"Advance, Bullet Seed!"

Predictably, Tempest had already taken off upon the referee's announcement, pincers dangerously open as he prepared to fire off an Icy Wind once within range. At Erika's calm command, however, Cacnea rushed forward, glowing arms outstretched as an onslaught of emerald-colored seeds erupted from them. Halting his approach, Tempest crossed his metallic claws, allowing the grass type move to uselessly bounce off of his dual Metal Claws. Cacnea continued to advance, however, not ceasing the attack.

Tempest continued to comfortably shield himself from the barrage, not dropping Metal Claw as long as the Bullet Seed was still being fired. When Cancea got within a few feet of him, however, the attack finally stopped, his advance abruptly quickening as one of his arms glowed orange.

The Brick Break pounded against the dual Metal Claws and broke off a chunk of the coating, a sharp pain making itself known to Tempest as the river crab slid back a yard or two.

He grinned to himself. Erika's partner was strong. Yes… this was what he wanted to see.

Just before the water type's backwards slide stopped, Cacnea, now stationary, pointed an arm in his direction. The arm glowed a bright green as more emerald seeds erupted from it. Once more, the barrage proved ineffective as the projectiles were intercepted by a second set of dual Metal Claws.

"Energy Ball!"

Raising his arms, glowing orange once more, Cacnea slammed a dual Brick Break down onto the arena floor, pushing himself upwards as he launched his body over Tempest. Pincers leaking an icy air, the young Krabby glared up at his opponent as an emerald sphere appeared between the grass type's fists. As the Energy Ball fired, the snowy wind erupted from Tempest's pincers.

As the Energy Ball exploded against the Icy Wind, Cacnea fell through the brief smoke cloud that was kicked up by the clash, emerging on the other side to bring a glowing, bright-green arm down onto Tempest's face. Shouting out in displeasure, the Krabby slid backwards again, stopping a few feet in front of his trainer as he nearly toppled backward, righting himself at the last second.

As Cacnea landed, the glow of Needle Arm dissipating, Ash felt his face scrunch up. Erika had put Tempest on the backfoot the moment the fight began. Even right after they had managed to turn things around with Carnvine, she was very much looking to claim her advantage back.

He didn't have much time to process it, however, as the moment Cacnea landed, another barrage of Bullet Seed was already rocketing out of his arms. As Tempest once again crossed a dual Metal Claw to block, Ash narrowed his eyes while watching Cacnea advance forward, still firing as he moved.

Based on first impressions… Maybe Erika was trying to keep Tempest on the defense to bait him? At the start of the fight, just now, the Bullet Seed had been useless against Metal Claw, but had also left Tempest open for Brick Break. And the same thing had happened with Energy Ball immediately after.

They needed to find a way to bait her too. "Tempest, run forward!"

With the Bullet Seed barrage ricocheting off of his crossed, metallic pincers, Tempest maintained Metal Claw as he charged ahead towards his advancing enemy. The two were now on a collision course, Tempest's bulk threatening to intercept the approaching Cacnea, with the crossed, dual Metal Claws acting as the front runner.

Now Cacnea would be going for Brick Break, so… "Tempest, Vise Grip!"

Sure enough, Cancea's arm was raised, glowing a bright orange. The grass type prepared to swing forward, and pound into his opponent's metallic defenses once more, only for one of Tempest's pincers to lose its metallic coating as the river crab raised it. With the pincer shooting open and glowing a bright blue, Tempest clamped down on the orange arm just as it swung forward. As the water type squeezed as hard as he could manage, Cacnea couldn't help the minor shriek that escaped from his throat, his eyes squeezed tightly shut as the young krabby pulled him forward…

Only for Tempest's other pincer to open up, unleashing a familiar blast of snowy air. Now Cacnea was hollowing in surprise as the Icy Wind slammed into him, Tempest opening up his other pincer to release his hold and allow the grass type to be launched backward several feet. The abrupt drop in temperature passed over a good deal of Cacnea's skin as he landed in the soil ahead, just to the side of a patch of tall grass.

"Keep going, Tempest!" As Cacnea began to pick himself up, Tempest was already running forward, pincers clicking in excitement as he fixed the rising grass type with a glare. After the Icy WInd, Cacnea was probably either shivering, or, at the very least, hsi exterior was left uncomfortably cold. Which meant… "Use Scald!"

Raising his arms forward, Cacnea was about to blast away at Tempest with another Bullet Seed, when the stream of boiling water suddenly erupted from the krabby's open pincers. As the Scald washed over his now cold skin, Cacnea let out an agonized howl, teetering backward as Tempest reared back a pincer.

Coated in metal, the pincer smashed into Cacnea's face, leaving a noticeable bruise as the round grass type's back crashed into the trunk of a nearby tree.

Cacnea caught himself on his arms as Tempest advanced forward again, eager to keep up his offensive. Although he picked himself up with haste, Erika's partner stumbled, pressing a fist against the ground to catch himself as he took in a deep breath of air. He didn't have much time to regain his bearings, however, and as Tempest quickly closed in on him, the grass type rose with franticity, scattering backward as two seeds shot out of his arms, sharp vines sprouting out of them as they closed in on the Krabby.

Leech Seed. Ash was about to call out a warning to his partner, but Tempest had already acted, pincers letting loose a blast of winter air as Cacnea scurried off in the other direction. The vines froze as they fell, failing to wrap around the Krabby and ensnare him as he turned back to observe his opponent.

By now, Cacnea had created a decent bit of distance between the two. Just as Tempest was about to pursue, the grass type halted at the sound of his trainer's voice.

Erika's tone maintained its serenity as she commanded. "Swords Dance, and Poison Sting."

Cacnea's arms took a white light as the grass type spread them out. Somewhat slowing his approach, Tempest's eyes began to squint as the brightness gradually increased in intensity, Erika's round partner spinning around like a top.

Finally, he came to a stop as suddenly as he had begun rotating, the muscles in his arms sharpened and bulged, as Cacnea, sunk into a fighting stance, fixed Tempest with an even, determined glare.

As the grass type lunged forward, one of his arms took on a bright, pinkish-purple glow, coated in venom. Ash glared. They were planning on using Swords Dance to inject as much venom into Tempest's system as possible, by making the blow as decisive as they could.

Thankfully, Tempest quickly raised a double Metal Claw in response. The water type somewhat strained as Cacnea's power-boosted arm pounded into his pincers, but remained steadfast, feet barely moving back a few inches as the metal coating effortlessly intercepted the toxins.

He was given no breathing room, however, as the grass type's other powered up arm was already being raised, coated in orange as it smashed against the two crossed Metal Claws. The sound that escaped Tempest's throat sounded something akin to both a pained yelp and a frustrated snarl as the Brick Break tore through the metallic exterior, the young river crab sliding back what felt like more than a couple of yards.

The pale glow in Cacnea's arms dissipated, along with the enhanced muscles, as Tempest grinded his feet against the soil, successfully halting his backward momentum, while Ash bit his lip at the sight.

That Cacnea seemed to be fairly good with Swords Dance. Not even Tempest could likely match him in brute strength when he was boosting his arms like that…

But Erika hadn't used the move right away. Stat boosting moves were known for being taxing, a big part of why they weren't universal. An overuse of the move would most likely injure Cacnea's arms. She must want to take Tempest out as quickly as possible if she was resorting to enhancers. Which means,she recognized him as a threat.

"Swords Dance again, and Drain Punch!"

The bright, white glow in Cacnea's arms returned as he began to advance forward. However, after his arms returned to their powered-up state, it was quickly replaced by a green aura in one of them as the grass type broke into a run. Chewing his lip, Ash watched as Tempest sunk into a stance, pincers clicking in preparation.

The Krabby was a head to head fighter. Taking advantage of his high defenses to fight his opponents upfront. But with Cacnea's newfound offensive prowess, that was no longer a very comfortable approach…

"Icy Wind, across the grass!"

Perking up at the unexpected command, Tempest's pincers shot wide open, the stream of frigid wind flowing along the sea of grass separating him from his advancing opponent. As the lush greenery took on a beautiful, winter white, the cold air surged across, Cacnea feeling the surrounding temperature begin to plummet. Particles of ice fell from the grass as Erika's partner continued to run through.

'He's gotta be uncomfortable with that.' Ash told himself. 'Water types can handle the cold better than grass types could.' Which means…

"Tempest, use Scald!"

Cacnea barely had time to change direction as the dual blasts of boiling water surged towards him. The steam breezed against his side as he narrowly avoided the attack. The snowy grass was blasted by the hot air, some of the water spilling over as well, as the ice melted away as abruptly as it had appeared, the temperature rising as jarringly as it had previously dropped.

"Keep going!" Erika encouraged. "Needle Arm this time!" Cacnea kicked off the ground even as the air around him couldn't make up its mind, glowing arms shooting forward as Tempest crossed two Metal Claws together. The Drain Punch in his arm had begun to dissipate in the confusion, and was now replaced with a bright, green aura, this time in both arms. As the Needle Arm slammed into the metallic surface, Tempest's teeth grinded together as Cacnea pushed forward, attempting to shove the Krabby away. As Tempest pushed back, the coating of Metal Claw grinded against the Needle Arm. Although his defenses didn't give in, his momentum never came, the grass type continuing to step forward and force him back. Finally, a mighty shove sent the river crab staggering away, his metallic pincers raised into the air as the grass type took aim.

