Post by WARendfeld on Sept 26, 2012 8:50:05 GMT -6
Back in the Fight
“<Not that I don’t appreciate us finally battling beside your sister, but next time, could you send someone else out to battle alongside of Obsidian?>” Surtur winced as Alex applied some Potion to speed up the healing process. “<Strika or Snapdragon, for example. They could have used the experience, and the Sandstorm that kicked up wouldn’t have hurt them in the slightest.>”
“Yeah, but you had the type advantage.” She offered her Starter an encouraging smile and added, “Besides, I knew you could handle it.”
The Blaziken flexed his arm, already feeling better, and smirked. “<Yes, well, as much as I appreciate your confidence, I’d rather not go through something like that again.>”
“I’ll keep that in mind for next time.” She checked her watch and reclined on one of the many deck chairs on the ferry. “Anyway, relax. We’re heading for Cianwood City. Unless something really outrageous happens, you’ll be getting a break in today.”
Surtur laughed and laid himself out on another deck chair, crossing his arms behind his head. “<Suddenly forgetting your track record, aren’t you?>”
-
Located at the westernmost corner of Johto, Cianwood City was barely frequented by most people. For years, the only reason that many visited the city was due to the local Gym, and even with the establishment of Johto’s Safari Zone nearby, many were discouraged from visiting the area thanks to the Whirl Islands and its many whirlpools separating it from the mainland. Nonetheless, the whirlpools weren’t a problem for a sufficiently-large vessel to bypass, and coming up north from Hoenn was much easier than going southwest from nearby Olivine City.
The ferry docked, and Alex quietly disembarked, Surtur following behind her with his injuries fully healed as she went about consulting her PokéNav. “Tracking down the Gym shouldn’t be too difficult. After that, we can relax, maybe take in the sights, figure out when the next ferry to Olivine City is, and then continue on our way.” She groaned and noted, “I just wish it was easier to scroll in on this thing. Small screens aren’t easy to read.”
His gaze turned down the beach, and Surtur pointed towards a small mass of people marching their way, a Machoke at the head with a number of young students in martial arts uniforms and Pokémon trailing behind. “<This might just be a hunch, but perhaps they know something.>”
A shrug, and Alex went after them, lightly jogging alongside. She looked to one of the leading students and asked, “Hey, what’s going on here?”
Despite being winded, the lead student explained, “We’re exercising with our master, Chuck the Gym Leader! That’s his Machoke leading the way!” He looked at her with awe and asked, “You here for a Gym Battle?”
A grin. “What was your first clue?”
The Machoke led the band of students and Pokémon, now joined by Alex and Surtur, all the way to the Cianwood Gym, an elegant if simple structure that resembled a dojo more than anything else. Machoke continued to jog in place, beating the students and Alex there by a fair margin. The students were exhausted, but Alex was barely winded, thanks to her own athleticism and not having gone the full route. Within a minute of the group reaching the Gym, a weakened and wearied voice called out, “You tuckered out from that?! You kids have still got a long ways to go!” With a huff, he collapsed to his knees, almost too exhausted to notice the additional trainer. “Hey you! Tall girl with the Blaziken! You must be here for a Gym Battle!”
“That I am.” Alex approached and offered a hand. “And you must be Chuck. I’ve heard wonders about your training methods.”
Chuck recovered with a laugh, springing to his feet. “Then you’d know that I won’t be an easy battle!” A bulky man who’d clearly gotten on in years and put on some extra pounds, he nonetheless had some vigor to him. “Well then miss, you got a name?”
“Alex.”
“Well Alex, before you can battle me, there’s something you’ve gotta do first!”
-
“Dig in!” Food was shoveled onto Alex’s plate, Surtur soon finding himself with a helping as well. Not ones to turn down a free meal, they took up utensils and started to slowly and steadily work through their servings, a stark contrast to the gathered students, the Gym Leader, and their assorted Pokémon. Noticing that Alex wasn’t approaching it with as much vigor as his students, Chuck prodded her, “The food not agreeing with you?”
