had been barking out a long string of commands in a cryptic manner, words and numbers and letters that had no meaning to Slate or his Pokémon but must mean something to Gyrados as it reacted.
A Hydro Pump blasted toward Vulpix, smashing apart the pillar of ice she stood on. She stumbled as her platform was dropped from beneath her, stopping her from using anymore Confuse Rays. The Mist immediately began to vanish as Gyrados used Rain Dance indoors, revealing the field once more.
Gym Leader Harry barked out another string of letters and numbers and Gyrados, still afflicted with confusion, somehow looked directly at Vulpix despite that. Its mouth opened wide and a hideously intense light glowed from within. It built and built and Slate dreaded what it was.
Vulpix’s panting form vanished in a blast of red light as Slate withdrew her. It was not a moment too soon as Gyrados unleashed its Hyper Beam, sending a blinding spear of light lancing across the field, obliterating the ice and platform Vulpix once stood on. The beam continued on until it smashed into a barrier that faded into view in front of a section of empty seating, causing the barrier to ripple like water. The light cut off seconds later and the barrier faded back into invisibility.
Gyrados had not been idle while it attacked with Hyper Beam. It’s long and powerful tail swept back and forth through the pool, causing massive waves to rise and fall. The ice on the field was broken into smaller chunks, as were many of the platforms, including the one Aron had been using. Slate saw his immobile form in the water. He returned Aron quickly and hoped he wasn’t gravely hurt or dead.
Gym Leader Harry barked out another string and Slate finally understood what it was. The Gym Leader had developed a system with his Pokémon, a way to give them coordinates to function even if they couldn’t trust their own senses. Despite the fact it was being used against him, Slate couldn’t help but be impressed by that and wondered how to include it in his own training.
But now was not that time. Scyther had no more time, no more chances, it had to be, ”Now!” Slate shouted.
Slate was knocked off his feet as a sonic boom occurred far too close for anyone’s comfort. His ears rang unpleasantly and he desperately clutched them in a futile effort to protect them, feeling warm blood trickle through his hands. Knocked half-senseless, Slate could only lay on the Challengers Podium and survey the aftermath of Scyther’s attack.
Scyther had moved faster than any Scyther before her ever had. The combination of Silver Wind and Agility had pushed her past her previously known limits, increasing her speed to a height they had never reached while training. All built up so she could apply that speed to a single attack with her scythe, imparting all of her momentum into it. Her speed had been so fast it had managed to halt Gyrados’ Rain Dance due to the disruptions it caused in the air.
The icy water below had been sucked to one side of the field, smashing into a glowing barrier that snapped into place instantly. Even as Slate watched the barrier formed fully around the field as the water traveled along it, reaching a respectable distance before collapsing back into the pool below. Scyther, breathing heavily, had returned to her spot near the ceiling, circling and watching her foe with wary eyes.
Gyarados roared in surprise and pain. Scyther had slashed along the side of Gyarados' face, cutting deep into the Pokémon's thick scales. So powerful was Scyther's strike that it overcame Gyarados' natural toughness, destroying the protective ridges around one of its eyes, and slashed through the Pokémon's eye, blinding it on that side.
Gyarados roared, its fury a sight to behold. Slate felt the fury in his bones as the entire field shook as the enraged Pokémon began to thrash about the field, firing off blasts of light and water, slamming its body and tail into everything it could. Scyther danced far away from its reach, safe far above thanks to her wings. But she wasn't the Pokémon's target any longer.
The half-blind Pokémon began to throw itself against the barriers, throwing more and more of its weight behind it. It ignored Gym Leader Harry’s commands for it to cease, it ignored the barrier manifesting itself physically, but it did not miss the sound of glass cracking.
With one last roar, Gyarados threw all its weight at the barrier, shattering it. Gym Leader Harry's daughters screamed in terror and Slate belatedly realized they had been screaming ever since Scyther charged their father's Pokémon. Gyarados loomed over them.
It vanished in a blast of red light. The Gym Leader frowned down at his shaking Poké Ball, a look of anger on his face. After several tense moments, as his daughters slowly calmed themselves and Scyther landed heavily, tired but conscious, on the largest piece of platform she could find, the ball stilled. He put it away and looked at Slate with an indescribable expression across a field of ruin.
“The Challenger wins!” the referee shouted. Slate blinked in shock and he wasn't the only one as Harry's daughter protested loudly.
“That's not fair!”
“He was going to lose!”
“He blinded Gyarados!”
The complaints of the three older sisters were drowned out by the fourth one whose eyes were only on Scyther. Scyther, having heard victory proclaimed in favor for her Trainer, had turned, raising her scythes victoriously. Only neither Slate nor Scyther noted that the Bug-type Pokémon's scythes were covered in Gyarados' blood.
The youngest daughter screamed, loud and shrill. Slate was quick to recall Scyther, who merely stared at the child in confusion, but the damage was done as the child began to cry. Her sisters hastened to comfort her.
Footsteps on wet stone alerted Slate of the approach of Gym Leader Harry. The weathered man frowned at Slate.
“Due to the withdrawal of my Pokémon and the rules of the Pokémon League, you are the victor,” Gym Leader Harry said through gritted teeth, “but I am not pleased with this match.”
Slate frowned but did not reply. He had gotten into this mess because he hadn't had the good sense to shut up and he wasn't going to make the same mistake now. The Gym Leader eventually grunted.
“I bestow upon you the Cascade Badge, Challenger. You have triumphed over my Gym and Pokémon,” the Gym Leader ground out through gritted teeth. “Now get out of my Gym.”
Slate almost opened his mouth. He almost pointed out he was due a reward for his victory, that he was the victor. Instead he offered the man his hand. “I intend to return one day, to challenge you properly on the Champion level.”
Gym Leader Harry gave Slate a dark grin, before taking his hand and crushing it as hard as he could. “I look forward to it.”
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Time Tracker:
Days passed in Chapter: 5
Total Days: 61
Trainer Card:
Name: Slate
Occupation: Trainer, Healer, Trainee Joy, Field Healer
Ambitions:
* To find his long lost Starter
* To become a Generalist Master, a Master of all Types
Badges: Boulder(II), Cascade(II)
Trophies: Inter-Regional Rookie Tournament Qualifier (3rd)
Carry Limit: 4/10
Key items: Lucky Pebble, Aron’s Rock
Pokémon: 4
Name: Scyther (F)
Type: Bug/Flying
Potential Moves: Counter, Fury Cutter, Air Slash, Focus Energy, Silver Wind, Agility
Core Moves: Rest, Swift
Name: Alolan Vulpix (F)
Type: Ice
Potential Moves: Moonblast, Ice Shard, Confuse Ray, Draining Kiss, Icy Wind, Mist
Core Moves: Swift, Rest
Name: Aron (M)
Type: Steel/Rock
Potential Moves: Dragon Rush, Iron Defense, Rock Polish, Heavy Slam
Core Moves: Rest
Name: Chansey (F) (Non-Combatant)
Type: Normal
Potential Moves: Seismic Toss, Life Dew, Drain Punch, Calm Mind, Gravity, Heal Pulse, Soft-Boiled
Core Moves: Rest