A stream of Bullet Seed escaped from the cactus' arms. With the Metal Claw no longer blocking its path, the barrage pelted against the yelping Krabby's torso. Already off balance, the water type could feel his body toppling over.

The finality in Erika's voice was unignorable. "Finish this, Cacnea!" Her partner rushed forward again, prepared to clear what little distance separated the two combatants as his still glowing arms rose into the air.

Ash watched as Tempest began to fall backward. Just as he was about to call out his partner's name, however, the Krabby's pincers shot down and struck the arena floor. Pressing firmly into the soil, Tempest continued to topple, but rather than rolling back with no control over his movements, he instead flipped over, landing on his feet a few feet back, and sliding a couple of inches as Cacnea continued to rush him.

Ash allowed himself to grin for a split second before his face turned serious. "Catch it, Tempest! Point-blank Icy Wind!"

As Tempest raised his head, and his pincers, Cacnea was already on top of him, bringing both Needle Arms down like two sledgehammers. Just barely in time, Tempest's two pincers shot out, glowing a familiar, bright blue as they intercepted the incoming assault, latching onto both arms with Vise Grip.

The momentum and strength of Cacnea's dual strike immediately pressed down onto Tempest as his body forcibly leaned backwards, his pincers being shoved downwards as a tight pain radiated from their openings. His muscles strained as he struggled to push back upward, biut Cacnea redoubled his own efforts, glaring tightly as he continued to bring his arms down.

Tempest snarled as his eyes momentarily squeezed shut, trying to block out the pain and fire off an Icy WInd, but the strain demanded his undivided attention. Slowly, his pincers and body began to lean further down…

Ash grimaced, but just before he could encourage Tempest further, Cacnea's eyes widened. Although the grass type's momentum momentarily increased, as Tempest began putting effort into summoning the frigid air, it was only almost an instant later when a frigid sensation overtook his arms.

Still clamping down on his opponent's arms, a frustrated Tempest watched with a determined glare as ice began to spread across both of the Needle Arms. WIth Cacnea growling in pain from the sudden cold, Tempest could feel his struggle somewhat easing, as he stepped forward and pushed upwards. As Tempest released his grip, Cacnea was abruptly shoved away, struggling to maintain his balance as he staggered backwards.

Excitement surged through Ash's chest. "Now you finish this, Tempest!"

With a powerful shout, the Krabby rushed forward. Ignoring the soreness in his pincers, Tempest quickly clenched them shut, coating them in metal as he raised them above the grass type's head, and brought them down on Cacnea's already bruised face.

Having just barely begun to regain his balance, Cacnea was quickly smashed back-first into the arena's grassy floor. Lifting his pincers back up, Tempest backed away just enough to take aim at Erika's partner as the grass type lay sprawled out. After a momentum or two, Cacnea pressed his fists against the soil, attempting to pick himself up, only for his arms to give out less than halfway through, collapsing onto his back once more.

"Cacnea is unable to battle! Krabby wins!"

While turning back to face Ash, Tempest seemed somewhat surprised as another cheer emerged from the audience. With Erika recalling her fallen comrade, Ash shot an approving smile and nod at the Krabby approaching him.

"We're in the lead now, thanks to you." As Tempest gurgled in satisfaction, Ash raised his head to face Erika once more. "Just two more to go."

Although he couldn;t quite place it from where he was standing, the Gym Leader had a somewhat amused smile adorning her features as she raised her third Poke Ball. As she chucked the orb, the creature that emerged from the white light was immediately recognizable to the young rookie.

Blue and bipedal, head topped off by flower and its spherical petals, surrounded by four reddish-brown leaves.

Being the evolved form of Oddish, Gloom weren't known for being uncommon, although their infamously stench-like aroma triggered a stigma among certain parts of the trainer populace. Those who were willing to brave it, however, found that it could very easily be weaponized.

Noting the aggressive clicking of Tempest's pincers as the Krabby zeroed his gaze in on the grass/poison type, Ash nodded in approval, albeit somewhat apprehensive. He was worried that Erika might use a Pokemon like this… The Oddish line was widely associated with her, after all.

"Be careful, Tempest. Gloom have a very strong odor, and it worsens whenever they feel threatened. It'll be impossible to fight that thing without dealing with it." scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, he added. "We need to play this a bit more cautiously. Think you can do that?"

Tempest's eyes narrowed in mild irritation, but he did not outwardly complain, instead shaking his head after a few seconds of contemplation. Ash's thumb shot up.

"Good! Gloom is a poison type as well as a grass type, so keep your Metal Claw ready. And of course, Icy Wind is probably your best means of offense."

Erika's partner eyed Tempest wearily as the water type slowly approached. A mildly nervous expression appeared on Gloom's face as the Krabby stopped a few yards in front of him, although his face quickly evened out. With his glare tightening into a focused, somewhat analytical gaze, Tempest began clicking his pincers together somewhat slowly.

"BEGIN!"

While Gloom remained stationary, Tempest quickly took off, prepared to get in range for an Icy Wind. As he approached his opponent, however, his face began to scrunch as a strong aroma entered his nose.

Remembering Ash's warnings, Tempest opted for a different strategy. After getting a bit closer than initially planned, he abruptly began backing away as the stream of frozen air exited both of his open pincers.

Somewhat startled, Gloom scurried sideways, the grass where he once stood turning pale as Erika called out to her partner. "Poison Powder!"

Tempest continued to fire as he backed away, and moved to the side, keeping his distance from the enemy grass type as the frigid gusts of wind continued to flow from both of his pincers. Startling, Gloom leapt over the grass even as the greenery froze over, however, head tilting forward for the flower to face in Tempest's direction.

The foul odor grew stronger as a cloud of dark, purple powder exited the flower. Eyes widening, Tempest quickly squinted them as his nose began to burn, the substance descending upon him…

Straining his face, he aimed upwards and fired a second stream of snowy wind into the cloud. As the ice type move blew the powder back, and the substance froze over, Gloom had already landed, taking aim and charging for the river crab while his pincers were still raised.

"Acid, and Razor Leaf!"

Head still lowered, a purplish-blue liquid erupted from the flower as Gloom closed in on the water type. Seeing the move coming a second too late, Tempest had begun to defensively lower his pincers just as a holler escaped from his throat, a burning sensation coming over his torso. Staggering back, he opened his squinting eyes just in time to see Gloom perform a quick, few second rotation, a barrage of leaves forming around the weed Pokemon and flying in the Krabby's direction.

Tempest quickly coated his pincers in metal, attempting to ignore the burning from the liquid still lingering on his torso. Before he could cross them, however, the Razor Leaf had already hit, eliciting more pained snarls just before the Krabby punched the two metal Claws together, the remaining leaves bouncing off harmlessly.

Ash watched the exchange as Gloom backed away once more. No doubt, Erika was trying to leave cuts on Tempest's body so the Acid could seep in better…

"Run forward with Icy Wind, don't get more than a few feet close!" This would still put them in close proximity to Gloom's aroma, but at this point, Ash wasn't overly sure how Tempest could avoid it properly and still fight. At the very least, if they could knock the grass type off balance, they could capitalize and go from there…

As if to try and fight off the stench he would be exposed to, Tempest scrunched his face as tightly as he could manage as his legs carried him across the grass. Opening his pincers, he allowed the familiar stream of frigid wind to escape in Gloom's direction.

"In the grass, and Dazzling Gleam!"

Scattering sideways into a nearby patch of tall grass, Gloom's eyes flashed pink as a beam of light the same color collided with the frigid gale. Not letting up, Tempest switched gears and fired a stream of boiling water over the patch. Squealing, Gloom scattered out.

"Metal Claw, but make it quick!"

The odor grew horrific as Tempest approached Gloom, rearing back a metallic pincer and whacking his enemy in the face. Bruised, the grass type was flung backward, bouncing along the grassy soil as more frigid wind escaped the Krabby's pincers.

"Close in, and Sleep Powder!"

Curving forward to the side, Gloom evaded the icy blast, only running slightly slower than normal as his face scrunched up in pain. The flower on his head opened wider as a trail of light blue powder erupted upwards, stopping just above Tempest and descending downward.

Hastily, the river crab began to move back as his pincers aimed upwards, the powder freezing over as the continuous Icy Wind pushed it back. Erika was grinning, however.

"Toxic!"

Just as Ash shouted a warning, Gloom was running directly in Tempest's direction, head lowered in full as a stream of darkish-purple sludge flowed out of the flower like a Water Gun. Tempest lowered his pincers just as the liquid was upon him, coating both of them in metal as the lingering Icy Wind clashed with the sludge.

It was too late, however, and the majority of the toxic splashed over him. No longer able to ignore the burning in his skin, the wincing Krabby lowered his pincers, momentarily dissipating the double Metal Claw just long enough for a barrage of sharp leaves to collide with his outer shell.

The Razor Leaf was painful, but not excruciatingly. It was only able to form tiny cuts across the river crab's sturdy surface. Those cuts, however, immediately welcomed the sludge from Toxic to freely seep through, and Ash couldn't help but step back at the agonizing screams exiting his partner's throat.

Erika didn't let up. "Great! Now, Venoshock!"

Before Tempest could recover, more liquid pelted his skin. Suddenly, the burning in his cuts amplified, as the pained response in his nerves went into overdrive. Venoshock was a move that increased the pain and discomfort triggered by poison, and much like Paul before her, Erika had determined that to be the best way to get over Tempest's durability.