Alex’s response was a laugh after she swallowed. “Far from it, it’s great! I’m just taking the time to savor it!”
Chuck laughed. “Good answer! But don’t take too long, or you won’t get another helping!”
A pretty, middle-aged woman strode up with more food and chided Chuck, “The way you shovel it down, it’s a wonder any of your students get a second helping. It’s not like you’re starving with all that fat on your belly.”
“Honey, this isn’t fat!” Chuck paused his eating long enough to protest further to his wife, “It’s padding!”
His wife laughed and quickly noted to Alex, “Please, take your time. I’ve made more than enough for everyone.”
“That’s good. Despite appearances, I’m a healthy eater.”
“<That’s true. Her appetite is legendary in some restaurants.>” At his trainer’s arched eyebrow, Surtur noted, “<Well, how do I know if she can’t understand me?>”
Alex laughed and continued with her meal.
Time passed, and after several helpings, Alex finished her meal, practically at the same time as Chuck. As she took a sip of her tea, she turned to the Gym Leader. “Thank you very much for the meal, it was fantastic.”
“You can thank me by helping to burn off the calories in a battle!” Chuck rose to his feet, his Machoke behind him, and beckoned, “Come on, Alex! If you want a Storm Badge, you’re going to have to earn it!”
Alex grinned. “You’re on.”
-
“This is an official Gym Battle!” Serving as referee was one of Chuck’s students, both flags waiting at the ready. “The challenger, Alex Masters, will face the Gym Leader, Chuck, in a two-on-two match! The Gym Leader isn’t allowed to withdraw their Pokémon, and there’s no time limit! Let the match begin!”
“I’ll be battling with Machoke and, as a change of pace, Primeape!” Chuck sent out the named Pokémon, the porcine ape moving from one foot to another and ready for a punch. “He’s more than ready for a fight!”
Alex smiled, her own selection already in mind. “Then let’s see what Primeape’s got! Into the light, ShadowWarrior!”
As her Murkrow came onto the field, Chuck showed no emotion. He had a match to deal with, after all, and if his opponent was going to bank on type advantages, then he’d do what he could to counter them. “Primeape, Focus Energy!”
“ShadowWarrior, get some distance and use Shadow Ball!”
A ball of purple energies formed in the Murkrow’s open beak and was launched. Primeape, however, jumped out of the attack’s path, prompting the bird to squawk, “You’ve gotta be kidding me!”
Alex grinned. “I guess this calls for a change in strategy. ShadowWarrior, let’s Fly!”
“Get ready, Primeape!”
Despite hopping about like he had too much sugar, the Pig Monkey Pokémon kept his eyes on ShadowWarrior as he ascended into the air and readied himself for a dive.
“Go!”
“Primeape, use Thunder Punch!”
As ShadowWarrior made contact, Primeape punched the much smaller Pokémon, giving as well as he got in the bargain.
“Now, Sucker Punch!”
“Close Combat!”
ShadowWarrior managed to land his attack, but the rapid blows from his opponent proved to be too much, and he was sent flying back towards Alex, taken out of the fight.
“Murkrow is unable to battle!”
Alex carefully scooped him up with an apologetic smile. “Sorry ShadowWarrior. Guess my crazy plan didn’t work.”
The bird groaned as he regained consciousness. “Eh, I won’t fault you for trying. We’ll know better next time.” He fluttered onto her shoulder. “Next?”
“You expecting anything else?” Alex readied her next pick and called out, “Grospoliner, assume blade form!”
Her Metang appeared, and Chuck maintained his neutral expression. “Alright, Primeape! Close Combat!”
“Grospoliner, Psychic!”
One burst of psychic energies, and Primeape went down hard, finally knocked out. Chuck recalled the defeated Pokémon, tears welling from his eyes. “You put up a great fight, Primeape! Rest up and get ready for next time!” He quickly regained control and called, “Machoke, are you ready to go?!”