Tears were streaming down the Krabby's face as he sank onto his bottom. A few feet away, Gloom assumed a stance.

"Finish this quickly, Moonblast!"

Eyes widening, Ash called out a warning to Tempest. Even as he did, however, Gloom stepped forward, a faint glow appearing across his body as he crossed his arms together.

As the glow strengthened, Ash couldn't help but be reminded of a nighttime moon by the aesthetic. As a pink orb formed in between the grass type's hands, the lunar glow suddenly became slightly outlined by the same color.

Moonblast was a high level fairy type move that took a great deal of practice to utilize properly, and no doubt would take a toll on the user if not mastered.

Erika was going all in, striking Tempest as hard as she could while his guard was down, blowing past all of his defenses while he was already wallowing in pain.

"Get up and use Metal Claw!" he tried to hide his worry with an encouraging tone, but the panic seeped through. Struggling to his feet, Tempest crossed his pincers, eyes squinted in discomfort as the metal he tried to surround his claws with continued to flicker in and out.

And then Gloom fired.

It wasn't quite a proper Moonblast, but it was far from weak. The pink orb was almost the size of the weed Pokemon himself, and crashed into the young Krabby as the explosion spread smoke across the nearby surroundings.

As the blast struck him, Tempest felt it all. The burning in his cuts, the pain within his body that he was just now beginning to somewhat process. And the force of the powerful blast smashing into his exterior. His feet left the ground, and the next moment, he was sprawled out on his back, one of his pincers sinking into the patch of tall grass next to him.

"Krabby is unable to battle! Gloom wins!"

Ash's heart sank as he reached for Tempest's Poke Ball, but his eyes did not leave Gloom as a chorus of cheers left the stands for Erika and her comrade. The grass/poison type pokemon had stumbled for just a second, before righting himself and taking a couple of unignorable deep breaths.

That Moonblast hadn't been Erika's way of showing off. Not if just one usage of it was enough to tax her partner. She genuinely believed that they needed to finish off Tempest in the quickest way possible, and had weighed the costs of using the move against the costs of a drawn out brawl. Given that Gloom wasn't a fairy type, and likely wasn't as well equipped to learn the move as a result, Ash couldn't help but wonder if usage of the attack at such a capacity was more draining for the weed Pokemon than Psychic was for Valiant.

And to think, that wasn't even the full extent of what the move should be capable of. Ash had only ever seen fully powered Moonblasts on TV, but they were magnificent, and according to interviews, seeing one in person truly did give off a familiar, majestic feeling to that of the move itself.

He sighed as the red beam of light sucked Tempest back into his Poke Ball. Despite the defeat, the river crab had certainly left an impression on the Gym Leader, it seemed. And he deserved to know that.

Although… Thinking back to the uncharacteristic screams the Krabby had been letting out was more than enough to make the boy wince.

"She was scared of you." he spoke to the orb. "You pushed her to use a really risky move. You did great." tucking the sphere back onto his belt, his hand rummaged between Valiant and Tyrunt's Poke Balls.

He had known that Gloom's odor would be a problem, as well as its toxins, but as expected, there were definitely more tricks that Erika had up her sleeve. And much like her with Tempest, he wasn't comfortable having such a drown out fight with the creature.

Valiant's psychic moves and Fire Punch were all attacks that Gloom's species were naturally vulnerable to. Valiant had already used Psychic once against Carnivine, and using the move a second time would surely make the fatigue kick in, but it would also do tremendous damage. Tyrunt's Fire Fang would be similarly lethal…

But he wouldn't use Tyrunt. The dinosaur didn't have enough tools to safely get in close, as long as the risk of Erika weaponizing her partner's stench was still in play. Valiant had ways around that, and his barriers could hopefully shield him from the smell altogether. And quite thankfully, his psychic moves could be used at a range, rather than up close. There was no doubt in his mind that Erika had some way to deal with psychic types, but they would just have to figure her strategy out and plan accordingly.

As Gloom positioned himself to view Ash in full, the Kirlia appeared in front of his trainer. Taking a moment to observe who his opponent was, Valiant turned to Ash expectantly.

"It's two to two." the rookie spoke while nodding to the emotion Pokemon. Valiant followed Ash's gaze to Gloom. "That's a Gloom. It's part poison type, so your psychic moves will give us great offense. Be careful, though. It has a foul odor that gets worse when under stress, and trainers have been known to weaponize that. Try using a barrier if you end up too close to it." As Valiant turned back to face Gloom in full, his trainer added. "They beat Tempest. Gloom's dangerous, so we need to end this as quickly as possible, before they have a chance to try anything drastic. Use Psychic if you feel the need to. That'll be our ace in the hole." Not turning his body, Valiant looked back just enough to offer Ash a nod and a determined glare as he made his way forward, stopping within a few yards of the weed Pokemon, who didn't move from his own position, instead opting to fix the young Kirlia with an uneasy gaze, which soon mellowed out somewhat.

From where he was standing, Valiant could slightly make out some sort of aroma, carrying what felt like a rather strong scent with it. His face mildly scrunched in an attempt to block the smell out.

No distractions. They couldn't afford that now.

Ash's face tightened. Erika wasn't recalling Gloom. He likely wasn't at one hundred percent after the usage of Moonblast, or at the very least was on his way out of being able to operate at full capacity. But she was still confident enough to keep him in the game…

'She's planning something. Gloom has an answer to Valiant for sure.'

All the more reason to end this as fast as possible.

"BEGIN!"

Erika's authoritative voice stretched across the lush arena. "Close in, and Stun Barrage!"

Gloom kicked off the ground, head lowering to expose the open flower as a stream of glowing, emerald seeds coated in Stun Spore rocketed out. Not missing a beat, Valiant took off in a sprint to the side, the onslaught pelting a nearby bush as Gloom rotated to pursue his fleeing target.

Ash observed Valiant's evasion with a nod of approval. The young psychic's speed had certainly improved since he had started practicing with Eevee a while back. It still needed to be worked on, but the gradually increasing agility was putting itself to good use for the moment.

Teleport would provide them with a good way to approach Gloom quickly, but that would still expose Valiant to the suffocating stench. Shadow Sneak wasn't as fast, but would provide the Kirlia with shelter.

Still, it'd be best to avoid using those moves until they needed to. Attacking from a distance was the best way to go.

"Quickly, Psybeam!"

Kicking off the grass soil, Valiant pressed his hands against the battlefield floor and flipped into the air. Eyes shining with a rainbow glow, his arms extended outward as a narrow beam of the same color shot forward towards its target.

"Hidden Power!"

Glaring up at the Kirlia, Gloom raised his hands as a series of glowing, white orbs materialized around him. As they finished taking form, however, the pale spheres solidified into shining, silver metal. The spheres levitated in front of their user, coming together to take the form of a makeshift wall that intercepted the rainbow beam.

As Valiant landed, the orbs dissipating, Ash crossed his arms, frustration forming across his features. That was a steel type Hidden Power. So that was Erika's thought…

Erika's form was graceful as she extended an arm outward. "Now, Razor Leaf! Barrage formation."

A mass of leaves hovered around Gloom as the weed Pokemon took a deep breath and twirled in place. As his rotation increased in speed, the leaves rotating around him quickened as well, before rocketing towards their target in a barrage of tiny, green blades.

Ash watched carefully as the glass cube encased his partner, just in time for the mass of leaves to cut against the surface. The emotion Pokemon's face scrunched tightly as the horde of blades sliced against his shield. After a few seconds, he was beginning to feel the strain of holding the cube together, redoubling his efforts as tiny cracks began to form.

Erika lowered her arm as she shot the other forward, a tranquil flame in her pupils. "Now, Hidden Power!"

The front and sides of Valiant's barrier were covered in cuts of varying sizes by the time Gloom ceased his attack, with a few cracks (mostly in the front) as well. The weed Pokemon barely took a breather, however, the metal orbs once again floating around him. With an abrupt holler, Gloom performed a tossing motion with both arms as the metallic spheres rocketed towards Valiant at similar speeds.

The Kirlia felt the shockwaves as the balls crashed into the shield. Moments later, the continuous blows finally shattered the front of the glass, windforce slamming into his face as a momentary vertigo overtook him. The next moment, the remaining orbs pounded into his body, one striking his forehead as the agonizing feeling of high-speed metal overwhelmed his disorientation.

With a pained yelp, the bruised psychic landed on top of a bush that almost immediately sunk from the force of his fall. The rough leaves irritatingly brushed against his bruises as Gloom dashed for him.

Erika's outstretched hand closed firmly. "Mega Drain!"

Propped on his hands, Valiant raised his head to see the dark, emerald orb forming in Gloom's arms as the grass/poison type stopped in front of him just a few feet away. In his frazzled state, it took a moment to process that his energy was about to be sapped.

As the realization dawned on him, the adrenaline surging from his fight or flight instincts fought against the lingering delirium. Roughly pushing himself onto his feet, he nearly lost his balance, staggering back as the orb's glow reached its highest intensity.

The thick, dark-green vine of energy erupted out of the ball, angled right for Valiant. His newly formed glare tightening, the young Kirlia reared his fist back as flames began to coat it. Thrusting forward, his Fire Punch struck the front of the vine.

Even as the Mega Drain wrapped around the flaming fist, the part of the vine latching onto its target quickly caught fire. Valiant could feel his arm becoming restricted as the vine binded against his fist. Gloom grinded his feet against the soil as the Kirlia fought to pull his arm back.

It was quick thinking on Valiant's part, Ash thought to himself. Even though his friend was still binded, he had at least stopped the attack from sapping his energy. Still, they needed to fight back before Gloom and Erika capitalized on the restriction.

"Psybeam!"

Gloom's eyes widened in surprise as Valiant's eyes flashed rainbow. The psychic didn't bother charging the attack too much, instead firing the beam from his eyes as quickly as he had begun to form it. Immediately, Gloom allowed the orb between his hands to dissipate, taking several, quick side steps to keep out of the beam's path while Valiant pulled his arm free.

There was no comfort to be had, however, as the distressed weed pokemon somewhat lowered his head, the stench rapidly increasing in intensity as a barrage of dark-purple powder exited the flower. Valiant nearly felt his nose closing up as the smell invaded his nostrils, and the purple cloud of Poison Powder descended from above.

Before the overwhelming sensation could disrupt his mental focus, he was speedily surrounded by the golden cube of Light Screen, which the cloud of powder washed over. As the shield form, the odor left his nose, even as it continued to spread outside of his shelter.

He could hear Erika calling for Gloom to add on to the offense, and immediately picked up on what she wanted: To wait him out, until he dropped the cube, suffocated from the stench, and collapsed from the toxins.

Sweat ran down his face as the realization was made. All he was doing was delaying a miserable defeat, probably the most agonizing manner he'd ever gone out. The thought of the poison burning through his bloodstream as the odorous aroma choked him dashed through his mind, playing on repeat, and his eyes widened as he suddenly felt the golden glow of the cube he was in become somewhat faint.

He needed to concentrate. His shields were mental constructs. He'd lose his grip if he…

The Kirlia inhaled, trying to think of something, anything, to block the stressful inevitability from his thoughts.

...Just think of a way to get out of this, he told himself. If he dropped the barrier, how long would he have to teleport away before the stench overtook him, and quelled his ability to focus? Seconds or less? He needed to be ready, but it already took effort to keep the barrier up, and he'd have to immediately switch that effort over to something else the very moment that he dropped it…

The glow momentarily grew faint again, before readjusting itself. Almost like a flash. A reminder to not get distracted by anxiety.

Another deep breath, and then...

The most horrific aroma invaded his nostrils as the cube went down. There was one thing he hadn't taken into account: Allowing the smell time to accumulate.

The powder was coming down onto his body, just waiting to be breathed in, just in time for the smell to cut off his breath. For a moment or two, his mind went blank, only able to think of the agony that would just grow within the next few moments alone.

The next moment was one of desperation. He had hoped to teleport in front of Ash, but as he flashed out of existence, he was merely a yard or two away. Out of the purple powder's range, but he could still smell the odor. As Gloom turned to face him, threatening to exacerbate the smell once more as he approached, Valiant flashed away again, this time in front of his trainer. Not as close as he wanted to be to Ash, but far enough away from Gloom to be satisfied.

The powder ceased its emergence from Gloom's flower as the grass type stood up straight. Erika nodded in approval as her partner repositioned himself to look Valiant in the eye, neither combatant moving as the Kirlia ceased the opportunity to inhale a refreshingly clean, odorless gasp of air. Already, he could feel the nerves easing, although the reminder of the still-standing opponent in front of him did not allow them to relax in full.

Ash took the time to release the breath he had been holding for the past moment or two. "That was a close call, Valiant. Good work." Not looking back at his trainer, the psychic merely offered a nod of acknowledgement as he and the weed Pokemon stared each other down.

'End this quickly.' he reminded himself. The events that had just transpired did little else but remind him of the importance that goal carried.

As though he had telepathy of his own, Ash couldn't help but sense that Erika and Gloom were getting ready to end the break in the action. He had to be quick.

Not to mention, he had no way of knowing how much of that powder Valiant had inhaled. Optimistically, very little, but planning around the best case scenario was a mistake he had already made at the beginning of his career.

"We gotta knock them off balance, first." Valiant didn't respond, or even make any motions, but Ash knew that his partner was listening intently, as he could always count on him to. "We know they have a steel type move now, to attack and block against ranged moves, but we'll get in close in a way that bypasses that, and the smell."

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Still no gestures on Valiant's end, or even any indication that the rookie was talking to a Kirlia and not a statue. But it wasn't an attempt to ignore Ash's words. It was to absorb them.

Ash's command came just in time, as Gloom began to move. "Shadow Sneak, then Fire Punch!"

Gloom's newfound sprint quickly slowed into a walk almost immediately after it began as Valiant sunk into his shadow and traveled along the greenery. Even as he approached the grass type, no odor made itself known. He was sheltered.

Erika's face tightened, but her eyes held no signs of irritation. "Run back!"

Gloom took off backwards just as the shadow began to approach. Ash immediately knew what Erika was planning. It was the same strategy as before: Drawing him out, waiting until he could no longer maintain the move. Of course, she obviously knew that Shadow Sneak would slowly become taxing if used for too long.

Valiant seemed to catch on as well, exiting his shadow as the distance between him and Gloom increased. Gloom stopped a yard or two away from a patch of tall grass. About a yard off to the other side was a tree.

Valiant's hands balled up in frustration, before a glint appeared in his eyes. Closing them just long enough to take another deep breath, the Kirlia crouched down and vanished.

Almost immediately, Gloom's stench faintly filled his nose as he found himself surrounded by grass, trying to keep his body as low as possible, in hopes that the greenery around him would shield him from his opponent's observing eyes.

A few moments later, he sank back into his shadow.

Standing on his side of the arena, Ash blinked in unease as Gloom looked around, a feeling of paranoia coming over the weed Pokemon.

"Uh… Valiant?" The Kirlia was no longer visible. It was like he really had flashed out of existence, rather than teleported.

"GLOOM!"

Ash and the weed Pokemon both jolted up at the urgency in Erika's warning, as a shadow abruptly shot out of the tall grass, making its way towards its target as the distance between the two closed faster than Gloom could process.

Ash's face had just begun to light up in realization as Valiant rose from the shadow, fist ablaze. The merciless stench blasted into his nostrils as his face became scrunched. With strain, he thrust his arm ahead as the Fire Punch smacked into the grass/poison type's face. The odor lessened as his opponent was launched two or three feet away, teetering backwards with imbalance as he landed on his feet.

As Ash cupped his hands around his mouth, a far more optimistic sense of urgency overcame him. "You know what to do!"

Eyes glowing a familiar shine of blue, Valiant took off running after his stumbling target for just a split second before rising into the air with a leap. With his hands outstretched diagonally downwards in Gloom's direction, his eyes briefly squeezed shut before opening back up as widely as possible, the wave of bright blue energy firing down onto Gloom's forehead. With his balance gone, the Psychic was met with no resistance.

Struck between the eyes, Gloom flew backward even as Valiant landed. After watching his opponent smack backfirstm into the tree, the Kirlia brought his arms up to grasp his head for a second or two, lowering one and leaving the other hand to rub his head as the grass type collapsed onto his side.

"Gloom is unable to battle! Kirlia wins!"

Ash grinned with satisfaction as Valiant turned to face him. Although his partner wore a somewhat tired smile as the familiar chorus of cheers extended from the bleachers, the Kirlia's posture was straight and uncompromised while making his way back to his trainer.

Ash's eyes moved just long enough to watch Erika recalling Gloom into his Poke Ball. As his gaze returned to the approaching psychic, the sensation dawned on him.

Just one Pokemon left. They were going to win this. This wasn't like their miracle comeback against Daisy, or the slaughterfest they had been subjected to against LT. Surge. They had been keeping pace with Erika this entire match, and they would see that through to the end.

Stopping in front of Ash, Valiant's eyes felt somewhat heavy as his head angled upward. He had used Psychic twice at this point, along with all the other exertion he had put himself through. But they were almost at the finish line, and he wouldn't run out of gas now.

Ash noticed his partner's somewhat tired expression. The Kirlia wasn't spent, but aftereffects of his previous two fights had finally showed themselves. "You okay to keep going?" at his nod, Ash bit his lip for a moment, before smiling. "Alright. Just one more to go."

Satisfied, Valiant turned back to face Erika, just as the Gym leader readied her final Poke Ball.

"You haven't disappointed me today, Mr. Ketchum." her lips slightly curved upwards. "However this match plays out, you have our praise. Me and my comrades."

Ash couldn't help the smile that lined his features at her statement. Erika didn't give him much time for it, however, immediately tossing the ball in the air.

The Pokemon that appeared in front of her was another round creature, this one covered almost entirely in vines, with only its eyes unexposed. A Tangela.

The species was known for its odd appearance and mannerisms. Their evolved form, Tangrowth, had a history of being fairly niche in major tournaments, yet almost always high-performing whenever used, but Ash had very seldom seen a Tangela in action before. Although he had seen Tangrowth a handful of times, he'd only seen a Tangela fight twice in junior tournaments, and neither occurrence had been any less than two years ago. He couldn't even remember the details of how they had performed, although he was aware of how little that mattered. Erika was a Gym Leader, after all. Any Pokemon she had on her team knew how to fight.

Still… It meant it was harder to come up with specific advice for his teammates.

"Tangela are… weird, Valiant." the boy spoke awkwardly. "I know that thing is going to put the vines around it to good use, so try to keep your distance. Not sure how to look for an opening…" he scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment, but Valiant nodded back as the referee gave her signal.