“Machoke!” The Fighting-type charged onto the field, ready for action.
“Alright then! Machoke, use Submission!”
“Grospoliner, dodge with Agility!”
As Machoke charged and attempted to grab hold of the floating Steel-type, Grospoliner weaved out of the way, dodging the attack with seeming ease.
“Fast for a Steel-type! Alright Machoke, use Karate Chop!”
“Grospoliner, Bullet Punch!”
Machoke’s attack was quickly countered by Grospoliner’s, both doing damage.
“One more time, Machoke! Cross Chop!”
“Grospoliner, let’s finish this! Psychic!”
As Machoke readied his attack, Grospoliner managed to narrowly strike first, bombarding him with psychic energies. This proved to be the final straw, and Machoke fell unconscious.
“Machoke is unable to battle! The match goes to Alex and Metang!”
Alex sighed in relief, then approached her Metang with a proud smile. “Nice work, Grospoliner.”
“<Thank you, Alexandria. I’m glad to have made up for my earlier failures.>”
She flashed an affectionate smile and assured him, “You had nothing to make up for.”
At the other end of the field, Chuck helped Machoke into a sitting position, a proud smile on his face. “Machoke, you performed brilliantly out there. Excellent work.” The Pokémon smiled as Chuck helped him to stand, and escorted him as he approached his opponent. “Alex, you demonstrated excellent battling skills out there, and a great deal of bravery. It’s not every trainer who would try a close-up power battle, even if they had a type advantage and the chance to keep at range.”
“Yeah, but it wasn’t a sure thing. Fighting might get beaten by Psychic and Flying, but it still beats Steel and Dark. I just had good timing.”
The Gym Leader laughed happily. “Modest too! I like that!” His laughter faded as he continued with pleasure, “In any case, you’ve earned this Storm Badge.” He held up the badge and passed it on to his victorious opponent. “Well done!”
“Thanks.” Alex held the badge up and smiled; as far as she was concerned, this was a good sign to come.
TBC!
“<Not that I don’t appreciate us finally battling beside your sister, but next time, could you send someone else out to battle alongside of Obsidian?>” Surtur winced as Alex applied some Potion to speed up the healing process. “<Strika or Snapdragon, for example. They could have used the experience, and the Sandstorm that kicked up wouldn’t have hurt them in the slightest.>”
“Yeah, but you had the type advantage.” She offered her Starter an encouraging smile and added, “Besides, I knew you could handle it.”
The Blaziken flexed his arm, already feeling better, and smirked. “<Yes, well, as much as I appreciate your confidence, I’d rather not go through something like that again.>”
“I’ll keep that in mind for next time.” She checked her watch and reclined on one of the many deck chairs on the ferry. “Anyway, relax. We’re heading for Cianwood City. Unless something really outrageous happens, you’ll be getting a break in today.”
Surtur laughed and laid himself out on another deck chair, crossing his arms behind his head. “<Suddenly forgetting your track record, aren’t you?>”
-
Located at the westernmost corner of Johto, Cianwood City was barely frequented by most people. For years, the only reason that many visited the city was due to the local Gym, and even with the establishment of Johto’s Safari Zone nearby, many were discouraged from visiting the area thanks to the Whirl Islands and its many whirlpools separating it from the mainland. Nonetheless, the whirlpools weren’t a problem for a sufficiently-large vessel to bypass, and coming up north from Hoenn was much easier than going southwest from nearby Olivine City.
The ferry docked, and Alex quietly disembarked, Surtur following behind her with his injuries fully healed as she went about consulting her PokéNav. “Tracking down the Gym shouldn’t be too difficult. After that, we can relax, maybe take in the sights, figure out when the next ferry to Olivine City is, and then continue on our way.” She groaned and noted, “I just wish it was easier to scroll in on this thing. Small screens aren’t easy to read.”
His gaze turned down the beach, and Surtur pointed towards a small mass of people marching their way, a Machoke at the head with a number of young students in martial arts uniforms and Pokémon trailing behind. “<This might just be a hunch, but perhaps they know something.>”
A shrug, and Alex went after them, lightly jogging alongside. She looked to one of the leading students and asked, “Hey, what’s going on here?”
Despite being winded, the lead student explained, “We’re exercising with our master, Chuck the Gym Leader! That’s his Machoke leading the way!” He looked at her with awe and asked, “You here for a Gym Battle?”
A grin. “What was your first clue?”
The Machoke led the band of students and Pokémon, now joined by Alex and Surtur, all the way to the Cianwood Gym, an elegant if simple structure that resembled a dojo more than anything else. Machoke continued to jog in place, beating the students and Alex there by a fair margin. The students were exhausted, but Alex was barely winded, thanks to her own athleticism and not having gone the full route. Within a minute of the group reaching the Gym, a weakened and wearied voice called out, “You tuckered out from that?! You kids have still got a long ways to go!” With a huff, he collapsed to his knees, almost too exhausted to notice the additional trainer. “Hey you! Tall girl with the Blaziken! You must be here for a Gym Battle!”
“That I am.” Alex approached and offered a hand. “And you must be Chuck. I’ve heard wonders about your training methods.”
Chuck recovered with a laugh, springing to his feet. “Then you’d know that I won’t be an easy battle!” A bulky man who’d clearly gotten on in years and put on some extra pounds, he nonetheless had some vigor to him. “Well then miss, you got a name?”
“Alex.”
“Well Alex, before you can battle me, there’s something you’ve gotta do first!”
-
“Dig in!” Food was shoveled onto Alex’s plate, Surtur soon finding himself with a helping as well. Not ones to turn down a free meal, they took up utensils and started to slowly and steadily work through their servings, a stark contrast to the gathered students, the Gym Leader, and their assorted Pokémon. Noticing that Alex wasn’t approaching it with as much vigor as his students, Chuck prodded her, “The food not agreeing with you?”
Alex’s response was a laugh after she swallowed. “Far from it, it’s great! I’m just taking the time to savor it!”
Chuck laughed. “Good answer! But don’t take too long, or you won’t get another helping!”
A pretty, middle-aged woman strode up with more food and chided Chuck, “The way you shovel it down, it’s a wonder any of your students get a second helping. It’s not like you’re starving with all that fat on your belly.”
“Honey, this isn’t fat!” Chuck paused his eating long enough to protest further to his wife, “It’s padding!”
His wife laughed and quickly noted to Alex, “Please, take your time. I’ve made more than enough for everyone.”
“That’s good. Despite appearances, I’m a healthy eater.”
“<That’s true. Her appetite is legendary in some restaurants.>” At his trainer’s arched eyebrow, Surtur noted, “<Well, how do I know if she can’t understand me?>”
Alex laughed and continued with her meal.
Time passed, and after several helpings, Alex finished her meal, practically at the same time as Chuck. As she took a sip of her tea, she turned to the Gym Leader. “Thank you very much for the meal, it was fantastic.”
“You can thank me by helping to burn off the calories in a battle!” Chuck rose to his feet, his Machoke behind him, and beckoned, “Come on, Alex! If you want a Storm Badge, you’re going to have to earn it!”
Alex grinned. “You’re on.”
-
“This is an official Gym Battle!” Serving as referee was one of Chuck’s students, both flags waiting at the ready. “The challenger, Alex Masters, will face the Gym Leader, Chuck, in a two-on-two match! The Gym Leader isn’t allowed to withdraw their Pokémon, and there’s no time limit! Let the match begin!”
“I’ll be battling with Machoke and, as a change of pace, Primeape!” Chuck sent out the named Pokémon, the porcine ape moving from one foot to another and ready for a punch. “He’s more than ready for a fight!”
Alex smiled, her own selection already in mind. “Then let’s see what Primeape’s got! Into the light, ShadowWarrior!”