"BEGIN!"

Erika raised an arm, her hand delicately rising into the air. "Stun Barrage!"

Tangela's goofy appearance did little to mask her capabilities once she sprung into action. After staring at Valiant with a painfully blank expression (or maybe it just looked blank, because her eyes were all that could be seen?), her visible features tightened upon hearing her trainer's order, and she broke into a run. Valiant quickly sunk into a stance to prepare for her upcoming attack, brushing aside the fatigue in his eyes, only for a vine to shoot out from the grass type, wrapping around the tree behind her.

Ash and Valiant watched with wide eyes as Tangela swung around the wooden trunk, slingshotting herself over the grassy arena. Now airborne, and sailing in Valiant's direction, the vine Pokemon let loose the familiar barrage of Stun Spore-coated Bullet Seeds that had been utilized throughout the match.

As the projectiles rained down from above, Valiant almost erected a Light Screen to intercept them, only to decide against it at the last second, the slight heaviness in his eyes reminding him that his mental prowess was on the verge of declining. He wasn't as physically strained as he was mentally (although the steel type Hidden Power had certainly hurt in the moment), but the presisiting strength in his body wouldn't matter very much if he tired his mind out.

So instead, he used his body, which had more juice left in the tank than his mind, and took off into a sprint, evading the onslaught of substance-coated seeds that pelted the ground where he once stood. His gratitude towards Eevee suddenly amplified: It had always been obvious to him that boosting his physical prowess would prove useful from a versatility standpoint, but in practice, the importance of said versatility was just now occurring to him.

"Slam!"

Valiant and Tangela's backs were now facing each other as Tangela's body descended towards the grass. Before she could land, however, another vine shot out, wrapping around a different tree. Valiant turned to see his opponent spinning around again, this time slingshotting in a far more straightforward direction, her body pulsing an orange glow that gave the vines wrapped around her a shiny aesthetic.

As his rotund opponent catapulted towards him with an angry glare, Valiant's features tightened as fire enveloped one of his clenched fists. Rearing back, he cleanly struck Tangela's face, although her momentum knocked him over, even as she let out a pained noise in response.

Although his fist was sore from the impact, Valiant quickly rotated himself, breaking his fall with his hands and flipping back over as his grass type adversary tumbled away. As he took off to pursue her, this time with his other fist on fire, she managed to right herself, turning to face him with a steel glare as an emerald orb of energy appeared in front of her.

"Valiant, don't get too close!" Ash's reminder filled his ears just as the Energy Ball formed, and Valiant inwardly cursed himself for jumping the gun. Tangela had regained her balance faster than he expected.

With no time to change tactics, he quickly coated his other fist in flames, pressing both Fire Punches together, and defensively held them out in front of him just as Tangela fired. With one of his fists still sore from the previous collision, Valiant felt the lingering pain spike from further aggravation as the grass type move slammed into him, although the Fire Punches still absorbed most of the impact. Rather than being knocked over, he simply staggered, teetering on one foot as he wobbled to prevent himself from falling on his back.

But even as he fought to maintain his posture, he suddenly felt a vine wrapping around his ankle. Before he could process it, all he could hear was Ash's warning as his body was suddenly yanked in Tangela's direction, his back colliding with the arena floor as he slid across the grassy soil.

Tangela was running in Erika's direction, straining herself to drag Valiant's body along with her. Turning over onto his stomach, Valiant fought to resist the grass type's pull, grabbing away at the grass to try and dig his hands into the soil. He wasn't close enough to any bushes or branches to find something to grab onto and fight back, the only available option being to make fruitless attempts at crawling forward, with no results to speak of as the uncomfortable sensation of his belly sliding against the dirt continued to persist.

Ash chewed his lip as he observed his friend's pitiful struggle. Before long, Tangela would cease the opportunity to bind Valiant with additional vines, either to squeeze him into submission… or worse, suffocate him. As a second vine began to rise from the grass type's body, Ash suddenly realized that she was already preparing to do so…

"Teleport into the air and attack!"

Hearing his trainer's orders, Valiant closed his eyes, trying his hardest to concentrate even as the second vine worked its way around his waist. Thankfully, his arms were outstretched, desperately grabbing at the grass and dirt, so they weren't binded for the moment.

He wasn't able to teleport very high. Between the momentum of being dragged backwards against his will, and his mental fatigue making it increasingly more difficult to execute his psychic abilities (not to mention, he still wasn't quite used to using teleport vertically), he felt grateful that he gained the height that he did.

Ash's plan became apparent as a startled Tangela appeared in the air as well. Those vines were a part of her body, so when he teleported… so did she.

With adrenaline coursing through him, he angled his body around as best he could, eyes flashing pink as he tried to summon the concentration for a Dazzling Gleam. Thankfully, it wasn't a psychic type move, and although his fatigue hindered it somewhat, as did the startling sensation of his descent as gravity took over, the strength of the pink beam wasn't as compromised as he fired it into the grass type, just before his body smacked into the dirt.

It wasn't a direct hit, as Tangela's own falling had thrown off his aim, but he had thankfully struck her rather cleanly in the side, prompting a pained yelp from his opponent as she tumbled across the greenery. At first, Valiant was dragged along with her, only to be freed from the hold of her vines soon after. He found it wasn't too difficult to get up: Not only was the grassy soil not as hard as the pavement that he had fallen onto during his battle with Gary's Skarmory on the previous day, but he hadn't even fallen from as great of a height, either. Only mild soreness was felt as he picked his body up and dashed after the vine Pokemon.

Tangela righted herself yet again, however, sliding backwards as two vines extended out from her, one on each side. Valiant leapt back as the two Vine Whips lashed out, cracking at the ground he had occupied mere moments before, and fired a second Dazzling Gleam.

As the vines retracted, Tangela formed another Energy Ball, which met the pink beam shortly before it could collide with her. Due to her close proximity to the explosion, she was pushed back a bit, but remained relatively unharmed apart from feeling the discomforting force of the shockwaves. As she slid backwards, Valiant took off running to the side, in an effort to encircle her.

Ash nodded in approval. Valiant was taking his time, not rushing her and leaving himself opened to be snatched again. If they could wittle her down from a distance…

"Grass Knot!" Erika, however, was still rather calm, and Ash's features tightened at the sound of her order. Much like with Carnivine before her, the grass between Tangela and Valiant abruptly sprung to life as the vine Pokemon closed her eyes. Just as Valiant's eyes began to flash pink again, he felt himself tripping, his Dazzling Gleam missing its mark by a yard or two as something wrapped around his ankle. He quickly managed to free himself as the pink beam uselessly collided with the barriers next to Erika, but the Gym Leader was already calling out again. "Power Whip!"

Ash's face paled. "Valiant, watch out!" As Kirlia teetered forward, still making an effort to fully regain his balance, Tangela began to close the distance, the vines wrapped around her body glowing as a few of them rose upwards.

Valiant turned his head just in time to see it. Closing her eyes, Tangela made a straining noise as the rising vines grew in size, the bright light enveloping them amplifying in intensity. Coming together, the vines formed one, giant tentacle of grass, glowing with a blinding greenish-golden aura.

Power Whip was among the strongest grass type moves. In the simplest terms possible, it was essentially a roided variant of Vine Whip, one that couldn't be used in the same consecutive, rapid fire manner, but dished out a single, devastating strike in return.

Valiant's eyes began to squint in irritation at the brightness of the bind, all the while Tangela reared her body back and prepared to swing forward.

Still having not fully regained his balance just yet, Valiant rotated his body to face the incoming blow, hastily shooting his arms outward as a glass wall erected in front of him.

But he had mentally taxed himself throughout the match, the barrier had been summoned with too much haste to be at full power, and, above all, the Power Whip, despite likely not being a high level, mastered version of the move, was still a Power Whip.

The golden tentacle smashed into the Reflect, and Valiant's mind immediately glazed as the glass shattered upon impact, shards of mental constructs scattering about the greenery before evaporating into lingering light. Pain overwhelmed the Kirlia's entire front as the shockwaves flung him backward. He could faintly hear Ash calling out to him amidst the disorientation, before his head struck the soily greenery. As he lay sprawled out in the grass, it was as though the last reserves of a battery had been depleted, his vision blurring as the world around him spun.

Had he been careless? Let emotions get in the way? Let his guard down? Was simply outplayed? He barely had time to faintly ask himself these questions, as his eyes failed to stay open, and his head tilted to the side.

"Kirlia is unable to battle! Tangela wins!"

A minor sensation of disheartenment passed over Ash as the cheers sounded over the arena, but he pushed them down as he reached for Valiant's Poke Ball. Between the two knockouts he had scored, and the couple of hits he had landed on Tangela, the young psychic had done more than enough.

As the red beam sucked the Kirlia into the orb, Ash's eyes fell on Tangela, who had turned to face him after a quick exchange with her trainer. It seemed like she might've been breathing somewhat harder… no doubt because of Power Whip. Using it a second time would likely drain her further, not to mention take longer to charge up.

Despite the loss, he found himself smiling.

"You were incredible, Valiant." he spoke to the sphere. "We're definitely going to win this."

And with that, he exchanged the emotion Pokemon's Poke Ball for Tyrunt's.

The royal heir Pokemon appeared in front of him in a bright flash of light, and Ash could feel a wave of confidence briefly passing over him as he eyed Erika from the other side.

"Valiant lost to Tangela." As Tyrunt turned to greet him with a happy chirp, Ash returned the dinosaur's gesture with a welcoming nod as he pointed out to the vine Pokemon. "You two are the only ones left." he added as Tyrunt's head angled back to take the grass type into view. The youngest member of the team turned around to face Tangela in full, his expression growing a bit more serious as Ash crouched down.

Tyrunt was still smiling, but his posture conveyed determination. He knew where they were, and he knew what had happened the first time he had stepped inside of a Gym. He wasn't going to repeat his battle with Raichu.

Taking advantage of the temporary absence of the barriers, Ash reached out to pat Tyrunt's head. "Tangela can use Vine Whip on the trees to slingshot itself around. It also has a really strong move called Power Whip; don't give it enough time to use it. It can make you trip with Grass Knot as well, so be careful." he removed his hand from Tyrunt's head as his gaze made its way back to the vine Pokemon. "But your opponent's the last thing standing between us and that badge. We won't let that stop us, right?" An excited growl escaped from Tyrunt's throat as the eager child scraped his feet against the grassy soil. Nodding in approval, Ash raised his arms, his hands closing up. "Great! Make sure you get in close; no matter what Erika does. The moment you sink your teeth in, this battle is over." As the royal heir Pokemon vigorously nodded away at the declaration, the rookie rose back up to face Erika in full.

Just one more Pokemon. They'd be holding that badge soon.

"BEGIN!"

Tyrunt knew the plan. The moment the referee gave the signal, he took off in a sprint. He wasn't the fastest member of the team, nor the strongest, but watching his legs carrying him across the greenery reminded Ash how much progress had been made since they had visited Bill.

"Stun Barrage!"

As Tyrunt cleared a decent amount of distance between the two (albeit not in attacking range just yet), Tangela lunged forward as the projectiles threatened to snipe the royal heir Pokemon. The dinosaur responded by changing course to the side, although he still winced as a few of the seeds clipped him. He wasn't the most agile member of the team, apart from Tempest, everyone else was probably more mobile than him.

As he changed direction again to resume his approach, Tyrunt opened his jaws as Tangela fired a second set of projectiles. A barrage of rocks erupted from his throat, intercepting the seeds. The Stun Barrage pounded through the rock blast, its grass typing no doubt giving it an advantage. The remaining seeds that managed to break through, however, had their momentum somewhat slowed, and even as he got closer, Tyrunt was able to sway to the side while continuing to run forward, the barrage just barely passing by the side of his head as Tangela began to run backwards.

The grass in front of Tyrunt sprang to life as Grass Knot threatened to ensnare and trip him. Thinking quickly, Ash's partner only struggled for a moment before remembering his jaws, which snapped and shredded the grass blades just in time for him to leap to the side and avoid another Stun Barrage. Before long, he was moving forward again.

Erika's lips curved up at the sight as she watched the dinosaur's movements, although the Gym leader showed no signs of concern. "On the tree, Tangela!"

Ash watched as Tangela neared one of the trees at the far end of the battlefield. Two vines extended outward from her back, wrapping around the wooden trunk and slingshotting her to the top. Without a doubt, Erika was aware that Tyrunt's jaws weren't just for show. She was taking him on from a distance.

Tyrunt didn't have much reliable means to fight Tangela from far away, while Tangela wasn't safe within close vicinity of him. Unfortunately for them, the two fighters both started far away by default, giving them the uphill battle to fight.

Standing atop the tree, Tangela appeared to be catching her breath as a frustrated Tyrunt stopped in front of the trunk and irritably growled up at her. Ash's face tightened ina aggravation, inwardly cursing himself for not considering this. Vine Whip was certainly a versatile move, as Erika had proven in this match. In comparison, he and Tyrunt had no way of-

He paused. Tyrunt didn't need to climb the tree!

"Use Fire Fang on the trunk!" Erika raised an amused brow as Tyrunt looked back at Ash in surprise, before nodding and lunging forward. Angling his jaws sideways, the dinosaur brought his fire-coated teeth around the trunk of the tree. These trees were relatively small compared to the typical ones found in a forest, and Tyrunt's Strong Jaw gave him and his bite attacks a great deal of might behind them.

Tangela stumbled as Tyrunt gnawed against the wood, feeling the tree teetering back as the royal heir Pokemon ripped a large chunk of the trunk out. He was still young, and the attack hadn't been enough to completely topple the tree just yet, but it was on the verge of losing its balance, and Ash had a contingency.

"Great work, now Roar!"

Tyrunt backed away by a couple steps to take aim at the damaged, tilted trunk. Opening his mouth, the noisy shockwaves erupted from his throat and pounded into the compromised bruise his Fire Fang had left behind on the wood. The foundation snapped, and Erika quickly took a step forward as the small tree toppled.

"Don't give in!" As she spoke, Tangela hastily wrapped a Vine Whip around the falling tree, slingshotting herself away as Tyrunt pursued her. An upwards Rock Blast missed its mark, and a downwards Stun Barrage left the royal heir Pokemon to swerve to the side as the vine Pokemon landed on her feet, running off to the last remaining tree in the nearby area. As their opponent scaled it, Ash's eyes lit up with a budding flame as he watched Tyrunt take off in hot pursuit.

"Chomp all the trees down if you have to!"

A Stun Barrage was fired from the peak of the tree, and avoided by Tyrunt before the process repeated itself. With all the remaining trees not close enough for Tangela to reasonably reach, Erika cupped her hands together.

"Slam!"

Tangela's Vine Whip wrapped around the falling trunk even as it descended to the soily floor of the battlefield. Rotating around the tree, her body glowed orange, and Tyrunt turned just in time for her to collide with his front. With a yelp, he quickly found himself pinned onto his back as Tangela stood atop his abdomen.

"Energy Ball, point blank!"

Tyrunt gasped anxiously as the emerald sphere formed in front of Tangela, ready to explode against him without delay, when Ash, quickly pushing down the surge of panic in his chest, called out to him with cupped hands.

"Use Roar!"

Tyrunt didn't take the time to hesitate in his panic, completely falling back on his trainer's commands to survive. As the shockwaves left his throat, the halfway charged Energy Ball exploded prematurely. With no control over the detonation, Tangela was abruptly catapulted into the air as the explosion pounded against Tyrunt's body, sandwiching him between the shockwaves and the grassy dirt.

His body aching, Tyrunt pushed himself up as the vine Pokemon landed a yard or two back. Head lowered to the floor, he let out a couple of cloughs before raising his gaze to the rotund grass type, as she staggered to her feet.

The fire in Ash's eyes reached his chest. Tangela was off balance, they needed to take the chance now.

"Poison Fang!" The small dinosaur must have been sensing victory too, as the aches in his body did little to slow him down as he sprinted to his opponent. Just as his jaws opened to reveal a familiar, purple glow, Tangela was fully upright again, two vines extending out of either side of her body as she lashed out at the royal heir Pokemon.

With two consecutive, tiny hops, Tyrunt evaded the strikes with the most deft Ash had ever seen from the team's youngest member, before lunging up into the air. As his body came down on Tangela, his ajws wrapped around her, sinking through the vines as his teeth injected the toxins.

Tangela let out a shrill scream as the teeth pierced her skin, and the venom burned her insides. Although she tried to struggle, Tyrunt's grip remained firm, and she was quickly forced into a sitting position as two vines extended out of her. Using the last of her strength, she shoved Tyrunt off of her body, a chunk of vines and flesh painfully ripping out as his grip remained intact. As the young dinosaur spit the chunk out, the grass type struggled to rise, only to find that she could not, collapsing down onto her bottom once more.

Ash's heart was hammering. They were right there! "Dragon Tail!" his voice was almost too eager as he gave the command.

The same, however, could be said for Tyrunt's response. Sprinting across the expansive arena, knocking down two small trees, and being struck by a point-blank explosion had left his muscles tiring, but the adrenaline surging through his blood drove those same muscles to action as he broke into one, final run. His tail rose behind his head as he performed a twirling motion, and smacked Tangela in the face.

The purple tail sent her rolling several feet away before stopping on her back. A brief attempt at rising came to an end before she even had a chance to get halfway. Panting, Tyrunt watched her fall back.

As Tangela definitively collapsed, the referee raised an arm. "Tangela is unable to battle! Tyrunt wins!" her arm pointed in Ash's direction. "The victory goes to our challenger, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!"

As she spoke the words, a swarm of Butterfree flew through Ash's stomach. Moments later, his lips progressively spread out, as though someone had cut his face in two.

As if on autopilot, his legs carried him across the field as Tangela disappeared back into her Poke Ball. Tyrunt turned around in time for his trainer to scoop him up into an overjoyed embrace.

"Buddy, you did it! You were so awesome!" It was rough, and almost painful, as Tyrunt happily rubbed his face against the rookie's cheek, but Ash barely cared-and any potential bruises could always be patched up at the hotel room later on anyway-both trainer and Pokemon were consumed by mutual elation.

Tyrunt was tuckered out, his jaws were likely sore from chomping on the trees, and his muscles were aching, but it didn't stop him from sharing in his trainer's excitement. Or from reveling in his first victory at a Gym.

After a few moments, the two parted, Ash setting his friend down as he heard Erika approaching them. The audience had finished clapping-he had barely even noticed it until the end- as he turned to face the Gym Leader, his smile evening out, but not vanishing.

Erika took the time to clap her hands together twice, before lowering her arms as she stopped in front of the duo. The aroma from her perfume was back.