As her Murkrow came onto the field, Chuck showed no emotion. He had a match to deal with, after all, and if his opponent was going to bank on type advantages, then he’d do what he could to counter them. “Primeape, Focus Energy!”
“ShadowWarrior, get some distance and use Shadow Ball!”
A ball of purple energies formed in the Murkrow’s open beak and was launched. Primeape, however, jumped out of the attack’s path, prompting the bird to squawk, “You’ve gotta be kidding me!”
Alex grinned. “I guess this calls for a change in strategy. ShadowWarrior, let’s Fly!”
“Get ready, Primeape!”
Despite hopping about like he had too much sugar, the Pig Monkey Pokémon kept his eyes on ShadowWarrior as he ascended into the air and readied himself for a dive.
“Go!”
“Primeape, use Thunder Punch!”
As ShadowWarrior made contact, Primeape punched the much smaller Pokémon, giving as well as he got in the bargain.
“Now, Sucker Punch!”
“Close Combat!”
ShadowWarrior managed to land his attack, but the rapid blows from his opponent proved to be too much, and he was sent flying back towards Alex, taken out of the fight.
“Murkrow is unable to battle!”
Alex carefully scooped him up with an apologetic smile. “Sorry ShadowWarrior. Guess my crazy plan didn’t work.”
The bird groaned as he regained consciousness. “Eh, I won’t fault you for trying. We’ll know better next time.” He fluttered onto her shoulder. “Next?”
“You expecting anything else?” Alex readied her next pick and called out, “Grospoliner, assume blade form!”
Her Metang appeared, and Chuck maintained his neutral expression. “Alright, Primeape! Close Combat!”
“Grospoliner, Psychic!”
One burst of psychic energies, and Primeape went down hard, finally knocked out. Chuck recalled the defeated Pokémon, tears welling from his eyes. “You put up a great fight, Primeape! Rest up and get ready for next time!” He quickly regained control and called, “Machoke, are you ready to go?!”
“Machoke!” The Fighting-type charged onto the field, ready for action.
“Alright then! Machoke, use Submission!”
“Grospoliner, dodge with Agility!”
As Machoke charged and attempted to grab hold of the floating Steel-type, Grospoliner weaved out of the way, dodging the attack with seeming ease.
“Fast for a Steel-type! Alright Machoke, use Karate Chop!”
“Grospoliner, Bullet Punch!”
Machoke’s attack was quickly countered by Grospoliner’s, both doing damage.
“One more time, Machoke! Cross Chop!”
“Grospoliner, let’s finish this! Psychic!”
As Machoke readied his attack, Grospoliner managed to narrowly strike first, bombarding him with psychic energies. This proved to be the final straw, and Machoke fell unconscious.
“Machoke is unable to battle! The match goes to Alex and Metang!”
Alex sighed in relief, then approached her Metang with a proud smile. “Nice work, Grospoliner.”
“<Thank you, Alexandria. I’m glad to have made up for my earlier failures.>”
She flashed an affectionate smile and assured him, “You had nothing to make up for.”
At the other end of the field, Chuck helped Machoke into a sitting position, a proud smile on his face. “Machoke, you performed brilliantly out there. Excellent work.” The Pokémon smiled as Chuck helped him to stand, and escorted him as he approached his opponent. “Alex, you demonstrated excellent battling skills out there, and a great deal of bravery. It’s not every trainer who would try a close-up power battle, even if they had a type advantage and the chance to keep at range.”
“Yeah, but it wasn’t a sure thing. Fighting might get beaten by Psychic and Flying, but it still beats Steel and Dark. I just had good timing.”
The Gym Leader laughed happily. “Modest too! I like that!” His laughter faded as he continued with pleasure, “In any case, you’ve earned this Storm Badge.” He held up the badge and passed it on to his victorious opponent. “Well done!”
“Thanks.” Alex held the badge up and smiled; as far as she was concerned, this was a good sign to come.
TBC!