"Congratulations, Mr. Ketchum." her expression had lost its professional composure, the smile on her face appearing as if addressing a friend. "I think it's safe to say everyone here enjoyed watching your performance." she briefly gestured to the students on the bleachers, some of whom were excitedly talking amongst themselves.

Ash followed her hand, the Butterfree in his stomach suddenly returning for a moment.

Throughout the battle, they had shown no favoritism. Just joyful excitement and fun. Had he ever battled in front of an audience like that before?

Unable to suppress a chuckle, he looked down at Tyrunt for a moment before returning to the Gym Leader. "Glad to hear it. We had our eyes on this Gym for a while."

Her hand slipped into her pocket as her eyes remained on him. "The way you and your team responded to our attempts at pressuring you were consistently competent. Your Kirlia is especially good at thinking for himself, and it almost felt like I was the one being pressured at the end when I felt the need to risk Tangela's stamina with Power Whip, an error on my part. And it didn't take long for you to realize your Tyrunt's biting attacks could be used for means other than direct offense." The tired dinosaur's grin widened as glanced down at him for a moment. "You're also clearly aware of how there's more to matchups than just typing, based on your Krabby's performance. Most rookies have a lot more trouble getting around that." her hand left her pocket, and Ash's heart skipped a beat as she opened your palm. "It was fun seeing the way you all adapt. I'd say you've earned this Rainbow Badge wholeheartedly."

Ash's face was as bright as the sun as he stared at the small object for a moment. As he reached over and took it from her hand, the rookie rested the badge between his fingers, as though it were the most fragile of decorations.

It was in the shape of a flower with a shiny, white center, the petals sticking out in all directions each in the colors found on a rainbow. Much like all Gym Badges, the texture and aesthetic reminded the young rookie of a precious treasure.

Any lingering disheartenment that may have remained from their unfortunate encounter with LT. Surge had all but evaporated as he took in the sight of their latest prize.

Two months of hard work had awarded them with three Gym Badges, and that meant that their journey to the Indigo Plateau was almost half over.

Ash's almost goofy grin made its way down to Tyrunt as he held the object in front of his partner. "Take a look, buddy. This is what we've earned." The royal heir Pokemon giddily clicked his teeth together before sinking onto his bottom, in hopes of giving his legs a break.

"You know, Mr. Ketchum." Ash's attention returned to the Gym Leader as the young dinosaur fiddled with the grass blades in front of him. "I've actually heard about you before, from a friend of mine."

He perked up at that. "Elacia?"

She nodded affirmatively. "Yeah. She loves giving detailed stories whenever she talks about what she's been up to. Seemed pretty taken with you."

A pleasant warmth passed over the boy as he recounted his time in Pewter. "She was a big help." a thought occurred to him. "Do you know when she'll be back?"

She let out a deep sigh at that, before her smile turned apologetic. "Sorry, kid, but it likely won't be for a while. She was already off doing something elsewhere, but she ended up finding a last minute project just last night, so who knows when she'll be getting back at this point." Although still grinning, she seemed a bit exasperated. "Unlike Suzie, she's hardly ever been content with just staying home. And then she talks about how taxing and demanding her profession is." She brushed it off with a small shrug, however. "She used to be a trainer, after all. Guess she never grew out of traveling. Can't hold that woman in one place for long."

Ash nodded in understanding. It was a bit disappointing that he probably wouldn't be able to see his friend again for a while, but he more than understood that her job came first.

'Guess we'll be visiting Suzie tomorrow, then.' He thought to himself. Elacia had asked him to do so if she wasn't around.

The referee approached them from the side, handing Erika a small case as Ash placed the beautiful badge with the others. His eyes lingered on them for just a moment before looking back up to Erika.

"Thanks." she nodded to the referee before turning back to him. "I'll be sure to tell her you were here. In the meantime…" She opened the case, revealing a set of discs. TMs, as Ash quickly realized. Plucking one out, she offered it up to him. "This is Bullet Seed, a move that you're probably more than familiar with after today."

Ash accepted the disc with a nod. "Thanks."

"No problem." her hand pressed against her hip as her eyes scaled the rookie. "You definitely have a long way to go, but I'd say you've found your momentum. I'll bet Professor Oak really likes having a kid like you in town." her hand extended to him. "Keep honing that spirit of yours, and I'm sure you'll be ready for the others."

The boy inwardly flinched at the mention of the Professor's name, memories of the previous night suddenly flooding back.

He pushed them down as quickly as he could, however, before they could become visible. He didn't know what to think of Professor Oak's words anymore… but that was fine for now. He and his team had made it for now, and they would keep on doing so.

Right now, the only thing that mattered was this moment.

His hand wrapped around hers as the two shook, each putting an equal amount of pressure on one another as they locked eyes for one final time.

Right. This moment.

Ash spoke to a few Gym trainers on the way out while carrying Tyrunt. Their energy was a lot brighter and more casual than Surge's students. The entire environment felt more welcoming, like something he could get used to.

It didn't last long, however. He had a team to take to the Center, a phone call to make to Delia and give her the good news.

After a long battle, they had overcome Erika and her team's tactics. The hurdles ahead were looking a little bit bigger than the ones behind them, but their jumps were only increasing in height.

/

Damian sat back in his steel chair as he observed the pendulum swinging from the tall clock propped up against the wall.

The room he was in was somewhat underground, with well-refined, stone walls and a large lantern hanging from the ceiling to brighten the surroundings. In his hand was a sausage, which he had heated up after plucking it from the refrigerator nearby.

He was just in the midst of finish the snack when his father walked in, holding a Poke Ball. Perking up, the boy stood to greet the man, who smiled with a satisfied glint in his eyes.

"How's it been treating you, son?" They had just gotten relocated to the newest hideout a couple of days ago, but his dad was off in Blackthorn on business, while his mother and a few other soldiers accompanied Proton to the board meeting.

"I've been fine," the nine year old rubbed the back of his head as the tall man stopped in front of him. The blue-haired boy's features took the form of a fairly relaxed smile as he angled his head upward to lock eyes with him. "I wasn't expecting you back for another couple of days. Guess you beat mom."

A modest chuckle from the man. "I suppose so. After I got Proton's approval to head on up to Blackthorn, I figured I wouldn't waste any time. I was in and out, and I have permission to give this to you." his hand extended outward, allowing Damian to take the Poke Ball. He tried to suppress the excitement welling up in his chest, but could only barely. "Go on, see."

Nodding with a confident smile, Damian enlarged the poke Ball and activated it. An orange lizard with a flame at the tip of his tail appeared out of the bright flash of light, dozing on the stone floor.

"A Charmander." Damian's eyes lit up. "Nice." he nodded up towards his father. 'Thanks dad."

His dad shook his head with a thumbs up. "No need for thanks. I told you I was gonna nab you the best one I could. With the way your tutoring has been progressing, you'll likely be in the ranks less than a couple of years from now, so it was time to speed up that process." kneeling downward, the large, red R on his uniform loomed over the Charmander's sleeping form as he lightly tapped against the creature's neck with the tip of his index finger. "That's part of why I asked to be the one to go on the mission. My old man's a fairly prominent Breeder back where I grew up in Blackthorn. Swift and efficient, the fool didn't even know I was there overnight. His database was a joke to crack into as well, given I know him and his way of thinking is like the back of my hand." he grinned up at his son. "I looked through all of them, to see which one had which Abilities, checking for Egg Moves, what their health indicated, all the reports I could find. And out of every lizard I ripped from the geezer's place, this one was the most potent. His masterpiece. Perfect way to get your foot in the door when the time comes for you to join the cause."

Damian's eyes shined with an inspired determination as his father rose back up. That was right… the cause. Everything his parents worked for. Everything their superiors worked for. To put an end to the Indigo League's reign and remind the people what truly shaped, guided, and governed the world.

"Remember, son. Pokemon are the sword and shield of all mankind. And it's our purpose to use their powers the best out of everyone, in order to come out on top in this world."

/

Damian tucked the picture back into his pocket as he rose from his seat and wandered the halls of the underground hideout. The overhead lights dimly lit the corridor, a hard floor surrounded by metallic walls and ceiling.

It had been a hot minute since he'd last seen his parents. Ever since they had left with Proton's division to claim power in Ever Grande. He didn't know when they'd be back, but their words were always in his mind.

Even so, the anxiety flooding through his chest made his body feel heavy. It was only a matter of days before his first ever mission as a soldier. Not the botched evaluation that he and the other kids have been given, but an actual, on the record assignment that he would be participating in. No longer would he be sheltered by the bunkers of the various hideouts and forts. No longer would he be a spectator who watched, and listened, and heard about the battles fought.

Now, he would be a component of those battles. He would be on the attack. Just as he had been preparing for for over half a decade. He would be stepping outside of the secure safety of the shelters that had served as his comfort zone and out into the world his body and spirit had been promptly honed for.

It was exhilarating. It was horrifying. And it was all coming in days.

His head angled upwards towards the ceiling as the occasional adult soldier passed by in the opposite direction. He was no stranger to wandering the halls, whether it be for the sake of curious exploration, or just out of boredom while his parents went off to perform whatever the latest task that Proton had handed out to them was. It was such a major component of his life, and he had occasionally gone over two months without ever stepping outside. But now, that would only be a small part of it. It wouldn't go away, but it abruptly made him feel nostalgic.

A small grin formed on his features as he plucked a Poke Ball from his belt. He gazed at the orb for just a brief moment before returning it to where it belonged.

Those preparations would all pay off… in just days.

A noise caught his attention, and, as if on instinct, he broke into a run. A few moments later, he was in one of the warehouses, the scene in front of him spotlighted by the overhead lights directly above.

The red-haired teenager was there, a massive, blue reptile with incredible jaws standing next to him. In front of them was a Machoke, kneeling down, a man in a blue-collared uniform pinned onto his stomach with muffled protests. Next to the Machoke stood a woman in a standard Rocket uniform.

The teen with red hair turned his head to see Damian jogging towards them, raising a signaling hand to slow the boy's run to a walk.

As Damian stopped in front of them, he gazed down at the victim in suspicion. "Intruder?"

"Afraid so." replied the teen. His expression was stern, but neutral as he leered down at the struggling man, who was currently on the verge of just giving up. "Using the network beneath the Game Corner has been very beneficial to us, but it appears that an employee has wandered in. No matter."

Damian's face tightened as he nodded at the explanation. He had seen intruders before, albeit only three times previously. The first occurrence had been at the age of six, when he had watched one of Proton's assistants have his Arcanine devour the head of a police officer who had charged in without backup. "Got it. What is gonna happen to him?"

"Interesting question." the teen stoically responded, sparing the younger boy a glance before bringing his attention back down to the man. "That is just what we were about to discuss."

"P-Please…" the man moaned pathetically (intruders were always so wimpy when caught) "I'm sorry, I-... I didn't-"

"You didn't know, I'm aware." the teen interrupted in response. "Just an average worker who took a wrong turn inspecting the basement, and ended up further down. I'll have to double-check the entrances. Can't have any more inconveniences." the blue creature beside him rumbled in agreement, as its fierce eyes locked onto the man. The teen nodded to the soldier and her Machoke. "Help him up."

As the terrified man was brought back up to his feet, the sight of the blue creature froze him in place as Machoke's hands rested on his shoulders, and the teen removed a belt with four poke Balls on it. "We won't kill you, but we can't have you leaving so soon before our mission. We'd lose the element of surprise once you go off flapping your lips all the way over to the police station." his face somewhat tightened. "You will remain here, for now. When the coast is clear, you will be clear to walk free, without your Pokemon, who will remain with us."

A brief surge of anger filled the man's eyes, but it was in stark contrast to the clear helplessness on his face. "If I'm gone for too long-"

"Your family will call the authorities and request a search party. I am well aware." the teen crossed his arms. "Once we've further secured the entrances-which you only discovered by chance, I might add, it won't be a problem. We won't even be here for much longer anyway." he nodded to the woman. "Show our guest his new room." With a salute, she led the Machoke out of the warehouse, as the fighting type guided the man.

Damian watched them go, before an awkward weight hung in the air as the doors closed behind them. Damian's gaze briefly lingered on the blue behemoth accompanying the teen, a dreadful sense of unease passing through his heart, before his gaze returned to the teen himself. The Agent was leaning his back against a crate, with his arms crossed for just a few moments, before nonchalantly pushing himself off, walking past the boy.

"Walk with me."

Damian did as he was told, speeding up to keep pace with the older boy as the blue creature followed from behind. The trio passed through a different door than where Damian had entered. A few soldiers chatting in the hallways paused to salute as the teen walked by them, although a couple paled as their eyes made their way to the blue Pokemon.

It felt as though it had been silent for a moment or two before the teen finally spoke. "So, how's your nerves?"

"What do you mean?" Damian responded, speeding up just a little bit more so that he was traversing the corridors next to his superior, angling his head to face him in full.

"I'm just making sure your heart is ready for the upcoming assignment. You've never done this before, have you not?"

Damian's expression tightened. "That doesn't matter, I assure you I'm ready." his gaze turned ahead. "We attack in the next two to three days, and "we" includes me. I'm well aware of my role."

"That's easy for you to say," the teen responded, but it hasn't exactly been long since your run in with those two."

Damian's face twisted at the memory of Ash and Paul. His voice was hoarse and bitter. "Those two…"

The teen's gaze left the boy, focusing on the pathway ahead of them. "I just want to verify that you know what it means to be on a mission like this. It's very easy to freeze up when the time finally comes to put all of your training into practice, as occurred with me on my first mission."

Damian allowed a small smirk to form across his lips. "Has it ever occurred to you that I might get off to a better start?"

"That remains to be seen." it was almost infuriating how unfazed the teen was. "Anyway, it just so happens that I ran into one of those rookies at the Department Store yesterday."

Damian's head whipped in the teen's direction. "What…"

"Yeah, the Ash kid. Didn't know who I was, obviously, but he's in the city."

Damian's face gazed off to the path ahead once more, tightening again as his eyes narrowed, almost into slits. A deep glint appeared within his pupils as he processed the information. "Good…" he almost couldn't help the small, toothy grin that spread across his face while his teeth grinded together. "I'm looking forward to seeing him again. The prick…"

"Hmph, I take it you're planning to kill him and Paul?"

"And why shouldn't I?" the blue-haired boy barked out. His fists squeezed together. "Those two pieces of… They're not going to get away with humiliating me the way that they did. I'm not some idiot who can be toyed with whenever they want, I'm gonna-"

His focus was broken as the teen scoffed. "Roughly two dozen of the other kids that were given that evaluation alongside you were captured because of those two rookies, and yet your vendetta against them stems entirely from the mild bruise done to your misplaced ego."

"Watch it, prick." Damian snarled at the teen, only for his face to pale as a low rumble escaped the blue Pokemon's throat behind them.

"Relax, Neptune." The noise settled down as the teen angled his head back at the creature, before resuming his focus on the path in front of them as the trio took a turn. "No need to get temperamental about it, kid. It's not like it matters much to me, anyway, you can feel free to kill that Ash fellow if you run into him during the mission, just make sure you don't jeopardize yourself over trivial affairs. He was silent for a moment, before the look in his eyes shifted. "By the way, Damian… your parents, they work under Executive Proton, correct?"

Trying to recover from the brief, yet deep scare, Damian resteadied himself as he nodded a bit too hastily, his gaze briefly turning to the duo of soldiers (a man and a woman) that passed by them in the opposite direction. "Yes. in his good graces too, I might add." he added that last bit somewhat proudly.

The teen nodded in approval. "A capable man. I was actually mentored by him. His vouching is the reason I was promoted." his chin rested against his finger. "Right now, he's working to get our organization a hold on the Hoenn Region. Quite ironic, since he used to be the one most staunchly against branching out to foreign territories in the past. The risk of splitting our sources thin was always the argument, but I suppose now that's no longer an issue." with his hand somewhat lowering, before his arms crossed against his chest, he added. "In the past five to ten years, Recruitment has been a lot more steady. The child soldier program that Petrel had proposed is finally coming into its own, we've annexed most of the gangs that we had our eyes on, and more people in general have been persuaded as our advertising continues to improve. Not to mention, Commander Archer's connections have been a huge boon." his head angled slightly upwards towards the ceiling. "To think we have the Iron-Masked Marauder fighting with us. An international legend, underneath our banner."

Damian hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "You said you were promoted because of Proton? When did you start working under him?"

"When I was twelve." the teen responded. "About a year after I joined, he recognized my potential, honed it for a couple of years, and then persuaded the Commander to grant me my current position. Said I was a prodigy."

"No wonder you're so stuck up…" Damian scoffed under his breath.

"It takes one to know one." The teen was still unfazed. "Unlike you, I've earned my confidence. You, on the other hand, are acting like you've proven yourself the moment you started trying to." his gaze shifted to the side in order to face the boy. "I've made more than my fair share of hiccups during my climb up the ladder. I know what it entails. I'd rather not watch you lose your grip."

A low grumble escaped Damian's throat, but it quickly died down as soon as it started as he eyed his superior carefully. "I suppose mom did bring you up once. Can't remember when."

"It was probably about six months ago," the teen responded. "I was frontrunning the most successful mission we've ever had."

Damian processed that for a split second before his eyes widened like dinner plates.

"Wait a minute… the assassination?! In Goldenrod?! Are you trying to tell me that was you?!"

"Believe what you want. All I'm saying is, I've been in your shoes before. Maybe not quite in the same way, I became a part of this organization after the gang I joined was annexed, you've been here since the day you were born, but I've had to climb up similar steps to the ones that you'll be facing pretty soon." his head turned to Damian. "You obviously don't have to like me, but lending an ear every now and then might do you some good in the long run."

Damian hummed quietly at that. He wasn't sure if this older boy had done what he'd just claimed to have done, but he was given his rank for a reason regardless, after all.

His whole life had been spent preparing to join the ranks of Team Rocket. Now that he had, it was up to him to ensure that it was worth it.

"...I'll take it under advisement." he simply stated.

"Good…" the teen nodded in approval. The trio stopped at a branching path as he turned to face him in full. "Well, I have to go check on those entrances for now. See you once the operation starts." He nodded to his partner. "Come on, Neptune." The behemoth spared one final, passing glance at Damian as it followed its trainer down the hall.

Damian watched the duo depart for a few moments, trying to take in the older boy's words for a bit as their forms grew smaller, the distance between them expanding with every stride. Eventually, they both took another turn, and were out of sight.

Tapping his foot with crossed arms for a few seconds, the blue-haired boy turned around and headed off in the opposite direction.